You know it’s Autumn when…

There are beautiful autumn leaves on the tree in the little quad at work.



And fabulous Hallowe’en cakes in the window of the patisserie that I walk past in the mornings.



And I have two pairs of gloves on the go in my knitting bag.

The Veyla mittens now have the perfect vintage buttons from Darn it and Stitch. I saw them when I was in there at the weekend picking up the pattern for my wedding dress (squee!) but didn’t have the mittens with me in order to check the colour. The only question now is do I keep these for myself or save them to be a Christmas present for someone? FO post tomorrow.

The other gloves are definitely going to be for me. I’ve wanted to make the Knotty gloves ever since I first saw the pattern but never quite seemed to have the right yarn. Then I realised yesterday that I probably had just enough Oxford Kitchen Yarns sock to make a pair of gloves. I’ve had the skein hanging around for quite some time, in fact at one point it was half a pair of Interlocking Leaves socks, and never found the right project for it until now.

Pretty little mittens

I'm quite enamoured of this pattern. I'm on Veyla mark two and I think there'll be another pair after this.



I love the fancy cuff and the lacy edging and the wee buttons at the wrist. Ok there are no wee buttons as yet but I have some in mind.

It's very much the season for knitting accessories, some cosy mittens here, a woolly hat there. And whilst I'm knitting little things I can get back to working out what the next big thing will be.

Full speed ahead

The wedding planning has been cranked up a notch here. Although the boyfriend and I got engaged waaaaaay back in January we didn't get going with preparations until a week last Thursday when we visited the priest to arrange a date. Since then we've obtained certificates of baptism which in my case involved quite a bit of ringing round as the church where I was baptized closed down in 1990 and is now an antiques centre. Eventually I tracked down the records from the church in the archives of my home town's public library. I got a very sweet email back from the museum assistant who seemed to think it was quite exciting to help me find my records so I could get married (probably makes a change from all the genealogy enthusiasts). On Saturday we went on a marriage preparation day which was really nice. It answered a lot of my questions about what the service would be like, encouraged us to think about some fairly important questions, and generally made me feel I was very lucky to be marrying such a lovely guy. Then today we found out that we have a provisional booking for a reception venue which I'm really excited about. We won't be able to visit it to look round for a few days but that's quite a good thing as it gives us time to get some quotes from other places for comparison. The other really exciting thing that's happened today is I've ordered a dress pattern (for THE dress) from Darn It and Stitch. Squeee!

Away from all the wedding fever we have a finished object.

FO: Shimmer Socks



Pattern: Shimmer Socks by Meg Croft
Yarn: Merino slim sock in Merlot by The Knittery
Needles: 2.5mm dpns

I'm really pleased with these. I didn't follow the pattern all the way through, just used the stitch pattern and added in my own toe, heel and cuff. I love how the lifted stitches highlight the semi-solid yarn. I initially went for a picot turned hem but after seeing Felix's socks changed to a 2x2 rib cuff - there's a reason why it's a classic.

Next up - I just started swatching for the o w l s sweater of dreams. Stay tuned for progress.

Roses in autumn

The boyfriend and I had the loveliest afternoon in Blenheim today. We went to hear the choir of St Martin in the Fields singing in the chapel (just fabulous) and then went for a walk to the rose garden and back.

You'd think it was the height of summer from these pictures.



I love the rose garden at Blenheim. It's a shame that the boyfriend and I are planning to get married in the middle of winter, otherwise I'd be very tempted to sneak in there for some wedding pics.

Back at the flat I managed a bit of craftiness involving some buttons and an inexpensive M&S sweater.

Before:



After:



For just £2.50 worth of buttons from Darn It & Stitch it's a much fancier sweater. I was going to make little pleats at each button to gather the neck in more but didn't have the right coloured cotton thread. Besides, the neckline is fine if I wear it over a t-shirt and in our office at the moment layering is a good thing. I can't tell from one day to the next if I'll be freezing cold or massively overheated. It almost makes me impatient for the predictability of winter when I know I'll be cold all the time!

