Not waiting in no more.

   I was waiting in for the poly tunnel but it arrived pretty early so have been out with the dog in the rain. Not so much rain really more like soaking to the bone drizzle. Haven't set up the tunnel, will wait for about March I think, but have counted all the pieces and their all there.

   Not much to write about today, weathers warm but wet. Warm enough that I didn't use the central heating yesterday and don't think I'll need it today. That should help with my heating bills, was worried about the cost because of the very cold early weather and how often I had to use the central heating.

  Still plugging along with the moss/seed stitch scarf. I have a sort of love hate thing going on with moss/seed stitch. On the one hand its pretty boring after a while, a very short while. On the other hand it doesn't require any thought process and can be knitted while watching a film. I'm knitting the moss/seed stitch over an odd number of stitches so every row starts with a knit stitch so once into a rhythm your mind can wander while your hands do the work from muscle memory.

  Hope you all have a great day, stay dry and for my American friends stay warm. Take care folks.

Warm out

   Pretty warm out(7c), the birds thought so too and were singing like it was spring this morning. If it wasn't for the rain I'd fire my new bbq up for my dinner. Got a new small bbq to replace my bucket bbq, I have a couple of bigger bbq's but want something that is small and quick to fire up. No not gas, I much prefer real bbq's.
 
  Got a few more inches done on the five fold cable pocket moss/seed stitch scarf done last night, its coming along now. I'll keep at it, think it only needs about another 2 feet and a little bit. Not really much more to write about in the way of yarn. I do need to start a baby blanket for a charity asap. Think I might have to buy some yarn for that, been using a lot of my yarn stash on the loom.

Hope you all have a great day, take care.

Waiting in

   Waiting in for a delivery of paraffin, dogs not too happy as he hasn't been for his walk today. I did take him for a late night walk last night, had a look for rabbits but he's too busy running around like crazy. He's a clever dog and well behaved but really does love to run. A nice juicy steak on the floor or the back door open so he can run around the garden and he'll leave the steak where it is and go run.

  Ordered a 3m poly tunnel/green house for the garden, or at least I think I have. I'm not 100% sure my cards worked, debit card. Got an email confirming the order was received but nothing else and nothing on the bank acc. site either.
  I did get my tobacco seeds this morning, can't wait to get those started. Will order another type in a week or two. Will be getting onions too this year, I normally grow the little ones(salad onions/spring onions) and need to get some main crop potatoes. Apart from that and some potting compost I think I'm set seed wise.

  No weaving or spinning but have gotten back into knitting the moss/seed stitch scarf. Was nice to take a little break from knitting after the rush of Christmas knitting I had to do. If I was smart I'd start next years Christmas knitting this month but probably wont. I got the glittery yarn I ordered, its really nice and soft. I was thinking it would be some cheap novelty yarn but its really lovely stuff. Will start knitting a few IPhone socks soon.

  Hope you all have a great day, take care.

Virgin Tracks

    Woke up to about an inch of snow with the snow still falling hard while I was walking the dog. I must of been the first one out in it as there wasn't a footprint to be seen anywhere. Theres something very satisfying about walking across a field covered in unblemished snow. I'll never be able to walk where no man has walked before, leaving virgin tracks in the snow is the closest I can get.

  The snow is melting pretty fast, its already kind of slushy a few hours later. Just got back from the shops, bought my self a new hat and very small wind up LED light. I have a small head and its hard to get hats that fit, this one is a peaked cap with earflaps in a blue tartan colour. Seems I'm a fashion trend setter, trying to weave tartan months ago and now its the fashion of the season. The LED light is great, the smallest wind up model I've seen. Has three LED's and is pretty bright for its size. Lot of folks hate the wind ups because they break pretty easy, just have to be gentle with them and there fine.

  My weaving is coming along nicely now. I set up some blue yesterday and am weaving a white square in the middle, using 3 shuttles. One of the colour joins is a little lumpy but the other one is pretty smooth and seamless. Not sure I can weave real tartan on a frame loom but I can weave something thats pretty close to it.

  Still not ordered any more fleece, will do that this weekend. I did order 50g of a blue glittery yarn though that I want to knit some IPhone socks with to sell. Also ordered another camping mug, small single wall one this time so it can be heated directly. Need a pot stand now for my alcohol/meth stove. Have made a couple out of salmon cans but want one that will fold down.

  There should be a picture post tomorrow. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures over Christmas so no pictures of that bakers boy cap or finished scarfs. I do have pictures of an earlier bakers boy cap I knitted, I'll put those pictures up tomorrow for you and I will take pictures of the 5 fold aran cable pocket moss/seed stitch scarf when I finally finish it.

