mmmm, yarn: letterbox edition

I broke down! I couldn’t resist. The lure of yarny deliciousness was too great. I have a good excuse, though: it’s my mum’s 60th birthday and (I don’t think she reads this, but in case you do, Mum, AVERT YOUR EYES!)

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and I’ve really been wanting to make her a shawl. Not just any shawl, but a shawl containing Really Impressive Lace. I am still undecided on the pattern, but I now have the perfect yarn:

Isn’t it dreamy?! And: button! It’s Countess Ablaze alpaca/mulberry silk lace weight — these images do not capture the colours properly (but they are near perfect in the CA shop). The colourway is ‘Softly Softly’. (I’m pretty sure it was named that on purpose: we’ll just ease you back into stash enhancement, Emmms… nothing to be scared of… softly does it now.)

It is amazingly soft and sheeny and the colourway is just divine. It also came in perhaps my favourite packaging next to our ziplock lunch bags:

She brown-bags the yarn!!! Yes, now I too can at least attempt to hide my dirty little stash-increasing secret. I cannot WAIT to cast this lovely yarn on.

Tags: countess ablaze, softly softly, the gorgeousness

mmmm, yarn

WARNING: Potentially stash-enhancing images ahead! Not recommended for anyone yarn-dieting!*

As some of you will know, Sweet Clement has been on hiatus since March and while I know it’s only temporary, this morning I found myself sighing, ‘Man, I miss Pippa’s yarn.’

It really does feel like she dyes specifically for me. Her colours are exactly my taste: lush, deep, rich tones that seem to pop and fizz luxuriously in the light. The base yarns are precisely what I want to knit with, too: soft, well-plied smooshiness whatever the blend.

Knitting from one’s stash is a noble endeavour and a worthy New Year’s resolution. HOWEVER, when that stash of Sweet Clement begins to get dangerously depleted, I start to yearn for a bit more Pippa. (At this point I realise I’m beginning to sound a bit like John Oliver on The Bugle lusting over Pippa Middleton’s backside: ‘Oh… oh, Pippa…’, except for me it’s ‘Oh… oh, Pippa’s yarn…’)

This morning, in an effort to stave off the last of my Sweet Clement, I went onto Etsy to see what else might catch my eye.

Travelknitter’s heavenly Summer Cloud is a lovely blend of British Bluefaced Leicester and silk.

Watercolours and Lace’s Golden Sunflower is 100% BLF, this time richly variegated.

Jelliebean’s Damsun just makes me so happy! Gorgeously rich 100% BFL.

Brick Wall Yarn’s Baffle in Graceful Descent is another 100% BFL (I’m sensing a trend…) in sunny, almost stripy hues.

Countess Ablaze’s incredible Delight is a basic 75-25 wool/nylon, but what colour!

Countess Ablaze won my search for a new yarn to play with hands down. Every time I clicked on a thumbnail, it turned out to be another amazing Countess Ablaze. ‘Ablaze’ really is right! The colours are just spectacular. I had enormous trouble choosing just one.

I’ve been mostly knitting garments lately and perhaps as a result, I’ve got such a craving for some lace. I’m thinking Countess Ablaze’s merino/silk Evergreen or cashmere/merino Radioactive Raspberry Jam will be perfect for a delicate, if radiant shawlette.

*Made by Loumms does not accept responsibility for any purchases made as a result of exposure to these pictures. Made by Loumms does, however, apologise if they are all out of stock by the time you get to them.

Tags: brick wall yarns, countess ablaze, etsy, jelliebean, lace cravings, sweet clement yarns, travelknitter, watercolours and lace

new twist collective, spring 2012

How much do I love the shawls in the latest Twist Collective? More than I have words for. But I’ll give it a go.

Janel Laidman’s Elysium is just so, so gorgeous. This shawl is just so unusual, so unlike all the other shawl patterns out there at the moment. I love how round and dextrous the pattern is.  It’s really not like anything I would normally go for, but I find myself increasingly drawn to it (and seeing as I dreamt I was knitting it last night, I feel it might have to be the next project I cast on.)

Susanna IC’s Stellaria is really lovely, too. I love her classic crescent shaping and while I generally am not hot on garter stitch, she works it so that you can wear your shawls front or back, up or down and they always look good.

Although I can’t imagine ever managing to complete one, Kerry Milani’s Paon is breathtaking. She immediately gets a Genius stamp. The pattern is pretty and delicate, the shaping is exquisite and the sheer size is extraordinary. Compared to it, Brenda Patipa’s Satsuma is just a mere slip of a thing, but I really like how directional the lace is. Very different to the other shawls here, but pretty in an almost Metropolis way.

Apart from the shawls, Robin Melanson’s Sylvatica and Amy Christoffers’s Lanata are two tops I can really see myself wearing.

Usually I like my knits to be heavy on the cables, but both of these tops make good use of lace in a primarily unobtrusive way. I’ve got the Acer Cardigan lined up, but I’m starting to think Lanata might come first. Regardless, I want to have Sylvatica ready for the first day of school.

