Are we all here? Yes? Well good evening, and thank you for coming at such short notice. I just thought it would be a good idea to have a blog post updating you on various bits and pieces that I’ve mentioned recently. It’s a pretty full agenda, so assuming you’re all settled with your knitting or crochet, let’s get going.
First on the agenda is the naming of the spinning wheel. A big thank you to all 247 people who voted. And as per the outcome, may I proudly present Monsieur Algernon Spinburne, who’ll no doubt soon be known as ‘Algie’ to his friends. (Have I mentioned how much I love using my spinning wheel?)
Moving on to item two: finished objects. If you follow @thetwistedyarn on Instagram, then you’ll have seen a similar photo to the one below already. I don’t usually make toys, but one of the twinnage had been asking me for a knitted or crocheted digger. How on earth am I supposed to do that? I wondered, followed by, I bet there’s a pattern somewhere on Ravelry. And indeed, there was. Of course there was. This is the Bobcat Excavator by Kristen O’Keeffe. I added a few extra details to the wheels, but otherwise stuck to the pattern:-
Judging by the fact that my son has been seen holding it in his sleep, I think he likes it.
Item three on the agenda. Ah yes, bottoms. (No sniggering, please.) If I had £1 for every time someone has asked me whether the bottom ever sags in my knitted skirts, then I’d have enough money to buy a really nice skein of yarn. The question came up again in the comments on this recent post. We were discussing how the lack of bottom-sagging on this skirt that I’ve worn about eleventy thousand times…
…might in part be due to the fact that stranded knitting makes a less flexible fabric than plain knitting. And if this is the case, then you might expect this skirt (that I designed, but hadn’t worn a huge amount) to be at risk of the much afeared bottom-sag:-
So in the interests of science, I’ve been wearing the second skirt a lot.
And I’m now in a position to update you on two points: (i) No bottom-sagging has yet been observed (in the skirt, I mean – I’m not going to comment on the wearer), and (ii) This whole thing is making me paranoid about my rear.
But yeah, early results are promising. Knitted skirts appear to be quite capable of keeping their shape. Let’s give the final word to Candace Eisner Strick, author of the book, Knit My Skirt. She’s obviously been asked the same question, and she says:-
Ah. So don’t knit it too tight. Fair point.
Right, can we leave the issue of bottoms behind now, please? Moving on…
Agenda item four. Works in progress. I’m designing a couple of new things. One is a gift for someone whom I’ve seen hanging around here, so I can’t show it to you for a few more days. The other is approximately half-done, and is worked in Stylecraft’s brand new yarn, ‘Linen Drape’ (70% viscose, 30% linen, DK-weight). I’m planning to publish the pattern:-
Knitted up, this yarn does indeed have a lovely drape, and good stitch definition. It feels surprisingly heavy, which is fine for the right kind of project. It’s available in eight colours, but the two that I’m using are definitely my favourites.
(Disclosure: I did not pay for this yarn, so my opinion is obvs not to be trusted, not even slightly.)
Right, next? Oh yes, item five: my Adventurer-In-Law, i.e. the Stoic Spouse’s father. You may remember me telling you about how, in his seventies, he’s taken to the stage for a terribly serious course in stand-up comedy. Well, he’s at last nearing the end of the course and this coming Monday, he and his fellow students will give their final performance, to which the public are invited. So please, would you be generous enough to wish him GOOD LUCK! Not that he needs it – he’ll be brilliant.
And then item six: the recent snow. No, wait: please don’t groan! I do realize that most of you are responsible adults thinking sensibly cautious thoughts about the recent inclement weather, but some of us are basically a five-year-old trapped in a forty-five-year-old’s body, and we can’t help but give a little SQUEEEE! Look!
Right, I think that those were the main agenda items. Is there Any Other Business? If so, please do comment below! ↓
I just enjoy reading what you’re up to. Thank you for an escaped 5mins!
You’re very welcome! I appreciate your kind words.
