The Great British Yarn Crawl

We’re almost to the final month of the Great British Yarn Crawl, organised by the UK Handknitting Association. It’s easy enough to join in; you need to collect six stamps from at least two different participating yarn shops before the end of June, hand in the card once all 6 spots are stamped, and wait to see if you’ve won any of the amazing prizes.  I’m a slight over-achiever so I decided to go to six different yarn shops to get my stamps.

The first two are not far from work so I visited both on a Friday afternoon; Susie’s Wool Shop and Threads Wool Shop. They both stock big name brands and no indie-dyed yarn so I went for some James C Brett Shhhh! From Susie’s and some Ricorumi Spin Spin from Threads. I already have plans for these.

Next up was the Wool Haven, where I managed to find some actually-pretty green yarn! Plus it’s West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply, which I love working with. This is definitely going to become at least two pairs of socks for me.

My local yarn shop is called The Yarn Cake. I’ve had some not-particularly-friendly interactions with them in the past so I very rarely go, but they moved to a new premises that’s closer to home, and I urgently needed some more blocking pins, so I gave them another chance. The layout is much more spread out and accessible than the last place, and the staff had a wee chat with me while they were ringing up my items so I’d probably be willing to go back again. It could be dangerous that they’re so much closer now.

I was planning to get some more generic sock yarn, there was a green and pink colourway that I particularly liked, but then I caught sight of this absolute beauty and there may as well have been no other yarn in there.

It’s Mothy and the Squid (of course, they always get me with the beautiful jewel tones) in the colourway Northern Lights, and I think it might be too beautiful to relegate to socks that hardly anyone sees. I’m still deciding exactly what it will be.

 

The penultimate stop was The Wee Crafty Owl in Greenock. There were a few indie-dyed skeins in stock but they were all quite…interesting colours so I passed on those. After squishing a few other skeins I came across this Wee County Yarns kit for a Glasgow skyline hat/cowl and I just had to buy it.

It even includes tiny bits of orange and white yarn to add in the detail of a traffic cone that sits on the Duke of Wellington statue (no matter how many times the council removes it).

I ended my yarn crawl at the shop I wish could be my LYS, Jinty & Baa in Dunoon. I only get to visit here very sporadically but the owner always recognises me and we have a wee chat while I’m browsing. 

I picked up this ‘Magic Bead’ by Schoppel yarns because I just love the colour transition, and the sample cowl on display looked so beautiful. 

Deborah asked what I was planning to make with it and I mentioned how nice the sample looked, thinking I would have a look for a similar pattern when I got home, but then she offered to send me the pattern for that exact cowl once it had been translated! Honestly, I would move to Dunoon just to be closer to this place.

That was the final stamp on my card and the very last of my birthday money so my Yarn Crawl is over for this year. Now I’ll just keep my fingers crossed for winning one of the prizes that include fancy new needles, although I wouldn’t say no to the yarny prizes either.

Hannah

xXx

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Sockiversary

This morning Facebook let me know that it’s been three years since I finished my first ever pair of socks. How time flies!

I’ve made at least 20 pairs since then, but these lovely fire-coloured ones are still my favourites.

It’s funny to think how long I kept knitted socks on my ‘one day’ list because they seemed so scary, and now they’re my standard choir-knitting project because they require so little concentration.

I will, of course, learn nothing from this and keep all new skills on that list until I can work up the courage to try them. In the meantime, I’ll keep on churning out socks!

Hannah

xXx

WIP Wednesday 22.09.21

Current WIP count: 7

My mojo has been missing for so long I had to dig through the memos on my phone to find my WIP list, and there are things on there I forgot I’d even started.

I think it might be on the up again though, as the other day I was minding my own business and suddenly got a massive urge to cast on a sock IMMEDIATELY. So I skimmed the top of stash mountain, found two sort-of-coordinating skeins, and started a pair of shortie socks.

