So. Calm. Start with the regulars:
WIPs
My primary goal in the run up to heading to Shetland, was to get all active projects off my needles, so I was ready to start on shiny, new, selfish knitting while I was on holiday. I surprised myself by being successful at this! So the only WIP I had on the go at this time was a tiny test spin on a drop spindle.
I'm particularly proud of this, because this represents my first foray into the world of natural dyeing. I only did a tiny test, but I did choose to dye corriedale fibre instead of yarn, which is scary, because it's really easy to felt it during the process. I used a combination of berries from my jasmine plant, and elderberries from the bush at the bottom of my garden, with ordinary sea salt as my mordant. I expected to get barely any change, or a murky brown colour, so this lovely purple was a pleasant surprise!
FOs
I had 3 projects on the go that needed to be done before I left. The first was a simple ribbed hat to be donated to The Archer Project, a local homeless charity. Knit in a wool/acrylic blend.
I will be knitting more of these as and when I have time during the winter months, as well as mitts, and scarves.
Next was the spinning project that was taking up the bobbins on my wheel. I wanted to take the wheel north with me to be checked out by more experienced spinners at the wheel clinic, but that meant I had to finish what I was working on before I went. So I did. I ended up with around about 128 yards of roughly aran weight yarn.
The fibre that I used for this was Aristocratic, by Countess Ablaze, a custom blend of merino, shetland, alpaca, and tencel.
Finally, and most importantly, there was the scarf that I'd been making for Stephens mum. I'm pleased to say that I didn't cheat and make it shorter than I wanted, this scarf can wrap at least twice around your neck, and still leave the full length of the fan ends dangling to look pretty. It measures 2.75m in length! I had some difficulty finding a big enough floor space to block it!
Pam loved it, so I am pleased :) The pattern is Hypernova - The Scarf, by Arlenes World of Lace, and the yarn is Araucania Botany Lace.
Stash Acquisition
By rights I should have been saving for Shetland Wool Week, and for the Bakewell Wool Gathering later this month, but during this period I received a couple of bits of very good news, one of which means I will be a bit better off financially. So of course I celebrated by buying yarn!
The first bit wasn't expensive, and it wasn't my fault that I went into the yarn shop, my sister wanted bright green, orange, and black yarns to make pompoms for a kids hallowe'en party, so I was forced to go into the shop with her. Also, what I bought technically counts as part of my Christmas shopping, as it's to be used along with that marvelously Christmassy King Cole Glitz that I bought a while back to make Christmas stockings for my godchildren.
It's King Cole Tinsel, and I think it'll look like a sparkly fur lining at the top of the stockings. Oh, and I may have bought a couple more balls of the Glitz too, but if I'm making 6 stockings, I think I'll need them!
Next, a very exciting thing happened - Countess Ablaze officially opened her new studio! I went to be there on opening day, because I'm a great big fan-girl, as you all know, and she had dyed All The Things! It was an amazing thing to be able to sit there chatting, knitting, and drinking tea, all the while surrounded by such gorgeous smooshies, those of us who went were like kids in a candy store. It was essential that I nab myself a couple, of course.
This is a OOAK gradient on a Viscount of Spark sock blank, and the colourway "Character" on Baked! Bluefaced Baron 4-ply.
I had a brilliant day visiting the Countess, and I'll definitely be going back again when I get a chance. I also recommend the fish and chip van over the road, they do amazing marinated prawns, yummy!
This next addition is all the fault of James, of the Dancing Geek podcast. He showed some yarn he'd been sent to give away to his viewers, and told us all that he'd be running the giveaway over the next few podcasts. The yarn was beautiful, and had wonderfully geeky names like "Lothlorien", which always appeals to me. It's by Lanitium ex Machina, who is based in Finland.
So I went to have a look at the site, and before I knew it, these were on their way to me:
This is "Hades", on sparkle sock, and "Vancouver" on basic sock. I think I would have preferred a bit more of the reddish colours in the skein of Vancouver, but it's still a lovely selection of autumnal shades, and the Hades skein is exactly as I expected, gorgeous!
Tools
Sometimes the tools that we use to make things are just as exciting as the materials, and the making itself. This is definitely the case here. Take a look at these:
Remember back in the summer, when I discovered a yarn craft that I'd never tried before, and showed you my early efforts at Nalbinding? Well my dad thought he'd help me out with this new craft by making me some needles that are exactly like those that would have been used by the Vikings when they were making their hats and socks hundreds of years ago. Aren't they stunning? They're made from different types of animal horn, or bone, and he even made the container for them!
Great North Run
I DID IT!!!
On Sunday 13th September, a fat girl with a debilitating connective tissue disorder put on her trainers, and a garishly pink t-shirt, and set out to run 13.1 miles.
I ran alongside Kelly, who runs a lot, and to him this was more-or-less part of his training for a full marathon at the end of October. I ran alongside Mo Farah, Professor Brian Cox, Frank Bruno, and about 57000 other crazy people.
Kelly finished in 1 hour, 38 minutes, 58 seconds, a PB for him.
Mo Farah finished in 59 minutes, 20 seconds, I'm not even sure he's really human.
I finished in 4 hours, 25 minutes, 36 seconds.
I actually only ran a little under half of the full distance, and walked the rest. After about 4 or 5 miles I'd determined that my training hadn't been complete enough (due to illness and injury), and that the temperature was far too hot, for me to be able to run the entire distance and still finish. So I ran as much as I could, and I walked the rest. I finished behind a 90 year old woman, but I don't care, because I faced the demon that is EDS, and I told it that I won't let it control my life.
Then I could barely move for a week after, but hey, that was bound to happen! I raised £230 for Cancer Research UK, and I'm actually proud of myself for once. So it was worth it.
Penguins
I have only one penguin to show you from this period of time, but he's a doozy! Just click on this:
It's impossible to have this critter active in the room for more than 5 minutes without someone inevitably making him utter expletives. I mean, you could have him recite poetry, deliver a famous Shakespearean monologue, or even just read out a kids bedtime story. But no, he becomes a giggling potty-mouth at the slightest opportunity!
So I shall leave you with that disturbing thought in your head, and be back in a day or 2 with my report on Shetland Wool Week.
TTFN my dears!
No comments:
Post a Comment