Shock! Horror! And Spurtzleurs!

I am still here - I've been spinning, and knitting, and changing jobs on the good side, and sadly, we lost our beloved cat, Holly earlier this year on the bad.  We had 15 years with her, and, after she finally showed us she was ill, we had 5 more good months with her thanks to our wonderful vets, who I can't recommend enough.  So as well as being busy, I've been hit for 6.
In knitting, I've been taking part in a challenge to knit 7 pairs of socks in Posh Yarn this year - I'm on track, with 13 socks finished, and just the second sock from my "Sunday Socks" to knit.  I also managed to squeeze in an Owls sweater (finally - I've had the pattern for goodness knows how long).  It knitted up very quickly - but sewing on 38 "eyes" was a bit of a challenge!

Jon also had to take about 6 photos until I was happy with this one!  I had Very Firm Ideas about how I wanted the eyes to look - I wanted an amber translucent button so they looked like owl eyes - I had to hunt high and low, and drove myself potty - then found them on the Habadashery stall on Newcastle's Grainger Market - perfect, and a bargainous 3p each!  Now I need it to get a bit chillier so I can wear it!

Jon's been busy - he's taken up woodturning as a hobby, and is really enjoying it.  We both love wood - it's so warm, and every piece is unique.  He was inspired last year by a lovely lady we met at the North Pennines Wool Event, Monique, who hails from Yvetot in Normandy.  I was speaking to her about the area, which I love - the company I work for has a site near to Yvetot, so I have visited the area a lot, staying in Rouen and driving to work along the Seine each day - it makes the commute a nicer experience than tackling Newcastle's Quayside, I can tell you!  She had a stack of old mill bobbins with her, and was using them to spin yarn by drafting fibre, and doing what looked like a roly-poly with her hands.  When we watched closely, the bobbin was loose and turning in her hand, so the "pedalling" action was actually spinning the fibre around a fixed point - a similar concept to that of the Great Wheel - but actually portable!

Jon set to work with some wood, and his lathe, and started to turn out some beautiful sticks for spinning.  We demonstrated them at a couple of shows, and they went down well - but we were missing something.  A good name.  Stick Spinning just wasn't doing it for us - we wanted something a bit less generic.

At Woolfest, we got talking to some members of the Derbyshire Weavers, Spinners and Dyers Guild, who seemed very struck by stick spinning, and they said the sticks looked a bit like a spurtle (a porridge stirring stick, Scottish origin).  This got Jon thinking, as he thought spurtle is a lovely word.  To celebrate the Norman inspiration, he added "leur", and The Spurtzleur was born!

I love using mine - it's not fast - but I find I can use it for longwools and really control the twist so as not to overspin and make twine.  It's also a bit easier for travel spinning - I'm not in danger of dropping anything, there's no hook to get bent, and one fits in my smallest handbag - I can whip it out anywhere, and it's a proper conversation starter!

Jon has an explanation of how to use them on his website, and has them for sale in his shop.  You can see them in the flesh at the Tyne Riverside Country Park Rangers Station this Sunday from 1pm, or at the North Pennines Wool Event in St Johns Chapel in Weardale on September 28th.

That's probably enough for the moment - I don't want to get carried away now I'm back!

Falkland Chunky!

OH has dyed up some Falkland Chunky in his shop in 300g hanks that are perfect for the Monkey Puzzle Scarf.
I used 300g for the test knit, but had it in 100g hanks, which meant I had ends to join in and weave in as I went  - not my favourite pastime!
This yarn is so soft and squooshy, and would knit the Monkey Puzzle all in one, and you'll know that the colour will be true through the scarf (although OH dyes skeins together, there's normally some variation due to how he dyes semisolids and variegated yarns).  I've swiped a Scarlet Ibis, as I really fancy a soft, warm chunky scarf in a bright red to keep me warm this winter!

We Love Our Supplier...

...who managed to find 8 cones of the Falkland Chunky I originally designed the Monkey Puzzle Scarf in. OH will be dyeing up 300g skeins, which is enough to knit the scarf, without having to join ends (or weave anything in other than cast on/cast off).

While OH is busy dyeing up the chunky (and preparing for a couple of shows we'll be attending - one near Edinburgh on 20th August, and one in Coldstream on 27th), he's having a sale to clear some space.

