Ramblings of a yarn junkie

My knee is killing me!

2009-07-28T02:01:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I can see me breaking out the walking stick again for the first time in years & I really don't want to do that. Then again, 'tis my own fault since I actually did it - I did the Tour de Fleece! Yeah okay so it's not like I did anything remotely comparable to cycling around the Alps for 3 weeks but I did at least do what I set out to do.

Here's a wee round-up (copied & pasted from my rav posts 'cos I'm too lazy to type it all out again). Be warned, this is gonna be a long post :0D

Day 8

I spent yesterday arvo washing & whacking week one's output & dyeing up this -

100g of 25.5 micron merino, split in half & dyed with KoolAid. Top braid was dyed with strawberry, strawberry-kiwi & tropical punch & bottom was grape & black cherry.

The plan is to spin them separately then ply & I just spent the last 2 & a half hours spinning the first -

Complete with gratuitous coin shot :0D

Day 9

Another 2 & a half hours spinning up the second braid of KoolAid-dyed merino. I now have a pink/purple single to ply with the pink/red -

No more spinning for me today tho' unless I break out a spindle - all this treadling is bringing back an old knee problem & I *really* don't want to end up on a walking stick again. It was bad enough last time & I didn't have toddlers to chase after then :0P

Day 10

Rest day. I did spend 1 hour in the evening plying up the purple/red merino that I spun up over the weekend, mainly to free up my 3 bobbins for day 11 :0D

Day 11

Hand-carded some mystery blue fluff with some hand-painted silk top to get lots of fluffy rolags. Spent just 30 minutes spinning today as I'm trying to learn longdraw & getting very frustrated :0P

Day 12

Another 30 minutes spinning the mystery wool/silk rolags longdraw.

Day 13

Finally seem to be getting the idea of longdraw. Spent 1 hour finishing the wool/silk rolags. The plan is to spin up a textured batt tomorrow & ply the 2 together - I was never going to get an even single while attempting longdraw so am going for a textured yarn this time :0)

Day 14

An hour & a half spinning the wool/silk/alpaca/sparkle batt. I was very meh when I saw this & the wool/silk from yesterday side by side OTB but had to ply anyway to free up the bobbins (since I only have 3 :0D). I'm glad I did 'cos I love the finished yarn. It's aran to chunky weight, soft & squishy & I suspect will be very warm. Roughly 95 yards too so maybe enough for a hat or some wristwarmers. Took another 45 minutes to ply & I used the rest of the wool/silk single to practice navajo-ply.

ETA managed another hour & a half off & on through the day spinning some (possibly) merino roving that I got in a swap. Pics to follow when I find the new camera batteries :0P

Day 15

Went to Edinburgh today to get 2 year old DS a kilt & came home knackered so only managed about 30 minutes spinning. Still working on the mystery-but-probably-merino fibre.

Day 16

Much better today. Spent 2 hours finished the mystery singles then about 45 minutes plying them. This started out as 4 small braids of mystery fibre which I suspect is commercially-dyed merino. I broke each braid into 3 then stripped 'em in half & spun them into 2 singles. I had thought about chain-plying but I really wanted the colours to run into each other so 2-plied them & the result is 205 yards of roughly DK-weight which I've called Sunshiney Day -

Day 17

Sort of rested (ie didn't spin) but spent 2 & a half hours carding some merino, silk & cashmere into rolags.

Day 18

Only managed about 20 minutes spinning the merino/silk/cashmere thanks to my treadling knee playing up.

Day 19

Knee still playing up so just 30 minutes today on the merino/silk/cashmere.

Day 20

Another 20 minutes *still* spinning the merino/silk/cashmere . . . am slowly losing the will to live. Decided I needed a break & spent an hour carding some chocolate merino, biscuit alpaca & toffee camel into rolags to be plied with the white single.

Then felt hungry & went off for a chocolate biscuit - Mint Clubs mmmmm.

Day 21

Had a big push & spent about 1.5 hours finishing the white merino/silk/cashmere. I've discovered that I dislike spinning natural-coloured (or at least all-white) fibre as I have the attention span of a concussed kitten & need to see the changing colours winding onto the bobbin to keep me focussed :0P

Day 22

About 30 minutes spinning the first of the merino/alpaca/camel - lush!

Day 23

Half-filled the bobbin with the merino/alpaca/camel then got impatient & decided to start plying to see what it'll look like. I don't have a jumbo flyer & am working with about 160g of fibre so this was always gonna be plied in 2 halves anyway.

I now have 170 yards of gorgeously squishy, roughly DK-weight merino/silk/cashmere/alpaca/camel (talk about overkill lol) with probably about the same length again on the first bobbin - just have to finish carding & spinning the darker fibres & I'll hopefully have enough for a really lush scarf for me me me :0D

This has actually been a really challenging week, dodgy knee & all - I have very little experience with the hand carders & with spinning from rolags so it was very slow going plus poor Daphne isn't used to being used so hard & has been protesting (I've just ordered a maintenance kit - I think she deserves it).

The Tour has been fantastic tho' & this year I actually did manage to spin every day with a pretty reasonable amount of yarn at the end of it all. I even managed to get a group shot of all my yarnz minus the very first of the tour which has already been sent off in a swap gift.

See that pic in the bottom right? That's how I feel right now.

I did count up my time total t'other night & it came in at 41 hours which cannot be right so I'm gonna do it again when I have an uninterrupted 10 minutes (yeah, right) & see what the proper figure is.

It's been a great tour tho' & I'm looking forward to next year's - I'll just make damn sure I have a double treadle wheel for 2010!

I'll finish this post with my effort for the 'Creative Display' prize category on the TdeF group -

Yep, I really do need to get out more ;0)

Le Tour de Fleece Days 5-7

2009-07-10T03:34:00.000-07:00

Day 5

I did 2 hours this morning spinning the first of a pair of gorgeous 90/10 merino/nylon batts from Colourful Designs -

And I finally got a pic of the BFL/silk from day 4 -

I'm having such fun :0D

Day 6

I didn't get a chance to spin during the day as I was out with the 2 littlies so 6:15 saw me standing at the side of the road with Daphne the Ashford Traddy waiting on the bus. Yep, you read right - the bus. Damn near caused a few accidents thanks to passing drivers rubbernecking - you'd think they'd never seen someone carrying a spinning wheel before. I headed off to knitting group, spun for the full 2 hours & finished the second merino/nylon batt so shall be plying tomorrow :0)

Day 7

I haz yarn barf!

I always spin to ply but long to spin a nice chunky single that I'll be happy to leave as a single & well, this ain't it -

Can anyone say 'overspun'?

*Braaaaaiiiinnnns! Braaaiiinnnns!*

I spent 1 & a half hours doing this. Part of me is sitting, head in hands going WTF is that? & another part is loling & going woah, cool! I'll wash & whack the hell out of it & see what happens but I suspect it'll eventually wind up plied with something commercially spun . . .

