Well when I say flown, Ian didn't drive that fast, probably because we were so laden with 'essential stuff'' he couldn't have even tried! It was a miracle it all fitted in! All those years of going camping and trying to fit everything including the kitchen sink into a small car, obviously paid off! Anyway, Tom's settled in and is looking forward to his course in countryside management, but the house seems so empty, especially as Kate is never in! Speaking of Kate, she finally got an interview for an admin post after hundreds of applications, and she got the job! Its only for a few months, but its a start.
Amongst all the mayhem ,I somehow got the string bag finished last week. I really enjoyed knitting it, it's so simple you don't have to think, which suits my brain at the moment!
It stretches loads, the picture shows it with a BIG box of cornflakes in and there was still lots of space. Have a look at Queen Of The Froggers version in the bright orangy yarn, it looks fab!
I've decided to start pressie knitting for Christmas too. I'm in the process of knitting an item using some Posh Yarn Lucia for one project, but can't reveal what or for whom! And today, my order from Dragon Yarns came with the Dalegarn Halk, so now I'm ready to start a hat for my brother.
I'm going to attempt They Call Em Pirates! I've never tried fairisle before, but I'm looking forward to trying it. Any tips gratefully received!!
My Pomatomus sock was coming along fine too UNTIL I tried it on!
I'd rounded the heel and thought the foot was looking a bit tight, so carefully tried to put it on and found they were TOO SMALL!!! AARRRRGGGG!! My big fat size sevens just wouldn't squeeze in no matter how I wiggled the DPN's and in disgust I pulled them off the needles and sent it to the big frog pond in the sky!! I've decided I like sock knitting best when I don't have to think about it, so I'm going to do some ordinary and boring plain ones! It probably won't last, especially as I love Kaths log cabin socks!
I finished spinning the Gotland I bought at Woolfest but I'm really disappointed with my spinning. I seem to naturally spin a very fine yarn and find it hard to spin thicker stuff, I start off OK but as my concentration wavers, I seem to have a thin yarn default!! I feel the Gotland is spun way too thin and doesn't show the variation in colours like I had hoped. I also think I over twisted it when I plied it, so all in all I'm not a happy bunny!!
So I'm going to have to practise spinning thicker yarn. I wonder if it's because I find carding hard work and sub-consciously I'm trying to eek out the rolag?! I've just got drum carder envy I think!!
The garden is coming to the end of it's growing season now. At the weekend, we picked the last of the tomatoes and lettuce. The frost will get the green beans soon and there aren't too many courgettes left growing. But saying that, the Brussel sprouts are fattening up nicely and the leeks are getting bigger, so maybe it's not all over yet!
18 comments:
I love your bag, that is a great colour too. I am not sure whether I could get a box in mine as the neck opening is smaller than yours! I am glad for Kates job, I hope she enjoys it. The hat will be good. Make sure when you change colours stretch the stitches out along the right needle before you bring the new colour in, then you won't pucker the knitted fabric by pulling too tight.
Hope you are dealing with the 'empty nest' syndrome. I am not looking forward to it, although son & heir gives me plenty of practice (although the ironing pile never diminishes!)
The bag is great. Must knit one!
Love the bag - have put it on the to do list. Good luck to Kate in her new job, and I hope Tom enjoys his Countryside Management - lovely place to do it - and what a good excuse to visit Scotland!
I'm scared of Fair Isle knitting, so I'll be watching your progress to see if you can give me some confidence and inspiration!
Congratulations to Kate and good luck to both of your chicks :) I love the bag! And I send many hugs for the woes of the Potamus. I'm like you, in that I have to knit one complex pair of socks, then the next pair has to be basic :) No tips on the spinning sorry, but it looks lovely to me.
Those bags are great.
Looking forward to seeing the Pirate socks!
Love the bag - and the fact that it is modelled by a big box of cornflakes!!! excellent! - It's a shame the gardening things are coming to an end isn't it. Mine's all finished now, except the looks and the purple broccoli........ ah well autumn is wonderful for all sorts of other reasons!
I really feel for you on the flying the nest front. I have it all still to come but am dreading it already, especially when I think how cavalier I was about leaving home myself!
The string bag is super - I think it will have to go on my 'to do' list!
Love the bag - am trying to be good and not cast that on as well as everything else but mine will be part of the Christmas gift knitting extravaganza so I spose I should get on with it!
Good luck to the young ones on their new ventures and good luck to you adapting :o)
It is sad when they start to leave home and as you say the house feels empty; you never stop worrying and thinking of them no matter how old they are :( Congrats to both of them :)
LOVE the bag I really must make one of these.
There must be something in the air as I too am Xmas pressie knitting ; is it the first snap of cold weather do you think?
Right re the spinning thin. I too went from lumpy yarn to ultra thin and thought I would never get back to doing a thicker weight when I needed it but I am glad to say I now can. I think its just practice and concentration !! so if I am too tired I won't spin. I also tape a sample of the finished thickness yarn on my wheel to keep reminding me. I am also beginning to learn by feeling how much runs through my hands as to how thick/thin it should be.
Of course you NEED a drum carder LOL no excuses needed ,it just makes life easier unless you are trying to spin kid mohair from the curls like I am doing at the moment and failing miserably :( Guess we are learning all the time and each fleece is differnt too
Good luck with the Fair Isle ; it realy isn't as scary as it looks & as QoF says, don't pucker ;)
Ah yes i remember when my Jess went to UNI. At first it's hard and then you get used to it like everything else in life. The bag is great i have been thinking of hsving a go to make one as a gift for my resident green Shopper. i look forward to following the making of the hat as it is on my list of 'I will make one one day'
Now then Artyfartykat, I don't alow use of the F word on my blog!!! LoL!
Like that bag!
Hello Artyfartykat! Thanks so much for your comment on my blog.
Oh dear, these children who leave the nest... you can't wait for them to do it, but then you feel lost when they go. I managed to cope when my 2 daughters went off to uni, but when my son (the youngest) went, it really hurt. It made me realise that it was an end of an era.
Love your knits, btw, now that I've depressed you!
Your bag and the yarn you've spun look great. Good luck to both your two, they grow up so quickly. I'm looking forward to the socks too, I'll be trying fairisle soon as well, so maybe we can cheer each other on ;)
Love the bag, I could do with one of those! One way to try spinning thicker is to fluff up the locks without carding and try spinning straight from the lock.
Love the string bag. I keep saying it.....but I really must get round to making one.
You have my sympathy with the Pomatous socks. I love plain vanilla socks - nothing to go wrong is there ;)
Never heard of Hulk wool - does it get angry and go green?! If I get any tips on Fair Isle in my course I'll let you know! I don't think drum carding your batts makes much difference (you should get one just to try anyway!!!). Doesn't fewer kids in the house mean that you now have a spinning room of your own now?! LOL! Hope they both do well in Uni & job.
Oh and Kath - that sock is easy cables and besides the wool is chunky knitted on 4mm so it doesn't take long to knit up!
Great bag! Best of luck with the Pirates hat, that's a great pattern :-)
Post a Comment