The cuffs and toes will be a Blue Raspberry mini skein from Mothy and the Squid, and the main colour is (I think) from Hand Drawn Yarn. Possibly called Thistle.  They’re not as high contrast as I usually go for, but it’s so good actually wanting to knit again after all this time that I’m enjoying it anyway.  Fingers crossed it will last!

Hannah

xXx

Sock it to me Monday 19

Considering I wasn’t a sock knitter until very recently, I have a strange number of sock yarn mini skeins lying around.

Sadly I don’t have enough that work together to make another long pair of socks, so I spent a good deal of Saturday splitting them into combos for more shortie socks.

Because a) I LOVE THESE!!

And b) they go so darn fast.

Also c) I’m really, REALLY trying to resist buying more full skeins, and having some socks already on the needles makes that a bit easier.

I’ve started some ribbed Rollers with a bright purple from Mothy and the Squid and the leftover yarn from the boyfriend’s socks.

And these are the other combos I’m (probably) going to go with:

I keep waiting to get bored of knitting socks, but it’s just not happening!

Hannah

xXx

Sock it to me Monday 10

Oh so much news for my tenth socky post! I’d like to say I planned it so there was something interesting to say just in time for double digits, but that would be a blatant lie. Everyone knows I’m too disorganised for that.

The first news: I finished my first ever pair of socks AND THEY FIT!!

I keep trying them on because part of my brain can’t quite believe that it worked.

These are made with Mothy and the Squid yarn in the colourway Peacock Flower. The pattern is Basic Sock with Integrated Heel on Ravelry and I used 2mm DPNs to make the largest size for my hobbit feet.

I can’t even tell you how happy I am with these socks. If I were not so scared of causing holes I’d never take them off.

But I am a sock knitter now and can’t bear to have empty needles for long, so the second news:

I cast on for the boyfriend’s socks and already made it to the foot.

It’s going soooo much faster than mine, thanks to the sensible amount of ribbing (15 rounds, thanks for all the advice!) and a slightly shorter leg. Also the fact that I haven’t yet messed it up. Win.

It’s official – I love knitting socks!

Hannah

xXx

April review 2020

Stash used this month: 2 skeins

Total stash used this year: 17.5 skeins

Skeins added to stash this month: 3

Stash remaining: 341 skeins

The 2 skeins used up this month is really an estimate, as I’ve used little bits from lots of different skeins for my Beachcombing blanket. When it’s finished I shall be all technical and weigh what’s left so I can take out exactly how much I’ve used.

I’m somewhat disappointed that total stash went up this month. But on the other hand, NEW PRETTY SQUISHIES!

Only one of them was an impulse buy on my part, because Hobbii had yet another sale on Twirls and there’s this gorgeous new colourway called Pink Tanzanite:

How could I resist?

Some JK Fibers yarn got added to stash by accident (honest!). I bought it for the boyfriend as a present to celebrate him getting a job, but shortly before it arrived he informed me that he doesn’t like knitting with sock yarn because it’s too thin. So it’s gone into my stash, and his present will be a pair of socks made from it instead.

Then, because he is an excellent boyfriend, he bought me a mini skein of Industrial Accident from Mothy and the Squid.

And it came with a free mini skein of Blue Footed Booby, which is also sock yarn, so that went to me as well.

Buying yarn is one of my coping mechanisms so I can’t promise that’ll be the end of lockdown stash enhancement, but I’m trying really hard not to go on a yarny binge. The goal is still to have less than 300 skeins by the end of the year so I need to focus on using up what I’ve got!

Hannah

xXx

Sock it to me Monday – I’m going in.

I can put it off no longer; It’s finally time for me to dip my toe into the sock knitting pool.

My tiny sock circular has gone walkabout, but I got the hang of using DPNs after making two lots of fingerless gloves so I’m just going to stick with them.

I’m using Mothy and the Squid yarn, in the Peacock Flower colourway that I bought during Local Yarn Shop Day last year. Less than a year in stash is pretty good for me!