On a happier note I also spent 45 minutes plying the merino/nylon from yesterday -

I now have 256 yards of gorgeously squooshy DKish crochet-spun yarn that is destined to become a pretty scarf.

Le Tour de Fleece Days 1 - 4

2009-07-08T00:57:00.000-07:00

Le Tour de Fleece

The aim - spin a little (or a lot) every day of the Tour de France. If you can co-ordinate it with the race itself (ie spin something challenging during the difficult mountain stages) so much the better.

So I'm taking part again & hopefully this year I'll stick to it. Last year I lasted 3 days so I've already beat my previous record :0D

My goals

1) spin up as much of my sadly neglected stash as possible
2) learn to spin proper longdraw (my usual method is a short backwards draw)
3) spin some different fibres (silk, alpaca, etc as well as wools I've never spun before)

I'm so chuffed - I'd lost my spinning mojo early in the year & from January had only spun about 60g of merino in about 5 months. Since Saturday 4th July I've finished the rest of the merino & spun 100g of jacob & 100g of the BFL/silk. I'm spinning for Team LSG (lazy, stupid & godless) on ravelry & am posting my daily progress there. Since I definitely embody the 'L' in our title I'm just gonna cut & paste my rav posts :0D

Day 1

I just spent the last 3 hours spinning up the last 40g or so of this -

merino from Halona Yarns.

I've hardly spun at all this year & I'm pretty sure this has been OTB since before xmas. Since I only have the 3 bobbins I'm gonna have to ply tomorrow before I can spin anything else & since 1 has been relaxing for about 6 months & the other is only just spun & springy as fk it should be an interesting experience . . .

Day 2

I plied the Halona Yarns merino from yesterday (took about 2 hours) -

close up -

There was a wee bit left on one bobbin & being the kind of person who can't bear to see anything go to waste (hey, I'm a Scot) I plied some of it with a wee bit of merino then n-plied the rest -

Once my bobbins were freed up I spent another 2 & a half hours spinning up the first half of some kettle dyed jacob humbug from Shunklies on etsy -

and here's the other half ready to go tomorrow -

So all in all that's 4 & a half hours spinning for me today (& no housework :0P).

Day 3

Spent an hour spinning up the rest of the jacob humbug from Shunklies -

I was trying to spin thicker but am finding it really difficult - I managed a little bit thicker but not much :0S

Am not sure whether to n-ply (which was the original plan) or head up to the Mad Crafter for a big spool of shiny thread & ply with that instead. It was lovely to spin 'cos the roving was quite skinny - I just opened up the end & spun the whole length as it was, undoing loops as I went to keep the colour progression.

I'll hopefully get more spinning done later but I guess I better do some housewifely stuff now (sigh).

ETA - I was too L to go up town so decided just to n-ply & got exactly what I'd been hoping for when I started - 111 yards of heavy worsted to chunky with a definite colour progression. Only fly in the ointment is that I couldn't fit it all on one one bobbin when plying - I wants a jumbo flyer! {stamps foot}

It took 40 minutes to ply so that's 1 hour 40 for me today. Suppose I'd better do some knitting tonight . . .

pics -

& OMG you guys! I unwound yesterday's bobbin (merino from Halona Yarns) & discovered the best spinning I've ever done! 360 yards at 14 WPI & the most even I've done to date -

I haz a happy :0D

aaaaand finally -

another 2 hours spinning 50g of BFL/silk in blackberries that I received in the 2nd UK spinners group swap. That's the 1st bobbin done so I plan to spin the other 50g tomorrow & ply 'em together. This has been S-spun & will be Z-plied as it's for a crocheter.

I'm done for the day now - my a^se is square :0P

Day 4

So far have spent 1 hour 15 minutes spinning more of the BFL/silk -

Not sure if I'll get much more done today as I have a bathroom to clean then I have to go up town & the in-laws are coming for dinner tonight (spag bol so at least that's easy to make :0D).

ETA

I was too L to go up town so got in another 2 hours 20 minutes this arvo - I now have 249 yards of rather scrummy BFL/silk 2-ply :0D

I'll take pics as soon as I find DH's camera since my camera batteries just died . . .

June CAL - Surfer Rosa Mitts

2009-05-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

Materials

4-ply or fingering weight yarn (takes less than 25g)
3.5mm hook
4 buttons

Chain 6 & join with a slip stitch.

1) Ch2, DC2 tog into ring (counts as 1st petal), ch3, [DC 3 tog into ring, ch3] 5 times, sl st to top of 1st petal.

2) Ch2, DC 3 tog in 1st 3-ch space, ch 5, [DC 4 tog in next 3-ch space, ch5] 5 times, sl st to top of 1st petal.

3) Ch1, (does not count as st), [1 SC, 1 HDC, 7 DC, 1 HDC, 1 SC, ch1] in 1st 4-ch space, [ 1 SC, 1 HDC, 4 DC, ch 12, sl st to top of last DC worked (finger loop made), 3 DC, 1 HDC, 1 SC] in next ch space, [1 SC, 1 HDC, 7 DC, 1 HDC, 1 SC, ch1] in each 4-ch space to end, sl st to 1st SC.

4) Turn so WS is facing. Sl st to centre DC of last petal worked. Ch 4, 1 TRC in next 1-ch space, ch 4, 1 SC in centre DC of next petal, ch 4, 1 TRC in next 1-ch space, ch 4, sl st in centre DC of next petal, turn.

5) Ch 4, 5 TRC in next TRC, [ch 3, 1 DC in centre ch of next ch space] twice, ch 3, 5 TRC in next TRC, 1 TRC in base of starting ch of previous row, turn.

6) Sl st to 1st TRC of 5 TRC cluster. Ch 4 (counts as 1st TRC), TRC 4 tog, ch 5, 1DC in centre ch of next ch space, [ch 4, 1 DC in centre ch of next space] twice, ch 5, TRC 5 tog, turn.

7) RIGHT GLOVE -

Ch 18. 1 SC in 2nd ch from hook, 1 SC in each of next 16 ch, 1 SC in top of TRC cluster, 5 SC in next ch space, 1 SC in next DC, [4 SC in next xh space, 1 SC in next DC] twice, 5 SC in next xh space, 1 SC in top of final TRC cluster (40 SC total), turn.

LEFT GLOVE -

Break yarn & re-attach to other end of last row worked then work as for right glove.

8) Ch 1 (does not count as st), 1 SC in each SC to end, turn.

9) Ch 1 (does not count as st), 1 SC in each of next 2 sts, ch2, skip 1 SC, 1 SC in each of next 2 SC, ch 2, skip 1 SC, 1 SC in each st to end, turn.

10) Ch 1 (does not count as st), 1 SC in each st to end, working 1 SC in each of the 2-ch spaces (40 SC), turn.

11) Ch 1 (does not count as st), 1 SC in each SC to end, turn.

