as my mother would say when I handed her a plate of my early “cookery”.
WARNING! ‘ERE BE SPOILERS!!!
See? Spoilers!
If you’re knitting the “Laceless” shawl from Strange Knits the following post contains photographs of a border. A lace-less border. Knit (!) in sock-weight yarn. In two colours. You’ll have to contain your own excitement.
And steroids, but mostly the former.
I am still really behind on my blog-reading (someone in my feed has sixteen! unread posts) but I haven’t been entirely idle during my inflamed-sinus-sabbatical.
I’ve finished my Serpentine Socks (and even managed to stay upright long enough to photograph them) so there’ll be an FO post soon.
Progress has been slow on the Funkadellic Frolicking Reindeer Socks
Hmmm... gusset ...
But mostly I was spinning as part of the Tour de Fleece. I finished the naturally-black Shetland/bleached tussah silk fibre and made a DK-weight 2-ply yarn with about 240 m/260 yds
1 pence piece for scale
And I also learnt a new technique which allows you to create a 3-ply yarn without needing to spin all your singles at the same time
Superwash Blue Faced Leicester - squooshy!
And I joined a fibre club. It’s just for 3 months (uncertain as I was to my academic/financial status for 2012) and it’s by Anne of Wooly Wonka Fibers
Merino/silk - yummy
These aren’t my “usual” colours, but isn’t that the point of a club?
For the next 7 days I’m going to be “enjoying” the benefits of pharmacology and I don’t know how I’ll be affected. If you catch my raving on the internet, it may well be ‘roid-rage. Alternatively, I could just feel better!
I think I'm gonna need a bigger sock blocker!
The first of my Serpentine socks is complete (pattern from Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy Johnson, yarn Zauberball 6).
Boom-chicka-wah-wah
If you’re offended by the upper motif, I suggest you focus on the lovely snowflakes! I’ve now finished the gusset decreases and it’s just plain (!) sailing to the toe.
Most of my energy (what little there is) has been focused on Tour de Fleece:
I’m behind on reading/commenting on blogs so if you normally hear from me, don’t worry, I’ll get to you at some point! I’ve got raging sinusitis and I’ve been threatened with steroids if my new nasal spray doesn’t work and I’M SO BORED.
May you live in interesting times, indeed.
I thought I’d given them up.
Gushing Vein in repose.
But apparently you can’t just walk away from hand-knit socks.
Sideways Serpentine
Which would explain why I’ve already cast two pairs on and I’m about to cast on a third.
Oh, here are the buttons for Swartbos
Fun, no?
And here’s what I did on Day 1 of Tour de Fleece
Start of the day, Finished, Skeined (pre bath and thwack)
Briefer a post than I would have liked, but I developed the sinusitis from hell and got the wrong kind of vertigo. Sudafed to the rescue and I’m on the mend. Slowly.
You have no idea how proud I am of that title! Film details for those who don’t know the work of Mike Leigh.
Firstly, thank you for the comments on my finished Mystery Shawl. There was a question about the cast on I used (long tail using two ends of yarn) and apparently I can’t explain it very well with words, so I’ll be doing a photo tutorial in the not-too-distant-future.
The Secret Knitting:
Some of TSK has been completed (of which I can show you nothing) and other is under way.
What could it be?
I hope that doesn’t give the game away?
I’ll be able to reveal all once the recipient has … recipiated (?) which should be 5-14 days after I send it!
Non-Secret Stuff:
The soyslik/wool is progressing
Not shy of colour!
It really has been a learning experience! My original plan was to turn it into a 3-ply yarn but I think I’ll have more use for a small amount of a single-ply fingering-weight rather than a small amount of plied chunky-weight yarn.
Moar knitting!
I started a sock.
Sock start, with a peek at my coloured chart
Gush by Yarnissima in an Easyknits Sushi Roll. Colour? Vlad. So I’m calling these “Gushing Vein”. Because I’m weird like that.
How the yarn comes off the dyed sock blank
The yarn was a gift from ygathgoch (Rav name) because she couldn’t knit socks two-at-a-time and she knew I could. It sat in my stash for a while (not as long as the yarn I bought from Denise, but long enough) and when I saw this pattern was part of the Sock Knitters Anonymous group’s June KAL I just had to cast on!
Progress as of today!
I’ve also finished the main knitting on Swartbos and I bought buttons. Pretend there is a picture here, will you? It’s too dark to take photos of black yarn at 9 pm so just use your imagination!
The pattern (Rooibos) is designed to be open fronted but I’ve learnt from experience that I just don’t wear cardigans without some form of closure. Even a waist tie isn’t enough (take that store-bought cardigan!) so in come some fab buttons!
(I will take a photo of my progress, and the buttons, promise!)
I would show you photos of a rather impressive WIP but I’m not sure pictures of a large yellow bruise on my leg would be particularly appealing.
Stay warm/cool/safe.
BREAKING NEWS!!!
There are still some spots open in the Mean Girls Yarn Club run by KnottyLa. I can’t sign up this time becuase it’s either yarn or driving lessons for me, but I would highly recommend the club. She doesn’t always send out exactly on time, but she’s human! Plus I’ve always loved the sweets and extras you get alongside the yarn. (Full disclosure: by pimping for La I get the chance to win a free year’s membership if I get the most people to sign up. When paying via PayPal, tell her who sent you – dyedinthewool Amy)
