hints of purple

Today's "Ta da!" moment is brought to you by my Os-Berg shawl!

{ewenique's Os-Berg Shawl}

This beautiful and FREE pattern was such a pleasure to knit. Though originally designed for worsted weight yarn, modifications for sock weight (or in my case heavy lace weight) yarns were readily available to this knitter  - thanks Ravelry!

The pattern is not charted but this didn't pose a problem and because the shawl is made up of increases and a combination of pretty stitches,  it turned out to be rather intuitive as patterns go. 

I used up all but 

of a 700yd skein (yes I realise I've just "jumped" units but I'm not in school anymore so whatever) and so didn't get to knit the ruffle edge. I say, it's just as well I like it as is. 

Dream in Color is moving up in my esteem. The funny thing is that it doesn't feel luxuriously soft, is not a high twist yarn, doesn't have any sheen to it; basically it possesses no obvious qualities that make a yarn divine in my books. Yet I really want to make myself cardigans (yes, i mean many) out of DIC. This isn't a svelte, well-toned, buffed and preened supermodel of a yarn but rather a plump, frumpy, heavy-on-the-rosewater, favourite aunt who happens to give the best hugs...and treats! 

Then there's DIC's colours; my shawl was knit in Purple Rain (I'm abstaining from all TAFKAP references) which reads as black in flat light with hints of purple coming through only under specific lighting conditions and my camera. Apparently.  

Following comments I 'eavesdropped' on during KnitCroBlo2:

project details

Pattern: Summer flies by Donna Griffin

Yarn: Purple Rain by Dream in Color

Quantity: 1 skein of Baby (lace weight)

Modifications: 1. larger size (notes here) 2. no ruffle edge

erm, I dunno if there was/is anything else to add. 

No doubt you'll ask me anything else you'd like to know :)

Whernside

Last Saturday, S and I together with our friends walked up Whernside, one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks. Our journey to the highest point in Yorkshire began here

{Ribblehead Viaduct}

the longest and most famous viaduct on the Settle-Carlisle Line. This is one viaduct I've been keen to see in all its glory. 

The walk was mostly pleasant though I found the descent very challenging due to strong gusts of wind and considerable rain. My companions had no such troubles though

{the gang (+T wearing my curlicue)}

most of them ran down (oh, to be that fit!) the steep side of the mountain and on to the pub. Ah, the pub! Never was a pub meal so well deserved or so gratifying.

In knitting news, last night I cast off my Os-Berg Shawl, it's presently blocking and will be on the blog before long. In other news, my house painting has all but ground to a halt but I'll be returning to my regular schedule before the week runs out. We've house guests staying for a large chunk of June and I would LOVE to have the painting done by then. However, I accept that that is probably not going to happen.

Oh, and I passed the driving test (a mere 6 days before my theory test expired) yay me! \o/ 

the very first skein

I'm so pleased that Blogger is finally back on its feet, I've been waiting all day to share a special little something with you. 

I bought the very first skein of  the travel knitter's hand dyed yarns! This yarn base is comprised of

100% wonderful! The colour is exactly what I specified, it's rich and luxurious and the blue? Oh. My. Bob! (did I just write that?!?!) well, the blue is perfect! 

But that's not all. Larissa generously included three buttons in the package

{pictured here with my first button}

These are all going on my fridge. I'm so happy I now have a fridge I can "stick" magnets to! And to round it all up, there was the sweetest notecard 

and in typical Larissa style it matches my currently languishing WIP.

To get your hands on your very own skein(s) of travelknitter yarns, you can call by her stall at the Spitalfields Sheep and Wool Fair this Sunday the 15th of May. 

So, we survived Friday the 13th. Have a lovely weeekend!

stagnant

This gorgeous weather is wreaking havoc with my productivity; it's being nice and lovely again. But my list of jobs keep growing quicker than I can make a dent in them. 

At this time of year, my knitting is usually trailing off while the sewing is being ramped up. Things are a little different this year. I'm crawling through my knitting, dreaming of delicate crafts like sewing and quilting and needlework, while dealing with the more significant tasks of painting our home, tending to the garden (S mowed the lawn for the first time yesterday) and other such necessary evils.

