Tea & Possibilities Episode 71: Minimal Human Contact

INTRODUCTION

You can find me on Instagram and Ravelry. We also have a Ravelry group where the Episode 71 Chatter Thread is live! And don't forget the Show Us Your Socks thread!

Today’s tea is... peppermint - perfect hot day tea as it's light and refreshing and still tastes good cold!

Don't forget, we have a tea recommendation thread on the Ravelry group, if you're looking for something new to try.

As well as my usual thank you to my new and returning viewers, I want to say a special thank you to NHS staff and other key workers. For those working on the frontline in hospitals to those in supermarkets and keeping TFL running so those people can get to work. Thank you for your bravery. You are heroes.

WIP'D UP

FOs:

Plucky Hat
Pattern: Tuck Stitch Beret, Sirdar 9075
Yarn: Plucky Knitter Cozy DK in 'Nessie'

I made a couple of mods:
Twisted rib substituted for the normal rib in the pattern.
I knit the adult size, but followed the row count for the 10-12 years size for the crown shaping.

I'll most likely make another one of these, perhaps trying to convert to in the round, later in the year. It's just so easy to wear - totally perfect for me!

Dunderknit Socks

Pattern: Vanilla Sock Recipe from Meanwhile at the Castle
Yarn: Tiny Human Knits Merino Nylon in 'Dunderknit Rainbow' & West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-ply in 'Nutmeg'

There's a slight difference in these socks as I wound off 3 stripes in order to get to the dark blue for the second sock. I was then 3 stripes short in the foot, so I used the stripes I had, which weren't quite in sequence. 

But I think they look great and I'm so happy with them! There's something very satisfying about using every single inch of the yarn.

Cosy Squares
Pattern: The Coziest Memory by Kemper Wray
Yarn: Various! Some are detailed on the Ravelry page

I started this shortly after starting the podcast in 2016 and now - 4 years (!!) later - it's finished! It never made a blanket, but it will make a gorgeous piece to frame and hang over my bed. Partly because it's so beautiful and partly because it's so full of lovely memories.

WIPs:

Cosy Stripes
Pattern: Granny Stripes by Attic24
Yarn: Various! Some are detailed on the Cosy Squares Ravelry page

I wound up all the leftovers from my Cosy Squares blanket into a magic ball and have been working on this blanket again. It's big enough to be cuddled up underneath it while working on it - which is so nice! I've been working on this while binging The White Queen.

As I've said before - I don't consider blankets to be WIPs in the same way as other projects. They're large, they go into regular hiatus (for me, anyway!) and they usually don't have a deadline. I just like having it to work on when I want something simple.

Christmas Socks #2 (First Time Toe-Up)
Pattern: How To Knit Toe-Up Socks by haalu / Toe-Up Gusset Socks by Staci Perry
Yarn: West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-ply in 'Holly Berry' & 'Cayenne Pepper'

I started these during the Summer of Socks KAL (shall we do that again?) so these have been languishing on the needles since last summer... I couldn't get my head around the heel as the haalu vids were on DPNs and I was on magic loop. I just couldn't get my head around it - so I found the pattern by Staci Perry, which was excellent.

I originally knit it without a contrast heel, but the foot was a tad too short, so I reknit it and this time put in a contrast heel. Now I can start on the leg - perfect meeting knitting!

I'm not sure I'm a toe-up girl, but I'll do a few more until I state my preference. I'll definitely do a more reinforced heel on my next pair too. Not a fan of the plan stockingette heel..

Coming up...

KerryOne Pullover
Pattern: Kerrytown by Annie Lupton
Yarn: Willow & Lark Ramble in 'Ox Blood'

This has been languishing since... 2018?! Lots of charts made it a bit of a faff to work on. But, once the toe-up socks are finished, this is the last WIP I have - so I'm determined to finish it!

However, it would be great to have something more simple to work on when I'm tired or during meetings, so I think the Sweater Hug by Skeindeer Knits would be ideal. 

I'd knit it out of The Yarn Collective Bloomsbury DK in 'Moss' which I originally bought to knit the Bittersweet by Veera Välimäki. I LOVED the Bittersweet - but the moss stitch was too much for me. So the Sweater Hug, mostly stockingette, would be perfect. And easy to wear!

