More Mock Cable Socks

Jim liked his first pair of Mock Cable Socks so much I decided to knit a second pair with the Araucania Ranco Multy in shades of brown. The first pair were a wee bit too big, though that hasn't been a problem. They keep his feet toastie warm and Jim finds them very comfortable.

So with a couple of changes, i.e. a few less stitches and rows on the foot width and length, and a change of needle size for the leg, he now has a pair that fit perfectly.

I really like the toe-up patterns, and this time I used Judy's magic cast on which I think gives a much nicer smoother toe line.

I used the sl1, k1 heel and the Russan bind off to finish the leg.

The cable pattern can be confusing if you are not paying attention, or feeling tired. The first three cross to the right and the second three to the left. Several times I lost concentration and went right when I should have gone left, then had to get my crochet hook to work on the offending cable, easier than having to frog a couple of rounds!

I always use my Addi Circulars for socks now, I think they are the best circulars ever.

Betty's Carpet Slippers

Betty is a lovely lady and the mother of a friend of ours, and she has just celebrated her 90th birthday. Her birthday dinner cum party was held at The Golden Ball, better known as 'Snatchems' near Heysham, Lancashire.

I designed and knitted the slippers for her, they have a double sole with a foam inner. I don't normally knit in black if I can avoid it as it is hard on the eyes, but black was requested so I brightened them up a little with the pink I-cords.

As soon as I have written out the pattern, and worked out changes for different sizes (Betty's are size 4) I will publish the pattern on www.ravelry.com under the title 'Inner Sanctum Slippers.' I intend making at least three more pairs, for another friend, myself and my DH Jim.

The soles and top gusset are knitted on 3.00mm straight needles and 3.00mm circulars for the uppers. The I-cords were worked in DK on 2 - 2.50mm dpn's. I also used a 3.0mm crochet hook to join the bottom and upper sole together using 1/2 dble crochet.

The venue for the party is an old Tavern on the estuary at Heysham, now a pub/restaurant, it earned its nickname of 'Snatchems' during the days when men were press-ganged into service for the Navy, in a very sneaky way in this case. If a man drank his tankard of ale and found a coin in the bottom, he was presumed to have accepted the 'Kings Shilling' albeit unknowingly. Then the glass bottomed tankard came about, so a man could check the bottom of his tankard and refuse it if it contained a coin. (Since the pub is quite isolated, I hope those who refused a tankard stayed sober enough to avoid a knock on the head when leaving the premises!)

Spinning Wheel

My Norwegian style spinning wheel, It is a working model but spent several years as a shop window decoration, the shop is now closing down so it was put up for sale.

I have never done any spinning before but hope to learn PDQ! I have two Ryeland fleeces and two black Welsh Mountain fleeces to scour. They will also need combing or carding but as combs are so expensive I think I am either going to have to buy dog combs and brushes, or make my own combs using harness needles.


I've had a couple of practice runs on the spinning wheel, the resulting yarn is nowhere near perfect but not too bad either, although on the second practice it did run away with me a bit, and I could have used a longer pair of arms! The result was too much twist in the yarn.

I'll get there in the end, I just hope my cats don't get their whiskers in the way!

Sheep Shearing Day

Hector the Big Tup waiting his turn.

On Friday 10th July my friend Pat called me to let me know her little flock of Ryeland sheep were being sheared that morning, so Jim and I grabbed our camera's and took off for the farm. The Ryelands have very thick, soft fleece, it covers their eyes so the can't see where they are going most of the time, and it also goes all the way down their legs to their feet. Pat has two Tups, Jamie and Hector, plus four Ewes and a number of lambs born this year. The lambs are adorable, a couple had to be given extra milk by bottle and one earned itself the name Safeway, and I think another is called Morrison! I bought both Jamie and Hector's fleece, so now I need to learn how to clean and wash them etc., Followed by carding and spinning.

One of the lambs:

"Am I next?"

"Hey Maa, you do look funny!"

"I don't think we want to go there!"

Hector is almost shorn.

Hector leaving with Jamie following.

Mock Cable Socks

I started the Mock Cable socks, a toe-up pattern from Wendy D. Johnson's book, 'Socks from the Toe-up' on the 19th May. I was hoping to have them finished by the KAL deadline on the Ravelry group named after the book, but unfortunately that wasn't to be. I finished them today, the 31st May. I did a variation of the stitch pattern, so they are not strictly a cable, but more like a Celtic plait. As I was knitting them for my husband Jim, I knitted them extra long, he's not keen on short socks.

I started off with one 100gr skein of Araucania, but thought I might need another as I was knitting them extra long, as it turned out I only needed a tiny amount extra, so I have enough left to make a pair of socks for myself .

I used two 3.00mm circulars, but when I make him a second pair with another skein of Araucania that I have in Multi shades of cream and brown I think I will drop down a size.

With them being extra long, and working them both at the same time, they didn't seem to be growing very fast, anyway I am happy with them and glad that they are finished. They are the first pair I have made for Jim.

Lilac

Lilac is one of my favourite flowers, I have three bushes in my gardens, the one in my front garden is a rambling, spreading kind of bush that my husband keeps threatening to cut right back. He will take his life in his hands if he does!!

It has now spread it's branches to the pathway, the birds love to perch in it when waiting for a space on the bird table, or trying to avoid next doors cat! The close up on the right was taken last year, the photo on the left I took this morning, unfortunately the beautiful blossoms have been beaten up by the wind and rain we have had recently and are beginning to die off.

The dead tree behind it was a beautiful ornemental Cherry that up and died on us a couple of years ago, we should have removed it, but again it is a favourite perch for the numerous birds that flock to our feeders. So now I am training a Clematis around it's trunk, but sooner or later some of the tallest branches will have to be removed.

The lilac in our back garden is a deeper colour and the blossoms are not as big and showy as the one pictured. Down in our lower garden there is a third one, similar to the back garden bush. They all have a glorious scent, I'd like to put some in a vase but they never seem to last more than a few days, so I leave the blossoms on the tree/bush, that way we can enjoy them a little longer.

My New Tricycle!

A week ago I bought a Tricycle, (I always wanted one as a child, but never got one, so now I've made that wish come true, in my second childhood!!) and rode it home, a journey of just under 5 miles. I was tired and expected to ache next day, but I didn't. Wonder of wonders!

It takes a bit of getting used to on the narrow country roads, they mostly have a dodgy camber, which can pull the wheels where you don't wish to go, not to mention the steep hills around us. But I'm hoping to go out early mornings as often as possible, and try to get fit.

This morning I went for an early morning ride and Jim accompanied me on his bicycle, we only did a couple of miles this time, we had a longish steep hill to climb and I rode most of the way up before having to stop for a breather. On the way back home I coasted down that hill and the wind on my face felt good, a big white Barn Owl flew over the top of my head. I didn't see him but Jim, who was behind me, did.

I was ready for breakfast when we got back home. Glad we went out early as it started to rain again.