Life: I love my family

We live far apart.
There is a border between us, but an easy one as far as borders go.
We don't have a car and neither do my parents, so when we meet it is usually Troll and I taking the train up to them. My sister and her husband live in the same small town, so it's easier we make the 6 hour trip than four of them making their way to us.

So, we talk on the phone.
We email.
We see each other not often enough.
Birthdays are one of the occasions I miss them. We try to be there for my parent's anniversaries - my Dad's is close to Christmas, so that always makes for a nice week off.
My birthday is celebrated in two countries. The phone rings off the hook, because they call and we chat and chat.

But - they send the best parcels and presents.
Friday and Saturday the parcel and the envelop arrived.



I don't know how I managed to not open them immediately.
My husband had hidden his present in a spot I couldn't reach - literally ;-)

We woke up at 5:15 this morning, hungry cats and nature calling.
Tried to go back to sleep, but failed due to sick cat.
So we gave up and got up.
And I got to open my presents!



I feel lots of love for my crazy familytree full of nuts <3 And then there are your friends, who do something like this to you:

I love my circle of crazy friends!

Knitting: I surely love a good mystery

pattern that is!

Summer is still not really playing along. Though yesterday and today we can actually enjoy a dry and sometimes even sunny intermission.

So I mystery-knitted-along.
A shawl.

Pattern is still and will always be by MiA.

Yarn: Chasing Clouds Sockyarn, 420m, Colour "Donnerwetter" (Thundery Weather) Perfect for a pattern that starts with the Norse translation of Kiss Me :-)
Needle: 4mm
Started 05.08. and finished 15.08.
I could have blocked it harder, but for now it's perfect as it is :-)
Will be worn to the Viking Fair I'm attending later this month.

Here it is:

Still a hank:



After the second clue:



Finished:





On the wheel right now are several things:

An unwashed fleece I got gifted. The sheep haven't been shorn for two years and most of the fleeces are totally felted and seriously dry. If you try to seperate it it tears like paper - including the sound. But - I don't give up that easily and so far I have managed to get the first 90 meters spun:



Also on the wheel:



No idea yet what it is going to become. I'm thinking part of a cropped cardigan.

Emma is holding the Gotland still. I'm almost done with it, one more bobbin, me thinks. Then I need to set the twist, ball it up and start working.

I have also finished Kermit & Miss Piggy:

Cowl, knitted in the round.
Pattern: my own
Needles: 5,5mm




I'm also designing a shawl pattern right now. This is where I spend most of my time right now. Nothing overly complicated, but a fun design. And I have the feeling I got bitten by the design bug :-) I already have two more ideas.

Spinning and knitting and dyeing...

Summer is currently making a short appearance and I've decided not to miss its show ;-)

So I spent yesterday swimming with a friend and then talking spinning in her garden. She came into the possession of an old spinning wheel, which needs some glue and tender loving care and a couple of bobbins before we can test drive it. But the main parts are in good condition...I just have to figure out where the brake band is...

The late evening was spent spinning myself - some Gotland for my cardigan and some silk-merino-flax mix for a funny hat.

I've also corespun and knitted a Kermit and Miss Piggy cowl. No picture of the finished product yet - it's too warm to model it right now. But here it is on the bobbin:



Recently finished:



www.knitty.com/ISSUEff11/PATTprettytwisted.php

Handspun and party handdyed yarn - a small amount
3,5mm dpn
three cute cat buttons

One lovely piece of jewellery. Has already seen some wear on the autumn days we have had...

I wish my two outstanding yarn deliveries were here...one is a sparkly sock yarn and the other is mixed sock yarn. You know - silk and wool and bamboo and wool. It would have been a perfect day for dyeing.

Talking about dyeing...
My friend Miran and I are going to try our hands at dyeing with chestnut shells. The first ones are already falling (seriously, we haven't had summer yet, could autumn wait a bit? Pretty please?) and we would love to experiment. We don't want to use mordants that are poisonous and are researching methods to avoid those chemicals. I'm pretty sure the medieaval and early dyers didn't use anything that comes in christalline form out of a pot with a skull on. I'v stumbled across a great Wiki site about traditional dyes of the Scottish Highlands which I'm going to try. Dandelion turns magenta? I so have to try this...

But first: breakfast for me before I wash some wool and hang it to dry.
Happy Tuesday!!!