Sock Diary

Starting off
After one false start (me knitting in to the wrong part of my cast on) and being kindly shown a new way to cast on. My first sock started on the saterday of our weekend away. The sock then came for a trip to the pub, this however only cased problems to it. On the sunday it had an outing at the tea shop, although not for long. By the end of the weekend away I had the very top bit done. Slow going I know but I dont knit fast on two needles let alone four of the pointy things.

Getting Further
A little bit of knitting did happen during the week- but only in gaps at work. The crochet was feeling abandoned after a weekend with out being touched. However a nice long train trip proved just the ticket. One sock now in hibernation till I learn to do heels.
There is a slight problem of being able to tell where I'm changing needles but this is my first trip into the dpn world. On the whole I'm happy with progress so far.

Last weekend in Oxford

I had a good weekend, lots of good food and just being away from home. The buildings down their are lovely, but not they aint Durham but I would say that. We where only there a couple of days so didnt do much. The Natural History Museum and the Pitt Rivers where the only places we went round. well other then a bit of a walk round the collages.. It was great seeing in real life skelitons that I had studied in text books. The insect collections where also amazing. The Pit Rivers is an odd colection of just about every thing, all in cases of similar things. It was a lot to take in when you arnt expecting it. It was great just wandering around looking at things some so old but brilliently crafted. There was also a lot of textile crafts including a case of spindals. Not a good photo I know but it was dark in there and I didn't want to be using the flash.

Weekend away

Well this weekend was wonderfull, and I would like to thank all who where there for making it so with ther lovely company.
Sometimes you just need a stressfree weekend, with wonderfull company, good food, sandy beaches, and lots of wool.
Most pictures seem to be of the beach - very unlike me ;-).
however lots of fun was had and I started my socks with the aid of Pinkphish - when I get the time they are going to get their own entry- maby a mini diary of their own.

here are people felting

and the is the beach looking very atmospheric

My new niece

and the now big sister


arnt they lovely

What to do with a Thursday off

Well for me this disision was easy. My thursday off hapend to be the 3rd Thursday of the month.
the . Guild would be on. I have been wanting to get to the spinning and weaving guild for a long time now. Work has a tendancy to get in the way though.
Today I went.
I was a bit worried about how I would be accepted, would they be frindly? and could I turn up just with my drop spindle. (The car was at the garage and didn't want to public transport my sonata and it was at Sis)
Well they where all very friendly and welcoming, and before I knew it it was 1pm.
Although I didnt have my wheel I still learnt, and hopefully (when I can next make it ) will learn more from these lovely people.
Most importantly I was remindend that crafters with a love of their craft are always welcoming and happy to help.

Things that reapear

This may not happen to other people, perhaps because they/their family are more organised, or maby they just know where everything is. But do you ever sundenly just come across some thing you have forgoton about? This can then lead your memery down many a path.
But the other day I was sat in my sisters room and saw this
I mainly picked it up cos it was shiny and colours I like, but I made this. It was one of my first crochet with wire ventures.
My sister for her part has no idea where it came from it was made for a sister who no longer lives at home.
As I looked at it I realised that for all it aint perfect it aint bad either, it made me rember that I should be proud of things I make as a lot are good and deserve it

Some fo's

Well I decided as it has been a month I should maybe put some pictures of finished objects.
So first of all the motif web shawl I made for my sister.

This is before it went to my sisters for blocking but gives a good idea of what it is like.


Heres a close up of one motif
Again this was before blocking
As I am here this is also from the same Interweave Crochet magazine it is the Hot cross slouch beret, in my habit of crochet for other people and not myself at the moment this was for a friend at work.
Well other then these the only other half done stuff I have is for Snoph and her new brother/sister.
The reason for the lack of crochet is mainly to do with being more interested in spinning at the moment. this was not helped by buying myself a new flyer. Pictures of this will come.

My Winter Wonderland

I know after not blogging for so long I have a back log of crochet and stuff to post about but, me thinks that aint going to hapen in the near future. So here are some pitures from today



A robin happy after being feed, and this was how close I was no zoom lense




and a mini snowman

silly drivers

I love watching silly drivers at this time of year. The road my mum lives on is a quiet country road, but gets danjourus at this time of year. What with patches of black ice, fords flooding etc. Yet you get drivers who dont know the road and use it as short cut. these are the drivers I love you get stoped by them to warn you theres a flood, they sit ether side of the ford looking at the water(it's normaly just a bridge till winter)as if mesmerised by it, then stare at you as you drive threw. They end up in the fields haveing driven round a bend to fast and hit ice.
I love it.
Stupid Drivers that shouldn't have cars.

