Back to Business as usual? SP10 goss too

Yaaay!!! Finally finished all my knitted stuff I'd planned for my secret pal, ahead of time too!!

So now I can sit back and relax for a bit and send off my final weeny parcel towards the end of the month so it'll get there for the end of SP10. I've had a real ball planning everything out, it's cost me a fortune in postage but at least I know I went all out to make someone's day!

So, back to business as usual, my first tentative forays into self-designed garments...


This is how that YOYO coaty thing SHOULD look, even if it was taken at a less than flattering angle! It now has a short rib to the bottom to save it from rolling up, a split up the back for ease of movement ( I'll pick up along the split and do an inch or so of rib to neaten it off), appropriate shaping to take into consideration my pear-shaped physique and actually give me a waist! Plus, the original had dropped sleeves so obviously, mine had to be basic fitted. Because there's so fewer stitches on the needle, it only took the weekend to knit.

I'm working my way up the front at the mo, but my hands have been giving me gyp and I've had to LIMIT MY KNITTING!!!!!!! (you can tell it's bad when that happens). Not that I've been idle, no sirree, I've knackered my back and legs traipsing up and down the stairs yesterday finding yarn to list on ebay ( which unsurprisingly is considerable!), and helping water run gently down the plughole at half hour intervals!

Watching paint dry is more fun, but unfortunately, the plughole in question belonged to the bath and a rather butchered fleece was residing in it getting a long overdue wash. Also unfortunately, this fleece had so many second cuts' I'm now planning to collect them up and offer the coloured ones to felters to add polkadots to their work!

Before they hit the dyepot however, they were trying fervently to escape down said plughole and serously jam up the works as I can only let the water out a little at a time or it overflows the hopper outside and cascades all over the flat roof out the back, a situation that has happened for many years but only recently been discovered. Hence, I had to keep clearing it every 30 seconds and by the fourth bathful, it'd also taken its toll on my poor back.

Not to be downhearted, however, as postie arrived same day with my latest spoils...


...2 balls Rowan Calmer and numerous skeins rowan 4ply all from cucumberpatch and v. good value. There was a second pic but apparently it's lost its way so I'll save it 'till next time.

Meanwhile, in the land of LYS...


Wendy Sheepskin DK 75p per ball and a little Rowan 4ply soft to add to the stash!

Unexpected find of the week was of all places, at a car boot sale!


A stall selling yarn, sewing patterns and other crafty pursuits, I picked up this pack of Filati Ornaghi ( they advertise in Vogue) for a mere fiver! 50% wool plus a little Alpaca and pretty colours to boot, knits on a 6-7mm needle so I'll have to find the perfect project for it!

I took the opportunity to snap my own li'l crab apple, we only have a yard with a small raised plot which the snails and slugs ravage but thankfully, they've left this pot alone. So' I do have some blossom in my garden!



I've definitely been getting into the delights of stovetop dyeing with my fabbo cheapy stockpot.
I started by dyeing some Portland fleece in 3 different shades so it's ready for listing on ebay, then I decided to wash aforementioned fleece which is an Ubersoft Shropshire with a view to selling it but it looked so awful after it had been washed plus the second cut thing, I might as well spin it myself. At least It'll give me experience of long and short lengths....

Today, in between knitting, shopping cooking etc, I have dyed 6 separate shades of fleece, I even found a brown shade I'd not mixed up (though results weren't good) and a navy to play with. pictures to follow, half of it's still in the pillowcase in the washing machine after being spun dry(er). I shall take appropriate piccies in a couple of days when it's all dry.

Muchas computer time tomorrow preparing for listings, probably tomorrow evening or Friday to finish a week Sunday/Monday as that's my spinning weekend. Fingers crossed for some holiday spends?