An out

We had an out today to a new event -  Kendal wool gathering. Held in the K shopping village in Kendal(gateway to the lakes)

Free event, free parking and very good for a first event. 

I didn't need anything but saw this yarn and loved it.  It was a new to me dyer Yarn garden

The website is under construction but well worth a visit. This is called Tree Lupin and comprises 70% BFL, 20% silk and 10% cashmere. 100gms 400 metres.

Not a colour I'd have thought of buying or dyeing but I loved it.

 Found this book and at £5 thought it worth buying to  loan to beginners.

there were alpacas, gorgeous creatures and very interested in all the visitors:)

Who were also very interested in the alpacas;)

I had to remind Mr Mog that alpacas were too large for our back garden despite their appeal:)

We were then taken to a rather splendid eatery by the friend we were with and this is my  part eaten lunch before I tackled the rest. Cumin crusted lamb flatbread with salads. Very delicious

 They even had a special teapot for Mr Mog with a black cat on the cosy:)

 A thoroughly good day out with good friends. what more could you ask?

Don't you just love colour?

For the first time in ages I dyed yarn.

I wanted to knit a fabulous shawl pattern that used sock yarn(wollmeise to be specific) I couldn't find any sock yarn but a search through cupboards found a skein of dark greens which I'm using for the shawl.

Pamuya is the pattern name and it is almost a sampler of stitches.

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However the search did turn up 7 skeins of assorted undyed yarn.

Obviously you can't leave it like that so it had to be dyed.

What do you think?

Single skeins, what use? and a giveaway

I've been taking stock of fibre and yarn etc and wondering where I go from here. I've been spinning for almost a year now, it certainly doesn't seem that long since I first decided to have a go. As I'm sure all new spinners do I purchased 100g here, 100g there. All very well but apart from hats, socks what can you make with 100g? Not very much at all. As you can see from the picture I have many 100g skeins, this is just part of it. I've also knit quite a few up of course.

I've decided to be more organised in future. Apart from my favourite dyers where I know I will enjoy having 100g of fibre I'll only purchase 300g or more at a time. This would give me chance to knit larger items which would be better for me. After all a decent size shawl can take 300g, unless it is laceweight:)
So on to the giveaway, I've decided to let some skeins of handspun go. If you would like them, please comment on this post. I'll draw the winner on the anniversary of my first starting spinning, end of august. They will be chosen from my stash, I will decide colour and you will receive 2 skeins.

Colour

Today the sun is shining and everywhere looks beautiful. It always lifts my spirits when the sun shines even if it is a day like today where the pain is really bad.

As a distraction I thought I would show you some of my current projects.

Firstly Elsewhere I may be blue:) This is of course my favourite pattern the Elsewhere jacket.

I'm making this one in acrylic (shush) I love the ones I've made from Blue faced Leicester but as always with pure wool they do pill badly. I'm wondering how this will wear. Watch this space.
For acrylic it doesn't look too bad does it? It is James Brett marble DK and it works to the aran pattern beautifully.
Next up a shawl in Noro Kureyon sock yarn. I dislike this yarn for socks but love the Noro colourways so I thought I'd see how it worked up as a shawl. I like it.


My third picture is the latest fibre on the wheel. I purchased this at Wonderwool Wales from Mandacrafts this is the link to amandas etsy shop. She sells organic Falkland tops and the colours are delicious.
Guess what colourway this is?

Did you guess it is red hot chilli pepper and aptly named I would say:)

More colour

More colour for you especially for this dark cold day. The Ides of March no less. Who is for a little Shakespeare?
This is some of the recent dyeing chez Moggie.
Firstly bright and breezy, reminds me of a cottage garden in high summer, full of delphiniums, cornflowers, roses, calendulas and more. Blue faced Leicester fibre.

This next one is for a scraps swap on Ravelry. Solstice dawn, also BFL

This one is spring on meadows, also BFLThen something different. This is some alpaca merino yarn around an aran weight. It did have a fling last year when I dyed some for socks in bright primary colours. I found the cone the other day and it seemed a shame to leave it languishing. I wanted something gothic and I think I'm almost there:) This is to make some of Woolly Wormhead's hats, firstly Alveare.
Not sure which other to do, I love Ruth's hat patterns they are always well written and easy to follow.
The colours are darkly different (top) and stormy skies(bottom)

My sore hand has now transferred itself to the other arm and that too is extremely painful today. Methinks my pain is having a little game of hide and seek around the body. Oh what joy:)

Hospice knitting 2009, the total + solstice giveaway

I thought you might like to see the grand total of items going to the hospice this year. They will be going to St Catherine's hospice this time.