Twinkle toes

FO - Hedera socks



Pattern: Hedera by Cookie A.
Yarn: Louet Gems Opal
Needles: 2.75mm

Woot! I have new socks, I've made good progress on a previously stalled pair of socks, and we've just Freecycled our unwanted sofa. I love Freecycle - it's a complete win-win. The nice chap who turned up with a white van got a free sofa and we got rid of our old sofa just over 24 hours after posting an "offered" notice. Admittedly the old table lamp (also up on Freecycle) isn't going quite as quickly but then it's not taking up as much space in our living room. I was really relieved when the guy who took the sofa arrived in a van - one response to the ad asked whether the sofa would fit in a Picasso. It might, but only with great difficulty.

Plus I have new yarn and a shiny new pattern idea which I'm very excited about. I'm going to get knitting on that now whilst watching Spooks.

Quick Random Tuesday

I'm onto my second Hedera sock in some silvery Louet Gems Opal I bought back at the iKnit day in 2009. I wasn't too enthused about knitting with the yarn (it's a bit on the thick side) but on 2.75mm needles these are turning out to be surprisingly delicate and lacy. Knitting up quickly too - I only started sock #1 on Sunday evening.

I'm listening to Wolf Hall read by Simon Slater as an Audible download. For those of you that think that either the non-member's price (£23.99) or the monthly subscription (£7.99) seem a bit steep I have two words for you - free trial. Wolf Hall is fantastic btw. I'd not previously read the book and I'm loving it. I'm about 6 hours down, 18 to go.

I'm just about to head off to the running club for the regular Tuesday night run then it's home for Masterchef the Professionals on video. Hurrah for the return of Monica and Michel!

Cloisonné yay!

The ends are woven in, the buttons (I used some of the ones which Felix bought me from Duttons last year) are sewn on and the Cloisonné jacket is ready for me to wear to work tomorrow.



Pattern: Cloisonné jacket by Deborah Helmke
Source: Interweave Fall 2010
Needles: 4.5mm circs
Yarn: (just over) 5 balls New Lanark DK in natural brown and 1.5 balls in ecru.
Modifications: knit in the round with a steek and knit-on button band; I also knit just one lace repeat round the bottom hem.

I'm so pleased with how this turned out. The shape is great - just around the length of a cropped jacket and the yarn is delicious. It's softened up amazingly after blocking and just feels fabulous. This is going to be lovely ad cosy to wear in the office this autumn.



I really like the garter stitch collar too - it's a detail I'll be borrowing for future projects I'm sure.

It's a good thing that the Cloisonne jacket worked out so well because the eyelet cap is a bit of a flat failure. Actually "flat" is the wrong word, it's more of a floofy failure. Blocking didn't sort out the problem, rather after blocking the hat has assumed the proportions of two hats. That being so I'm going to follow Vanessa's example over at do you mind if I knit? and cut it in half. I'm pretty hopeful that I can at least get a ribbed beanie out of the lower half.

Finished objects galore

I've finished off a whole bunch of projects this week. Currently blocking in various locations around my living room are the Cloisonne jacket, Eyelet cap, and a garter stitch baby jacket.

The Cloisonne jacket was all but done before I went on holiday but I felt it was too bulky to cart around Ireland just for the sake of finishing the collar.



There are still a few ends to weave in here and there, the steek facing needs to be tacked down in a couple of places, and it needs buttons but it should be ready to wear by the weekend I hope.



This one doesn't need anything else to make it ready to wear - it just needs the intended wearer to arrive on the scene :-)



This one doesn't need anything else doing to it either. In fact I'd be wearing it already if it weren't for the fact that it's floofing out at the top of the brim in a most unattractive manner (think a handspun Shetland chef's hat).

Finalment we have a freezer paper stencilled t-shirt made at Ellen's gathering at the weekend using a stencil from this fabulous book which was brought by Abby.



