Saturday was the school fair.........................

Yesterday was the school fair.



A few weeks ago I decided it might be worth me having a little stall to sell a few of the ipod socks that I have been knitting up out of my odds and ends over the last 18 months and a few other bits and pieces that I had knitted. I also wanted to use the opportunity to teach a few people to knit and encourage those that already could to take it up again.
I wasn't really sure if any of the stuff that I had made would sell mainly because apart from the ipod socks it was mostly hats and scarves and last weekend and the early part of the week had been very warm and not the sort of weather you would make those kinds of purchases in even if it was to put away for the winter months. This put me into a bit of a panic on Wednesday. As a bit of a last minute descision I decided to try out a few knitted corsages and keyrings - I have to say these were very popular, the keyrings totally sold out and I only had a couple of the corsages left.




The ipod socks went down well especially those in the cashmere but I have to say the best bit for me was members of my school knitting group coming along, sitting down and picking up needles and yarn and just taking time out from the fair for a little bit of knit therapy.



I certainly didn't need to worry about the weather and its impact on peoples purchases, with it being a little on the cold side hats and scarves were a welcoming site.


I had a really great day and it was great to chat to meet parents at the school that were also keen knitters and point them in the direction of all things new and knitty on the internet. I think I may well have recruited a few more members for the knitting club too now they have seen what they could produce. Can you spot the skeins of yarn that I had hand dyed out to dress the table, I had some great conversations about those too.

What is Robynn showcasing..........?

Have you been over to Robynn's Purlescence site recently? If you have you may have seen her show case this month, if you haven't, well you need to get straight over there and have a look.
Amongst the goodies is a fantastic hat kit from Oldmaidenaunt and it is worth it alone for the most fabulous stitch markers / hat charms ever. Back in February Robynn asked if I would mind doing a little test knit on a kit that she was thinking of stocking. And always happy to oblige I said yes and took home the little bundle.



The first thing that I noticed was the most beautiful strawberry stitch markers, which you actually knit up into the hat for decoration if you can bare to part with them. My one regret was returning them with the hat.





It was a very quick and easy knit with instructions for both knitting in the round as well as on straight needles. The pattern for the hat is neatly wrapped around the two handspun skeins of yarn.



Individually they knit up like this...



..... but in this pattern you knit both the skeins changing every couple of rounds to creat this effect.





Isn't it just gorgeous?

You can buy kits from Robynn here.

I have to say I am definately considering the Afternoon Coffe and spoons one. The colours are delicious and the stitch markers even more so.

Actually I want Robynn to source and stock these markers as I would buy tons and tons of them as they are just so, so pretty.

Mosaic and Entrelac...........

So it was Friday night and time to set off to meet the other Socktopods at The Hide in London. I have to say how I made it I don't know I was so, so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open. Anyway I arrived at London Bridge station ready to meet up with Indieknits and others. London Bridge is a very confusing station to meet up with people and there is definately more than one Cornish Pasty stand. Neadless to say I wasn't at the same one everyone else was at!
However once I did find Laura I had to stand and resist the temptation to buy a Krispy Kreme.
Anyway I did meet up with everyone and had a good evening and an opportunity to get started on my Mosaic socks. The first part was easy as all I needed to do was knit the rib for the cuff and at least these were cuff down - easy I thought.

Ok this was going to be my first try at entrelac and luckily I had Dianne (designer of the socks) right next to me to kindly help out whenever I got stuck. I managed to complete the first set of triangles before the end of the evening. A very good start.

Luckily Saturday was also presenting itself with fruitful sock knitting adventures as it was over to Alice's for an evening of PPP&P (thats Pizza with Pjamas and Pride and Predjudice - the BBC 6 episode version). Of course I had to supply Brownies which seems to be a compulsary part of attendance at all current knitting events.

What a fab evening and thanks again to Dianne I was able to complete my first ever entrelac. Unfortuately the heep caused me a few problems and I ended up starting no fewer than 4 times. Maybe the fact it was around 2am when I finally gave up and left it until the morning might have explained some of my woe.






Luckily at breakfast Ysolda was at hand to take me through the structure of a short row heels and I finally managed to complete one.

Apologise now to Dianne as I am afraid I am going to revert to my normal type of toe this time.

