Socks and Yarn

I finally took a break from spinning long enough to finish the Sacred Forest socks.
They are for T (who always appreciates a new pair of socks).

Pattern: Easy 4 ply socks
Yarn: Knitabulous Supertwist Merino in Sacred Forest
(From Black Japan Yarn Club) 90% of the skein

The last of my Parity Purchases was picked up from the Post Office yesterday
Zauberball's and Kauni Effektgarn.

On the spinning front i am continuing the Treetops Fibre in Shanti

Monday Night...More Spinning and Some Yarn

So tonight i went Fibre Stash Diving and found this from Treetops Fibre. The colourway is called Shanti and I am trying to spin up what will eventually be stripes of Green and Purple. It's a little washed out (I am still working out the new camera).



The last of my 1/8 Wollmeise turned up on the Left Sabrina it's a little greener than the photo and on the right My Old Blue Jeans.

Spinning The Weekend Away

To satsify Miss Fee here is an action short of me plying some yarn today.

I managed to spin up two bobbins and am calling the colour Pink Zinc and Sunscreen (Merino/Soy) and then ply it onto a single Plying bobbin. I am having lots of fun with the new Wheel - Can you tell. I ended up with 553 Metres of Approx Fingering weight yarn. It is much more uneven than what I was spinning on the old wheel. But that will just take time getting to know here better.

Otherwise Occupied

I have spent today getting to know my new Spinning Wheel.

The Wheel is a Majacraft Rose. She is just lovely and I have been spinning the day away and watching TV - a mix of movies, documentaries and Sci-fi TV shows.

Arrivals

This week has seen some long awaited packages delivered

The first to arrive was the Straunch Ball Winder. To wind bigger balls. Solid and sturdy in Wood. I really love it.

Next up after a very long wait this Thursday the New Spinning Wheel arrived in a box a second box with a number of accessories (Bobbins and Flyers) came in a seperate box. The same delivery also bought two packages from Wollmeise. I had been waiting on orders from both the 1st of October and 8th of October. Unfortunately this all arrived as I was walking out the door. So they sat in the hallway until later.

I did open the Wollmeise one package from each of the 1st and the 8th (2 from the 1st and 1 from the 8th were still to come).

On the left Ballerina in Twin and on the Right Magnolie Dark in 100%

As Thursday night is Knitting group I didn't get a proper chance to assemble the wheel until tonight but did manage to unwrap it last night and peek in the boxes.

Tonight I got home from work and started to assemble the wheel. Some of the parts were a little tricky to get the angles and line up the holes for the screws but she came together quite quickly and I was spinning in no time. My first spin below Ewe Give Me The Knits Club Fibre.

Festival of Finishing Or how the Best Laid Plans go Awry

This weekend I have declared to be a Festival of Finishing

Finishing the Shawl I started in September that is to be a present for my mother.
Project: Trophy Shawl
Pattern: Brandywine Shawl
Yarn: Lush Yarns Silk Merino Fingering Weight.
Colourway: Trophy
Mods: none

Finishing the WIP - Summer Short Sleeve cardigan for me.
Project: Spring is Time for A Flutter
Pattern: Flutter Sleeve Cardigan
Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills 8 ply Cotton
Colourway: Light Teal
Mods: The Ribbing at the waist was a few rows shorter to match the back.
The back ribbing is directed in inches and the front in rows.

Progressing the WIP: Good Old Stocking Stitch Socks - the no thinking project.
Project: Sacred Socks
Pattern: Plain 4 ply Socks Mostly from memory now.
Yarn: Knitabulous Supertwist Merino
Colourway: Sacred Forest

Progressing and Finishing the Sewing Project - A Large Hobo Tote I have had hibrenating for months.

Starting A New project a Summer Tee
Project: Hempathy Vesper
Pattern: Vesper
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy
Colourway: Eucalyptus

Festival's of Singlemindedness are always guaranteed to be interupted and of course mine has been no exception.

Today we did a non-house shop. Mainly because O is going to a party tonight with a friend and needed a dress. We headed to Broadway a little off the regular track for us. The dress we found in a little under thirty minutes and shoes about five minutes later (some days luck is with you).
She found a present for the birthday at Tree of Life that is a treasure trove of trinkets.

