Guess who went to woolfest!

Me!!!!!!!!!!!
Omg, what a day, been looking forward to it since last year when I couldn't go due to the exhaust falling off the car just days before, so I made it perfectly clear that come hell or high water, this year we where going.
After an early start, we arrived to see a field full of cars, which did worry me slightly, I did wonder how I was going to get on bringing the kids, after reading messages about how the stalls are really crowded, and what with it being in a livestock auction building, I had visions of it being really narrow, but thankfully my fears where unfounded. It was busy, but the aisles were wide and the stalls nicely laid out and we had very few problems walking round.
It was unreal, the sheer amount of just stuff every where, every conceivable fibre related craft was covered in multiple colours and sizes. I was overwhelmed by it all, but eventually after going round a few times, I managed to take it all in and started spending the money!
First stop happened to be Fyberspates. I quite fancied some of their self stripping sock yarn, and came away with that..and some lace weight! Hmm I was worried about my self restraint at this point!


After that, I went to track down my Ravelry Woolfest bag I had ordered, it was only a last minute thing as I joined the group late, but liked the idea of having some thing to remember the day by. Have to say, its a fantastic bag, very well made and I hope they do the same again next year!


After that I meandered a bit, I bumped in to Krafty Koala which was great, lovely to meet her and naturally I checked out her stand as well and came away with yet more sock yarn.

At some point during the day, I decided that whilst I was there, I wanted to look at drop spindles. I know I've got a spindolyn, but I fancided having a more conventional one. I'd seen quite a few, but I ended up going back to a stall I'd seen on my very first go round, Whorl Drop Spindles. Lovely guy, laughed because I'd come back to him, saying I couldn't resist. He was right, I couldn't! Think I'll get a niddy noddy off him as well if I start doing well with spinning! Would make skiening a tad easier! Got a nostepinne as well, because some times, a ball winder isn't enough!

Of course, I needed some more fibre to go with this...
Merino/bamboo mix...


Merino bits and roving..

Well I might as well, seen as there was more roving fibre there than I'd ever seen in my life!!

I'd pretty much bought what I wanted at this point, any thing else was just going to be extra.
I discovered the knitwitches stall and bought some very nice silk and mohair lace weight yarn which was marked up for charity sales, can't argue with that!

Yet another stall, Twisted Fibre Craft held some thing interesting in the form of Lopi Roving, its roving that you knit straight up to felt, its unspun, and really quite unusual. I actually wish I'd bought more, but thats easily done, gotta love the net..

And if I didn't have enough to be getting on with at this point, I also came across needle felting, which warranted a starter kit, plus a pegloom too which also took my fancy!



Will I ever have enough hours in the day? I very much doubt it, but at least I'll never be bored!
Did I have a good time? Hell yes!
Did the kids? Oh yes!
Will I be going next year? I'll see you there ;-)

No no, I'm still here!

Ah Bt, just so my fav company...not. Oh well, least I'm back online after I don't know how many weeks.
You'd think I did loads of knitting in my down time right? Um no...
At first I lost all inspiration, not being able to get on to Ravelry and the like. I normally see stuff which motivates me in to knitting or completing my projects so I can start some thing else. I spent rather a large part of my time playing on The Sims, then I was reading, then I suddenly realised that I only had a few weeks until my friends baby was due, so I picked up my needles again to carry on knitting for her.
Then disaster struck! I was out on a picnic with the kids, paddling in a river with them, being so careful, when I slipped, fell forward on to my knees, put my hands out to stop from falling on my face, and broke my little finger! I didn't realise I had at first, I necked some nurofen and carried on with the rest of the day, and it was only when I spoke to a pharmacist the next day did they think it was a good idea that I went and got it xrayed, and sure enough, it was broken. Just my luck, and just when I decided to knit again! I did attempt to carry on, but it just wasn't happening. I was gutted.
I've literally only starting knitting again, 4 weeks after I broke my finger, its healed now, tho I still get painful twinges in it rather a lot, but I'm capable of holding my knitting again, so its all good. Only bad thing is Keir Alexander was born 4 days ago..oops!! Ah well, I'm sure Sharon will understand if Keir's things are a few weeks late lol
Hopefully normal serves will resume again, and I'll be posting lots of nice pics of things I've made again, I've missed not having some thing to show off, so really must do some thing about that!
So until then, flying needles it is!

