Blame it on the sunshine!

I whole heartedly blame this post on the great weather - but seriously does it get much better than this? I have a job that I really enjoy (reservations over GP aside!) and that I think I'm fairly good at, where I get to indulge my inner fibreholic and have lunch it a breathtakingly beautiful location in the sun, just a half hour of peace and calm to sun worship and knit. And did I mention that I have next week off, a whole week of catching up with family and friends, and of all the fun activities I have vaguely floating around my head. Yup, safe to say I'm in a good place, and not even the thought of a five and a half hour train journey this evening can put me off just enjoying this moment:

TGCC update 4

So after my deliberations of last night, I have decided against using the multicoloured handspun, and against a cardigan/jacket - I've just made a Tomten for this little guy, it'd be too similar in concept.  I have instead decided to improvise a very simple raglan, knitted in the round with some fair isle attempts, using some of my other handspun as the contrast - a lovely marled effect yarn made from a humbug top.  It's a little closer in weight to the Welsh Black Mountain, and provides a lovely rustic grey next to the black, and is very effective.   And it's all completely natural, straight off the sheep colour, which I love the idea of! I guess the yarns to be around an aran-chunky kind of weight, so I've decided to go for size 5mm needles, to get a fairly dense fabric, which really balances out the lofty, bounciness of the yarn, and also, as the WBM was one of the first things I spun, it's a little uneven, and a tighter gauge helps with that too.  It's knitting up really fast in comparison to the fingering weight 3.5mm needle stuff I have been doing, so that's just great!  I may be finished it tomorrow... but more likely Friday.  Here's a shot from a little earlier:

TGCC 2011 - Update 3 a.k.a. - I forgot what a pain in the behind sewing together a cardi is!

Jenna's cardigan is finished.  And it's really reminded me why I like knitting in the round or knitting in as much of a single piece as possible!  It's a real pain sewing it all together at the end, and I'm not 100% happy with one of the sleeves - I think the needle I used was too chunky, and it looks neater on the other side where I used a finer needle... but maybe I'm being a little fussy.

And I've put Morgan's cardigan on the blocking wires.  Hopefully give it a good chance to get rid of that annoying stocking stitch curling under.

And now I'm on to deciding what to tackle next.  I really an torn between wanting to get the cardigans/sweaters out the way and being dreadfully bored of stocking stitch and bigger projects.  I'm also toying with the idea of making a hand-spun, fair isle, lined and hooded cardigan for Conner, but I have no pattern besides some ideas in my head, and no experience lining something I've knitted... but I have a really cool idea of combining this black/dark brown yarn with the splash of colour that would come with the second yarn, which was from a scrap swap.  I'm really not sure what to do and whether it's a good idea or not.  They're both two plies and bouncy(ish) yarns, but the Welsh Black is much courser and slightly thicker than the coloured stuff, and I've never done colour work... Mmmm.... will need to think about it a little more me thinks...

(It would be the two skeins on the right, well, actually, half of the middle one and all of the red/orange/blue one on the right)

TGCC 2011 Update 2

Today I finished my second cardigan of the challenge.  It's actually (bar buttons and blocking) the first one I've finished.  I've concentrated on it solely whilst I've had the first one's pieces blocking... all week!  So, without further ado, the second cardigan:

Proper photos in decent light will be taken once it's got buttons and has been blocked.


My next goal is to get the first one finished over the next couple of days.  I've started sewing together the bits, and so far, it's looking like the pre-blocking soak has got rid of excess dye.  No hints of blue fingers, just yet!

So this takes me to my checklist and a progress report.
 
