Hobbies and Crafts

Many years ago my Uncle (Mum's brother) who lived in Scotland, used to make lovely fairisle(sp?) items. he always knitted holding one needle under his arm pit.

Did anyone catch Jane Garvey's programme A Gripping Yarn on Radio 4 this morning looking at knitting all over the world. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0418p75
I had no idea that there are 1/2 million men who knit in the UK

They have also got a board on Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/knittingr/knitting-radio-4/ Love the chicken with a jumper, but think ours would object :-D

Hi Lancia

Survived Christmas - just. Made the fatal mistake of trying to cook too many different foods on Christmas Day and ended juggling between 4 ovens :-( Resolve to make things simpler next year

I am a summer knitter due to allergies and knit outside which would be a problem in this weather!! However a friend brought me the most wonderful book of sock patterns https://www.hachette.co.uk/Books/detail.page?isbn=9780753726907 with some really wacky designs including socks that you can wear with flip flops and a spiral tube pattern with no heel - Can't wait to try them

Happy 2015 to all Knit Wits (a little early :-D) and keep clicking

Kay

Hi Kay
Hope you had an enjoyable Christmas.
I have put my needles away for a few days...hope to plan a visit to craft show.
Wishing you a wonderful crafty 2015.
Lancia

I too have asthma, when preparing a fleece I will work outside it seems to help me, but to skirt and sort a fleece is the worst part. Wash and drying in the warmer weather is better.
I attended Wonderwool two years ago, a lovely event, everyone was friendly and helpful, but... I came away with too many goodies!!
Lancia

I always wanted to spin wool, but the unfortunately can't due to asthma. Do you get it ready carded to have you ever gone for the whole fleece? The variety of sheep and wool types is so amazing.

I had a friend who used to work for the Wool Marketing Board and she got me tickets a few years ago for the Wonderwool event at Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells - fantastic

Kay

Hi Kay
Thank you for your welcome to the Knitwits. :-)
Being able to see, to touch the wool or yarn is wonderful and quite often the owners will share their knowledge with you.
I started spinning many years ago after watching a spinner demo the craft and after a 2 hour lesson I was hooked!! Spinning with fibre can be so rewarding.
I love natural colours from different breeds of sheep, I prefer natural dyes.,

Lancia

Hi Lancia - Welcome to the Knitwits :-D

I also love browsing online to see the new types of wool but I do like to see the colour of the wool before I buy it. I made a bad mistake a few years ago and the green wool is still sitting at the back of the wardrobe!!

You spin your own wool? Wow - how wonderful. A few years ago I could have sent you a fleece. We had mainly Texel sheep, but also has one crossbred brown Ryeland with a wonderful chocolate colour fleece that I would have loved to see spun. Do you dye the wool yourself or use the natural colour

How is everyone else going on?? Busy knitting for Christmas presents :-) :

Kay

Hi K
I have just found and read your message dated 18th June 2014 re: Knitting

I enjoy knitting for babies and children.

Thank goodness for the internet, In my local area there are not many craft shops selling wool for knitting or natural fibres to spin into my own knitting wool.

You are very welcome Florence, glad to be of help! :-) I thought that at least if the link identified the exact wool it would save her trying to describe it to Sirdar.
Fingers crossed they may be able to track some down for her now.

Hi there, AnnX,

well my friend emailed tonight and was so grateful as the wool you posted a link to is the exact wool. She says she has been searching to no avail til i mailed her your suggestion.

So on her behalf a thousand thanks. She is going to contact Sirdar and see what they say but at least we know the exact wool now.

Amazing what these threads can do for people.
Long may they continue.

Thanks again peeps
Nite nite
Florence
in the hebrides :-D :-D <3

ladies, thanks for all your suggestions. i have emailed pictures of the wool to my friend and am waiting to hear back from her.

Really appreciate your suggestions and have passed them on to her.

Will let you know when she replys.

Thanks again
Florence
in the hebrides :-)

My half knitted projects or unused balls of wool are far too frequent :-(

We have been having a clear out and I am amazed how much wool I have which I intended to find a pattern for and never did. There is also the jumper that was knitted with dyes that are slightly different. only realised part the way through and now need to unpick it all and blend them as I knit. I thought it was just my eyesight in old age :-D

Florence - If you friend can't trace the same wool could she knit squares with another colour??

Is this the wool Florence?

http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/sirdar-secrets

If so it looks like it was discontinued before 2009. Maybe the Sirdar people will track some down though.

I have a halfknitted cream aran jumper I started before I moved to this house (over 14 years ago!). I never did any more because I needed to do it bigger and hadn't got enough wool. I thought cream aran wool would be easy to match.....but no!!!!

Oh well done to them GlasgowLass ,thanks for the link i had a look at the patterns they are really cute . :-D

Florence , any luck from Sirdar ?

Where is everyone ? all to busy christmas shopping to think about knitting !! :-D

I must admit i haven't had the needles going for a while ,i'am now thinking about doing some more beaded baubles ready for christmas .

Suns been shining here all day ,so warm through the window.

My student daughters have again knitted 150 tiny bobble hats for Innocent Smoothie,The Big Knit .
They have taken part for the last 3 years and 25p for every hat sold goes to Age UK

http://www.thebigknit.co.uk/about

Thanks Mandy for your help, unfortunately the charity shop was on the mainland and it was several years ago since she bought it. I did suggest plain black as a border but she wants to make it a lot bigger.

I will suggest that she contact Sirdar to see what they can suggest.

Thanks again
Florence
in the hebrides :-)

Hello Florence :-)

Have you tried getting in touch with Sirdar ? they might be able to tell you if they still do that yarn , it's so annoying when you don't have enough to finish .

Could your friend do some sort of border round the blanket in another color ?

I wonder too if it might be worth going back to the charity shop ,you never know they might have had several balls of the brown wool and bagged it up into smaller lots to sell.

Mandy x

Hello peeps, just wondering if anyone can help with with a little problem.

A friend of mine is knitting a blanket for a present. She bought 8 balls of wool and doesnt have enough to finish. The wool is old as she bought it from a charity shop and may no longer be available. she has searched on google but to no avail.

The make is Sirdar. The colour is Chocolate Brown with Gold Lurex running through it.

Does anyone know of a good wool stockist she may be able to buy this.
between us we have exhausted an awful lot of sites so thought asking on here might prove more sucessful.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Florence
in the hebrides.

Thank you Von and MillymollyAmanda.

I was pleasantly surprised how neat the crown looked when it was draw in.

Lesley x