Other good parts to the evening included gazing around Alice's yarn room and drooling and I came away with two skeins of Cherry Tree Hill to knit man socks and a book of Tea cosies. One thing I haven't quite worked out is how both evenings managed to escape for me alcohol free! I have to say I made up for it with Bucks Fizz at breakfast though.

Sock(topus)Club Part Three ........ Mosaic

Well the much awaited third parcel arrived in its ever beautiful silver package today and I just couldn't wait to get it open. Once again not a hint of disapointment. The colours are just fantastic,very me and I love them.





So what info do I need to give you? Well the pattern has been designed by Dianne Mullholland (of the Inside Loop )and looks to me like I might have to learn a bit of Entrelac, although I have to say I am relived to find that they are a cuff down design this time. The pattern is just around the cuff so there is some relaxing straight forward knitting as a reward.



Now I am also guessing that these little buddies are going to be useful when completing this pattern too. I love the way the colours match those of the yarn and are in the reverse proportions - very clever and a lovely touch.



That blue really is stunning.

The yarn has been dyed by Middlearth Knitter Yarns, an etsy shop seller and is a Bluefaced Leicester with Nylon mix 75% / 25% and feels very soft. I love the range of tones within each of the skeins of yarn.







But I have to say my favourtie bit of the parcel was this.........



...... and in pink too. My very own members badge. This will be sewn onto my knitting bag and reminds me very much of the badges that I used to get when I was in the Brownies and the Guides many years ago.

I am looking forward to a collection of badges as a reward for each pair of socks I finish. I have managed so far to complete each pair before the next one is posted although the last ones got pretty close. However now the postings are half way through I am going to have to start thinking about saving up for next years membership because how could I possibly not join. I would see everyone else posting and feel like I was missing out.

Neighbourhood Tunnels........................

I have just realised that although I have blogged about these on the Sock(topus)Club board I haven't updated on my own.

So to recap at the start of March I received this from Alice


Containing this

Which turned out like this





But to make them I had to learn to do this


That's right - I had to learn toe up. A big thankyou to Quelle Erqsome without her help I would never have managed it.

So along the way at various stages they looked like this



I took my time to get started on these. The lacey pattern itself is really quite easy and logical but it was the whole toe up thing that made me put off starting and then once I had started the anticipation of having to do the heel.
I put that off for a little while too and then I thought time was running out to get them finished to be in with a chance of the prize draw and also I want to get my badge for completing them. So I had to go it alone and on the Sunday afternoon I had a go and actually it was much easier than I thought although I still think my technique has some polishing to be done. They have achieved the right effect but not as the designer quite wrote the pattern I fear. Emma please forgive me on this one I did my best?

Anyway once I had managed it off I went, plain sailing up the cuff. Now all I had to do was repeat it all again for the second sock. I managed it but I am still not sure I did exactly the same thing on both heels but I do think I understand short rows a little better now.

I am now looking forward to the arrival of parcel three sometime this weekend. I wonder what new technique I am going to have to learn next.

I also have to comment on the most beautiful sock blockers that came with this months parcel (well shortly afterwards). They really are lovely. I desperately want some in other sizes now too. A D&T project for one of the children I think.

The Fog is finished...........................

Ok so I finished this before I went away and it has already been worn almost constantly but with the rubbish weather I wasn't able to get that outdoor shot that I wanted.
Instead you will just have to put up with these......





I did change the next to a very simple roll neck rather than the polo neck in the original design by Tienne. I love this sweater and it was fantastic to knit despite all that 1x1 rib. I know when I read the pattern it did say not for those who don't like rib but somehow I did not quite manage to take on board how much rib there was to do. The sleeves were interesting as they are also knitted up in the round and I found the increases intriguing. I got used to the best way of doing them so not to leave any holes. I enjoyed the whole experience of knitting in the round. It was certainly what prompted me to knit the Sea Vines Vest in the same way. (Still to be blocked and photographed.)

The yarn itself must be one of the most fabulous that I have had the pleasure to knit with and the softness of it is greatly appreciated by the recipient. Thank you Andy at Bluefaced.com for this special purchase.

