If you have seen the latest copy of The Knitter, you may have seen the yarn review for Heirloom Gossamer.  I would like to say that the yarn was NOT designed either BY me or FOR me, but was designed by and for Fleegle.

Here is an extract from the letter I sent to accompany the yarn:

“The Heirloom Gossamer was designed by, and custom spun for, a superb lace knitter and cyber friend of mine, Fleegle.  (fleeglesblog.blogspot.com)

There was much discussion on her Ravelry group, heirloom knitting, about what would constitute the perfect lace yarn for heirloom Shetland and gossamer shawls.”

Both Fleegle and I have contacted the magazine.  I know the fault is not mine, but I am still sincerely sorry for any offence this has caused.

It’s that time of year again!  Here’s what’s in the sale…..

Buttersoft dk

Pop Sox (older spinning – the new soon-to-be-here Pop Sox is just very slightly different in feel, having been spun at a different mill due to the closure of the old mill – still in the UK though!)

Gleam, the dk weight silk  (will sub for Debbie Bliss Silk, should you be so inspired)

Gleam lite, the 4ply weight silk (fab for shawly things – a large Ishbel will take 2)

Softee, the alpaca lace.

…and what remains of the fibre.

What’s NOT in the sale is the sock yarn (other than Pop Sox mentioned above), the Glisten, Damsel  and all the KnitPro.

There should have been lots more sock yarn coming your way today, along with more lace and a stocking up of the Bargain Basket BUT….. my dear little 4yr old, bless his little hand knitted wool and nylon socks, whilst playing train games on the computer yesterday managed to completely delete the folder of pictures we took last week.  And that means completely deleted!  He mysteriously managed to disappear them from the harddrive, and we’ve been unable to retreive them.  Which means an emergency photo session this evening!

Hopefully tomorrow…..

Happy bargain hunting

…glistening.

I’ve been amassing a shelf full of Glisten over the past couple of months.  I dye these in a different way to everything else, and they sit and marinate when I’m dyeing other stuff.  Thought it was about time they saw the light of day!

There’s a whole rainbow of new colours, and here are some of them….

The yarn is 100% silk, and at 400m per 50g, one skein is enough for a lacy scarf.  I’m currently working on a Laminaria in the small size in colour 7030.  The pattern says you will need all 400m, so I put an extra skein by just in case, and I’ll let you know if it needs it!  Here it is so far..

Pretty, huh?

David’s beautiful sweater knit in almost 800g of Buttersoft dk in Rainbow.  The pattern is a traditional Guernsey style from Rowan’s Classic Knits for Men (The Book Depository link).

…trying not to panic!

You may have noticed that there is hardly any sock yarn in the shop.  Fear not, my knitty chums,  it’s all going to Harrogate for the Knitting and Stitching Show.  Nothing ever sells out, so there will be some replenishment next week.  The yarn will be on  the Artisan Yarns stand.  There will be lots of sock yarn with some quite shocking yellows and purples (scroll down!), and some of the lovely Berry Hill fingerless mitten kits which include a 50g skein of Buttersoft dk dyed specially for the kits, a set of KnitPro 3.25mm dpn’s, 3 stitch markers and the pattern, all presented in a pretty organza gift/project bag!

And just so you know what to look for , turn to page 55 of this month’s Yarn Forward (issue 20).  The pic (the one with the socks) is uncredited, BUT. IT’S. MY. YARN  

And whilst all that is going on, I’ll be dyeing up more soft gorgeousness for your delight and delectation…

Happy knitting x

Contrasting, coordinating and clashing!

Do let me explain..

The Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry has a challenge each month, and every other month the challenge is a mystery sock pattern.  4 clues, each released a week apart and this month it is slipped stitches in colour, aka mosaic knitting.  I haven’t done any colourwork socks, and I haven’t done any colourwork projects at all, come to think of it, since a jumper covered in Llamas that I knit in the 80’s that didn’t fit.  And so, in the spirit of challenge, I was up for it!

Here’s my first sock cast on and half way through clue 2, the leg.

Then, inpsired by some of the fabulous eye-popping combos that others were knitting, I decided I must have a bright purple/fushia to go with the bright sunshine yellow left over from the September mystery socks.  I hadn’t got any, so I had to dye me some!

And then..  I was so inspired by the contrasts that I dyed some Smoothie Sock in lots of opposites.  The combinations are endless, some bright, some more subtle, but here are some favourites..

and so they go on.  This latest batch would also contrast rather nicely with some of the blues and greens from the last Smoothie Sock installment.

I’m  also inspired to try Ysolda’s new mitten pattern in some of these combos – the fingerless version would be such a good way to use up sock leftovers too.  I’m suddenly finging myself interested in colourwork!  Who’d have thought it?

…..having fun!

Half term has been upon us – some pics in a minute , but first… I have been reorganising the Buttersoft, and adding a few more colours.  I have quite a few semi solids, and as I was sorting them out in the shop I noticed how good they would be for a bit of colourwork.  What says you?

You may find some colourwork inspiration on this lovely blog.

I’ve also been spinning.  (LOTS of fun!)   Here is a singles from a braid of merino I sneakily kept back for myself at Wonderwool!  It is my first proper spun-on-purpose single, about dk weight, and I have still to complete the second skein.  I’m pretty chuffed with it – I’m thinking slouchy beret..

