The Romsey Wrap

I've been absent from my little space for rather a long time again haven't I?... I haven't been sitting idly by any means - you'll find me making and posting very regularly over on Instagram (link in sidebar) and it occurred to me yesterday that what I need is an app that will copy each IG post and pop it into blogger for me! Does such a thing exist do you think??... Please let me know if it does!!

So anyway, I reckoned it was time I popped in and said hi and spent more than just 2 minutes here! So I thought this was the ideal place to properly share my latest creation - The Romsey Wrap.

It's another scarf - they're just so quick to make aren't they - but once it was finished and I was thinking about a name, it occurred to me that actually, if I swapped the yarn for something finer and  increased the number of stitches, it would also work as a lightweight shoulder wrap. Two for the price of one, that's my kind of pat*tern!!! And the name? Well, I made the first version with 2 balls of King Cole Riot DK in their colourway Beech, as I just can't get enough of the autumn colours this year, and I bought it in my favourite shop in Romsey. Hence the Romsey Wrap, in their honour. (It was nearly the Romsey Riot!...)

(By the way, haven't the autumn colours been simply AMAZING this year??? My only regret is that it has been so stupidly busy at work that I haven't been able to take my traditional autumn week off, to get out and enjoy all that colour. So I've had to make do with views out the car window on the way in, short lunchtime walks through the park and a quick visit to Hilliers last weekend. Not the same though...)

Anyway,  like I say, I bought 2 balls of yarn to make a scarf and initially I had planed on making my Tail of Two Dragons knitted scarf but before I even got home with those 2 balls, I'd seen something else that was hand dyed and lovely and bought that too, so that will become the knitted scarf. One day... So that meant something else for the autumn colours and I decided to do something new. 

The textured pat*tern is reminiscent of my Popcorn Dreams crochet scarf but it's long and straight, with a simple edging. And as already mentioned, you can easily switch up your yarn for a completely different look.

The pattern came together so incredibly quickly that it virtually made itself! Writing it up is taking a lot longer - I have made a start but it isn't finished yet. No where near finished actually...  But that doesn't mean I can't share a photo or two to whet your appetite!

The main body of the scarf is just 33 stitches wide and has a simple 5 row pattern repeat. The edging is even simpler and if you work a few rows it looks like moss stitch. It certainly finished it off nicely - to be honest, when I finished the main body and put it on, I looked in the mirror and couldn't believe how ugly it was!! I really wished I hadn't wasted my time and effort -not to mention the cost of the yarn...

I was so disappointed, I very nearly used the leftovers to make a basic hat but decided there wasn't quite enough left for that and this yarn is a bugger to unpick if I couldn't finish it. So I decided to use the remaining yarn to work a simple border instead and boy oh boy, did that border bring the whole thing together and bring it to life!!! I really can't believe how much difference it made. I hated the initial scarf so much I didn't even take a photo of it pre-border. But now? Yes, now it really works! And I can't wait to make the big, wrap version!! I think maybe silver-grey, lace weight alpaca, on a big hook.

Apart from making more scarves, I also can't wait to make an autumn colour blanket too but I want to put lots of colours in it and I know it will take time to collect together all the colours I'll need. I've been trying to take lots of inspirational photos when I have managed to get out, as it's surprising just what does make up an English autumn. There's an awful lot of green for a start from all the leaves that haven't changed colour, as well as those that are evergreen. There's a lot of lemony/greeny yellows and pinky tones,  apricots and oranges, every shade of gold and bronze you can think of, as well as all the burgundy and reds that normally spring to mind. 

I've decided I want to try and go for an English Autumn, not a New England autumn, on the whole. There will be burgundy and reds but I might go for a colourwash arrangement and keep them in one area. What I do know, is that it probably won't be striped like the scarf! It definitely needs to have all the colours mixed together. 

But that blanket is a looooooooong way off yet. I'll let it roll around gently in my head for quite some time yet before I even begin to collect yarn.

Would you like to see some of my inspiration to keep you (and me!) going until it materialises?? Yes, me too!! (These are not my best photos, just some of my recent snaps, with the first one being beech leaves.)

I've been trying to take lots of inspirational photos when I can and I'll put them all into an "autumn folder" to remind me of the colours I need to be using when the time comes.