I'm going to call it a day on the episode, as I don't have much to share in Knit & Natter these days... I will dig into the questions left on the last giveaway thread for future inspiration!

Until next time, folks, have a lovely knitty week. Stay healthy, stay safe and stay home!

Tea & Possibilities Episode 70: Some Failure Involved

INTRODUCTION

You can find me on Instagram and Ravelry. We also have a Ravelry group where the Episode 70 Chatter Thread is live! And don't forget the Show Us Your Socks thread!

Today’s tea is... coffee! I haven't had any coffee in weeks as I only get it from the coffee shop at work, so when my Mum got some coffee, I had to have some!
Don't forget, we have a tea recommendation thread on the Ravelry group, if you're looking for something new to try.
As well as my usual thank you to my new and returning viewers, I want to say a special thank you to NHS staff and other key workers. You put your health at risk to support and help everyone else. My Mum works in the NHS, so I understand some of the stress you're under. It's not enough - but you're amazing and thank you for it.

WIP'D UP

FOs:

Haunted Baby Yoda
Pattern: Baby Yoda by Kim Konen
Yarn: Stitch & Story The Chunky Wool in 'Ivory White' and Rico Design Essentials Soft Merino Aran in 'Sage'

This is definitely terrible and not an accurate Baby Yoda. I am so bad at toys! I'm going to maybe replace the eyes and reattach the ears to try and improve the overall look.

HOs:

Dunderknit Socks
Pattern: Vanilla Sock Recipe from Meanwhile at the Castle
Yarn: Tiny Human Knits Merino Nylon in 'Dunderknit Rainbow' & West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-ply in 'Nutmeg'

One DONE! I'm so happy with these - they're so so pretty! I have dropped a stitch in the foot - so I need to fix that. Any good fixes for that, please let me know!

I'm on the heel flap for the second sock and I have got them matching, but I'm not sure if i'll have enough yarn to complete the foot. I do have a second skein though, so it'll be fine whatever happens!

WIPs:

Plucky Hat
Pattern: Tuck Stitch Beret, Sirdar 9075
Yarn: Plucky Knitter Cozy DK in 'Nessie'

This yarn was a gift from Caroline (of Knitting Vicariously) as a thank you for house-sitting. It's living in another gift - a Hide & Hammer bag! I've wanted one for ages and this is truly gorgeous - yellow is one of my favourite colours and this is just stunning.

I've cast this hat on twice - for some reason I couldn't get it right at all the first time. I frogged so many times, I just decided to start over again and that seemed to work.

Stash Enhancement:

The lovely Caroline also gave me two more beautiful skeins. Fab Funky Fibres Merino Nylon Self-Striping in 'Mr Smith' will definitely becoming another pair of Christmas socks when I'm back in the mood for that.

The second skein is my very first skein of Cat Sandwich Fibers, in Trustie Sock 'Secrets of the Golden Flower'. SO GORGEOUS! Not sure what I want to knit out of it, but I feel like it should be on display.

KNIT & NATTER

It is a really strange time at the moment, it still feels so surreal to be trapped in this global pandemic and to be unable to head out to work, the gym, to see friends.

It can be hard and lonely and boring - even when you're someone with a lot of hobbies! 

Some of the things I'm doing include revisiting old films that I love - a few Disneys (and The Mandalorian!) and Jurassic Park and Jurassic World have been great.

I've been catching up on the Privy Chamber episodes of Rex Factor, which are available to me as a Patron. I've also caught up on The Knitmore Girls and completed The Half-Blood Prince on Harry Potter & The Sacred Text. I've got a couple more podcasts that I'm trying - I'll let you know if I recommend them!

I recently finished The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, which is about a witch trial on a Norweigian island in the 1600s. It's very very good, but pretty bleak. 
Next up is The Golden Thread by Kassia St Clair, which is non-fiction book about how fabric impacted history.

I'll be downloading The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel - I can't wait! Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies are the first two books in the Thomas Cromwell trilogy - both I would highly recommend, as well as the BBC adaptation with Mark Rylance as Cromwell and Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn.

