I am really enjoying the possibilities of the new angora blog so if you are looking for more posts, you can find them here .

Address is
http://angorasjournal.typepad.com/angoras_journal/
 

Started another sock, and little ewe\sheep tape measure is hiding in it at the moment. It will be a simple 2 rib sock to add to my sock stash. I have also joined the online guild for knitters, weavers and spinners as I will enjoy that online community as well as the workshops held by members. There was a really good series on colour work which I want to work through. Some really good principles to work through if you are considering more yarn dyes and fibre dyes as I am in the near future.

A fun visual and informative videocast is Cat's video podcast letsknit2gether which has some really good shows on techniques of felting, knitting socks with circular needles. There was a reportage on stitches show and sheep and wool fest which was fascinating as I have never been and am not likely to go,but it has often been described on other podcasts.
Went for a small walk on the beach today and wish I had taken pictures as the tide was out and the beach had a lovely sheen to it. Maybe next time. 

One of the things I aim to do at the moment is playing with colour and to carry this theme this year I have joined up with project spectrum . This months colours are blue, white and grey.
A photo that inspires me at the moment is a stall of embroidery threads photographed in Belgium.
hat would make nice sock yarn what?

I have finished the raveberry socks and will post a pixie tomorrow and have cast on a pair of toe up socks using Wendy's generic pattern ( so easy to do) in Trekking XXL colour way 109. It is blue and grey. First project for project spectrum.
I have also got some dying to do soon of some merino fibre and sockyarn which will be a first. Watch this space. 

Don't you just love the colour way. One of the things I bought at getknitted was a sock stretcher which means that I will not have to put each sock on a foot for photographs.
I have had the greatest day although DS3 is getting at me to get on with his sweater. Designers....don't you just love them. A change has already been made to the coloured stripes but as I am not at that bit yet I am not steaming......
 

It is taking shape, its going to be bright! 

Finally had an opportunity to go to get knitted in Bristol. As it is half term we tried to combine a day where everyone might be happy. After travelling down and visiting N and a fantastic pizza lunch, we tried to follow directions to take us to the knitting mecca. We were not disappointed.
It was all a bit overwhelming I have to say and walls of colour would jump out at you.
I am a great fan of sock knitting but even I was having a bit of trouble making a choice here .
Where do you start and stop.

In the meantime, the boys had found a wonderful spot to sit and eat sweeties.
and even DH was catered for, so he could go and read a paper provided and help himself to drinks if he wanted to.
As you can see he was engrossed in his paper, which can only mean that N and I were happy browsing and filling our little and large baskets.
No, I am not going to show you!
When I got to the pay desk, I did indicate that I would only complete my purchase if she would not actually mention the amount spent outloud.......to which the woman kindly replied....please you do not have to justify yourself to me, I work here and I am on your side, I understand.
She got me worried when she picked up the phone and asked for a notepad and a piece of soap which I am sure is some code for ' this is a real addict out here come and look at what this person is doing!!!'
It was a good day, having decided that money available for therapy could be spent on fibretherapy to make me feel better.
Thank goodness I do not come that often here, I have enough yarn to sit and knit for a while.
On leaving Dh made the comment ' I should have brought a pickup truck'. We both have a sense of humour. 

Might be eyecatching knitting this weekend. If you want to know why I am away check here , that saves me having to say it all again.
See you soon, the yarn is great and I love the colours. 

I often wondered about the craze on Koigu, but then remember that Knitting and yarn are sensual pleasures. It just feels wonderful and I am really chuffed with the results. 

What next? I like the tropicana pattern Alison talks about on her blog and am going to use the raveberry yarn made for me by Chickengoddess . It looks good already, well in my imagination. 

Lace, a new thing for me. Lace isn't about what you knit but more about what you don't knit. Lace is just strategically placed "holes" and a series of knitted stitches. 

There are two main techniques for learning to knit lace: increases and decreases. A yarn over is, in fact, an increase and is most often used to create a lace pattern. Wrapping the yarn over, or under and over, the needle and then treating that wrap as a stitch on the next row makes a "hole" in the fabric. Because you have added a stitch with this yarn over (YO), you must decrease a stitch either before or after the YO to keep the stitch count the same as you cast on. If you don't decrease, you will have made an increase in your total stitch count, and this will make the garment wider. Most triangular shawls are shaped this way. You knit from a point, increasing as you work your way to the widest portion. Knitter's Review has an excellent description of knitting lace. Check out "The Essentials of Knitted Lace" at knittersreview.com. 

Knitting lace is easier if you follow a chart or diagram to keep the complicated stitches in pattern. Pictorial symbols have made reading a chart easy to do, and there will be a symbol index with your charted lace. The YO is represented with a circle to show the "hole" in the pattern. The decreases are done in a variety of ways, depending on the movement, or direction, the thread must take. There is usually a "key" to the symbol index that will tell you how to make the decreases or increases needed to create the lace motif. 

