my Black Isle Yarns Eathie shawl

Julie of is one of the nicest quilty people I have ever met. And since moving up north in Scotland she has started her own fab little business Black Isle Yarns taking local to her sheep fleeces and having them spun in the Borders into beautiful yarns. I bought a skein of Gotland from her first Autumn 2016 batch and when batch 2 was released in the spring she had a kit for a shawl. I couldn't resist, could I?

My new yarn spinner was pressed into service and so by the end of May I had 3 lovely caked yarns ready for knitting! 

The yarn itself is really special - I'll let Julie herself explain.

"The remaining wool came from one, very eclectic, flock.

‘Orrinside Flock’

Jane is someone who is passionate about livestock and the land – not only does she work in a farm advisory role but she has a huge range of animals on her smallholding, including some very lovely sheep.  Her land is on the edge of the Black Isle, not far from Beauly, and has beautiful views inland to Glen Affric and Cannich – a very lovely area with hill after hill on the horizon.

Her core flock consists of North Country Cheviots which are the main sheep around here. They’re not generally thought to have particularly exciting wool and it is often written off as being fit for carpets only. This is most definitely not the case with the fleeces I chose from Jane’s flock!

Alongside her Cheviots Jane has some really special mixed breed ewes.  You can tell from their names how much she loves and enjoys them! The three ewes whose beautiful wool I picked out are Horse (Bluefaced Leicester-Cotswold cross), Monkey Face (possibly Gotland-Hebridean cross) and Frankenstein (Bluefaced Leicester-Cotswold-Cheviot cross) – shown left to right respectively (although Horse, as an old lady who wasn’t at all willing to cooperate, has a stand-in by way of her daughter aptly named ‘Horse’s Daughter’!)."

How cool is that, eh? So I started knitting and figured out the colour change and everything - turns out spit basting is your friend!

A little bit here and there soon added up and it was amazing to see it growing. This is right before casting off at the beginning of August.

And it really benefits from a good wet blocking!

Tah daaah! Isn't it lovely?

I'm so chuffed with the wavy edge and the not-too-delicate lace.

So now I eagerly await Julie's next batch! And in the meantime I have some of Horse, Monkey Face and Frankenstein's yarns left over and think I might make something small and flowery to go on something else. Maybe a hat made from Julie's Autumn batch Gotland? That sounds just about right. 

knitting

I have less knitting to show you will be pleased to hear! It just takes longer so there are less finishes.

First up - this is the best (and only!) photo of the Pebble Beach shawl I made for my sister-in-law's Christmas. The yarn is a beautiful silk blend hand dyed by a girl on Etsy. It's such a pretty colour and beautiful and drapey.

Come the early spring I wanted a nice easy pattern so opted for a Reyna Shawl - I found the pattern for free on Ravelry. I also bought myself some little scales so I didn't have to play yarn chicken towards the end!

It turned out a lovely size and is so soft - it's a Lamington Lass dye, again from Etsy.

Nice, eh? Very wearable and i did. A lot!

But I have quite the wee pile of shawls now. Hmm. Maybe I should be giving some away.

So this one was knitted for my Mother-in-law's birthday in March. From - you guessed it - Etsy. The same Reyna pattern knitted at speed in big chunks in the week before her birthday - so I know it took 29 hours!!

And another (same yarn purchasing/ pattern) for my own Mum in May.

And waaaay back in the Christmas hols I finished my lone pair of socks this year. These are Greengable socks by Louise Tilbrook. A fab cheaters cable pattern!

I'm currently working on a gorgeous shawl and I know the names of the sheep who produced the wool - but that's a whole other story. *grins*

Knitting

I finally bought a skein from Skein Queen back in the summer after a lot of flinging stuff in the basket, running to the checkout and not being quick enough to actually buy it. Her shop updates are frantic! *g* I ended up with this rather lovely Magnolia Days entwine 4 ply.

And it knitted up beautifully into this Asbury Park shawl. It did become a little tedious (all that garter stitch!) but it's lovely and I'm glad it's finished.

And with that finished I started another Pebble Beach shawl with this beautiful hand dyed yarn from Etsy.  It's finished but I can't show you any more as it's a Christmas present! And it's not blocked yet - must get on that. 

And now I'm on to a pair of socks! I'm keeping these ones, they're a 4 ply cable design and taking aaaaages!

A shawl without a beach

 Last year Helen and I knitted shawls together and we so enjoyed ourselves that we decided this year to do it again.  So a few months ago we picked a pattern and I bought my sock yarn. A quiet morning at work saw me winding my first centre pull ball from my skein.  Heh heh.

