More Socks!

More socks! Whatever has happened to me? This is another pair for Mr A and he chose the yarn himself while I was rummaging through my couple of stashed skeins of sock yarn ;-)

I bought the yarn last year when I visited the I Knit Shop, it is from the Kaffe Fasset Design Line range and the colourway is Landscape Fog. Mr A has size 10 feet, and I only had 2 marble sized balls of yarn left over, so if you want a larger pair out of two balls it might be an idea to knit a shorter cuff than the 20cm I knitted.

This is the first time I have used Regia yarn, and I really like the way it has knitted up. I have also used two circular needles as opposed to my usual dpns, and I think this will soon become my preferred method.

Never Say never Again ...........

Sometimes you just have to scratch an itch :lol:

This FCS was knitted using yarn from The Knittery. It is a merino/cashmere/nylon blend and it is quite the nicest yarn I have ever knitted with - and that includes DIC Smooshy. I bought it off Alice at the I Knit Stich'n'Bitch day in 2007, and have another identical skein here waiting to be knitted.

Sad to say The Knittery is not dyeing at present and the shop is closed. At some stage it may return on Etsy, but I would urge anyone who wanted some to try to nab some from Alice before it's all gone.

Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl

Yarn: Merino/Cashmere from The Knittery

Needles 5mm Aero Straights

There are 2 extra pattern repeats and 12 border rows. It was a gift for a friend.

Hillsborough

Today is the twentieth anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster. I'm not sure what else to add to that really. It seems incomprehensible that 96 ordinary people, just like you and me, men, women, children, young and old, could lose their lives just by going to a football match.

Reading accounts of what happened twenty years on makes it all seem more harrowing somehow, particularly as it could all so easily have been avoided. Events of yesterday put into today's context always do somehow - social attitudes, for example, change imperceptibly day by day, yet life then compared with now seems very different. The general acceptance of those who should have been helping was that it was trouble brewing. Ambulances were turned away and told they weren't needed - can you imagine!! That's what's so hard to accept. And no-one really has ever been held accountable. Yes, changes were made, but no-one was ever made to stand up and be counted! The Sun ought to make very interesting reading today, as it was responsible for the most contemptable journalism ever at the time.

I'm sorry - I wasn't going to say all that but I still feel so very angry about it all.

What an emotional day today will be, for families, friends, fans, anyone who was involved on that fateful day. I remember where I was and what I was doing at the time as clearly as I remember yesterday.

God Bless. You'll Never Walk Alone!

Ladybird, Ladybird

As promised, here are the Ladybird socks that I knitted on holiday. I really like them, the pink is such a pretty shade.

I used a basic sock recipe, knitted 10 rows of a twisted rib, and knitted through the back of the purl stitches on alternate rows on the heel. I used 2.5mm dpns.

The yarn was a very thoughtful Christmas present from a friend.

Mosquitos 8 Aknita 0

I realise that I have been AWOL for some time, for which I apologise. The wonderful Cookie A workshop ( more on that soon ) was followed rapidly by a holiday in Sharm el Sheikh at this wonderful hotel and what a wonderful holiday it was.

I never cease to be amazed that just a few plane hours away is a place where the sun always shines. I love the Red Sea area and it's resorts, and would go back in a whisper.

Here are a few photos, in no particular order. This first one, for example, was taken from the coach window when we left. It was the first time I had set foot through the front of the hotel since I had arrived!!!!!!!

Here I am in my usual post prandial haunt - the bar. There's nothing quite like a daiquiri after lunch - or before come to that ;-)

And here I am on our patio with a sock. I took a set of bamboo dpn's on the plane without any trouble, and managed a pair of ladybird socks while I was away. Mohammed, Saad and Khalid who made life by the pool so relaxing and comfortable, named me Mrs Tricot ;-)

Doesn't the pool look wonderful. Mr A is an even earlier bird than I am, hence the paler skies and lack of sunbed use, it was around 7:00 am.

This is Baron Boulevard, leading from the hotel to the beach.

And a view back towards the hotel from the jetty - which was very wibbly wobbly I can tell you.

The pool was fab. Honestly, the most taxing part of my day involved deliberating whether it would be the beach or the pool!! The pool was closer..........

Just look at that sky!

Oh and the mosquitoes? Little beggars, they seem to like me. I use a mosquito spray, wear no perfumed products, use after sun with a repellant in, use a coil in the hotel room and STILL they bite me! I must be made of good stuff!!!!!!!!!!!

The Year of the Workshop

I find I am becoming more and more fascinated by knitting and it's constuction, how it all works really, and to this end I am turning into a bit of a workshop junkie.Towards the end of last year there was How to Finish 1 with Debbie Abrahams and the wonderful retreat with Lucy Neatby.Last month there was How to Finish 2 with Debbie Abrahams. That was a great workshop where I learned a very great deal. As ever on these workshops I found I learned from fellow knitters too. My confidence had a boost too when Debbie admired my FCS ( the one in my avatar ), and also my Cranford Mitts.

