Fab card

My new Secret Pal sent me a fab Jacquie Lawson card - Lily loves them so much that I have had to play them over and over, especailly the ones with Chudleigh the dog.

Thank -you SP

Chocolate Hotel Heaven

My Secret Pal is quick off the mark! I had a great hedghog card last week and this week chocolate!

My camera has done a little trip, so you'll have to wait for the photos - look here for the delights of the Chocolate hotel!

I have had to fight Aaron off them - they are all mine (well most - Lily have not spotted them yet - if she does I have no chance!)

I really must blog more often

I always seem to leave blogging for a while and then have a blitz to catch up. Time, where does it go. What with a job, two childre, two dogs, a husband (who does shifts), a Knitting club to run each week, an online Medieval Spinners guild to run, Re-enactment, Spinners Guild (only once per month) and the odd Role-playing event it no wonder I can't make it to the keyboard very often..oh nearly forgot the Lutsk Oprhanage appeal.

So what have I been up to on the knitting & crochet front? - photos very soon

• I have completed a beautiful jumper for a baby boy - for a friend who is extecting in the next couple of weeks - it is a boy (wellI hope it is?)
• Started and finished (in one night I might add) a little crocheted drawstring bag out of white cotton for a First Holy Communion present. I'm not sure if I will need to line it - I do rather like it as it is
• DISHCLOTH!! Dishcloth mania - Rachel its your fault! My SP from last time (the one I was spoiling) sent me some Lily cotton for dishcloths - I am so addicted - you even got the colour right for my kitchen! Several people thought I was made, cos you only knitted dishcloths when you could not afford to buy them. Not any more now the cotton comes in many funky new colour schemes at you can have trend dishcloths - the idea is catching on and they will all be at it soon.
• started a cardy for Lily (finally - I kept using hte wool for other projects like cirly whirly scarves) I have chosen purple 4 ply and a great pattern with a lacy border - piccies to come.

On the Spinning front I have spun lots of my Jacobs fleece with the aim to make my Dad a new bobble hat ready for the winter (well thats if we have any summer, cos the weather is terrible atm). I have spun palin white, brown and bits of each to make it fun.

Claire from Knit-Wits and the Spinners Guild brought in some beautiful Alpaca. The other members have spun quite a lot of Alpaca, but so far it has passed be by as I have been focusing on the old English Wool breeds as part of my research for the Medieval Spinners Guild. However I could be convinced, it is sooo soft and beautiful to spin - darn what will I make with it?

SP8 has begun

Its so exciting, SP8 has begun & I've had a cool e-card from my spoiler.....thank-you

Its Lily's Birthday this Sunday - my little girl is going to be 2! Time sure does go very fast. She is quite a little madam now, the terrible twos are definately here. Oliver never really had a 'terrible' - he had his moments, but not too many tantrums. Lily however can strop at the drop of a hat if she is not getting her own way.

So it present buying day and I'm not sure what to get her. At the moment its between a ride-on toy and a play house with figures..... we'll have to see what Toys-r-Us has to offer. Oliver is going to choose his present for her himself. It won't be long until its Oliver's Birthday too. No problem with present there - he has Dr Who mad!

no....no.... really it is the end of SP7

Rachel you loon - I was supposed to be spoiling you, not the other way around!

(Picture to come)

Thank you very much for my parcel. Inside there was:-

• beautiful cotton to make dishcloths - I can see this becoming a new obsession
• Purple (shows you know me) lorna's laces to make socks for ME (for a change - yeah get real Kellie as if you are gonna find time to knot yourself socks)
• Lavender!!!!!! Bath goodies
• Homemade stitch markers

Finale of SP7

I have 5 minutes to myself, so can attempt to bring this site up to date.

SP7 was fantastice, I have met two great new friends in America through this - Rachel the Social Knitter whom I spoilt and Penny of Sith Knits who did a great job of spoilling me - Penny did drop hints about the Star Wars theme, but I missed her on the participants list -d'oh. Now I am an avid reader of both blogs and will keep intouch with both of them.

If you are interested in the next Secret Pal then click here for SP8

SP8 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favourite 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? 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?
Not at the moment

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

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

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Dying and felting – both wet & needle felting and yes I spin with both a wheel and drop spindle

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 favourite colour? Or--do you have a colour family/season/palette you prefer? Any colours you just can't stand?
All of them, but if I had to choose a single colour it would be purple. My favourite season is autumn; so warm earth colours are good too.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
2 Children (3 if you count the husband) nearly 6 year old Oliver and nearly 2 year old Lily. 2 Dogs, Timba & Pebbles

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
All of the above

12. What is/are your favourite item/s to knit?
Goosh the list is endless

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks (first sock), baby clothes as everyone around me is sprigging and trying to finish my own cardigan before it gets cold again!