There's also some delicious local fibre listed. The Shetland and Shetland/Bowmont come from a farm just north of Alnwick, and the Manx is from a community grazing project - these sheep were in the country park where OH volunteers last summer, so we knew some of the sheep whose fibre he is selling! I've spindled the Manx, which was a delight, and have just started with the Moorit Shetland. The prep is sliver, which is a woolen prep, and is therefore good for soft and bouncy yarn.

In other news, I've started with this year's Guild Challenge - so my next post will include buckets, onion bags, and a human spin dryer!

Fresh Designs: Scarves - Monkey Puzzle Scarf

I’m proper published and all now.

Fresh Designs: Scarves went live late last night UK time, and is available as an e-book via http://www.ravelry.com. There are ten designs in the book, many of which I really want to knit myself, and my Monkey Puzzle Scarf is in there as well.

The inspiration for the scarf is exactly as it says in the title – the Monkey Puzzle tree with its parallel arrangement of thickly covered branches. I wanted to design a scarf that would be a quick knit, even for someone relatively new to knitting, which would be warm and snuggly, and which would keep out the winter chills. So it’s very basic. If you can cast on, cast off, knit, purl and count, you can knit this scarf. It uses stocking stitch and reverse stocking stitch to create the texture. I’m also around to answer any questions you may have.

The book is currently only available via Ravelry, but will be available via the Co-operative Press website very soon. Both print and ebook versions will be available.

Another factor for me was that I wanted to showcase some of Jon’s beautiful yarn and for a quick and snuggly knit, the Falkland Chunky he was dyeing at the time I was working on this design (about a year ago) was perfect. Soft. Good stitch definition. Takes dye like a dream. Chunky, therefore quick to get results with. And here’s the hiccup. The base yarn he was using was discontinued, and trying to find a supply of a similar chunky has proven problematical. We thought we’d cracked it when our main supplier stocked up for winter last year with some Shetland Chunky (mmmmmm) – but sadly, he lost most of his stock in a fire before we could order. Thankfully, nobody was hurt in the fire, and he was insured, as not only are his yarns and fibres of the absolute best quality, but he is also one of the nicest people that you could ever hope to meet. Sadly, though, the chunky was not replaced at that time. On the brighter side, Jon has some beautiful Romney fleeces that he is going to get spun to the same specifications (fingers crossed, as the new machine to do this isn’t at the mill yet), and we are hearing rumours of a chunky British BFL yarn that will be available to us in the Autumn. Jon’s also doing his level best to find alternative, suitable, and economically viable chunky yarn (easier said than done, as “chunky” is a spec that covers anything heavier than aran weight, and there are massive discrepancies in the grist, thickness and characteristics of this size of yarn).

So bear with us!

Finally, I must say a massive THANK YOU to some wonderful people. To Shannon Okey, founder of Co-operative Press and the brains and elbow grease behind this whole operation. Shannon has been fantastic to work with – from the very clear call for submission, right the way through to the message that the book was launched last night. To Abra Foreman, who interned with Shannon over Summer 2010, and put up with strange questions, organised the submissions and was a lovely person to boot. To the wonderful Jon of Natural Born Dyers who not only provided me with the fabulous yarn, but who is also the love of my life, and who has shared all the good and bad (including me bouncing up the stairs at bedtime last night saying “it’s been PUBLISHED!!!!!”). To the other designers – it needed ten of us to make the book – and I will be knitting many of their scarves as well. And to anyone who has defied boredom and self-promotion and gushing and general me-ness to survive this long and thinks “I might just have a look at this book”. Especially if you also buy it and knit some of the patterns.

The photographs in this post are copyright Fractured Photography, and are used by kind permission of Cooperative Press.

Antici......................................pation

I'm starting to get excited. I mentioned a while ago I have a pattern in a book being published by Co-operative Press, Fresh Designs - Scarves - and a couple of nights ago, I looked over the final edit of my pattern and the photos for it.

If that's not enough, Shannon's posted a picture of the covers today (apologies to those without a Ravelry account - I'll link to another picture as soon as one's available).

So it's real, and I'm getting VERY bouncy!

I don't know the publication date as yet, but Shannon assures us we're nearly there now!

New Pattern - Bassenthwaite Shawlette

Bassenthwaite is the only Lake in the English Lake District – all the other bodies of water commonly referred to as lakes, such as Coniston and Windermere are meres or waters! We love the Lake District, and have holidayed a few times on the shores of Derwentwater, always making the short trip north to Bassenthwaite to walk in the woods, or try to spy the Lake District Ospreys.

