What Happens When I'm Not Knitting...

When last we met I was projectless.

My friends - the projectless state has continued!

Now obviously I haven't stopped knitting altogether. In fact I've made lots of sock progress and I finished up these beauties today.


(All plain stockinette. The first pair Noro Sock Yarn, the second and third are Opal Sock Yarn, and the final pair is Regia 6ply.)

But in the absence of a major project and no inspiration for one to cast on, I found myself at a loose end the other day and decided to declutter the cupboard under the stairs. I managed to throw out a bin bag of rubbish (Christmas decorations that haven't been used since I moved into the house!) and came across some fabric that I bought 11 (11!) years ago to make covers for my kitchen chairs.

Under the fabric I found my sewing machine. This machine is about 18 years old and has moved with me across the ocean twice. So when I say "I found my sewing machine." I mean I found most of my sewing machine. The foot pedal and power cord were conspicuously missing.

But now that I'd found the fabric I realised how grubby my chairs were looking. (11 years they've been waiting for new covers! 11 years!) and so I started a serious search for the power cord and pedal to rectify the problem.

I found the sewing machine instruction manual. I found the thread I bought 11 years ago that matches the fabric. I found the little box of sewing machine accessories (including the little teeny screwdriver). And yesterday in a box on top of the bookcase in the guestroom I found the power and pedal! Wahey!

Even better in that same box (which contained a really odd assortment of stuff) I also found 3 pieces of bobbin lace I made years ago.

I had no idea where they had got to! They were crumpled and one has a little stain but they are otherwise ok.

My sister Kim in particular will be pleased to hear about this discovery as I have long promised to make this piece of lace edging into a frame for her. She reminds me of this annually and was not impressed when my last update was that I'd lost the lace!!

The square pieces are around 5 inches x 5 inches and were made with thread size linen on around 80 bobbins. Each of the pieces represents hours and hours of work. And a bit like the knitted lace I make these days - they were rarely made with a purpose in mind.

Finding these has got me thinking about breaking out the pillow and bobbins again.

Bobbin lacemaking is very meditative - and the sound of the bobbins gently clacking together as you make the fabric is very soothing.

And of course, I just love the challenge.


These pieces are all torchon lace and maybe I'm just imagining it - but I've always seen a strong link between torchon bobbin lace and Shetland knitted lace (or vice versa).










But what happened with the sewing I hear you asking????? (And I expect you are beginning to see why after 11 years I hadn't so much as cut the fabric.)

Well, today I measured the chairs. I cut the fabric. I plugged in the machine, threaded it with my lovely matching thread and went to wind my bobbin thread.

I opened the bottom and there it was - gone!

No bobbin case.

I've found a source for a replacement but the chair covers will have to be put off to another day. With any luck - not 11 years away!

Anyone Out There?

I knew it had been a while since I'd done a blog update (aided by a few pointed queries from family and the Caked Crusader) - but somehow it comes as a complete surprise to me that it's been well over a month!!! Wow - time flies when you aren't doing anything.

"Not doing anything?" you ask. Yep. On October 31st I walked out of my office in the City for the last time. Ever.

I feel a bit of an oddity as the reason for my departure isn't the economic nose dive or recent banking crisis - in fact discussions about me leaving began around a year ago. And I confess that every now and then when I hear about the job losses in the City I feel a bit like someone who went to a small party only to be joined by thousands of people who've been forced to come along -- and they (obviously) aren't quite so pleased to be there. So I'm just staying in my little corner popping the occasional champagne cork trying to be quiet.

Anyway - you'd think that not having to work each day would give me lots of time for things like blogging and Ravelry. But you'd be wrong.

Doing nothing is an full time job.

Knitting wise - well - there have been some socks. Three pairs of these were for my younger sister who has been waiting since May for me to get round to knitting them. She's very pleased with them and has already requested more.

How times have changed since the days when I knit socks without knowing where'd they go!

The first pair is from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks - Child's First Sock. I am not clear if this is the first sock they wear, or the first sock they knit. It's a nice pattern in any event.

The next two pair are standard Opal self patterning yarn socks. I was very pleased that with the wide stripe socks that I decided not to attempt to match as for no reason at all there was a very short length of red in the second sock. No knot -- the yarn just had a dodgy repeat.

The final pair of socks in the parade of socks is knit from Noro sock yarn - cool colours but not as soft as I'd like.

