Category: knitting

(All) We like sheep….

This lot don’t look as if they’ve gone too far astray… I’m pretty sure they are Suffolks, despite being photographed in a field in East Sussex. I do know people who are very knowledgeable about sheep care and breeding – but I confess to being less interested in the animal than in its fleece. Like many spinners, I like to work with Wensleydales (long, crimped locks, rasta looking!) and Blue faced Leicesters (again, long and lustrous staples). Imported Merino tops are always soft. Local Jacobs are not, but make up for it by having such lovely colour patches. The Lake District Herdwicks are plucky little animals, hardy in the snow but with wiry fleece only usually used for carpets. The traditional flock near me are Southdowns, not nearly so numerous as they were but now being re-introduced to keep the Downs well cropped. They have a short staple which can be a pain to spin, but their fleece dyes well. There are many other breeds – including interesting rare ones. I once had fun knitting a series of hats from as many different breeds as I could get hold of to spin. I did not dye any of these – sometimes it’s good to let the sheep dictate the colours!

I fully intended to post pictures of the breeds I have mentioned – but with my current internet setup that would take me half the night, so I will have to let you Google them.

Sad sock story alert.

Every now and again I have a crazy sock week, when I can’t stop myself racing away on tiny 2.5mm circulars. This last one did not end well, however. I can’t wait to see those patterns emerging from the magic sock yarns – but I am destined never to know what that middle one would have been like. I had been knitting it on a car journey (as a passenger, don’t worry!) When it was time to come home I grabbed the knitting off the car seat and got back into it – only to run out of wool within seconds. Took me a while to realise that I had in fact slammed the car door on the 100g ball, which had chopped it off neatly and deposited it somewhere along the road. The wool was beautifully soft and silky – but I can’t track it down anywhere on the internet, not even on Ravelry. Those sock wools go in and out of production every season. I am well over it now (and have dozens of alternative sock yarns waiting their turn in my stash, including my own hand dyed ones). The only thing that rankles though – I had JUST FINISHED turning the heel….

The only way to avoid this:

Is, I think, this:

Second sock syndrome….

I’ve discovered six hand knitted socks squirrelled away, and only two match… It’s just so much more fun to see how a different colour knits up….! So now I must be disciplined and do two at the same time – slow, but apparently more practical.

This is a quick and slightly scruffy post – definitely not Instagram standard. The daylight for photos is all but gone by the time I get home (yes, I am still at work…) and the single socks are clearly not yet blocked (that does make a surprising difference, by the way.) But I am afraid there’s no faffing at the moment. Even the missing socks will have to wait till I have shrunk my Etsy list a little. I sold six pairs of leg warmers today – all but one pair to the same person. Are we about to face a cataclysmic Winter, on top of everything else? Have I missed something?

Cowl crazy – I’ve been busy.

After a marathon spate of blanket making recently I now need to turn to some smaller items for my SpinningStreak ETSY shop. The blankets are mostly for friends and family. They are great fun to make but not exactly cost effective to sell. I worked out that one of the larger ones took over 100 hours, so over £800 at minimum wage, not counting rather expensive materials…..! That is never going to work.

So cowls it is. And I do love the constant variety – knitted, crocheted, thick yarn, thin yarn, narrow, long, infinity twisted, ribbed, textured, lacy, modular, hand dyed…..I have hardly looked up from my needles and hooks this month!

Winter is coming – it might be leg warmers next week!

January-ing

 

Joining in this for the first time!

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Walking over the misty Sussex Downs. Thinking Ravilious.

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Reading: three sorts of scary.

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But also dipping into these.

 

Making: wonky bread, marmalade, quince jelly and chutney.

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And making fires – LOTS of them.

 

Sorting china – plenty more where that came from…(the roof!)

 

Watching and waiting – think the narcissi are winning!

 

Listing: in the Etsy shop – cosy stuff! Cushions, cowls leg warmers…

AND plenty of time spent BlogLoving: this month I have particularly enjoyed:

https://www.frond-and-feather.com/

https://cjabovetheriver.blogspot.com/

https://www.attic24.typepad.com/

https://christinascolourfullive.blogspot.com/

All about the trees?

 

 

 

 

Mine, with a few others from Standen – plus my bowl of quinces. All over now, except the quinces which have morphed into jelly.

Bit late, but it seemed churlish to ignore it altogether! I do feel nostalgic for the festive greenery, despite still finding trails of ivy under the sofas. On the whole, though, I’m glad to be emerging from what is always an unreal few weeks.

But January? The blogs I read (and do really enjoy) are urging me to ‘welcome winter’ and ‘go with the seasons” etc etc.  All very good advice – what is the alternative after all? So I am happy to reflect on winter walks, icy bracken, subdued colours of nature, roaring fires, hearty food, cosy reading (in fact, everything ‘cosy’) – but this is definitely an idealised view.  The reality out there, from this urban window, is mild, damp, grey and full of scuttling, rather miserable-looking people. Luckily, I can move to another window which will give me twinkling lights and sea views!

Maybe the best thing about January for me is the holiday I take from my Etsy work. Apart from some custom dyeing I don’t usually do much for the shop. Just a little fancy spinning for myself, and stuff for friends and family. I’m currently crocheting a blanket for daughter number 4 (I’m pretty sure she never reads this!) and a few other projects mixed up below!