This is really sparkly and I used the same beads as last time, Toho size 6 in shade 83, Metallic Brown Iris.
My eldest daughter doing the modelling again and the shawl is certainly a one-of-a-kind.
Tuesday, 27 November 2018
Oh no, not another one! - Design F213 - Golden Carrot
Back in September I spun this yarn that I had dyed using plant dyed from the boiled up carrot tops from the homegrown carrots. This will be the last shawl of this design that I make, for a while at least.
This is really sparkly and I used the same beads as last time, Toho size 6 in shade 83, Metallic Brown Iris.
My eldest daughter doing the modelling again and the shawl is certainly a one-of-a-kind.
This is really sparkly and I used the same beads as last time, Toho size 6 in shade 83, Metallic Brown Iris.
My eldest daughter doing the modelling again and the shawl is certainly a one-of-a-kind.
Thursday, 22 November 2018
November's Fibre is here! - Khaki
I thought this might be a bit dull and boring but I think there is enough red in with the green to make in interesting enough to keep my attention and its soft but not as luxuriously soft as Hawaii for instance. Its 50% Shetland, 50% Merino and still has a subtle sheep smell to it and I can't help myself from sitting and sniffing it from time to time. Seriously, its like new leather, you either love it or you hate it.
This colour is growing on me but the proof will be in the spinning I guess.
I have managed to find the video of the Veteran that I wrote about in my post containing the letter for this fibre.
Elderly British War Veteran Salutes to Memorial
This colour is growing on me but the proof will be in the spinning I guess.
I have managed to find the video of the Veteran that I wrote about in my post containing the letter for this fibre.
Elderly British War Veteran Salutes to Memorial
Sunday, 18 November 2018
Novembers Fibre Club Letter
I need to sort myself out and start spinning some of the Fibre Club packages, they are starting to accumulate and I have other fibre all around me too waiting for me to do this, that or the other with it.
The letter reads:
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
An excerpt from For the Fallen by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943), published in The Times newspaper on 21 September 1914.
It’s now commonly read at Memorial Services, particularly on Remembrance Day, November 11th when the UK remembers all those who have lost their life in conflict.
It’s estimated that around 10 million military personal lost their lives during World War One, along with 8 million civilians. The loss of life is tragically huge on both sides. It is hard to comprehend just how many people died. My Great-Great Uncle Albert Giles was one of them. He lies in a military graveyard in Northern France.
Every November 11th, at 11am we hold a 2 minute silence to remember the fallen. For me this has always meant the fallen on both sides of the war and every war since. Millions of men on both sides died, they all deserve to be remembered.
During World War One all army uniforms were dull khaki coloured. The bright red dress uniforms used by the British Army during the Victorian era had finally been replaced by the official Service Dress in 1902. Camouflage had become more important than tradition, though the change in uniform colour wasn’t popular initially. The United States Army first adopted khaki during the Spanish-American war of 1898, troops complained about the colour until the 1950s when it was replaced with a cooler grey-green which is still in use today.
The word is yet another example of the English language borrowing words, khaki is Urdu for dusty. It was first used by Sir Harry Lumsden to clothe a Corps of Guides in Peshawar. He wanted his men to blend in to the landscape so bought up metres of cloth in the local market, and ordered it be rubbed with mud from the local river. As time went on mud was replaced with any dye stuff that could be obtained; coffee, tea, and curry powders. The colour spread through the Indian Army, and to the rest of the British Army, and eventually to the armies of other nations. By 1898 when the colour was used for American Army uniforms the colour would have been dyed using synthetic aniline dyes, probably chrome based.
This sounds like it could be quite a plain dull colour again but she often adds a flash of another colour in with them too so it might not be quite as you would expect and from the spoilers thread she has added in a streak of red to echo the poppies that grow on the battlefields of WWI. She has also revealed that there is a lot of Shetland Wool in this months fibre. Sounds very intriguing.
I don't know what it is this year, probably to do with my age, but I keep getting very tearful when I see the Veterans on parade and saluting the memorials. There was a UK video on Facebook of a very old Veteran Paratrooper in a wheelchair who could barely stand but he wanted to salute the memorial and there were two younger Veteran Paratroopers, maybe in their 40's, who were also there so they helped him up and flanked him so that if he started to fall they were on either side of him to catch him. When the old man saluted it was the look of pride on his face that just got me right in the heart strings and even writing this now, just thinking of that video has tears running down my face. I'm a hopeless mess!
The letter reads:
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
An excerpt from For the Fallen by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943), published in The Times newspaper on 21 September 1914.
It’s now commonly read at Memorial Services, particularly on Remembrance Day, November 11th when the UK remembers all those who have lost their life in conflict.
It’s estimated that around 10 million military personal lost their lives during World War One, along with 8 million civilians. The loss of life is tragically huge on both sides. It is hard to comprehend just how many people died. My Great-Great Uncle Albert Giles was one of them. He lies in a military graveyard in Northern France.
Every November 11th, at 11am we hold a 2 minute silence to remember the fallen. For me this has always meant the fallen on both sides of the war and every war since. Millions of men on both sides died, they all deserve to be remembered.
