Patternless January

I'm going to try for a month to knit without patterns. I really should have more confidence in my own abilities, so am going to have a go.  First up , I want a short sleeved cardigan to go over the top of a new dress I have. The dress is dark green, so am knitting in this Rowan Cashsoft in a lovely soft cherry red. About to cast on.....................

Would love to try for a whole year, but will see how it goes ....................

The story so far - cast on this afternoon while watching The Quiet Man on DVD with a cup of tea ;)

Moss stitch welt with an allover  Fishtail Lace pattern from the Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches

Point5 hat

Colinette Point5 in red/green, for me :)

Butterfly catchers finished

 

- and the lazy wench's guide to wool winding :)

Something for me :)

I've been wanting to knit these for a long time, and an using the wool I bought the other day as it's exactly the right colour. Now cast on :)

My lovely wee stitch markers arrived this morning too

Right time, right place

Picked up a couple of real bargains this morning half price Rowan Cashsoft in a rich red and half price Sirdar Country Style 4 ply in my very favourite duck egg blue. Now pondering on what to turn it all into.......... more o that later, vis a vis my New Year Knitting resolutions :)

Lovely knittted history

http://katedaviesdesigns.com/2013/12/07/a-spencer-dress/

Was excited to read the pattern may be coming available again :)

Blaze hat

Knitted this for a giveaway on Facebook, using my handspun Blaze wool.  Very pleased with it

Teeswater

I just got a 200 gram roving through the post :)  Lovely and soft, good sheepy smell to it, a bargain at £5.60 I reckon.  Have been trying to get hold of a whole fleece, but not managed yet, so I have this in the meantime, and a small hank of spun wool from Woolfest a couple of years ago. Could become a favourite

Why...................

...............  buy imported/man made/chemical wools when there are so many wonderful British wools to knit with?  I have just received through the post 500g of Swaledale wool, from 'woolbothy' via e-bay. Stunning wool, have spent the last five minutes with my nose buried in it lol  Not sure what it's destined for yet, but I will be a returning customer - great quality, lovely seller, helpful (if needed!) note included

Two hats

have now finished these; the beret is for me, from a book given away with Simply Knitting magazine, but the exact name of the pattern escapes me for now. The wool is Rowan Felted Tweed in the suggested colourway for the beret.  The Beltie Beanie is my own design, will be writing up the pattern and testing it this week - I love this one , makes me smile

Today's woolliness

The top picture is the start of what I hope will be the fulfilment of a long-held dream - watch this space :)

The second picture is 100g of hand-dyed Teeswater tops from the wonderful Elvincraft on the Isle of Skey - find them on e-bay. This colourway is called Autumn Hazelwood and I can't wait to get that on the wheel!

Aye phone cover

Foula wool

New discovery for me, will be ordering some wool from these folk as soon as I can! for me, it's what knitting is all about.

http://www.foulawool.co.uk/

(image from Foula Wool)

On other needles............

I have finally got round to knitting something for me!  This is Faery Ring by Elizabeth Scott Huff, and I'm taking part in a KAL for 'knit a sweater in 30 days' on Ravelry, so want to try and get this done by the end of the month - life in general permitting, not to mention all the other knitting and stuff going on at the same time. It's an American group, so it's interesting to read about their yarn/wool choices and patterns.

 

 The wool is a lambswool/silk mix, lovely and soft in a vey pretty oatmeal colour. I'm pleased with how it's knitting up, as it's not too stiff and unyielding for the cables.

Autumn leaves

Just knitted these up

Pattern from Knit Today magazine, which I don't usually buy, but I've been looking for a good leaf pattern for various projects I have in mind. These ones are quite nice, a leaf shape and a maple leaf. The yarn came free with the magazine, not the best quality, but I loved the colours.  On closer inspection, there is a pattern for a unicorn hat and matching mitts inside - I may just have to do those too :)

Right place, right time..............

I ended up in Lyme Regis yesterday, and on the way down to the shore passed a charity shop that was just about to close; dived in for a rootle, and very glad I did!  I liberated all this Rowan cottony goodness for just £4, not sure what it's destined for yet, but the colours are beautiful, so it will involve stripes I should think. Very pleased.

This one's for me....................

Thought it about time I knitted something for myself!  So, here it is,  patter from Ravelry by Mary Scott Huff. The wool I've chosen is a lambswool/silk mix in a tan sort of colour from Kingcraig Fabrics of Brora

Action man toilet roll cover

Been wanting to do one of these for ages lol

 

 

 

Sheep at the County Show 2013

A few of my favourites, although it was  very hard to choose favourites!

