MonkeyFeet

It’s a bit nippy! It’s actually sunny today, but the fire’s struggling to get going, so I’m freezing. I’m freezing at the best of times, let alone with no heating on.

Thankyou for the comments of congratulations I was so chuffed at my 12 hours of relative fame! What a saddo!

Here’s a wintery photo to cool you down :p

It’s the winter sun, in Manchester.

Now here’s some handspun, to warm you up again!

I love it! It’s a Watercolours batt from FeltStudioUK on etsy. I will certainly be buying from her again. Well, I’ve sent my OH a link to her shop as my birthday list

There are 50g there, with 100 yards. I don’t know what I’ll do with it, maybe wait til I have something that will go with it, or maybe I could get a cowl out of it. I’d like to do something really nice that I can wear a lot.

I dyed this as well, it’s alpaca/merino 4 ply, it’s very soft and hairy. It’s for my Grandma’s gloves that she wants for christmas. It was supposed to be fawn, but has come out more of a variegated chocolate and rosewood I think!

I knitted these too, they’re my Best of British socks, in Manyana. I love the way the stripes got gradually thicker!

I love the heels too. I don’t know who I’llgive them to yet

I did this hat, it’s mirasol miski, which I dyed – it’s actually green, but the colour’s bleeding a little, so I need to soak and cook it again really.

I did this hat as well, in my own aran BFL.

And another, again in aran BFL, in Best of British, which I’ve forgotten to photograph so you will have to just look at the yarn!

I wanted to stashbust some of my first wheelspun yarns, which are very chunky and irregular, so I suddenly decided to crochet some pots.

They’ve come out really sturdy, and I’m not going to felt them because I love the texture as it is, plus they’re already really thick.

And oh! That’s it for now!

Well  I’ll quickly tell you what’s going on – I’ve got a pair of fine looking socks on the needles, they’re for my Grandma, and I’m doing them in my own alpaca sock yarn, which I’m immensely pleased with. I also have a stole on the needles. It’s the Cambria wrap, and I’m using Kaalund Classic two held double. It’s quite a quick knit, and looks good, but I have to confess I’m not hugely inspired by it!

I’m also spinning the fire coloured merino/soy silk that I got from Megan – it’s spinning beautifully.

I got Yarn Forward for a change, and although the articles are a bit short, I’m really impressed with it. I like the fact that it’s more mature somehow, than most the other British mags, and it has more interesting, and advanced projects, generally. So hopefully it’ll keep up the good work, as I would like to get it again. I’ll be ineterested to see how it goes

The log I put on the fire’s just about catching on now

Eek! Check it out:

http://limenviolet.com/blog/

I don’t know how they found me, but I’m very chuffed!

Don’t you think that’d be a good pub name? Wandering Goose.

Ever have times where you’re busy all day, but don’t really get anything done? I’ve kind of had a week like that. I know I’ve been busy, but I’m not sure what I’ve done. It’s got gradually worse (as  hhas the weather) over the course of the week.

Anyway, I finished another Eyelet Shawl. It’s done in handmaiden great big sea silk, and I only used one skein – I really could have done with using two as it’s pretty small – more of a shawlette.

Yeah, I was struggling for arty shots here..

The colour is more accurate in this one.

I knitted this hat using leftovers of Mirasol Miski. It’s light but really warm.

This hat is made from my own hand dyed and handspun! Ooh yeah! When I was in the post office I was telling Bev (the member of staff that isn’t the manager) – I said “see this hat? looks kind of average?” She said yes, looking confused – so I said “hand dyed, handspun, and hand knitted”! She was very impressed, and the post mistress looked on in bemusement. I think she was sort of pitying me actually.

Anyway, I love this hat. It was heaving it down (heaving? Pouring), and my head didn’t even get remotely wet

I spun this – it’s BFL:

Then dyed it. I was aiming for sage. Thing is, I don’t really know what sage green looks like. So I went with sea green. Well kind of toxic sea anyway. The yarn itself is really gorgeous, even if I do say so myself. I’m very pleased with it.

Now I need to design (and swatch! *gasp* ) a hot bot cover that grandma would like. I’ve no idea if I have enough yards.

I did quite a bit of dyeing this week. I won’t bore you with it all, but have picked a couple of favourites. Ok, well several.

Firstly this is Jupiter, the new aran weight organic merino. (colour: Lotus)

This is a complete one off – two skeins of DK weight 50% angora, 50% kid mohair. (colour: olivey yellowey greeny brown)

And Maya, the chunky baby alpaca. (colour: wild flowers)

Maya again (colour: Cairgorm)

Pluto – which is slubby DK 100% wool (similar to manos del uruguay and DB SoHo)  (colour: Mist)

I really can’t get those colours to show up. It’s uber pale blue, mint and grey basically.

