Episode 12 - Half Asleep But Trying!

Full show notes are always available at www.stitchedtogether.co.uk, under the Podcast Button.

Plotting

Ravellenic Games are now over.  I have finished the knitting on the Foolproof cowl that used the Old Maiden Aunt yarn I bought in support of Stonewall UK.  I had some yarn in stash that was almost identical in colour to the dark purple that runs through this fingering weight yarn.  The yarn I used was Ripples Crafts Hand Dyed Yarns Reliable Sock in the Venetian Purple colourway. I enjoyed the pattern and will be knitting it again.  I blogged here.

I spun and set the lovely corriedale fibre dyed by BabyLongLegs.  I spun it quite loose and thick and then chain plied it, to preserve the colour changes.  It is the most even yarn I've spun to date.

I made up a cowl, only it wasn't working for me.  I frogged it and started again.  I lined it with leftover yarn from another project.  I blogged about it here.

My entry into my own Winter Warmer KAL seems to have been changed from the Mitts (which I intend to finish after the Ravellenics, to the Foolproof.

The Stitched Together SAL 2014 is started 1st March and is running to April 30th. The prizes will include: Issue 3 of PLY Magazine (the Woolen Issue), Project Bag from Fondant Fibres along with the Pink Gradient Shetland fibre (link to my project) and stitch markers, a set of red camel and silk punis from Elly's Knit (in)Sanity. You must spin at least 100g/3.5oz of fibre, post a photo and details of the project AND a suggestion of what pattern or project you could use your yarn for, in the FO Thread.  Please no chatter in the FO Thread, use the Chat Thread. If you want to blog, tweet or Instagram about it please use #STSAL2014.  Please not

Done and Dusted

As well as the two Ravellenics projects, I have done two other knitting projects. The first project was Viajante by Martina Behm, knit in Wollmeise Lace-Garn, in the Cornflower colourway.

This was started in September 2013 and I enjoyed every minute of knitting it!  I blogged about it here.

The second knitting project was another pair of striped socks, this time knit Nicole C. Méndez Ringel Sockenwolle.  I did it in the usual vanilla pattern with the Fish Kiss Lips Heel.

I also finished some spinning, Countess Ablaze Polwarth in an unknown colourway.  Somehow it never got put onto Ravelry and the card didn't give a colour name. I blogged about here.

The fibre was spun off the fold, long draw.  The fibre was combed top, so the resulting yarn is a semi-woollen (I think).  I have 165m of worsted(ish) weight, 2-ply yarn.  I spun it on my medium weight Wildcraft support spindle.

Nose to the Grindstone

I have knit several more blanket squares.  I now have a total of 12 in my pile

I have spun some samples from the nests from Fondant Fibre that I talked about in the last episode.  I have decided I will spin it worsted and make it into a 2-ply yarn.  This should result in a finer yarn than the last few I've spun.

As it is an MCN blend, it's a wonderful thing to spin.

I've cast on another pair of striped socks.  I have decided to make the foot length slightly shorter as the heel begins to bag after being worn for a few hours.  I am using Twisted Limone Tangy Sock in the "Find The River" colourway. I've knit the first sock.

Splashed Out

I got two skeins of Wollmeise Pure 100% Superwash Merino in the "Sanguinella" and "Turkis" colourways.

I want add these two skeins to another one I have in my stash which is almost black purple, and create some sort of lace/colour blocked wrap.

I bought another skein of Tangy Sock yarn from Twisted Limone in the "Find The River" colourway.

I bought another skein of the Nicole C. Méndez Ringel Sockenwolle in a three stripe, magenta, blue and yellow.  You get a mini packet of gummy bears too, with your order.  Sweets will always make a purchaser happy!

I have tried to resist Yarn Love on Meadow Yarn for some time, in particular the sport weight, Marianne Dashwood, but they have decided to stop stocking it and have it on discount.  I could no longer resist.  It is 300m/330yds of superwash merino and it's delicious.  I got the "Persian Bride" colourway.

I wish I could afford more of this yarn because it would make an awesome garment.  I'll have to make do with an accessory.

I was also incredibly lucky to find out that a friend in Leicester was sorting out her fibre stash.  She thought of me because I was so happy to find the Babylonglegs fibre for my Ravellenics project.  She had 5 braids of Babylonglegs fibre and another of KraftyKoala fibre.  She offered it for a bargain price and brought it around too!  Just before this happened I'd decided to splurge and buy some fibre from Sarah's Texture Crafts for the first time.  I had bought 3 braids.  So I've been a bit overwhelmed with fibre.  Instead of telling you all the details now, I'll save it until I use it to spread it out a bit.  You can see it all on my stash pages.

Toolbox

I got a stemmed support spindle bowl.  It is making spinning much easier.  The photo of it can be seen above with the Fondant Fibre spinning.  I got it from the maker, via eBay.