I have to say that freezer paper stencilling is the most fun ever. It's crafty, you get a great finished object, and there's a high instant gratification quotient. I also stencilled this cute owl (traced from a card that Kate sent me).



I was so pleased with how this turned out. Check out Ellen's post if you want to see the big reveal.

Low key

I've not really had a quiet weekend in the flat - just me with nothing to do and nowhere to go - since the end of July. It's been really restful to just relax with some good food, a bit of telly, some reading, the football on the radio, some knitting and spinning, and to catch up with the washing up and the laundry.



Roasted butternut squash and garlic risotto. This is sooo good. I had it for dinner last night and I'm having it again tonight (butternut squash just doesn't come in one person portions). The boyfriend (for some bizarre reason) is not a fan so I'm taking the opportunity to fill my boots whilst he's away for the weekend.



A Larieux from Maison Blanc. I couldn't say that this is my favourite MB cake, sorry, gateau - they're all my favourites. I walk past the shop twice a day on my way to and from work. I wouldn't be human (or at least female) if I didn't step in to buy a cake for pudding now and then.

I ate these whilst watching the final episode of Sherlock on video. I really like this new series - I'm really pleased that the Beeb are making another one. When the box has been switched off I've been reading The Private Patient by P.D. James. This is the first of her books that I've read. She's been recommended to me by several people although my sister's recommendation came with the caveat that she enjoys the books up to the point of the murder as she doesn't particularly like Adam Dalgliesh and I finally picked up this one which has been lying around the flat since the boyfriend bought it a while back. I'm quite near the end now and I'm looking forward to finishing it over dinner tonight whilst listening to the Prom.

There's been a bit of retail therapy too. I popped into Darnit and Stitch to look at wedding dress patterns on a tip off from Jenny and to buy some buttons for the green garter stitch baby jacket. These are just perfect I think, very pretty.



I also bought some yummy, half price chocs from Hotel Chocolat (the label said I should "consume promptly" - I don't think there's any danger of not doing that) and then a new nail varnish from Boots in a very tasteful coffee colour as I had a £5 voucher off (when exactly did nail varnish become so expensive btw?).

And very satisfyingly I've found time to sit down at my spinning wheel and start on some of the fibre I bought at Knit Camp in Stirling.



This is a handpainted Blue Faced Leicester and silk blend from Old Maiden Aunt in "Wishing and Hoping" - I wish and hope that you are all having as lovely and restful a weekend as I am.

What I knit on my holidays - part #2

This is the project for which I thought I might need a backup whilst I was away. I set out with yarn, needles, and a pattern (not this one) which I wasn't completely sure would work (as it needed to be down-sized) and came back with this:



It just needs a couple more rows in the body, the sleeves, and some icord edging and button holes and then it's done.

The yarn is Blacker Designs Corriedale in a fabulous leafy green which really doesn't show up in this photo.

What I knit on my holidays - part #1

This was my backup holiday project. Without a current portable project on the go and a new project to start which I wasn't entirely sure would work I packed this "very easy" hat pattern, the right size needles, and a ball of handspun just in case.



I didn't get quite as much done as I thought I would on the journey (due to the need to assist with the navigation on A roads rather than motorways) but I had a couple of good sessions in Ireland and have really motored on since I got back.



I'm just about ready to work the decrease round and then it's on to 8 inches of two by two rib.



What's that marking the beginning of my round?



Whilst in Stirling I was bemoaning my lack of matching stitchmarkers and Mel very kindly offered to make me some. These were waiting for me on the doormat when we got back from holiday. They are soo pretty - thank you Mel!

Things I learnt at Knit Camp

Steeking is easy and fun.
Irregular colourwork when worked backed and forth is neither easy, nor fun.
The "itch factor" of a yarn depends on both the diameter and length of the fibre (short fine fibres may feel more itchy than longer, coarser fibres).
I have been cooking American pancakes at too high a heat (I could never figure out why the butter always burnt). I am now the queen of American pancakes based on the way people were wolfing them down although that may also have been to do with the strawberries and ice-cream topping (for breakfast folks!).
All the cool kids are wearing these shoes http://www.schuh.co.uk/womens-green-red-or-dead-rolo/1304474020/ - expect to see my new pair in forthcoming sock FO posts.
Knitting really is where all the great women are (to quote Felix).

