It’s a new year, so I’ve since Sunday I seem to have cast on for four different projects. Oops.
Sunday was spent with my parents, catching up on television as it rained pretty much all day, and I cast on for the Autumn Tam I bought from Jamieson’s at Harrogate in November. It’s not going very quickly – it needs a fair bit of concentration – but it’s coming on nicely, and the subtle colour changes are very pretty. It’s also very hard to photograph – I really needed three hands, two to stop it rolling and one to hold the camera!
On Monday the sun shone and we went out for a drive and a pub lunch, and at the last minute I found that I didn’t have anything on the needles suitable for car knitting. I didn’t have time to wind yarn, so I grabbed a ball of Regia Kaffe Fassett yarn and started a sock. We had lunch at The Feathers in Helmsley, and found this little chap on the shelf next to where we were sitting -
A mouseman mouse – there were a few round the place. I do love coming across them, and you do from time to time in Yorkshire. Lunch was good too – masses of Yorkshire ham, with chips and eggs.
Last night I’d had enough of stranded knitting for one day, and had a wander through my Ravelry queue to look for a garment to knit. I came upon the Drop Collar Cabled Jacket by Debbie Bliss, and remembered a pack of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Chunky I picked up cheaply a few years ago, so I found it and did a swatch. The pattern says 6.5mm needles, I went up to 7mm but I’m still getting 13 sts/4” instead of 12. I’m going to wash the swatch in case it grows, but it doesn’t look as though it will somehow – I can see me swatching again on 8mm. I don’t like using such big needles, but I’ve got the yarn, so I may as well grit my teeth and get on with it!
After that I picked up the blue sock, but I wasn’t feeling the love, so I found some lovely silk/alpaca sock yarn in my enormous box of sock yarn, and cast on for another pair of cosy house socks – I’ve got a couple of pairs in this blend, and they’re lovely to wear in the evening with my pyjamas.
I don’t think Mollie approves of all these new projects!
In other news, I’ve finished the socks I was knitting before Christmas. I’ve used 60g of a 100g ball, so I might make another pair with either shorter cuffs or contrasting heels and toes – I do like the yarn.
I’ve also been doing a bit of spinning, I bought two lots of lovely rainbow fibre from Hilltopcloud – this is shetland and silk roving – there are four 25g lots, so I’m spinning them all separately to make two matching 2ply yarns (well, that’s the theory!)
I also bought a set of BFL/silk rainbow batts, largely because I bought some for my secret santa gift at spinning group, but then didn’t want to part with them!
Right, must go, I’m back at work this afternoon and I need to get dressed! Roll on the weekend :)
Those bed socks look so soft! I love that fibre too, it’s looking fab.
I’m going to make you really jealous now and tell you I have a Mousey Thompson dining table and matching benches. I have my own mouses! My Great Uncle was an architect and built a weekend house near Kilburn where the studio is based. He designed his own table and Mousey liked it so much he made one for himself. We don’t know where his got to, but I have the original :-) You can see it here: http://flic.kr/p/b7eQ4v and here: http://flic.kr/p/b7eLYz. I’ll have to take photos of the mouses too one day!
Ooo, that hat is gorgeous, and I love the colours in it! The cardigan pattern is lovely, hope the swatching turns out ok. :)
Great projects! And that’s really cool about the Mouseman! I love Mollie’s expression!
Your colourwork is so impressive. I’m determined to have a go at some this year. I love the pink sock yarn – it looks very soft and cosy.
The look on Mollie’s face! Priceless!
oooh love the autumn tam…. love a bit of corrugated ribbing!
the finished socks look great too