  Have a great day and weekend, take care.

Two scarfs

Got the red yarn today so I can make a start on the flame scarf, when I get time. Not sure I want to be knitting two scarfs as the same time though.
   Even though I figured out how to knit the 5 fold aran braid I decided not to use it on the pocket, it was pulling the edging stitches so that when stretched it was kind of holey. It did look ok flat but if someone put there hand in the pocket it would stretch too much.
  For the pocket I'm now experimenting with two simple plait cables with moss/seed stitch inbetween. Not sure how they will turn out or look but I'm steaming ahead anyways. Time is starting to run short for knitting projects and I still need to do 2 scarfs. I must be crazy.

   Ordered some Falkland fleece yesterday so I can do a little spinning inbetween knitting sessions, if I ever have the time. No idea what its like, it did look soft in the pictures but who knows. It was pretty cheap and will give me some more experience in spinning different fleeces.

   Bought one of my nephews a toy double barrel shotgun that shoots foam darts, I can't wait until I get to play with it. heh. Think I will get another nephew a pistol that shoots foam darts, not sure of his age though, he may be a little young yet.
   Thinking of buying my eldest nephew a Swiss army knife, he might not be old enough in the eyes of the law but some laws are just plain dumb. Its about time we blamed the people and not the tools, same with guns. They have recently put gun alert detectors up in Birmingham because of all the plastic gangsters shooting each other. We need to address the problem and it isn't banning handguns, which has worked out soooo well.

   I got the scarf and yarn in the post today so they should make it to the states in time for Christmas, fingers crossed. That's one down, now its time to get on with the rest.

  I'm not doing a picture post tomorrow, I'm going to stop the Saturday pictures posts until I'm on top of my Christmas knitting.
   Have a great weekend, I will post tomorrow still so pop back then. Stay warm too, the cold is on the way back soon and is expected to last into the new year.

Still here

     Well the wind didn't blow me away, was very strong last night though. 70mph + gusts inland, 80 + on the coast. No real damage apart from my back gate that was blown down, looks like it needs new screws/bolts to hold the frame post that the hinges attach too. I'll do that when the winds died down a bit more.

  Not much else to report today, did a tiny bit of spinning with the oatmeal bfl on the drop spindle and managed another section of double basket weave on the scarf.

  I did start a batch of bitter, will do a lager and another batch of mild or maybe something a bit stronger for Christmas. I've not done a IPA in awhile, could also try and make a mead. Tis the time of year to be jolly.

  I'll have a picture post up tomorrow, think it will be the kick spindle one. Have a good day and weekend.

Bored

   Not really much to write about today. Guess that's a problem with having a knitting blog, you can only knit so much. Gets kinda boring hearing that I only knit 8 rows yesterday. No spinning, no weaving, haven't started on my friends scarf yet and NO I haven't finished the backpack.

  The weather is turning for sure now, almost had the heating on last night but resisted. I'll dust off the aladdin heater later, fill it and check the wick. I probably have enough paraffin for this winter but really should get more just incase. I do have a fair amount of gas though if things do go sideways.

  I do have enough worsted weight yarn a friend from the states got me for a jumper, worsted I think is a bit thinner than aran. We really need to get together and sort out knitting terms, be it needle sizes, yarn weights or moss, seed stitches. Cast on, cast off not bind off. Life's to confusing at times, theres no need to make knitting more complicated.

  My kick spindle hasn't arrived yet, theres still time today but I have a funny feeling it will be Monday. I'll try and save some of the fleece I have for when it arrives but will order some more bfl in a bit. I'm going to get it from the original person I got my first lot from, just not happy with this oatmeal bfl I'm currently using.

  That's all for now, pop back tomorrow for a picture post and I hope you all have a great productive weekend. Stay warm.

loom and gloom

   Well the postman did make it yesterday, at around 2.30pm, and delivered the loom instruction booklet. Had a quickish look and I get the jist of it but already had the jist of it anyway. I need to set aside an afternoon and work on it. Think I've put myself off the first day trying to figure it out without instructions, it got frustrating. I'll get there in the end.

  Got another email off the phone co. There sending someone out on Monday to have a look. If I'm not in they will charge £10, got me thinking can I charge them if they don't turn up. Think that would make us all rich. I hate the patronizing way they try to solve the problems, phone support or email support, treating us all like idiots. Is it plugged in????

  Bid on some mixed tops for more spinning, if I don't win I'll get some more bluefaced Leicester , I love spinning with this stuff. Think I have the hang of my new spindle, do have to keep an eye on it because it spins fast, slows down fast then spins the wrong way fast.

