Sunday 15th July

Hello everyone, Sunday is here again and I hope you are all well. I am doing a wee bitty better this week but still haven't managed to get out. I have however been travelling around France with my hubby from my sofa as we are avid followers of Le Tour. We love watching the cycling but also seeing the wonderful Chateaux and the sweet little villages and other places that go past.
Last week I left you with the statement that I was off to shine my sink a la FlyLady. I did that and have managed to keep it shiny all week but alas that is as far as it has gone.

Now to knitting, I have so much to share this week that I have decided to go back to short daily posts so as not to bore you senseless.
So here we go. Since today is Sunday, socks it will be.
Today I will be casting on one of the test socks I mentioned last week. I received the pattern about an hour ago and after a quick perusal, I went shopping in my stash. After a rummage, I pulled out this beauty which has been maturing nicely for a few years. It is from the Seasonings Series by The Loopy Ewe and is the colour Mt Tinknomore which was a camp Loopy yarn from 2013. The yarn is 80% Superwash Merino/20% Nylon and was dyed for The Loopy Ewe by Lorna's Laces.

The pattern is a toe-up vanilla sock knitted on 2.5mm needles with an afterthought heel and I thought that this skein with the little mini would be just perfect. Now I have never done an afterthought heel before so this will be an all-new learning curve for me but I am up for the challenge and looking forward to it. So the time has come to find my needles, wind the yarn and make a start.

That's it for today. I will be back tomorrow with something else.

Happy crafting
Mary

Books in my ears.

1. The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell
2. Middlemarch - George Elliot
3. Head Shot - Quintin Jardine
4. With All My Love - Patricia Scanlan

I listen while I knit and always have a few on the go so I can choose which one I listen to depending on my mood.

Arran - Island 5

Modeled by my long suffering DH

A recently released pattern on Ravelry is the Yewll Crescent by my designer friend Cheri McEwan. I was privileged to be a test knitter of this glorious crescent shawl and my lovely MIL is now the proud owner. It was knitted using the Loopy Ewe solid series fingering weight yarn in Vintage Rose and a 4mm circular needle. The pattern is very well written with clear instructions and help is always available in Cheri's Ravelry group Dartfrog Designs. I was delighted with the resulting shawl and I am sure I will be knitting another one or two in the future.

Island link - Arran


Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

+ 3

As I admitted I had 3 more skeins of yarn in the post. They are all here. Such gorgeousness. Now I have to decide what to knit with them. I think I have one of them sussed but not so sure on the others. Any suggestions are more than welcome.

Let me introduce you to my new stash.

1. This skein is called Mt Tinknomore. It was the skein designed for the first group I was placed in in this year's Camp Loopy adventure. It is from The Loopy Ewe Seasonings collection.

It is actually one full skein and a little skein of contrasting solid. Beautiful colours and soooo soft. This may become socks but not sure. 

2. This is Lorna's Laces Solemate in the Rocky Mountain Primrose colour. 

This was my prize for completing Camp Loopy. Yes I did it, I completed the 3 month challenge. Again I am not sure what this will become.

3. Finally this glorious skein is the Ripples Crafts Assynt Storms club October instalment. 

I am totally smitten by this yarn and I am pretty sure it will become a 28's Cousin 53 It is just too lovely to be hidden away as socks. I have knitted this scarf/shawl before and it was the pattern which immediately sprung to mind upon opening the package.

Well there you go I have now crept up to 582 skeins. I am knitting away madly trying to reduce the stash. Today I am knitting Hexi's to use up the remains of the skein from the socks I completed earlier this week.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

May Musings

Life

Frankie in hospital.

April was a wholly shitty month for us. Our beautiful wee boy cat Frankie nearly lost his life by eating some type of elastic which got would round the back of his tongue and ended up lacerating his stomach. We went on an emotional roller coaster ride whilst the vets at PDSA - Edinburgh operated again and again to save his life. Happily after the worst 3 weeks we got our wee boy home and he is back to his mischievous self with his fur beginning to grow back.