There’s lots more of these in the shop – you’ll have to check it out if you’re interested (how’s that for subtle marketing?!). Seriously though, I’m not intending to fill my blog with loads of shop stuff – just a wee selection. Well, unless I get desperate for stuff to write about!

I was sent some stash – for free! Terri ever so kindly sent me this Manos, whichi s really beautiful, and will be much admired for a while before I knit with it.

And finally, remember Monster Snot? Well here are the two skeins. Like the name??

I just finished one of a pair of socks too, and I’m nearly done on another hat. I’m on a real hat fetish at the mo. They’re so good and quick and satisfying!

Oh oh! How could I forget? Pixie (Denise) has finished the Maya shawl, and has greatly helped me with the pattern So once Casey has linked me up, it will be available on Ravelry. Yey!

Thankyou for all the good wishes about my back! It’s just about ok now, it quickly calmed down and the discs went back into place after a day or two, leaving it stiff and stuff. I saw the osteopath yesterday and she’s put me back into balance! My bum wiping capabilities are fully restored – though being on painkillers it wasn’t too much of a problem! – and I can put my socks on again. 

While I was sat vegetating on Monday, trying to ignore the pain (that was *with* painkillers!), I finished my shawl. It’s dead easy and a brilliant stashbuster, so I published the pattern for free on Ravelry (if you just search eyelet shawl you’ll find it).

I love it so much I’m knitting another in Handmaiden Great Big Sea Silk, which I’ve almost finished. I could have done with two skeins, but I onlyhave one so it’s a small shawl! If I ever can get a second skein in the same colour I would undo the cast off edge, and make it bigger.

In shawl news – poor KnittingPixie is testing my Maya shawl, bet she wishes she hadn’t said she would, seeing as my charting skills leave much to be desired! Anyway, it should be ready fairly soon, for anyone who’s interested!

This is the eyelet shawl, it’s manos del uruguay, and it’s so warm I’ve worn it LOADS since finishing it. In fact I need to re block it, because I was so impatient to wear it, I picked it up before it had fully finished blocking.

I quickly knitted this hat too, another great stashbuster. It’s a bit big but very warm and snuggly, seeing as it’s done in Mirasol Miski I have enough bits and bobs of it left for another hat and maybe a headband too.

I spun this this week. There are two skeins, each of about 100g, and I’ve called it Monster Snot! There are 170 and 194 yards in the skeins. I’ve no idea what I’ll ddo with it since I don’t like the colour much!

My stash kind of unexpectedly grew too. Paula, from our knitting group, very kindly gave me some laceweight last week.

It’s Claudia’s handpaints, laceweight silk

and Lorna’s Laces, Helen’s Lace.

Aren’t they beautiful? My laceweight stash could do with a diet!

She also swapped this with me – I gave her a skein of handspun and a skein of hand dyed alpaca sock yarn, and she gave me this unbelievable angora from malabrigo. I certainly got the better end of that swap, seeing as there are three skeins!

I also got some fibre this week. I was almost out of fibre, I have some undyed BFL that I’m spinning to a chunky yarn, which is a project that I’m going to dye and knit into a hot bot cover for Grandma.

Anyway, so I happened across FeltStudioUK on etsy, and developed fibre envy very quickly. So I got this:

Check it out! It’s sparkly! And it’s beautifully dyed! I really can’t wait to spin it! Well I say that but I have these that I’m dying to spin too:

The one above – it’s actually chiengora mixed with alpaca and shetland by Megan of Warratah Fibre Crafts. You know what Chiengora is don’t you? It’s dog fur. One of the ladies at knitting gave me the most beautiful, soft, angora-feeling dog fur, so I sent it to Megan to card and blend. It doesn’t smell at all, and mixed with the alpaca and shetland, it makes the softest batts, truly!

I also got this off Megan – do you remember I spun her blue merino/soysilk but made a bit of a hash of it? Well I’m going to have another go, but with this colourway. I can’t wait!

So there ya go! Yesterday I started dyeing the new winter yarns I got in – Organic aran weight merino, and chunky baby alpaca. They are both really luxurious! So they need to finish drying then they’ll be in the shop.

I’m off out (Nando’s – yey!) soon, so best go and spend some quality time in front of the fire with my knitting and a brew before I go

I LOVE winter!!

Well, I don’t have that much to show for myself, but thought it was about time I updated anyway.

I did another Ice Queen, badly photographed below. It’s done in Mirasol Hacho, using two skeins. This yarn is perfect for an Ice Queen, it shows the colours off really well. Anyway this one’s another Christmas present.. get me being all organised!