12) Ch 7 (counts as 1 DC & 4 ch), [skip 3 SC, 4 DC in next SC, ch 4] 8 times, 3 DC in base of 7-ch at start of row, sl st to 3rd ch of 7 ch. You will now work in the round.

FOR RIGHT GLOVE ONLY - TURN WORK RIGHT WAY OUT BEFORE CONTINUING.

13) Sl st to 1st ch space. Ch 3 (counts as 1st DC), [2DC, 3 ch, 3 DC] in ch space, [3 DC, 3 ch, 3 DC] in each ch space to end, sl st to top of beginning ch 3, do not turn.

14) Sl st to 1st ch sp. Ch 3 (counts as 1st DC), [2 DC, 3 ch, SC in to 3rd ch from hook (picot made), 3 DC into ch space, ch 1, [3 DC, 3 ch, SC in to 3rd ch from hook, 3 DC, ch 1] into each ch space to end. Join with sl st to top of ch 3. Fasten off.

Weave in ends & sew 2 buttons to the cuff of each glove to correspond with the buttonholes made in row 9.

Rowan where's yer troosers?

2009-04-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am so sick of Rowan’s trousers constantly falling down around his knees! I've tried on & off for over a year to buy him braces (belts are useless) but couldn’t find them anywhere so finally went to the craft store to buy brace clips so I could crochet him a set. While at the craft shop I discovered that they sell braces (I’d been looking in clothes shops - silly me) but by that time I had my heart set on making ‘em myself & here they are …

The back straps are static but the front straps are adjustable so these should fit him for a good long while. Mhara now wants a pink pair so I’ll probably write out the pattern as I go along in case anyone else wants to make ‘em :0)

Back view -

So far they've been a success - the combats that kept falling down around his knees on Friday have managed to stay up all day today :0)

The pics were taken yesterday in the garden - it looks like this week is gonna be our Scottish summer as it was actually hot enough to justify ice lollies -

and shades :0)

Swapsies!

2009-04-09T00:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted! Okay so I've been kind of busy but even so I am on-line most days (well okay, make that every day - I just rarely seem to get any further than ravelry these days).

Anyway, I'm on now to show off some of what I've been up to & that is - surprise, surprise - swapping (the title possibly gave you a clue).

First up there was a beverage cosy swap on the Scot Swap forum. My partner was Manoute who sent me the coolect Dr Who-inspired knit I've ever seen (as well as a load of other goodies) - my favourite Stash Vanilla Nut Creme tea (the kettle got switched straight on), fudge & cashew nuts, 100g of Lopi Roving in a gorgeous burgundy, a lovely autumn-coloured teapot mitten (that's just like a fingerless glove - totally cool) & this -

There are no words to convey how awesomely chuffed I am to have my very own felted Dalek tea cosy. In fact I'm so thrilled I'm gonna post another pic -

The DCs love it (they're Dr Who geeks too) altho' Orson the cat is a bit bemused -

And finally a pic of my parcel in all its awsomeness -

Next up there was the Igor Thwap that the Ankh-Morpork Knitters Guild did (we had to type all our posts in Igor thpeak - I spent a long time editing posts to get rid of all those sneaky esses, a thide-effect of which wath that I occathionally thpoke like that in real life too).

Ahem! My partner this time was littlelixie, a lovely lady who, it turns out, has the same penchant for over-the-knee socks that I do. This made it very easy for us to decide at least one of the items to send :0D

Here we have a group shot -

How cool is that? I have a Yarn Junkie badge to go with my blog, wee pawprints for when I finally make myself some socks (more on that to come), a sewing kit that has already come in handy several times, knitty notecards, socks (well-worn by now - it's a good job we don't have smell-o-vision), gorgeous cotton yarn & my favourites -

coolest. bracelet. evah!

and this fantastic handmade (by littlelixie) project bag -

as well as 2 spools of pretty ribbon (both sadly now used up) & some Egyptian sweets which lasted no time at all :0D

There were actually 3 balls of the yarn but I used one to make dd3 a new hat in the hope that we may get a summer this year :0P

Thirdly we had a spinner's swap on the UK Spinners forum. This swap had strict rules - 100g of roving plus another 100g where the sender had already spun 50g & sent the handspun & the remaining 50g for her partners to spin. Janice61 was my partner for this swap -

A group shot of all the goodies - English wool tops dyed by Janice herself in beautiful spring shades, 50g of handspun merino & 50g of the unspun roving, a lush scented candle & lovely personalised gifts too - a trolley token keyring & a coaster for my cuppa.

A close-up of the yarn - is that fabulous or what? I just hope I can do justice to the rest of the roving!

Finally (yep, there's even more) we had an egg cosy swap on the Knit-Crochet Kitchen Exchange board. This was a rolling rather than a straight swap & the person sending to me was the lovely rdodo. Take a look at this -

There were 2 fabulous crocheted easter bunny cosies - rdodo's first crochet work & utterly gorgeous (even tho' she doesn't believe her hooking skillz are up to much) -

2 sweet knitted chickie baskets (complete with galaxy caramel eggs which are sadly no more as dd2 & I scoffed 'em with a cuppa :0D) -

Beautiful blue roving that I'm gonna have great fun spinning -

And a totally cool crochet book with some fabulous projects, curved needles that are gonna make sewing-up so much easier, *loads* of KoolAid & some wee choccies for the littlies who were utterly thrilled to get sweeties in the mail :0D

I loved doing all these swaps & have been absolutely spoiled by each of my partners. I'm so grateful to manoute, littlelixie, janice61 & rdodo & I hope that my victims erm swap partners loved their parcels as much as I loved mine.

Now that I've shown you all this I have to tell you that there won't be any more swap pics for a while . . . .

. . . . 'cos I'm saving myself for the big AMKG Guild Swap :0D It's gonna be huge but it's not 'til the summer so at least I have a wee while to get ready!

FGF February Crochet-Along Free Pattern - HARLEQUIN

2009-01-31T12:16:00.000-08:00

The Fingerless Gloves Fanatics group on Ravelry is having a monthly KAL/CAL featuring new patterns by group members & I was lucky enough to get the February crochet slot. This pattern was created especially for the CAL & will be available free here during the month of February (& possibly for longer).

I hope you have fun making these mitts & that you come back in June when my turn rolls around again :0)

Harlequin Mitts by Shirley MacDonald

Size: Ladies medium

1 50g ball of DK yarn in main colour (MC) - I used Patons Diploma Gold DK in red
1 50g ball DK yarn in contrast colour (CC) - I used Rowan Pure Wool DK in enamel
4mm hook*
4.5mm hook*
1 stitch marker

*Please note - I crochet tight so if you generally crochet quite loosely you may wish to use 3.5mm & 4mm instead.

These mitts use a very simple & easy to memorise 4-row pattern with 2 rows worked in each colour. The colours are not fastened off between rounds but are carried up the inside of the work - be sure to pull your new yarn tight (but not too tight!) at each colour change. Once finished the inside of the glove should look like this -

The stitch count remains the same throughout & shaping is achieved by changing hook sizes.

