Last year Lilith of Old Maiden Aunt Fame made a request for mini-socks to decorate the Old Maiden Aunt Studio . So I rummaged about and found some odds and ends and knitted a few wee socks . Here is a link to a picture on Ravelry
I probably posted this bad photo before , but here are mine close up .
As a Thank You , Lilith sent us a wee discount to use in her shop , and there were some yarns that were too good to pass up on !
What I love about Liliths yarns , apart from the soft luxurious feel , is the saturation of colour , it is very rich but not quite solid , and it has a beautiful sheen .
As usual I know some of these yarns will be knitted up as gifts (so many birthdays in February!) , but some will be kept for ME ME ME!I can't say which yarn and what gifts I'll be making but watch this space .
This is the Alpaca/Silk/Cashmere 4ply and is called "Last nights Red Dress" , from the "I made you this mixtape collection" . It is such a rich warm colour and so silky soft .
And I wish there had been more of the alpaca/silk dk in this shade, its called "Seen the Ocean" and reminds me of when I finally saw the Pacific Ocean from California . Sadly there was only one available when I ordered - don't you just want to dive in?
It makes up for the fact I was unable to take part in this years yarn club (boo Hoo) , however I will just need to save up for when the yarns become available after the club , the colours are looking fabulous !
Talking of fabulous , there is wonderful pattern in the new Knitty that features Liliths yarn , the alpaca/silk dk in colourway Midnight - and the picture of the knitted yarn appears in the header too! Its a gorgeous pattern and one that I would love to try soon . In fact there are quite a few Knitty patterns that have caught my eye , but that one is a favourite!
Thank You for all the kind comments on my Middlefield Sweater , I love it so much , in fact I am wearing it right now . It may need to be surgically removed soon ! Hehehe!
Or yarny items !
There has been lots of knitting for Christmas , but it has slowed down with the January ennui.
Some was secret Santa , some was for gifts , some was for ME , and some was gifted to me .
I started the Middlefield sweater from New England Knits before Christmas and got a lot of wear out it during the really cold spell (even before I photographed it) . I love this sweater , however , the neckline probably should have been higher up to stop it slipping throughout the day. That said , it is a very cosy sweater , just perfect for a cold winter
Excuse the bad photography - there is never a photographer about when you need them!
This is the sweater after its first wash - kept its shape nicely . The yarn is Rowan in Pure Wool Aran , colourway Sage , and it took just under 4 balls . (Very economical , yarn cost approx £25 ).
The buttons are courtesy of our good knitting group buddy Marion . She was given some vintage haberdashery which she gifted to our knitting group . Buttons are a very dark bottle green .
I also received some lovely woolly , knitted gifts - my favourite being this scarf from my sister . The pattern is from Louisa Hardings' Little Cake book ,and the yarn is hand-dyed BFL aran by Breagha yarns (local hand-dyer) . It is so cosy and can be worn as a mini-stole too .
The colour is gorgeous , a testament to Innes' (the dyer) skills .
There have been lots of other yarny goodness , but more of that later .
Just now I am trying some new and not so new recipes' . One being Nigel Slaters "lazy Loaf (soda bread) . I think I may have done two things wrong . 1) not thin down the yoghurt enough and 2) not flattened the pre-baked loaf enough . It came out looking lovely but was still uncooked in the middle. The "ends" tasted good and the rest looks fine after another baking in the oven for 20 mins .
The recipe uses baking soda and natural yoghurt instead of yeast and water , and makes a tasty soda bread (have now eaten three slices!)
I am also cooking up some stock to make some stuffing that will go with my twice stuffed Roast Chicken . This recipe has parma ham tucked under the sckin of the chicken , and some in with the bread stuffing that goes inside the chicken . I have done this recipe before and it is very tasty. If I can't get hold of parma ham , some bacon does the trick too!
Looking forward to a tasty dinner this evening!
Happy New Year to you all!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that the weather didn't dampen the joy too much. Ours was as manic as Christmas gets with two children. Haven't lacerated my feet yet with all the lego about. I am almost a lego engineer as DS2 needs a wee help now and again to build his models (he barks orders while I build!)
There was mad Christmas knitting which some got finished and others didn't . There was mad food shopping after the snow cleared .
And there was the realisation of how lucky we are to have our families and friends to celebrate with .
This year I hope to blog a bit more often , and finish a few more projects , oh yes , and keep breathing!
Here's to a Happy , Hopeful and Prosperous 2011 !