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Absolutely!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Coming round to the wooden side

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Nope

17. How did you learn to knit?
Taught by grandma and then through books

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
Probably 3 years

19. What is your favourite holiday?
Christmas, though I always seem to leave it to the last moment to get prepared

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

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I subscribe to Simply Knitting and Knitting, both UK magazines – I love Childrens patterns especially bright, colourful & creative ones

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Perfect knitting in the round using double pointed needles

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes – but I’d rather knit my own – well that’s if I get further than the first one!

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
December 26th

I'm Back!

Not really gone anywhere, but have not blogged in a while because life has been very hecic and Oliver is addicted to cbeebies. So what have I been up to?

Lutsk Knitting Challenge
Well I have been working on the Lutsk Orphanage challenge, which has been fantastic. I publised (on the internet) the knit-a-long to make woolly things for the children in the Lutsk Orphanage and have been amazed by the generosity of the knitters who have replied. The parcels just keep coming filled with socks, hats, cardies and jumpers. Dominique is going out there in the next few weeks, so there will be pictures very soon of the children receiving their goodies. If you would like to get involved there is still time as we will be sending out parcels over the summer, so that the children have enough warm things for next winter. If you would like to pledge then either leave a comment on this post or go to the Lutsk Challenge website.

Knit-Wits
Knit-Wits is going well, with about 6-8 regular members and a total of 25. We meet each Wednesday evening 7-9pm in Liquid, Coventry's first non-smoking Cafe-Wine bar, City Arcade Coventry. We have our own blog site here. We are a friendly bunch who are all enthusiastic about knitting, spinnning, crocheting etc, of all age ranges and abilities. If you can't knit we'll get you started.

Knit & Knatter - BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
Today Claire, myself and Mandy from Knit-Wits joined the Coventry RSVP and BBC Coventry & Warwickshire in the firest Kint & Knatter session in the open centre of the BBC Coventry & Warwickshire radio station. Oliver & Lily came too and were even on the radio! RSVP the Retired and Senior Voluteer Programme encourage the growing number of those aged fifty plus to participate in their local area. We had a great time, chatting knitting, kiddie rangling and teaching anyone who sat still long enough how to knit & purl! They also have a knitting for Africa programme that the Knit-Wits will probably get involved in. The Knit & Knatter will probably be a regular event once a month and there are plans to do coventry's first Knit-a-thon in June, where we get as many knitters together and knit like crazy for 2 hours to make as amny squares as possible - sounds great - more details as I get them.

Felty time!

With the first Re-enactment of the season very close it was time to make some felty shoes for the children to wear

Here are Olivers - yes the red give it away. The last time that I made these type of shoes I worn most of the skin away from my palms, so I used rubber gloves this time.

The main fleece was Jacobs, carded on the drumcarder, but still raw. The addition of lots of soap and water cleaned the fleece bringing it up pure white.

These are Lily's and so cute & small.

Aaron will make leather bottoms so that their feet stay nice and dry and keep them from wearing out too quickly. These were so quick & easy to make that I'll be able to make new ones as their feet grow.

She was so good while I modelled the to her feet.

I got carried away and made some more felty balls - you can never have too many!

The large white & black is Jacobs fleece done in the washing machine. I just stuffed clean fleece into one of the nylon bags that you put the washing tablets in and put it in with towels on a 60 degree wash - saves my hands



Here is gourd to keep the balls in. Oliver & Lily love to throw them in. I used a circular piece of plastic about the size of a small dinner plate. Once the fleece had felted I cut a small slit and removed the plastic, then used my fist to shape the gourd as I fulled it further.

Again I used Jacobs White & Black, which gives a 'fluffy' felt.

SP - who are you?

Well it the last day of SP7 and I have had a fantastic time. I still don't know who my spoiler is - she comes from New Mexico and I know she is watching because the cluster map show a big blob roughly from there. I am really looking forward to finding out who she is and reading about her....send me a clue....

Childs roll brim hat

Child’s roll brim hat

This hat can be made easily in an evening either on straight needles then sew the side seam at the end, or in the round from the beginning. Have fun with stripes or simple Fair-Isle to use up oddments.

Using double knitting wool and 4 mm needles (either straight or dpn/circular)

To fit a 6 month old cast on 80 stitches (to increase for larger sizes cast on multiples of 8 stitches)

Knit in stocking stitch for 12 ½ cm or 5inches (or as required for larger sizes)

Decreasing

Row 1 *k6, k2tog* repeat from * to until end
Row 2 and every alternate row p to end
Row 3 *k5, k2tog* repeat from * to * until end
Row 5 *k4, k2tog* repeat from * to * until end

Continue in this fashion until 9 stitches remain then either

Cut yarn and draw it through the stitches – add pompom if required

Or

K2tog until last st,k1 and using dpn needles I-cord for a few rows to create a ‘stem’

Weave in loose ends and sew up the side.