They begin with a double crochet foundation chain. This gives a nice stretchy foundation row. If preferred you can just start with a normal foundation chain & work a single row of double crochet first but this will be much less stretchy.

Please note that pattern uses US terminology.

Abbreviations:

ch - chain
DC - double crochet
sl st - slip stitch
FPDC - front post double crochet
BPDC - back post double crochet

Techniques:

Double crochet foundation chain -

Make a slip knot & chain 3 (counts as first stitch).
Step 1 - Yarn around hook, insert hook into ch furthest from hook & work 1 DC.
Step 2 - Yarn around hook, insert hook into bottom loop of first double crochet & work 1 DC.
Repeat step 2 until you have worked the required number of stitches.

Front post double crochet (FPDC) - yarn around hook, insert hook from front to back around the stem of the next stitch, yarn around hook & draw loop through, yarn around hook & draw through 2 loops, tarn around hook & draw through remaining 2 loops.

Back post double crochet (BPDC) - yarn around hook, insert hook from back to front around the stem of the next stitch, yarn around hook & draw loop through, yarn around hook & draw through 2 loops, yarn around hook & draw through remaining 2 loops.

First mitt (both mitts alike):

Using 4mm hook, main colour (MC) & double crochet foundation chain method make 36 stitches. Join with a slip stitch around the stem of the first stitch (beginning 3 chain), inserting hook from back to front between first & second stitches.

Rows 1-5 - Chain 3 (counts as first stitch), BPDC around next stitch, [FPDC around next stitch, BPDC around next stitch] to end of round. Join with a slip stitch around the stem of the first stitch, inserting hook from back to front between first & second stitches.

Row 6 - [3 ch, skip next 2 stitches, 1 DC into next stitch, 3 ch, skip 2 stitches, slip stitch into next stitch] 5 times, 3 ch, skip next 2 stitches, 1 DC into next stitch, 3 ch, skip 2 stitches, slip stitch into 1st of 3ch at beginning of round. Drop MC but do not break yarn.

Row 7 - Using contrast colour (CC), 4 ch (counts as 1 DC & 1 ch), 1 DC into first sl st, skip 3ch, sl st into next DC, [skip 3ch , {1DC, 1ch, 1DC, 1ch, DC} into next sl st, skip 3 ch, sl st into next DC] 5 times, 1DC into base of 4ch, ch 1, slip into 3rd ch of beginning 4ch.

Row 8 - Using CC, ch 6 (counts as 1 DC & 3ch), skip {1ch & 1DC}, sl st into next sl st, [3ch, skip 1DC & 1ch, 1 DC into next DC, 3ch, skip 1ch & 1DC, sl st into next sl st] 5 times, 3ch, sl st into the 3rd of beginning 6ch. Drop CC but do not break yarn.

Row 9 - Using MC, ch1, skip 3ch, [{1DC, 1ch, 1DC, 1ch, 1DC} into next sl st, skip 3ch, sl st into next DC] 6 times, working sl st of final repeat into the ch1 at beginning of round.

Row 10 - Using MC, [ch3, skip 1DC & 1ch, 1 DC into next DC, ch3, skip 1ch & 1 DC, sl st into next sl st] 6 times working sl st of final repeat into base of beginning ch3. Drop MC & pick up CC.

Rows 7-10 form the pattern.

Change to 4.5mm hook

Rows 11-14 - repeat rows 7-10

Rows 15 - 16 - repeat rows 7 - 8

Make thumb hole

Row 17 - Using MC, ch1, skip 3ch, [{1DC, 1ch, 1DC, 1ch, 1DC} into next sl st, skip 3ch, sl st into next DC] 2 times, place marker in sl st just worked, ch11, skip next [3ch, sl st, 3ch, 1 DC, 3ch, sl st, 3ch], sl st into next DC, [{1DC, 1ch, 1DC, 1ch, 1DC} into next sl st, skip 3ch, sl st into next DC] 2 times, working sl st of final repeat into the ch1 at beginning of round.

Row 18 - Using MC, [ch3, skip 1DC & 1ch, 1 DC into next DC, ch3, skip 1ch & 1 DC, sl st into next sl st] 2 times, ch3, skip 2ch, 1DC in next ch, ch3, skip 2ch, sl st in next chain, ch3, skip 2ch, 1DC in next ch, ch3, skip 2ch, sl st into next sl st, [ch3, skip 1DC & 1ch, 1 DC into next DC, ch3, skip 1ch & 1 DC, sl st into next sl st] 2 times working sl st of final repeat into base of beginning ch3.

Rows 19 - 22 - repeat rows 7 - 10.

Rows 23 - 25 - repeat rows 7 - 9.

Row 26 - ch3 (counts as first st), work 1 DC in every DC, ch1 & sl st to end. Join with a slip stitch around the stem of the first stitch (beginning 3 chain), inserting hook from back to front between first & second stitches. 36 sts

Row 27 - ch3 (counts as 1st stitch), BPDC around next stitch, [FPDC around next stitch, BPDC around next stitch] to end of round. Join with a slip stitch to top of ch3.

Fasten off & weave in ends.

Thumb

Using MC & 4mm hook, rejoin yarn to marked stitch on row 17.

Row 1 - Skip 3ch, [1DC, 1ch, 1DC, 1ch, 1DC in next sl st, skip 3ch, sl st in next DC] twice.

Row 2 - Working along underside of 11ch [ch3, skip 2 ch, 1DC in next ch, skip 2ch, sl st in next ch] twice. Now working along Row 1 [ch3, skip 1DC & 1ch, 1 DC into next DC, ch3, skip 1ch & 1 DC, sl st into next sl st] twice.

Fasten off yarn & weave in ends.

A bunch of loonies

2009-01-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

So while we're on the subject of charity fund-raising . . .

New Year's Day 2008; my mum, her sister Holda & sister-in law Jodie took part in the annual Loony Dook - they ran into the River Forth to raise money for Rachel House, a children's hospice here in Fife. Despite the fact that it was Baltic (we are in Scotland after all) my mum was the first to sign up to do it again this year.

Fast forward to New Year's Day 2009; sadly mum didn't get the chance to dook again this time for Breakthrough Breast Cancer so to honour her (& because I'd had a wee dram & it seemed like a good idea at the time) I decided to do it for her. It's amazing what seems like a good idea when you've had a drink.

We were lucky with the weather - the forecast had been for temperatures of -2C & sleet & snow; the actual weather was clear blue skies & sunshine. We all gathered at the prom in Kirkcaldy, 21 nervous individuals in our t-shirts & sashes -

Some of us (well okay, me) were having serious second thoughts -

The tide was out so after what felt like a mile trek we turned for a salute to the crowd (there really was a crowd, all in hats & coats - ds went around them all with a collection bucket lol) -

And we're off! -

My feet were numb already -

Yep, my auntie really had to hold me in the water -

I lost my shoe! If you look at the bottom of the pic you'll see bare tootsies - my feet were totally numb & I never even felt it come off -

That last one is me & my Aunt Jodie. My Auntie Holda (mum's sister) is in the background with her dh.

