Revontuli finished at last!

Well, nearly. I haven't blocked her, but isn't she beautiful.



I've said it before but I'll say it again this pattern was an absolute joy to knit. It made such absolute sense. And the yarn is fantastic. I only used one skein. If I had had the time I would have liked to carry on working more increases and making it larger again. But at least this way I still have another skein of Evilla to use elsewhere.

I got carried away taking 'arty' photos so please humour me.



Close



Closer



Too close?

Happy times

for now
Ruby xx

Finally getting somewhere

18 rows to go
18 rows to go
e i adio, 18 rows to go!

In fact, since I took the photo its 14 rows to go. Revontuli by the lovely Ann has been an absolute pleasure to knit. The pattern is really easy to follow and the charts are very clear. It looks like it might only take one skein of the Evilla yarn, and the colours are looking better and better all the time.



I'm working with some yarns from Lazykate. She dyes the yarns so beautifully, the colours all work so well together. This is a double knit yarn that she has spun for me



This is my preliminary swatch worked with 4mm needles



I'm working on a design idea for knitonthenet which started with this basic sketch



The body is not going to be stocking stitch and it will be knitted in the round from the bottom up, with cable detail and also a cable belt. But that's really all I can reveal at this point. Lazykate and I are also working on another very exciting, very different project connected to our top secret news, but all should be revealed soon.

Finally, I was clearing out a cupboard at work and look what I found right at the very back, forgotten about and unloved



the loveliest china sugar bowl I've ever seen



It now has pride of place on my sideboard.

for now
Ruby xx

Blog Award

I received this lovely blog award from Gudrun at Shetland Trader

She certainly made my day. Thank you Gudrun.

These are the instructions that come with the award.

"Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times."

I'm at work right now so haven't got access to all my blog list but straight away I would like to pass the award to Lin at Queen of the Froggers and Robin at Yarn Crawl who both put me to shame, and also Ysolda who designs the most beautiful knitwear and is so creative.



for now
Ruby x

Knitting Club with no name

We had the first meeting of our knitting club on Thursday evening. It went really well with the youngies and the oldies all mixing in well and helping each other out. In the excitement of it all, my daughter suddenly forgot to knit and I spent most of the night unpicking, but otherwise it was great to see 15 year olds to 68 year olds all mixing in together.





These are a couple of our very enthusiastic younger members. You may recognise one of them from the cover of the latest knitonthenet

We even had a chappie



But what we haven't got is a name for our group. We don't want to call it a stitch 'n bitch or a knit and natter but a name would be good. It can't be TLC, as, unfortunately we're not all teens, and also the TLC group will carry on seperately at home. Would love to hear if anyone has any good ideas. We were all useless and came up with absolutely nothing. Please help.

My back is still driving me insane but I've decided not to say anymore about it as I'm bored of hearing myself moaning. So suffice to say, its not better, its interfering with knitting and sewing output but I'm not going to mention it again.

I have only 40 rows left of Anne's Shawl.



Its very difficult to photo as its all bundled up on the needles but I'm hoping it will be ready for blocking in the next day or two when I'll get a photo of it. I've managed to keep it on straight needles up to this point which gives the work much more support, so I'm hoping to stay on them until the end.

I also had a very exciting, top secret meeting on Friday about something very exciting taking place in the summer. Its not quite confirmed yet so I can't say anymore but as soon as it is I'll let you know the details. But I'm very, very excited!

And finally, I love this photo of two of the girlies after the knitting club. I love the fact that young people are embracing and actually shouting about their love of the craft. When I was 15 I was the only person I knew who knitted and sewed. There was no internet, no groups, no sharing. The knitting world is a great place right now.



for now,

Ruby xx

Oh dear, what a week

After promising to deliver so much on Tuesday, this week really went downhill quickly. I came down with an horrendous cold on Tuesday night which is improving but still with me today, but the real nightmare was twisting my coccyx (no idea how that's even possible) which in turn put out my hip, which put out my shoulder, which sent pains into my neck and down my arm. Have only managed to knit about 6 rows all week and computing is incredibly painful. The worst thing is, that because the hip is so sore sitting or lying down are really uncomfortable, so I can't even rest properly.

A very close member of my family has also been having a very big life crisis which I won't go into here but I've obviously had to give him a lot of time and support. He made a big decision today which will hopefully help him move his life forward. Keeping fingers, toes, legs and arms crossed. (ooh, not legs, not allowed to as bad for my back and shoulder).

Sometime ago, while still lecturing at the local Art College I had written a paper about craft (and particularly knitting) and RSI and other related problems. I saved it to my computer and have even forwarded it to one or two people since. I haven't looked for it since moving onto my laptop some months ago when my computer died, but after searching the entire memory I have come to the unfortunate realisation that its gone. I also thought I had put it on my myspace and/or this blog but can't find it anywhere. Dear me, moan, moan, moan.

So I haven't got anything to show this week and all my plans have come to nought.

The only thing I have managed to do is nearly finish 'The Weeping Women Hotel'



by Alexi Sayle



who also hails from Liverpool. I have long been a fan of his short stories and this full length novel is just as good. His black humour is very hard to describe and sometimes you find yourself wondering whether you should really be finding something funny, but you just can't help yourself.

It is also officially now Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture.



It was launched with a concert on top of St George's Hall in Liverpool City Centre on Friday night with Ringo Starr singing from the roof.



This is St George's Hall at night. On the evening of the concert all 6 lanes of the road in front where closed off to traffic and filled with tens of thousands of people who braved the weather to watch the concert.