Never let it be said

That a stash is just for knitting!

See its justified, hiding place for easter eggs!
Thats me vindicated hehe

I'm in demand!

Its nice when your skills are appreciated!
Having finished several projects in a short space of time, I have been wondering what to cast on next. I had words to this effect as my status message on msn.
Catherine (Dave's daughter) said to me, if you are stuck for some thing to knit, you can knit some thing for me. Of course I will I said and asked her what did she want. A mobile phone cover, yep I can manage that no problem, she picked out some yarn from my stash (see photographing it all and putting it on flickr has uses beyond Ravelry!) and I showed her the pattern I had in mind. She asked how long it would take me, I said 1 day if I wasn't going out any where, two if I was. Some thing like this doesn't take long to sort out, she even offered me money for doing it, which of course I wouldn't accept, I enjoy knitting, and making some thing like this was just a pleasure!

Blueadt's mobile phone cover, in Fyberspates BFL sock, hannah's summer

I actually managed to learn two new techniques..apparently my ability to do a cast on to work from the bottom up was a one off, and I could not get it right or looking neat. So I learned to do a provisional cast on, knit one row and then picked up the cast on edge, joined it in the round and I was sorted! It didn't really matter in terms of the construction of the cover, I could have done it from the top down, but I really wanted to do the Picot cast off as it looked really nice, and that was the second thing I learned to do! And it turned out really nice if I do say so my self. Icord and recycled beads from an old bracelet later, and I had some thing decent to give! And she chose one of my oldest stash members, and I never realised how nice this yarn was going to knit up, so I might just have to use the rest of the yarn in some thing now...

And if that wasn't enough! I'm even trying my hand at knitting without a pattern..well I would have had a pattern, had I had internet at the time. Just before I went to London, my internet gave out, so I had an evening where I was stuck for some thing to do..so I went in search of some thing to knit..naturally none of my stored patterns interested me, I couldn't get online and decided I wanted a hat to take to London. I went stash diving and came up with some Rooster aran that I'd bought a few weeks earlier. Some improvisation and a few hours later and we had...

Ok so I had a mad amount of ends to weave in, but I was pleased with it! And we won't mention that when Dave tried it on, it suited him..
See I can do these things! Does that mean I'm a hardcore knitter or some thing now?

Forest Canopy Shawl

Remember this? http://stripysockmad.blogspot.com/2007/05/forest-canopy-shawl.html
My first attempt at a lace project, had a lot of hiccups and naughty corners on the way, but look at it now




Can't get over how happy I am with the result, really can't. Never once imagined it would look so nice, or even the fact I'd finish it! Feel like a proper knitter now :-D
(and did I really once say I wouldn't have more than one thing OTN at the same time? Oh dear...)

Evangeline Gloves

I had to to toss a coin to decide what to blog about first, but then decided it was only fair that I did my finished objects in the order I, well, finished them!

So here we go, the first of my finished objects is my Evangeline Gloves.
Of course, you know all about these by now, I've blogged about them enough, so will just post the finished photo!

Evangeline gloves, from Magknits, in Lorna's lace, Shepherd worsted, Black Purl

I naturally love them to bits, and I didn't even get a case of second glove syndrome because I was that desperate to finish them! I've worn them out a few times, its been warm enough (for me!) to go out without a coat on, but I like wearing them to cover the bottom half of my arms, and look cool at the same time..Already had them admired by a few people, yes I really am that clever :-D

I still had some wool left over, and in a fit of I need to knit some thing, I knitted up a headband that I'd seen on Ravelry, not that I wear headbands, I just liked the idea..and its still the cool black purl colourway

Headbangers knitted on 5.5mm needles also in black purl

I'll consider modelling it at a later date lol

Keep an eye out for my proud knitter moment tomorrow, going to show off some thing that has been a long time on the needles (tho if you watch my photo reel above, you'll see a sneak preview!)

London calling to the far away towns...

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
That went well!
As you know by now, I planned my trip knitting wise down to the last letter, and it did pay off.
I'd planned to start my evangeline gloves, mainly in honour of the band we where going to see and because it was a good pattern to take, small, not too complicated and would keep me interested.

I packed all my little bits up in a pencil case, and even took a spare set of dpns just incase I got some sock yarn I wanted to knit. I was all set!
The journey going down didn't take too long, but in that time I did manage to cast on, do the cuff, and 1 and a half pattern repeats, whilst Dave looked on fascinated, and asking me questions every so often on what I was doing, how I was doing it etc.

My little knitting bag was attached to the top of my rucksack so swung along behind me, complete with Ravelry badges just incase there was any people in the know around!
I didn't get any time to knit whilst actually in London, and in the end I only went to visit Stash yarns in Putney, but it was so so worth it. Lovely shop, great owners, and a wonderful stock of yarn. I stood in wonder at all the names of yarns I'd only ever read about and there they where right in front of me, I could touch them, see the colours, it was just fantastic. I really wanted to buy much more than I did, but I was really really good and spent £26 on two sorts of yarn, which I won't list quite yet as some is supposed to be for my UK swap partner and I don't want to give the game away just incase she stumbles across this post!

This is where my surprise of the week came. As we came in to Stash, I sat Dave down at a table, joking about a man crèche, and he sat being very patient whilst I wandered round. Without me realising it, he'd sat down near the debbie bliss yarns (which I wasn't there to see lol) and noticed the Cashmerino yarns. He recognised the merino part of the name and started to talk to me after we left the shop how he'd seen merino used in some sort of cycling jumper, usually used as a base layer (think Thermal from Knitty) and then said he was thinking of commissioning me to make him a custom one!

Well that was it then, I was off, in my element, questioning what exactly he wanted, how it would need to be constructed for cycling, and then we started to talk yarns and patterns, explained about gauge and yarn weights and what achieved what where, and how. It was brilliant! Never had some one take such an active interest in my knitting before, apart from other knitters. I really enjoyed talking to him about it, and course, have more than certainly agreed to make him his jumper.

I have since realised there is no such pattern at all really for what he wants and it is going to be a case of measuring him up (ooer!) and turning those measurements in to the finished article. I've already sought out advise on how best to achieve this, as lets face it, I've only been knitting just over a year, and found that the best thing to do is to get my self a copy of Ann Budd's handy book of sweater patterns as not only does this contain basic patterns, it also gives all the instructions for making your own patterns, in what ever gauge you need. So if I want to knit a 4ply ribbed jumper, with holes in the cuff for thumbs and longer at the be, I'll be able to suss out the dimensions using this book, and once I've done that, I can get the yarn I need (going to be black naturally!) and get cracking with my commissioned work!

Any way, after all that, the final concert came and went, and it was time to come home again, and I got in a 4 hour knitting marathon on the train coming home (came home a different way than we went), in which I got a lot done, in first class no less, so I had plenty of room to spread out (picture above is on the way home, you can see I had nearly the whole table!) and 4 hours seemed a lot less when I was knitting away quietly to my self and not one person batted an eyelid, tho how often do you see some one who is obviously a goth knitting unless you know other people? Well I know I don't, but I do know some one else who is like me!

It was a good week, in terms of the knitting stuff and what we went to do in the first place! We spent a fantastic time in London, going to 4 gigs and meeting new people, and I'm sorry its all over now. But I'm sure some thing similar will happen, and we'll get to do it all over again!

This is what several days of late nights does! Dave, me and new friend Jamie, chilling in the pub!