And yes - we're doing it again next year. It'll have to be unofficial tho' as this was the last official one & was done in mum's memory.

Brrrr!

Prizewinners!

2009-01-02T09:26:00.001-08:00

I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who made a donation on Laura's JustGiving page. In total kind ravellers donated £401 & with just a couple of hours to go before the prize draw ended at midnight on Sunday 21st Dec Laura reached her target of £1000!

The lucky prize-winners were;

1) 100g of Wensleydale roving, hand-dyed in shades of red & orange donated by Babylonglegs - Won by DutchOma

2) A $30 gift certificate for Spindlefrog on etsy donated by helix - Won by ladypole

3) A set of hand-made love-heart stitch markers donated by Wyndwitch - Won by quesselchen

4) 100g braid of blue superwash merino roving from Freyalyn on etsy donated by belaybunny - Won by Spinnerin

5) A custom-carded sparkly batt or 100g of custom-dyed sock yarn donated by vampy - Won by scottishf

6) A $30 gift certificate for Shunklies on etsy donated by Shunklies - Won by Gillydaffodil

7) ‘Flumps’ handspun yarn donated by kraftykoala - Won by AvaAdore

8) 100g of 70%BFL/30%Silk in ‘winter sky’ colourway - dark blue, mid-blue and grey donated by moggle - Won by panperoxide

9) A handmade spindle/project bag from andsewtoknit on etsy donated by andsewtoknit - Won by woolforbrains

10) A braid of hand-dyed spinning fibre donated by Artis-Anne of Mam a Mi on etsy - Won by MandaR & by msmelody

11) A braid of hand-dyed fibre or 2 sets of stitchmarkers donated by goldfishgirl of Wildcraft - won by jhottiescottie

12) Lornas Laces yarn donated by rdodo - Won by Cherubin

13) Lornas Laces limited edition yarn in ‘Irish Jig’ donated by katt94 - Won by maprice

14) A $25 gift certificate for Needle Bling on etsy donated by Beth123B - Won by muirtan

15) 100g of natural coloured bamboo spinning fibre donated by Otiva - Won by mehitabel

16) 100g of white bamboo tops donated by Na-Na - Won by purpleemma

17) A hand-made row counter pin & matching stitch markers in colours of your choice made by me - Won by fourweekids

18) 95g of BFL in Gathering Roses purchased from chrispindle on etsy - Won by knittingpixie

19) 100g of English wool tops KoolAid-dyed by me in colours chosen by the winner - Won by kaedekat

20) 85g of merino rovings donated by shellbean - Won by rainghirl

Sad news

2008-12-02T05:59:00.000-08:00

Happy times - me (left), mum & Laura

As some fellow ravellers might know, my lovely mum Viktoria Hoggan passed away on 17th November after a 7 month battle against cancer. The tumour began in her chest, growing very slowly over a number of years with no symptoms at all. By the time mum was diagnosed in mid-April the cancer had already spread to her lower spine & brain stem, meaning that at best all the doctors could do was slow the progress of the disease. Despite taking all the treatments recommended by her oncologist mum sadly lost her fight.

Mum was the absolute centre of our (very large) family. Any special occasion or family party, mum was right there in the midst of it all. Everyone descended on mum & dad's house at Christmas - me & mine, my brother & sister with their families, my gran, aunties, uncles & even my grown-up cousins & their kids. Some of us would have been there since lunch when it wasn't uncommon for mum to wind up making the full turkey dinner for upwards of 16 people! Mum loved to have people around her, especially the wee ones & absolutely doted on her grandkids (she asked me at my wedding reception when I was gonna make her a granny).

I can't believe she's gone. I knew (we all knew), soon as we heard that the cancer had spread to her brain, that mum wasn't gonna get better but I don't think any of us realised that she would be gone so fast. Mum didn't complain though - not once. There were tears of course but she never asked 'why me?' (although you can be damn sure that the rest of us were & still are asking 'why her?'). She never felt any self-pity & was more concerned at how the rest of us were coping with her illness than she was about herself. She was an inspiration to us all - as was my dad who nursed her at home until the last month of her life. When mum was taken into hospital dad ran himself ragged working, looking after the house & spending every available minute he could with mum, even if he was just sitting quietly watching her sleep.

I miss my mum every day - I can't see how this pain will ever go away. I keep thinking I'm okay, I'm getting along & doing the stuff I have to do then WHAM! it hits me again & I'm in bits. Keeping busy helps, as does planning fund-raising stuff (I'll be joining my sister & 2 of my aunties in flinging ourselves in the River Forth on New Years Day to raise funds for breast cancer research) but you have to rest sometimes & that's when the grief usually bites. Ravelry has been great - I've had lovely messages of support & sympathy from people I've gotten to know & when I can't sleep I can log on & spend a few hours aimlessly surfing the boards. In fact it's thanks to the generosity of some fellow-ravellers that I'm able to help my sister in some fundraising . . .

***HELP A GOOD CAUSE & ENTER A PRIZE DRAW***

My younger sister Laura (the bridesmaid in the photo above) is doing a SOLO SKYDIVE on 7th February 2009 to raise funds for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Her target is £1000 & to help her reach this I'm organising a prize draw.

THE PRIZES

A number of wonderful ravellers from the UK Spinners forum have kindly donated prizes of -

1) 100g of Wensleydale roving, hand-dyed in shades of red & orange donated by Babylonglegs -

2) A $30 gift certificate for Spindlefrog on etsy donated by helix

3) A set of hand-made love-heart stitch markers donated by Wyndwitch -

4) 100g braid of blue superwash merino roving from Freyalyn on etsy donated by belaybunny -

5) A custom-carded sparkly batt or 100g of custom-dyed sock yarn donated by vampy

6) A $30 gift certificate for Shunklies on etsy donated by Shunklies

7) 'Flumps' yellow/pink handspun yarn donated by kraftykoala -

8) 100g of 70%BFL/30%Silk in ‘winter sky’ colourway - dark blue, mid-blue and grey donated by moggle -

9) A hand-made spindle/project bag from andsewtoknit on etsy donated by andsewtoknit

10) A braid of hand-dyed Falkland roving donated by Artis-Anne of Mam a Mi on etsy -

11) A braid of hand-dyed fibre or 2 sets of stitch markers donated by goldfishgirl of Wildcraft

12) Lornas Laces yarn donated by rdodo

13) Lornas Laces limited edition yarn in 'Irish Jig' donated by katt94 -

14) A $25 gift certificate for Needle Bling on etsy donated by Beth123B

15) 100g of natural coloured bamboo spinning fibre donated by Otiva

16) 100g of white bamboo top donated by Na-Na

17) 95g of BFL in Gathering Roses purchased from chrispindle on etsy donated by me*

18) A hand-made row counter pin & matching stitch markers donated by me

19) 100g of English wool tops KoolAid-dyed by me in colours chosen by the winner (I hope my dyeing skillz are up to it!)*

*If these are won by a non-spinner I will be more than happy to turn them into an approximately DK/worsted weight yarn on Daphne, my lovely Ashford Traditional wheel.

