Tea and Cakes

You know, I was going to come here to write all about the fantastic day I had on Saturday with Kneehigh and ChicwithStix, but I’ve been beaten to it: Read about the morning from ChicwithStix’s perspective.

I shall continue anyway. We headed off not so bright and early on Saturday to Ashford in Wicklow, to visit The Yarn Room. Oh My. Close your eyes for a second. Imagine your perfect local yarn store. Mine has a comfy sofa to knit on, big windows to let the light in, lots of lovely yarn in bright colours, friendly people dropping in, and a nice cup of tea.
The Yarn Room has all of this. (Unfortunately the 45 minute drive when there’s no traffic means it doesn’t really count as local).

While we were there we bumped into Nic, who was teaching a mother and son to knit down at the back of the shop, and met Pumpkinknits and Jenna from Ravelry.

I got to try out the Ashford Knitter’s Loom, which I want very much indeed, but can’t afford (yet!) and don’t really have the space for at the moment, even though it folds up and is very portable. I really had to drag myself away from this, I was having loads of fun weaving.

Then we sat and the lovely Stephanie made us tea and we ate the yummy cookies Kneehigh had made and we knit and chatted and could have spent all day there quite happily, but we had another appointment to make…
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Our second appointment was to pop in to visit The Constant Knitter. This is a new online shop in Dublin, and we went along for a little yarn preview. Rosemary stocks Garnstudio yarns, which are really good quality and excellent value – it’s great to have a supplier in Ireland. The Constant Knitter is the only place I’ve found that stocks pure linen yarn, very reasonably priced too, so I bought a ball to have a play with, along with a few other bits and pieces of course.

Rosemary made us tea and lovely cupcakes too, and again it was hard to drag ourselves away!
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After fueling up with some delicious lentil soup we popped into the lovely This is Knit, to pet their lovely yarns and so I could gt a new options cable.
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Phew! Three yarn shops in one day. All we could do at that point was head off to Kneehigh’s, drink tea, eat tasty snacks, and knit and spin the evening away. Super.

Last night This is Knit organised a yarn tasting evening in the city. Yarn tasting? Yes. Yarn tasting.

New seasons yarns and some old favourites wound into sample balls. €20 bought me 20 vouchers, which I then exchanged for 20 sample balls. ‘Shopping’ was so much fun!

I tried to pick up colours that I wouldn’t normally use, and I got to try out some yarns that I’ve been curious about but haven’t been able to justify buying.
Rowan Kid Classic for example. I’ve eyed it a lot, but now I have a tiny ball in a lovely forest green to try out and see how I like it knit up. Rowan Cocoon I stroke every time in the shop, and I have a voucher for This is Knit waiting to be spent on some to make an Owls Sweater. However, I’m only buying the yarn once I’m ready to cast on, so now I have some to try out first and pet at home. Mirasol Qina is a new bamboo/alpaca blend, which is beautiful and soft and just adorable, and now I’ve knit with it I’m totally in love.

I also picked up some Louisa Harding Sari Ribbon, which isn’t something I thought I’d ever pick up or buy, but last night was all about sampling new things, so I picked a bit up to try out. More on that in a while.

Here’s my haul:

As well as the yarn samples there were sample knits from new pattern books to try on. And I fell in love:

Imagine it without the cords and black t-shirt underneath, and perhaps with an inch or two more length in the waist…
It’s from the new Louisa Harding collection called Little Cake, and it’s knit in her new Thistle yarn, which memory tells me is a wool and alpaca blend, but I could be wrong about. It was certainly warm!
(Looking at the photo there the cable twists seem to be sitting nicely on my boobs. Would have to fix that.)

After the yarn tasting we retired to a hotel bar where I had a very fancy ginger tea:

This is where the sari ribbon comes in.
Two of our lovely hostesses were with us, and knit stripes of the sari ribbon into some swatches, and all of a sudden I can see how it could be used.

Here we see the sari ribbon sample relaxing in the company of a butterfly pin and some kid silk haze.