As you can Lily loves it too - looks like I will have to make another one for her to stop her from stealing it!!

Treasure trove in Warwick

I have found an Aladdin’s cave of a shop right on my doorstep!! I have been to Warwick many times and walked right past Warwick Wools, without giving it much thought, but as Coventry Knit-Wits is consuming my thoughts I went inside and had to be physically pulled out by Aaron who thought he might loose me forever. I just stood and stared at the floor to ceiling displays of wool, crammed into every conceivable space in the shop - just the place to go when you have that 'not sure what to knit next' mood as there are so many different brands and patterns

well anyway they are Warwick wools 17 Market Place - 01926 492853

Mon-Wed 9.30am - 4.30pm
Thu 9.30am - 2.00 pm
Fri - Sat 9.30 - 4.30pm

Darn! - never took my camera, must get a photo when I'm there next

Knitting for Orphans Challenge

Coventry Knit-Wits have laid down the Lutsk Ophan Knitting challenge

Ok - we have approximately 44 children aged 6 months to 3 years, to knit or crochet for and they all need the following :-

hat

socks or booties

gloves

jumper or cardigan

We appreciate that it is getting towards the spring (in theory anyway) and they will not be using them very soon, but the orphanage can store them until it gets cold again - and it does get very cold there. This is a chance to use up all the colourful oddments.

So if you can help in any way, even if it is only a pair of booties then please go to the Lutsk Orphan Challenge blog

http://orphanknittingchallenge.blogspot.com/ or email mailto:emailkellie.james@ntlworld.com

to pledge what you can make (eg a 6-12 month hat for a girl or a 2 year old jumper in bright red) and we will send you postage information. This blog will be used up to date on the progress of the knitting.

Thanks for all your support
Coventry Knit-Wits

Medieval Spinsters Online

The Medieval Spinsters Yahoo Group is now up and running! We have 16 members, 6 of which have joined in the past week.

If you are thinking 'whats she on about', then we are a group of Medieveal Re-enactors who are also Spinners,Weavers and Dyers. Here we can discuss the various ways of spinning, weaving and dying using authenic methods and the types of sheep breeds that would have been around at that time.

If you would like to join us then go to the Yahoo group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/medievalspinsters/

Curly Whirly Creations

Well, I have gone a little over board on the Curly Whirly scarf front - here are examples of my work to date

Checked Blanket - Complete!

Finally – this project has gone on forever. I had wanted to finish it for Uncle Brian’s Birthday back at the end of January, but it was bigger than I expected. The pattern worked – Aaron & I mapped it all out and it worked a dream – I’ll post the pattern soon. It is just the right size to go over Uncle Brian’s legs and thin enough so that he can easily pull it off if it gets too hot. Hey does this make me a designer?

Curly Wirly Mad...

Sharon wanted another row on her Curly Wirly scarf, so I brought it back to add some. Then I got the flu, so left off it for a while. Finally managed to finish it and, yep forgot to photograph it again!!

Since finishing the scarf I have also completed

• a pair of blue booties trimmed in red for the bootie store
• Anyother Curly Wirly scarf like i did for Lizi - photos definately to follow

Thinking of the white fluffy stuff I have - sure would make a pretty Curly Wirly.....am I obsessed yet, how many do you have to knit/crochet to offically become an addict?

Look what came in the post!

I've just received my SP parcel!

Wow it was such a surprise and after the week that I have had, it could not have come on a better day.

Inside there is

• A wonderful autumn colour roving
• 2 balls of Lorna's Laces
• A hank to dye
• Kool-Aid to dye it with
• Stitch markers perfect for socks
• A fantastic book of projects that Oliver & Lily will love
• Lavender soap
• Lavender & lemon white chocolate

I'm in heaven - thank you Secret Pal, a fantastic box!

Dominique’s first spinning

Dominique is really getting the hang of the drop spindle now. At one of the Coventry Knit-Wit sessions we did spinning instead of knitting, which went down a storm.

Here is the first sample of Jacobs’s white and brown plyed together and knitted up - Rowan chunky eat your heart out!

Pink curly wurly

Sharon @ work commisioned a baby pink curly wurly! - pictures to follow as my camera is out of batteries.

This one was crocheted using Patons Fairytale Cuddle DK. - baby pink, but hhas a pearl strand and the colour has pink & peach tones - I think that this would be good for a cardigan for Lily too!

1. Loose chain for as long as my arms would reah outstretched.
2. dc into each ch, 3 in the end one and dc along the back and 3 dc into the first 0ne, st.
3. 2 tr into each dc, working in a round & ss into the first.
4. 2 dtr (yarn round hook twice) into each tr & ss into the first one.

This took 100g of Patons Fairytale Cuddle DK, but Sharon thinks that it may need another row round, probably of trebles to give extra depth, so it will probably take nearly 150g once finished.