Thursday, 30 July 2009

On my travels

I leave tomorrow for a trip to Switzerland with Guiding, I am paying to spend money with 30 Guides on a coach for 24 hours, at times I think I need my head examining....
I think the packing is done, the important things like what knitting to take were picked out several days earlier less important things like "do I have enough clean knickers?" were only thought about last night. The answer by the way was no, I went to sleep to the sound of a washing machine attempting take off. It needed this much time because the weather to be quite honest has been dreadful, I've done a few climbing instruction sessions this summer and have worn water proofs for every single one. Most summers they might get put on once maybe twice if I'm unlucky. My legs haven't seen daylight for weeks, I am ready for Switzerland to be hot and sunny!

See you all in 10 days or so....

Sunday, 26 July 2009

Until next year

The tour de france has just finished which means that it's time to look back on what I managed to knit and spin. This year got interupted by a trip to Scotland, and this time last year I hadn't learnt to spin yet so there was no repeat of last years mammoth effort!


I have however knitted a pair of socks from my own handspun, and a few squares for a p/hop afghan which is going to be auctioned in September.
Tour de France finished items

On the spinning front I've managed 3 skeins in total.
Silk Handspun
98m of laceweight silk, just enough to work out I don't like spinning silk, and too little to actually be useful! It is pretty though.
Spindle Handspun
Some sparkly fingering weight which is my first spindle spun yarn.
Handspun Teesdale
And some laceweight Teesdale wool.

Unmentionable legwarmers

Just so you don't start getting the wrong idea about me I also finished these over th last few days... the least said the better, they're going to the frog pond I've now knitted 5 individual legwarmers in an effort to make 2 complete pairs and suffered to get the sizing right on all of them. I declare defeat, the yarn is lovely soft alpaca, it can be something else!