I made fingerless gloves for Marvellous Madeleine (Gorgeous Goddaughter Genevieve's little sister). She wanted colourful and non-matching and was very pleased when these were delivered. The yarn is a sample of the remnants from the Babette Blanket.

I made a Peacock Feathers shawl - but haven't taken any photos yet. I'll do that next update.... which will be mid December as I'm off to the old homestead for a bit of holiday where the internet has not yet arrived so I'll be out of communication until then.

WooHoo!

It's Like Christmas in May....

.... Mostly because I'm working on some stealth projects and it has reminded me of the blog material void I faced last December when I was finishing up my Christmas knitting. All of that to say I've got a couple of interesting projects on the go - but I can't tell you about them.

Aren't you glad you stopped by?

Instead of the interesting projects, I'll post some pictures of recently completed socks. Hurrah!

These are the Embossed Leaves socks that I started when I went to Qatar earlier this month. I ripped them back and they are no longer too big for human feet and I'm very fond of the finished product. The pattern is from Favourite Socks and is definitely on my favourite sock pattern list. The leaf pattern is pretty easy to memorise, but interesting enough to keep you zipping around.

This is my first pair of Socks that Rock socks, and I am ready to take out a mortgage to stock up on more. The yarn really is lovely and squishy and the colour is great.

After successfully completing a pair of identical socks from self striping yarn, I've gone back to my lax ways and whipped up these fraternal socks using Kaffe Fasset regia sock yarn.

(Miraculously, I actually know that this is 'Landscape Storm' colourway. Go me!)

And because I had 5 pairs of socks finished but not yet distributed I decided to take a socks on parade photo because I could and I'm sad that way.



On a less productive note, I have decided that the Faux Russian Stole I started last month is never going to be. You may recall that I started it using some lovely (but crazy crocking) Claudia's silk. And I can't really say why - but the project never really took off. I did about 60 rows, but each with little or no enthusiasm, and since then I can't seem to convince myself to pick it up again.

So today I pulled it off the needles and ripped it all out.


I still like the pattern, and I love the silk - so I expect both will reappear (separately) at some point.

(And for those of you whose hearts have stopped at the photo of the unravelled yarn in a heap. Fear not. All was lovingly rewound. No laceweight was hurt in the making of this blog.)

Taming the Bayerische

Yesterday I finished knitting up the second Bayerische sock. They do look lovely in red I think...
This is my fifth pair of socks and I think this addiction has firmly taken root. I have more sock yarn than I can list, and at last count had 7 (yep 7) different sock books -- all acquired since mid April. Expect to see a few more socks gracing this blog.

Below is my "Sockalong Sockathon" output. The goal was to complete 1 pair Opal Rainforest (check), 1 pair Monkey socks (check), and one pair Bayerische (check). The other two pair represent waiting time between finishing Monkey and the arrival of the red yarn for the Bayerische.

I finally had to graft the socks myself. And for a few moments I confess I started to doubt the existence of the Grafting Fairy. But I think it was just a scheduling problem and like Linus with the Great Pumpkin I won't let one let disappointment diminish my faith - I will continue to believe in the Grafting Fairy.

What's Next?

I'm still dithering about what to cast on next. I'm like a kid in a candy shop -- every time I stumble across a new pattern or yarn I change my mind!! I think I'll pull out Victorian Lace Today and see if I can settle on something.

....and finally - The Great Zane Lowe 'On Board' Mission

Often on a week night I find myself settling down with a bit of knitting around 7 -- and turning on the radio (which for reasons of laziness is always tuned to Radio 1) and hearing Zane Lowe 'shouting out' (young 'un talk) text messages from listeners who have got in touch to let him know they are 'on board' (more young 'un talk).

I quite enjoy the show - it's made up of mostly new music. For some of it I reassuringly find myself muttering under my breath "if that is what passes for music today" in much the same way my parents did. And much of it I reassuringly (in a contradictory sort of way) quite like - so there is some life left in me yet!

As someone who is almost definitely not part of Zane's target demographic (being very much the wrong side of 30) I decided to let Zane know we knitters are out there and, well, 'on board'. So tonight was night 1 of the text Zane Lowe with a 'Soo is knitting up socks and on board' message. I'm committed to texting every night (well, every night I'm around) until I get a shout out to knitters. Send some of that love to knitters Zane!

I'll keep you posted on results.....