Ah, Insomnia, my old friend

It may be because there is so much on my mind, so much to do, so much that’s already been done that sometimes it’s hard to even take a breath. Maybe it was the snoring in the bed next to me. I did all the right things, no late night caffeine, alcohol, having a bath and a relatively early night. Suddenly I find myself awake thinking about large bits of furniture and as I write this it reminds me of when my sister was sleepwalking and dreaming that there was a giant Mars bar behind the wardrobe and she was trying to move it. Wasn’t a dream though that kept me awake, just the thoughts of where am I going to move the large pieces of gallery furniture that need to be moved out of storage.

Then my mind turned to other things, good things to try and induce sleep, calm walks, the woods, the sea, friends and it all became so complex and layered that after a pretty long time of trying to resist, here I am writing things. Yesterday The Knitter, issue 41 arrived, and there we were on page 8, Dyeing to Unwind (link to info on Skein Queen blog).  Even though it is already well booked, seeing it in print made it more exciting and it’s now only 115 days away until we are there. I can’t wait, I know it will be inspiring, everything is in place and ready to go.

Excuse the photo, it’s a 5am on a dark January morning…

I am really in love with photography again (I always have loved photography) but a few weeks back Whirly the younger bought herself an old 1950′s camera that takes 127 roll film. I will take a picture of the camera at some point when everyone isn’t sleeping (the floor is too creaky to go rootling around in her bedroom). It’s incrediby hard nigh on impossible to find that film so after seeking online advice, we’ve got 120 film and I haven’t been able to find a black bag yet (obviously the answer is online) but once I do I will cut and re-spool the film and then we are systems go. Whirly and I were given a day trip to Paris for Christmas (thank you lil bro) so armed with cameras (we have quite a few variants now) we will be heading off to experiment and enjoy a different place through a lens or two. The film cameras we have here are causing the same intrigue as the record player so my excitement levels are rising and not only that knowing we will be developing our own films again. I feel the need to start cataloging things again, build a little library of images and the excitement of processing films, not quite knowing exactly what you have – ah. Roll on Paris

So Jack Frost may be nipping at my toes and it’s the perfect excuse to roll out the hand knit cashmere bedsocks, wooly hats and the works but I am also thinking of Paris in the Springtime, well not quite Paris and a little later than Spring but still France (and I can’t help it if that song is stuck in my head, in a few days it’s bound to be a Christmas song again). Do you wnat to know what I am on about? Well, it’s all over here at Skeinqueen’s blog – we are organising another Gite Retreat – this one based around colour and dyeing (yarn) and designing and being inspired all whilst under the backdrop of the Lot et Garonne.

Here’s some pictures from the tea party just to warm your appetite – it was a brilliant time we had…

We’ve already had our first Christmas whilst my parents were over and visiting plus Aunt Elsie’s Do felt very Christmassey with tinsel, twinkling lights and mince pies. There seems to have been a woolly, animal and red theme running through the Christmas Gift knitting. Here’s a little peak

sssshhhh, they’re secrets so don’t mention a word.

Christmas Bauble (Arne & Carlos) : Semele (Åsa Tricosa) : Mini-Mr Fox Stole my Heart (Tiny Owl Knits): Deer with little antlers hat (Tiny Owl Knits)

This Saturday I will be at jelly’s home at 29-31 Market Place with Aunt Elsie and friends, The building has been decorated, the bar bedecked with tinsel and baubles and things are starting to arrive. It is open to the public for free from 10.30-4.30, then it shuts down whilst we prepare it for Aunt Elsie’s evening do starting at 5.30pm on to late. The evening event costs £3 which includes nibbles, a complimentary drink and entry into the "Dress like Aunt Elsie" competition.

Hope to see some of you there for much fun and laughter, new things, old friends and giggles.

psst, also here’s a sneaky peak of a reworked pattern – the snooks now comes with options (yes, options!) handwarmers, cuffs, flip tops… woooo. If you already have purchased this pattern, just ask me for an updated version.

