Etsy: For long cold winter

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Thank you!

Knitting on the road

It has become winter here.
Yesterday, we had our first snow and our first snow storm of the year.
Today, temperatures are well below freezing and the sun is shining brightly.

The perfect weather for a good soup, a good book, a hot beverage, some spinning and knitting.

My goal for this weekend is to finish my version of this pattern

A wonderful free pattern, perfect to use up odds and ends, or in my case a single ball of mohair and that hand dyed uncarded fleece I was spinning some time ago.

Some yarn for the shop might be dyed.
Some batt might be spun into a nice single for a Danish tie shawl.

Two weeks ago I went on a little knitting day out. Actually, it was a gigantic birthday party. We all celebrated out birthdays, at once, with lots of food, fun and yarn:







It was a great day, exactly what the doctor ordered.
Full of inspiration, good talks, laughter and even some cat cuddling. What more could you want?

Knitting: Autumn

I love autumn.

The smell of damp leaves.
The taste of fog on my lips.
The rustling of the leaves.
Jumping in leafpiles, in puddles.

The time of year where I can wear my shawls and hats and look forward to combine what I have and make new items.

I wish I could wear autumn colours, but alas, I'm a soft summer, hazy, foggy, cold.
Not warm, rich and vibrant.



I'm currently working on a shawl, harvest-inspired and free:



If you want to join in, you can find the pattern here
And come visit the group, really nice people there!

Junction is finished:



and very funky:



More fall inspired knitting:



and some spinning



Yes, I know, I said I'm a soft summer and fall colours are not really for me - but I simply can't resist them!

Knitting: a crazy mystery KAL and a pattern

The last two weeks I got to enjoy some time off from a busy day job.
The husband and I got to sleep in, meet friends and new tiny friends (my best friend gave birth to her wonderful tiny little daughter), swim, go to markets and generally having a good time.

I had some time to work on some bigger projects and so I joined this wonderful mystery knit along initiated by Lee Meredith of Leethal Knits

I like her unusual and colourful style and I have a very soft spot for shawls, so with one week into the KAL I decided to join in.

The pattern is great - there is no gauge swatch required, it can be knit in various yarn sizes and comes in three sizes, you decide.

I got me some Grignasco Sport and spun a single as my contrasting colour, bought the pattern and went to work.

I won't spoil anything, so only a small piece of teaser for you here:



It's going to be warm and cozy and snuggly and I will make a second one in fingering weight.

But that has to wait, I'm currently working on two patterns myself, a neckwarmer and a scarf.

I don't have any picture of the scarf, a cabled affair in fingering weight (I like to torture myself with small-weight yarns, you know. I have a lace weight for a sweater around...), but I have a sneak preview of the neckwarmer:



I'm far from done - well, the piece in the photo is almost done, but there will be at least one other version of it. Possibly two.

The scarf pattern will take a while longer to finishe ;-)

One of the reasons is that I really would love to spin this:



It's going to be for another version of the junction shawl. I'm still contemplating the main colour, so if you have any idea please feel free to share.

Update on life and tea and knitting :-)

Where did all the time go?

I think I need a Tardis!

Well, it's been a busy summer. Or whatever you want to call what happened between the spring showers and the autumn storms. I really didn't get to wear my cotton tops much, which didn't stop me from teaming them up with a cardigan and wearing them anyway :-)


Now, let's see.

Water Sprite became a crazy little hat named Morgen:



Morgen is a mythological creature, a water spirit that drowns men.
It has been worn already on a stormy Friday and the ties came in very handy :-)

You know that I design the occasional pattern, right?
As part of the still ongoing Guild War over in Ankh-Mopork I knitted another Sliding Tracks



A third one has been knit, too, but I still have to take pictures. It's slightly different, with eyelet sections and a very simple lace border. I like simple ;-)

My granny shawl also got finished:



I got my first custom order for a hand dyed yarn and am delighted to work with this customer.
She got asked for and got a wonderful burgundy shaded yarn:



During summer my camera broke and - oh the horror of choosing a new one!
I mean - there are so many to choose from, what is a good one, what meets my needs and is in my budget...
Two weeks ago I finally got myself a new little picture taking friend, an updated model of the last camera I used and I'm trying it out now.

I have more to tell and show, but will do that later.
There is tea to drink, rows to knit and groceries to do.
More later!

Spinning: Water Sprite

We have crossed the finish line of the Ravellenic Games (yes, the name was changed. Non-profit organization they call themselves, non-profit they are surely only in name).

