Swallowtail Shawl

I made this Swallowtail Shawl (Evelyn Clark Designs) for my daughter using Wendy Happy 4ply, its the second one I have made and I prefer it to the first. Why? well its a matter of using the right yarn. The first one has yarn which has pooled instead of striped and I don't like it as much. Having said that, its 100% cashmere which makes it very cozy so it will be worn when the colder weather comes.

Disaster!!

My brand new spindle and slivers arrived yesterday (Yipee). Unfortunately, I was out watching our dear daughter in her drama group show and stupidly left my unopened (eagerly awaited) parcel on the kitchen table. Whilst I was out our dog decided that because she had been left on her own badness was the order of the day and ate the parcel!!!

I returned home to find the previously beautifully carded slivers of merino strewn hither and yon and the spindle chewed into several bits.

Am I impressed? NO I AM NOT!

A new hobby

There is something very satisfying about being involved in things from the beginning, I can totally understand why some people give up their modern rat race lifestyles and go native in the country (no funny remarks about small holdings please) Now I'm not saying that I'm ready to eat bark and knit my own shoes, in fact I enjoy the fast pace of my working life, but at home I have a hankering to take things easy and to create things from scratch. I have no artistic talent, I can't paint (apart from emulsion) or sculpt for example but I can knit and the sense of achievement when a garment, toy or pair of socks is completed fills that little creative area in my soul.

So I think I am now ready to take this creative process a step further, its time to play with the big girls and boys and learn to spin!

I have long listened to my Plurk Pals and Ravelry Chums waxing lyrical about the joy of spinning and using your own hand spun yarn so I've taken the plunge and ordered one of the drop spindle starter kits from http://handspinner.co.uk/index.html

I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival and will share my "roving" adventures.

Happy New Year?

Well here we are in 2009, and we are off to something of a vain glorious start.  The world economy is in meltdown, the Middle East is in chaos and my knitting stash is in uproar.  Ok the last of the three will not impact on anyone else's life but when the puppy gets hold of the Funky Fur your dear daughter begged you to buy and makes the worlds largest knot it turns into something of a minor crisis.  

On the subject of disasters, dear daughter was bitten by her pony during the holidays and her confidence to be in its presence has taken something of a knock (bloody Shetland ponies bad tempered little bas***ds) still she loves the little brute so it has escaped the glue factory this time.  Its partly my fault, we have not been doing any riding since the weather started to turn icy at the beginning of December due to my paranoia about horses slipping and injuring themselves or their rider (been there done that got the scars to prove it) so the horses have had very little exercise or contact with the children for months.  Hopefully by the time the weather turns for the better she will have forgotten the whole affair and be ready to interact with it again.

In other news, I seem to have started many projects over the festive season but been particularly bad at getting anything finished! I did manage a pair of gloves using Opal Harry Potter sock wool in the Dumbledore colourway 

and a Republic hat using Rico Designs Roxy wool/acrylic chunky

Not much to show for almost three months is it.

In contrast to this poultry amount of finished objects my "works in progress" pile is huge!  Currently on the needles are a Stephanie Japel Thick and Thin Cardigan Coat http://www.ravelry.com/projects/MaryModern/thick-and-thin-cardigan-coat  ,a pair of Urban Necessity Gloves http://www.subwayknitter.com/uphtml/urban%20necessity.pdf, a pair of two at once socks (making these up as I go along, wish me luck), an Isadora cardigan and a pair or grinch gloves.

Will keep you posted on progress (if any) as it happens.

I really hope that everyone managed to have a lovely festive season (despite all the gloom and doom) and that the new year brings great joy and prosperity to you.