How Is It The End of August?

 I am baffled and bamboozled to discover that we will be in September next week. This year has simply flown by, and I have achieved so little. My knitting got off to a languid start this year as I only wanted to work on scrappy blankets which I then did not like and sent off to the frog pond. It was March before I knitted a sock and even then my mojo was still lacking. Things picked up in April and have been motoring along since but I still feel I am way behind where I ought to be, especially with my charity knitting.

This week I have, however, finished a pair of socks.

I knitted these using a motif from the Dustland Sweater and just made them up as I went along. The yarn is Ripples Crafts Reliable Sock in the Learning to Swim V2 colour which was a fundraiser for the RNLI overseas division, so sadly is no longer available. I used a 2.5mm ChaioGoo fixed circular for magic loop.

As soon as these were cast off I started a new pair.

These are for a fellow East Lothian Carers Panel member who has expressed a desire to learn how to knit socks. I am more than willing to teach her but suggested she try a pair first before she falls down the rabbit hole that is sock knitting and spends money. These are the Heel-Toe-Do-Si-Do pattern by Crazy Sock Lady Designs but knitted toe-up. The yarn is Stylecraft Head Over Heels Colours of the World Shade 1161 Sa Pa and again it is my faithful ChaioGoo 2.5mm fixed circular.

The re-knit of the Dustland Sweater got some love this week and I am powering through the yoke.

I am really liking how it is looking this time and hope to get to splitting for the sleeves in the coming week. That's it for actuall knitting this week, however there is some dream knitting to plan.

It's that time of year again!!

I have taken part in the last two years and have loved evey minute, now I cannot afford to buy a kit from Stephen and Penelope but I will stash dive and possibly even purchase a yarn or two to make my own unique kit.

I think that's all for this week, I leave you with a phrase which has been banging around my head since I saw it, and cannot help but think the world would be a better place if we all could make it happen.

BE THE REASON THAT SOMEONE SMILES TODAY

Sunday 9th August 2020

 Hello friends, another week has gone by. Don't you think this year is going faster than those before? I am finding that one day just rolls into the next and I forget where I am in the week. We have had a very strange week here in East Lothian, on Tuesday and Wednesday it was so dark and dreich with incessant rain that it felt like winter and then yesterday the sun was so bright and warm again, our weather has gone mad. Perfect knitting weather though staying in the house and keeping dry and cosy. As usual, I have way too much on the needles I really must try to get my head around monogamous knitting but sometimes I just want to knit something different, I don't know how other folks do it.

Finally Finished

Two weeks ago I promised you pictures of my Stillness Shawl by Helen Stewart, here it is in all its glory

This 5-week mystery knit along was simply a joy to knit. I used my Christmas present from DH which was a 3 skein yarn club package from Ripples Crafts in her reliable sock base. The colours were Green Grass on the Turn, Steel Grey Skies and The Gathering Storm and were dyed by Helen from the inspirational photo at the bottom of the picture.

The shawl is a half-pi shape and grew beautifully over the five weeks.

Week 1

Texture and stripes of colour

Week 2

Some simple lace and more stripes

Week 3

A section of star stitch and rows are getting longer

Week 4

Colour and eyelets and long rows

And we finished up with the simple lace and bind off you see in the finished shawl. The final sections were long rows with over 500 sts on the needles but somehow were so relaxing that it did not seem a chore at all. It was a joyous knit and I am looking forward to wearing it.

I would highly recommend this pattern for any knitter who has a little lace knowledge as there is nothing at all difficult and as with all Helen's patterns it comes with the percentage checklist which really spurs you on to do a little more. 

I think I will leave it there for this week but keep a lookout as there may just be a sneaky post midweek as I have more to share.

Stay safe and healthy

Mary

Sunday 26th July 2020

Hello friends, sorry for being MIA last week, we had an awful week after finding our old lady cat Connie passed away on the living room floor just a few weeks after we lost her twin brother Frankie. Coming on top of everything else I simply did not have the wherewithal to get the words out to you all. Luckily as always, I had my knitting and my stash to keep me sane.