During World War One all army uniforms were dull khaki coloured. The bright red dress uniforms used by the British Army during the Victorian era had finally been replaced by the official Service Dress in 1902. Camouflage had become more important than tradition, though the change in uniform colour wasn’t popular initially. The United States Army first adopted khaki during the Spanish-American war of 1898, troops complained about the colour until the 1950s when it was replaced with a cooler grey-green which is still in use today.
The word is yet another example of the English language borrowing words, khaki is Urdu for dusty. It was first used by Sir Harry Lumsden to clothe a Corps of Guides in Peshawar. He wanted his men to blend in to the landscape so bought up metres of cloth in the local market, and ordered it be rubbed with mud from the local river. As time went on mud was replaced with any dye stuff that could be obtained; coffee, tea, and curry powders. The colour spread through the Indian Army, and to the rest of the British Army, and eventually to the armies of other nations. By 1898 when the colour was used for American Army uniforms the colour would have been dyed using synthetic aniline dyes, probably chrome based.
This sounds like it could be quite a plain dull colour again but she often adds a flash of another colour in with them too so it might not be quite as you would expect and from the spoilers thread she has added in a streak of red to echo the poppies that grow on the battlefields of WWI. She has also revealed that there is a lot of Shetland Wool in this months fibre. Sounds very intriguing.
I don't know what it is this year, probably to do with my age, but I keep getting very tearful when I see the Veterans on parade and saluting the memorials. There was a UK video on Facebook of a very old Veteran Paratrooper in a wheelchair who could barely stand but he wanted to salute the memorial and there were two younger Veteran Paratroopers, maybe in their 40's, who were also there so they helped him up and flanked him so that if he started to fall they were on either side of him to catch him. When the old man saluted it was the look of pride on his face that just got me right in the heart strings and even writing this now, just thinking of that video has tears running down my face. I'm a hopeless mess!
Saturday, 17 November 2018
12 Days of Christmas 2018
As soon as my regular fibre supplier announced her idea that she had for a special Christmas parcel bundle of fluff I was all ears. Her idea was for one main braid of fibre that we all open on Christmas Day and then 11 small packets of fibre to be opened one a day for the following 11 days and all this would be parcelled up in a hand-printed fair-trade cotton bag that she designed and printed herself.
She came up with 3 options originally and every time she released a new batch they sold out in minutes so due to high demand she came up with a 4th option using fibre she had in stock to replace one of the colourways that sold out after 2 batches.
These are the inspiration photos that she released, from left to right top row: Northern Lights, Ski Lodge, Christmas Cake and the large photo is Pine Forest. Northern Lights was put together and released for the last batch.
Some of the fibre bases changed as they sold out and was replaced with the same colour on a different base, such was their popularity. I decided to go for Pine Forest, which I managed to get from the third batch because I either missed the release time or I just wasn't fast enough and it already sold out before I could checkout. They literally sold out that fast. It was crazy!
These are the descriptions that she wrote for each colourway. The main braid is 100g of luxury hand dyed fibre and then we have eleven 20g parcels of Tussah Silk that have numbers on them so we all open them on the correct days. A different colour main brand and different colour range of Tussah Silk for each colourway.
Christmas Cake
Warm rich tones, think Spices, Candied Peel, Dried Peel, Dried Fruit. (Spoiler: pick this one if you're not a fan of blue, this really is the contents of your spice rack, the citrus fruit bowl, raisins, sultanas, with a small amount of green.)
Batch 1: 60% 18.5 micron Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Tussah Silk
Batch 2: 60% 18.5 micron Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Tussah Silk
Batch 3: 100% BFL
Pine Forest
An early morning walk in a pine forest, snow on the ground, frost sparkling on branches, dark shadows. (Spoiler: there is green... but not in huge quantities. It's focusing on the interesting things light does as it filters through branches. This one is filled with cool colours and interesting neutrals).
Batch 1: 60% 18.5 micron Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Tussah Silk
Batch 2: 60% 18.5 micron Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Tussah Silk
Batch 3: 50% Corriedale, 25% Yak, 25% Rose Rayon. This is the one I managed to get.
Ski Lodge
A mug of hot chocolate, classic skiing knitwear, a midnight view of a snowy mountain. (Spoiler: this one has a real mixture of colours. Very few of what I describe as "warm" tones, and the ones that are included aren't bright and in your face. They're designed to set off the other colours.)
Batch 1: 60% 18.5 micron Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Tussah Silk
Batch 2: 50% Corriedale, 25% Yak, 25% Rose Rayon.
Batch 3: None produced - replaced with Northern Lights colourway
Northern Lights
Bright colours dancing across a dark sky
Batch 3: Superfine Shetland
So, my parcel arrived this morning and I couldn't wait to take photos and a little peep inside, knowing that they were all in little sealed paper bags so that I couldn't really peep at what was in store. I found a little round cardboard thing inside the bag with a pretty design on it, turns out to be a coaster but I've not taken a photo of it. Really excited for Christmas now to see what I've got.
