Masham Sheep Fair

Masham Sheep Fair - 30th Sept - 1st Oct 2006

This is a late post, now that I have got the pictures The family went all the way up to North Yorshire to the quiet town of Masham to stary with Aunty Eileen & Uncle Pat. The Town was not so quite that weekend as it was the Masham sheep fair, which was fab.

The farmers took the preceeding very seriously with sheep shows and racing. I was interested in the fleece and craft stalls.

Lily & Oliver loved the Dray horses and the friendly sheep. the Highlight for them was definately hte 'Sheep Show' where there are several different breeds who 'dance' to music - seeing is believing - their website

I picked up three fleeces, a Coloured Ryland, A soft brown Shetland and a beautiful Wendslydale.

While we were there we visited the allotment, and the children were in their element. Lily loved the fact that she could dress in her matching bumble bee boots and rain coat.




















No Lily, its a flower, its not scary at all!





















Keep working on it Oliver and you'll get one





















There you are - carrot















Now Lily have a try......

Thank you Aunty Eileen & Uncle Pat for a wonderful weekend, we rosted all of the veg and had a feast!

Progress......

Wow - I have been motoring recently, so the updates on progress are:-

My Coat - completed Thursday 19th Oct ready for the Exhibtion in the Central Library, well not quite, it still needs buttons, but the right buttons, so I'm happy to wait for those. Pictures to follow as I need Aaron to take them. I started this on 2nd Jan 2006 - see this post - http://yolandagypsyknits.blogspot.com/2006/01/my-coat.html for the start




Lily's hat - I completed the knitting way back on the 5th September, but it just needed the ends weaving in, so it was completed tonight

Lily's bolero - the back and two fronts are complete - just the arms and trim to go.




Lily's Poncho - a new project... yes I know I should finish the others, but I could not resist it, so I have used hte same colours I uesd for her hat to crochet a poncho in the same pattern as the lemon & white stripped one I did for her last year. It crochets very fast, but is produces a close fabric, with few holes. The picture shows what I've done so far - I started (but actually did very litlle) @ the Library today, but most was done this evening.






Booties - Oliver's teacher left for maternity leave this week, so I could not resist making some booties for the little one. Iam very proud of these as they are the first real colour work that I've done. I've knitted strips and blocks, but not a charted design. It was actually quite easy, so I expect that I'll be doing more of this work very soon.

My coat - nearly there

I started a coat for myself last Christmas - a project to keep me busy over the festive period and one that would grow quick and I could eventually wear. Well as its a garment for me, many other projects have come and gone over the past few months which has meant that it has been side-lined for a while. Pity really as it only needed sewing up and the collar finishing.

Only sewing - I've been sewing it up all night! So far the sleeves are in, one side is done and the collar is finished, well I'm about 95% of the way there now. All that is left is sewing one side, neatening the collar where it meets the button band, tidying the loose ends and buttons....

This has all go me thinking. In all the years that I have been knitting & crocheting this is the first garment that I have knitted/crocheted myself that has not been a costume. Normally I make things for other people, so this has made me all the more determined to finish this project and take great delight in wearing it all this winter.

Don't worry pitcures will follow and I will plan another one.... its about time I thought about myself for a change, well after Lily's bolero, Oliver's jumper, Aaron's jumper, several baby booties as there are more babies on the way (not mine though) and some Christmas gnomes... are well I can but dream.... actually I do have some rather nice sock yarn in purples that might start me off, but I'll probably save it for this Christmas.

Amazon Wish List

I've decided that an Amazon Wishlist is a must now that I've found a few books that I like

Lily's Bolero

With re-newed enthusasum for projects and not just flitting from one to another, I have completed the back for a pink Bolero for Lily from Debbie Bliss's book - Baby Style. Theyarn I am using is Busy Finger's own brand Mercia and is very soft. - Pictures to follow.

I have also finished a quick pink fluffy scarf ready for our Pink Day @ work - I think Lily will probably steal it as soon as she sees it.

SP9 Questionnaire

Wow, its come round quick. I had to look back to what I had written last time. some of the answers still stand, but it was good to know that I have 'grown' in my knitting since the last SP, so here we are:-

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibres do you absolutely *not* like?
I love all sorts of yarn & the yarn has to suit the project. I knit lots for my two children, so bright colours and softness is important. However I also do freeform knitting/crochet, so there I need interesting textures & colours

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I now have two beautiful rolls for my knitting needles and crochet hooks courtesy of my SP7 pal

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learnt to knit as a child, but did not really knit garments until I was expecting my first child. Since then however I have always had a project or 2, or 3 or many, on the go. I have done cable, and recently socks, but yet to do any Fair Isle, so probably intermediate really, with more skills to perfect.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No, but considering one

5. What's your favourite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
Lavender and Rose

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Chocolate!!!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Yep, I spin using an Ashford Traditional and a drop spindle. I love to spin the old English breeds. Also I have been playing with felting, both the traditional wet felting & needle felting, with two puppets (Alice & Bernard) in construction.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
All sorts really, very varied from Classical to punk & rock, stay away from rap, R&B, dance etc

9. What's your favorite colour(s)? Any colours you just can't stand?
I love colour, espeically purples and the warm autumn colours10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
2 Children (3 if you count the husband), 6 year old Oliver and 2 year old Lily. 2 Dogs, Timba & Pebbles

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yep, all of the above12. What is/are your favourite item/s to knit?
The list is too long. Well I have recently finoished my first pair of socks and a hat for Lily. I like to have sevaral projects, some quick wins, but also big complex ones too.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Just started a bolero for Lily and a mobieus basket

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Love them15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
All, but the mobieus has caught my eye, so its circulars atm16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
nope

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Aaron’s jumper which is probably 3 years old now

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Chirstmas

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Recently stitch markers and drop spindles- oh now I think about it Vintage Children’s knitting patterns

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Denise circular needles as they have so much potential. I also subscribe to Simply Knitting, which should feature Coventry Knit-Wits very soon.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Last time I wrote ‘Perfect knitting in the round using double pointed needles’, but I’ve done that now, so it’s the mobieus baskets & bags

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes – I have finbally finished my first pair, which hubby loves. I'm a regular UK 7

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
Devcember 26th – Christmas baby!

Socks Completed!!

Yipee.....
I have finally completed sock 2 @ precisely 23.32 on September 30th 2006. I was @ the Masham Sheep fair in Yorkshire all weekend, so could not blog until now.


Here is Aaron modelling the socks. I purchased the yarn @ the 2005 Knitting & Stitching show in Harrogate. The first one was quite easy, but I struggled to get the second one going for a long time. It was the first row that gave all the problems. I think that I have it sorted now for further dpn projects.