This shawlette is knitted from side to side on the Baktus principle – so you knit the first half until you are approaching the half way point of your yarn, then you start to knit the second half – the idea being that as long as you start decreasing before the halfway point in your yarn, you won’t be racing the yarn down to the last half inch to finish!

The shawl is knit with a garter stitch body, with a scalloped lace edging that has been taken from

Barbara Walker’s “A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns”. It is relatively “easy” lace, requiring only a knowledge of knit, purl, yarn over and knit two together to complete the lace pattern. Knit into the front and back of the same stitch and slip, slip, knit are needed for the body increases and decreases respectively.

The pattern is available via Ravelry if you want to take a further look, we will have it with us at Coldstream's Wool Festival on the Saturday of the August Bank Holiday weekend.

I am very proud of someone...

OH and I reached an incredible number of years together over this weekend. We celebrated up in the Scottish Highlands.
Now I'm home, though, I can show you just one of the reasons I love him so much, and why I'm so proud of him.
He's going to be at Woolfest this year - and a very special announcement has been made.

A Secret Sort of Revealed...

I've been sitting on a bit of a secret.

I'm not very good at keeping secrets.

Today I can finally go SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! and tell you I have a design going to be published in a book later this year! The book is "Fresh Designs: Scarves" and is being published by Co-operative Press, the brainchild of the amazing Shannon Okey. It's a scarf, and it's designed to be a very straighforward knit, in some of Jon's yarn.

Now - Shannon is doing her level best to publish this series of books (there's 10 in total covering everything a person could want to knit), but despite how superhuman she seems, she really does only have one pair of hands. To help get this series out more quickly, she's put in a bid for a kickstarter campaign - if $5000 is pledged by April 30, then there'll be a matching fund provided, which will really speed along the publication. To encourage donations, there's some pretty good prizes up for grabs, from PDF copies of Shannon's own latest book, "The Knitgrrl Guide to Professional Knitwear Design" right up to 3 days of private fibre art tuition one to one. Even a single dollar will help get this off the ground more quickly!

That's all I can reveal at the moment - my scarf's not available for a sneaky peek as yet - but hopefully, soon...

In Dreams Clue 1

InDreamsClue1
Originally uploaded by Panperoxide

This is the beginnings of the In Dreams shawl - a mystery KAL being run by Susan Pandorf which I mentioned in my blog post yesterday. The yarn I'm using is Fyberspates Sparkle Merino / Silk Lace, and the beads are 8/0 beads from Rosarama, my local bead shop (how cool is it that I have a local bead shop - especially one packed to the brim with beautiful beads and findings, and run by a lovely lady who's a skilled beader and designer in her own right).
So far, I'm loving the design - it's going to be semi-circular, and dripping with beads. The yarn is absolutely beautiful to knit with as well - I love all of Jeni's yarns I've tried - it's all really top quality, and her colour-sense is amazing (not to mention she is also one of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting), and this one is no exception. The sparkle is subtle, but visible - not too in your face, but it adds a shimmer, and doesn't fight with the beads.
So - three blog posts in three days - and I've still got stuffs to share! And on Saturday, I'm off to a beginners' weaving workshop at my local Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, in Stocksfield - so another craft to have a play with!

And Hot on the Heels.... Shawl #3 - Little Leaves

LittleLeaves
Originally uploaded by Panperoxide

And here is my third shawl of 11 - Little Leaves by Susanna IC, knitted in Posh Yarn Eva 2 Ply. This pattern was fantastic to knit - an easily remembered lace pattern, and a great shape - easy to wear as a shoulder shawl or a pretty scarf.
The yarn is pretty special, too - Eva is 55% silk, 45% cashmere and soft as butter - Dee at Posh Yarn gets limited stock of this beauty, so it is very precious - the put up is 55g / 400yards, and this shawl uses up less than one skein.
The next shawl is on it's way - I'm taking part in the "In Dreams" KAL run by Susan Pandorf, which is a semicircular shawl, knit from the top down, and part of her Lord of the Rings series - it's based on Galadriel's crown, and as Galadriel's one of my favourite characters from my all time favourite read, I was sucked in. The clues are out every 2 weeks, so that one will be a slow, steady reveal (and there are 5000 beads in the pattern!). I've also got the pattern for Galadriel's mirror, knit in 1200 yards of 4 ply. So that's 5 of the 11 taken care of - 6 more lovelies to choose!