HOW TO ENTER

This is very easy. Just go to Laura's JustGiving page & make a donation. For every £2 donated your name will be entered once into the prize draw. For each multiple of £2 your name will be entered the appropriate number of times so £4 will get you 2 entries, £6 3 entries & so on. Anyone who donates £10 will receive an extra entry - 6 for the price of 5. Then just PM me on ravelry (if you're a raveller) or add a comment on this post (if you're a non-raveller) to let me know that you have donated & I'll do the rest.

IMPORTANT - DO NOT TICK THE GIFT AID BOX. The charity can not claim Gift Aid on any donations made in the hope of winning a prize so ticking the box means I will be unable to include you in the draw.

This draw is open to everyone, everywhere - I will happily pay international postage on all prizes mailed overseas. For non-UK donors there is an info page here.

The raffle will be open until 21st December & will be drawn on 22nd December by Alison, owner of The Mad Crafter. Prizewinners will be notified by 23rd December & a full list will be posted on this blog. I will wait until after the New Year to mail out prizes as Royal Mail is in uproar just now with the Christmas rush but prizes will be mailed before mid-January :0)

I'd just like to add a huge thank you to all the lovely people who have donated prizes for this & also to all those who have sponsored Laura so far.

I think that's all folks - thanks for reading if you got this far & the best of luck,

S x

Edited 07/12/08

I just want to add a wee bit here.

I am absolutely overwhelmed by the kindness & generosity of fellow ravellers. When I originally decided to do this I posted on UK Spinners to ask if people thought a draw for some braids of hand-dyed fibre would be likely to get any donations for Laura. I had no idea that anyone would donate prizes. I have no words to express my gratitude to all those people who have donated prizes and who have sponsored Laura.

Thank you all,

S x

Blogging virgin

2007-09-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

Oo my first post on my very own blog. I'm sitting here wondering two things;

1) What do I write?

2) Will anyone care enough to read it?

I guess the answers are;

1) Whatever I feel like

2) Probably not but that doesn't matter

I've set this up mainly as a knitting blog since I want to design my own knitted dolls but I've no doubt that it will just become a random waffle. I'm currently at the stage of thinking about what kind of dolls I want to do (especially at around 3am when I just can't seem to drop back off to sleep after R's night feed) but over the last couple of weeks I've actively started going into yarn shops & having a good fondle. Maybe this time next year I'll be ready to actually start getting some designs onto paper . . .

Anyway this first post is just so I can stop my spanking new blog from looking scarily empty so I'm just gonna start with a little 'about me';

My name is Shirley (obviously), I'm 34 (eeek I can't believe I typed that) & I live in the East of Scotland with my hubby & my 4 children, 3 girls & a boy, whose ages range from 14 years to 10 months (big age gap? - maybe a tad). I'm a SAHM who really wants to be a WAHM (as per above) if I can ever stay away from the PC long enough to get anything done (curse you Mumsnet). I have a cat & a yarn stash that is steadily edging its way out of the cupboard & onto the bedroom floor (much to the delight of said cat). My stash currently sits at over 100 balls of yarn (I came home from holiday last week with 10 balls of Patons Moonglow & 7 of Sirdar Splash only to find an ebay parcel containing 5 balls of Sirdar Denim Ultra - a happy homecoming lol). I have definite plans for some of this yarn - a shrug from the Moonglow, fingerless wristwarmers from 2 balls of Noro Kureyon that I take out from time to time just to sigh over - but no idea what to do with the rest which is usually picked up in the bargain bin at the LYS.

I love to knit and crochet (the two are not mutually exclusive, honest) & have just discovered tunisian crochet which is fab! As well as yarn crafts I also fill my spare (ha) time by volunteering on the committees of our toddler group & our local Real Nappy Network - cloth nappies are THE BEST. I'm also hoping to start up a babywearing group soon as the best bit of 'baby stuff' I've ever bought has been my Mei Tai sling.

On the needles/hook at the mo;

Chunky tunisian crochet scarf
Ruffled beaded crochet scarf
Crocheted mai tai baby sling (just to see if it will work)
Knitted caterpillar toy
Baby legwarmers (on DPNs - aaarrrgh!)

Recently completed;

Fluffy scarf for M (dd3)
Cosy earflap hat for R (ds)
Knitted set of [ahem] male genitalia for a 60th birthday 'joke' pressie
Felted vase - the birthday lady's proper pressie
Knitted Dr Who doll (pictured) for M since she's too young for the action figures
Wool cover for R's night-time nappy

Right, enough waffling for now. I'm off to do some work.

Proud Mummy Moment

2007-10-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

I started buying Simply Knitting magazine a while ago (steadfastly ignoring the smirks of the cashiers in the newsagents - don't they know knitting is cool these days?) & have been inspired by a few articles & patterns. One of these was an article on knitting breasts for use in maternity hospitals, ante-natal classes etc to help show women how to express milk. I wound up knitting a breast for the breastfeeding group at our local health centre & took a picture of Rowan taking it for a 'test drive'. The picture was so cute I had to send it in to the magazine - lo & behold I opened the September issue to see my son grinning at me from the letters page.

Two months on I buy the November issue, open it & what do I see but Mhara modelling her Dr Who doll. Okay it shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise since I sent the pictures in myself but I didn't actually expect to have another one printed. I've now come to the conclusion that the postie on that round must have an easy shift 'cos the magazine can't get many letters (especially since I sent mine by email heh heh).

Crotchety Old Bag

2007-10-31T01:49:00.000-07:00

Or rather several crochet-y new bags. I decided to make halloween bags for Mhara & Rowan based on the easiest thing to crochet - circles. I was so chuffed with the resulting pumpkin that I thought I'd see how many different round bags I could make. Two weeks & several bouts of finger-cramp later I had 6 bags - enough for my 4 & my niece & nephew to get one each at their gran's halloween party. At the last minute I discovered my sister's stepson was coming too which is why there are 2 eyeballs - it was the quickest one to make in a rush. The kids all got them yesterday & loved them (probably 'cos they were filled with chocolate mind you). We'll see how long they last . . .

Bonce

Belfry

Oggle

Boggle

Hecatty

Pye

Spud

It's taken 2 days but I've finally managed to upload close-ups of all the bags (darned pc's been playing up). Spud the spider now has a sparkly silver web handle (crocheted on a packed bus on the way to the party heh heh), Oggle & Boggle have retinas on the back (uurrgh!) & the handles are the optic nerves & Hecatty has pink pads on the backs of his paws but hubby dearest forgot to take rear-view pics (you just can't get the staff) so you'll just have to use your imagination lol.

