Raspberry Ripple

About two years ago I knitted my step-sister and niece a pair of socks each. When we were visiting a couple of weeks ago, the smaller pair of these appeared out of a drawer, looking none the worse for wear. But they are now a little small. So I said I would make another pair in the latest "favourite colour" of red. I had some red and white yarn in my stash from about a year ago that I hadn't got round to knitting yet, so over the weekend I produced these.

I used The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns to get the size, so cast on 52 stitches and did plain stocking stitch after about 3cm if K2,P2 rib. And I managed to get the stripes to just about match!
Pattern: Basic sock pattern by Ann Budd
Yarn: Bear Necessities 100% 4ply wool from Folksy.com, colour Raspberry Ripple
Needles: 2.5mm circs, magic loop

Best foot forward

To celebrate Soctoberfest 09, I have been participating in the Mystery Sock KAL on Through the Loops' blog. The idea is that you don't know what you are knitting (well you know its a sock) until you knit it. One clue is released once a week in October, and you knit that clue and wait for the next one. The final clue was released yesterday and here are my finished socks.


I made a bit of a boob by using such a variegated yarn so the pattern is a bit swamped but I'm not sure I would have used it for anything else so at least its out of the stash now.
Pattern: Through the Loops Mystery Sock 09
Yarn: Wild Fire Fibres Fantasia - colourway Lammas
Needles: 2.5mm circulars using magic loop from each end of the ball at the same time!
Mods: only the length of the foot to fit.

I also made the black & white kitty in a few hours last weekend, but didn't get round to the face for about a week. I'm still not entirely happy with it! I tried green and blue eyes but ended up back with black again.


Also last weekend Colin took part in a 10K run for Cancer Research UK. It was along the seafront in Rhyl and there was a hell of a wind blowing!

Susie decided to help him do some stretching before we left



and we met up with some others who were running it. On the left is Frederika who always looks stunning even when she has run 10K. This is before they set off


just after the first bend


and Colin crossing the finish line. This is the only picture I got of him finishing because although I got in a great place to see him come towards me, another runner was in front and blocking him from my view all the way! They only moved out of the way at the very last minute, I was a bit annoyed!


and this is the four of them at the end.


Colin's personal fundraising pot is now over £8,000 and collectively the 365challenge participants have raised over £24,000. Anyone fancy having a go? Check Colin's site for details.

And today's new yarn is...........

........this month's Wild Fire Fibres sock club yarn, Venezia in colourway Samhain.

Some knitting content!

I was really disappointed in the lack of yarn shops in the Lake District. There was a tiny shop in Ambleside above a cafe called Hannalin Crafts, where I bought two balls of her own handspun DK from her Herdwick sheep. But the shops in Penrith and Keswick were almost exclusively crackly acrylics and I spent probably a total of one minute in there between the two. (Yes, I'm a yarn snob!) You would think there would be a decent yarn shop in a place with such a lot of sheep.

Did I ever put up a finished picture of my red cardigan? I don't think I did. Well here's one. According to Ravelry I finished this on September 19th. That's 3 weeks ago!! Yes, I remember I did finish it before my holiday and that is long gone now.


Pattern: Drops Jacket with Rib from Garnstudio, pattern 100-2
Needles: 5.0mm and 5.5mm
Yarn: Drops Karisma superwash DK
Mods: Don't remember any!

While away I got on with my Baktus scarf which I will be donating to Seasalt for the Bees Conservation Trust


Pattern: Baktus by Strikkelise
Yarn: Lana Grossa Cool Wool Big
Needles: 4.5mm
Mods: increased until there were 58 stitches across then started decreasing again.

I am now casting on for another knitted kitty which my friend Mel requested a while ago. She has probably forgotten but it is their first wedding anniversary on Sunday so I thought I'd give it to her then.

I am taking part in the mystery sock KAL hosted by Through the Loops again this year. It started on 1st October and you get a clue each Thursday. I have completed the first two clues using some of my WIld Fire Fibres sock club yarn.


I'm not sure I like the way it is pooling though. This is after clue 1. It is kind of swamping the actual lace pattern.


Well at least I will wear them and this will get that yarn out of stash.

I have also finished the gift for my friend's new baby. It is another Drops pattern but looks suspiciously like the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Here is a friend of mine modelling it!

Pattern: Jacket in garter stitch b18-25
Yarn: Drops Fabel colour 901
Needles: 3mm
Mods: made the smallest size and added 2 rows to the collar.

I finally caught up to date with the LimenViolet podcasts so had to search for some more. I am trying Stash and Burn, ElectricSheep and the Sassy Sheep at the moment. The woman on ElectricSheep is quite English and posh and sounds just like Melinda Messenger!

iKnit

Colin and I have just had a couple of days in London. I can't believe how quick and easy it was to get there from Chester - 2 hours 5mins with only 2 stops and no changes!

I'll do another post about the touristy stuff we did, but while we were there I went to visit iKnit. It is literally out the back door of Waterloo station and round the corner. The lady in the shop very kindly said I could take pictures inside the shop.



As they have a liquor license Colin settled down on the leather couch and had a beer while I perused the shelves.




