You may not have realized it, but what your Saturday night really needs more than anything is a giraffe in a scarf. Actually, a giraffe in two scarves. I know, I know, never photograph by artificial light. So sue me. Actually, please don't. This snap won't win any photographic awards, but it does show off the scarves I crocheted for the Toddler Twinnage. They're loosely based on this pattern, which I confess that I chose for its simplicity and speed. Yes, I should've lovingly knitted Continue Reading
Archives for January 2015
Colour For A Winter’s Day
Well thank you for your lovely comments on the Yarn's first problem page. If I can make you smile/guffaw/spew coffee uncontrollably through your nose all over the cat, then my work here is done. Would you like a tissue? Meanwhile, back to the knitting. I was hoping to ta-da (yes that is a verb - as of right now: one of my friends works in new words at the Oxford English Dictionary, so I have unlimited power of neologisms via her) my Yarnstories hat and mitts today, but I haven't quite finished Continue Reading
The Problem Page: Knotty Problems
And now for something completely different. Or, translated into 'Yarn-speak... Fear ye not, my fine furry friends, for there are wonders of much newness to be witnessed here on the Yarn, today. Whilst I've been knitting snuggly mitts with the Yarnstories yarn (exhibit A below - proper 'ta-da' post coming soon).... ...I've also been quietly preparing a new feature for this site, that will be making an appearance from time to time in amongst the usual knitty, crochety, outdoorsy Continue Reading
To The Pub
Evening all. Come sit awhile. You're very welcome here... unless you have cheese: I have a weird phobia of cheese. Please, people, take your cheese away. No, take it further away than that. We've been staying home and shivering quite a bit, the Toddler Twinnage and I, and comforting ourselves with easy bakes such as these apple and sultana muffins (recipe here). Would you like one? And by mid-afternoon it's so chilly that I go to the safe, deep in the oldest part of our brewery Continue Reading
As It Is In Yarn, So It Is In Life
And unexpectedly, there are knots. Knots in my cheapo practise yarn. Pah! I just shrug and hack those out. Knots in my beautiful green Fyberspates wool: I’m postponing tackling those, and have left the messy bundle on the kitchen table hoping that it’ll feel guilty enough to untangle itself. And – gasps – a knot in the precious arctic qiviut! <Clutches palm to brow and faints, melodramatically.> Knots aren’t usually a problem around here, so clearly the yarn is trying to communicate Continue Reading
Why I’m No Longer On Speaking Terms With Winter
So anyway, I said to the weather gods, "You're not having me on again this time, are you? It's absolutely definitely going to snow in Oxfordshire on Tuesday night?" And they said - through the medium of their high priests the weather forecasters - "Yup, you better believe it, Twisted." And I said, "Because you know, I haven't glimpsed snow in two long years and I'm getting twitchy." And they said, "Well you will tonight. Heaps of the stuff. Enough for a really joyful, photo-heavy blog post." So Continue Reading
Colin-The-Postie Delivers The Goods. Eventually.
People, please: permit me to introduce our postman. Tall, anxious chap, goes by the name of Colin, wears a broad-brimmed hat to keep the rain off, and is so kind-natured that I overlook his tendency to remark, "And another parcel for Twisted?" whenever he arrives at our door. Anyway, the thing about Colin is that he's talkative. Which is fine, normally. But this morning when I answered the door to him (no mean feat: the door in question has swollen so much in the damp that it takes the strength Continue Reading
K1, k1, k1, (sip 1), k1, k1, (pause for imposition of real life), k1, k1, (berate toddler twinnage), k1…
...And meanwhile, far in the background, (so very far that it looks a little hazy), the Arne and Carlos blanket swells, garter stitch by easy garter stitch. I just thought I'd give it a teeny bit of blog-space again. 'Tis my mindless go-to project at 3am when work stress pokes my brain awake, or a twin or two tries to pull my nose off, or some Lego intrudes painfully on my lower vertebrae. I'm disappointed that the blanket isn't finished yet, because I had visions of the twinnage and I snuggling Continue Reading
Pimp My Jeans
I had so much fun crocheting over the hole in my jeans that I decided to have a go at the other leg, too. This newfound passion may yet get out of hand. I was imagining a sort of floral vine growing round and round and round the middle part of my leg. So this isn't a design that would work for mending holes; it's more for embellishing otherwise healthy jeans. Out came the DMC Natura Cotton again, and a 2.5mm crochet hook and a tapestry needle. And a smallish slice of Christmas cake. Also some Continue Reading
The Musk Ox Is A-Comin’
Happy new year! May 2015 bring you creative inspiration, manageable hair, unexpected deliveries of the finest yarn, and a bucketload of cake. Speaking of fine yarn, I whispered the words arctic qiviut at the end of my last post. Whaddya mean, you didn't notice? Do pay attention, people! Well I'm going to say it just a little louder, now, because the musk ox is a-comin' to this blog, and he'll be here soon. Look! One hundred per cent pure arctic qiviut, a once-in-a-lifetime knitter's dream Continue Reading