paraknit

Monday 31 March 2008

Mud !





This is a different "take" on The Secret of Bad Nauheim. I am knitting it in some linen thread that I had in my stash and am using it double on size 4.5mm needles. It will then either be a curtain for my front window or a cloth for my dining table. I have repeated the pattern 3 times and will decide on the length as I go along. At the moment I am actually up to date with both the KALS I am doing, but I don't expect that will last long.










We took adavantage of better weather on Friday afternoon and went for a walk along a creek down by the river Severn. We tried to walk at a place called Sand Bay but the wind was so strong we were both "crying". We drove over to the other side out of the wind and found this creek. I assume it will look better when the tide is in!!












This is the remains of a floating jetty that we found. It would have been attached to a pontoon that would have gone up and down with the tide. The MOD own this and we could walk no further.





Another started project! These are socks for cricket. I am knitting a strand of wool with one of cotton so that they are not too hot in the summer. I am knitting them for when I go on tour to the Channel Islands at the beginning of May.

Thursday 27 March 2008

Mystic Light Shawl

This is fun! Another new project but I could not resist this. I dyed this wool myself and it is a little "busy" for this pattern but I will continue. This pattern has a cabled edge which is fiddly but looks great. This is clue 1 finished - I am actually on time with this one. I am also doing the Secret of Bad Nauheim but have re started that several times. I am using linen and not quite sure what gauge to knit.

Wednesday 19 March 2008

Long time no post !

It has been a long time since I managed to post but I have been busy at work, we have had more flooding and I have been to the frog pond several times.Despite all this, I have now finished the SOTSii and here is a picture of it laid out in the sun with the male swan "helping".


This is another picture of it inside on the landing. The colour does not look so good but the pattern shows more clearly.

I have also been swatching for the next KAL I have joined which starts on Friday. I was originally going to use the coloured wool but I think the white linen will show the pattern better. It will probably be used as a table covering when it is finished. I like using shawls on a table to show them off.

I am still plodding along with my lace bedspread, several socks and will have to sort out the Rowan summer top I started last year and never finished, oh, and prepare for the other Kal I am due to start next week - Mystic Light. Apart from all that I am working all Easter weekend and when the garden dries out I need to sort that out.

Friday 7 March 2008

Day Out

Finished Clue 7 tonight of SOTSii in time to photograph it and enter it in the competition. I am actually on schedule this week and the deadline has been extended by 24 hours! Photographed it inside because I will not have time tomorrow. I am going to an "End of School "event at a school I used to teach in. A new school has been built so we are saying farewell to the old one. I am then playing hockey so it will be dark again by the time I get home. I am also playing in a veteran's hockey tournament on Sunday so by Sunday night I will not be able to walk.



We went out for the day today, down to the south coast. I needed some knitting that I don't need to look at for the journey so I cast this on. It is a sock with some wool I bought in New Zealand. The colours in real life are much more spectacular than the photo shows. We had a lovely day out, down in Lymington. The sun shone - it was a cold wind though - and we watched the sea and wandered round the town.

My other excitement this weekend was the buying of a camper van. We have been thinking about it for a while and went out yesterday to a dealer and saw one that we - my husband and I ! - both fell in love with, so we put a deposit down and we will collect it in April. No money left now so will have to knit from my stash!

Wednesday 5 March 2008

Views!









These are the views that I had yesterday as I was sitting knitting. We visited friends for the afternoon after going to Abergavenny market. I love the views from their conservatory and could sit there for hours. I made progress on SOTSii, but only a few rows. The market was interesting and we had fantastic roast pork sandwiches for lunch. We also visited a wool shop in Brecon,very small, but absolutely crammed full of wool. I resisted temptation, almost, and only bought 1 ball of blue variegated cotton to knit some bootees for our neighbours son.




I finished these Serpentine Mitts just before we left yesterday morning. I have made some slight alterations to the pattern. I did the palms in stocking stitch and the backs in reverse stocking stitch. I also used double knit wool and made the smallest size. They only took 2 evenings to knit and I wore them yesterday with my alligator scarf.

It is another beautiful, clear,cold day today. I am going to get some washing out on the line first and then maybe some spinning or knitting. Tomorrow hopefully I am having a delivery of muck for the veg garden, it will depend on how the lambing is going on the farm.

Monday 3 March 2008

A Finished Item!!


The fourth alligator scarf is finished and this one is for me! The forecast is for it to get colder so I thought I had better get on with it.



Here it is again. Still not an accurate colour but better than the other one. The sun was shining for this one. I have also nearly finished some Serpentine Mitts to go with it. That is tonights project, unless I am tempted to swatch for the next Kal, Secret of Bad Nauheim, using,




This!! Not sure how this will turn out. It is my attempt at dyeing, using Kool Aid. I have used this method before but only on small skeins for socks. It is now wound into balls ready to go. I did not use gloves to carry out the dyeing and last night my hands matched the wool quite well. They are nearly back to normal now.

I have spent some time in the garden today, trimming back some bamboo which overhangs from next door, having a bonfire, re potting a tree fern and looking at the veg garden which is still too wet to dig. Tomorrow we are going to the market at Abergavenny and on to some friends for the afternoon. I expect I will knit on the journey but not the SOTSii, perhaps some socks as I have about 3 which need partners!