Episode 37:

A Playful Day is kindly sponsored by Superknits, now with a super new website. Please show your support for our playful friend by clicking on the link above- go on, spoil yourself!!!.

A Playful Day is also kindly sponsored by NorthboundKnitting, uniquely hand dyed yarn, spinning fibre and modern knitting designs. Please show your support for our playful friend by clicking on the link above.

A Playful Day is proudly sponsored by Candy Skein, hand dyed yarns sweet enough to eat! Please support our playful friend by supporting the banner above.

Show notes:

Thank you to the many well wishes and plenty of chatter that kept me sane whenever I could log in.

The Gifted Athletes along winners have been announced so please claim your prize if you haven't already! A huge thank you  to those who donated prizes:Gynx Yarns, Brenda Castiel, Circes, Super Knits, Melanie Gall and Pom Pom Magazine.

I review the 'Little Rascals Collection by Millia Mia and talk about bright yarns!

Off the Needles 
Annular by Woolly Wormhead using Artist's Palette Merino Cashmere DK.
Cozy Little Toes by Judy Kaethler from left over sock yarn.
Dry Stone Cowl by Dani Sunshine in BC Yarnings DK SW in the 'charcoal' colourway. 

On the Needles
Linnie by Justyna Lorwowska using Northbound Knitting Superwash Merino Fingering Weight in the 'Moonstone' colourway and Sundara Sock Yarn in the Brown Sugar over Buttermilk colourway.
Random Cowl from my head using leftovers of the BC Yarnings DK SW. More details next episode

Songs:

Fly, Fly, Fly by Adrina Thorpe, available on Music Alley
All in My Head by Kosheen.

Contact me at: aplayfulday@gmail.com
RSS Feed

Surfacing

Hello all

Yes, I am here. Waving, gently from beneath the rubble of our home and a duvet. Things sometimes take over in a way that you weren't expecting at all. Sometimes several things take over. In fact, sometimes so many things take over that you genuinely don't know what to do. 

That happened over the last week. 

I have plans, I have daydreams, I have things I want to share. I just can't right now due to several of these things that include lack of internet, a quiet place to record, the energy I need to set up pictures/ write shownotes etc. and then more serious things that are not playful so I don't really want to chat about here. The list seems endless. 

I'll be back. I promise. I just need to ride out this challenging time a little longer so I can be playful once more. After all, play is the esssence of this blog and podcast and the thing that makes me feel the most alive. A lack of it lately will need addressing and I can't wait to invite you to join in. 

Thanks x

Duvet Day

Some days you need to hit the stop button. Often you hit it far, far, too late and find yourself tired and desperate by the time you realise you should have planned time out sooner. 

Today I've decided to hit the stop button. I was going to work, run errands and had lots planned but as the day progressed I realised my head, body and heart were weary and I need to just stop. Now. 

I have changed out of my top, smart jeans and walking shoes in favour of handknit socks, yoga pants and a snuggly jumper. I have knitting, I have Ravelry, I have sunshine streaming in on me from a beautiful day where I can see the leaves being painted yellow as autumn moves in. I have cups of tea and if I really wanted I could work out which box holds a blanket and could be unpacked to snuggle under. Only if I really wanted though. 

Music choice?

Oh Adele on days like this. Followed by Joni Mitchell. Naturally. 

Feels Like...

It's been hectic of late. Really hectic. A lot of my usual chores have been connected by scurrying to find internet access or picking up ordered items and not really taking note of my surroundings despite a new area to explore.It's unlike me, I'm usually very happy to walk along, looking at the clouds and plants and humming to myself. (I am the local mad woman, I accept this).

Today however I noticed something that snapped me out of hum drum and took me right back to my usual self: I sensed Autumn hovering in the wings. The sun was shining but not so hot I couldn't wear jeans and a shirt with a shawl wrapped around my neck. I looked for signs of change and the last of the petals and leaves are stretching out before the oranges and yellows move in. Autumn is there, patiently waiting and gently moving herself in to fill the world with all my favourite things like pumpkin and spice.

Autumn is my absolute favourite time of year: layered clothes, digging out your favourite bots, squashes and stews, bonfires and endless walks. Love it.

Stay playful people x

Take 2

I have been meaning to show my second attempt at handspun for a while and now my friend has finally got her birthday package, I can.

This skein was a Shetland braid that another crafter gifted me to play with and I'd been told Shetland was pretty easy to spin so I pulled it out with the intention of spinning it into a birthday gift. I wasn't wild about the colours as I'm just not a pastel girl but there were some bright pops of pink and yellow in there that I decided was a challenge. Could I get them to pop in the skein too? I wanted to spin as consistently as I could for my friend so I commited to the Shetland to help with that and away I went.

This time I worked the braid differently. For the first half of the braid, I spun it as it came to me and filled the first bobbin. For the second half, I tore the braid in half again to muddy the colours and make shorter colour repeats to fill the second bobbin. 