Mind you, I've probably got thousands of autumn photos already to be honest!!

I'll try and remember to pop back and let you know when The Romsey Wrap Pat*tern is ready but please pop in to IG and say hi as I'm sure it will appear there first!!

And if you're wondering why I keep adding that * in the middle of a certain word, it's my vain attempt to keep the bots at bay. You know, those ones that trawl the internet just looking for pat*terns that they then take without asking and publi*sh for free on a website somewhere...

Lovely to pop in and chat with you, however briefly. Now it's back to writing up my very scrappy scarf notes!!  

Take care,   T  xXx

The Virus Shawl gets an outing

Remember the Virus Shawl? Finished, washed and blocked and just needed some good photos so I could put it on Folksy?
Well, today turned out to be a beautiful sunny day, so I trotted off to Hilliers for a bit of a walk and view the magnolias which are all in flower and looking their best (more of them another day - it will take me a while to sort through the hundreds of photos I took!!). As I was going out the door, it occurred to methat it might be the perfect opportunity for a photo shoot! The shawl folds up surprisingly small and fitted in my rucksack nicely - although it tried to escape when I stopped for lunch!

After finishing my picnic, I lay it this way and that on the bench in the sunshine - it was pretty windy though and kept blowing off! While I was arranging it a lady stopped to chat. She was also a crocheter and was wearing a gorgeous granny stripe cardigan and we had a lovely chat about crochet that I would never have expected to have at Hilliers!
(I realised afterwards that Sandra of Cherry Heart has been making that same cardigan recently - I hope it wasn't her and I didn't recognise her!! If it was, I do apologise...)

Anyway, here it is spread across the back of a bench in the Winter Garden.

Then I tried it draped over the arm.

Next I hung it on a bush!

Then I found a handy piece of string stretched between two trees. Like you do.

 I tried it hung on a branch with primroses underneath and heather in the background.

Finally, I tried another branch. This one was a bit more public though - in the magnolia garden where everyone was headed today... I did get some strange looks! 

Confident I had at least one usable shot, I headed home.  I decided to stop off in Romsey on my way for a quick bit of shopping and decided to show it to the lady in the shop where I bought the wool (King Cole Riot DK in Rainbow). She recognised the pattern straight off and was very envious that I'd made it and asked lots of questions about the pattern. We chatted about this and that, discovering that we read some of the same blogs even! 

I then told her I actually had it with me as I'd been taking photos so I could advertise the shawl for sale - and before I knew it she'd bought it!! I wasn't expecting that! 

Whilst I'm really pleased to have sold it - especially to someone so nice - I was rather hoping it might give me my first Folksy sale.... Maybe I'll make another - but not in that exact wool as I really didn't enjoy working with it, even thought it's supersoft when washed and an amazing colour.

But it won't be my next project. You know what the next new project will be - the Baby Blanket, made using James Brett Supreme soft & Gentle baby DK. Yes - the wool has arrived in the shop already!!!!

I have a couple of photos of it being unpacked at the shop but they're on my phone, so I'll pop back later with them and some shots of my colour choices.

Enjoy the sunshine again today!! T xXx

Where did February go?!

Boy! February just flew past didn't it??!! I can't believe it's March 1st today - it'll be Christmas before you know it!

I meant to stop by at the weekend but I was just too busy. Still, better late than never.

I managed to take last week off and got out and about and met up with friends and had a much needed rest from the office. I had a trip out to Hilliers of course and the weather that day was Glorious! Look at these -

It was really busy in the gardens too. Whilst I sort of want the gardens to myself, I do love to see so many people enjoying them, especially when they bring lots of children. There's nothing better than seeing the children enjoy the garden.

I had a walk by the sea with a friend later in the week and we were treated with blue skies that day too -

I also did a little crafting - of course!! I made a mandala for my Folksy shop -

The temptation to make a mandala had grown too strong to resist and this one is made using some of the Sirdar Cotton DK I used for the Peacock Tail Bag I made last year. I started by following a pattern but I very quickly went freestyle. Much more fun than following a pattern! So much fun in fact that I think I might make some more!!

I also listed the "Baaa - gs of Lavender" I made a while back, on Folksy.

