Wednesday 19 December 2007

Clapotis

Another step towards feeling really at home in the new house has occurred - I've blocked my first project on my new study floor...

I'm really pleased with how Clapotis finally turned out (after a few false starts over the last couple of years). I made the narrower version, more of a scarf than a wrap and it's going to be very wearable.
The yarn is Colinette Banyan and the colourway is Copperbeech. I love the yarn, the cotton/viscose blend looks and feels as if it will gently fade with age producing a lived-in look. It certainly gave up a lot of dye during wet-blocking, both in the water and onto the towels as it dried. The colours were beautiful in the skein and ball but are even better knitted up.


I dearly wanted to knit a sweater next and have been eagerly eyeing the gathered pullover from the current Interweave Knits. Sadly life seems to have other ideas. Our new house is fairly draughty so practicality has won out and I'm improvising a felted draught excluder. Pictures to follow if it all works out OK.

It's finally become properly cold here - the other morning there was a beautiful sky as I sat eating my breakfast, but on my way to work I saw that the canal has frozen over for the first time this year. Now that the weather is cold, I'm starting to feel a bit more Christmassy...


Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and New Year as I can't see me getting back to the blog before the start of January.

Monday 10 December 2007

New home and new socks

Finally, there has been a happy coincidence of good light, a camera and time to use it.

Here are some of my favourite bits of my new home:

This cupboard and window in the sitting room,


The details and cornicing on the ceilings,


The light fitting in the sitting room,


My new yarn storage - two drawers for yarn, two for fabric and two for beading and other supplies,


The bay window in our bedroom,


The stained glass round the front door.

I also managed to photograph my new socks - I'm calling them muted berries as the colour reminds me of a pale version of blueberries and raspberries etc.



They're a modification on my usual pattern but I've kept a 3x1 rib down the leg and over the top of the instep. They fit very well and the yarn, Acaraunia Ranco, is wonderful to knit with.

Tuesday 4 December 2007

Out with the old...

... in with the new.

The Resident Radiologist and I have moved home at long last and I've spent the last four days shifting boxes and assembling Ikea wardrobes (now I know why electric screwdrivers were invented, the problem is if I get one now, I'll probably never need it again!). We're fairly much settled in and unpacked now, and have just to dispose of the mountain of cardboard we seem to have accrued.

The knitting is absolutely non-existant currently. Just before we moved, I finished the socks I was working on and started Clapotis (for about the third time, never the right combination of yarn and needles), this time in Colinette Banyan, colourway Copperbeech. I think this time I'll make it through to completion as long as I don't run out of yarn before I have a reasonable length of scarf. I've just got to find the bag I put her in...

Photos to follow once some more unpacking has occurred.