I feel I had some success although I really need to learn how to join the fibre back in once it's broken as I just end up with big fluffy parts. I found it harder to get the Shetland as even as the BFL which could either be due to using a single treadle wheel this time or the fibre itself. It felt a little lumpy rather than fluid like the BFL I first spun. I don't have enough experience to know if that's the case with all Shetland though. 

I'm pretty pleased though and I love spinning. I just need a magic fairy to bring me a wheel now...

Episode 36: Captain's Log

A Playful Day is kindly sponsored by Superknits, now with a super new website. Please show your support for our playful friend by clicking on the link above- go on, spoil yourself!!!.

A Playful Day is also kindly sponsored by NorthboundKnitting, uniquely hand dyed yarn, spinning fibre and modern knitting designs. Please show your support for our playful friend by clicking on the link above.

A Playful Day is proudly sponsored by Candy Skein, hand dyed yarns sweet enough to eat! Please support our playful friend by supporting the banner above.

Show notes:

There will be podcast over the next 2 weeks but check the playul group thread for whether or not it'll be on time as I have no internet! Thank you to the many well wishes and plenty of chatter that kept me sane whenever I could log in.

The Gifted Athletes along is happening and there's great prizes to be won from Gynx Yarns, Brenda Castiel, Circes, Super Knits, Melanie Gall and pom pom Magazine.

We welcome new blog sponsor pom pom magazine!

The winner of 'The Market Vegan' by Laura Gesin is: CindyMen (10th commentator on the blog).  Please drop me an email st the usual address to claim your prize!

Off the Needles 
Round Head in a Square Hat by Elstetto using sock scraps and Super Knits Mary, Queen of Socks in the Bob Marley colourway. .
Eris by Lisa Mutch using Tactile Fibre Arts Bolinas Sock in the Pomegranate colourway, Tactile Fibre Arts Temecula Sock in the Wild Crafted Colourway and a hand dyed skein of silk merino fingering weight.

On the Needles

Annular by Woolly Wormhead using Artist's Palette Merino Cashmere DK.
Cozy Little Toes by Judy Kaethler from left over sock yarn.

Songs:

Fly, Fly, Fly by Adrina Thorpe, available on Music Alley
TwentySomething by Jamie Cullum.

Contact me at: aplayfulday@gmail.com
RSS Feed

To Monteray, With Love

I have blogged on more than one occassion about my best knit friend. She's adorable, she's a rock and she absolutely makes me smile all the time. I think that qualifies her as damn knit worthy but as I've blogged before, I always hesitate about what on earth to knit her.

This time I was determined that on her birthday, I was going to give her the perfect wrap. I'd yet to knit her a shawl or something similar and we discussed that we were bored of small triangular shawls for a while. She was leaning towards big and luxurious and possibly in strong neutral colours whenever we chatted about recent designs we liked. The challenge was set and I secretly started plotting. 

There were a few options but I went straight to my favourite designer and of course, returned there after looking around and realising that if you want classic, stylish and simple designs, you go to Lisa Mutch. Lisa is behind Northbound Knitting, a sponsor and adored friend. I think she's fab and what I like about her designs is her ability to think about long lines, pleasing contrasts and the soft unending appeal of garter stitch. I chose Eris and I think I got it right. 

Eris is a long, asymmetric shape that provides blocks of colours. I was convinced and I set about shopping in my stash to see what I could find. Three colours are tricky, especially when you're trying to match another friend's colouring. I chose two easily but the third? I hope I got it right: gun metal grey, a soft beige/ natural and a pop of red. 

I'll be reviewing the yarns in the next podcast but for now just wanted to share how much I enjoyed working on this pattern. I really hope it's worthy of my lovely friend.

New Sponsors

I made the decision to take on blog sponsors a few months ago as a way to support competitions, prizes, postage and packaging etc etc and I promised myself that I would think very carefully about who I invited to join the playful family. There's lots of great talent out there and I love the response I get from listeners and readers so I wanted to add a diverse bunch of indies that would appeal. 

This month I'm welcoming pom pom quarterly magazine to the fold and I'm so excited for them. pom pom is a quarterly publication based in London, UK for smart, creative types who like knitting patterns with a modern aesthetic, great photography, and interesting writing. They're also into lots of other types of crafts and music, fashion, art, food, and just generally making the world a little more beautiful with the things we make. That's something I can get behind.

Issue 2 has just been published ready for Fall and it's a goodie. Packed with beautiful colours, inspiration and fun, I was really taken with the smooth way they've handle the tricky 'follow up' that often comes after a stellar first hit like their premier issue. They nailed it quite frankly and I can't wait to see what the future holds for this pair. I'm sure you'll show your support to help keep the lights on here and enjoy a real fresh new way of presenting crafting. I love it.