Birthday Socks

I have finished these socks just in time. Once I have done the toe seam they will be sent off to my eldest daughter. She is 26 years old on Sunday and is a lovely dauhter any mother would be proud of.

I am also sending a handknited beret in camoflage colours for her to wear with her doc Martens, but I dont have a photo of that : ( Last year she went bungee jumping for her birthday - I think its a flying lesson this year LOL

Closing Down

Unfortunately, due to health problems, Sublime Spindles & Sunflower Swifts is closing down for the Winter. We hope we can re-open for orders in the Spring but will have to wait and see. We will keep you posted.

Thank you all for your support over the past 2 years. On the left hand column of this page there is a list of our products. If you click on any of those then a list will come up of our stockists. We have made sure all our orders have been fulfilled and so they may have what you want.

Best wishes, Richard & Claire XXXXX

Crochet Progress........

I am getting a bit braver with my crochet now and have started a scarf for me. It is made from Hayfield Bonus Aran and feels very soft and snuggly.

The pattern is called Fan Lace Scarf from the book The Encyclopedia of Crochet Techniques by Jan Eaton. I'm glad Jane showed me how to read charts because the written instruction are indecipherable to me so I am just looking at the chart and hoping. I have done 12" so far so only another 48" to go!!!!

I can Crochet (sort of)

I have had a bit of a go at crochet this week. I am using aran weight wool and a 5.5mm hook and it seems to be going OK. My previous attempts, before being shown how to do it properly, were not too spectacular. I got as far as making granny squares very, very slowly if someone started me off. It made my fingers hurt from pulling the loops over the hook and my wrists would ache after 10 mins. My one and only stitch turns out to have been trebles.

I didn't realise that the hook was supposed to be tilted and would then slide smoothly through the loops or that the yarn was held in my left hand, wrapped between my fingers to tension it. This method of crochet was so much easier. No wrist pain, no cramped fingers at all and I can do more than 1 stitch : ) I even managed some double clusters on the last row and now have my eyes on a scarf for me to snuggle under my Winter coat.


Remember this yarn? It was last seen disguised as the Little Leaf scarf of Doom. I think it looks much better as a sock.



And finally, my Alpaca is spinning up nicely. I have about 40g on my 50g spindle and still have plenty of room for more.

Learning to Crochet

I am a member of the Coventry Knit Wits group and they are a very friendly, cheerful and helpful group of knitters, crocheters, quilters etc. Most weeks someone is sharing something they have learned which makes the meetings fun and interesting.


Two weeks ago Julie showed me how to make a proper slip knot and how do do a chain using a crochet hook properly with the right things in the correct hand. She also taught me long tailed cast on which I have used for my second scarf attempt - more below about that.


Last week Jane took me in hand and taught me all the basics from my foundation row up to reading a chart. She was very patient with me but I'm not sure how much sunk in, watch this space for my first attempts LOL.


Meanwhile, I have cast on my Little Leaf lace scarf again:





This time I am using a semi-solid from the Yarnyard. It is one of the early skeins so it doesn't have a name. I hope the close up shows the way the not-quite-solid colour gives a rippling effect to the lace without overwhelming it.

The yarn is Bonny, a sock wool/nylon mix in 4 ply. There are 460 yards so I should get a reasonably long scarf from it.

That was quick!!

I have frogged my Little Leaves scarf already. I got to row 48 and realised that the yarn, beautiful though it is, was swamping the lace pattern. It just didn't look right and the lace couldn't be seen properly, so it had to go. The yarn will be converted into some socks for me : )

I nipped up to my very well insulated loft to have a look at yarns and came down with a skein of semi-solid sock yarn in green. I have got to row 20 now and it is looking much better. Hopefully photos will follow over the next day or two.

On a bad note - the sale of the farm fell through today. Strictly speaking, it didn't fall through as the buyers made an offer 25% lower than they were going to pay and left it to us to decide whether to accept this revised figure or not. The contracts were going to be signed this Friday so I think this is a pretty mean trick to play on behalf of the buyers. MIL felt she would prefer to say no rather than take this offer, and DH and BIL all agree. Fortunately MIL is content to stay put rather than loose 25% of the property value. I suppose, in this economic climate, gazundering is going to be all around now : (

Knitted leaves

I am really getting the hang of knitting for myself now. This week I have cast on this project:


It is the 'Little Leaf Lace Scarf' by Sivia Harding. I am using Opal sock wool in the Neon colourway so that it will be nice and vibrant against my black Winter coat. The needles are Addi Lace circulars and I love the slight 'nobble' at the end which helps with doing the psso bits.


On the sock knitting front I have finished the 1st sock in Regia Mirage Earth. I decided to do 30 rows of rib and 40 rows of st.st down to the ankle for extra grip and cosiness.


I spent 3 days in the wilderness known as second sock syndrome, but pulled myself together today and have made a start on the next one : )



Edited to add: My lovely ducky stitchmarker is from Yarnimals

The lovely Sprite has made me loads of stitchmarkers including sheep, pigs, and 4 custom-made cats. I also have horses and elephant markers from her : )