Little Monsters

2007-11-06T01:41:00.000-08:00

We had a halloween party on Wednesday & Mhara was so excited - she spent all day telling anyone who would listen that she was having a fancy dress party. Normally if strangers talk to her she just glowers or hides behind me but these poor people were getting their ears talked off with no provocation. Mhara was dressed as a witch (given that she's smack in the middle of the terrible twos it was an appropriate costume choice) & Rowan looked singularly unimpressed with his bat outfit but everyone else thought he looked gorgeous.

Corsages and Hairbands and Belts, oh my!

2007-11-06T02:04:00.000-08:00

I know the blog's called woolly KNIT bits but I've gotten a bit hooked (I can see you wincing heh heh) on crochet. I bought a huge bag of assorted buckles off ebay for the princely sum of £7.78 (bargain - I paid £2.99 for one at the craft shop the other week!) & have been having fun using up odd balls of yarn crocheting accessories. The blue belt is done in baby bamboo (I love the colour) & the pink is pure cotton. The brown is a tweedy dk yarn that I got from my lovely granny when she was clearing out her stash. There's loads of it so I might try a little toy for Rowan's birthday with it but I'd better get my skates on - he'll be one on Saturday. That can be my MN A&C challenge for this week.

The hairbands are crocheted in Noro Kureyon (blue/brown) & Twilleys Freedom Spirit (green). They can be worn as Alice bands, neckwarmers or earwarmers - handy for me 'cos since getting all my hair cut off I just don't suit hats any more but still need to stop my ears freezing off in our sub-zero Scottish winters. I have orders from my teenage daughters for one each (red for Joanna, blue for Abbie) & Mhara already has one with a crocheted loveheart in a garish pink acrylic marl which she absolutely adores. There's no accounting for the tastes of a two year old.

The corsages are in a mix of yarns (mostly Freedom Spirit) & have all been felted apart from the orange - I'm still not sure whether I prefer them felted or not. I'm hoping to start up a shop on Etsy or similar which is why I've been stockpiling these little bits & pieces - once I've got a few toys & bags to add I'll be ready to go (fingers crossed).

Penny For Your Thoughts.

2007-11-06T02:40:00.000-08:00

This is Penelope, my first attempt at a crocheted doll. She took about 5 days (and a lot of cursing) to make what with all the ripping back while I was trying to work out a pattern. I'm quite pleased with her now tho' & actually had the foresight to write down the pattern as I went along so as long as I can decipher my scribbles she should soon have lots of friends to keep her company.

Preferring to be called Penny - she's only Penelope when she's done something naughty - she's a little over 12" tall with long auburn hair which she wears in bunches. She's dressed for the autumn weather in woolly tights, knee boots & a crocheted dress. She refuses to wear a coat (typical teenager) but has consented to a warm fluffy scarf. Penny carries a messenger bag (not pictured) decorated with a funky paisley-patterned button. She's asked if she can have one of the corsages to take as a pressie to her new owner when she gets one & to avoid a strop I have agreed.

Amelie

2007-11-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

The lovely GingerMonkey, who I know from another site, makes the most beautiful hand-sewn toys. I made the mistake of opening her blog while Mhara was hanging off my shoulder so wasn't too surprised when a little voice in my ear said "Santa bring one of them for me Mummy?". How could I refuse? Amelie the Emu arrived last week with her luggage & immediately took up refuge in a safe-house (aka a box in the bottom of my wardrobe) where she will stay until Christmas. She seems quite happy here & the Scottish winter doesn't seem to have affected her so far but she has developed an addiction for whisky & fudge so we may need to loosen her legwarmers soon.

Photo courtesy of GingerMonkey - thanks GM ;0)

Just a quickie

2007-11-19T05:15:00.000-08:00

Okay I know I said I was having a week off to get ready for the craft fair & I meant it, honest, but my Auntie sent me some pics of the gifts I made for her 60th birthday so I thought I would share.

The vase was her 'proper' pressie & was knitted in Colinette Prism then felted in the washing machine & embellished with a crochet flower. The roses are wooden ones that I got from a market stall.

!!WARNING - IF YOU ARE OF A SENSITIVE DISPOSITION PLEASE LOOK AWAY NOW!!

I also made a joke pressie of [[ahem]] knitted gents' genitalia for my mum to present to her at the party (all 3 sisters have rather a bawdy sense of humour). Thankfully she left his wee hat on for the pic so it's not quite as rude as it could be. I weighted the bottom by sticking a glass pebble into 2 balloons (pink ones - poor Iain walked in in the middle of the operation & was horrified) & tying the 2 ends together. It actually gives it a realistic feel [[blush]] & makes it stand up on its own. One of my Auntie's friends spent the whole party stroking the darn thing & tried to smuggle it home - she's asked me to knit one for her the same only bigger :-0

(I'm not sure how long this pic'll stay on the blog so snigger while you can)

Crocheting my fingers to the bone . . .

2007-11-28T13:37:00.000-08:00

The craft fair (fayre?) is on Saturday & I have spent the last fortnight with a crochet hook in hand. I don't think I've made eye contact with Iain all week & he, Mhara & Rowan are feeling a tad neglected.

Still, Iain's a bit happier tonight since I've given him an excuse to fiddle with his camera. A couple of things still need to be finished off but he's managed to photograph most of it so here goes;-

Hair slides, pony tail bands & barrettes (the ones with felt leaves)

Hair bands

Lip balm holders & lip gloss holders

Bracelets

Lavender pillows

A rabbit softie & 2 blanket buddies

Tree decorations. The robin is v cute but hasn't photographed very well. The one in the egg cup is a gnome btw - it was the only way I could make him stand up.

And finally for GingerMonkey . . .

. . . a cupcake bag ;0)

PRIZE DRAW - Help me name my Etsy shop

2007-12-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

I want to sell all hand-crocheted goodies & would like my shop title to reflect this but I am rubbish at names.
Anyone who leaves a comment on this post or on my Mumsnet thread with a name suggestion before 10pm on Wednesday 5th Dec will go into a hat to win Bella Bunny. She is crocheted in chunky grey yarn & has felt eyes & nose. Her ears, paws & tail are made of lovely fluffy pink yarn.

Two runners up will each receive a lip gloss holder keyring. It comes with a lip crayon & is perfectly sized for a standard lip gloss tube with wand.

Please please please give me your suggestions for a name - funny, quirky or just plain weird I will consider them all.

All My Favourite Babies

2007-12-13T04:29:00.000-08:00

This isn't strictly crafting but I thought I'd post pics of a few things I have made ;0)

It's taken over a year as Rowan is now 13 months but I finally have some good pics of all my babies together. At the back is Abi (dd2) on the left & Jo (dd1) on the right. In front is Rowan (ds) on the left & Mhara (dd3) on the right.

