Thursday 23 October 2008

The Knitting Parlour, Great Malvern

Yesterday I went to Great Malvern with two knitty friends, primarily to visit The Knitting Parlour. I'd recommend a trip here, and am looking forward to going again, spending more time and actually looking round Great Malvern a bit more!

The walk up from the station, was beautiful. The trees were well in to their autumn colour changes and so many leaves on the pavement, made me want to run in them! The smell of the leaves and the clean air was pleaseant and refreshing. The houses and the archetecturial features made you want to stop, stare and admire!

The Knitting Parlour was easy to find (Great Malvern isn't big). We decided to contain our mounting excitement and go for Morning Coffee first. One pot of Earl Grey and a Cinnamon Swirl later, we headed off to The Knitting Parlour.

We spent over two hours in the shop. Lots and lots of oohs and aahs! The shop stocks a wide variety of yarn, and suits most pockets. Colinette, Noro, Rowan, locally dyed yarns, Seacell, german sock yarns, plus Sirdar and a range of baby yarns. Lots of patterns and lots of books. Plus cloth kits - I was sooo tempted, and gorgeous fabric and patterns cloth clothes (as opposed to knitting patterns. And accessories. Buttons, needles, including Lantern Moon, Pony/Prym, and some delightful ones from ?Austrailia with round coloured spotty ends.

After much deliberation, I settled with a Superba Sock yarn - candy pinks, had my name all over it, two balls of Colinette Point 5 Venezia (the colour of which I've re-named Goth Rainbow) and a ball of black Rowan Big Wool, a skein of Artists Palette Yarn - Pop Sox, in purples and sage greens, and jute bag with the shops name on. I was tempted to more, including the new Amy Butler book, Colinette's Toast and Marmalade and a book on Shibori felting. All for next time!

The shop was busy and Vicki (the shop lady), very helpful! So a massive needles up to The Knitting Parlour - highly recommended!

A mention must be given to Lady Foley's Tea Room, on the station. Arriving back at the Railway Station - an old station, everything that appeals to yesteryear romanticsm - we had enough time to have a quick cuppa. We stepped into Lady Foley's Tea Room. It was as if we'd stepped back in time! The ceiling was high, with painted coving, the walls decorated in a pseudo-William Morris paper, an open fire place (which wasn't lit) at the one end. Stunning. I was so expecting a steam train to come chugging into the station. This has happened before, one Sunday in Keighley, many many moons ago.

Monday 20 October 2008

Another Bag in the Making!

I spent most of yesterday knitting (no surprise there, then!). I am making a felted bag (somethings never change!). I'm hoping it will be similar dimensions to the Pink Pea bag, although I'm toying with the idea of doing French Market Bag handles, rather than the handles from Amanda's Squatty Sidekick Bag. I'm using Debbie Bliss 'Soho'. The colour way is purple, pink and a couple of colours inbetween. I'm thinking it should felt as well as the Twilleys Freedom, so I might do a bit of extra length to compensate. I've used three 50g balls so far and have not yet decided whether to use a whole ball before doing the handles of half. Decisions Decisions!

At least it's Monday Morning and that means Stafford Knit Chicks!!

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Apple Cosy

Yesterday I went to an extra Knitterati, to knit food related items to sell for charity. I chose to make and apple cosy. I thought it was a fab idea to start off with. I wasn't quite to happy with the finished article, although I do need to sew the leaf on and make sure the bobble closure resembles a bobble! I will do another, perhaps a bit bigger. I also want to try a Banana Cosy. If I have any success, they will be photographed and dislplayed!

I got some Noro Cash Island as well. I couldn't help it. I got the same colour to do a beanie hat, scark and gloves and a different colourway to do a pair of socks with. Enough to keep me more than busy, as usual.

Today is a day off. Quite a few little jobs to do, pay the Council Tax, do housework, and gather things together for the swap on Ravelry. I've sent off for a couple of items form China, so I hope they get here before the posting on dead line, otherwise it will be apologetic emails!

Tuesday 14 October 2008

An Autumn Sunday Afternoon in the Garden

Sunday afternoon I spent in the Garden. It was a beautiful autumn day, really quite warm with a light breeze. I find it incredibley relaxing being in the garden, having some fresh air. HobbitKeeper pulled the first of the parnsips. It didn't take long before they were washed and in a roasting tin with some spuds and onions! Accompanied by Yorkshire Pudding, leeks carrots and gravy. I could eat it all again now! So this is me showing off the parsnips.


The Girls are doing fine at the moment. Radar is moulting round her necks and she looks like something has had hold of her, if you didn't know any better! I'm not sure if Roast, Guess and Radar are Line Dancing, or waiting very patiently in line for the Sunday Buffet of potato, corn and mash!!
I spent most of the afternoon writing letters, sat here. In the foreground you may notice a mug of tea and a plate with crumbs of Pineapple and Banana Loaf! I think the letter I was actually writing at this point was to Luneray.


This is the view down the garden, from where I was sat, although I did stand to take the photo... The garden is starting to look a little bare, now we've had most of the produce. I think all that is still growing is the leeks and parsnips. And the beetroot, but I think that's had it! The fushias are in full bloom and the acer is a gorgeous blood red colour. It quite catches your eye from a distance! Unfortunately you can't really see it in this photo hahaha!


Rhinog and Ted also enjoyed the sunshine, both were flat out for a bit. Rhinog wanted to tell me all about his afternoon, and this is him in the back door, talking to me, in a way that only dogs do, and is sooo cute! And yes I do talk back to him in 'dog' although it's a little difficult to write, dog talk is definitely a spoken language rather than written!







Friday 10 October 2008

Coming up for breath

This week has been a full and busy work week, with hardly any time to stop for a breather. I haven't done any knitting since Monday. But what I do need to do is frog the heel on my sock as the shaping is slightly off to one side - probably wasn't concentrating enough!

I've got my train tickets for my day out on the 22nd, looking forward to that! More about that later though! The day involves going somewhere on the train (knitting time) to visit somewhere that has a knitting shop, having a mooch round the town, then returning by train, knitting again.

I've signed up for two swaps on Ravelry, and thinking about doing a third. The swaps are favourite things, should be fun!

I'm behind on my letter writing, due to work, but am hoping to get at least one, maybe two done this morning, hopefully. And catch up over the weekend.

I was sent a photo from a penpal who lives in New York. It was a view from her appartment, I really like it, sort of makes the world seem not so quite so far away! The photo also shows the Twin Towers of light; the picture was taken on 9/11 this year. A little piece of history.

Saturday 4 October 2008

The First Socks

I finished my first pair of socks on Wednesday, at Knitterati! I'm chuffed to bits with them. The nest time I do this particular pattern, I shall adjust it slightly. The leg parts are loose, but not quite sloppy joes and the foot part could do with being lightly smaller, but I love them and they have hardly been off my feet! In fact I'm wearing them right now!



They are comfy and quite warm. The yarn is Noro Kureyon sock yarn. The pattern is specifically for the yarn and was a free one from Yarn Market. I landed very lucky with the colour repeats as they are only about a quarter of an inch out!

I'm itching to start another pair - these will be toe up ones. I have to finish a pair of mittens that I started on Wednesday, I'm already half way through the second one. Then I have a bag to do for someone at work and do something hand made for a Swap on Ravelry.
The yarn for the mittens is Noro Cash Island and it is sooo soft! I think I shall definitely be using this yarn again!!