I'm going to make a dinosaur out of a little kit I got for my birthday and I'm going to get a triceratops from Sincerely Louise for my cousin's baby. Also toying with the idea of trying silver clay...

I've also signed up for a course from Historic Royal Palaces on the History of Royal Fashion.

As I can't go on my long runs at the moment, I'm trying to do more yoga. I used to be really flexible, but the running (and the fact I've not really done yoga in years!) has stiffened me up a bit, so I'm working on that. 

I've set myself a habit tracker to try and remind myself to take my vitamins and hydrate and move and I'm just trying to be gentle with myself. There's no right way to get through this.

Until next time, folks, have a lovely knitty week. Stay healthy, stay safe and stay home!

Tea & Possibilities Episode 69: Knitception

INTRODUCTION

You can find me on Instagram and Ravelry. We also have a Ravelry group where the Episode 69 Chatter Thread is live! And don't forget the Show Us Your Socks thread!

Today’s tea is my first of the day, thanks to my Nan, this time who brewed it up for me - Earl Grey is the tea that lives downstairs, so it's always the one I have when someone else brews up.

Don't forget, we have a tea recommendation thread on the Ravelry group, if you're looking for something new to try.

I am now back on Instagram! I really enjoyed my break and will probably take them more regularly as I don't want to become too reliant on social media and it was just nice not to be tied to it for a while.

WIP'D UP

What am I wearing;

Amy's Insouciant
Pattern: Insouciant by Julie Hoover
Knit by: Amy Florence of Stranded

Amy's Rosemont
Pattern: Rosemont (Cardigan - not Tee as I said on the podcast!) by Hannah Fettig
Knit by: Amy Florence of Stranded

Massive thank you to Amy for giving these beautiful knits to me - they've both been in my queue for a long time, so I'm happy to have them in my wardrobe and see how they fit so I know what size to make when I knit them.

FOs:
Onion Johnnies Hat
Pattern: Onion Johnnies by Soléne Le Roux
Yarn: A Busy Life Yarn DK in 'Roasted Marshmallow'

I'm sad that this hat didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, I think it's probably me rather than the pattern. 

I had considered buying new yarn to knit a plan loose fitting hat, but I really don't want to buy when I have stash, so thanks to my Ravelry stash tab, I remembered I do have a skein of Madeline Tosh, which I was going to use to knit wristers to match my Caswell Bay hat. Instead, I'm going to use it to knit a hat and that will be it with my Madeline Tosh stash.

WIPs:

Cosy Squares
Pattern: The Coziest Memory by Kemper Wray
Yarn: Various (see Ravelry project page for more details)

I had hoped to have this finished, but it wasn't to be! But slow and steady - slow and steady wins the race.

Dunderknit Socks
Pattern: Vanilla Sock Recipe from Meanwhile at the Castle
Yarn: Tiny Human Knits Merino Nylon in 'Dunderknit Rainbow' & West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-ply in 'Nutmeg'

I ADORE this yarn - so so pretty! And I had to choose some gold adjacent yarn for the contrast. Can't wait to knit this when I see Caroline - KNITCEPTION!

Giveaway time!

Thanks to the lovely folks at LoveCrafts (where I used to work!) have got 10 balls of Paintbox Yarns DK to giveaway and thank you so much for all the entries in the thread over the last couple of weeks.

Random Number Generator pulled post 45 from the thread - so heatherandhops, please DM me on Ravelry with your address and I'll arrange to have the yarn sent out to you.

KNIT & NATTER

It's been such an eventful month! Last night for my birthday, some friends and I went axe throwing - which was AMAZING, I loved it so much and I can't wait to go again. 

Earlier in the month, I went to Wales to visit a friend and her family and it was such a lovely chilled weekend - despite Storm Dennis! I really would recommend Wales for a trip, it's a beautiful country, there's lots to do, great walks, wonderful creative and crafty stuff in villages. Just try not to go during a storm!

Next up I went to Scotland with Katie of Inside Number 23 to visit Amy, which was another perfectly chilled out weekend. Lots of knitting and beach walking and time with friends and #NotMyCat - I'm a lucky girl!

That's all for now, folks! I'll see you soon for another cup of tea!