Intermission

I know, I have been almost invisible these last six weeks. I would love to say that I have spent the whole time in the garden where the sun was too bright to play around with screens, but if you also live in Southern England you will know that's not true

Actually we have, despite the weather, had a lovely time welcoming old friends (and some of our regulars) to stay. So much so it felt as though we were running a pop up B&B

But I have managed to finish one or two projects 

There's a Bonney by Tin Can Knits in fabulous merino lace weight by the talented Caerthan Wrack of Treskelion Yarn

A very pretty cardigan for TLM, I can't show the full article as it will be the subject of a mystery KAL later in the year. It's knitted  in Spud and Chloe's Sweater the fabulous Aran weight yarn that I used for the Right as Rainbow cardi.  S&C Sweater is perfect for children, its wool and cotton mix makes it warm and cosy but totally non-tickly, and it machine washes like a dream too.  TLM is only just growing out of the rainbow cardi (I did add some sleeve inches after a while) and its been worn and washed countless times over the last two years

And a Pebble Beach in gorgeous Manos del Uruguay Serena a super soft baby alpaca and cotton mix, bought from Beaker Button.

My Pebble Beach was my FO for the Great London Yarn Crawl.  As last year I was one of the yarn guides, here is my lovely Team Cotton outside our second Stop The Village Haberdashery

I was specially excited this year to introduce my friend Julia (she's second on the left) to the knitting world.  Not that she couldn't knit but like me, study (we met as mature students at university in our early 40s) and work took over from gentler hobbies.  But recently she has decided it is time to take up her needles again.  I am always willing to introduce people to something that brings me such happy satisfaction and am very pleased to report that J bought two gorgeous skeins of yarn from Carmen of A Yarn Story in the Mini Market place (in Chelsea Old Town Hall, our stepping off place for The Crawl) and has already made one baby hat, teaching herself to knit magic loop into the bargain,  and is well underway on the second.  A friend having just given birth to twins.

Armed with my Yarn Crawl purchases, I now have big plans for my autumn knitting

I want to make a laneway with this beautiful  Shangri-La from i-Knit London

And with this Gorgeous Romney DK hand dyed by Rachael of Prick Your Finger, I'm planning to make Deco by Kate Davies.  The buttons came from the mini market place too, I couldn't decide which I liked best so bought both!

Having finished spinning the Porpoise-Fur fibre, begun on the Tour de Fleece, I'm planning to make Keith Moon, also by Kate Davies, striping it with more Porpoise Fur, Death to MRSA.

I have a sewing project in mind too.  Over the last six months JTH and I have been making some changes to our house.  Prompted in part by the departure to a home of his own of no 4 child.  This enables us to create two guest bedrooms (hence the pop up B&B last month).  Keen to make it modern and bright we painted one room all white with pale grey carpet and vivid turquoise curtains.  All very nice but the tiniest bit plain so I plan to make up this quilt as a wall hanging to go on the old chimney breast (the fire-place was removed long ago)

I am please to report that it will be made almost entirely from stash

Kitten no 2 surveys all the colours, bought from The Village Haberdashery on last year's Yarn Crawl

Quite a lot of plans, don't you think? But achievable as long as I keep at it and don't let my attention wander... Although I shall soon have to think about Christmas presents!

Do share your plans for Autumn knitting in the comments, or, have you introduced a friend to the lovely art of knitting lately?

xx

c

What a day we had

My first ever yarn crawl! I know it was over a week ago and perhaps I should have reported back last week but... well... it was partly that last week was mad, so much to do and partly because I wanted to be able to share the amazing totals with everyone. so here they are

90 people, guided by 17 volunteers, travelled 9 different routes, visited 12 shops, knitted 149 items* and raised £812 for the charity Refuge.

Isn't that amazing? However, the official blog leaves out one crucial figure - How much did everyone spend?? But perhaps that is best left a secret between the yarn crawlers and their banks!  I was guiding Team Jacob along with Kate .  The first thing I noticed when we met for breakfast at a lovely cafe called The Kitchen Table, close to our first stop The Village Haberdashery was the lovely hand knits everyone was wearing

Elanor and Lucy in The Village Haberdashery, wearing their hand knits

Kate our other leader, with Lucy and one of the lovely ladies at The Village Hbberdashery

 At each shop everyone was so friendly and welcoming.  Our next stop was the Handweavers Studio. I must have been so distracted by the wonderful colours, spinning and weaving equipment (not to mention the coffee and biscuits) that I forgot to take a photograph there.

I loved the yarn Rhona was knitting into a baby jacket

If you are going to Prick Your Finger in Bethnal Green and happen to be a little peckish, there is a fab little place called The Larder right opposite. The menu is amazing, I had bruschetta with a spicy ratatouille and a little pot of mixed beans, Although I resisted pudding, it was a very tough choice, the Red Velvet cake looked fab

Putting my knitting down to eat lunch at The Larder 

Prick Your Finger has some wonderful unusual yarns and quite a vintage theme going on

Moira and Steph checking out the 70s patterns

And - look! how they wrapped my yarn purchase

Last stop, Knit With Attitude. Amongst other things I bought were some gorgeous stitch markers.  Then left them at the after party!! Thanks to the power of twitter I found them again!

Loved their extensive stock of yarn by Wool And The Gang

Of course we had goodie bags with beads and badges, skeins and soak and much more

about half of what I found in my goodie bag!

OK, I'm not going to tell how much I spent but here are a few photos of what I came home with...

Destined to be a very traditional shetland ring shawl but shall I dye it or leave it natural?

Malabrigo Sock, just because the colour is gorgeous

Patterns to knit up and sew

Sheepie spots, just because...

Like it?  Save the date, next year it's on 5 September

xx

c

* 150 I have just finished my contribution