First day home

When he came home he looked a poor soul with almost half of his fur shaved off due to having had the operations, multiple drips and a feeding tube. He is also now eating us out of house and home which we do not mind at all as it was the fact he stopped eating and his weight plummeted that was the only sign he was ill.

Onward into May and life settled down for a while. This was of course not to last as now we have the worry of Bill's dear mum in hospital for the second time in two months with a fractured shoulder. Oh boy we could do with an extended period of calm. 

Onto some brighter news. I am delightedly proud to be part of a team whose workplace has gained a Certificate of Excellence from the Tripadvisor website. This means we are amongst the top 10% best rated visitor attractions in the world. My job has to be one of the best and I love what I do. Our wee place is in the back of beyond, but we must be doing something right if people keep giving us great reviews. 

Knitting

Yes, yes I kept on knitting through it all. I even got some things finished!

Elementary

First was an Elementary shawl a beautiful design by my good friend Cheri McEwan whose Dartfrog Designs can be found on Ravelry. 

Second was also a design by Cheri

Montego

This Montego was a MKAL over about 8 weeks and I think to date it is my favourite knitted piece.

I also managed to finish 2 pairs of socks for me

This pair were knitted using Wendy Happy. The bamboo yarn has been in my stash for years and finally I am knitting with it. I must admit it is not my favourite yarn to knit with, too splitty by far, and I will be glad to see the back of it. Mind you the socks are comfy.

The second pair were knitter with leftovers some of which you might just recognise from the shawls above

Both pairs were knitted to the Totally Vanilla pattern In the Socktopus book by Alice Yu. A great pattern and I learned so much. It will be my go to now.

Talking of Socktopus I have decided since I have the book I will take part in a KAL on Ravelry to knit every pair of socks. This will be a fun undertaking over the next 17 months and I am sure I will learn loads.

My other knitting plans this summer include taking part in Camp Loopy a fun virtual camp run by The Loopy Ewe. I look forward to sharing my adventures.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Diary of a Knitter - Jan 2nd

Start Weight - 485
Weight Lost - 1
Weight Gained - 3
Balance - 487

Happy New Year

So here we are in 2012. Time for resolutions for some, time for reviews for others. For me a time to take a look forward to what new things I might want to try in this coming 12 months.
2011 ended for me with a lovely yarnie surprise which didn't do the yarn diet much good. A few days before Christmas I decided that I wanted to see just what all the fuss was about by ordering a couple of skeins of Madelinetosh yarn. So I ordered 2 skeins of Tosh Merino light to give it a bash. I chose a sweet pale purple colourway and then promptly forgot all about my order. So you can imagine my delight when on Hogmanay morning the postie arrived with a parcel from the USA. Upon opening this parcel I discovered not only the lovely yarn I had ordered, but also all this,

A wonderful surprise!!

Yes, I have officially become a Loopy Groupie. Apparently this was my 6th order from The Loopy Ewe and I qualified for this lovely welcome pack of a clear tote bag, calender, sock pattern, sweeties and a surprise skein of yarn (Dream in Colour Everlasting sock in Henna). 

Wow I sure ended 2011 with a bang. 

The yarn I ordered was just lovely too. 

La Vie en Rose

You too can check out all the lovely yarns The Loopy Ewe has to offer by clicking the button on the right.

So moving into 2012. I still have lots on the needles to keep me going, but I have been tempted and have signed up for 2 mystery shawl Knit Alongs. This is where clues are sent out on approximately a weekly basis and the pattern emerges in stages. A bit like a treasure hunt. 

So I have one by designer Susanna IC beginning sometime this month for which I will be using this combination of yarn & beads,

Mulberry Delight and Lilac beads.

And a second one beginning in February for which I will show you the yarn nearer the time.

I also plan to learn to knit socks this year. I have promised my friend Gillian that we will learn together, so now I have told you I will have to do it.

I wish you all happy crafting in 2012. Stay safe.