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...

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.

I Heart Knitters

I swear I have gushed about knitters and those I work with so many times on Twitter, my podcast and this blog that I am becoming a broken record but I mean it: knitters and crafters are amazing. 

It's not really that big a secret that the last month has been hell on toast between buying a house, the last minute negotiations (and the tantrums of those we're buying from), the packing, the organising and the ENDLESS, endless hospital trips for me. I am not known for crying unless I'm angry but I was at that point where I'd hit my limit and was gulping big sobs on the phone to my sister who was alarmed to say the least. She knows that if I'm crying and not fighting anymore, things are bad indeed. 

I have flinched everytime someone has asked 'Are you excited about your new house?' or I bet you're nesting right?' Each time it was a heavy reminder that I should be excitedly preparing a family home for the soon to arrive Playful Baby and yet I wasn't. I felt so worn down. 

But then knitters happened. 

I work with designers, yarnies, tech editors and other such wonderful people. My podcast and blog have connected me to a community I respect, admire and adore and they brought me back into a happy space through their love and contact. Over the last few weeks I've been fortunate enough to have a trickle of mother and baby presents that brought a tear to my eye for all the right reasons. 

Knitters and crafty types understand the love and care that goes into creating a finished object and that's why each item I'm about to share means the world to the giant and I. They were created by wonderful friends who I am connected to simply through knitting. I understand the thoughts that poured into them as they were worked and when my little one is wrapped in them, I will know that they are the luckiest baby in the world because they are wrapped in the love of knitters and crafters. That beats all the crap of the last few months hands down and I wanted to share the power of handmade gifts with you too. 

I won't name gift givers as it feels that I then remove the personal touch with which they were gifted but I will say that as knitting aunties go, Playful Baby is one blessed child and I for one hope to keep these ladies in my life for years to come. Thank you xxx

The Story of a Cowl

I have an incredibly lovely knit friend. She's the friend you've read about before, that you've heard in the podcast and extremely knit worthy. 

BUT

I live in fear of knitting for her. 

There's no reason other than my own self doubt. Struck by her own knitting prowess and in awe of how much I care for this friend makes it hard to feel happy with anything I knit. I try to make it really personal but small and achieveable because the longer that her project is on the needles, the faster my self doubt grows. In the past I've knit a hat as she stated she didn't have any she liked and a joke scarf (long story). For her last birthday I made Monster Chunks and photographed them getting up to no good all around London. This then became a book. 

When I come to deciding her project, I always start too late, losing time with anxiety and self doubt. It is so silly, I LOVE wrapping the people that I care for in knits but this one cripples me everytime. I wear the shawls that she has made me with such joy and feel like I'm receiving a hug from my dear friend, who lives too many miles away to make us able to see each other more than once a year, tops. 

This Christmas was no exception. In a flash of bravery, I decided that I would accept a challenge. PJ thinks that there is no such thing as a warm cowl because they don't stay around your neck. She has a point doesn't she? How many have you tugged at in sheer frustration? 

So I made her the Tuesday Night Cowl from Malabrigo Rios. I even chose a daring colour as her love for purple is bipolar to say the least; she has a very love/ hate relationship with purple. I then set about working out the exact combination of squoosh and stiffness in order to be sure that this cowl sat neatly around her neck. 

I was aiming for thoughtful. I found vacant I think.

I used a trick.

The pattern calls for a slipped stitch edging on both sides to make it smooth but also stretchy. I pulled one side tighter so that this could be worn closest to her chin and would help it stay up. 

I would say I had some success.... she tells me she's worn it all week which makes me a very happy friend indeed.