Yesterday, before breakfast, I carded this:



110g full of merino, some silk, Firestar, Angelina and some locks.

Then I spun this:



132m of glittery fun.

My first finish!

Life: A Grand Day Out

We got some free train passes earlier this month. They have limited validity and so we decided to use the first one last weekend.

We stepped into the train and about 45 minutes and one change later we ended up in the wonderful Dutch city of Delft.

I have a soft spot for old places. Not necessarily castles (unless they are early medieval), but villages, cities, places.

Delft has a wonderful old city centre well worth a visit. We had only planned on a nice day out, little did we know that the place was swinging!

One of the first things we stumbled across was this, right outside the train station and the big bicylce parking lot:




Delft is famous for its pottery - Delftware.

The bathroom of the restaurant we had our pancakes (yummmmmm) are a great example of a more contemporary approach ;-)



The complete old city centre was one gigantice flea/antique/curiosity market!



Of course I had to visit the local yarn store, a wonderful place called Knotton Wol
I should have taken a picture and it's a shame I didn't, but they are located right next to a Wines&Whiskies Like a HIS&HERS - the hubby went left and I went right.

Some time later both of us emerged. And I went into the left door, too :-)
Hey, I like a wee dram every now and then and my taste leans more to the peaty and smoky kind. It's a nice place and the folks are really nice and friendly and I got to taste a blend that I also purchased. Who said only single malts are worth it?

I got a little surprise on our way back to the station - we approached the old church and went around it and there they were - hanging from the beams of the stall, all purple...
"My colour!" I thought. "Now, if they are my size...."
They were!

So, here's the loot of the day:




I think Delft influenced my colour choices - my blue period, I'd say :-)

6 balls of Lana Grossa Lampone
5 balls of Lana Grossa Divino
Those two will become a shrug

A total of 4 balls to complete two shawls I'm working on.

9mm DPN for hat-knitting

A pair of purple Doc Martens

A peat monster in a bottle, a Calvados and a Single Malt.

The Catania is also for a sweater I'm working on.

I was wearing one of my latest creations and it got me a compliment from the owner of Knotten Wol:



Currently, I'm working on a shrug for the Ravellenic Games.
I have a carded a wonderful batt for the spinning event I'm looking forward to spin.
There is yarn dyeing.

I have some wonderful patterns lined up for using some of my stash.
I have some new yarn on its way.

I just love my arts and crafts <3

Life: Even stranger, even more colourful

Meet
My Rain Dancer
My Selkie Charmer
My Cloud Chaser
My Storm Weatherer


Here she is - my rather female little Kokopelli, a couple of minutes old.




I think I have to knit myself a matching tunic ;-)

With massive and heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff and especially Christian at On Edge

Crochet and spinning

Seriously, what's up with this summer?

It's so bad that I'm actually crocheting scarves.
Trying my hand at broomstick lace:



Some spindling:



A hand-dyed merino-silk roving, one of the first rovings I ever dyed, using Easter Egg colours. I carded it with some Firestar and am currently spinning it on one of my drop spindles.



And some spinning:



A hand-dyed, uncarded fleece is what I'm currently spinning on Joy. Still have a long way to go ;-)


I completely gave up on my cotton summer tops :-(

Life and knitting: when money takes over

This makes me mad and sad:

When cushions could make commercial sponsors angry

"The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) initially told volunteers from the Woolsack project that they could present the 5,000 cushions they had created as souvenirs for the stars.

But now, in apparent fear of angering commercial sponsors, they have reneged on the deal."

Emphasized by me.

This makes me sad and mad:

Knitting denigrates real athletes

And this is just disgusting:

First let me insult you and then knit for me, ok

Me, knitting for you? Not even if you pay me for it!

This is what happens when the true spirit of an event gets lost and money takes over.

Needless to say I will boycott the commercial games.
My love is with Ravelry and their event and that's what I will be doing, still.

What I would really love to hear about (since I won't be watching I can't see it): athletes taking our their craft between bouts and after their race and happily crafting away.
But that is just wishful thinking on my part.

Events and Knitting: Ravelympics

Are you participating?

Every now and then I add some more madness to my already eventful life.
Like the Ravelympics!

It's a virtual event held over at Ravelry, one of my favourite virtual hangouts ;-)

I'm already (again, still) participating in the ongoing Guild Challenge in the Ankh-Morpork group and have decided to join the local team.