The Knitting Toolbox

As a new segment, I thought I would give you a glimpse into my knitting toolbox, having the right tools for the job is an important part of any tradesman's ability to do the job well and it is the same for any knitter who wants to be able to expand their skills.

This week we start with the box itself,

I got my multi-layer hobby box from Lidl a few years ago but you can find similar at hobby shops or on Amazon and such like websites. Next week we will start to delve deeper and find out more about what I have in there, much like a ladies handbag you just never know what we might find.

On the Needles

As per usual I have way too many things on the needles to show you everything, like many knitters I have different projects on the go to suit my mood at any given moment. 

I joined a new group on Ravelry last week called The Testing Pool. This is a group where designers put a call out to ask people to test knit their patterns and check for any mistakes and such before publication. Within a few hours, I was lucky enough to be accepted to test the Jupiter Shawl by and new to me designer, Sambaknits, from Chile. Into the stash I dove and came up with this beautiful combination

The top yarn is from the Natural Dye Studio and is a Merino/Alpaca blend in gorgeous primrose yellow tones and feels divine to knit with. This was a gift from a good friend and had arrived just a few days beforehand so it felt very serendipitous to choose this yarn.

Below is yarn from one of last year's Rosie's Moments Beatrix Potter mystery boxes. The yarn is Merino wool and Donegal Nep in the Mr. McGregor's Garder colour. It is also a dream to knit with.

I have completed Section 1 of the pattern and am about 3/4 through Section 2

I must say that it is a very enjoyable experience so far and I will have a beautiful shawl at the end.

Finished Items

I only have one finish to share this week, or rather 12. 

Hubs and I nipped into our local wee Scotmid on Tuesday afternoon for a couple of items and we were speaking to a staff member who was saying how their ears were hurting with the pressure from the elastic on the masks we all have to wear here in Scotland when in shops. It is very easy for us shoppers to not realise how it must be for them as we can take our masks off after we have shopped but the have to wear them for many hours. I had seen these mask extenders popping up all over Ravelry in the last few months and decided that in the spirit of local support I would knit a few. They were so easy with each one taking just 30mins to complete that I managed a full dozen. Now hopefully wearing a mask for many hours will be much more comfortable.

Coming to my Needles Soon

Next week I will be able to share with you the full glory of the Stillness Shawl MKAL which came off the needles yesterday. I had such a good time knitting it that I really wanted to do another straight away. Luck must have been on my side as up popped Casapinka's The Sharon Show MKAL. This one will certainly be fun as it is not designed by Casapinka herself but by Sharon from Security her 1-year-old cat. I duly joined her group on Ravelry and will buy the pattern tomorrow. There will be 6 weeks of clues beginning with the first on August 7th, which gives me time to finish my test knit, and I have already chosen my yarn which has also been approved by Sharon herself.

I really love the colours and am chomping at the bit to get started but will have to be patient for a while longer. 

I think that's it for this week, thank you for reading my ramblings and happy crafting,

Mary

Find me on Ravelry as mazbil and on Instagram as The_Sunday_Sock

Sunday 28th June

Hello friends, it is the end of June already, how the heck did that happen? So much has been lost this year so far and yet I feel so much has also been gained. We have discovered new ways to live and communicate and I can't help but think that without the wonder of the internet this period of such uncertainty would have been so much worse. We have been able to stay in touch easily across the oceans and some have even had the chance to see others using video apps and such. It is comforting to know that things are slowly beginning to a type of normality and here in Scotland things are starting to open up. I can only hope that things go smoothly and we all remain healthy.

I have been thinking a whole lot about needles this past week as I was getting ready to start the MKAL I mentioned last week. I ended up choosing a 3.5mm needle for my project and it got me remembering that way back in the '70s when as a wee girl I was learning to knit I thought that 4mm needles were tiny and everything went so slowly, too slowly for my wee impatient mind. Nowadays with my love of sock knitting and fingering weight shawls 4mm is about as big as I can handle comfortably. Oh, how times change.