I know it feels like a long time since I have been here but I have been working on secret things and not secret things that need to be photographed. The secret things are filling up my suitcase of gifts waiting to be given, so they will stay hidden but I might take a picture of the suitcase. The not secret things that need to be photographed is because I am waiting on models (gone are the days of compliant smaller children now I have fully sprung teenagers that have a social life and a n other who’s old age vanity is setting in).  Then added with the fact that there are new designs waiting to be written up and a secret joint project with someone else there feels like there is probably not much too tell but this month is very exciting.

Firstly. Wovember – a month celebration and campaign for Wool and that is real wool, not mixtures of fibres that may have the teeniest wool element ever and still is described as wool but the kind of wool that is wool. Many of my favourite things are made from wool, 100% wool, wool that smells of sheep as you knit (I know that sounds strange but I love it). Visit the site, sign the petition and join in.

Here’s something that I wish you could scratch and sniff the screen to smell, it is delicious and saved for a friend who I know will love it. The yarn is Beiroa, made from the wool of Bordaleira Serra da Estrela sheep. That make sit even better for me, that it’s from there via Retrosaria. The pattern is Arncott, by Jen Arnall-Culliford, from The Scrumptious Collection Volume 1.

Secondly, I have been caught up in the hexi-puff, if you watch this video of tiny owl knits you’ll get why, it made me giggle a lot and hexi-puffs are a good way to use up  all those bits of yarn so the last bits of the snicket colours from the unfortunate blanket,  a 13 stitch pattern blanket with a 6x6x6 edging and destined for scary story telling will have a twin which is the deadly bee sting blanket (pictures to follow). Included wil be The Radleys and Snow Whites Apple too, stuff to haunt minds. That’s the plan.

But if you want to spread some love and happiness, support indie designers and contribute to a group project that will raise money to change lives, then join the Beekeepers Quilt, you can donate two hexipuffs and enter the draw so you can have your own beekeepers quilt all made with good intentions and no scary bits at all.

Now some happy hexi-puffs already waiting for the new quilt.

Even though things get checked and rechecked and checked some more, sometimes there is a problem, missing information or a missing number. Thank you for anyone that finds one, I appreciate it. It doesn’t matter how many people make it, read it and check it, sometimes things slip through.

Saltire Mittens:

Decrease mitten section

Apologies, there is missing piece of info on the written instructions for the mitten decreases.

Row27 Follow chart as set 34(40,46)sts
continuing until row 41 (45, 47) (or desired length)
Keep pattern as set through the decrease rows.
Row 1 *K1 K2tbl K11 (14, 17) K2tog K1, repeat. 32 (38, 44) sts.
Row 2 Continue as set.
Row 3 *K1 K2tbl K9 (12,15) K2tog K1, repeat.
Row 4 Continue as set.
Row 5 *K1 K2tbl K7 (10,13) K2tog K1, repeat
Row 6 Continue as set.
Row 7 *K1 K2tbl K5 (8,11) K2tog K1, repeat.
Row 8 Continue as set.
Row 9 *K1 K2tbl K9 K2tog K1, repeat.
Row 10 Continue as set. 

Today was a day for me, after a month that had involved one major festival, a third thursday, cleaning up and opening a pub, missing a holiday, a photo job, did some lobbying, writing projects up, working on new designs and the such like, so today had to be for me. So whirly the younger, her friend S and I headed off to Basildon Park to see the Horrockses exhibition and just indulge in beautiful things. We took picnic, sketchbooks and cameras and below is a small snapshot of our day.

I have just spied something very lovely, check out whirly the youngers blog about the day, I love her pictures…

And if you are wondering what’s been happening in the knitting world, here’s a stack of pieces that include samples, new designs and stock.

my new love? My deadly bee sting quilt, but that picture will have to wait until next time.

So there will be a new pattern update coming soon but in the meantime I thought I would share with you some of my adventure form yesterday and a bit of today.