Batik - Shawl #2

Batik
Originally uploaded by Panperoxide

Finally - Shawl number 2 for 11 Shawls in 2011! This is Batik which combines cables and lace for an incredibly textured shawl, which looks fabulous knit up - I've used Wollmeise 80/20 Twin sock yarn for this (the other skein from my grab bag, which included the yarn I used for Haruni), and the deep saturated greens really work well with the pattern.
It's knit from the bottom up, so there is a bit of a race to the finish as the rows get shorter and shorter, and the ball of yarn gets smaller and smaller... I can fudge a top-down shawl where I may run out of yarn, but haven't yet figured out how to do this with a bottom up, without ripping back or pleading in ISO/Destash threads.
Shawl #3 is hot on the heels - I'm just enjoying having a couple of ready made blog posts here!

Haruni - First Shawl of 2011

Haruni1
Originally uploaded by Panperoxide

Haruni by Emily Ross
Knitted in Wollmeise 80/20 Twin sock weight, colourway WD Lila Ludmilla
Cast on 01/01/2011
Bind off 03/01/2011
Blocked 08/01/2011
Yardage used - one full skein - 510 yards / 466 metres

Love it - taking part in 11 Shawls in 2011 on Ravelry, and this is No 1!

Merry Christmas!

Tree 2010
Originally uploaded by Panperoxide

Merry Christmas everyone - and I hope you all have a lovely time, with best wishes for 2011 to be happy, healthy and successful for you.

New Free Pattern - Helter Skelter Cowl

helterskelter1
Originally uploaded by Panperoxide

Introducing the Helter Skelter Cowl - a very quick knit in time for Christmas and a very simple pattern to boot - if you can knit, purl and count using one hand, you can knit this!
Knitted in Natural Born Dyers Wensleydale Aran, this cowl is snug and warm, and has been roadtested during a two hour journey to work through the snow and ice. Available for free from Ravelry:

download now

Camping

Camping
Originally uploaded by Panperoxide

I've finally blocked and photographed my EZ 100th Anniversary Camping Pi Shawl - I knit it in Natural Born Dyers yarn, colourway Tropical Lagoon, and I think the greens and blues really complimented this wonderful pattern.
And yes, I know the pattern is written for fingering weight, and this is a fine laceweight - but EZ was all about having the confidence to go "off piste" and adapt a pattern to suit - so I knitted on with confidence!

Liesl

Liesl1
Originally uploaded by Panperoxide

This is my very first handspun sweater. I span the yarn as part of the Tour de Fleece this year. The fibre was Polwarth, colourway Hay Sunrise from Southern Cross Fibre. In total, it was 832 yards of something between an aran and chunky from 28oz - perfect for Ysolda's Liesl.
Very quick to knit, easy to memorise the pattern and NO SEWING UP!
And the dye job and fibre from the lovely David was perfection!

Testing, Testing

Mitts1
Originally uploaded by Panperoxide

I've been spending some time test knitting the past week or so. The pattern is Tulip Mitts, which is a new design from Laura Patterson of Fiber Dreams, which is to be offered as a kit from Posh Yarn in the near future.
I've test knit once before, and while I am still knitting something I want, it's a different process from knitting for me.
1. I have to pay Very Close Attention to the pattern. The whole point of a test knit is to pull out any little hiccups or typos or ambiguities. It's not OK to fudge it, or think you've worked it out - the designer needs to know now - that's why it's a test knit.
2. I have to go fast. Now this isn't a requirement from Laura, or for the previous designer I worked with. It's a personal thing. For me, I feel that if I haven't got the time to give it a decent stab and spend some time on the knitting, then I'm holding up the process - the designer wants me to check the pattern works, so she can get it out there.
3. It's not a way of getting a free pattern! Well - it is, but that's not got to be the prime motivation for this. For me, I like to feel I've helped in the process (and yes, I'll feel a little proud when this kit is released into the wild).
4. I have to be frank. I feel a bit nitpicky sometimes, but the only way the pattern is going to be right is if I say what's wrong (to be perfectly frank - not very much with this pattern).

So - if you can bear to knit within the lines, are happy to turn an item around quickly, and can be honest (but gentle - this is someone else's baby, after all), then go on and offer to test knit. I have a lovely pair of mitts out of this one!