And I made myself some new stitch markers as well - I've wanted some new, bigger ones for quite a while and decided to have a go and see how they turned out. They turned out so well I'm going to make a load more and sell on Folksy. (Or should I sale put up for sale - I've not actually sold anything yet!!)

On Saturday, I visited Greenhill Patchwork in Romsey. Although I no longer quilt it's a beautiful shop that I can't resist visiting and the staff are lovely too - and they also sell Wool!! They had some new ranges in and  look what I found!!

 

    

The light over the weekend wasn't very good at all for takings photos and the colours you see here aren't quite right - but you get the gist.
I've been looking for a variegated yarn like this for ages. I wanted one that had long colour runs, not just three or four stitches before the next colour starts. I stood in front of them for ages pondering what I could make and would one ball be enough. Yes, I really wanted it and was going to buy it even if I didn't need it and didn't know what to make with it!!
Then it hit me - the virus shawl! It was all over the internet last year and I knew the wool would be perfect. (A quick search on Ravelry when I got home and I even found someone who had made the shawl using the same wool, albeit in a different shade.) I bought just 2 balls and made a start the next day. I even took it to work to do some at lunchtime!

What do you think? I like the colours and the pattern looks good but to be honest it's rather boring to make. Everyone online who made it said it was really nice to make and they'd made more than one! Maybe they exaggerated? Or maybe it's just me?! Ah well. Once it's finished and washed and blocked, I'll pop it on Folksy and see what happens. Keep an eye on Instagram for updates.

There were lots of other things I got up to as well last week, including going for a lovely afternoon tea with a friend and her son. I was rather pleased to see this on the inside of the lid of my jar of jam -

Life certainly was sweet last week. Then I went back to the office...ah well. Hope your week is going well! T xx

Ooh I love a craft fair

It's been a funny two weeks of up and downs. Not helped by being stupidly busy in the office trying to get everything done in time for the Christmas Market and Ice Rink - but they're open now so the next 4 1/2 weeks will be full of Christmas music and fried onion smells... joy...
But there are lots of lovely traders with all sorts of amazing things that will make perfect Christmas gifts. That's if I can stop myself from buying lots of things for me !

I finally managed to get back out to Hilliers yesterday for a final bit of autumn colour, only to find they had a little craft fair on. I Love a little craft fair!
I went round the gardens first while the sky was relatively bright - photos in a minute - then I got stuck in to all the goodies for sale !
I asked if I could take photos and was told no. But I did anyway !

I love note books and was sorely tempted by these little cuties!

I really liked the seaside scene picture in this photo - you can't see it but the sea was stitched with silver thread that looked just like sunlight on water. It was called Solent and made me think of my walks at Weston Shore. If I'd had wall space it would have come home with me!

But now for the things I did buy. I opted mostly for crafting supplies and some cards.

And now for some autumn colour ! The leaves are dropping fast now - pity I couldn't get here last week - and there's lots of yellow and gold tones. Makes a change from all the reds we've come to expect now. 

Is that enough for now ? Back to crafting then! The last week or so I've had the urge to knit something. Yes KNIT! Not crochet or sew but knit.

I blame my niece. She requested knitted romper suits for her baby girl and I found a fab pattern on Ravelry - 

So.... am I going to be knitting this ? No chance ! My lovely friend Diana will be doing it . But I really wanted to knit for a change and found a new super soft wool and hunted out this pattern -

The Link will take you to a page with some free patterns designed to be made for cancer patients undergoing treatment. They're all free, so maybe think about giving a donation if you download it. The hat pattern is on pages 3 and 4.))
It's been a LONG time since I knitted any aran. And that was a tiny teddy bear jumper! By row 3 of this cable pattern I was asking why I wanted to knit again. But I've got into it now and I'm looking forward to wearing it on a Cold day. This wool really is soft - I've not seen it before, it's Pixile by Wendy.

And I had a little help. This isn't Fluffy, this is Blackie - although he's actually mahogany brown. And he also decided he'd had enough of living with the neighbours and has moved in too!

I do of course have a long list of things I should be crocheting or sewing. The small purple and pink crochet bag - it has progressed a bit - finish the Dress a Girl dresses, make some more pencil cases.
And use my new craft supplies!

But for now, I shall knit and I shall enjoy it. I hope you have something enjoyable planned too. Bye for now!