I thought it would be a lot bigger seeing as they have a big event there, which I missed by a week!. Apparently there is a big room downstairs for that. So what did I get - sock yarn of course!!!



Schoppel-wolle Zaueberball in Cranberries, Malabrigo sock in Lettuce, Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome in Glacier Ice and Cherry Tree Hill supersock in Jade. I also had to replace my Harmony 2.25mm circ because I snapped the end off on the way down pulling it out of my bag roughly!. The lady also threw a load of iknit badges into the bag because I'd told her about the knitting group, so I'll dish some of those out next meeting.

Meeow!!

Phew, another week gone! But I have done quite a bit of knitting.

The first project I have made this week is a Multnomah shawl. My dilemma a couple of posts ago was which yarn to use for a pair of Glass Slipper socks and I eventually plumped for the Green Eyed Monsters Gem sock yarn.

It was most strange. As I used it it was quite greasy feeling and was sticking to the needles really badly, I was having to physically push the stitches along the needles. After two pattern repeats of the leg I couldn't bear it any longer and ripped it out, deciding that the yarn needed bigger needles and possibly something lacy. So I decided I would make my first shawl. I haven't made a shawl before because I wouldn't wear it but having seen other ways of wearing it rather than just draping it over the shoulders I thought I'd give one a go. I didn't want anything too fancy so I went with the free pattern of Multnomah. It is a lot of garter stitch followed by feather and fan. The same thing happened with the yarn, it was ok to start with but the more I knit the greasier it got. I think it was the heat from my hands bringing out whatever it was. It stuck to wood, bamboo and aluminium needles. But I persevered and eventually invested too much time in it to rip it out. I finished it yesterday, and there was probably enough yarn for a couple more pattern repeats but I just couldn't work with the yarn any longer. I have given the shawl a wash and blocked it and it feels fine now. I made a comment on the ravelry listing for this yarn and the etsy shop owner said its the first skein she's heard of like that. Just unlucky I guess. (I'll get someone at knit group to take some photos.)

Oh, just so you know, I have restarted the socks in the Malabrigo sock yarn........ooooh, much better!

The next thing I have knit is a Knitted Kitty.


This has turned out really cute. It is supposedly for a gift but I may just keep it myself. I was just worried that I would spoil it when I tried to embroider the facial features onto it.

And finally I have almost sewn up my red cardigan. I just need to set in the sleeves and knit the collar.

All this activity at the weekend was possible because I spent it on my own. Colin went off to a school reunion in Ireland for 3 days. Well the reunion was only for one evening but he visited his dad too. So I had the house and dog to myself.

Circle socks finished

I finished these off yesterday

Pattern: Circle Socks by Anne Campbell (this is a free ravelry download so you need to be on ravelry to see it - sorry!)

Yarn: King Cole Zig Zag sock yarn

Needles: 2.5mm Addi lace circs using magic loop.

Mods: Only did 4 repeats of the circle pattern on the leg cuff.

Of all the beautiful sock yarns I have in my stash, I used this cheapy 50% superwash wool, 50% nylon Zig Zag. It isn't the softest yarn in the world by any means, but it was only £3.99 for 100g and I loved the colour. I'd say it will be quite hard wearing too and will probably soften up in the wash.

I think that Glass Slippers will be my next sock project but I will need just the right yarn to show the pattern off. I'd love to use this gorgeous Malabrigo sock yarn that Karen gave me for my birthday at knit group this week, but I think it may be too dark.

Perhaps it is time to use my Posh Yarns Eva

which I have had for well over a year. Or Green Eyed Monsters Gem,

hmmm, decisions decisions.

But for today I must seam my Red Cardigan, its been waiting over a week now.

August sock club

This is the yarn for the Wild Fire Fibres sock club for August. The yarn is called Fantasia and is 100% extra fine merino, colourway Lammas, a mix of browns, beige and white with a hint of an eggshell blue. It is not a colour I would normally choose for myself but I really like it.

Toe Ups and Twisty progress

At the last knit group, Karen brought in a book called Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy Johnson. When I saw some of the lovely patterns in this book I had to have it so with a 10% discount code for the book depository I now have my own copy. (It arrived before I made my rash decision yesterday!) It shows you several different toe cast-ons, different types of toe increases and different heels so that you can mix and match if you wish. There are also about 20 patterns.


These are my 3 favourite patterns from the book. I think the colour of the yarns used makes the photos look gorgeous.


I started on my "Twisty" last night. I've called in that because "Drops 115-24" just doesn't have a ring to it really. After misreading the pattern for the centre cable and having to go back two rows this morning, I'm back on track. The main body is knit from the bottom up but in the round, before splitting for the arm holes and neck.


The yarn is almost the same colour as my living room carpet!

Super socks and yummy yarn

My first Finished Object since May!!! They didn't take that long to do though. I started them a couple of weeks ago when we went to Ireland for a couple of days and finished them last night.


