Monday, May 30, 2005

knitting machines

I am the proud new owner of TWO knitting machines. One is a tabletop empisal the other is a standalone 4 colour big one. Sorry I haven't opened it up yet. The small one is straining my brain enough as it is. So far I have made a toddlers hat. I have bought 5 cones of Bendigo 3 ply. 2 in hot pink, 2 in ink and 1 in bright blue.
So far I have learned how to do two colours ummm, plating and striping. Looks great with one side one colour and the other another.

Thanks Jennifer!

I have just sent off a parcel for my Ample Knitters Secret Pal. It will take about 2 weeks to get to her in America. I hope that she isn't dissapointed as after reading about just how MUCH others put in their parcels. Oh well, two skeins of handspun fine merino and a 200gm ball of Bendigo boucle in blue and a bar of Darrell Lee chocolate. I would be happy! I am also a month behind. Life is not allways the way you would like it to be.

On the needles right now

Jumper for two yo, Knitted with TeaWana? yarn from NZ in blue/green variegated 8ply
Hat for charity - for local school with disadvantaged children must be machine wash and
sized for prepies. Pink Bendigo Classic from the stash. Using Twist and
sprout pattern from the pattern a day calender.

Must go and feed Chooks and collect eggs. Oha and dress and feed children.
Bye

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Been shopping

Yesterday, after my partner and I had delivered our eggs, I went yarn shopping to the Knitters Yarn Shop. This shop handles end of run, discontinued and damaged yarns . It was great!
I found several bags of sock wool, it looks like patonalye, in several colours. Two ply pure wool in cone ends, enough for a jumper, plenty of black wool for my parners black socks, 8 ply as he likes thick socks. I found it hard to choose as I liked most of what I saw. They had bought the remaining yarn from Bagabo and it is on sale too. I erge? you to go and looksee. They also have synthetics.. Their address is 1-3 lincoln st, laverton north, near the poultry chophouse. Website: www.knittingyarnshop.com.au
go and see for yourself.

The chooks the chooks are calling, come collect our eggs.

Bye Clare

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Just finished

Yesterday I started knitting a scarf with some of my handspun. It was a lost skein of crossbred white, I experimented with it dying and it worked! So, on the ferry from Queenscliffe to Sorrento I decided to knit a scarf with it. I cast on 20 odd stitches and did 8 rows seed stitch. Then I decided to change to garterstitch. after 3 rows I thought I would try to make it lacey so tried wrapping the yarn twice around the needle for each stitch. On the next row I just knitted normally dropping the extra wrap. Result stretched stitches! very lacey. I repeated this for the entire scarf, 3 row garter,1 row wrapped and ended with 8 rows seed then cast off. I used the remaining yarn to make a fringe by wrapping it around a toothpaste box.

The end result is quite nice. When I work out how to post pictures I will.

Bye Clare

Monday, May 02, 2005

New to it

Hello and welcome to my first post and blog. I live on the south coast of Victoria Australia outside the city of Geeolong. I run about thirty black and white crossbred sheep. I spin and knit with their wool. This blog will be about my sheep, wool, spinning and knitting, with accasional asides to my family and farm.
I love spinning and knitting but my hands are almost at the point of being sent off to hospital for an operation as I get numb hands if I use them too much. So for me it is moderation in all my favourite pursuits.
I will be selling wool from time to time if anyone is interested, possibly sheep too.

OK off to work now. Got to feed the chooks then clean and process eggs before my darling man and 2yo get back from a delivery of eggs.

Bye ............