Being rather lacking in the desirable skill of multi-tasking, I find having too many things on the go overwhelming. I also struggle with "too many" unfinished projects. In addition to which, lately I've felt a bit stagnant with my crafting: I'm not growing, not learning any new skills not challenging myself and this isn't a feeling I am comfortable with. So to rectify this, I will pick an item off my never-ending make list (scroll down the left sidebar) and work on a thing a week! My friend Elle is doing this and I think it's a brilliant idea. Furthermore, I'll rotate through knitting; sewing; crochet; quilting; and paper so that no craft is left behind. 

In the meantime, I have the following to get through:

{basic difference socks}

and

{Os-Berg shawl}

and of course the never-ending naughty socks which are still in the naughty spot!

Having put these thoughts/feelings out there, I'm quite excited to complete these 3 knitting projects so that I can get cracking on the make list!

the first rainfall

Yesterday, for the first time since moving into our new home, it rained.

It's been 7 weeks (8 if you count the week we spent away) of mostly warm days and bright sunshine while we settled in. Then yesterday evening, while painting the kitchen walls, I experienced the first rainfall since moving in. The rain didn't come down in bucket loads nor was it a light drizzle, it was pleasant and made happy noises as it fell in the garden, on the roof of my craft room and for a brief while, on me. Just when I thought I'd heard it all, I'm granted another 'new house sound' and so far I like every one of them; my favourite being the floorboard that creaks every time one walks past the sofa. no doubt it will start grating in time.

But how's the painting going, you ask. Very well, thank you. I'm just about done with the first room and still full of beans. And I'm gonna need every single one of those beans for the next phase (phase 2 of 4) - painting all the woodwork. That's 11 doors, the bannister (balusters and all), window jambs, skirting/base boards, picture rails and delft rack...all in old fashioned white gloss! Yes, I'm girding my loins for that next phase. Fortunately when I need a burst of energy, I can recharge in the kitchen

This is not for the faint hearted. Yesterday, at the end of my tether with testers, I went with my gut and randomly selected this shade of grellow.  Indeed I was dubious after the first coat (which came out alarmingly yellow!) but a second coat has allayed all doubts. I'm toying with a third coat before handing it over to S to fasten steel shelves we bought a few weeks back. 

And just because, here's that wonderfully blowsy peony again, cut from my garden an hour ago

Tomorrow brings the second wedding of the season and I am wholeheartedly looking forward to it. There hasn't been much knitting lately but I anticipate getting a chunk done during the 12 hours it'll take to get there and back home again. Before then I will need to come up with a plan for my hair. I got a pixie crop before Norway and haven't yet had a proper go at it myself. Ideally, I'd have had a trial run by now but I've been short on time. Never mind, it'll be alright on the night.

I hope you're all well and happy & wish you a lovely weekend. 

wandered up side roads

A hello from sunshiny Bergen. We arrived here having experienced one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world! On our way, views like this were ten a penny

After checking into our hotel, S and I were out again like a shot. Not just because we had worked up an appetite during the 6 hr 40 mins train ride (and yes, there was lots of knitting) but because we were conscious of the fact that stores, museums and other places of interest close as early as 3 on Saturdays! 

It was yet another beautifully sunny day so one of the first places we hit was the waterfront

then we wandered up side roads that looked like this

and this

After lunch we picked up souvenirs, stopped for coffee (tea for me), walked around the fountain (or lake depending on who you speak to), rode the funicular for stunning vistas of Oslo

Ooooh did I forget to mention that coffee with Pinneguri (just tried to earburn her?!, everything should work like Ravelry!) in Bergen was marvelous. I thoroughly enjoyed the few hours spent with her. She was knitting another blanket (bet you thought there wouldn't be any knitting to show you!) whose pattern she'd memorised (!) AND was going to steek. eeek!

see the steek 'section'? Oh and no, that's not the Selbu Modern pattern. I've been informed it differs by two stitches, don't you know? :)

Today is for museums. Due to poor anticipation and planning on my part and my broken crystal ball, we missed the museums in Bergen! We did make a valiant effort to see them but only managed a few pictures on the outside, this one being my favourite

Have a lovely day.