Just enjoying the feeling while it lasts

We're back! There is lots of fibre-related news to report, but I'm just going to spend a while relishing the week away from the computer. Meanwhile, a nice picture of the seafront which I took while walking back from my early-morning swim.

Devon calls...

..so me and the socks and the circular needles are off for a break. See you next week!

Papa's got a brand new pegbag!

Not strictly true - it's me that's got the brand new pegbag, but it didn't quite work in the title. Bit of a blast from the past for all you fast-approaching forty-somethings. All the rest of you probably have no idea what I'm talking about..sorry!

This tenuous link is courtesy of the new pegbag I knocked up over the course of last weekend. Inspiration from Cosmo's mum's own pegbag, now resident in deepest Kent, and yarn courtesy of the bottom of my stash box and the odds n sods bag.

Despite The Curse's misgivings, the pegs DO NOT fall out of the holes, although they occasionally peek out and say hello! Our previous two pegbags have consisted of small plastic bags which soon got ripped being pulled in and out of the cupboard, so this is a great improvement.

More knitting news is that, inspired by Kelley Petkun's excellent podcast, I am considering tackling socks on two (or maybe one) circular needle, as well as having another stab at the 'magic loop' cast on. I totally failed when I followed Judy's instructions from Knitty, but looking at the original instructions on her website, I now think I have identified the reason. There is one essential picture missing!

Without the FOURTH picture in the series, I was lost! At first I tried following the written instructions, but it wasn't until I studied the fourth picture carefully, and tried to replicate it, that I realised I was going wrong with that particular maneouvre! Once I could see what it was supposed to look like, it all came right. In my previous attempts I wasn't combining the two ends of the yarn in the right way, but now I after a few false starts, I THINK I've got it right and if all goes well, will share the results with you in due course!

I'm using this technique to restart a pair of stocking stitch socks for me, using Regia yarn. My first attempt was most unsatisfactory. Using my standard provisional cast-on and short row toe was clearly not the best solution for this particular self-striping yarn as it came out with thick bands of black and grey on each side of the toe, and a pink stripe on one side and blue stripe on the other side. Not only that, I had misjudged the gauge and by the time I got to the foot it was way too big.

I used this failure as an excuse to bully myself into trying the circular needle/magic cast-on route and hopefully I won't be looking back!

New Knitty alert!

Ooh, check out this gorgeous jumper!

And these little creatures are really cute...

Deptford's fibrey goodness

We have fibre arts! In Deptford!

Very cool, don't you think?

For those of you who don't know anything about my manor, this is Deptford, an area of somewhat faded glory on the south east banks of the Thames. In the 1700s it was home to the royal dockyard, and made its fortune from ship building and the slave trade. These days it is home to a vibrant mix of old-school working class, first, second and third generation immigrants of West Indian, African and Asian origin, and a healthy dose of students and artists who contribute to the cutting-edge arty feel of the area.

This work is by Katie Gilman and is part of this weekend's Deptford X festival:

"The anchor in Deptford stands as a much loved landmark and community meeting point and links Deptford's naval heritage with the busy street market of the present-day. Local artist Katie Gilman will transform the hard metal statue by meticulously wrapping it in soft fluffy wool, encouraging us all to see the world around us in a new light."

New shoes!

Purchased a size too big so that I can show off my hand-knitted socks in them!

Of course now, after a cold summer, the sun is finally here and it's too warm to wear knitted socks! Ho hum, I'll just have to be patient.

Other sock news is that I finally finished the Patricia socks I started WAAY back in April. I needed something mindless for two very long train journeys in a single day, and this fitted the bill perfectly. Granted, I had to spend a bit of time counting up the stitches in the first one and trying to work out exactly what size I'd made it, but once I got that sorted out I flew through it.

The Ally Pally show is taking up a lot of my spare time at the moment - we are now putting together the posters and getting the final bits sorted out. Thankfully I have excellent help from expert designer Rowan (Cosmo's mum) so it seems like the posters are going to be fantastic. I believe she has an MA in Silk Purses out of Sows' Ears.

You will get to see the posters eventually - if you are coming to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Ally Pally, best to pop along to the champagne bar and see them in their full glory. If not, I'll be showing them here some time in the next few weeks...

"268 ravelers are on line"

So where the heck are the thousands who were in front of me and were the reason for me having to wait so long? Tsk!

Plus I must add that 268 is one of the highest number I've seen for a while. The other day I went on Ravelry before the USA got out of bed, and it was about 45...

Thanks Nicola!

Apparently I'm a Schmoozer! (yeah, what's new?!). See my award, top right!

One of my regular commenters, the lovely, talented, and frequently overworked Notwithstanding Nicola has nominated me for a Schmooze award, as I am one of her most regular commenters. Plus I say nice things about her socks, not things like 'Check out this great poker site win $$$$$' etc.

'The award is designed to promote blog-friendships by rewarding those who are good Schmoozers, schmoozing being 'the natural ability “to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection". Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogsphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship'.

And so now it is my turn to bestow this honour. I have thought long and hard about it, and although there are many deserving bloggers out there, I have decided that the award will go to *roll of drums* Anna, of Anna's Yarn Mansion.

Not only is Anna a prolific blogger and a very talented knitter, she ALWAYS finds time to respond to any comment I leave on her site. She has just finished a gorgeous Lizard Ridge Afghan for which she won first prize at her local state fair, and besides which, she seems to LOVE buttons on her blog. I figured she's in need of another one. Well done Anna!