This was Kneehigh’s sample, and I love it, because it shows the different effects that could be had: my favourite is for the bottom stripe, which is just knit normally. In the middle the texture of the ribbon itself was used to knit through, and at the top a crochet stripe was added in. While I probably wouldn’t knit a whole garment out of it, I really like it for a bit of a shimmery accent.

Right then. Where was I?
I’d got up at a stupid hour of the morning, flown over to England, dyed some yarn, bought some yarn, looked at some folorn looking alpacas (it was raining), and listened to a lovely talk by Meg Swansen.

I didn’t take any photos, but just before my afternoon workshop I enjoyed a particularly excellent piece of victoria sponge cake with a nice cup of tea. The super thing about the day was how friendly everyone was – it was like there was one big conversation going on – admiring purchases and works in progress with complete strangers over a cuppa made for a great atmosphere.

Anyway, on with the day.

I spent the afternoon in a “plan your own aran’ workshop with Jared Flood (and lots of other Irish knitters for company). We covered the maths of planning an aran, learned how to cable without a cable needle, and how to steek. (For non-knitters steeking is cutting your knitting, used to make cardigans out of projects knit in the round as a big tube for example).

I had no real interest in learning to cable without a cable needle, but Jared didn’t give us a choice, and I’m so pleased, because it’s so easy and so much quicker. This is especially useful as I’m up to the cabled bit on a cabled-yoke sweater I’m knitting myself.

We got to see Jared’s Aran Cardigan, and the original Cobblestone (named for the Dublin pub).

Anyway, the steeking. We knit a swatch to work on. First step was to put a marker thread through to highlight where to cut.

Now, because we spent lots of time in the workshop asking Jared questions we ran out of time to practice the steek ourselves. So, afterwards the Irish contingent met up and headed to the pub for a pint, some grub, and for me to finish my steek before I forgot what to do.

First, crochet chain either side of the steek to keep in in place. I needed help with my crochet, but managed ok (and have been pondering crochet since).

Next, remove the marker thread, and get ready to cut. I readied myself with about half a pint of ale.

Then, all there is to do is cut!

My heart was thumping, but I managed it, thanks to the support of my fellow knitters. Now I want to steek everything.

Sinead and I reluctantly headed off at about 8.30, and I fell in the door at home at 1am, where I slept soundly and dreamed of yarn. It was a super day.

Yesterday was World Wide Knit in Public Day, and I had a fabulous time knitting in the city with lots of friends. I managed not to take any photos of it all though so I have nothing interesting to blog.

Instead, let me tell you about last weekend, which I spent in Coventry with a whole load of knitters and lots of yarn. Super.

I left home at 4.30am, for the 6.30am flight to Birmingham. That’s very early and I’m not really a huge fan of mornings. I met up with Sinead on the flight. (Incidentally, Sinead took plenty of photos yesterday and at the UK Ravelry day, so go and read all about them both on her blog too). Coventry was only a 15 minute train ride away from Birmingham airport, and the event was only a short walk from the train station, and was very handily signposted for us.

I wasn’t planning on buying much, so had signed up for two workshops and a talk in an effort to keep me away from all the lovely stalls. It didn’t really work, but I was pretty good, and there was an awful lot of yummy yarn there. The vast majority of it was British yarn from small independent spinners/dyers – which is most definitely guilt free yarn to buy. And oh! The colours! So many lovely things.

I started out in a yarn dyeing workshop run by Jon from Easyknits. I’d bought some yarn from Jon at the iKnit day in London in September which was lovely to knit with, and Jon had been so friendly then that I figured his workshop would be lots of fun, and I couldn’t have been more right. I was a little bit worried that it would have been quite technical and there would have been lots to remember, but actually it was a lot more relaxed and hit and miss and creative and fun. I’d feel confident that I could come away and do some dyeing myself now, and after seeing everyone else’s finished yarns I’d have a better idea about colours. The workshop felt like a couple of hours playing about with colours and painting and making a big mess, and it was a lovely way to start the day. (It was also helped along by the delicious gingerbread men that Jon’s partner had baked for us. Mmmmmm.)