 

 

I was thrilled to actually get to see Galway sheep for the first time - I've only fairly recently discovered this breed, and here was a pen of them in deepest rural Dorset! Lovely sheep. 3rd down on the left in the mosaic; also two very beautiful Herdys, one of my all-time favourite breeds, 5th down on right and 6th down on left. Had a lovely chat about Hebrideans and Shetlands with their respective owners, and lusted after a pen of beautiful little North Ronaldsays - top two photos. Good displays of Dorset sheep too.

Wee Sanquhar cosy

This is what the knitting pattern in the previous post was for, done for the County Show, fits my wee one cup pot quite well. Am pleased with it :)

Writing knitting patterns

This is how I invariably write mine - this one for a tea cosy lol

Always keeping my eyes peeled..............

I never know where woolly stuff will turn up!  A good local animal charity shop turned up this little lot the other day, including hard to find 5'' dpns in size 15 - ideal for Sanquhar glove knitting :)

At the Great Dorset Steam Fair yesterday, I found 4 balls of white vintage wool in 1oz balls, and 4 in a bricky red colour, also a couple of pairs of circulars and a set of 4 long dpns. Happy bargains :)

'Green' knitting

I was asked to put a few words together for a friend, with a view to her giving out some hints and tips on 'eco' knitting at a green fair her knitting group is attending. This is what I've put together, there are a lot more things I could say (can talk and talk on knitting for hours on end............), but these give some good starting points and food for thought.

'While knitting won't change the world per se, it can make it a much nicer place to be for lots of reasons. Knitting can be an expensive hobby, or it can make a great contribution to your and others' eco-awareness; here are a few tips of mine, gleaned from over 45 years of knitting experience. Use them as a starting point and go off on a wonderful wool-filled journey that will bring you untold hours of pleasure and satisfaction.

- avoid new man-made fibres and yarns where you can. Acrylic, for example, is made of oil derivatives

- buy British wool, or at least British spun wool wherever you can - support the local economy. This is getting much easier courtesy of the internet and a growing awareness of and interest in native breeds of sheep. Think   wool miles and British farmers.

- visit shows, farms, etc to meet sheep and find out about them, talk to as many people as you can, watch shearing, ask questions.

- knitting wool appears in many, many places, often unexpected - keep your eyes open! Scour charity shops, jumble sales, boot sales etc, also for needles and other knitting accessories.

- the internet is a great resource - free patterns, blogs, advice, online tutorials, all sorts. Try e-bay, Youtube, knitty.com and Ravelry.com

-look out for worn woollen jumpers to unravel; carefully unpick them and wind the wool into skeins, wash gently, hang to dry then wind into balls and re-knit.--

- join a knitting group; if there isn't one near you, start one - great social thing as well as valuable knitting time!

-let people know you knit and regular supplies of wool, patterns, etc will come your way when they know you can use them

-use your library; borrow knitting books to see which are the best ones for you to invest in, before laying out hefty sums for books you may only look at a few times. Scour all the above suggestions for second-hand books too, and vintage patterns.

- buy balls of cotton and part-balls from the above sources too and knit dishcloths - they make lovely and thoughtful 'green' presents too.

-it's possible to buy naturally dyed wool too - rowan do a range of very beautiful colours (but not all are made in the UK, read the labels), and try e-bay etc for  odds and ends of bargains

- try natural dyeing for yourself to create truly unique garments - again, use the internet and your library

- if you really get ito it and want to take it further, I would highly recommend joining your local Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers - details of local groups are on the main website. A wealth of experience, friendly advice and help, excellent talks, exhibitions, outings - all sort of fibre related goings on

- never turn down any offers of wool, needles, patterns etc. Even if you can't use it yourself, you can share and give it away, or swap it.  Build up a good stash.

- and last  but not least, knitting is good for you. It's meditative, relaxing and productive. Take your knitting with you and you will get people coming up and talking to you, often reminiscing, but usually with a good story or two to tell.  In the hustle ad bustle of today's world, even a few minutes of knitting can really ground you and steady your mind.

I hope these few tips have inspired you and encouraged to take up knitting or move on if you already do. Now - go and knit something and enjoy the process as well as the finished article :)

Shiny knitting

Sea glass drop, wired, hung on a stainless steel wire knitted form, with hemp thong

Tea cosies

Just finished these two for the County Show

This one is the black sheep cosy and the one below is the peerie Fair Isle and thistle cosy for the mini teapot

River Cottage wool

I was aware that River Cottage produced some wool from their own sheep a few years back, but had never seen or ben able to buy it. Two balls popped up on e-bay the other day, so I went for them.  The label reads River Cottage organic  wool, 50g natural fleece colour, handwash knit as DK. Soil Association organic logo on. It was spun at the Natural Fibre Co in Cornwall. The price label read £3.50 each ball, and I paid £4, reckon that was a good bargain. Only two balls, but will make a rather nice hat. Only downpoint is that there is no indication of breed of sheep given, which would have been nice.