Obviously I haven’t got very far yet (it took me at least five tries to get the stretchy cast on right), but I’m feeling surprisingly confident about it.  The pattern I’m using is the basic sock with integrated heel on Ravelry, suggested by Crawcraft Beasties as being good for sock beginners.

Wish me luck!

Hannah

xXx

Monday make

Despite having to tink and redo the final section THREE TIMES, I finished my Changing Staircases at the weekend and it’s now looking beautiful on my blocking mat.

Also slightly weird because I ran out of pins, but never mind.

I’m looking forward to wearing this baby soon. Although with it being scarf weather in Scotland right now, it might take a while to dry out.

This project taught me that I still have no concept of how knitting uses up yarn. I was sad because I thought it would have to end on a lacy section, which I didn’t want because I can just see it catching on everything. But then I got to the end of that section and still seemed to have a bit of yarn left.

I figured it was better to have a row or two of stockinette than nothing so I skipped the ‘cast off stitches’ step and knit across. Then purled. Then knit. Then purled. I was 6 rows in before realising that the yarn was going much further than I expected and I could get a-whole-nother plain section out of it. So I tinked back, cast off the stitches and did the section again.

And after all that I still had enough left to cast off, with this long a tail to sew in.

I never would have called that in a million years! It seems I need to do a LOT more knitting so I can start to get a feel for these things.

 

ETA: this is Changing Staircases, a free pattern by Dragon Hoard Designs on Ravelry.

Hannah

xXx

September Review

My plan for September was to finally get some WIPs off my list so I could knock it down from eight WIPs to four.

I managed one of those things.

After what felt like forever with nothing, I managed four fairly big finishes:

There was my boyfriend’s Lego blanket.

A baby blanket made with the leftover bricks.

My Changing Tides blanket (nope, I still haven’t sewn the ends in).

And FINALLY my beautiful Flax Light

The baby blanket was a new addition so that got my WIP list down to five, but…then I got a bit of start-itis after being inspired by BonnyKnits, and cast on something new.

This is Changing Staircases by Dragon Hoard Designs, it’s free on Ravelry, and the yarn is Leaf Green Rainbow by Mothy and the Squid. I regret nothing.

So now my WIP list is sitting at six, which is an improvement so I’ll take it.

I think for October I’ll aim for getting it down to four again. A few of the projects are close to finished and should be easy to cross off, but I’m also going to start making for Christmas so I know there will be more added on.  I just have to resist all the Halloween crafts that are popping up everywhere!

Hannah

xXx

LYS Day

Last Saturday was suuuuuuuuper busy, but I still found time to celebrate Local Yarn Shop Day with a visit to I Sew 2 and Sealy MacWheely.  They’re not the most local-to-me yarn shops, but they are definitely the friendliest I’ve ever visited so it was more than worth the time and effort to get across and support them.

First up was Sealy MacWheely, which had been re-stocked since my last visit so I was really spoilt for choice. Mothy and The Squid won out this time, when I spotted some Leaf Green Rainbow.

I had already seen (and fallen in love with) this colourway on Instagram so there’s no way I was going to leave without buying some.

Then my eyes were irresistibly drawn to this pretty:

It’s called Peacock Flower. Of course my camera can’t handle the reds properly, so that photo is just a hint of how vibrant and warm and beautiful the colours are. I really can’t wait to get this wound up and start making something with it.

And while I was distracted by the oodles of beautiful yarn, these earrings just jumped into my hands! What’s a girl to do?

Of course I bought them.

As it was a special day I also got a free cupcake, blanket pattern, and pin badge. I thought I had a photo of the badge but I can’t find it right now, so hopefully I can get that added later.

Then I popped across the road to I Sew 2. They were starting to wind down and pack up for the day, so I had a quick look around and settled on some coordinating fat quarters.