We then headed up to Gleebooks where I spend an hour or so browsing for books, something I haven't done for ages with no sense of urgency. I used my birthday gift voucher to buy Paul Kelly's new book (How to Make Gravy an A-Z of his music) and Barry Cassidy's book about the recent election. I strolled over to the markets to meet T & O to see what treasures they have found. We bought some lunch and sat on the grass listening to the band playing and just enjoying some sun and respite from the wind.

After lunch we wandered over to Sapho books and trawled through the $2 table out the front managing to pick up another 7 books between us. There is something really wonderful about well stocked book stores with huge ranges that can enthrall you for hours.

We went back into Broadway where T realised he had left behind the jumper I had knitted him a return trip to Sapho where the jumper was found just where we left it and it was time to finally head for home. All in all a lovely Saturday afternoon in spite of the wind and no finishing to show for it.

Pre Sew-up Blocking

With the now confirmed demise of my camera I am dependent on the trusty iPhone Camera for photos until it is replaced. This has coincided with the completion of the main pieces of Spring is Time for a Flutter and waiting for the delivery of my new Spinning Wheel.

I went into a few days of procrastination. But the phone call yesterday confirming my spinning wheel is on it's way has inspired a flurry of action.

I have started blocking the pieces for Spring is Time for a Flutter.

I am onto the heel flap on Sacred Socks.

Basic Tango has been liberated from its hibernation spot and I have a new lease on knitting and spinning.

I did That!

Noticing your own improvements is not something any of us are generally good at.

This morning I have started the bands on the front of my Flutter Sleeve Cardigan and when I got to just past the waist I decided to start sewing it onto the Left Front Piece.

I have always had trouble with sewn on bands they always ended up bunching or not being even. The view of the seam from the back was never pretty.

This morning I have noticed it is sitting lovely and flat.
I have a pattern to the sewing in - not all of the stitches on the front but every third skipping a row. It looks quite neat and I realise this has happened over time, but this piece will look quite neat and tidy.

Alas no photos (my camera has moved on in the world and I must consider a replacement).
I am celebrating my improving knitting skills - especially the seaming and finishing.

Good Weekends

Good Weekends consist of

• Relaxing times
• excitement
• Good company
• good conversation
• good food
• a few drinks
• a few laughs
  
• and in my case some knitting.

This weekend was a really good weekend.
Friday night T, O and I watched Wall-e a great quality kids movie that actually was really entertaining for an adult. We had homemade pies for dinner that T had made earlier in the week.

Saturday started with chores (Some shopping at the local shopping centre) but we were home by midday well in time to get comfortable before my beloved Pies finally won the 2010 premiership. Yes I am delighted it's been 20 years since last they won. We were joined by one of T's friends who took an almost scientific interest but definitely enjoyed a great game. We followed this up with Cricket and Pizza for dinner (From Crust Pizza) and a beer or two.

Sunday we prepared for a belated birthday lunch with a great group of friends. Including O we had 8 people for lunch and T had made a gorgeous Roast Lamb with Rosemary, Thyme and Garlic and a volume of Roast Vegetables (Potato, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato) as well as Carrots, Corn and Peas. Some stunning Gravy and some beautiful dinner rolls. Accompanied by a few pre-lunch drinks and a few accompanying drinks. The meal was gorgeous and we spent a leisurely afternoon eating and drinking and talking mainly nonsense. It is a wonderful thing to spend time with friends you love and are just comfortable with. This was followed by some gorgeous Hummingbird Birthday cake prepared by one of the guests. A few of the guests lingered at least until Half time in the NRL. I dozed on the couch before heading to bed. I ate an entire leftover Roast Potato (yes just one) for dinner. It was a wonderful lunch.

Today (Monday) I hosted some knitters from our Thursday night for an afternoon again of food, drink good conversation and of course knitting. Cheese, Cake, Macaroons, Biscuits and Dip accompanied by a few glasses of Sparkling and a good pot of tea is a good time in most peoples books. We had a relaxing afternoon with no pressure, just a chance to spend some time with good friends and knit a few rows. Knitters are really amazing as they can just be and not need to be entertained, this is a state that long time friends take time to get to. There is always good laughter in this crowd and everyone has a fresh perspective.

I think I had a good weekend! Even a few calls from work failed to rain on the sunshine that was this weekend.

I may have missed mentioning I bought some Wollmeise Friday night from the update. A few cardigans worth in fact.

Below is a picture of today's table courtesy of MissFee