Anyway. The workshop.
First we painted the dye onto our yarns (lovely undyed Blue Faced Leicester).

Here’s mine. I went a bit pale:

Next we sprayed them with vinegar and wrapped them in cling film to make wool sausages:

Then Jon took them away and steamed them to set the dye while I went off to ogle Alpacas in the rain:

And listen to Meg Swansen talk about knitting, design, and Elizabeth Zimmerman:

Later I collected the yarn , and I brought it home and hung it up to dry:

And this morning I wound it up:

I’m calling it “Washed Out Wimbledon”, because it’s almost that time of year, it’s like the Wimbledon colours if they’d been left out in the rain, and I have lots of happy memories of washed out Wimbledons. It will be socks, but I’m not sure which pattern I’ll use yet.

…More in part 2…

On Friday night I dreamed of yarn.

I’d been given a skein as a gift. It was a small amount, but oh so light and pretty. Laceweight, with a slight halo (alpaca perhaps?).

The colours were bright rainbow ones – a rosy red; tangy orange; sunshiney yellow; rich, grassy green; bright bright blue; and vivid purple.

It wanted to be something. It took me a while to work it out, but it wanted to be this shawl:
Simple Yet Effective Shawl

And just as I realised that I woke up.

I’ve been thinking about it since then, and almost, almost bought a skein of brightly coloured Noro Kureyon sock yarn in This is Knit on Saturday. I didn’t though, as I’m working through my stash as much as possible at the moment, I’m not nuts about small triangular shawls and I don’t wear bright colours on the whole. I don’t want to knit it in duller, more me colours, and I can’t think of anyone I could give it to. All common sense says no.

So why can’t I stop thinking about it?

This is what I’ve achieved this evening. Half a wonky cloth. It doesn’t matter that it’s a bit wonky: it’s for cleaning the bathroom, and it’s all I’m able for at the moment. Well, that and playing Scramble, a Boggle-like game for the iPhone. I’m a bit addicted to that at the moment.
A productive night so.

I’m a bit taken with knitting tiny things at the moment. The Girasole shawl has taken a backseat, because (a) I’m only about 1/3 of the way through, judging by the amount of yarn I have left, and (b) I’m realising that lace shawls are really impractical and stupid for babies, so I need to make things that are more useful instead. I am loving making the shawl though, so I will carry on, and possibly dye it when it’s done and keep it for myself.

Anyway, tiny things. They’re quick and cute and fun.

A baby beanie

Mini mittens

And finally…

A cake hat.

Because really, who could resist?

Some of you might know that this is Mojo. (He’s not mine, despite attempts to steal him, and I can in no way be blamed for the pirate outfit he’s sporting in the picture)

He’s not missing.  Just to be clear.

The mojo that is missing is my knitting mojo. Last week I just wasn’t feeling it. I managed to knit about 10 inches of i-cord. And mess up the decreases at the top of a baby hat. A plain, simple, easy-as-pie (mmmm, pie) baby hat.

A while ago Yvonne and I worked out that there’s only so much knitting mojo to go around. Clearly someone has stolen mine for a while (and I’m keeping a close eye on you, Wyvernfriend!), or I’ve carelessly left it somewhere.

Now, there’s only one thing to do when mojo has gone missing: Knit something really really boring easy.

I present a 1×1 rib scarf:

The grey stripes will be at either end – now it’s just lots and lots of ribbing, in plain very-dark-brown. The yarn’s lovely though – Artesano Aran. Plus it’s good pub knitting, as I don’t need to think about it at all.

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Yesterday a few of us went on a little outing to a closing down weavers in Drogheda. There were some yarns there, but mainly fine wools on cones, and until I knit down some of my Avoca sale stash I’m not buying any more like that. I did buy 200g of a purple/green aran weight wool, but it only cost €1, so it was practically free, and it would have been wrong to leave it there.

What I did buy though, was buttons. 115 to be precise. I’m working on my button collection and they were hard to resist. I love buttons.

