Monday, 30 July 2007

It's like this...

I have been on holiday and these two photos sum up 2.5 weeks of holidaying al fresco in Britain!

You know, in some respects, it's as well that I did not expect to have ready access to either electricity or running water as this level of deluge plus its resultant flooding made both quite a luxury...ho hum.

Just look at the rain!





Okay, on holiday I expected to:

1) compete in my sport
2) knit
3) read
4) update blog.

Yes, I did compete but I am ashamed to report (despite taking Mel's tailor dummy along with me to map out a design), I did absolutely no knitting or blog updates and the only book that I managed to squeeze in was Harry Potter (7).

A complete and utter disgrace. Instead of the above, my time was spent trying to stay dry (failed, got wet places that I never knew I had), drying out myself and my kit, trying to get warm, stay warm and sleep...in perpetual hope of sunshine and warmer days!

To add to my disorganised shame, I even failed to get to the Post Office to post the following to my downstream book swap:
Book

This book was not my original choice but Waterstones and Borders let me down. So I hunted the shelves, looking for something as equally or more important to me.

You know what: in many ways, this is far far better than my original choice and I hope that my book swap enjoys it as much as I did when I was little.

Once I had read this book, I went on and read all of his books, plus all of the folktales behind them...








Yarn (with a challenge)

I would hereby like to make a public apology to my book swap partner who has had to wait over a month to receive their package - it is going to the Post Office tomorrow lunchtime. Honest.

I really hope that you enjoy the book, this yarn and the beads. I sincerely hope that the weather is better in August and that you get to holiday somewhere with the above book, that you get an opportunity to read it and then create something that inspired by the story with the yarn and the beads that I am sending you!

In short, please achieve during your holiday, all that I failed to achieve in my own. (I will be stalking your blog!)




Debbie Bliss Silk, Lousia Harding Sari Ribbon and Jaeger Beads

(Closer Look for Internet Yarn Addicts)
























Update

Dear book swap - it is posted - so when it arrives, I really hope that you do something fun with it. I will reread the book too - just to verify the authenticity of your inspiration!

Gx.

Thursday, 12 July 2007

Book Swapped!

Ohhh, look what I got from DarbyRose*...

...thank you, it looks to be a perfect holiday read!

This is extremely very timely as I am packing to go away this evening and now I have a book to read (when I am not knitting)!

Before you all give up on my blog, although I am heading somewhere without much in the way of electricity, I am hoping to sort out a proper blog update for you while I am away.


If it is slow to materialise, it is just because technology (and lack of power) is conspiring against me.

In the meantime: happy summer knitting!

Tuesday, 10 July 2007

Startling Silence!

I did not intend to be this quiet...a knitting update is imminent.

Knitting is in progress and as I want to 'show and tell', I have a confession I need to make. It centres on a project that has generated a lot of internal debate around the following yarns (I hope that Dee and Knitwitches do not mind me filching a few images to show you):

Posh Yarn: Eva 4 ply cashmere and silk that Dee custom dyed for my project. It is the most intimidatingly beautiful yarn I have ever seen in my life. I have 4 skeins (800 yards?) which look very blue when photographed with my camera.


In real life, the colours are closer to the photo on the right (Iridescence). I have no idea whether the yarn on the right is the same dye batch as mine, but it looks to be very close. Truly, if you get an opportunity to pick up some of this colourway if Dee repeats it...

...don't hesitate: it is absolutely stunning. Really and truly, honestly.










Posh Yarn, two ply cashmere in Buttons (Left) and Oh La La (Right). I bought the 2 skeins of Buttons (800 yards) earlier this year and 4 skeins of Oh La La are winging their way to me as I type (1600 yards). It is a warmer, more tomato looking colourway and I have my fingers firmly crossed that it will not be too orangey on arrival! Buttons is a lot more muted in its appearance when ball wound and knitted up - it's really lovely and subtly variagated.

Knit Witches Yarns heavy laceweight cashmere in Cherries. Seriously seriously considered but not purchased.

Although I like the colour (it looks quite close to my original Buttons purchase), I know exactly what Dee's cashmere is like (I've bought cashmere from other places in the past and it has been nowhere near as nice) and I have bought yarn from Dee before (I have a deadline, so I was not certain about taking a risk on a new vendor).

Has anyone else bought from Knitwitches and can you let me know what their yarn and quality of service is like?

Okay, I have a few days off work coming up, so will I sort everything out and explain what I am up to...

...I promise!