A New Skill

I received my spinning wheel as a gift from my husband for my 40th birthday (letting my age out here ;-) and finally learnt to use it properly at a fibre retreat last year. I love spinning - probably as much as I love knitting - but the only problem is a spinning wheel is not that portable.

The new skill I would like to learn is how to spin on a drop spindle. I received a lovely Ashford drop spindle as a gift earlier this year. I have watched people spinning away on them - even total spinning beginners and they all make it look so easy but I just can't seem to get the hang of it - so - I'm looking forward to the next fibre retreat where I aim to learn to to spin that spindle!

This book, "Spin It" looks like a good idea - has anyone read it? If so, let me know what you think of it by leaving a comment here.

One Great Knitter

I've put a lot of thought into todays post because I know many great knitters and many of them are really good friends. Natalia Valentine is one of the best knitters/crocheters/tunisian crocheters I know and if anyone has any question about anything she is the person with the answer. She produces many of the patterns for Stitches n Bears magazine and has written a book on Tunisian Crochet. Heidi, Linda, Sandra and O'dette whom I knit with every week also rate in my list of great knitters. Heidi hates sewing seams and has developed all sorts of ways to avoid them which she happily shares with anyone who wants to learn. She also produces amazing tutorials which can be found on her blog Heidi Bears . Linda knits the most beautiful animals (2 of which I'll be featuring in my upcoming book) and these can be found in her etsy shop - Mamma4earth. Sandra produces the most beautiful  art knitting and O'dette, who only recently started knitting is just a natural. Another great knitter is my very good friend Linda, better known as Sissie. She is an inpiration to everyone.

Here are some of my great knitting friends

The other person who I think deserves mention here is Hazel Hele who produces wonderful wearable art.

Hazel's Grand Canyon

....and the author of one of my favourite books - Debbie New.

I know there was only supposed to be 1 but ... :)

An Inspirational Pattern

When I read what the topic for today's post is, I immediately knew what I was going to write about.There is one pattern or rather technique that I am dying to try out and it'll be one of the first when my book is done. It's Sally Melville's "Knitting as Warp" and can be found in her book - Sally Melville Styles.

I love colour work and really don't mind working complicated fairisle and intarsia with lots of different yarns hanging off my work, but this really appeals to me as it's different. It combines knitting and weaving. The background fabric is knitted - very loosely in stocking stitch - which means fewer stitches and rows than normal knitting to produce the same size, so I imagine that it would work up fairly quickly. Then the fun starts - weaving in the colour work. The pattern is worked from a chart and it is all very clearly explained in the book. Since only one colour at a time can be woven, the process seems fairly simple but the results look amazing.

Starting Out...

I never learned to knit as a child. I'm left handed and at school it was considered impossible for a left handed child to knit! I never complained - I was put at the back of the classroom during knitting lessons with books to read instead and I love reading. My Mom and Gran both tried teaching me but in a mirror so that I could learn to go the opposite way to right handed people; since I wasn't actually that keen (having seen the matinee jackets my friends were knitting) I never learnt.

When I was 15, my boyfriend (now my husband) got a motor bike. He wanted a scarf to wear when riding but couldn't find anything suitable so he bought some yarn (for 2 scarves) and needles and asked me to knit him one. I was too embarrassed to admit I couldn't knit and my Mom and Gran were both busy with projects so I went to his Nan and explained my predicament. She said that if after spending a day with her I still couldn't knit then she would knit 1 scarf - not what I wanted but if I didn't learn to knit I would have to admit to him that I couldn't!

Reluctantly I went over for the day and was surprised to find no mirror. Nan didn't know I was left handed. She taught me to knit like she did. I struggled to hold the needles and throw the yarn, so the right hand needle was tucked under my arm, by the end of the day not only was I knitting, I was a knitter and in no time at all 2 extra soft garter stitch scarves were produced.

And the rest as they say - is history!

To visit other blogs taking part - google "knitcroblo1"

1st Monthaversary

Wow, I can't believe that I have been blogging for a whole month! I am really enjoying this so a huge thank you to Linda and Heidi for convincing me to start.

Well, since today is the day - I positioned my cursor near the Followers avatars, closed my eyes, did a little whirly kind of a dance with my mouse and clicked... I was way on the other side of the screen, so I tried again doing a less whirly little dance and only missed by a little bit. I tried 5 more times and landed between the little avatars or just outside them - how is that possible, the lines between them are soo much narrower!?  So then I went to call Ken - there was a reason for that volcano :) and asked him to give it a go and what do you know - he clicked on one 1st try. The person who will be receiving the little gift is - Jennifer -  please would you contact me by leaving a comment on this post. If you will leave me your private e-mail I'll contact you there to get your postal address - and don't worry I won't publish the comment.

I tried to send an e- mail to Jennifer as soon as Ken clicked on her avatar but all I succeeded in doing was becoming a follower  too :) and now I need to work out how to take me off there.

Earth Day Yarn

Luckily there was enough sun on Thursday to "cook" the yarn but yesterday it rained so I've had to dry it indoors.  It's dry now and I'm very pleased with the colours. I'll be gifting 2 skeins to one of  my follower friends tomorrow.

I've had quite a busy time this past week, with lots of running around, so it's been lovely to spend some time in my studio today. I've been finishing a couple of projects for the book and have started another one. I've also labled and photographed some new yarns which will be uploaded onto my shop ColourSpun a little later today.  It's cold and rainy outside - I love this weather - it makes me feel alive!

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day everyone

I have been having some fun and games with my internet connection so I have to appologise for not being around the last few days. It has been really frustrating not being able to connect to the world but I have been busy with a lot of other things :)

Since it's Earth Day today, I decided to dye some special yarn. I chose some of my cotton, which is organic and used my usual earth friendly dyes to colour it. It's outside in the sun stoves at the moment and I can't wait for it to finish "cooking". I'll wash it this evening and it should be dry tomorrow. I chose a number of colours for each skein - greens for the plants and trees, purples, blues and turquoise for the rain, oceans and rivers and red and yellow for the warmth, light and energy of the sun that is essential for life. I plan to give a skein or 2 of this special yarn to one of my follower friends on the monthaversary of my blog which is in a few days time, so if you aren't a follower yet - now's the time to join.

The hand paint method I used for today's yarn is beautifully described in Linda LaBelle's book - The Yarn Lovers Guide to Hand Dyeing. If you're interested in dyeing your own yarn, this is a lovely book to own.

Here's the yarn "cooking" in the sun

- and here's wishing you all a Green day!