Round these parts (just off the south coast, though not as far as the Isle of Wight) the snow turned up (or should that be down?) last Saturday afternoon. It lay, not at all deep, but fairly crisp and even, overnight. With the dawning of Sunday it started to melt, leaving the pavements and roads mostly clear and dry by midday. It froze again Sunday night, but had the decency to start melting again on the Monday and was, mostly, apart from the odd roof and north side of something, gone by Monday night.
That said there were still drifts caught around the bottoms of bushes growing on the beach (yes, one of our local beaches has a pretty good demonstration of plant succession) on the Tuesday and a trip around south Hants on Friday showed that there were _still_ the odd patches of recalcitrance in deep shade – among the primroses and other plants busily springing into life as the cold departed. Again.
What’re the odds we see snow for Easter? Cos apparently that’s far more likely in most of England than snow at Christmas.
Like the blue/green knitting. Will it be a cowl?
Spent far too long working out where “just off the south coast but not as far as the IOW” could be. I presume Sharon lives on one of the forts in the Solent. But then decided she probably meant inland rather than offshore. What it is to have a quirky brain!
Love the skirts and the digger. Sending lots of luck to your father in law and look forward to seeing the reveal on your gift. Have a lovely Sunday, even if there is no snow or sunshine!
Re the snow. A little African Princess on TV called it “White Rain.” Doesn’t that make even rain sound lovely.
Loved your post I’d been thinking about algie and wondering what you’d called him. From a fellow 5 year old ????
What a lovely sight that must have been seeing him sleep with his crochet digger <3 Love your skirts together with the boots. I'm not a skirt wearer, jeans for me, so I enjoy looking at those colourful skirts. That new Stylecraft yarn, I was in love the moment I saw it, the combination of linen and viscose and those colours. Definitely on the list to buy here. I wish your father in law all the luck in the world. I admire people that can be funny on podia.
I think snow is really magical and love watching it fall. Down here in Southampton we are getting much more than normal and it isn’t staying long enough to be dangerous! Your skirts are lovely, good to know the advice about not having them stretching in case I am ever tempted to make one.
Any other business- I think you need a dumper truck to go with that digger! Just saying. Love the post.
Love your blog; it is brilliant! I have a deep respect for handmade items and the artists that make them. I noticed the brown / maroon boots you wore with the wonderful second skirt. May I ask who made them?
Recently moved into a low-income for seniors apartment building and looked for a knitting group (there seems to be a “group” for so many interests here) but there was nothing! I had already become friendly enough with several ladies of a certain age (it’s really fun living with all these other people who remember World War II and other significant indications of survival tenacity) and discovered that there were several other knitters who longed for a chance to meet with like-minded souls. So I am pleased (and, yes, guilty of some pride) to be one of the “founders” of Knit Nite. If I could get away with it I would make mandatory the reading of your blog. I love it so much – and there’s such a feeling of a meeting of the mind – the little quirks and foibles we all deal with. Such a treat to know that you exist! Please don’t ever stop.
I’m just a teensy bit older than you and as we don’t get snow where I live ANY snow pic makes me SQEEE. So thank you for that pic – no complaints from here.
Great name for a spinning wheel, I have a red car called Ruby! I am so going to knit myself a skirt, now that we have the whole bottom thing worked out! Love your blog. We live near some ski slopes, I was there at the village last week and got into a wonderful chat with a fellow knitter, I don’t ski but I love to watch and knit! We can get snow in April some years here in Ontario Canada..
I love your blog and your pint of view. I would Squee too if I got snow. You’re never too old to embrace happy feelings with an out loud squee! The digger is adorable and it’s going to need a friend. Get ready!
Love your skirts, I must source a pattern and stop drooling and start knitting. Best of luck vibes are coming across the ocean from Australia for your father in law or as they say in the industry ‘break a leg’ (not that I have ever performed or stood in front of a crowd to make them laugh). It sounds so daunting standing up in front of others remembering the punch lines that make us older ladies …… well I had better keep this above the belt. Good luck,
thanks for the update. love the skirts