Talking of the MKAL, the designer has asked that no spoilers be shared so as to keep the mystery for everyone so I will abide by that request and just share a picture of my beautiful yarn here.

I am going to take weekly update photos of the project as it grows and will share them all with you at the end.

I also have another knit by the same designer, Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade, on the needles. The Habitation Throw was designed for those lucky people who can afford the beautiful yarn advent calendars which talented dyers bring out each year. I have decided that it is just perfect for leftovers and have started this one using blues, pinks and purples.

I am already planning a second using the greens, browns and other colours. It is a most soothing knit that is great for TV knitting.

A shawl I have seen a lot of popping up on Ravelry is The Painting Bricks by Stephen West and the more I see of it the more I love it, so yesterday I caved and bought the pattern. Now once again it is beyond my means to get the yarns suggested but I had a rummage in the deep stash and found some KnitPicks Palette in the beautiful Tranquil colour which I will use for my main colour and have paired it with some Drops Delight in bright rainbow tones which will give me the desired finish. 

And now for the promised finished items. I have had a huge commission from my mum to knit 5 cowls and some baby items for her to gift. Here are the first three cowls.

And the baby items

These are all now packaged up and ready to post in the morning.

Well, I think that is enough for this week. Stay safe and healthy.

Mary

Sunday 1st July

Hello, and Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian readers. Can you believe we are halfway through the year already?
This week we have been having record high temperatures here in Scotland and I must admit knitting has been difficult in the heat and humidity. It has been happening though and I have to admit to being on a real shawl kick just now. I have 3 on the needles and another 2 lined up, so socks have been taking a back seat.
The first two on the needles are Fading Point and Geology which I have shown before and are both paid patterns on Ravelry, the third is a free mystery KAL, https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/oshara-shawl-mystery-kal from designer SusannaIC and is available through the Interweave Blog. The KAL started on June1st, and I was a very late starter on June 25th but I have been sailing along nicely and have almost completed week 2. I am knitting it in Drops Alpaca in the colours, Dark Olive Mix, Lime, Dark Lime and Pink on 3.75mm KnitPro Zing needles.

The two I have lined up are https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/summer-2018-shawl-kal by designer J. L. Fleckenstein which starts today and I have chosen this yarn,

The second is https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/3-color-cashmere-shawl by Joji Locatelli again a paid for pattern which I will do in the following yarn

I look forward to sharing more progress pictures with you soon.

Sadly no-one entered my giveaway last week so I have no winner to share with you. If you would like me to do another giveaway sometime please let me know in the comments and I will try to organize something.
That's all for this week, enjoy the sunshine and happy crafting

Mary

Half Way to February

We are now half way through the first month of the year and what a first 15 days it has been. Floods have wrecked homes and lives and for a while it seemed the rain would never stop. Every day it was just grey and wet.
Then came the shock of two men passing.
David Bowie was the epitome of a star. His ability to re-invent himself to suit the music tastes of the time was flawless. He could take a feeling, capture it and make it his own. From Major Tom to Dancing in the Street with Mick Jagger there was something for everyone. Even to the end the last photos of him showed a stylish man who gave nothing away that he was so ill. He will be sadly missed but his music will live on forever.
Whilst still reeling from the death of David we were hit with the passing also from cancer of the wonderful actor Alan Rickman. Although best known to younger folk as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films this man was so much more. Through decades he has entertained us on stage and screen. The world of acting is so much poorer today.

Knitting

Moving forward this month I have a new MKAL to look forward to.

I love Susanna's patterns and will be looking forward to a new clue coming out each week. There is still time to sign up via Ravelry if you want to join in.
As it is a winter theme I have chosen to use Drops Lace yarn in a beautiful icy baby blue and silver lined blue beads.

I will keep you updated with my progress each week as the KAL continues.
The red jumper for my Mum is growing and I am almost at the place to put it aside and knit the sleeves.

