Secret Smorgling

I got my Secret Smorgling box from Nunoco at the end of January, I was so pleased to get one.

It contained all sorts of loveliness

  

I know I am not going to be fast enough to enter the Smorgling challenge.  I am slowly spinning the box up, I have spun the two batts and will ply them together.  I am not quite sure what to do with all the other lovely bits and bobs.  It has been a good way to sample Nunoco mixes which are very lovely.  

Welcome 2015!

Christmas has been and gone and we are now at the end of the second week of January.  For the last half of last year (well since last May really) I have felt that I have been on catch-up without actually catching-up with myself!  Maybe I will feel more organised and in control in 2015.

Since mid December I have been crocheting the Attic24 Cosy blanket, its a vibrant blanket in true Lucy style.  I love it.  There's a pack for the stylecraft colours from UK based Wool Warehouse.
I am on row 46 and I made good progress over the Christmas break, but now I am back at work am slowing down (inevitable really).  Here's some of the stripes.

 

It's an easy pattern and I am enjoying the process of making it. 

What else for 2015?  

Coffee making has undergone a transformation, I was given a Dualit Milk Frother for Christmas, it heats and 'froths' the milk (only takes a couple of minutes while the coffee is brewing).  I had thought about getting one of the Dolch Gusto machines, but when I looked at the footprint they were a bit large and the pods seemed expensive, I also decided that it is just the frothy milk that I wanted so a milk frother seemed like a good alternative.   I am looking for the ultimate coffee though and decided that I would make a note of my thoughts about the ground coffee that I try - and explore some different flavours.   I have promptly lost my first two reviews scribbled on a bit of scrap paper, the first was Taylor's of Harrogate Guatamala   and is much nicer than the second pack - which I can't remember what it actually is!

I have also started Bullet Journaling in an attempt to get organised - it is working well so far, but it is early days. 

I would like to get to grips with lace knitting - will this be the year of lace I wonder?   I am in awe at some of the wonderful Boo patterns on Ravelry and would love to try using some beads.  Maybe I will actually manage something this year!

Knitted Minions

One of my New Year resolutions back in January 2014 was to knit a toy each month.  I haven't got anyway near that and have managed just one other toy!
I have just completed two knitted Minions, the pattern is by Stana D. Sortor free on Ravelry and is very easy to follow. I have used Stylecraft Special DK in Citron, Denim, Gray and Black.  Like all toys it is the putting together and sewing up that seems to take the longest part rather than the actual knitting!

Here they are before being sent off to their new owners.

New wheel

Finally the wheel of my dreams, together with delicious birthday cake.

So far this year....

I haven't managed to get as much spinning done as I would like, but I have been trying to get a nice balanced singles on the Louet.  I also have a nice black alpaca fleece that is providing me with some lovely soft spinning.  I have been mixing it with merino (the purple and black yarn and the black and brown yarns) these are wonderfully soft.
I still have top that I dyed up earlier in the year so will finish spinning that up before having a go at some lovely Wensleydale and Tesswater curly locks from Little Owl Crafts who had a stall at FibreEast. I love these grey and orange colours. 

 

I just have to decide how to spin it up!  

Sunday Spinning

This weekend I have spun up half of a roving on my little Westbury wheel

It's the second in from the right 

I have enjoyed pottering outside in the sunshine, while Maggie enjoyed dozing in the sun and watching the world go by...

I also made up some stitch markers....

and read about Zentangles 

Holiday spinning and knitting

I have managed to squeeze in a small amount of spinning and knitting over the festive season.

Here is 'Copper penny in the soot'  2 ply merino in black and rust, with gold angelina, around 152 yards, 4 oz.  It is lovely and soft. 

Another 2 ply merino, this one is called  'At the edge of the Arctic ice' 130 yds, 3 oz. 

"The first fog of Winter"  I have spun this one from carded batt that I purchased at the most recent Winghams sampling day in Lavenham.   The blend is a mix of merino and silk. It is the Winter Wonderland blend

I knitted up some more fingerless gloves in handspun.  

In an attempt to try and get on better with the Louet S10 I am challenging myself to see how fine I can spin on it.  I don't think I am doing too badly so far, I have laced the flyer, taken the brake band off and made lofty rolags.  Maybe I have just fallen out of practice with her! 

Christmas 2013

Oh dear, I haven't done well with posting - it's been so long.
The Christmas break is nearly over and I will be back at work on Monday.  If has gone by so quickly, we had my mum staying for the first week and while she was here paid a visit to my brother in Norwich.  All the photos that I took while there are out of focus apart from a few of my nephews gang of toys!  (slightly strange)  I don't know if it is the gloomy light that has dominated recently or if I just can't work the camera  but the photos I have taken have been very disappointing.

Rob did a fantastic job icing the Christmas cake that I had made back at the end of October.  Most of the cake has now been eaten.

I managed to do some carding, I had planned to call this one 'Copper Penny' but on reflection there doesn't seem to be enough copper in the resulting yarn.  The batts were made from black and rust merino and gold angelina.  All from World of Wool.

here it is being spun.  I am just about to ply it.
I also created these batts that I intend to spin as singles using the Westbury wheel.  I seem to be returning to the Westbury.  For reasons unknown to me I seem to be overspinning and creating yarn with too much twist on the Louet.

I have just ordered a big batch of fibre to dye up from World of Wool, it might get here before the end of the weekend in which case I will have a dyeing session.

Tea dyed paper 

While I have been on holiday I have been watching craft videos on Youtube, it is surprising what you come across, normally I keep to soaping videos but recently when browsing came across a bizarre rendition of the 12 days of Christmas from a firm in the North of England who produce Epoxy Resin. 

I also came across a paper artist The PaperAddiction who has some lovely videos for paper crafts. 

Armed with old tea bags I set about distressing some paper this morning.  Here are the results. 

Initial selection of paper, the Christmas wrapping paper was too thin. 

Teabag bath 

Results 

I am quite pleased with how this came out, although I am not at all sure what I am going to do with any of it.

Happy New Year everyone!

TDF 2013

Maybe not as much spinning as I would have liked, but nearly every day.

TDF day 2