Spring Cleaning

I feel very virtuous as I've just spent some time tidying up the "my pictures" folder on my PC. I've deleted shedloads of stuff, mostly smaller copies for uploading to the internet and strange pictures of my knees, or a corner of the living room that I've taken to try out the camera. Also gone are the endless pictures of half finished projects; useful for posting to show progress but once I have a picture of the finished work why bother with the work in progress (unless it's a particularly delightful detail).

I've also tried to organise the sub folders and their contents into some sort of sensible order so that I can find things more easily. I know that it won't last but it'll do to be going on with.

Having said all that, my latest knitting is a pair of "Monkey" socks from the latest issue of Knitty and guess what? I don't have a picture of them to post! typical! I'm knitting than in some Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in "Fall Foliage". I'm halfway down the foot of the second sock, so they're coming on quite well.

After I posted last weekend I made another felt panel. Thanks to you all for your response to the first one. Everyone was so complimentary. I have to admit that I was pretty chuffed with the result myself.

Here's number two, together with a closeup of the detail. A friend came round yesterday morning to pick me up to go to work and asked to see the felt I'd made. She's decided that she wants to have a try so I've said when it gets warmer we'll give it a go. She seems very keen.

The picture at the top of the post is somewhere I went on Wednesday to do a drop, I won't say where in deference to my customers' privacy. It was a beautiful day and I saw some lovely countryside. When it's like that I love my job, despite it being bloomin' hard work.

This is the end of the road where I have to turn round

and this is the duck pond I have to drive past. Note the edge crumbling away! I'm convinced that before many more years have passed there's going to be a SUMA truck stuck in that pond! Hope I'm not the one who's driving it.

It's usually pretty quiet down this road as it doesn't really go anywhere but this week I met a Travis Perkins truck coming down as I was going out! LoL! (I was going to take a picture of the situation but I didn't feel that the driver would have been very amused, so I just reversed up and let him pass).

First steps in felting

Just made this, my first attempt at felting. It's supposed to be a little bit Rothko. I'm quite pleased with it. I'm thinking of doing a series in the same colours to hang on my bedroom wall.

Here's a bit of detail. I have to say felting is great fun and very messy. It's probably better done in the garden when the weather gets warmer rather than in the kitchen which isn't very tidy. (Ro believe me, you don't have room!!!)

Cinzia

Is completed and I'm very happy with it. I even did the right thing and blocked it. The things we go through for our loved ones!

Knitted in Rowan something or other (see earlier post on the topic, I can't be bothered to go and find the ball bands). It does look as if the left hand side is shorter than the right but believe me when I say that it's the way I'm standing. I took a picture facing the other way and the right hand side looked shorter in that one. I love the slip stitch pattern on the band, cuffs and collar, it's beautiful but very easy to do. I liked it so much that when I'd finished the cardigan I used the remaining blue yarn to knit a river square in the same pattern.

I think that it will fit Annie okay and if it doesn't I'll just have to keep it for myself. I'm not too sure about the short sleeves but she particularly liked them as she's an infant school teacher and is always having to push her sleeves up (nasty sticky things children!).

Other news involves me washing and carding the fleece I bought the other weekend.

Here's the Ryeland /Jacob still draining in the bath.

Here's the Ryeland /Corriedale /Manx.

And here's the Bleu du Maine. I just love the variety of shades in this it's gorgeous.



Of course the hive of activity that has been going on has nothing to do with the crazy purchase of this little darling last Sunday.



I am still repeating "I am bad, I am bad, I am wicked and I will die a pauper".

But I don't really care!

Been shopping again

Last weekend I took a trip out to Kilburn in North Yorkshire. I'd bought some raw fleece on ebay and rather than getting it posted I asked if I could pick it up instead. Boy am I glad I took the trouble to do so.

The day started miserable, wet and windy and I wasn't too happy about driving up there having driven down to Leicester and back the day before. (Bit of a busman's holiday for me!) But by the time I hit the A1 the sun had come out and I was cursing leaving my sunglasses behind.

I'd bid for two lots of wool (or rather Ro had bid on my behalf; the auction had ended on Tuesday evening whilst I was parked up for the night in Bourton on the Water without access to the internet.) I'd won 500g of Coloured Bleu-du-Maine and 500g of coloured Ryeland/Jacob cross (both raw fleece).

I'd arrived a bit early and took a turn round the village and a couple of pictures for my blog. I was quite surprised to see the white horse on the hill behind the houses. I knew there was one there but didn't realise I was so close to it.

Sandie who was selling the fleece met me at half twelve and when we got back to her house proceeded to pull out sacks from all over the place with different kinds of fleece in them and chat about sheep, spinning, knitting and the Maryland sheep festival which she's planning to attend later this year. It was amazing. Needless to say I didn't come away with only the gear I'd bought on ebay. I was pretty restrained though. An hour and a half later I left with my two ebay purchases plus 300g of Colored Ryeland/Corriedale/Manx cross, some of which was raw fleece and some of which had been washed and carded. Sandie was able to get back to keeping an eye on her ewes which are currently lambing.

Here's a picture of one of the raw locks of the Ryeland/Corriedale/Manx fleece. Isn't it lovely?

I've washed and dried the remainder of that and the Bleu-du-Maine is currently soaking in an Ecovery bath.

Sandie says she doesn't even bother carding this, she just teases it out and spins it in the grease, but I've been thoroughly indoctrinated now and I wash my fleece first like a good girl! It is beautiful though, even without washing.

Knitting news is that the cardigan is coming along nicely. I've just got about three inches of the collar left to knit and the underarm seams to sew up. I'm well pleased with it, though I'm not sure if it will be big enough for the intended recipient. Being a bit of a twit I neglected to take her measurements before I started. I just thought "Yeah, she's about the same size as me".

Ro says she isn't!

Oooops!