Then there was Croome Park with lots of space for running around,

molehills to dig up,

and ladybirds to examine!

There were dozens of them.  Here is just one!

And, being autumm, lots and lots of leaves to throw at each other.

Then there was Halloween.   The hair started off all Morticia, but after 2 years in the dressing up box it’s definitely more Russell Brand!

Well, I think  that’s enough frivolity.  Back to work………. blues and greens Smoothie Sock to put up in the shop…..

Happy knitting xx.

…doing Woolsilk!

I’ve had these sitting on a shelf for a while, so it’s about time I shared them with somebody!

This is quite a new yarn in the collection, and is a limited addition.  Once it’s gone, it’s…..well…gone!

The yarn is a smooth, evenly twisted lace yarn, and with 800m to 100g is a heavyish laceweight.  It is 50% silk, giving it a lovely subtle sheen and soft drape, and 50% wool (of an unspecified variety).  The skeins are huge, and vary a little in weight, and so have different prices, but mosty they range from 140m to 150m per skein.  Loads and loads for a big shawl!  Here’s a peek at what’s gone in the shop today….

You will find that the Smootherino, Smoothie Sock  and most of the Damsel has mysteriously vanished from the shop.  Do not panic…yet.  It, and lot’s more besides, is going to be trundling to Alexandra Palace for the Knitting and Stitching Show.  My display will be part of the Artisan Yarns stand, and I’m taking this little lot down tomorrow and helping to  set up.

Apologies for naff photo taken just now with OTT flash and very poor lights :$

I’m coming home after setting up, then going down for the weekend, which I’m seriously looking forward to.  I love the exhibitions at these shows.  For me, they make the entrance fee worthwile all by themselves.

Maybe I’ll see you there

Well, we all had a whale of a time!  The show was such fun and had a really lovely atmosphere.  It was set at Coldharbour Mill in Devon. My friend Joy, who very kindly volunteered to help me out on Saturday (which enabled me to not pass out due to lack of food/coffee etc!),  has some lovely pictures of the mill on her blog here.   Thank you Joy

Here is the fruits of our labours….

And my little itty bitty Sunday ‘helpers’…

…who, I have to say, were remarkably well behaved most of the time, and who got to do lots of other fun things..

though this bit wasn’t at the mill!  Just look at that little smiley face

Everyone has worked to hard to make the weekend such a success, especially John and Juliet , Juliet’s dad (we compared notes about names!), and loads of helpers around the mill, none of whom seemed to go home at all the whole weekend.  The caterers were specially wonderful and had we not bottled out of camping at the last minute and booked into a midge-free hotel who did breakfasts, all out meals would have been there.  They didn’t seem to go home either and stayed open from early breakfast to after-show dinner.

You all worked so hard for us, and kept smiling the whole time. Thank you.

I had the chance to catch up with people I have only met briefly before, and meet other lovely stallholders, customers I’ve had contact with through the shop, and lots of new people too.  Eirwen and Chris from the Knitwitches stand opposite us kept us laughing all weekend, and Eirwen even managed to bribe Anna May into behaving with a little skein of yarn.  Eirwen, can you come live with us ;p  It was lovely to meet Clare on another stall opposite us, who is Nimu, with Mr Nimu, baby Nimu and grandma Nimu, and to have some proper chats with Megan, who is The Thylacine, and Mr M.

Finally, I have my own haul of goodies:-

First a little 30g batt from Sarah’s Texture Crafts.  It was only £2.75!  I’ve already spun it into a singles, still on the wheel.  It’s my first go at an on-purpose singles…

Then there is this lovely braid from Megan, in the most gorgeous oatmeal BFL and silk in Cherry and Espresso.  I want to spin a sock yarn like Liz does here!  I think Megan’s really got something with these oatmeal fibres and yarns.  They’re really different and beautifully subtle and natural looking.

Then there is this lovely skein of Dollywaggon, a laceweight mohair from Nimu.  It turns out that Anna May had been eyeing this one up all weekend too.  I have plans for a Victiorian Lace Today stylee shawl.  I might have a go at making something up, as I am curerntly in love with shawlettes, rather than huge triangles or square/rectangular stoles.  I shall be poring over the design-your-own pages at the end of the book.  Kudos to Clare for managing to have a baby, get over that nasty flu thingy AND dye lots of yarn for the show all at the same time.

And lastly a spinning project!  This is about 500g of naturally dyed fleece from Artisan Threads.  They were next door and I had been eyeing up the lovely bags of colour all weekend. The provenance of the fleece is known, sometimes down to the actual sheep  Me, being a numpty, forgot to make a note of which little darlings grew this particular fluff. (I have 2 different sheep here!)   It’s still in the grease, so will be a new challenge for me.   I like new challenges   I would like to make a woolen 2-ply dk yarn.   I can see me stalking their online shop a lot   Just look at these colours…

We will be adding stock to the shop gradually over the next week or so.  I promised my children that I will not ignore them for the remaining 2 weeks of the summer holidays, so the updating will be going on in the evenings, and will include a brand new sock yarn

Juliet xx