She came up with 3 options originally and every time she released a new batch they sold out in minutes so due to high demand she came up with a 4th option using fibre she had in stock to replace one of the colourways that sold out after 2 batches.
These are the inspiration photos that she released, from left to right top row: Northern Lights, Ski Lodge, Christmas Cake and the large photo is Pine Forest. Northern Lights was put together and released for the last batch.
These are the descriptions that she wrote for each colourway. The main braid is 100g of luxury hand dyed fibre and then we have eleven 20g parcels of Tussah Silk that have numbers on them so we all open them on the correct days. A different colour main brand and different colour range of Tussah Silk for each colourway.
Christmas Cake
Warm rich tones, think Spices, Candied Peel, Dried Peel, Dried Fruit. (Spoiler: pick this one if you're not a fan of blue, this really is the contents of your spice rack, the citrus fruit bowl, raisins, sultanas, with a small amount of green.)
Batch 1: 60% 18.5 micron Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Tussah Silk
Batch 2: 60% 18.5 micron Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Tussah Silk
Batch 3: 100% BFL
Pine Forest
An early morning walk in a pine forest, snow on the ground, frost sparkling on branches, dark shadows. (Spoiler: there is green... but not in huge quantities. It's focusing on the interesting things light does as it filters through branches. This one is filled with cool colours and interesting neutrals).
Batch 1: 60% 18.5 micron Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Tussah Silk
Batch 2: 60% 18.5 micron Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Tussah Silk
Batch 3: 50% Corriedale, 25% Yak, 25% Rose Rayon. This is the one I managed to get.
Ski Lodge
A mug of hot chocolate, classic skiing knitwear, a midnight view of a snowy mountain. (Spoiler: this one has a real mixture of colours. Very few of what I describe as "warm" tones, and the ones that are included aren't bright and in your face. They're designed to set off the other colours.)
Batch 1: 60% 18.5 micron Merino, 20% Yak, 20% Tussah Silk
Batch 2: 50% Corriedale, 25% Yak, 25% Rose Rayon.
Batch 3: None produced - replaced with Northern Lights colourway
Northern Lights
Bright colours dancing across a dark sky
Batch 3: Superfine Shetland
So, my parcel arrived this morning and I couldn't wait to take photos and a little peep inside, knowing that they were all in little sealed paper bags so that I couldn't really peep at what was in store. I found a little round cardboard thing inside the bag with a pretty design on it, turns out to be a coaster but I've not taken a photo of it. Really excited for Christmas now to see what I've got.
Merino Triad Pack
In addition to buying myself the 12 Days of Christmas pack, I've also bought myself a large pack of 100% merino braids. Three braids, slightly different from one another but all will work well together as its two different colour braids with the third having colours from each of the other two to bridge-the-gap so to speak so that you can make a gradient, a fade or a variegated yarn. Really nice and soft.
Thursday, 15 November 2018
Not another shawl of the same design, yup! - Design F213 Mink
I've enjoyed spinning but I'm happy to be back knitting again, another shallow triangular shawl of the same pattern as last time but this time I am using some of my own handspun that I spun a couple of years ago.
Its really nice and soft , its a blend of Corriedale Wool and Tussah Silk. I chose to use some brown beads that I've used before, Toho size 6 in shade 83, Metallic Brown Iris.
I love the dramatic effect of blocking, how a scrumpled up piece of knitting becomes the most beautiful smooth and drapey shawl.
My daughter is modelling for me again and as always the shawl will be available in the shop until someone buys it.
Its really nice and soft , its a blend of Corriedale Wool and Tussah Silk. I chose to use some brown beads that I've used before, Toho size 6 in shade 83, Metallic Brown Iris.
I love the dramatic effect of blocking, how a scrumpled up piece of knitting becomes the most beautiful smooth and drapey shawl.
My daughter is modelling for me again and as always the shawl will be available in the shop until someone buys it.
Saturday, 3 November 2018
Spinning up South Africa
I thought I would spin up the fibre that arrived in July from the monthly fibre club that I'm in. This is South Africa and its 62.5% Bluefaced Leicester Wool, 37.5% Bamboo and its gorgeous. The colours are incredibly difficult to photograph but I've done my best. This spun up as sport weight and its come out at 100g/283m.
It reminds me of those rainbows you get in the road after its been raining and a car has leaked a bit of oil and it forms a dark yet vibrant colourful splodge.
It reminds me of those rainbows you get in the road after its been raining and a car has leaked a bit of oil and it forms a dark yet vibrant colourful splodge.
Thursday, 1 November 2018
Peppermint Sparkles
Back in September I had a play with my new blending hackle and I made this beautiful fibre and I have now had chance to sit and spin it. I am in love. This one is very delicately coloured and so sparkly.
The final fibre count is 89% Merino Wool, 5% Angelina, 3% BFL, 1.5% Shetland Wool, 1.5% Soy Bean Silk. This is sport weight and 109g/320m. I am very happy with how this turned out.
The final fibre count is 89% Merino Wool, 5% Angelina, 3% BFL, 1.5% Shetland Wool, 1.5% Soy Bean Silk. This is sport weight and 109g/320m. I am very happy with how this turned out.
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