What am I up to now?

 I saw an idea on Pintrest, traced it back to a blog that gave some instructions , to do what ?

all will be revealed in due course :-)

BAL part four (bucks point lace)

 On Sunday afternoon I joined in the fourth zoom on Bucks point lace. As I have previously  mentioned, I am using this as a refresher and also to check for any bad habits along with and tips and hints that I may no know as I am mainly self taught.

We have now covered the basics for point ground, the background. Honeycomb stitch, the use of gimps and the first pattern called sheep head.

I am probabaly going to miss the next meeting but we will be starting a pattern that I have done in the past called plum pudding.

This is my version from about 30 years ago.  

as I never kept lace as a regular hobby, I still have a lot to learn or rather re-learn but I'm hoping that, with the encouragement of the group, I may do now.

The last of February spinning and knitting

 Today is sunny, cool but its also the beginning of March. Feels so much better than most of February when the country appeared to be trapped under a layer of cloud.

This is a quick round up of spinning and knitting from the end of February, I honestly cannot remember what else I've worked on but here we go.

This is the remains of some of the shetland fleece spun on the nano. I also have some light grey so may use this for something lace once I've checked the yardage.

These mitts are a Shetland / Dorset cross and feel really warm, I like the added texture in the body of the hand.

The hat is knit from oddments of fine spun Shetland held double.

200gm of Jacob, This will be car knitting on our next long trip, plain or textured hats, aran weight. around 135 yd in each ball.

I think that this just about rounds up the end of the month. We are busy this month with different adventures so possibly not too much in the way of spinning and knitting but there will be some lace and possibly embroidery to come. x

BAL part three ( Bucks Point Lace)

 I missed the on-line lesson due to being in Yorkshire so I've been playing catch up. Lesson three was a introduction to gimps ( thicker threads that outline part of the lace ) 

You can see that the thicker threads have been taken to the sides prior to cutting off.

I've started securing my bobbins with a ribbon when not working the lace.

weavings cards

 I'm due to do a fibre based workshop at the local memory cafe next week so I've been thinking about simple weaving. I have weaving sticks somewhere ( must dig them out ) but a pack of weaving cards and plastic needles were on hand.

Over the last day or so I've had a quick play with them and sorted out oddments of hand spun yarn from the depths of the cupboard. The upside of this is that I can see the improvement in my spinning from several years ago to now.

I'm aiming for simple mug rug,

cut it off the board, tied the ends together and viola, its still in one piece.

Seeing as this is completely made from hand spun, 100% wool , I introduced it to soap ( shampoo in this case ) and water and really rubbed it, screwed it up, etc so it would felt and left it on the radiator over night.

Its shrunk and thickened up nicely. This is a simple project that they can complete and felt at home if they wish to.

Another sample to compare before felting was made. I'm hoping that this will appeal to the carers as well, if not then its at least something to chat over.

I also started the Spears weaving loom off and will take it along.

Different surroundings

 This weekend has found us in North Yorkshire again, Richmond to be precise. There were motorcycle boots to be collected so we decided to stay on for a few days,

Unfortunately the weather was not so good but there again its only February so it really to be expected. We spent our time wandering around, going out for walks and exploring the market town which , like many we visit, was known for wool.

The market place still holds a market on Saturdays and the shops surrounding it include several butchers and other independent shops.

The town started to grow up around the castle in the 11 Century and it still dominates the eyeline from the town centre.

Last time we visited I had noticed this street name so I retraced my steps to investigate further.

,

If you look up the road, you can see this archway. It is one of two gateways dating back to the 13c when the centre of the town still had a wall around it.

If you look across the main road in the opposite direction you see some gardens and the remains of the friary.

and to make it even more spooky, the Fleece hotel had a large inflatable heart outside and provided this rendition of the friary bell tower.

 Still, the snow drops were beautiful.

Did I mention that the town is built on different levels up the hillside, This was our temporary home for a few nights.

quick update on crochet lace

 Remember this post, Impulse buy, crochet lace ?

I've had time to have a play around with this. I will not be buying any more of the magazines as previously stated. I probably will not be making anymore crochet lace unless the pattern really grabs me as I now remember why I haven't done it for year.