Enough waffling though, I know what you really want to see is the yarn.



I came out of Deb Robson's class even more convinced that knitting from British breed specific yarn was the way to go. We used mostly Blacker Designs yarn in the two sessions of Deb's class on Friday and as soon as we hit the lunch break we headed over to Sue Blacker's stand to say thank you and to buy yarn.

I bought 5 balls of the Cotswold dk yarn on Friday to knit another seamless hybrid lace sweater (I already have some lace motifs picked out from Mikal's Vogue stitchionary) and I bought a single ball of the raspberry coloured Ryeland on Saturday with no particular plan in mind - it was just such a pretty colour.



Earlier in the week I had continued the British yarn theme (if you can continue something in advance) by buying yarn for the Cloisonne Jacket from New Lanark Mill. This is such lovely stuff. It's knitting up very quickly too, I'm already onto the sleeves of the jacket and keep breaking off from this blog post to work on the crochet reinforcement for the steek.

Finally I bought some gorgeous sorbet coloured fibre from Old Maiden Aunt. I love Lilith's colours and deliberately went for something a bit outside my usual range (plum through to wine coloured).



The colours are a bit brighter than they show up in this photograph - I'm sorely tempted to spin them both up the same weight and then stripe them!

Reporting from Knit Camp - part #2

Tuesday 10/08/2010

Tuesday was mostly spent in knitting and mooching (due to my class with Deb Robson being rescheduled to Friday).



I cast on for my Cloisonne Jacket and made reasonably good progress. In the evening after dinner Ellen, Aspen, and I headed over to the university for the knitting pub quiz (a.k.a. the pub quiz that time forgot). The atmosphere was a bit better than on Monday but it really did drag on. We stuck it out until the end of the quiz which largely consisted of questions which I'd have to have been Elizabeth Zimmermann's stalker to be able to answer but it was a relief to head back to the much more mellow atmosphere of the Knit Pad.

Wednesday 11/08/2010

As neither Ellen or I had classes on Wednesday afternoon we headed up to Stirling Castle for a bit of history.



You can see our flat from up here!



There's a great view from the other side too. I reckon this cannon is trained on the Wallace Monument.

The highlight of the castle for me was seeing the work that was going on in the tapestry weaving studio where a team of weavers from the West Dean Studio are working on a recreation of the Hunt of the Unicorn series of tapestries which will be hung in the 16th century palace once the restoration is complete. It was amazing to see the weaving in progress and I'm really keen to have a go the next time we have a workshop at the guild. We weren't allowed to take any photos in the weaving studio but I did get shots of two of the three tapestries which are already hanging in the castle buildings.





After the castle we took the tour around Argyll's Lodging which was very engaging and informative before heading back to the Knit Pad to cook dinner and meet the BNKs (that's big name knitters) who were joining us for the evening.

Thursday 12/08/2010

On Thursday it finally felt like Knit Camp got going for me as Felix and I had our first class "Planning your own aran" with Jared Flood. It was a great class, really informative, very clearly presented, and I tried my first ever steek!



Before.



After (this is actually Felix's swatch - my yarn didn't change colour!). It's a bit of a blurry photo - maybe my hands were shaking after cutting my own steek?

After Jared's class I was completely inspired to rip out the Cloisonne Jacket which I was working back and forth (irregular colourwork is a right pain to work on the wrong side) and restart it in the round. I'm very excited to try my first steek on an actual garment.

In the afternoon Felix and I headed up for a bit of a stomp around the Wallace Monument.



Sir William Wallace.



Felix taking in the view.

After the monument we headed over to Kilmahog to check out the Kilmahog Woollen mill which was frankly not worth the trip but on the way back we made a small detour to view the Bracklinn Falls which were so worth it. I love a good waterfall.



