>Endless Knitting
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I’ve been really lax at blogging recently, mainly because I’ve not yet learned to knit and type. Every spare minute seems to have been spent with the sticks and string, I’m a woman possessed! It began with a drive to begin making new stock for a slightly new direction for my Folksy shop, of which more soon. I interspersed this with work on my grown-up version of Queen Bess and was then interrupted by news of the birth of a son for one of my best friends. Of course that called for a knitted gift and my old favourite, Debbie Bliss’ Teddy Bear from Simply Baby came out beautifully in dark brown, even if the photo doesn’t do it justice.
Once I’ve woven in ends on Queen Bess and blocked it, work will begin on sizing and writing up the pattern, ready for test knitting. I find that brain-hurting work, but do love the idea of sharing my designs so needs must. On that subject, while all this knitting has been going on I’ve been fielding emails from the test knitters on my Coniston Sweater and I think I’m nearly there. My first ‘for sale’ pattern- exciting stuff!
>Shop restocked!
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Having been very neglectful of teacosies for months and months, I’ve suddenly got all re-invigorated for a number of reasons. Anyway, the result is that as I mentioned in the previous post, I uploaded my Union Jack teacosy pattern on Ravelry and have been very excited to see it added to more than 75 favourites lists and 20 or more queues! Meanwhile, I’ve completed what I’m calling my ‘High Tea’ collection of teacosies, each with a vintage teapot, to restock my Folksy shop. ‘Battenburg’ has been joined by ‘Cucumber Sandwiches’ and ‘Lemon Drizzle’. I love the soft retro colours and can’t decide which is my favourite!
>Battenburg- a preview!
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I’m really pleased with how it turned out! Coming soon to the Folksy shop- just need to dig out my sew-in labels from whichever box marked ‘Craft’ they’re in and get the others in the ‘High Tea’ collection knitted.
>Yarn and yarn
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I mentioned recently that I was saving money while feeding my knitting habit by recycling the yarn from projects that didn’t go right. Here you can see my winter wooly- ‘Emma’ from Big Just Got Bigger by Rowan. It’s not the most figure-flattering of numbers, but it’s soft and cosy and seems to suit the yarn better than it’s previous incarnation, whose cabling and enormous foldover collar made it hang very badly in my opinion. Best of all, it’s sort of a new jumper for free!
The next victim of my ‘frog and remake’ campaign is destined to be this ‘Iceland’ sweater in Rowan Cocoon yarn. I loved this when I saw it in Rowan Magazine #42. I loved the yarn when I looked at it at a knitting show and when C got it for me for Christmas a few years ago. I loved the way the finished article looked…until I tried it on. It hits me in all the wrong places and is completely unflattering. As a result it has sat in the drawer, loved but unworn, for far too long. I’ve decided to accept that it’s not for me and reclaim the yarn for something I will actually wear.
There is a stay of execution for ‘Iceland’ just now, however, as this morning’s post brought a new haul of yarn and a new issue of Yarn Forward. This, combined with a long awaited return to my local knitting group last night (with M in tow) means I am in knitting heaven just now. The yarn is the admittedly acrylic but nonetheless delightfully soft and knittable Sirdar Snuggly DK. It’s destined for a number of teacosies I have in mind to restock my rather neglected Folksy shop. There’s a theme for the designs I have in mind and the first- ‘Battenburg’ is already underway.