After opening the new outside:inside pop-up shop on Saturday and various other art things in a chaotic schedule I thought that I would take a more leisurely walk around the Whiteknights Studio Trail on Sunday.

Firstly visiting Salvo Toscano, jelly’s resident photographer – he is very talented and we are lucky to work with him – you can always visit the jelly website to see his work or his own to bypass jelly. In fact I was updating the jelly website this am and this image below was making me laugh, a lot.

I love Salvo’s work, but then as I was leaving I noticed our shoes…

We then walked on and saw the work of Jenny Halstead (beautiful sketchbooks, I love seeing those the most) and Christine Brewster (basket work, that was wonderful and smelt good)

Next stop, Bulmershe Road, Sue Clarke and her collection of ephemera and gorgeous things – and more red shoes, Sue and me

Next stop Robyn Appleton – her work is very interesting and inspiring and thought provoking – it is an ongoing project working with the community. I am hoping that we get to see this work continue round here. To take it back to the theme of this blog she had red doc martens and red heeled shoes displayed high up in her garden.

My last visit before a lunchtime retreat to feed the family was to see the work of Sue Mundy, Lisa Marie Gibbs and Jo Quinn and no red shoes.

Then today, it was back to work which included starting a button picture for 2012 and making origami crane birds. Hardly challenging but after the past few weeks of admin I deserved this.

As promised here are images of things that I have been making.

Firstly, updating the Snooks Pattern – I loved knitting this the first time around and I wanted to improve it (also because the lovely KurlyKnits is redoing all the pattern layouts) it seemed the perfect time to add any amendents – so now we have snooks, originally knit in Squash (Skein Queen 4 ply) is now also knit in Blush, which has the added luxury of cashmere. The pattern has options, you can choose a ribbed bottom or the original slip stitch edging, you can have fingerless or flip-tops or you could even do straight mittens. Here’s a sneaky pic of one of the photos showing the options.

Then there was my Orla, just one weekend’s work in France – I saw the colours in the Skein Queen shop update, didn’t buy them because I am always working on those days, went to a meeting with Skein Queen the next day and the two skeins I wanted were there, so then they became my Orla, Striped Study Scarf (Ravelry Link). It’s blocked and gorgeous and because it is knit in Blush it feels so luxurious and I fear it has already been claimed by Twin 1.

Twin 2 already had his own project on the go and I want to get some great pics of him rather than the shabby offerings I have so far – he has been wearing his design all the time. It was a new challenge being the knitter of the design that was being created by someone close to you rather than knitting up your own thing or someone elses work you admire. It was the first time he had ever designed anything and it was driven by him spotting the yarn whilst we were setting up at Unravel and to be honest when he was talking about it that night I really didn’t think it would happen… until the next day when I came home to design drawings and demands for a swatch.

I think I have had a fore test of the future years.  There have been tense moments when he obviously disapproved of my lack of knitting through the night to get the jumper done and there were moments when I was anxious that I’d fail him with my knitting and his ideas but it’s done, he loves it and we need to take some good pictures soon… he’s already talking about his next one… GULP

So we got back safe and sound (much to my relief, but I won’t go into that) and we had an amazing time with much laughter, amusement and celebratory activities. Ro (aka Novasteel) was a fabulous host, we learnt a lot, enjoyed lovely company, made some new Ravelry friends and were reacquainted with people who felt like old pals (Debbie from the Lot).

The stay was lovely, comfortable, apt with sheep and lambs in the fields around us, bunting was made, cakes were eaten, champagne drank, learnt new French words and peculiarities and also learnt never to order petit gris for lunch. We all managed to accomplish a significant amount of knitting (somehow through the haze) and I started and completed a project (which is now blocking and wound and cast on for 2nd project. I can’t wait until we are all reunited again, a retreat or two are in the pipeline and hoping that more people can come next time.

Here’s a few pics to give you a taste of how it was…