There are several events I'm going to participate in:
- the Cowl Jump
- the hand-dye high dive
- the handspun heptathlon
- the hat dash
- the shawl sailing
and
- the single skein sprint

One of the fun things is the preparation!
Lots of picking yarn and patterns, checking the needles, oiling the wheel.
And the shop will benefit, too :-)

I think it's going to be fun :-)

Etsy: I love EVERYTHING on this treasury

My favourite colour.
Next to purple and dark pink - TARDIS BLUE!

Life: inspiration

I get my inspiration from a lot of things.

Things I see.
Things I hear.
Things I smell.

And sometimes things I read:


Mad Man Knitting

I don't think he's mad at all.
But I do think that he is quite the inspiration.

Etsy: Treasury

No, not one I'm featured in.

But one I made. I love each and every item on this list and the first pair of earrings featured is going to be mine :-)





I'm featured in this one :-)

Life: The wheel keeps on turning.

Hello, out there!

I'm still here, yes!
And I'm doing very good and hope the same of you!

I haven't been around much, that's what you get when you work full-time, are married and have a household on the side. It took a bit to get used to the daily grind again, but we are now in a pattern that works nicely for us.

So, what happened?



Well, the sad news first: my little rascal Pooka died. She wasn't that old, but became very ill to the point that we had to put her down. I was her human and I still miss her very much. She would tap my arm when it was time to wake up (her schedule, not necessarily mine) and I sometimes still expect her paw on my arm in the mornings.

Some yarn was dyed:




With Confetti and Pixies Den I tried out a different technique and I have to admit, I like it.
It involves less water, more steam and sprinkling.
I haven't made any for myself yet, but that will happen!


Some hearts were decorated:



Two little brooches - crocheted flowers, buttons, beads and prefelted hearts I had around for a while. One rainy Sunday and - voila, two new brooches.

Spring has been wet. Very wet. So whenever the weather was better we were out and about.

On Queensday we headed to the beach. It's not the most beautiful beach in the world, but it's about 10 miles away and makes for a nice day out. The entrance to the port is there and you can see the big cargo vessels come and go, as well as surfers, kites, sailing boats...
We had hoped to feed some seagulls, but alas - none to be found.

And the water was COLD!
Really COLD!





What else did I do?

Oh, yes - I went to the National Knitting Days with my friend Shaby!

It was great meeting many old friends and make some new friends.
We both were on a budget, but honestly - I didn't find it difficult or hard to stick to it. I had done some preparation and looked online at stuff I might wanted to get and I came back home with loot and money to spare ;-)



1kg of German Blackface
4 small packs of locks for felting
1 Malabrigo
4 Drops Delight for a shrug
2 Lang Mille Colori for a shawl

I'm currently knitting the shrug out of the Drops Delight and love it! Great colours, soft yarn - I'm in love.

Next on my list is
Bigger on the inside in some of my hand dyed yarn. I will only use one skein and shorten the border a bit. I might also knit the Vortex in a Doctor 10-inspired yarn (brown and blue) and the Tardis border in blue...
Or maybe the Vortex in Pale Skies and then...

What do you think?

Dyeing: Rainbow Glitter Yarn

I made this as part of the March Dye-Along on Ravelry for the Dutch Dyers.

I used:
- one hank of Sterlin Silver sock yarn
- vinegar, liquid detergent, wate
- pot
- SEWO colours in green, lemon yellow, red, pink, burgundy, blue, cobalt and purple

I soaked the hank in water, vinegar and a drop of detergent for about an hour.
Squeezed out the access water and placed it in my pot so it would fill out the bottom perfectly.
Poured water over it to barely cover it and added a splash of vinegar.
Turned on the heat on LOW! You want steam, not boil.

Used the tip of a spoon to sprinkle, yes sprinkle the dye powder on the yarn.
Put a lid on and left it alone.
Did some stuff around the house.
Cuddled some cats.
Made a cup of coffee.
After around 15 minutes I came to check on my yarn and to turn the hank over.
Placed the lid and went my merry way for another 15 minutes.

And this is the end-result:





It's going to be a shawlette.
The pattern is going to be written for one of my two best friends and this will be the yarn to test knit it :-)

I will use this technique again, with roving as well as with yarn. I can imagine it could produce the funkiest socks on earth! And for spinning - well, you know me, I like colour and I like adventures.
You have to be able to let go with this technique, which is a good exercise for a control freak like me :-)

I also knitted some, but I show you that later!

Knitting: New free pattern added

I have added a new little pattern to the PATTERN tab - a little shawlette with a twist :-)



It's also available on Ravelry: Sliding Tracks