And here's a pic of my pair of posers.

The Pratchgan

2008-01-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what seems like a good idea at the time. The Ankh-Morpork Knitters Guild on Ravelry were having a group commiseration after the shock announcement that Terry Pratchett has been diagnosed with a rare form of early-onset alzheimers, someone suggested we make something like an afghan to send him & next thing I know my mouth runs away with me & I decide I'm gonna sew together 110 6" squares!

So now there are 97 other Ravellers all over Roundworld furiously knitting & crocheting squares which will then wing their way to me. Actually, apart from the odd panic attack at the prospect of messing up I'm really looking forward to it. There are quite a few squares finished already & they look fantastic. There are also loads of brilliant ideas floating around & I'm getting the urge to make a mini-afghan just for me.

Here's my effort - the Disorganiser MK IV as owned by Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch.

And a close-up of the imp;

I'll update as & when progress is made & will be making sure I get plenty pics of the finished 'Pratchgan' before it gets sent to its new home.

***In the meantime you can see some of the fantastic squares people have made on our Flickr group page***

The Pratchgan - WIP part 1

2008-01-30T03:35:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a lot to blog recently as all my crafting has been for swaps on Ravelry so I can't blog them until my swap partners get them.

HOWEVER . . . the Pratchgan is starting to come together nicely. I have 17 patterned squares (16 to sew in & 1 in reserve) plus 3 lettered squares for the logo.

My postie is already starting to give me strange looks when he hands over yet another parcel bearing a customs form that states it contains a knitted square - I'm not sure whether to put him out of his misery & tell him what I'm up to or wait until he cracks & asks first.

Anyway, enough waffling - I know you all want to see the pics.

This should look amazing when it's done :0)

Swapsies

2008-03-08T08:48:00.000-08:00

I love swaps - they give me the incentive I need to actually finish a project & I get lovely things in return.

I've done a few recently but the biggie was the 'I’m just sending this box so my partner can have cardboard for their boots and I was guilted into putting stuff in it' swap from the Ankh-Morpork Knitters Guild on Ravelry (yes we have our own Guild, no it's not like the Seamstresses Guild, okay?). I shouldn't have to point out that Ankh-Morpork is the premier city on Discworld but since there is the slight chance that a non-Terry-Pratchett fan may stumble across this blog I will.

My box arrived on Friday & since I've finally learned to use dh's camera I can show you all the fantastic goodies I got from Sarah all the way over in the US.

You can imagine my excitement when the wee red Royal Mail van drew up outside - I nearly did myself an injury tripping over some of the dc's toys running to answer the door. After a brief struggle with the sticky tape I finally got my first look at my goodies.

It was accompanied by a brilliant letter from my ‘loving cousine Sarah (newe citizen of Ankh-Morpork) which made me lol all the way through & contained -

A swamp dragon from the Sunshine Sanctuary who had to be rehomed after he ate Lady Sybil’s sewing kit. His dinner obviously didn't agree with him & the poor love had a little whoopsie shortly after arrival but on the plus side I now have a new sewing kit which will come in mighty handy for sewing up the Pratchgan.

A skein of Octarine sock yarn which my cousine says she can’t see herself but she’s been told it’s magic (it is too - gorgeous!).

A souvenir t-shirt from UU. It has the UU unofficial mottoe (Eta Beta Pi) - I’ll be wearing it to my parents’ next week to see if my dad gets the joke (he should as he’s as big a Pterry fan as I am). Here's a pic of the back -

A figurine of the Librarian, a genuine AMCW badge no 177 (as sold by Mr Dibbler) & a wooden dried frog pills box complete with pills.

An elephant tea-cosy - despite not having a tea-pot I’ve always wanted a cosy & am off out shortly to buy a pot to fit it. Here it is being modelled by ds's foam football.

A black handkerchief for Dark Morris Dancing (you'll see it in the bottom left corner of the main pic) & 3 (three!) knitting patterns - 1 for Flynn, 1 for DoR & 1 for Nanny’s Knickers bag. There was also a tract from Constable Visit - Die Chelonian Mobil - which contained a crochet pattern for a turtle pocket necklace. I think Om would approve.

A HUGE thank you to Sarah - I love all of my goodies & can't wait 'til the next swap (which is being planned already).

Just in case you're interested - here's what I sent to Sarah.

The horse is Binky, Death's faithful flying steed & is actually a purse - one side of his saddle lifts up so you can stuff things in his back. The wall hanging is a portrait of Death, his grand-daughter Susan & the Death of Rats taken by Otto Chriek, vampire iconographer for the Ankh-Morpork Times - it's worked in tapestry crochet & is actually oblong rather than trapezoidal like the pic makes it look :0D Inside the egg is yarn & notions to make a swamp dragon labelled as CMOT Dibbler's Genyooine Growe-Thine-Own-Dragon Kyt. It's approved by Lady Sybil Ramkin's Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons. The gloves are fingerless crocheted ones done to mine own pattern in Noro Silver Thaw, the purple thing is an abstract caterpillar cowl knitted in Morpork Mist yarn (Patons Moonglow heh), the bracelet is crocheted silver wire & shell beads, the stitch markers are handmade by the wonderful Whizzz & Ridcully's knitted coin purse was bulging with chocolate coins - it's just a shame he's so tight you can't get them out. The yarn is gorgeous Wensleydale sock yarn dyed by Freyalyn - please go check out her Etsy shop for fab spinning fibres.

Binky was made following the fab crochet horse pattern by Kristen with a little modification to the saddle so it's all in one piece & can act as a flap to close the bag. Please go check out Kristen's blog - she has the cutest free patterns imaginable.

I had great fun with the portrait right from charting it to finishing it off. I think I'm gonna publish it on Ravelry at some point as it should work well in intarsia knitting too but not a good enough knitter to try it yet :0)

Sadly that's all the pics I have but if you take a look at Sarah's blog you'll see loads of much better pics than I've got here. In the meantime I'm off to sew up some more Pratchgan squares. Check back soon as I aim to get more up-to-date Pratchgan WIP pics on this weekend!

Pratchgan WIP - part 2

2008-03-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

So I'm getting all these squares in the mail but what am I actually doing with them?

The short answer is not a lot :0! I did have great plans to sew them all up as I got them but events have conspired against me - namely the big Discworld box swap (see previous post). Since the swap is now over I can start sewing squares with a vengeance - yeah, right, I've just signed up for 4(!) more swaps. But don't worry - they're all little swaps.

So here are the picture squares I've received so far, all together & looking fab. The 2 strips at the top are all sewn together & I'm trying to do it so that they more or less match (I don't think any of us actually managed bang on 6x6 inches lol).

We also have over half the squares for the 'I Aten't Dead' logo . . .

. . . as well as a whole pile of letters & cards for Pterry that will be accompanying the Pratchgan on its journey south.