1) Both parents, although not sure what I'll do for my dad.
2) Grandparents (UK ones only, it's not practical to get the SA ones things)
3) Brother - although haven't given it much thought as to what - I have the perfect fibre to spin and then knit a hat with.
4) Aunt and cousin - I have two hats, which are without ownership, they maybe heading here.
5) Sarah and Martin - I have a start of an idea
6) The Clark girls - 70% done
7) The Clark baby
8) Conner
(6, 7, 8 are all little kids, so they are to get a cardigan or sweater each, make this rule 6!)
9) Emma - There's a very Em hat here, that I think will take on her name, and maybe a little something else ;).
10) Lorri
11) Sam and Kev - potentially something for Sam
12) Mary - I have an idea
13) Fiona
14) Mrs Spoon

Not very far yet, but it's getting there.  The kids clothes were always going to be the biggest things, and I've made a fair dent in those, and between have made the biggest two, and with the thinnest/slowest yarn, I'm sure the other three with fly by.... does it sound like I'm trying to convince myself?

And in other news, I've spent the weekend barely leaving my bed.  I've had a cold, and whilst not a particularly bad one, I've luxuriated in it as my excuse to snuggle up and rest loads.  Friday night in particular, when I got in from work, dug out my hot water bottle, shoved on a pair of freshly washed hand-knitted socks and crawled into bed and didn't surface properly until Saturday afternoon.  The first half of the weekend in particular was the perfect autumny day to snug up under a blanket with toasty toes.  What did I do before my hand-knit socks - they're so wonderful at keeping me warm! I'm now feeling very lazy. But at least I've managed to rest, ready for the grind of work again tomorrow.  I just need to get through the week, and they I have a whole week of annual leave, and I can't wait.  It will no doubt give me a great opportunity to make TGCC progress.

Beautiful Chaos

As I sit here in my flat, still trying to decide what to have dinner, I procrastinate and look over some of my more recent posts and photos.  They're almost exclusively craft related, so I thought I'd share some of my other memories of recent weeks.

Over the August Bank Holiday, I was invaded by a little army of Clarks.  It was amazing, chaos, adventure, sun, sand, beaches, stones, art, and above all love and company.  My tiny little flat coped admirably with five extra bodies and all that entails!

On the first full day, our sea searching took us to the Jurrasic Coast - to Hive beach, just outside Burton Bradstock.  It wasn't the warmest and sunniest of days, and boy did those fine little stones hurt under foot, but fun was still to be had.  Some of the best adventures was moving across the beach!

 And of course, picnicing - with jaffa cakes and all!  Mmmm, tasty!

 And crazy adventurous little people.  An activity which started at the bottom of a cliff with - "ooh cute, look at the little person a little way up..."

 To "ohhh £$@*, that's getting pretty high and harm could come of this!  Eeek, must follow, but not freak out the little person!"  And so I was treated to a little impromtu cliff climbing, of which we all survived!

 Shiny colour on an intermittently dull day.

 Climbing the cliffs in a more conventional way.

 And then running down again!  Through fields of cows.

 

 Now you see her...

...Now you don't!

TGCC (The Grand Christmas Challenge) update 1

I've finally finished the pieces of the biggest project of my TGCC.  I looked through my stash, decided which yarn I had the most of, and picked this to knit Jenna's cardigan.  It was a sock weight yarn from Fyberspates which I had got over a year and a half ago in a sale.  It was in the sale as it was unlabelled, and Jeni (the owner/creater/seller of Fyberspates) couldn't remember what it was or meterage etc.  It's got some alpaca content, and that's about all we know!  I've had some problems with it, it's been staining my hands blue!  I'm not sure if it's excess blue dye or just poorly fixed.  I know from having done dying myself, the blue dye is trickier to fix and takes lots of rinsing. 

So in soaking it today for blocking, the water turned a horrible colour.  I'll need to knit on button bands as finishing, so I've had to soak some of the yarn to balance it out so that they match the main body of the knitting.  It'll also be a good opportunity to see if it still stains my hands.  If it does, I will probably try heat fixing the finished garment in a vinegar solution.

