A FO, a WIP and some WM!

All the initials!  In amongst the naffness of the housing and adult-type-stuff I have actually managed to do some knitting!  My mojo often gets up and leaves when I'm feeling low but I'm too stubborn to ditch my knitting at the moment as I have far too many projects planned.

First to update is a FO.  Yay!  I finally finished my Biellese Shawl a few weeks ago which, bar the forever hibernating blanket, is the WIP I've had on the go the longest.  Thankfully, being a bottom up shawl, the rows got increasingly shorter as I went on and the end result is really gorgeous - using such high contrast colours really makes the slip stitch details pop.  The lovely yarn is by West Yorkshire Spinners and is the fabulously soft and bright Bubblegum and Sour Apple from the Signature 4 Ply range.

I'm still working away on my Avalanche sweater (although with the house move and procrastination, I doubt very much it will be ready for Yarndale!) but decided a quick WIP was required, so I dug some amazing FabFunkyFibres self striping yarn out of the stash which I'd purchased with the intention of a pair of long fingerless gloves.

With this project in mind I invested in a new pair of 9" Hiya Hiya Sharp Circular needles - they are definitely up there with one of my favourite needles and I loved the prospect of not having to magic loop or use DPN's!  They do take some getting used to with regard to where you hold them and ensuring your tension is even but they really do facilitate speedy knitting of socks and gloves.

The pattern is loosely based on Gothy Gauntlets and I shall endeavour to decipher my scribbles so that I can write it up (and knit the second glove). The first glove used just 30g so I have enough left over to knit a shorter pair as well - possibly with a solid coloured cuff/thumb.

Finally, I have broken my Pre-Yarndale Yarn Diet by investing in another couple of skeins of Wollmeise Lace this month.  I've been on the look out for Fruhling in Lace for a while as it's one of my favourite WM colourways.  This WD Lace skein doesn't dissapoint and is almost a neon hi lighter shade!

I also picked up a bargain skein of Lace in Moses - whilst blue is not a colour I tend to use very often but is still very gorgeous in an understated way!

More Spinning

I am absolutely loving having my wheel set up in the summer house as it gives me much more of an opportunity to spin, whether it's a quick 5 minutes or an afternoon sat in the sun!  I've even given my wheel a light sanding and waxed it all again as a treat.

I finished some more Fondant Fibre Rolags yesterday - these were the Priscilla colour way (an 80% Merino/20% Tussah Silk blend) which is just my colours (although the skein is still a tad damp here).  I added a bit of silver Angelina...to pretty much everything in sight!  The lawn has taken on a somewhat sparkly appearance and I even found some in my undie drawer this morning.

Also finished in the last couple of weeks is some handdyed, handspun merino "Punky Liquorice"

The mini skein is a 2 ply of the pink singles in the main skein.

And a huge skein of "Raven" which is again a Merino/Tussah Silk blend that Carla gifted me for Christmas.

My spinning is definitely finer and more consistent now and I've found my feet with my drafting technique - just practice makes perfect now!  I'd love a high speed flyer as I much prefer finer yarns so that's on my wish list for Christmas.

Since I was re labelling the stash, here's a shot of all my handspun to date.

A Finished Rainbow!

After a very, very late (or early!) spot of knitting on Friday night I finally cast off my Rainbow Pop Spots. I was that tired that I probably tinked more on Friday than I have knitted all week - never a good idea to combine lace and tiredness! I've yet to wash and block (as I have no where to do block it at the moment) but it's an impressive 198cm x 10cm unblocked.

I'm so pleased with how the hand dyed colours have turned out!  In total I used 234g of yarn:

Scarlet Spots - 3g 

Orange Spots - 7g

Yellow Spots - 12g

Green Spots - 16g

Blue Spots - 27g

Plum Spots - 30g

Undyed/White - 109g 

Scarlet Border - 30g

Whilst the border seemed never ending, the lace is a great contrast to the shawl body.  I'm still debating whether I should have gone for a black background colour but as it's far too late now and I'm not knitting another (no offence to the pattern - which I thought was fabulous!) as my wish list is already faaaaaar too long!  The white is lovely and summery though so will at least add a happy injection of colour into my usual black attire!

A WIP Update

It's been a while since I updated my WIP accountability list and wish list and given that the bank holiday weather is rather dull and grey I thought I'd dig out my project bags and check my progress.

As far as my WIP List from the beginning of the year goes,  there are a woeful amount of FO!!

JUL HAT in Yarn Stories Fine Merino and Baby Alpaca DK (Fuchsia) - Completed/FO

ORLA MITTS in Bergere de France Ideal (Meije, Calanque, Vitamine, Citronnier) - Completed/FO

SONNENSEGEL in Noro Kureyon Sock (240) and Drops Brushed Alpaca Silk (02 Hellgrau) - Still in the early stages but in no rush with this one!

THE HUDSON HAT in Lion Brand Amazing (Muana Loa) - Completed/FO

RASPBERRY MITTS in Rico Design Creative Poems Aran (04 and 05) - Still hibernating!

THE HULK (AKA PLUM ISLAND BIG BABY BLANKET) in Cygnet Seriously Chunky (Meadow Green) - Still hibernating...may complete it this decade!

BIELLESE in West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 Ply (Bubblegum and Sour Apple) - I haven't picked this up since my last update as I've been working on the Pop Spots!!

POP SPOTS by Juju Vail in hand dyed yarn - I'm now 50 repeats into the 111 repeat border *YAWN* It's absolutely huge and gorgeous though so I'm happy to keep going - albeit very slowly.

AVALANCHE SWEATER in Wollmeise Lace Garn Versuch Green - I'm determined to wear a hand knitted sweater to Yarndale!   Cast this on this week and ripped it all out yesterday as I wasn't remotely happy with my increases.  Will cast it on again later in the hope I can make the increases more consistent/neater.

My wish list has been added too (probably not a good thing!)

AISLING SHAWL by Justyna Lorkowska - I originally planned this in the gorgeous Eden Cottage Yarns Milburn but after seeing a WIP on Ravelry made with a grad yarn and a contrasting colour, I think I may have found the perfect project for the pretty Truly Hooked grad that I was gifted from Carla.  Combined with some grey, I think it will be lovely!

STARLIGHT SHAWL by Anna Dalvi - I'm much happier with the Fuchsia Wollmeise option so really can't wait to cast this on, although it'll likely be towards the end of the year the way I'm going!  But it'll match my hair colour hehe.

PEBBLE BEACH SHAWL by Helen Stewart - This has been in my queue since release but with the newly released sizes I can't resist any longer!!  I think I shall go for a Medium in Wollmeise Wasabi as I'm hoping I would have enough yardage in the 150g skein.  Of course I shall keep my eye out for some WM Lace in either Wasabi or Fuchsia just in case though - or some equally as gorgeous 600m/100g skein lace!

3 COLOUR CASHMERE COWL by Joji Locatelli - I was actually gifted Carla's 3 Colour Cashmere Cowl in Madelinetosh which I need to redo the cast off edge on!  I still love these skeins together though and am just debating whether to go up a needle size/increase the width as I'd prefer a slightly slouchier cowl.

HEARTFELT SHAWL by Claire Slade which, having already started once but frogged, I'm looking forward to casting back on as I loved the beading and the hearts in the red WM!

 

I think I need to make this a 2015-2016 list!!  With trying to spin regularly as well I'm going to struggle to get even half of these completed but I do so love planning them!!