Walking

My walking has slowed down this week as a cold has kept me mostly indoors. But as soon as I can I will get myself back out and get steps added to my journey.

Books

This week I finished  The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, read by the actor Robert Glenister. This is the first in a series of novels written by JK Rowling using this pseudonym. It took me a while to get into the book but once I did I really started to care for the characters, especially Robin. I will definitely be looking for more of these.

Still Plugging Away

As you know I am knitting a shawl with 1500 beads. It is very slow going but I am still plugging away. I am on to the final clue in the mystery and only have about 30 rows to go. I thought I would just share with you a wee peek at how it is coming along

Not only are there all those beads, it is also my first foray into using linen yarn. 100% linen yarn is rough going but I will persevere. It feels strange but I am sure it will be beautiful once done. Wish me luck.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Beads, Beads and More Beads

I have just cast on my fourth MKAL shawl for this month. I may be mad but I just love the excitement of a new clue appearing in my inbox. I was explaining to my DH that by having these short clues to work on each week I never get bored with one pattern. The shawls I am working on are all completely different but one thing they do have in common is beads. All four have added bling. This I am delighted with as I cannot wear jewellery so wearing a beaded shawl allows me to express my own style.
Now the thing with beads is how to get them onto the knitting. I had used my tiny trusty crochet hook until last Saturday evening when it went walkabout. I have absolutely no idea where it has gone. I had a spare which I discovered must be a bit bigger as the beads just would not fit over the tip. Eek!!! Out came the superfloss which whilst, for me, is fine in an emergency it is way too fiddly for applying the 1500 beads which one pattern calls for. So what to do? Off to You Tube I went to see if there was a solution for me and lo' and behold there I find a tool called a Fleegle Beader (You Tube link). The clip seemed to say it would be the answer to my dilemma. Now to find it in the UK, that was me next problem. Trusty Google stepped up to the mark and there it was available from a shop in Surrey, http://tallyarns.co.uk/shop-online/knitting-and-other-accessories/fleegle-beader/. Duly ordered I continued with the floss until my beader arrived on Tuesday. What a revelation!! It has changed my life, no longer the slow plod with 4 beads on the hook and then stop and reload, now I have at least 30 beads loaded up at any one time and it is a breeze. All in all I can safely say it was money very well spent.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Tullibody Inch - Island 3

I followed my arrow and it resulted in my first completed shawl this year. The pattern was the first ever MKAL by Ysolda Teague who is a local designer based in Edinburgh and who has a loyal following in the knitting community. I enjoyed knitting this immensely. There was a slightly different format to this mystery as not only did we get one clue each week, we had to choose between 2. The mystery lasted 5 weeks so in total there were 32 permutations. I chose to knit clues B,B,B,B,A which resulted in a slightly asymmetrical shawl. I used some Shetland 4 ply which I had in stash in a very deep maroon colour, (although is shows up brown in the photo).

Island link Tullibody Inch

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary

Fidra - Island 2

These socks are simple Vanilla socks with a 1x1 rib cuff. They were my first ever attempt at knitting 2 at a time, I can totally see how that appeals but for me I think I much prefer just sticking to doing 1 at a time. They were knitted in Ripplescrafts reliable sock base in the Christmas 2012 colour. Well fitting and comfy everyday socks.

Island link Fidra

I am also getting on with my many MKAL's I currently have 4 on the needles. One of them has 1500 beads in the pattern. I bought some gorgeous Matsuno beads in size 8 to use for this shawl and to my horror discovered that the do not fit on my tiny crochet hook. I resorted to using Super Floss but am finding it way too fiddly for my liking. A little research done and I have ordered a 0.5mm hook to try and my wonderful DH who must listen to my incessant havering about knitting tools has ordered me a Fleegle beader. What a man!! Hopefully both these tools will arrive soon and I can crack on with the mammoth task. Meanwhile I will continue on with some other projects.

Stay safe and happy crafting

Mary