Also here is the first cable sock completed. However I have run into a little problem. Thinking I had done really well when there was 51grms left after number one had been completed I now think that there will still not be enough as the yarn apparently comes in 115grm skeins. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - its the Flamingo Sunrise all over again. The problem was the skein was a gift and came without tag, I now need to see if I can find another skein and purchase to finish off the socks.





And thats the toe that might be coming out if I can't get Yarn to finish them!
This sock is also my own design so all the more reason that I want to complete them.

It's been a while...........................

It really has been a while since I last updated but I have to say things have been pretty manic over the last month. I can't believe the last thing I posted was the Brownie recipie.
Easter weekend went very well and seems like ages away and it was spent with various friends over various meals - a very relaxing weekend indeed. A good job really so at least I was rested when the phone call came on the Tuesday. The phone call that every teacher dreads - the inspector rang to say he would be coming on Thursday. So we had just over 24 hours notice to get all the paperwork gathered up and in the right place, email off documents and do a general tidy around the school. I was first up to meet at him at 8am. This was all going on alongside the regular parent consultations and sending out of mid year reports. My days off that week were numbered. Having said all that I still managed to get to the Kniterati book group and do a stint at the Relax and Knit stand at Olympia at the Stitch and Craft show. I am not sure how I actually managed to get to Friday. No time to recoup at the weekend as it too was already packed to bursting.
Saturday was the usual ballet run followed by DH going off to Cambridge for a reunion dinner and Em and I dashing to Putney for knitty meet up with the Crimson Cafe Crew. That would have been fine except for the problems with the trains and signals between Mortlake and Putney being down. Anyway we made it and were able to chill for a little while at least. Our return journey was nowhere near as fraut. The Sunday presented its own problems. An early start to get to Eastbourne for a joint retirement and 75th Birthday celebration. No problem I hear you all say. Normally no but when one of the required party is in Cambridge and his train stops outside Bishop Storford for one and a half hours due to a fire in the signal box you do start to worry just a little.
Finally we were all in the same place to set off on our journey and in the end this was fairly uneventful and I made it back for knitting group on time.
The next few days were spent just getting ready to go away on holiday and get packed in between attending a production of the Pest House (a collaborative dance show from locals schools), planning for the next term, school events etc and keeping my sanity.
By the Friday at 9:15pm we finally took off and headed for Antalya, Turkey. If I ever needed a holiday this was it so I was pleased when I was greeted with the following scences for a weeks knitting by the pool. I make no apologise for the large pictures.
Papillon Hotels - Hotel Belvil, Belek

I have to confess to not actually going into the water all week as it was still a little too cold for my liking at this time of year.

This is one of the fabulous views from the hotel window.

This was the main restaurant and facities building.
These were taken on the Sunday when it was snow back at home.

I have managed to get a fair bit on knitting done including on the plane there and back. I was able to start and finish my Sea Vines vest kit which I had for my birthday and knit one half of a pair of socks. I was really pleased that having finished the Fog sweater, which was the first that I had knit in the round that I would adapt the Sea Vines vest and do the same. It has worked really well and no sewing up. Hurray. I wanted to wear it on the last evening but it will need blocking first so that you can see the pattern propaly as it ruffles up at the moment.







This was sitting up on the balcony of our room. The colour of the top and me were almost indistinguishable at points over the week and the legs are still suffering.


I started these on the plane and took Brittany wooden needles and the yarn but didn't cast on until I was actually in the air and it was too late to do anything about it. That way I thought the worst that could happen would be that I would have to hand over my Brittany's but not have to frog anything. The yarn in Cherry Tree Hill and is just divine to knit with. The pattern is my own of sorts so I will write it up when I have a bit of time although it is nothing adventurous really just basic socks with a cable running down it. I am really pleased with the way they have knitted up but a very tight squeeze to get a pair out in the size I am knitting for as I only had 51grms left after the first sock.

I took my lovely Harmony Knitpicks in my main luggage for the weeks knitting and these proved invaluable, especially when it came to putting stitches onto holders. You just leave them there and then screw on ends and attach the options to a new wire. Fantastic. Also the Know knits pouches have also been just right for holiday knitting near to water. I got the small one from Socktopus and the medium size one was a gift from ORK at Christmas, I also own a large one which stayed at home that I bought in Iknit just after my birthday.