Pattern: Conwy Socks from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. I got this book free from bookmooch.com.
Yarn: Knitwitches Superwash sock yarn, colour Warm Earth which I got at Woolfest last year.
Needles: 2.5 Addi Lace using magic loop.
Mods: The pattern has calf decreases but I didn't do these so I cast on 60sts instead of 72 and just worked 48 rows of pattern straight. I did a standard toe too.

This morning my Drops Eskimo arrived for my short sleeve top. It is lovely and soft and squishy. I'm going to start this today.


I'm going to say the next bit quietly. I'm not going to buy any more books this year. I got two more this morning and my TBR shelf on goodreads now has 48 books on it, and not all of the ones I have beside my bed are listed on there yet. My book pile fell over yesterday and it wasn't pretty so I'm going to try to get through it a bit before adding any more.

So what have I been up to?

Oh dear, I really need to update don't I? Well here goes........

On July 3rd Colin travelled up to Fort William in torrential rain to climb Ben Nevis the next day for his 365challenge. His usual travel companion Dave went with him and they were met up there by several others, who all managed to make it to the summit in about 4 and a half hours.


One of our oldest uni friends, Paul, who lives near Edinburgh also travelled up for the day and joined them too. (Nice legs, boys!)


When they made it back down to the bottom, Paul's wife had been off to buy champagne for them all to celebrate completing the 3 highest peaks in the UK.


In the meantime, not being into climbing mountains, or any kind of exercise for that matter, I had a houseguest to keep me company. My mum!


We didn't really do much, just pottered around, and treated Susie to a lovely juicy bone which she was very chuffed with.


On the Sunday was the thrilling Wimbledon men's final. I decided to support Roddick as he was the underdog and because he had beaten Murray so if he won it would mean Murray had been beaten by the eventual winner and he would be excused, hahah! Dave and Colin arrived back during the 4th set and Dave is a big Federer fan so there was good rivalry going on there. Poor Dave needed to drive back to Reading but hung on to the bitter end.

In books, I have just finished One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson, (see review below) and have decided to try A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini next as several people have recommended it to me.

In knitting, I still have several WIPs but that hasn't stopped me casting on a pair of Conwy socks from the book Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. The photos in this book do the socks no justice at all, it is much better to look at the finished ones on ravelry to get a better idea of how they turn out. I am using a variegated red/orange/dark red yarn that I got at Woolfest last year from KnitWitches yarns.

Hopefully in a couple of hours I will be able to hear properly again after at least 5 weeks of having blocked ears. Since the infection I had, my left ear has never "popped" and then a couple of days ago my right one got blocked with wax. I am going to get them syringed this afternoon, so hopefiully I will be back to normal.

sock club

This is the latest installment from the Wild Fire Fibres sock club. I asked for an "orangutan in the trees" colourway when Vikki asked what forest animal each of us liked. This is what she came up with, isn't it clever? Go on over to her etsy shop, she has some gorgeous colours in stock at the moment.

More than just books

Other stuff has happened recently apart from reading. Last weekend my parents came up to visit. My step-dad has just retired and had a significant birthday so a cake was called for.

This was the first Victoria Sandwich I have made in probably over 20 years! Came out pretty well though I do say so myself.

On Sunday morning we went for a walk around the Walls and when we got to the weir there were several herons on the water. My zoom lens got this photo from quite a distance (I've cropped it quite a bit so the detail has been somewhat lost).


A bit further on we were aiming for the Racecourse as my ex-boss was competing in the Chester Half Marathon but the heavens opened and we made a quick dash into town to Caffe Nero for much needed coffees. He managed 2 hours 10 minutes, we heard later.

This morning I finished off my Flutter-by Socks. The second half of the skein had some really dark bits pop up in the purple bits so they aren't the same now, but its not really a problem just a bit of a shame. It may come out in the wash. It is a really easy and fairly quick pattern to knit.



Pattern: Flutter-by socks
Yarn: Wild Fire Fibres Fantasia from the May sock club, colour Rhododendron
Needles: 2.5mm Addi lace circs
Mods: Decreased to 30 sole stitches after the gusset.

I'm not sure what I want to cast on next, perhaps I should revisit those WIPs!

Well my review of Pride & Prejudice had mixed responses. Linz - it was nice to know I'm not the only one who didn't like it, I really thought I was after talking to a few people I know. Anonymous - yes, I do know who you are AND I know where you LIVE, hee hee!!! P&P isn't the only "classic" I have read, I enjoyed Dracula and Frankenstein but not P&P or 20,000 leagues. I didn't study English Literature after the age of 14 so I don't really know how to "read" a book in the way that you do. I like to read for enjoyment of the story, and that is enough for me. If it doesn't float my boat, I'll move on. I don't really want to get into the analysis of the writing or the period it was written, but I respect the fact that other people do. (I will just say that on your recommendation I have started the first chapter of Emma, but if I find I'm not enjoying it I will not plough on this time.) Everyone has their own tastes in books and that is why there are so many different books out there.

On that subject I am currently reading The Witch's Trinity by Erika Mailman a story about a witch hunt in the search for the reason why the crops are failing and everyone is starving in a tiny village in the 1400s. There is a gruesone trial of an old woman with a test which she cannot possibly pass which proves she is a witch when she isn't. And this stuff really went on! Scary.