Wild and Woolly

One sleeve short of a sweater

The problem with offering a hand-knitted garment as a Christmas present is that you do have to finish it in time for Christmas.  I found myself one sleeve short of the full sweater on Christmas Eve. I had been on target to finish until about a week before, when all the other preparations took over. It didn't matter and, in fact, it was nice still to have a familiar knitting project to sink into while watching Poirot on the telly at the end of Christmas day! In the end, I finished it yesterday. 

 
  'Drops' Pullover in Alaska and Silke-Tweed (free pattern).

I used the recommended yarn which is very good value. I have yet to manage to take pictures of the recipient wearing it but it does look very good and fits nicely.  This is a rugged, heavy sweater on which the cables are shown to great effect.  Little flecks of green and red come through from the Silke-Tweed which enlivens the overall colour. 

I also finished the pair of Lola's Knitted Slippers (another free pattern) that I started a while ago, using the unusual Beaverslide Dry Goods McTaggart Tweed which had been a present from my Swedish pal.  They are supremely comfortable with a high 'squidge' factor and are perfect for wearing lounging around (that's probably why my teenage daughters have appropriated them!).

 

Autumn knitting and some sewing

For the last few days there has been a distinct chill in the air and, this evening, a slight whiff of bonfire smoke. Autumn is here and I love this season: even the longer evenings, if I am snug indoors and have some interesting knitting to keep me happy.

Coraline is well under way. I am about to start the sleeves, and I have bought the buttons ready for later. I am knitting it in Rowan Felted Tweed which beautiful to work with.  It has the alpaca content that Ysolda's Coraline uses for drape, but with some merino, too, which adds the structure that I like.

And to give myself some variety, I also started a quick to knit scarf using the Mirasol Hacho wool my Secret Pal (Lena) sent me from Sweden. The pattern works really well with the variegated blues and purples. The pattern is Wavy Scarf from Handmaiden.

When we were in France in the summer, I finally managed to visit a branch of the wonderful chain La Droguerie.  It sells wool, fabric (mainly in fat quarters and other set lengths), Liberty bias binding, buttons, beads, their own pattern books - all in an old fashioned-style shop with wooden counters and glass-fronted cabinets. I bought quite a few nice things, including a length of Liberty and some rick-rack binding to make a scarf. I'll show the results tomorrow!

Birthday Blog

Well, I haven't blogged for ages and I don't quite know what happened!  We went away on holiday in August and before I knew it we were back at school and I got caught up in all the things there are to do at the start of a new school year.  Anyway, today is my birthday and it seemed a good opportunity to sit down and take stock and catch up.

Hatty's picture of me blowing out my candles (count them!!)

Back in August we had a great holiday camping, first in the Swiss Alps, near to the French border, and then in the south of France - both places we know well and love going back to.

There was cool mountain air, steep climbs, picnics by rock pools with icy water to dip your toes in; wild flowers, butterflies, beetles; cheese, chocolate, coffee in auberges. Above all, it was quiet, peaceful and our hosts at the little campsite were warmly hospitable, as always.

The Alpes-Maritimes region of France was hot. So we explored less energetically - art galleries, villages with narrow shady and cobbled streets, markets that sold everything but most, importantly, food! And, being France, you can try before you buy.

And, I finally got to visit La Droguerie in Nice -  a wonderful old-fashioned emporium of wools, buttons, beads, trimmings, Liberty fabrics.  The length of time queuing for help and to pay were also old-fashioned but worth it, and I came away with stuff to make a Liberty scarf, a necklace kit or three and the Mes Accessoires Signes: La Droguerie book of patterns for scarves, mittens, bags, knitted flowers etc.  I think it is the yarn and colour choices which make the designs look so chic and 'French'.

And now last, but by no means least, I must thank my 'Secret Pal' (Lena) for all the beautiful packages she has been sending me from Sweden.  She really has a talent for picking out the perfect gifts. Here are the last two parcels:

there is beautiful Mirasol yarn (Hacho and Sulka), books about Swedish cookery and Scandinavian 'domino' knitting, a Henning Mankel thriller, a pretty notebook, divine chocolate in little mini bars. Thank you, Lena, so much - I have enjoyed everything and the beautiful cards which accompany eavh parcel!

Thanks, Pal!

The school summer holidays started yesterday and it has been raining since Sunday. So it was perfect timing when a parcel arrived in the post...

 ...covered in a wonderful selection of stamps from Sweden (which pretty much confirms the location of my Secret Pal). Inside, were two skeins of gorgeous yarn: a fine hand dyed wool in shades of blue and a tweedy fisherman's-weight yarn from Montana, USA, 'rough spun' on an antique spinning mule. The thicker yarn is soft and nubbly in a beautiful moss green with blue and yellow flecks.

 

Yarn: McTaggart Tweeds, Beaverslide Dry Goods ('Prairie Sandreed')

My Pal also sent me a copy of Wrap Style by Ann Budd and Pam Allen which has an inspiring selection of patterns for wraps, caplets, shawls, beautifully illustrated and, as with all Interweave publications, very clearly explained. So, thank you, Pal - I have lots to keep me happily indoors!

 

Time to share

It seems a long time since I had a project to share.  Maybe because this last one, Trillium, was knit in 4-ply cotton, with an all over lace pattern, plus a deep rib waist band, all of which took concentration and time! However, I am very pleased with the result and I am hoping that I will wear it a good deal over the summer.  Earlier posts gave the details, but I'll repeat them here: the design is by Erika Knight and appeared in Rowan Magazine 45. The yarn is Rowan Fine Milk Cotton in Pastille. I chose the project as part of the Boule de Coton knitalong (see sidebar for link) and despite a certain resistance to knitting in cotton, the Fine Milk is soft and not at all 'stringy'.

 

 

  

I have some smaller projects on the needles, too: a pair of Spring Forward socks from Knitty which I am working in the Fyberspates Scrumptious Sock wool that I bought at UK Ravelry Day; and I'm plotting a little jacket for a colleague's expected baby.  More about those when they are a bit further progressed!

The Secret Pal 14 swap is under way and I have already received a little treat from my Pal - delicious and luxurious Anthon Berg chocolate! The perfect pick-me-up for this the last week of the school term when everyone is feeling frazzled! The postage suggests that she is from Sweden (unless she's being very sneaky!)