Goodness me! I hadn't realised that it had been quite so long since my last blog post. No real excuses apart from just feeling a bit 'meh' and lacking in enthusiasm. I am really missing Flo's company and it's so easy to get into a slump.
I did do a bit of spinning to join in with the Tour de Fleece. To be truthful, it was more plying than spinning. I spun a couple of bobbins of singles last year and I'm ashamed to say that they sat there untouched for a whole year. I decided to ply them with some fluffy yarn, so used Drops Kid Silk mohair yarn. I have a vague idea of combining various skeins of handspun yarn into a sweater so let's see how far I get with that idea. I also finished spinning some pink fibre but that still needs to be plied so I will save that for another blog post.
I have added a few rows to my Chunky Striations blanket. I'm using various balls of Stylecraft Special Chunky yarn and it is a total explosion of colour! I still have quite a way to go to get it to a decent blanket size and then I need to decide how to finish off the edges. There is a garter stitch border around the edge but I am thinking that an I-cord might be a nice touch too. Watch this space!
I have finished the matching pair of each of my Grannies in a Row socks. They were a lot of fun to knit. There is a KAL running until the end of August if you'd like to join in. Jen, who is EveryThing ShapesUs on Instagram, is the organiser, so check out her Instagram for details. There are prizes to be won (more on that a little later!) It's a perfect pattern for using up scraps of yarn (of which I have many!)
I joined in the Contrast Blast KAL which was run by Stephen West. I used two gorgeous yarns from Beth over at Beehive Yarns and really enjoyed knitting clues 1 and 2. The pattern on the heel flap is fabulous. I haven't got round to knitting the remaining clues yet, but I have at least printed them out! My aim is to finish these before starting any more pairs of socks!
I finished my Hush sweater by Tin Can Knits. The yarn was a birthday present from my knitting pal Snoopydog and is so beautiful. You knit with a strand of fingering and a strand of fluff and it creates a wonderful cosy fabric. The cable pattern around the yoke was fun to knit and I also knitted an I-cord neckline. I'm looking forward to wearing it when the weather is cooler. I did miss my furry photobomber Flo who could be relied upon to climb the tree and feature in a photo or two.
I sewed a project bag as a prize for the Grannies in a Row socks KAL. I thought that the granny square fabric made it the perfect choice! I added in a set of miniskeins and hope that whoever wins it will like it. It's been a long time since I dusted off my sewing machine and I did enjoy making it.
My darling Flo is back home. I have never had a pet cremated before so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I chose a wooden photo frame to store her ashes inside (they are in a satin bag in the middle of the frame.) The vet had also taken a paw print and a little vial containing her fur and they were given to me when I collected her ashes from the vet. She really was my best girl and I miss her. xxx