And whilst that dries, I have swatched and made a start on the next biggest project - Morgan's cardigan.  Looking through the yarns at hand, the next biggest quantity was some "double knit" SW merino which I had dyed.  However, this yarn, as lovely and soft as it is, it's horribly thin for a DK.  I generally don't bother swatching (yeah, I know, I'm a lazy knitter!), but I wanted to see what it was like knitted up on 4mm needles as called for by the pattern I had picked.  It looked okay.... I suppose, but looked much better and even on the 3.5mm needles.  So I had to do some lateral thinking and maths about the sizing, but I've cast on and done the first couple of centimeters.

 On the 4mm needles, and a close up:

 And on the 3.5mm needles, a denser, firmer fabric, with much neater and more even stitches - see up close:

 

 The two swatches side by side, pinned out, but not stretched/blocked.  They are both the same number of stitches across, which goes to show the difference that a half millimeter makes!

And finally, a parting shot of the start made today.  It's a different skein of the batch, and has fewer pale areas and the colours are much richer.  Clearly this was the skein on the top of the pile in the dying pot.  I'll use the middle one next, and only use the bottom one (from which I did my swatches) if I have to.  I really like how the darker skeins look, and it's a shame that the bottom one is so different and pale in comparison.

The grand Christmas challenge 2011

During my recent move, a certain fact became very clear to me.  It's not like I didn't know it already, but there's a certain something about seeing it for fact, in person, a tangiable, undeniable fact.  I have silly amounts of yarn and fibre.  I mean there's having stash, pretty to pet and indulge in... but then there's having an addiction - where it just bulges out of every storage space in your tiny little flat.  When did this happen?  And how much have I spent!?

A second fact has also become very clear since the move.  That is the fact that I've had a pay cut and at the same time, an increase in expenses - more rent, more bills, bus fare.  Suddenly, I'm living a very close existance!  I mean, there's nothing to really complain about, but I've gotten used to a certain level of disposal income, which I don't really have any more, and I forget this, and end up broke, or at least very near to it by mid-month.

Now, I'm not telling you these things as a moaning outlet or a boast or anything of those sorts.  I'm setting a scene.  So, what happens when these things combine?  I fun crafting challenge! 

I hereby pledge that everyone on my Christmas gift list will be getting handmade items using fibre and yarn I already own.

The rules -
1) No fibre or yarn is to be brought - I'm on a strict yarn and fibre diet until the new year, at least.  I have to make up some more room first!  The only exceptions are the two clubs that I belong to - my Wildcraft fibre and spindle subscription which runs every other month, and my Piperfic's luxuary fibre club.
2) I can buy patterns, buttons and the like.  Only essential "notions".
3)  Any craft will be permitted - knitting, crochet, felting.  I'm going to try and knit with as much of my handspun as possible.
4) Everyone on my list has to get at least one item, the adults will most likely only be getting small things - hats, scarves, mitts, shawls.
5) If I decide to get someone a Christmas present, a part of it must involve an item fitting the above criteria, i.e. any last minute "Oh, I was going to give so-and-so a pressie" must get something made from my stash.

And as for my list of Christmas recipients.  Well, this is where it's potentially tricky.  If I'm going to be strict and stick to the rules, then I have to keep the list relatively small.  But here's my initial thoughts:
1) Both parents, although not sure what I'll do for my dad.
2) Grandparents (UK ones only, it's not practical to get the SA ones things)
3) Brother - although haven't given it much thought as to what.
4) Aunt and cousin
5) Sarah and Martin
6) The Clark girls
7) The Clark baby
8) Conner
(6, 7, 8 are all little kids, so they are to get a cardigan or sweater each, make this rule 6!)
9) Emma
10) Lorri
11) Sam and Kev
12) Mary
13) Fiona
14) Mrs Spoon

And I think that's enough to get started with... right?  I'm sure I may yet think of a couple others!

And so it begins... or rather, so it has begun.  I've made a start - it's a lot of crafting to get through before Christmas.  And I'll keep the blogosphere updated on it.