When I finished that, I cast on this. It’s a simple eyelet shawl, which I just made up. Done in Manos del Uruguay (is it del? can’t remember). Anyway I cast off this morning, but it needls blocking over night. It’s come out really big, and really thick and warm, which I’m very happy about. I need the comfort of a good thick shawl at the mo. I managed to cripple myself the other day. You’d hbe forgiven for assuming that a gentle swim is a pretty harmless form of exercise. Haha! Think again! I slipped a couple of discs in the bottom of my spine.. oops! (I do already have a permanent back injury though, it’s not completely random). Sooo I can’t really walk anywhere or do much apart from sit and distract myself from it. It’s easing up a little, but the most annoying thing is that it’s very difficult to bend, and therefore very difficult to put my socks on and wipe my ass

So that’s why a nice warm shawl is just what I need right now!

I also cast on some socks the other day. They’re for my dad, who likes bright colours, so I thought I’d do him some in my Manyana yarn (merino/tencel), in the Best of British colourway. I’ve only done a few rows though, as the shawl consumed all my knitting time recently.

Lastw eek I spu this. It’s a singles of green and a singles of the brown/black you saw in my previous post. There’s enough for two skeins, so this is the first of two. I think I might call it ‘Monster Snot’. It’s sock weight, with 170 yards in this 100g skein, so I’m very pleased about that. Problem is it’s not superwash so wouldn’t actually be too great for socks unless I hand wash them. So.. hmm. Will have to get some fibre suitahble for spinning sock yarn.

Now I know this isn’t terribly exciting, but I got this to make some gloves for my Grandma for Christmas. I’m going to start them tonight I think.

And that’s all for now. I won’t be spinning til my back’s better, sadly, but it means I have lots of time to knit and study, which is good!

Oops.. should have updated earlier then I wouldn’t have quite so much to include.

Well I dinished three projects, firstly my Maya Shawl, which .. is my own design! Yey! I’m pretty proud of it, even though it’s not that sophisticated or complicated. I’m just pleased that it worked out and looks ok! The pattern is now available for £3, I’m trying to figure out how to get it onto Ravelry – it’s not going too well yet! Also, Pixie has yet to test it, so I’m sure there will be some edits needed yet.

Anyway. The yarn is my own Wild Fire Fibres Nirvana in Aztec, and the shawl used one 100g skein, with 600 yards – it was done on 3mm needles.

I also finished my sideways scarf. I love the way the texture of the tight, garter stitch looks almost woven. It’s all stripes of Mirasol Miski and Sulka, and it’s really soft and snuggly. It’s also really long! It’s a perfect length for three wraps around the neck, plus room to tie it at the front.

The lavender colour is what my wonderful swap pal got me (Alicia, aka Frostyknits). It looks stunning doesn’t it! I used one out of two skeins of each colour, so I’m going to do a matching hat I think, when I’ve got some more Christmas knits out the way.

This is my Ice Queen, for Mum. It’s done in the Border Tart handspun, it’s awesome! It’s great to wear, and I think will be really useful for dog walking.

So useful in fact, that I’m doing her a second one! This one’s in Mirasol Hacho, and it’s now nearly finished. I would like to do one for me too at some point.

On the spinning front…

This is the shunklies merino that I spun up.. did I already show you that? I’m a bit young for forgetfulness, but it happens nevertheless!

This is the blue merino/soy silk that I got from Megan/Warratah fibre crafts. It was gorgeous to spin! I love the shine of the soy silk.

I didn’t really do it justice, as my splying to begin with was a bit squiffy for some reason.

And here’s some Merino that I dyed myself and spun up. There’s 200g altogether, with one 125g skein (and 250 yards), and one 75g skein with unknown number of yards (I’ve not counted yet!).

 It looks dull on my stash page, as I usually go for pink rather than red, but it’s gorgeous and bright in real life!

I dyed some merino too. This is kettle dyed..

And this is handpainted. I did some green too, which I might spin and ply with this.

I also acquired some new stash! I got this by swapping for some of my sock yarn. It’s angora, I can’t describe how soft it is! I mustn’t have felt angora properly before, because this is soft beyond anything I’ve felt before! There are four balls, so around 500 yards, which means it might be good for a small shawl.

Bex also kindly sent this too! I don’t know if I’ll combine it with the angora, as I love the way they match, or if I’ll do something seperate with it..

I got this cheaply.. it’s Rowan Soft Lux. I’m a real sucker for sparkly and shiny (and soft!) things. This is the lilac, I’ve no idea what I’ll do with it.

And blue, which I might make me a hat with. I also got one in beige, which I thought I’d swatch with, and if it’s good, I might design and make a set of cushion covers for our new flat in that one. OH likes sparkly things, so for my birthday I might get a pack of it on eBay. I was think cabled covers would look great in it.

And that’s all for now! There’s more I could have included, like the wet felting I did, which came out ok, but not firm enough. And the Stealth Sock which is half done now, and looks great (though I’m biased on that)!

Byeee for now