Next week I am attending a workshop at Socktopus with the great Cookie A. Time willl tell if I have an over inflated opinion of my ability, but it's a once-in-a lifetime opportunity.

June sees UK Ravelry day in Coventry and "Plan Your Own Aran" with Jared Flood. The following week will see me at Socktopus with two more Jared Flood workshops booked. I do hope I won't seem like a stalker.........

The end of June brings Woolfest and joy of joys a day's Estonian Lace workshop with the wonderful Nancy Bush. My little head is reeling, I was camped out by the letter box this morning as tickets for this had started to arrive yesterday.

Then there is Iknit day, whereupon I must confess a sort of headless chicken approach to workshop booking, Estonian lace with the Dutch Knitters ( my insurance policy in case Woolfest didn't come through ) Universal Mitred Bag and Modular Knitting with Annie Modesitt, Traditional Fair Isle Knitting Techniques with Alice Starmore as well as an Alice Starmore presentation, Influences on Design.Phew! Perhaps I should dig out my autograph book.

There IS knitting going on, but I am in for the long haul I am afraid. I am knitting Muse from the Classic Reminiscence book using Pima Cotton. I was experiencing dreadful rowing out, so am trying to use Annie Modesitt's combination knitting see here and here which has helped enormously, but it is slow going. Maybe a progress photo next time.

Om Shanti Bed Socks

These socks are the first socks from the Socktopus Sock Club this year. The yarn is Evolution and the colour is Peppermint Cheer.

The socks include such techniques as a provisional crochet cast on, short row garter stitch toes and heels, ( where the wraps are left in situ ) and with the heel worked over 60% of the stitches resulting in less strain on the heel joining points.

The stitch pattern is an Estonian 3-cross stitch pattern, and the cuff starts with another Estonian technique known as a Kihnu Vits braid. The rib is corrugated ( knit stitches in yarn A, purl stitches in yarn B so you are knitting with two strands of yarn in the same hand, and the finishing touch is a sewn bind off. Phew! Did I really do all of that? Well yes I did, and I am chuffed to little bits.

The sock incorporated several techniques covered in last year's Sock Knitting Retreat with Lucy Neatby, and are a testament to Lucy's kind, patient approach. I wish she could see these. Thank you Lucy.

Now then, the yarn does relax when blocked, but does recover a little. This photo is how my sock sized up after blocking and drying - yet it fits, and is so warm and snuggly.

A garter stitch short row heel.

And a short row toe in the making. Who would have thunk it ;-)

All you need is .......

..... love!

Apparently ;-)

Your Word is "Love"

You see life as possibility to form deep connections with a few people. Relationships are the center of your world, and you always take time to bond with those you love. You are caring and giving. You enjoy helping those you love. And when it comes to romantic love, you feel passionately ... even in a very long term relationship.

What's Your Word?

Strictly Come Dancing Live

Last night my friend Yvonne and I travelled to the NEC to watch Strictly Come Dancing Live. After an interesting journey ( which took in excess of two hours instead of an hour due to an M5 closure and a search for an alternative route ) we still managed to arrive on time as I had, as ever, "allowed for traffic" in my timing. Leaving at 4:15 for a 7:30 start and an hour's drive seems eminently sensible to me ;-)

It was such a fun evening. Craig, Arlene, Len and Bruno were on top form. The band and singers were fantastic, and Kate Thornton made a good fist of the Tess Daley role. Eight couples took part. Tom and Camilla, Cherie and James, Vincent and Rachel, Ola and Kenny, Lilia and Julian Clarey, Jodie and Ian, Gethin and Flavia and Jill and Darren.

In the first round, all the couples danced a ballroom dance. Tom danced his classic quickstep, which was lovely to see, Kenny danced to Flower of Scotland, Flavia and Gethin danced a beautiful waltz and Rachela and Vincent danced their powerful tango.

The judges critiqued in the usual way ( the repartee between Julian and Craig was very funny ) Who was to know, for example, that Julian Clarey hailed from Ladywood!!!!!!!!!!! ;-) Diamante maracas are a sight to behold ;-)

From the interval onwards the audience were able to vote by text. In the second half, the couples performed a Latin dance. Cherie and James danced their beautiful rumba, as did Rachel and Vincent. Jill and Darren danced THAT jive and Kenny wore his kilt for the paso. There was a professional dance, with Matthew and Kristina dancing a breathtaking dance too, and a group dance. Gethin and Flavia were the eventual winners. All in all it was a strictly wonderful evening and I'd recommend it to anyone.