This one is my particular favourite:

A more accurate picture of the colours

So many pretty, pretty things to play with, I just don’t know where to start! We’ll see what calls to me when I get a proper stretch of crafting time.

Who else treated themselves on Saturday?

Hannah

xXx

Sealy MacWheely

Well I’m spoilt in my new job. I not only have I Sew 2 just 5 minutes away from the office, it turns out I also have Sealy McWheely! Right across the road from I Sew 2 so I’ve no idea how I never noticed it before…

Sealy MacWheely’s fun shop sign

The shop is closed Mondays and Tuesdays so I had to wait until yesterday for a visit and boy was it worth the wait.

Yarn, yarn everywhere!

They stock a small selection of Indie dyed yarns, as well as all the fluff you could ever need for felting and spinning, plus some ready-made goodies for sale ranging from earrings to greetings cards to natural bath products.

Pretty soap bars

When I visited during my lunch break there was a one-on-one tutorial session going on, but Katie paused it for a second to welcome me to the shop and explain where everything was, plus a quick plug for the Knit ‘n’ Natter nights.

We also had a quick chat about which particular fibre arts I’m addicted to. Obviously I couldn’t have her full attention with a lesson going on, but I still came away feeling like I’d had a really friendly chat in a lovely place. I wonder if that’s a Kirkintilloch thing!

I was more sensible about it all this time. Obviously I’m incapable of leaving a yarn shop without buying something so I may as well plan for it. Rather than set a monetary budget (having no idea of the price ranges) I decided to Marie Kondo it; I was allowed to buy one skein that sparked joy for me.

Buttons!!

When I recognised Mothy and the Squid yarn before even seeing the labels I figured that was my one skein sorted, but then across the shop in the little workshop room I spotted this utter beauty.

Neon rainbows are the best rainbows

This didn’t just spark joy, it set off a whole firework display! I did look at all the other yarn and there are some real pretties, but nothing quite as good as my neon rainbow. So I bought it and spent the rest of the day smiling to myself.

Of course I didn’t set any budget for all the other goodies in there, so I also came away with a needle gauge (no shame because I’ve been wanting one for months) and a little knitting brooch.

Sheepish needle gauge

Teeny yarn and knitting needle brooch

The bath products smelled amaaaaazing so I’ll probably be back for some of those when my current stuff runs out.

Oh and did I mention there’s a loyalty card as well?

I’ll definitely be back again. Many times.

Hannah

xXx

WIP Wednesday 17.10.18

Current WIP count: 6

I bought some yarn from Mothy and the Squid, colourway Zombie Bloodmoth, with the intention of knitting it into a Hitchhiker for myself.

I even cast on and did about 50 rows, but for some reason I wasn’t entirely feeling it. Looking back now I know it’s because my needles were veeeery slightly too small, so the resulting fabric was stiffer than I like. I mean you couldn’t have knocked nails in with it or anything, it just didn’t have the same flowy drape of my first Hitchhiker.

Then I came across the Nautilus shawl by Orla Howard on Ravelry and the interesting shape intrigued me.

(C) Ainewillow

It took no time at all to frog the start of the Hitchhiker and cast on (with slightly larger needles) a Nautilus.

This is another easily memorise-able pattern that I’ve been working on while watching various films and series on my laptop, but it has one feature that I know will put off some of my knitting friends: the even numbered rows are almost entirely purl stitch.

I can already hear the groans! But I actually quite like the purl stitch, in fact I feel like I can purl faster than I can knit. Tell me I’m not the only one?

Roses for Grandma has stalled a little, as I ran out of the cream yarn. The plan is to run to Hobbycraft during my lunch break at some point this week, taking a square with me, so I can get a good match for the colour and make use of the 3 for 2 offer they’ve got on at the moment. I shall try very hard not to get distracted by all the other yarn on offer while I’m there…

So that’s what I’ve been working on! What’s everyone else up to? Got some WIPs to share? Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx