Seeking closure

Firstly, thank-you for your kind comments about the Stoney vest and the Twilley's cardigan.

I've made this wee corsage as a closure for the blue cardigan. I knitted a square in the main yarn then felted it by distressing the bahoochie (sp?) out of it by alternating between boiling and very cold water. Did the trick very quickly, but you will observe the colour change which happened in the process. Not just lighter shades of the main colours, but the nature of the colours is altered. I kinda like it. Sort of rustic or naive or something. It's an homage to something I once saw in a shop.

Of course, if I had knitted a swatch, ha ha ha I could've felted it. It has a brooch pin from Get Knitted on the back.


Happy Knitting. x K

Breezy and Bunchy

That wind would blaw the buckles aff yer shin!

(shoes)

Here are some shots of my latest finished object.

Sirdar Jacket 8750, supposed to be done in Country Style DK, in fact done in Twilley's Freedom Spirit , colourway 506, eight balls.

It has been on the go for some time because I was not feeling the love for it anymore. It started when I didn't like the way the variegated yarn was pooling and striping. I mean, I know you can expect a degree of that but I didn't like THE WAY it was pooling and striping, not the fact.

I persevered through this and got ready to knit up all the rib stitches round the back, fronts and neck. I didn't have the pattern with me (you can see where this is going, can't you?) so I didn't pick up the appropriate amount of stitches. If any of you are writing a knitting book, call on me and I'll give you some pictures of how not picking up enough stitches causes bunching, pleating, puckering, the lot. Don't waste your money on getting a photographer in.

If I wanted the cardigan for something special I would've ripped and rectified, but I just made do. I know the thought of that makes some of you readers' flesh creep, but I can live with it. Maybe some day I'll feel enough distance to go back and fix it, but it's quite a big job.

In the meantime I am needing something nice to close it with. I haven't seen anything in the shops which ticks the boxes so I'm endeavouring to make my own with some leafy and flowery shapes I've cut out from the swatch, felted. If it turns out well, I'll show you in a couple of days' time.

Happy Bank Holiday wishes from a very breezy Galloway district! x K

Introducing Stoney the Waistcoat

Here's my new waistcoat Stoney Rowan 43 designed by Lisa Richardson.

Made using 6 balls of the discontinued Jonelle Knitting Cotton DK which I bought from John Lewis when I first got back into knitting, I think we're talking the year 2000 here. Has been maturing in my stash for eight years or so, he he. I do like the colour, it's a warm pinky browny shade aptly called Rosewood. I was left with 2 or 3 metres left after the edging, which was lucky. I wasn't panicking too much because I have more balls of the same yarn quality in a toning colour which I could have edged it with if the worse had come to the worst.

I like it and I've enjoyed making it. One thing I can't get my head round though. There's short row shaping to get the curved look on the left and right fronts. So far so good. BUT there is a definite texture to the waistcoat, with garter ridges every four rows so the short rows look weirdly staggered. Wouldn't make it again with that feature.

It has a mock opening, you sew down both layers of the fabric and pull the waistcoat on over your head. I used some Rowan buttons I got from Get Knitted. (Rowan Metal Heart 15mm 00037). I'm also pleased with the fit. The sun's in my eyes in some pictures, sorry for looking grim!

Oh yeah, and I'd spell it Stony, but the book says Stoney, WWWWWhatever.

Very optimistic selection of holiday pix !

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to you and yours.

Here's our fireplace display to put you in the spirit.

And the winner is...

... the weasel!

J has seen a weasel running about the garden down in Dumfries and Galloway and making its way into its little home in a hole in the wall, or his alternative residence, which is a hole in the ground.

Unfortunately the weasel itself is too fast to photograph, we'd need a team from the BBC to have a 24/7 cam up, but we can show you its little dwelling places.

Imagine our surprise when we can see a flattened path leading up to the rowing boat.

J starts chuckling and I ask him what's up. He says, "don't get a fright if this guy shoots out when I lift this up." Well no guy but a pile of warehoused crab apples from the tree in the garden! So I fall about laughing, remembering how it has been obvious that some creature or other has been plundering the compost bin, where I put the rotten windfalls.

So, to cut a long story short, although we haven't seen him or her with our own eyes, all the signs point to a weasel using the rowing boat as a shelter for a heap of mouldering crab apples. Bon appetit, buddy!

A photo clue, I hope....

Here's a close-up of what is stored in the stash, in case that helps.
This is a crop of the previous picture.

So, whose stash is it?

and

Where is it stored?

Don't give up yet, there's still all to play for. x K

Stash competition

NO, not my stash, for once!

So here's the competition for all you smart eagle-eyed people.....

WHOSE stash do you reckon this is?

And WHERE do you think it might be stored?

Can you tell?

A knitterly prize will be offered to the person who can work out the answer, or for the closest guess.

One part of the question is not too hard, the other is a little more challenging.

Good luck, and knock yourselves out with the guesses!

x K

Share the love....and the cash

Happy Valentine's Day!

Right, now I've sweetened you up, I'll direct you over to my friend Lilith's blog because she is running the Cancer Research Race for Life in memory of her late dad who died in 2001.

She has set up a special blog to chart her progress and to raise funds for the cause. As well as a link to the donation page, you'll also find some other interesting links about the event and the charity.

Not only can you donate to a great charity, you can be in with a chance to win some of the lovely prizes up for grabs.

Share the love......and the cash!

Manly Ribbed Scarf

I've been tagged by TangledFrog and I'll need some time to think it over.
In the meantime I can show you some photos of a scarf I finished for J in January.
It has been finished for a couple of weeks but the weather has been a bit too wild to try to photograph it in the daylight. Even in these shots you can see it has been anchored down by some pretty hefty stones.
This was a nice easy knit and the colour-changes made it just interesting enough. 20 rows Twilleys Freedom Spirit, 18 Sirdar Peru, 16 Twilleys etc.
The whole middle third was done in the Twilleys 513 which is a variegated turquoise colour.
I don't think I'll be rushing to use the Sirdar Peru again, but I've continued to enjoy the Twilleys on this project.


In other news, I've been trying to do a major clear-out and tidy up. I've got lots of lovely things at home and I want to be able to reach them to enjoy them, so if I don't know it to be useful or believe it to be beautiful (includes sentimental appeal) it has to go. Five bin bags to charity this weekend and still plenty ahead to tackle.

Happy Knitting. x K

Ladies and gentlemen, the kit has landed!

Yes indeed, my Alice St*rmore kit has arrived, and lovely it is too!

Not the best photo in the world, but you get the picture. Lots of different sized skeins (so you get the perfect yardage or so you can't work out how much there is and reknit?) in lovely shades of Hebridean 2ply. Yes, t-w-o ply. For the girl who knits LACE in heavy DK and aran eg/ Kid Classic, Orkney Angora from time to time.

Some of the colours are quite vibrant, others more subdued, but if the FOs on Ravelry are anything to go by they sing out when put side by side.

The pattern in included with this one, but do check if you are ordering because some are not and you are expected to have access to the book. I also got a lovely gift card saying "I hope you enjoy knitting this my dear. Love J xxx" Seemed funny getting a note from him in someone else's handwriting!

It was all wrapped up in tissue paper in a strong box and then covered in sturdy brown paper. Giving you all the specs cos I've never had a posh kit before and I want to give you the full picture in case you're tempted to take the plunge. It all arrived in good time after ordering, but we were unsure if the order had gone through because the promised confirmation e-mail never appeared.

The pattern is the Flora waistcoat from the Alice St*rmore Classics page on Virtual Yarns (scroll down) and it's in the Mountain colourway. In the catalogue the waistcoat is shown in Glen and the jacket in Mountain, but I'm having the waistcoat in Mountain. Lovely as they both are, I do love my greens, plus when I went back there to get the links for you I see Glen is sold out now.

As it's knitted in the round in 2ply I have to cast on 395 stitches. When I start this I'm gonna need a lot of good vibes and encouragement to keep me going.


Making steady progress on the Duke's scarf, a variation on the Sanquhar pattern. Now it's time to do a long plain stretch in the light green, ideal knitting club knitting.

Talking of knitting club, have you been over to my pal Lynette's new blog Tangled Frog ? It's just off the ground but already she has lots of beautiful things to see.

Happy Knitting!

2008 Year of Colour!

After enjoying dabbling with lace for eighteen months or so, and dabbling with stocking stitch cardigans and jumpers for three thousand years I have decided to inject a little colour into my life and I have designated 2008 as The Year of Colour!

Now, I am not afraid of colour, working with it, wearing it...I embrace a spot of colour in an otherwise neutral outfit. Remember this ? Or how about this to name just a couple. But what I really mean is a bit of fair-isle/ stranded/ jacquard to stretch the skills and feast the eyes. I wouldn't rule out intarsia entirely, but it's not high up the priority list at the moment.


I have dipped my toes in the water before, for example, there are fair isle bands on Emmeline
and I worked the self- coloured meets self-striping in Fake Isle but I feel I'm ready to give it a go properly.

DH has promised to treat me to an Alice St*rmore kit for my Christmas (yes I know it's Jan 4th, give him a break if there are expensive knitting kits at stake) and I want to get my two-handed knitting skills up and running on something where the odd mis-shapen stitch (and I mean odd as in mutant, not as in occasional) or tension inconsistencies won't spoil the overall look or fit of a worn garment.

So here's the idea.
I'm taking the Duke's pattern from my Sanquhar gloves(Remember I bought those, I didn't make them) and magicking it into a tubular scarf to get the rhythm and improve my two-colour two-handed technique before *the* kit arrives. I can just about make it happen with the two-handed thing, but it's very inexpertly done at the mo. Or should I say, being positive, it will respond to practice.

I've done a provisional cast-on on my tube because I haven't decided yet whether to graft, three needle bind-off or even gather up the ends and thread the yarn tail through. I've got plenty of time yet to decide.

Just to be clear, I'm not ruling out lace and all that jazz in 2008, I'd just like to have a good crack at some colour projects. I blame Ravelry !

Happy New Year!

Seems no time at all since I last said this, but ...

Happy New Year!

Here's hoping that 2008 is one of the best.

Cheers, and thank you very much for taking an interest in KEDkrafty.

Happy Christmas!

Won't be near a PC for a few days so I'll take the chance now to wish you and yours a Happy Christmas.

Best wishes to you all,

Kathleen xxx

Internet returns

The internet connection problems weren't as serious as first feared, so here I am back again.
Firstly, I've decided to sew in the ends of Clapotis and wear it unblocked for a little while till I see how I like it. Then shortly when it needs its first wash I'll decide whether to block or not.
Now, here are some pictures of Miller being worn. Yes, THAT Miller, the one with the bunchy sleeves. In my version anyway. Got good feedback about it at our stitching session last Sunday, anyway. It was a special get-together to give our friend Midsummer Night's Knitter a fond farewell as she prepares to set up a new life in Zurich. There will be more to be said about that nearer the time, but time's moving very quickly!

Internet troubles

Still surviving and thriving but I have internet connection problems so I won't be around for a few days.
More time to knit I suppose.
Enjoy your preparations. x K

Two finished objects

After a dismal day weather-wise I decided I couldn't hold off any longer before showing you Miller, which has been sitting sewn up, blocked, ends sewn in and all that jazz for days.
I've been waiting for a day with some sunlight, hell I'd have settled for daylight to get out and take some snaps in the park, but no joy.
Overall I'm happy with in and will get lots of wear out of it even though the fit of the arms is a bit funny, I think erratic blocking is to blame here. I hope to give you some shots of it on and some shots showing the details, but I'll have to wait for a change in the weather. We had snow tonight, but it didn't lie before being washed away by sleet.
Looking on the bright side, being indoors all day did give me the opportunity to finish off my Clapotis, which is an altogether more glamorous proposition.
Here are some sneak previews. These pictures show it unblocked, no ends sewn in or anything. I've really enjoyed making this one, and wouldn't rule out making another in the future, perhaps as a gift.
On thing which has really grown on me as the scarf itself has grown, is the appearance of the wrong side. There's something appealing about the change in texture on that side, you can see it in the second picture.
I would also say the Mirasol Hacho yarn has been a dream to knit with, once the scarf is washed and blocked I'll tell you how it holds up.

One last thing,
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN THE ST. ANDREW'S DAY POLL, it will be coming to a close soon.
THANK YOU !

Happy Knitting, Kathleen x

Happy St. Andrew's Day!

Happy St. Andrew's Day everyone!

A special shout goes out to all Scots, Greeks, Russians and people called Andrew.

Don't forget to take part in the exciting St. Andrew's Day Quiz.

Kathleen x

On the last lap...again.

Hello peeps, I think that after some false starts I am finally on the last lap with Miller from Rowan's A Yorkshire Fable.

It's the one on the right of the picture there.

It hasn't been a particulary inspiring knit, being miles of stocking stitch in a very "rustic" yarn but I'm quite sure I'll get plenty of wear from it this winter once I've let it dry and got it all sewn together. I can't give you a blocking or progress shot, me being in Scotland, and the camera being in England, but I can give you this archive shot in the meantime.

It's a Kim Hargreaves design and I've been making it in mostly Harris Tweed and Knitwear Harris Wool, with the accents done in Rowan Scottish Tweed.

I'm off to blow on the pieces to see if they'll dry any quicker.

Do you know the best bit about the knitting on this being finished? I can take something different with me to the Stitching group on Tuesday if I can make it along :-)

I'm gonna make me some patchwork!

I've looked into my crystal ball and I foresee lots of cutting out of hexagons this weekend.

Here are the Christmassy fabrics I got at the SECC Hobbycrafts Fair a fortnight ago, and I'll be using a selection of them to make a Christmas thingy. I'm thinking some kind of Grandma's Flower Garden type scenario with big blocks. Maybe handling big hexagons will be less fiddly than handling small hexagons as I've never done anything like this before.

If you don't know what a Grandma or Grandmother's Flower Garden looks like, I'm sorry, I'm not going to link to one because I did a search and got the most intricate, hand-stitched Amish one, genuinely done from scraps, which would take your breath away and I don't want to compare my "efforts" to that!

At the moment I'm not thinking of quilting the work once it's finished, but hey, we are still at the "First catch your fabric" stage, and things may change.
Happy Crafting x K.