Knitted sample

Show requirements mean I have had to knit my spun wool into a 10cm sample. I'm very pleased with how it knits up, and how the colours present themselves. Looking forward to actually making something with it when the show is over.

Baa-hemian Rhapsody

Baa-hemian  Rhapsody

This is all real wool!
It's not a fantasy,
Caught in a woolslide, it's a lovely reality!
Open your stash,
Don't think of the cash, just see..............
I'm just a knitter, I need no sympathy
Because it's cast on now, in the round
Towards new socks I am bound,
Any way the wool rolls, doesn't really matter to me, to me............

Mama, cast on again,
Put the needles underarm,
Where they can't do any harm;
Mama, socks have just begun
But now I find I just can't put it down!
Mama  ooooooo
Didn't mean to make you sigh
If they're not knit and done this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on, as knitting really matters................

Too late, I've reached the heel,
Swapped my tens for number nines,
Needles clicking all the time,
Goodbye everybody, I've got to knit!
Gotta leave you all behind and face the toe.......
Mama oooooooo ( any way the wool rolls)
I don't want to frog!
I sometimes wish I'd never cast on at all.............

I see a little ladder of a dropped stitch
Pick it up, pick it up
Can I do it nice and neatly?
Loosening and tightening, very very frightening me!
Zimmerman and Fassett,
Liz Lovick, Katie Davis
And co.... magnifico..................

He's just a poor stitch, laddered down the sock leg
Spare him his gauge from this monstrosity!
Easy now, pick him up, can I pick him up,
Feather and fan, I will not let you go - let you go
Print o' the wave, I will not let you go - let you go
Old shale and more, I will not let you go - let you go
Will not let you go - let you go (never)
Never let you go - let you go
Never let you go - oooooo
No no no no no no no!
Oh mama mia, mama mia, got you now,
My pattern has special place for you
For you
For you!

So you think you confuse me with Kitchener stitch
So you think I can't take you to my Stitch'n'Bitch?
Oh baby, I can finish you baby,
Just got to cast off, just got to cast off now right here!

Ooh yeah, ooh yeah,
Knitting really matters,
Anyone can see,
Knitting really matters, to me

Any way the wool rolls...........................

Delft progress

Got a good way into it today, thoroughly enjoying the knitting :)

Delft

This is the latest to be cast on. I started the Judy furlong's Delft cardigan in Knitter magazine, but wasn't entirely happy with the pattern. I was unsure about the style of the shaping at the front and the shorter sleeves. I got as far as the first few rows of the pattern, and decided against it and laid it aside. The wool, however, is just too beautiful not to use in something similar because of the exquisite colours, especially when the three shades of blue are combined with the light cream. It's from New Lanark Mills, and smells wonderfully woolly!  So, I've cast on in the round again, and am adapting the pattern to a sleeveless pullover, and am much happier in my mind that it will work out well. I'm enjoying knitting it, and don't want to put it down, and that's the sign of a happy knitter to me!

Knitted sheepie

Another knitted destined for the County Show. I enjoyed knitting this, but was a lot of wee fiddly bits,  22 pieces in all, all shaped by increasing, decreasing and darts; not a particularly well written patter I felt, but I got through it with patience and a bit of knitter's licence! It was purchased as a kit from e-bay , described as 'new and unused', but the pattern had rows marked off on it, and several yards of the black wool had been knitted up, taken back and wound around the rest of the bal.. No matter, it was all there, mainly intact, and not very expensive.I omitted the plastic goggly eyes and nose in favour of softer textile ones, as it's a toy. Am pleased with the overall result, it's definitely got sheepy character :)

Granny bunting

I've made this for the County Show next month:

Rosebud cardigan

I knitted this with a view to entering it into the County Show in  September, it just needs the right buttons to finish it. Knitted in a beautifully soft pink cotton with tiny ribbon rosebuds twined through it.  I enjoyed knitting it, although the stranded yarn was sometimes a bit of a pain as it was loosely plied, and you had to be sure and ick up all the very fine strands in a stitch at once. Lovely pattern, simple but effective lace, from a Supplement given out with The Knitter magazine.

Bookmarks

Done for a swap with online friends; I love this yarn, and think I may have enough of it to knit something for myself :)

First of four............

This is the first of the four Shetland Museum Fair Isle kits knitted up; it's been done a while, but just got around to photographing it.  Very pleased with it, but can't decide which to tackle next- scarf, gloves, socks? Very enjoyable to knit, if a little addictive!

Highlight of the day

At the Smallholder Show at Ardingly was able to choose my sheep and watch them being shorn, then buy the fleece and bring it home, Poll Dorset, to add to my growing collection!  Felt the £2 he was asking was an insult, so gave him £10 for the two, still not enough really for what I got.