No photos... but a hidden gem

Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me on Saturday, but a new shop opened in Newcastle upon Tyne, and I had to take a look...
The Knit Studio is hidden away within Blackfriars in Newcastle upon Tyne - for those who know a little of the Toon, if you walk up Stowell Street from the Newcastle Arms end, and turn left at the end, just before the City Walls, then left again, through the archway at the Blackfriars Restaurant and Meeting Rooms, you come to Blackfriars Green - face to your left, and you're opposite a short flight of steps - up them, then up the stairs to the left, and you're in the new shop.
First impressions are of an airy space, beamed, and lined with tempting treats. Anne, the owner, was there to greet me, and was very welcoming. In the middle was a large table strewn with yarn, information and tea and cakes. There is plenty of room around the room to browse the yarn ranges (now this is from memory, so apologies for anything I leave out), including Rowan, Artesano, Lang, Colinette and Schoppelwolle. As well, Anne is stocking some harder to find, UK based brands - these are going to rotate, and on Saturday, there was fibre (yes FIBRE) from Wheeldale Woolcrafts, and yarn from the Natural Dye Studio, the Nude Ewe, The Flying Flock and JC Rennie.
Notions and needles included DuppDupp, Lantern Moon, Boye and Brittany Birch.
Plenty of reading material - Interweave magazines, a large range of knitting, spinning and crochet books, sewing books and fabric - and a reference library - sited enticingly behind two of the squishiest sofas I have ever seen.
I snaffled "Respect the Spindle" and a one-skein project book (useful for using my handspun!), a couple of Interweave magazines, two Zauerballs - one lace, one crazy sock, a pair of Lantern Moon straights, DuppDupp buttons, and a Boye circular. Well - one has to sample, yes?
All in all, it feels like a comfortable space. There are various objects placed around the studio that make it feel like an extension of someone's home - someone's home where you're comfortable enough to pop in, settle down with your knitting or a good book, and have a good natter.
I will be returning - to shop, to knit, and hopefully to learn, once Anne has workshops up and running. Go visit!

The Champs d'Elysee

So the Tour de Fleece finished on Sunday. In that time, I spun up a whocking great (for me) 2225 yards! Here it is in all its glory...So how did I do on my challenges?
I managed 832 yards of Polwarth from Southern Cross Fibre which is going to make a soft and squooshy sweater. Tick.
I taught OH the basics of spindling, Andean Plying and Ply on the Fly. Tick. He also made himself a Plying tool during the Tour, and one evening, stopped Parking and Drafting, and said "isn't this what you do?" as he drafted with the spindle going. I've lost my Bossie Zebrawood Maxi for good, but what a star he is - and more than worth it!
I didn't spindle the full 100g (boo) but got 130 yards of 3 ply from 50g... I also span up another 100g on the wheel... It was the pretties, I tell you, the pretties!
I also spun silk hankies for the first time - 152 yards of singles from .5oz...
Now - when's the KAL for all of this yarn...

Tour de Fleece

I'm busy spinning, spinning, spinning. While the Tour de France is running, there is a spinning challenge going on. I'm participating over on Ravelry, and I have three challenges on the go.

1. Spin a sweater's worth of yarn - I'm using Polwarth from Southern Cross Fibre in the colourway Hay Sunrise, and in two sessions, I've spun up 8oz of singles. I'm going to spin 3 lots of 4oz, then ply it off as I go, so I can then start spinning my next load of singles on the ends of the "leftovers". This is for Team Monkey Farts
   
2. Spindle 100g of Spinning A Yarn Downland English Wool Tops. I've not spindled for yonks, and so am using this to get cracking again. This is for Team Spinning a Yarn
3. Teach my OH how to spindle. This isn't for a team per se, but he has joined Team Spinning a Yarn, and is progressing better than I would if taught by someone like me.

Before I got going on the Sweater Polwarth, I span some more SCF Polwarth as well. Anf yes... if there are no pictures, it didn't happen...In other news, we escaped the chaos surrounding yesterday's terrible news (one of the shootings was very very close to us) and went up to collect some more fleeces. OH has blogged about it here. What he doesn't say, is that he very kindly treated me to a delicious carvery Sunday lunch in return for my services as driver. But let's face it - fleeces as lovely as those are their own reward!