Here's what I ended up with. 

The day before I went on holiday to Yorkshire I spent a quiet bit of time (again at work!) in the company of Zac Efron casting on.

And had this before we left.

And got loads done while we were away. 

Last weekend? Well I was on a roll and spent about 6 hours each day zipping along to get it finished. My first pico bind off!

 Accompanied by, who else, Zac Efron. *g*

And here she is, my finished Pebble Beach Shawlette.

 I love it to bits, the colour and crescent shape make it super wearable.

And I love that edge.

2 weeks start to finish? Even allowing for holiday knitting that's quick, might make another!

Yarny deets:

Pattern: Pebble Beach Shawlette

Yarn: hand painted 4 ply "Stormy Weather" by Jellybeans Yarns on Etsy

Needles: 4mm circulars knitted flat

One in ten

When I made my very first socks 2 years ago I was utterly captivated by self-striping yarn and the very first ball I bought was Adriafil Knitcol DK in the Beethoven colourway. They now live with a friend as do all these other 9 pairs of Knitcol cosies. Two of these pairs I have knitted for myself and at the last stitch they have been perfect for someone else. 

(clockwise from top left, Degas, Kandinsky, Dali, Chopin, Chopin (again!) and Renoir, Leonardo and Michaelangelo, Beethoven and Warhol)

I'm not good at keeping socks - they make such great gifts I am forever giving them away. I've finished 14 pairs and only have 2 pairs myself. And none of my fave Knitcol yarn. Well, no more! These are mine. Mineminemine. My tenth pair.

Ha! Even better, the brand new colourway (bought because it had black in it) is named Chagall - who is a favourite artist of mine. Aren't they great? And they're a quarter 2 Finish-along finish as well!

I think I might make one more pair for me and then start trying "proper" 4-ply socks. I do love DK ones but they're not so great for going inside shoes. But they are so soft and cosy for round the house.

Yarny Deets:

pattern: Beginners toe up socks by Knit Freedom - adapted for dpns, knitted up the leg til there was none left!

Yarn: Adriafil Knitcol  Chagall, 2 x 50g

Needles: 3.5mm dpns

Ochil Ripples

Back in the autumn I made a couple of rings for a friend at her request.  Emily teaches and does some TV demonstrating on Craft Daily TV and was showing how to spin. As in, spinning fibre into yarn. She wanted some dressing for her fingers and we agreed a little craft swap - my jewellery making for her spinning. So she got her rings and I got the unenviable task of choosing which of these fibre lengths to go for. I eventually plumped for the left hand one, it was dyed by a local (to Emily in Devon) dyer and is from Blue Faced Leicester sheepsies.

Emily spun it into this.  It looks quite different, eh?

And then it was plyed into this beautiful skein. 

Now I had another unenviable task of picking just the right project to make with it. It took me nearly 6 months to decide but I loved the simplicity of this cowl to show of the colours but the wee bit of interest added in the fat lacework. Is it classed as lacey? I dunno, it's holey bits, then.

And after a few weeks pleasant leisurely knitting I have this!!!

It's been surprisingly difficult to photograph (it looks so dark!) but this is a good approximation of the colours. 

And me wearing it. It's super cosy and the cowl nature means it doesn't fall off shoulders and things. Yay!

The name comes from my Ochil Hills - the yarn is almost the exact colours they are in spring and summer.  Thank you so much, Emily, I definitely got the better end of our deal. *g*

Yarny deets:

Pattern: Whitefish Ripples by Faye Kennington  (bought on Ravelry)

Yarn: my wonderful handspun by Emily skein, approximately 200 metres used

Needles: 3.75mm circular

Sockies

I finished a new pair of socks! Aren't they pretty?

My local yarn shop had this pretty Sirdar Baby Crofter in and I couldn't resist the sherberty colours although they are proving difficult to photograph. I did match the stripes up really well, though. 

This is a better representation of the colours. They are really pretty, no?

And, woo go me!, they are my first finish-along finish for this quarter. Yaay!

Yarny deets:

pattern: beginners toe-up socks by Knit Freedom

yarn: Sirdar Baby Crofter in colour 175 - kaitlyn, 2 x 50g balls

Needles: 3.5mm dpns

End of quarter 1 of the Finish-along - how'd I do?

That was a very quick first three months of the year! So it is time to check in with the Finish-along to see how I managed. My original pledge post is here but I've copied it here for easiness. Here we go!