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Today I haven’t knit yet. This has nothing to do with the fact that I have another baby kimono to seam before I start knitting again. Nothing at all to do with that.

Instead, I’ve been making stitch markers, because all of mine are in projects on the needles have mysteriously disappeared. I’ve just been using up random beads I had in my collection, not making anything special.

Much more fun than seaming.

It’s been a while since there was any actual knitting content on the blog. There has been knitting, but sadly none today.

Today was the day that I caught up with some finishing. I have a small collection of projects that are waiting for their future owners to be born, and most of these projects needed/need finishing. Little things – ends sewn in, seams done, fastenings attached and washing. I’m quite happy churning out the knitting, not so good at the finishing.

So, today I got to grips with it a bit.

Taking a tip from Glenda (who incidentally sent me a lovely treat a few weeks back that will soon be blogged), I’m not going to post all the project details up – you can find them on my Ravelry projects page if you’re a knitter. If you’re not a knitter, you’re probably not interested in the needle size and fibre content.

Finished, I present:

Ruffle Rib Baby Socks

Bluebell Baby Hat

Lilac Baby Hat

Almost finished:

Lilac Baby Kimono – needs i-cord ties and blocking

February Baby Sweater – needs buttons and blocking

Baby Surprise Jacket – needs buttons and blocking.

I finished knitting the baby surprise jacket on 25th August ‘08. It’s taken me exactly 6 months to sit down and sew in all the ends and seam it up. Ah well.

Still to finish:

Teal Baby Kimono – the knitting’s actually all done on this now, but I can’t face any more seaming today.

All in all a productive day, but one I would have preferred to spend working on Girasole.

It’s coming along nicely, but not as quickly as it should be. An hour or so working on it today would have been lovely.

It seems to be the trend at the moment to write reflective posts about the year just gone and the one just beginning, mixed in with pictures of completed knitted gifts on crafty blogs.

However, I’ve had the pox over the christmas, starting on christmas eve and beginning to lift now, the day before I go back to work, although with a final kick in the teeth of a migraine that drugs and lots of sleep in a dark room seem to have kicked into touch. Lots of kicking round here it would appear. Anyway, that’s all well and good, but it means that big thoughtful posts about my plans for the future are out of the window.

Suffice to say that christmas was lovely, both the time spent in Dublin with family, and then back in Sussex in England with family there – us from Ireland, others from Singapore and Finland (like Bobbi I’ll be learning Finnish months and days too in 2009), and from Manchester, which is a bit closer than Dublin but I think took longer in travel time. I’ve eaten lots of delicious food, and drunk, well, a lot of hot paracetamol based drinks mainly, I’ve sat by an open fire and knit and it’s been lovely. I also saw an albino deer in the woods, which was pretty cool.

So, the obligatory catch up of knitted items:
There weren’t many really…

Fingerless Mitts, using Artesano Hummingbird, a lovely soft alpaca, 3.5mm needles, and the Berry Hill Fingerless Mittens (Ravelry link)

Chunky cowl to match, using the rest of the Artesano Hummingbird Alpaca held double, 6.5mm needles, and the Quickie Cowl pattern.

I love these two, and I’ll definitely make both again.

Next, a heavily modified Better Bucket Hat (Ravelry link) from Manos del Uraguay 100% wool and 4.5 and 5mm needles. The modifications were necessary because I ran out of yarn on christmas eve when I was sick, and through no fault of the pattern. It was traumatic. I’m not quite ready to talk about it yet.

Alpaca hat. A simple beanie, loosly based on Turn a Square (Ravelry link) but using bigger yarn, needles and not consulting the pattern at all. 5mm needles, Artesano Aran, a lovely soft and warm yarn.
There are wristwarmers that match this, in the grey with dark brown stripes, but no photos at the moment. A matching scarf has been requested, and I think I can manage that.

Finally, a small cashmere cowl, which is soft and light for my mum. No pattern, 3.25mm needles.

So, there you go. I seem to have written a reflective post about my holiday and some of the knitting I’ve done. Ah well.