There are events going on throughout the city every single day of the year to celebrate. I am hoping to do something knitting related during the year and will be talking to someone next week about this - more on this after I've had the chat!

What a relief, being old sometimes has its benefits.

Sweeney Todd, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and the wonderful Helena Bonham Carter comes out in the UK next Friday, and its being rated an 18, so I, being an adult, can go, but my daughter, being only 15, can't. She is so cross. Its not often I get to do something that she doesn't!

And finally, our Teens Love Craft group is moving to a local cafe as it has grown too big for my living room, and also, we have a number of non-teens who wish to come along too, so we are having the first of our monthly meetings next Thursday at a local cafe. I'm really looking forward to it. There are about 10-12 of us, which isn't a bad starting number.

Hopefully knitting and sewing photos very soon,

but for now

Ruby xx

Sexy knitters & Internet Problems

I have had great difficulty getting on the internet over the last couple of days. The fault has been with my internet provider who is having to rebuild 'things'. So I am blogging very briefly from a friend's computer just to say will/should/want to be blogging again tomorrow with photos.

I was thrilled to see



'Blanche' made it into the top 20 nominations on the latest Sexy Knitters KAL.

My pattern isn't going to win the vote but just to be nominated feels great. Its lovely to realise other people like what you're doing.

I have just signed back up to wardrobe refashion, this time for a four month period instead of just two months like last time. I have so much fabric and yarn to use up there is no way I should struggle for clothes - just the time to make them.

I did have a little spend in the Toast sale in my 'down' time between memberships getting some fab pinstripe pants



that look very like the one's John Galliano has done for Dior for Spring/Summer 2008


have run out of time so
until tomorrow,

for now

Ruby xxx

Get ready for this - Image Heavy Post

And I mean that most sincerely folks... There are a lot of things to show you today.

I'll begin with my christmas holiday knitting. I've got the back finished on Patchwork sweater



for hubby, who is impatiently watching asking if its finished yet. I am about a third of the way up the front and then think I will knit the sleeves together. I have worked short row shaping on the shoulders instead of casting off but otherwise followed the pattern exactly.


The second project I've been working on is this lovely scarf designed by my SP11 friend Anne



You can find the english version of the pattern here

I'm up to row 64. Mine looks slightly different to Anne's originals as my yarn creates a different effect with the colours. I am using Evilla 100% wool 8/2 yarn which I received from my other SP11 Rieppa.

This is the yarn after it has been wound from the skein.



The first skein wound on really easily, but the second was twisted and knotted and took not far off an hour to untangle. Despite that its really lovely yarn and I love the mossiness of it. It looks so organic (in a living sense)with the colours changing just as they would in nature.



I'm currently working on straight needles but will probably have to change to a long circular sometime soon.

I managed to get a number of my fabrics photographed yesterday - but not all. The first is for a summer skirt.



It is 100% cotton gingham with pretty little daisies embroidered on to it. I'm going to make a full swirly skirt with it.

Next is this cotton jersey print which my daughter has chosen for a summer dress



Very 'topshop' apparently.

I then found this gorgeous wool tartan in the remnants bins. I don't know exactly how much there is yet but at least 3 metres.



You can see the colours in the next photo better. Its raspberry as opposed to red with cerise pink and charcoal grey stripes running through it. I also bought some embroidery threads and beads to add some surface embroidery to it. Again its going to be a skirt - very Vivienne Westwood. Sketches to follow in next few days.



The piece de resistance from the fabric shop was this devore satin. Its absolutely beautiful.



It was a roll end so I've got about 3.5 metres to make my green dress



There should be just enough. Will have to be careful not to make any mistakes. I also bought a matching lining as this will show through the devore.



I also got two very useful tools which I used to have and lost in a house move.

A set of french curves (for drawing curves)



and also a flexible curve, which is incredibly versatile. You can lay it over an existing curve, say a sleeve head, bend it to fit, move to graph or other paper and draw round it.



Back to knitting yarn - I also bought some of Sirdar's new Eco yarn.



I know they're jumping on the bandwagon but we still need to encourage mainstream manufacturers to move out of their comfort zone and if we don't buy it they won't make it!

Its 100% undyed virgin wool DK weight and the label says 'only natural products have been used in processing of this 100% wool'. I'm going to design a boys sweater so again sketches to follow.

I'm sure you've all had quite enough by now so

for now

Ruby xx

Happy New Year to you all

I hope everyone had a very enjoyable New Year. I feel like I've been away from the computer for ever. I was going to write a deeply serious, introspective and retrospective piece on my year and a bit blogging, but for today at least I have decided against it. I have done a fair chunk of knitting over the holidays and also bought some wonderful fabrics and yarn on a trip to Abakhan fabrics in Liverpool who sell discounted yarns and fabrics and plan to photo all of this tomorrow.

But for today, we went as a family for our New Year's walk around our local park and village and remembered to take the camera with us.



This is the main street through our local village. It looks very peaceful but attracts a considerable number of tourists throughout the year.



This is one of our two local pubs. Both extremely old buildings with low ceilings and lots of tiny adjoining rooms.

And this is my favourite shop in our village



one of the best sweet shops anywhere. Our village is very old, with there being recorded evidence of people living here since as early as 1066. (The sweet shop probably wasn't here then unfortunately).

After walking through the village we went through our park (or Botanic Gardens as it is more correctly termed)



This is the fountain in the middle of the lake and here is some interesting victorian detailing on the museum roof



I have to return to family get togethers but will be back tomorrow with yarn, fabric and WIPS.

for now
Ruby xx