FO: Plum Snapes

At last year's Glasgow School of Yarn, I took a class with Amy Singer and she recommended Sock Candy as a yarn for those who would like handknit socks but cannot wear wool. When back with Mr me, we picked out some yarn on Blue Moon's Website and, some time later, it arrived. After a little fondling, the yarn went into the stash until I pulled it out in April ready for a Ravelry SKA Sockdown challenge.

I really do like this colourway. It's called Plum Crazy but it makes me think of the beach. Dark, wet (muddy) sand and blue seas.

Knit two at a time, toe up (I was hoping to use all the yarn but didn't quite). These would have been a quick knit if I hadn't initially made my traditional toe-up mistake of forgetting to knit the pattern on the back of the leg. They spent some time in timeout before I finally gave up aspiring to find a block of time to drop each stitch and correct it, instead I ripped back the leg and reknit.

Pattern: Snape's Stockings by Erica Lueder
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Candy in colourway Plum Crazy
Mods: Lots! Knit toe up, adjusted the number of stitches in the pattern repeat and the number of repeats round the sock. Knit a different heel and toe. Can't remember which toe, but the heel was the origami heel and I'm never knitting one ever again.
Project: Online at Ravelry

Homegrown

This is the first year since I was a child when I've found an interest in growing things (where previous attempts probably consisted largely of mud pies).

Here are the pickings (so far...):

The carrots were grown in wellies which seemed to be very effective at keeping out the slugs and other things that have ravished the rest of the outdoor gardening attempts.

The tomatoes were grown in my office.

Nom :)

WIP Wednesday: River Socks

For a while I was committed to, and focussed on, finishing projects... and then I started these:

A simple top-down sock in DK weight yarn. I've had the yarn and pattern in a project bag for about two years now, it deserved to finally get made. It's a DK weight sock, my first. I'm not totally sure there's a call for too many chunky pairs of socks, but I won't know until I've tried it. The pattern is simple and very effective.

Pattern: Kalajoki by Tiina Seppälä
Yarn: Stylecraft Luxury Merino DK in colourway Cornflower

For other Wednesday WIPs, try Tami's WIP Wednesday link party.

FO: Marin

This was a mindless knit during some thesis panic. I needed knitting that just amounted to following row after row of instruction so I ignored the chart and just plodded through portions from the written instructions as and when I got the chance:

I love the colour of this yarn and I'm glad a pattern finally came along for it.

I don't know if I'll wear this as a shawl much (it could be a bit heavy?) but it will make a great winter scarf.

And, of course, there's always the neckerchief option.

Pattern: Marin by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Lana Gatto Feeling from Natural Stitches, Pittsburgh

Mods: None.

Project: online at Ravelry

Cooling Off

Where we are in the North of England, the summer hasn't really ever arrived. This week though, I'm away in the South of England and the skirt has come out to play! This morning I sat at the side of an outdoor pool and spotted these two mini lizards - one taking a swim and one cheering him on from the side:

Spectating

Drying off

So cute!

FO: Multnomah

I sat down this weekend and wove in ends on three projects that were sat waiting for those last finishing touches. Here is the first:

For a long time I was convinced that, even when I blocked it, this shawl would be way too small to be wearable. Turns out I was wrong :)

I think this will be a great casual scarf for autumn/winter. I'll wrap it round my neck bandit style:

All in all, a great pattern/yarn combination (thanks for the ideas Ravelry). If I did it all again I would have made it a bit bigger. I still have twenty-five grams of yarn leftover and even with the extra size it would still be very wearable.


Pattern: Multnomah by Kate Ray.
Yarn: Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball in colourway Herbstwind (Autumn wind).
Mods: None.
Project: Online at Ravelry.

Exploring: Arnside Tower

One of the things I love about geocaching is the encouragement it gives to get out and see places you never knew. This week it was Arnside tower:

It was a beautiful day out.

And I found the cache too!