  Been doing a lot on the backpack straps, I really have but still don't seem to be getting much further along. Haven't started the other Ipad sock yet, might start it today, tomorrow or the weekend. Which ever I do have to keep at the straps before I go nuts.I really should start doing the socks I've had on the needles for a long time now. Been so long I've forgotten how to knit socks.

Pop back tomorrow for the double basket weave scarf with pictures.

Around

    Trying to design another Ipad sock, for my other sisters birthday, using the crossed arrow cable in the round. Somethings telling me I need to change the front and back cables to do it in the round but I'm not sure. Think I'll only know once I start knitting. I haven't fully got my head around how cables work yet. I think I'll do a smaller version for my tobacco tin as a test.

  I was really hoping that the instruction booklet for the loom would arrive today, its getting a little late for the postman though now. If it comes tomorrow I will probably miss him as I'm out most of the day and will end up having to wait until Monday, grrrr.

  My phones been cut off since the 14th, they did some work next door and I think have killed my phone line. Finding an email or way to contact the company hasn't been straight forward at all. Been a real pain in the ass to be honest. Got a response from them today but only saying they have received my email so will probably be next week sometime until they get around to fixing it, more grrrrrs.

  On a more happy note, I'm breathing.

eta looking again at the rows for the crossed arrow cable I think its ok, I must of mixed up right and wrong sides when writing it out for in the round.

Soup day

I declare today to be soup and hot chocolate day.

   Its blowing a gale outside and is a little drafty inside too. The weather has been awful the last couple of days, winds gusting close to 60mph and lots of rain to boot. A very dark and dank September, a lot like the summer we had really. I love living close to the moors, I find great beauty in the desolate landscape but the wind surely does howl across the land making walking upright difficult at times and riding my bike rather interesting.

   I'm in a two minds sort of mood today, so will probably not get anything done at all, didn't get much done yesterday either. Was thinking of having another go at dyeing with some other food dyes I've bought, not sure I can be bothered though. Definitely can't be bothered with the loom at the moment, hope that booklet arrives soon.

   I will finish the bookmark I've been working on, only a few  rows to do on it and I will spin some more of the bluefaced fleece as well. Think I will upload and sort the pictures I took at the weekend and make a start on Saturdays post. Yes will sort the pictures out and decide what to post on Saturday, me thinks it will be the double basket weave scarf but that could change.

Drink soup and be warm.

 

It ain't cheap

    I remember my mom knitting aran sweaters and she was a wizz with the sewing machine doing wedding dresses and alterations. We grew up poor, were no longer poor nowadays but she no longer knits or sews. I think she hates too, not sure if it reminds her of the poor days or whether she always hated it but was forced to do it to make some cash and to save some money. Now that I'm knitting myself I'm not so sure about the saving cash part.

 Knitting is an expensive hobby. A pair of socks using good yarn Will cost me just under £5. Add in the 20 hours it takes me to knit them and it ain't cheap. Taking up spinning doesn't make it cheaper, tops and roving's can cost the same as wound balls or skeins.Dyeing doesn't make it cheaper either, undyed yarn costs the same as dyed yarn. Plus you have to pay for the dyes to dye with. The only way to really save cash is to start with a raw fleece, wash and card it into spinable amounts, dye it yourself then knit with it. A raw fleece can be had for as little as £1 and should get you at least 600g of yarn. Its a lot of work though. 

  I don't knit to save cash I knit because its a real pleasure to do so and as a doomer its also very handy to have the skills for when tshtf. The reason knitting seems expensive is what we produce can be bought ready made up extremely cheaply. Machines and slave labor with our throw away attitudes I don't think can last too much longer in this current climate. Well I can see more slave labor in our futures, you and me unless we plan for the future. Get out of debt, get out of the cities, get grub and get skills. Its a hard rain a-gonna fall.

Windy

Its very windy out, got to be close to gale force. Feels more like October/November than July. Got some decent rain yesterday,in fact since they announced the hose/garden pipe ban I think its rained at least a little everyday. Hasn't stopped them announcing that they will close half the local canal next month. Not sure how that will affect my holidays, haven't really planned out where I'm going. Might just save the cash, the way the economy is going it might be a good idea.

I'm doing a post on my first jumper that should be up tonight with pics, or maybe tomorrow. If I'd planned the blog out better before I started I'd of done some posts before I got around to launching. Still working out all the features and my profile and stuff. Oh well why break the habit of a lifetime and become organised now.