half of a sundog

Ollie's left now and i miss her. I enjoyed cooking, baking and knitting with her, we didn't get around to sewing but that's alright because she got some work done instead. I was sad to see her go so to cheer me up, S and I went on a 6 hour walk today. We did the usual which is to ride the train out and walk back home via fields, woods and country lanes all the while avoiding cowpat and the like to the best of our abilities. 

Recently I've become mildly obsessed with viaducts. Often, our walks start with the local viaduct but we never get close enough because it's always just out of the way. Today was no different, but after walking 5 hours, another 20 minute detour was neither here nor there, we'd taken several detours earlier in the day including one to dip my toes in the River Wharfe. 

This was the best detour of all. The sheer beauty of these magnificent structures is truly awe-inspiring. 

And what's the first thing S does? 

climb, of course! He spent his "sit down" time traversing the base of the viaduct. I was too busy keeping an eye on the cows in a gate-less field nearby to take the weight off my feet. That, and the fact there was not a cowpat-free spot sufficiently isolated (and large) to plunk my arse on.

As I limped the last few yards home, I looked up to the most vivid half of a sundog I'd seen in a while. These have got to be my most exciting thing to spot in the sky. Granted, sundogs are not as pretty as rainbows but they are rarer and therefore much more satisfying - one always knows to look for a rainbow when the sun shines on moisture in the atmosphere but sundogs don't have any rhyme or reason.

That was the day and now I am tired and worn out but it was worth it! 

ollie and the old singer

I often wish i was around long before i came to be. 10 - 15 years earlier, in fact. i wonder what my life would have been like. 

i would love to have spent more time with my paternal grandma, who adored me but sadly passed away when i was just 5 years old. She was a crocheter. and i do recall sitting next to her while she crocheted things and spoke in a language i didn't understand. i didn't mind, i liked that she laughed a lot and would cuddle me randomly. i was one of those kids that sat where i'm told and never got up to no good...i made up for that later though.

my maternal grandma was different. she was strict and nothing i did pleased her hence she was not someone i liked to be around. When i was 15 she passed away. Sometimes i miss her. She was also a crafter but i'm guessing back then it wasn't crafting but necessity. 

Fast forward to last year and mum redecorating grandma's house where she came across her mother's old Singer manual sewing machine. She thought i'd like to have it and as i'm the sole member of my extended family that makes things, there was no one to haggle with; so now it's mine.

Mum has many memories of her mother sitting at this machine and sewing late into the night by lantern light. When I get around to using it i know i'll think of my grandma sewing clothes (including mum's christening gown) on this very same Singer. 

Lately, for whatever reason, i've been wanting things from a life i didn't know. i long for some sort of connection to people long gone. 

my cousin Ollie is here, she's spending the long weekend with us. Ollie and i plan to cook, bake, sew, walk, bike and knit. i'll be teaching her to knit and sew.
i love having people i like come to stay! I've cleaned, dusted, buffed-up, sanded (o.k. there was no sanding) and "oil burnered" every inch of my home. The funny thing is that Ollie won't notice nor care but i do love having an excuse for this level of cleaning :) 

Happy bank holiday weekend, people!

lost!

1 life.


If found please return to disembodied, disoriented, sometimes crafter who used to frequent this blog.


current earworm: Au Coin Du Monde
p.s. apologies for the poor audio quality.

swirls with a difference

There's my Ravelry queue and that serves its purpose well, and then there's the list. A master plan of hand knits, if you will. This list is made up of things I've seen in the knitting world, in stores, or elements of designs that are, as yet, just elements. Sometimes I knit from the queue, and other times from the list. 

I enjoy the process of knitting, possibly more than I enjoy the finished object (lightbulb: now I see why Sieue labelled me a process knitter). Yet every time I complete an item on the list I am a little more pleased than usual. It isn't that the list is made up of patterns that are especially technical or piquant; I'm not even sure what the dividing factor is but there is my queue, then there is my list. 

The swirl socks are on my list. 

This pattern is simple enough for me to knit my way so I'm knitting from the toes up and will be using the heel from Wendy's "toe-up socks with a difference". I am enjoying it so far except for the right twist. Three different right twists later and it is still (slightly) smaller than the left twist. any hints?

What else have I been up to? Well, once again Ravelry has brought about changes in my world. I happened upon a thread asking, "what would you do differently if you could return to the start of your knitting?". This question got me to tackle an issue that had been lurking in the back of my wardrobe for years - single balls of yarn. I don't mean remnants (even though those weigh heavy on me too) but the single balls that I'm not quite sure what to do with. Anyway, I sifted through them and earmarked some for certain projects (hats mostly) then listed the rest "for sale or trade". I've had two enquiries already! - I might succeed in sending them all to good homes after all. 

A while ago, I joined my sewing circle - a site that I hope will do for my sewing what Ravelry has done for my knitting. Since joining, I've been meaning to have a proper look at my sewing stash, which, though more modest than my knitting stash (and my knitting stash is moderate), could give the knitting a run for its money in terms of tools. Like Ravelry, there's scope to document tools, stash, projects e.t.c. and so this week I set about photographing some tools;

{awls, tracing wheel, seam ripper, buttonhole cutter}

{scissors}

{thimbles}

And finally, I've joined 2 swaps! I'm really excited about both. I don't know who my partners will be but I am already putting together mental notes. The last swap I took part in was not all that enjoyable. The rules of the swap meant that the parcel was always going to be meagre (what's the point?!?!). 

I suppose I could have been more creative in my gift giving but I was fresh out of creativity due to every ounce of my creativity being spent on planning our wedding. This time around will be different though. Better. I can hardly wait to "stalk" my partners and come up with what I hope will be perfect gifts. 

the one about Knit Nation

Knit Nation has been and gone and what a good time I had. S and I travelled down to London on Thursday and spent that evening catching up with friends. Come Friday, we were up and out early.  

S really is too good for words; not only did he accompany me there, he was also available for colour consultations, enabling and even a cash injection when I was running low. 

Twice I decided I was done and both times he sent me back in saying, "Well, there's no point coming all this way if you don't get everything you want." 

My third time around is when it finally occurred to me to take a few pictures, so here you go.

{part of the Wollmeise Stand}

and when I decided I really had had enough and was leaving, I ran into

{Cookie!}

But what did I get?

{Wollmeise: Lace-Garn, Twin & Superwash}

{Casbah Sock}

{John Arbon 4-ply superwash}

{Noro Silk Garden Sock}

What else did I see/do in London town? We visited

{the Natural History Museum}

where as well as enjoying the various exhibitions (pickled animals anyone?), I bought 

{colouring pencils}

After the NHM we walked to and through Hyde Park where we saw

Then it was on to Fortnum's for a little something for me and possibly something for a future swap. Tired and hungry, we arrived at Wong Kei; a restaurant where the staff have a reputation (or should I say "had" a reputation) for being very rude. S had been looking forward to "the experience" but was disappointed not to witness anyone being shouted at, I was just happy for a sit down and a warm meal! 

It was another good day and I am so pleased with my belated birthday presents!