Felix at the Bracklinn Falls.



Bracklinn Falls.



Amazing puddingstone rocks.

Last report to come tomorrow - once I've taken photos of my Knit Camp spoils!

Reporting from Knit Camp - part #1

I've just got back from the most fabulous week up in Stirling. Like Woolfest last year it's left me with almost too many thoughts to gather up and far too many to convey in coherent prose but I'll have a shot with the aid of my photographs.

Sunday 08/08/2010



(Attempted) blogging and flickr posting via smart phone whilst driving on our epic 9 hour road trip from Reading via Oxford and Woodstock up to Stirling.



Felix started and finished a Clapotis in Swaledale rope yarn (officially the hairiest yarn in the world) between Stoke on Trent and Carlisle services. Admittedly it was only 13 stitches across but still an achievement. I spent most of the time in the back feverishly knitting on a full size Clapotis which I had rashly cast on the preceding Sunday.

Arrived at the palatial Knit Pad (we had eschewed the official Knit Camp accommodation in favour of luxury self-catering organised by the fabulous Mel) around 4:30. Mel and Nicky* headed out to buy supplies whilst Ellen, Felix and I explored the flat and marvelled at the number and variety of bathrooms and the amazing view.



Stirling Castle - pretty much as seen from our living room window.



The Royal Gardens (laid out in 1628). This is the view from the castle walls - you can see our apartment circled in green. Not bad, eh?

Monday 09/08/2010

Felix, Ellen, and I headed out to New Lanark Mill for a bit of yarn and culture. We did the full tour including the Annie McLeod experience which involved sitting in egg shaped pods travelling through a series of displays whilst a small girl told us how child labour wasn't all that bad really. My favourite bit was the textile machinery room. I am just a sucker for anything connected with the industrial revolution and it was fabulous to see a Spinning Mule in action (it took me right back to primary school trips to visit Hall'ith Wood, Samuel Crompton's home, in Bolton).



Felix with massive, great water wheel.



Ellen with massive, great water wheel.



Scenic mill stuff.



Spinning Mule.



Felix enthusing over Spinning Mule.

Once we felt that we'd paid our dues to social history we hit the gift shop - by which I mean the yarn shop. Ellen bought a pack of New Lanark dk in a lovely shade of indigo for a sweater, Felix bought some yarn to finish the sweater that she suddenly had realised she was knitting (originally we all, Felix included, thought that it was going to be a hat), and I picked up some New Lanark dk in brown and cream to knit the Cloisonne Jacket from the new Interweave.

Once we got back to Stirling we picked up our Clapotis and headed off to the university to campus to register for our classes and attend the Clapotea party. The unversity campus is very pretty.



I think if I studied there I'd spend all my time looking at the view rather than reading!

The Clap-o-tea party was not a great success for us. No tea(!) for one thing (which seems like the cruellest form of bait and switch) and a rather odd strained atmosphere. It was good that we attended as we picked up some rather crucial information about how to find out about how our classes has been rescheduled due to the work permit snafu but it was a relief to get back to the much more mellow Knit Pad (with actual tea).



I finished the knitting on my Clapotis (if not the dropped stitches) in time for the Clapotea party. It's a beautiful scarf and deserves its own post in due course.

Two days down - six to go.

* if you read this please do let me know if I'm spelling your name correctly. I started to write this post and realised I had no idea if it's "c-k-y" or "k-k-i" or "c-c-i" or what. Sorry!

Almost ready for Knit Camp

Just some yarn to wind, salad to chop, and half a Clapotis to knit. Luckily it's a really long journey from Oxfordshire to Stirling.

There's been a fair bit of (negative) brouhaha about UK Knit Camp but I'm not going to add to it here. I'm just really excited about heading up to Scotland (mountains Gandalf!) to hang out with my friends, do a bit of walking, eat some good food, and hopefully attend a really fun knitting event.