The Iceland socks

This yarn was bought in 2014 in Reykjavik and the boot socks started last summer. I've one done and half of the other is languishing. Which is ridiculous, just knit it already!!

Done!! They were as quick a finish as I suspected they would be but have yet to be worn. The finished post is here.

The Abbey coat

Winter might be over before I get this started let alone finished! The muslin is made and the fabric is prewashed and looking at me accusingly from the bannister. A priority!

Done!! And happily worn to work every day since the start of February. The finished post is here.

Steampunk Blooms

This is a new one. I saw Jo's Jungle Blooms quilt online and ran out to buy the mag it is in (Today's Quilter) - I loved the low contrast between those free-form Dresdens and the large pieced background. As luck would have it, around about the same time I got my lovely Christmas parcel from Dee and it was full of beautiful beige and blue vintage maps and olde worlde style fabrics. So a Steampunk/vintage quilt for the bed is the plan!

Not even looked at! In fact, the fabrics are still rolled up in the same position since this photo was taken.

Sue's hat

My mate gifted me the Animal Hats book that my family's Christmas hats came from and I have promised her one for her birthday on the 15th. Of January. *blinks* Top Priority!!

Done! Gifted, received and the first tick on this list. The finished post is here.

The skirt refashion

I bought this skirt from Kerry last summer because I loved the fabric and, I admit, I wanted to see how an experienced dressmaker finished things. It is beautiful and it fits (just!) but it's really not my style. I was thinking I might refashion it into something more me. Dunno what,  though... do I need another Moss mini? *g* Probably something like a Brumby, I think.

Done!! And, indeed, it became a Brumby skirt. The finished post is here.

Socks for Spouse

Aye. He loved his last-minute socks so much that he has asked for "lots more pairs"!! *harumph* So I've bought Knitcol yarn that he picked and will knit him another pair because I'm an awesome wife.

Done!! And worn by him on his lazy weekends (of which there are not many!) The finished post is here.

Chrimbo cushions

I know, I know! It's early January - but remember this is a full year endeavour! I remarked in December on a lack of nice Christmas cushions - I have 2 quilts and nothing to go with them. So I bought these lovelies in the sale from my Bearpaw. I have no patterns yet, I'll see what comes up over the months.

Pfft. Nope. Not even looked at! 

Tree skirt

I know!! More Christmas stuff. I hoped to get this done this year but yeah. Time and all that. Dee sent Chook a tree skirt for her little bedroom tree and I was quite envious and then the cats tipped over a box in my room and I found this! This quilt was started by Cindy who, for some inexplicable reason, decided halfway through that she hated it. I jokingly said she should send it to me and she did!! So I think I might tree skirt it, isn't it lovely?

Another nope! Although I am thinking about this one next.

Green mittens

I finished my beautiful Sakura shawl in the autumn and I haven't worn it yet. Whereas my purple one I finished after? Has hardly been off. I think the difference is my purple one has matching fingerless mittens - I need to keep my hands warm. Or at least stop them from getting cold or they go all white and waxy and numb and useless (I suffer from a mild Reynaud's phenomenon - a harmless but annoying condition) So. I have a skein of that beautiful green yarn left - mittens it is!!!

Nope! Maybe once it starts to come back into mitten weather I might think about this one.

Kitchen curtain

Yuk. But this is a necessary just-do-it repair. Spouse spilled milk all over this curtain just before Christmas and the hot wash needed has shrunk it mightily!! I have a contrast fabric for the bottom but need to unpick and resew the lining and things. And again, yuk.

Done! My most boring (but probably most used!) finish. The finished post is here.

Cord skirt 

Fabric from The Village Haberdashery weeks and weeks ago. Another Moss mini? Or something Else? I'm not sure.

Done! A Tilly and the Buttons Delphine a-line skirt. And also retro tailored when I had sway back issues. The finished post is here.

Baby Love

I'm still so wary about quilting this baby clothes quilt. Much more fearty than I was over cutting up the clothes! But at some point I just need to suck it up and put my big girl knickers on. Yikes.

A big fat no on this one. It's good to have a longterm UFO though, innit? Yeah.

Strawberry Tee

And finally (phew!!) a length of Heather Ross strawberries knit to have a first go at a tee shirt. Lets see how that goes.

Done!! Squeaked this one in yesterday and I'm really chuffed to have something made with this print - even if it's not my favourite thing in my wardrobe. The finished post is here.

So that's not too shabby, eh? And apart from that little lot I have also made all these which weren't on any list and have just popped up as the whim took me.

Busy busy! So this next quarter? I must see if I can get some quilts made...