Do you want to know the totals?
There are 17 pairs of socks, 2 hats, 1 cowl, 2 scarves and 6 shawls or wraps. Enough to keep the patients and their families warm I think. This is the third year of knitting for the hospice and not the last.
Wonder what I should knit next year?
Many thanks again to all the very kind people who donated yarn for this project it has been much appreciated.

On to the Solstice giveaway, I thought you would like to see the prizes.
One very warm snuggly shawl and a pin to hold it closed.
1 skein of my very first hand spun, Falkland yarn and enough for a hat, gloves or cowl. Maybe even socks.
The winner will be announced on the Winter Solstice, Monday. I'll get Mr Mog to draw a name from the comments this month.

A recipe for Lammas - harvest fool and cakes of yarn

As it is Lammas I thought you might like a recipe to celebrate. One that uses the last of the blackcurrants and the first of the blackberries in its construction. It can be made entirely with either or indeed with any soft fruit. I've also made it with apples and with rhubarb.
First take equal amounts of black currants and blackberries, add to a pan together with a spoonful of water to stop the pan burning and raw cane sugar to taste.
Bring to simmering point then turn off and leave covered to allow the juices to flow and the puree to cool. While this is happening take a carton of double cream and a carton of creme fraiche from the fridge.
Add cream to bowl and whip until it forms peaks

When it reaches this stage fold in the creme fraiche.
Rub the fruit through a sieve to extract the pips

giving a beautifully glossy thick liquid. Taste at this point to check on sweetness. You don't want it too sweet, this needs to have a little acidity to it.
Fold the puree into the cream/creme fraiche mix. Pour into wineglasses and fridge until ready to eat.

If you can wait that long:)
This is also great made entirely with yogurt or mix of yogurt and cream or creme fraiche. I (We) like it all of those ways.
Then we have some yarn cakes, not for eating but for knitting with.


The yarn looks entirely different when wound doesn't it? I love these autumnal colours
I have of course cast on my elsewhere jacket, well the yarn was calling me:)

YOSH donations

Just look at the marvellous donations I've received for YOSH:) Thank you very much everyone. I will enjoy knitting this into hats and socks.

From Clarabelle this yarn is lovely and soft. I've never used any of these so can't wait to knit it up.

From Laal Bear, bright and cheery and just check out the Rowan. Hats from this will be snuggly:)
From Aniexma, yarn is for March and September/October. Lovely colours and doesn't the Regia remind you of Kureyon?
Thanks my friends I appreciate your donations.

Then look what Aniexma sent me as a gift alongside her yarn. For sharing with Mr Mog (of course)
I love the dragon scarf pattern and have wanted that for ages since I traded for a dragon scarf last year at Woolfest:) The fleece artist dreadlocks will make a wonderful shawl Anne and is a perfect colour for me:)
Then to share with Mr Mog some Canadian rice and yummy maple spread:) Toast and spread anyone?
Thanks Anne a feast for all senses.

Feast or famine , more dyeing pictures

rainbow sock front
and back view, isn't it bright?
the kid mohair
back view of kid mohair
autumn front and back view

green cashwool
Just had to post the pictures of the dyed yarn I love the colours so much:) It will be interesting to see how they look once it is reskeined or wound into a ball.

Wonders from Wales

The marvellous trip to Wales brought forth much creativity twixt ArtisAnne and I:)
We dyed a few items in between all the laughter and talking.Here are the results. Did I tell you what a marvellous artist she is? She really inspired me to have a go at dyeing and I loved it. I loved the unknown quantity, would the colours I used turn out right?



mohair in the pan, this was some cheap mohair with acrylic and we weren't sure it would take the colours.
As you can see it did:) I wanted a misty rain on welsh mountains effect and I think we captured it perfectly, can you see the heather and the bracken in there? This will be a shawl(naturally)
Then this was some BFL I think that someone sent me a while ago. We wanted purples.
We got them:) Enough for a hat or wrist warmers this.
Sock yarn from andy at BFL.com I wanted primarys for socks for Mr Mog, the brief was bright and dazzling.
Is it dazzling enough?
I think so don't you?
Then Wye Sue heard we were having a dyeing day and sent some fleece to Anne for us both,
this is the result of a sample of it and will be a seaweed style scarf when its stitched up.
A view on the way to Anne's house, magnificent mountains.

There will be gifts to blog about but that can wait. ArtisAnne was more than generous:)