What are your favourites? Are you aching to test drive the soles on Lingonberry? Let me know in the comments!

(All pictures by Jane Heller, slurped from Ravelry.)

Tags: acer cardigan, Amy Christoffers, Brenda Patipa, Elysium, Janel Laidman, Kerry Milani, lanata cardigan, Lingonberry, Lorilee Beltman, Paon, Robin Melanson, Satsuma, Stellaria, Susanna IC, sylvatica top, twist collective

spring time buddings

My fruit bushes this morning

Blueberry

Gooseberry

Raspberry

Just lush!!
I love the spring time

Tags: blueberry bush, budding fruit, Fruit bushes, gooseberry bush, raspberry bush, spring time

left overs feast – tortilla chips

Yesterday, my love made her signature dish of Beef Burritos for dinner and as usual it was delicious!!

No photos unfortunately, sorry.

I normally freeze the leftover tortilla breads to use another time but was told that they never roll properly when they are defrosted which proves for a messy Burrito!!! Not good!!

So instead of freezing I decided to use them and some other frozen ones to make yummy tortilla chips.

I had 2 wholemeal tortillas and 4 seeded tortillas to bake so I made two different flavours.

For the wholemeal I used olive oil, salt, pepper and chilli powder.

And for the seeded I used an oil blend (rainbow pepper) my mam got me for Xmas last year with a bit of salt.

I brushed the oil over both sides of the bread then sprinkled over the salt, pepper and chilli powder.

I placed them on a baking tray, without overlapping, and baked at gas 6 for about 5-8 mins, turning halfway.

They were so yummy they almost put me off my pizza!!!

Tags: home baked tortilla chips, left overs, old tortillas, Tortilla chips

fo: gramps cardigan

Last weekend we went for brunch at Pip’s Dish, a pop-up in Islington, just north of where Upper St and Essex Rd divide. It was delicious! I definitely recommend it. It is not a good place for fussy eater, I suppose, as they serve whatever’s cooking. But I challenge anyone to go there and not love what they had. The vegetarian meal was not only excellently prepared and presented, but it was substantial. The last place we all had dinner at was under the impression that all vegetarians don’t eat — I wound up having chips for desert because I was still hungry! Not Pip’s. The amply stuffed aubergine with its heavy portions of roasties and veg left me so full there was no room for an evening meal. Special kudos: when the chef found out I don’t eat eggs, she whipped up a special dish of stewed peaches in a juicy syrup with a huge dollop of cream. I mention them because that’s where this picture was taken AND because they were awesome. Proper food for people who love to eat.

Back in November I went to a conference in Mexico City where I gave a paper on subjectivity and identity in spy fiction. I will post about everything I saw while there eventually. Right now I want to post about what I made while I was there. Or began making.

I didn’t really have that much time to knit between the conference and sight seeing and EATING, but I managed to cast on two cardigans, Paulie and Gramps. Paulie is glorious, but not yet finished. I took it with me to Indonesia to work on while we were travelling (although you try knitting in 33C heat and tell me how much you get finished!). Gramps, on the other hand, held my attention right up until the moment we left the country and was ready to wear shortly after our return. It is surprisingly quick for such a large garment.

The yarn is Briggs and Little Heritage, which I bought about two years ago from someone’s destash and has been just waiting for the perfect project. With Gramps, it definitely found it! I really wish I could source Briggs and Little in the UK. It’s a great workhorse yarn. It has amazing stitch definition, blocked like a dream and is so far wearing pretty well. It is prone to veg matter (seriously, the amount of straw I pulled out while knitting would not go down well with anyone who’s put off by that sort of thing), but it’s easy enough to pull out as you knit. I’ve barely taken it off since I finished it, and I think I’m really going to miss it once the summer gets here (ha!).

Because I liked the cable pattern so much, I work it up on the back in two panels rather than a graduated ribbing like that pattern called for, but I think that was my only major modification (ETA: except for lowering the neckline,which I’m pretty pleased with too!). I’ll get Matthew to take a picture of the back, too, because I really love how it turned out. I must get him to take a closer picture of the buttons, too. They are GORGEOUS! Olive wood with wide-apart holes. So pretty!

Bottom line: Gramps is a great pattern and well worth the $7. I’m really impressed by designer Kate Oates’s pattern writing. She’s clear and easy to follow. Because it was so easy to follow, it made adding the extra cable panels in the back a piece of cake. This is easily one of my most favourite items of clothing I’ve ever made. (And you can better believe I will be making the baby version for our kids. Adorable!)

Tags: gramps cardigan, kate oates, mexico city!, modifications to knitting patterns, paulie cardigan, pip's diner

street gifts

I made another fab street find yesterday, this garden shelf unit was just waiting for me!

It needs a clean, tidy and re-paint but it will work for me!

I needed a shelving unit as I’m trying to create levels and different height perspectives in the garden so it was perfect!! For the moment though it has to hold my bits and pieces while I get the garden organised

 Love it!!

Tags: found in the street, garden shelves, recycled, shelves, stuff from the street