The charted rows are sometimes repeated to create a lace fabric, and it is crucial to mark the rows to keep track of where you are. You won't want to rip out lace work, if at all possible.  

Another great way to work the chart is to copy and enlarge the chart. Using a highlighter, you can stop after each row and draw a line through the row. I always use a stitch or row counter on the needles. I make sure to change the counter at the appropriate times and this number should always match the chart row. 

But what happens if you must rip out your lace work? 

Most experienced lace knitters use a "lifeline" to insure that the stitches aren't unraveled too far back. Thread a piece of dental floss or heavy thread in a needle and draw it through a plain, even row. I usually do this every two or three inches if I am working on a complicated piece of lace. When you have several hundred fine stitches on your needle, this is critical -- and very cheap insurance. 

Another trick to keeping you sane while doing lace is to place a stitch marker, or small loop of colored thread, on the needle every 10 or 20 stitches, or every pattern repeat. This way you won't have to count all those hundreds of stitches to find your mistakes. When I work across a pattern repeat, I stop and count between the markers before going on. If there is a mistake, the number of stitches won't add up right and I can locate the mistake without getting too far along. 

Finishing the lace is probably the most important part of the work. Blocking lace opens up the stitches and the "holes" to reveal the beauty of your pattern. Some lace is starched to keep it uniform, while other lace is softly and elegantly draped. Try your hand at lace with free patterns and instructions at www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/lace/edgings.htm. 

 

Adapted from an article by Catherine Hollingsworth 

Ahhhhh 

 

"200 Braids to twist, knot, loop or weave " by Jacqui Carey (£ 12.84) is a fascinating complication of braids that is well-illustrated and clearly explained. Braiding is an ancient craft that requires no more than some string (though, of course, some tools have been developed to make doing the twist a little easier). And blingy string and beads make braids even better.
 

"Favorite Socks" (£ 10.54) gathers up 19 patterns from Interweave Knits magazine and adds six new patterns. Tired of trying to remember what issue that sock pattern was in? This collection solves that problem. I just can't decide among the Flame Wave Sock, Austrian Socks, Meida's Socks and Eesti Trail Hiking Socks.
 

"No Sheep for You " by Amy R. Singer (£10.54). Singer, founder of knitty.com, is, as it turns out, allergic to wool. So she put together a book of really innovative projects that use all sorts of fiber -- linen, silk, bamboo, hemp, but not wool.
 

"Lace Style" by Pam Allen and Ann Budd (£11.46). Ooh-la-la -- lots of lacy stuff here, from socks to dresses, cuffs to shawls. Some have just a bit of lace, others are nothing but lace.
 

"Couture Crochet Workshop" by Lily M. Chin (£10.06). Chin, the world's fastest crocheter, has put together lots of tips for avoiding typically bulky crochetware through shaping and detailing. This is truly wearable, very stylish stuff. 

If you're just looking for a good read, try these: "The Fortune Quilt" by Lani Diane Rich, about a mystical quilt that changes a woman's life; "Gourdfellas, " a Gourd Craft Mystery by Maggie Bruce (includes gourd crafting facts and tips!)  

Also, Interweave is featuring lingerie on its Web site (www.interweave.com/knit/projects_articles.asp). Projects include a Lace Nightie, Seduction Socks and a Lacy Thong. 

I have turned the heel, slowly but surely and am knitting the leg part. Not sure how good a fit this is going to be but we will see.
I also spent some time spinning today, some more alpaca, but I have a suspicion that I have a alight allergy to it, washing the fibre has not completely solved my problem. Limiting myself to 20 mins a day. 

The falling leaves pattern is growing slowly. The koigu is great to knit with and I love the colours and how the pattern brings them out. Lace is on my list of skills to tackle this year. memory problems and committing patterns to memory have been a skill lost in the last 3 years due to CFS so starting to read a chart and trying to make those neuroconnections is a worthwhile exercise. I wonder if others would benefit from knitting therapy and if there is such a thing? 

After having washed the blanket at the highest temperature in the washing machine the cream is a whitish blue jeans colour and the result is very pleasing. This has taken 3 years to make. On and off. It has been my in between project, you know between the projects you want to make, waiting for the yarn to arrive. At some moment I wanted to frog it but having made the yarn investment I forced myself to do a lesson in patience. It is now dry, and quite large ( 180 cm square). My DS3 wants to take it to school to his maths lesson and after that it will find its place in the large window seat in the living room in case anyone feels the need to be cuddled under it. On summer days it will come to the beach so I can sit down and knit while the boys go fossil hunting. 

Thanks to Alison , the remaining yarn arrived and I have now finished the blanket. I am currently having an anxious feeling as it needs to be put in the washing machine at 80 degrees to shrink the blanket to a square shape. The water currently looks rather blue.
My next project is falling leaves with koigu sockyarn. First time I am knitting with koigu.
Maybe if I start knitting soon, the calm will return.