Just right for autumn!

Dasiy by Debbie Bliss (with thanks to Meny for dashing round to LYS and posting off the extra balls of wool needed for second sleeve).

Front view.........................

Back view.

Shawls and the suchlike

So as not to disappoint my friend Patty I have, as is my custom, been knocking up things for Christmas as temps soar to near 100. A wonderful way of using up those georgeous skiens friends have sent me.

Beginning with a hat made of Koigu fingering that Nancy sent me. It is actually a slouchy streetwise model, not clear in the picture



Swiss Cheese scarf in a ball of Zauberball laceweight. Shading from ornage to fuchsia to purple and back again. A rare sight: Lin in a handknit. Fascinating knitting

After recieving a pimpelleise shawl in a swap from Ceri I caught the bug and have made no less than 4 (with more to come) . Great car knitting and use just one skein of sock wool

Here we have legendary malabrigo merino sock wool bought in Barcellona. Another again from Nancy and a denim Zauberball.

Its no use, I feel the urge coming on, got to go and knit another one....

Back again

Well a couple of my fans have asked me why I havent been blogging. The answer is simple the Rann/Onfiani household has been cameraless all summer.

But that doesnt mean we havent been busy, here's a clue.

I finally got to carry out a cherished dream, a wool shop crawl of London.

I found Loop, IKnit and several other lesser known stores but in the end didnt buy much, prices were higher than online at times and I didnt fancy fighting with ryan air baggage restriuctions. But I did get plenty of ideas on colours and qualities, not to mention patterns. And adored playing the tourist and cruising down the Thames

And I also found several other shops in Sussex.

Including a rather small but well stocked one in Worthing. The Wool Bar was just as I d been led to believe from reading on Ravalry, like meeting up with an old friend ,chatty, tea and coffee.

Naturally being the usual indecisive me I returned two times just to make sure Id got enough wool. While I was dithering hubby and daughter ate their m&S sandwiches on the beach.

http://www.thewoolbar.com/aboutus.html

I had never thought of making a cardigan from laceweight wool before but I'm so glad I did. Rather sexy, sheer and the most georgeous peacock blue.

Pattern:faetherweight cadigan by Hannah Fettig. A top down design. The front bands were a nightmare though and it took me three very long attempts to get them reasonably right.

Oh and of course I bought the wool at The Wool Bar.

Fruit picking and knitting

Maybe it was the wet July but V's grapes are coming along fine. Very inspiring...

I just had to make/knit some of my own and then I couldn't stop, strawberries, cherries, pears and apples (must get some orange yarn to finish off the bowl though).

and no comments about my banana please. It can be zippered closed.

Summer evening with Lin & Co.

With a bit of bribing and cajoling I got Lin, Marco, Isshan and Pelo to accompany me up to the castle late afternoon Sunday.
They actually got up there before me. Oh to have young legs again.




We ate outside and had gnocco and salumi (A sort of deep fried savoury pastry filled with ham like sandwich).
Even though it was nippy espescailly considering we are in the height of summer.


We walked home down the road in the dark.

Dianna

This shawl was fascianting to knit. An entrelac pattern in Noro kureyon sock wool. It developed and evolved with every knitted stitch.

Even the blurred photo can't hide those gorgeous colours.

I was so eager to get it done that we didnt get out for our Sunday walk until late afternoon.

An improvised circuit of 3 hours, Roncolo, Ponte Pietranera-Castellaro. Note Bismantova in the background.

But even without a map we didnt get lost and, as chance would have it, arrived at this hidden away pizzeria just as it was opening for the evening. Tartufo cream and porcini pizza eaten outside in a galeforce wind !

Intriguing construction work

I have always been intrigued by Hanne Falkenberg's knits, mostly gaarter stitch jackets knitted in one piece using 2 ply shetland wool. My mum has made some lovely ones but the fact that they are only availbale in expensive kit form rather put me off. So when I saw the Mermaid model on offer online I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately the model sizing did not suit me, being full busted and narrow shouldered Iwas placed midway between two sizes. In the end I opted for the larger one. As the model is knitted vertically from one front round the back to the front and includes short row shaping, darts and pleats I didn't have the time, patience or expereince to mess around with measurements. In fact the finished jacket was perfect but, alas, far too big and sleeves too long.


But I was still toying with the idea . this time I found some wool on ebay which turned out to be excellent.It arrived all the way from Lithuania (?) in just a few days and appeared to be the right weight. Gauge is essential and this was slighty different so I opted for a size smaller jacket. What fun to knit. The wool slowly changed colour as I progressed from the starting point at centre bottom back. I got the whole back out of one ball but the sleeves (still knitted in one piece) were neverending and gobbled up two more. Which left me a bit short for the front. But by unwinding and rewinding sections of different colours, and adding a bit of keftover kauni, I eventually got two reasonably mirrored lapels.


These garter stitch shetland garments aquire drape and shape with washing. I have already washed this once and it fits and hangs perfectly. I have even grown to like the brightness (which for me was part of the fun of the wool) and am looking forward to wearing it when days get darker and duller.