Travelling wastes crafting time

I wish I could knit or crochet in the car. If I look down for any length of time, I start to feel nauseous. I can't even send a text or read a map for any length of time. All I can do is listen to music and admire the scenery, maybe doze off from time to time.

I can do nearly anything in a train, knit, crochet, read, you name it, the trouble is, I very rarely have occasion to use the railways these days. I used to commute by tube when we lived in London in my younger days and I was always knitting (and nearly missing my stop!) Even before then, I would take the train up to Leeds to go see Geoff during his college days, the journey was about an hour and a half out of King Cross on the 125 .... Bliss!

When we travelled to Bamburgh recently, it's a four hour journey in the car and something to be endured for the sake of the destination rather than enjoyed for its own sake.  If I had a four hour train journey, I would be so excited at the thought of that length of time for uninterrupted crafty time.

When we hit traffic due to roadworks around Newcastle, we were crawling along, I suddenly realised I might be able to do some simple crochet or knitting whilst we were going so slow but my carefully selected holiday projects, needles and yarn were safely stowed in the boot and not get-at-able. Mental note made to self to keep a simple project in the glovebox from now on.

Never has travelling in the car felt such a waste of time, I really don't like just sitting and doing nothing.

New yarn and matching socks

As promised to one of my regular blog commenters, Caroline, here's a picture of the latest additions to my ever-growing yarn stash

There are three balls of Stlylecraft Special DK in their latest "vintage colours" of Sage, Storm Blue and Parma Violet. I don't know what I'm going to do with those yet, I just wanted to have them.

The ball of glittery black loveliness is Sirdar Ophelia which was in the bargain basket. I've got a lined bag project planned for that.

Four different colourful self-striping shades of Drops Delight 4-ply, plus three balls in grey. I have in mind a granny style blanket made up of small squares, the grey will be used on the outer edge of each one to hopefully stop the colours arguing too loudly (that's the theory anyway). Not a bad haul for a little over £17! If the granny squares don't work out, I can rip them and turn them into socks, which reminds me ....

Coming along nicely! It's so easy to do this, I just wound one ball from the outside of a 100 gram ball of Opal Sweet & Spicy and one from the inside.  When they were roughly the same size, I cut the yarn and then unravelled the start of one of them until they were the same colour. 

No more mis-matched socks from now on!

Happy Yarn Shop Day 2015!

Just got back a couple of hours ago from a lovely week's holiday in Bamburgh (again!) But rather than talk about that at the moment, I want to celebrate Yarn Shop Day cos it's today!

When I realised we'd be travelling back on Yarn Shop Day 2015 (organised by Let's Knit and Let's Get Crafting Magazines), I was determined to support at least one yarn shop but didn't know which one to go to. I consulted the list of those participating and read out the location of every one in the areas we were passing through to to my ever-loving and supportive MTM and he told me how far out of our way it would be to call in. When we got to Treacle Wool Shop, Morpeth, it was only just off the A1 and so we had a winner!

We arrived in the lovely town of Morpeth just before lunchtime. Treacle Wool Shop is located amongst other wonderful shops in the Creative Quarter of Morpeth. The two ladies photographed, Kym (left, the owner) and Stephanie (her wonderful assistant and sock tutor) greeted me warmly. Tea and cakes were on offer for Yarn Shop Day. This a well stocked shop, a great variety of yarn and accessories, it's also full to the brim of enthusiasm and charm. There's a lovely welcoming room upstairs with a big table and chairs where they host a variety of knitting and crochet workshops.

I came away with a bag of yarn (how can I resist such a lovely selection). The bag in the photograph shows my purchases. When I discovered there was 35% off Drops, there was not stopping me! As the tenth customer, I got a free Drops Knitting and Crochet Design magazine and every customer got to choose from a basket of lovely goodies, I chose a 12mm wooden crochet hook, I've never owned a crochet hook so large, I'm looking forward to giving a try so thanks very much Kym! I had a super time in your shop and look forward to visiting again. I wish I live nearer but as you can order on-line from Treacle Wool Shop's website, I'll definitely be ordering more yarn from them in the future.

Just one complaint though ... through the clear plastic bag, my other half could see exactly how much yarn I'd bought, plain opaque bags are really a better choice for those of us who have to try to play down how many balls of yarn we've bought when our partners already think we have enough in the house to last for at least two lifetimes!

I hope Yarn Shop Day was a big success for all the shops who participated and in particular for Treacle Wool Shop!

Perfectly matched socks

Well these aren't really perfectly matched are they? My latest creation using some self-patterning yarn bought in Oakham (Drops Fabel Print if memory serves). I have been using self-patterning or self-striping yarn to knit socks since I started knitting socks a few years ago. 

We're on holiday at the moment and naturally I bought plenty of things to knit, crochet and read along with me. One of the books I bought with me is At Knit's End by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (aka The Yarn Harlot). Until I read this book, it never occurred to me to try to knit exactly matching pairs using self-patterning yarn, On page 75 she says "It can be fun and interesting to work with, but be warned. For those inclined to be obsessive , it can lead to a dangerous fixation with making the two socks match". Obviously, since the subject has been brought up, now I'M obsessed with doing this. 

I must have dozens of mis-matched ones in my sock drawer. As someone who considers herself to be quite a good knitter, I have only just now realised how lazy it is not to at least try to match the pattern on them both. How often have other sock knitters been looking at my socks and laughing?! 

I have some Opal Sweet & Spicy yarn with me, also purchased in Oakham, I'm going to try to knit two identical socks with it ...

Here goes .... Wish me luck!

WIPs increasing instead of decreasing

I have finished one of my Works In Progress! It's always such a feeling of achievement when you've made something you're really happy with. This cushion cover on the left, uses short row garter stitch was a joy to make using Sirdar Crofter DK in Thatcher 0065, the short rows and variegated yarn creates the interesting zig zag effect without any changing of colours - s'easy! The pattern I used is the Zig Zag cushion cover from Deramores, you get three other patterns with it so it's good value, I'm definitely tempted to make the Log Cabin one as well.

So my list of WIPs is decreasing ... wrong (of course). I have started not one but two more! I have zero discipline, I know the key to finishing items off is not to buy new yarn and then I won't be tempted to start anything else but just look at this lovely two ply from Lamington Lass!

These squares are going to be joined as I go along and will become yet another lacy scarf (I love lacy scarves!) I've also started an orange one in a different style but not much to see on that one yet.

On top of these new projects, I still have to sort out the edging to this hexagonal version of the rainbow spiral blanket,  I've done this one in more subdued colours so it can be used in my lounge and I wanted a different edging to the hexagonal one to the squares but I've used too many stitches, specially along the half hexagons and so it's gone a bit wrong.

I kept going on it telling myself (like I did when the edging went wrong on the square one) that blocking would take care of it but with every row, it got more and more wobbly. In the end I had to come out of denial and rip the border out.

May all your edges be straight and true. Talk again soon!