Things I do like about working late

At this time of year working evenings, as much as I enjoy my work can seem a bit urgh. It'S dark and cold and eats into your social life semingly more then in the summer.
However I love the stars and the clear skies. I can pull up out side the house and on a clear night, see all the stars twinkling down. It has the ability to make everything right

Wool Stuff

I realised it has been a while since I have put anything Wool related on this blog, bad Becca. So here is what I am spinning at the moment the white wool is DK for a comparison. Admitidly looks a bit misplaced in the first photo.
It is fine and is still going to be fine when its plyed but it is for a shall I have seen in a couple of editions ago spin off magazine.
The wool is Manx Longhorn which I got from Wingham, admitidly a while ago. I am enjoying spining with this fiber even though I am spining fine.

I also recently recieved some prespun Manx from my Gran when she came back from a holiday there recently it has now become this bear (who has now got eyes)

AUTUMN

I love autumn.
the leaves are lovely colors.
the sun is at an angle that makes it shine threw the trees, making shadows and picturess sceneary.
Then there is the blackberrys (which are realy good this year), mushrooms and elderberries up for the picking.
You have some lovely sunsets and sunrises.
there is the cold frosty crisp mornings that just make me feel alive,
and the mist roling round the hills.

Walking in the woods

Well it is deffently Autumn the leaves are turning and falling and the blackberries are out in full force, and delicious this year.
However with all the changes they keep making in the woods, to sort out the dead and dying from last years fires. I keep losing the paths I follow. Now I admit to just following little trails not big proper paths but still. I have now learnt the best way to find them is to just let Chloe follow some scent trails and spotted the path. It's like life sometimes you need to get lost befor you find yourself.

Lost

www.lost.eu/601f2

Mad

I would like to introduce Mad (Maddison). He is technicly my sisters, sister in laws rabbit. But now he has come to live with me, much to kimbers distress at now haveing to time share his run.

birthday presents

Having recieved some lovely birthday presents this year I thought I would share some of them with you.
They included some lovely hand painted yarn, a new bag for projects now with a half made teddy in it. A lovely necklace, crochet books, and a subscription to spin off. I also got a watch and filofax this is in an effort to get more organised and manage my time better, esspecialy now term is restarting.

Vindolanda

Well yesterday me and Si accompanyed by a Soph - who never says no to a day out. Went to Vindolanda, we had a lovely day of sunshine and history. I was very impreased that despite the fact she is only 3, and we took her to look at in her view a pile of stone. Soph only sulked once and enyoyed the day she now wants to be a Roman solder.
I on the other hand was just happy to be out in the fresh air and countryside.

80th Birthdays

This weekend I went to Yorkshire, celebrated Si's grans 80th, meet new people, had fun and drank wine. I also found a lovely waterfall.

Ginger bread men

My step aunty (well one of them) used to always tell me that the best kind of man was a gingerbread one.
She had many reasons for this, they don't answer back, they are good listeners, don't tell you what you can and can not wear, do , say ,act like.
They also always taste good and if you do get annoyed with him you can always bite his head off.
I'm deffently begining to see what she meant.

Pledge

well I think its about time I went on the pledge. So here goes.


I hereby promise only to use up stash yarns/fiber or yarn/fiber gifts until either my stash is used up, and all my UFOs have been transmogrified into FOs, or Woolfest 2008 arrives.

Exceptions.
1. Other people can buy me yarn, I can buy other people yarn.
2. Swaps are permitted, but only from existing stash.
3. beads, buttons, clasps, shawl pins etc. are allowed but only to complete stash busting projects.
4 gifts must be made from stash.
5. Requests for others will be considered - but yarn has to be in stash or may be bought for the projects by theperson who has requested the object
6.books or magazine/journal subscriptions do not count as stash.

may also be another to deal with fiber and what happens if all fiber has run out, but yarn stash is still in existence. Couldnt cope with nothing to spin.
I also need to work out the details around yarn I spin my self.

Other then deciding I needed to go on the pledge I have had a good weekend I spent Yesterday with pinkphish and Knit nurse watching them dye yarn, and enyoying the sunshine.
Today I have galloped up hills and gone a bit slower down hills and been out for a family meal which is always entertaing.
Now I am off to the woods for a walk befor the sun goes away.