 I really don't enjoy it that much !!

BAl part two( Bucks point lace)

 Having caught up after week one, I set about week two.

We have now moved on from point ground to roseground which is one of my favourites. Next week we start using a gimp which remind me that I need to sort one out. A gimp is a thicker thread that outlines part of the design..

Part three is in a couple of weeks time.

Setting up simple looms, spears loom

I'm guesting at the local memory cafe again at the end of February and thinking about taking some simple weaving. I have some weaving cards somewhere although they haven't come to light so far in the big clear out. I also have weaving sticks and assorted simple looms to look at. My idea is keep it simple and let everyone have a go.

A large bag of acrylic yarn is lurking in one of the cupboards so I'm ok for fibre, it's more a case of working out how to warp everything up.

So far I've had a play with a couple of them, I need thicker yarn for one of them but I'm sure that I have some., somewhere.

So far I've had a play with a couple of them, I need thicker yarn for one of them but I'm sure that I have some., somewhere.

I may have dyed a rainbow, sort of :-)

 Two days dyeing resulted in this.

Thank goodness for a couple of sunny days. This is mainly texel x bfl, border leics cross unknown and an odd skein of lleyn. I still have plenty more to spin but this has made a small dent in the pile. Each skein is just over 100gm.

What I did today, fibre finishing.

 I have the house to myself today and the sun is shinning. The domestic goddess part of me loaded the washing machine, the fibre hippy filled a couple of buckets with yarn to soak.

I also took the opportunity to was and block some knit wear as the forecast is back to winter in a couple of days and I need to clear the decks a bit.

Soaked yarn was popped into the dye pots, I can only do 200gm at a time but I have a good routine worked out so should get through 600-800gm today and possibly the same tomorrow fingers crossed

I have other yarn activities lined up, trying out the crochet lace and winding some lace bobbins so I have a demo strip of lace on the go for the next few weeks whenever I go out.

I do have some prepped fibre to spin but its doubtful that I will get round to that today as I have a zoom meeting this afternoon and possibly a zoom craft meeting tonight.

Impulse buy, crochet lace

 Todays impulse buy is this magazine

Firstly I must point out that I have no intension of buying anymore of this part work but at 99p it should, hopefully, occupy me for a few minutes.

I can crochet a granny square, have been able to since I was a youngster. I also remember crocheting doilies as a youngster as well but in recent times, except for a shawl, I haven't really touched it.

We will see how I feel once I've had a look at it. Don't hold your breath!!

casualty.... it fell out the cupboard

 

Its not often that a break a bobbin but this one jumped out of the bobbin roll as I picked it up :-(

Not a SAL, not a KAL but maybe a BAl ? Bal part one. Bucks point sampler

 In case you are wondering , SAL = Stitch a Long, KAL = Knit a Long which makes BAl = Bobbin a Long :-)

I found an online lace group recently who meet on zoom and have Bobbin along sessions. I just happened to join at the start of the Bucks Point Sampler and it seems like a good idea to use it as a refresher. I realise that at some point I will have to make up a few weeks as I really can't take the lace in the van as we don't have a table with a suitable height to work on but I can always play catch up when I get back.

Week one was a basic introduction which I sat in on but didn't have any bobbins round up.

although I'm familiar with this style of lace, I still managed to make a mistake just this far in !! I can see it in the photo but did not realise until much later so it will be in the final piece.

quick update on last spin of 2024

Remember the last spin of 2024 ?

Saxon Merino dyed by Babylonglegs, it is now three headbands waiting for a wash and block.

along with a pair of mittens made from the Ryeland in the centre of this picture

another pair of mittens is on the needles, also I can see the mistakes in the photo but whilst knitting or wearing they don't show.

The Borer leicester cross has now been plyed and is also in the wash bag.

That is pretty much the end of January knits, not bad if you include the hat and the other spinning.

Especially good if you include the workroom tidy up which is still ongoing. This is where I was was 1st November last year.

 

and this is where I am as at 29 January, also the cupboards are slowly emptying along the way.