Lovely Lovely Hexipuffs

My little hexipuffs!

Gawd - just can't stop myself now - making hexi puff after hexi puff. They are truly an amazing way to waste time - use up waste yarn and create something absolutely stunning plus comfy at the same time. Have lots of thoughts and exciting development on these little gems, how about making something sumptuous out of Debbie Bliss Silk DK for example - of course I have arrived late to the Beekeepers Quilt http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-beekeepers-quilt from Tiny Owl Knits - but they are so compulsive - I have already made this many in a couple of days: I was showing these off in the shop on Saturday and was asked to put a hexipuff workshop afternoon on sometime soon Just so that we can all get into making our community quilts for winter. If you want to include Debbie Bliss baby Cashmerino or Millamia into your sock remnants you will need to cast on 18 stitches not 20 to start with as at a sportsweight they are both slightly thicker.

Good thinking says I! Watch the courses section for further updates.

 I am also going to be working on hexipuff development. What is ingenious about them is the way that they use magic loop on dpns - and this means that you are always on their fronts knitting in the round but on the flat then, of course, they are made for fair isle. You can also make beautiful looking scarves from Noro or something equally lux and, as it is on both sides, no reversing or stupid stitches necessary - so multicoloured yarns can be seen at their best.

 If you want to include Debbie Bliss baby Cashmerino or Millamia into your sock remnants you will need to cast on 18 stitches not 20 to start with as at a sportsweight they are both slightly thicker.

Today's Class

Well I was so impressed with my lovely lady today - from no Granny Squares to this:

and all in one day. In fact - I was so busy chatting and stuffing myself with egg sandwiches that she quite got ahead of me and ended up actually crocheting her piece together -which I reckon looks really nice and gives a border round the squares instead of those raised seams. She has gone off to do a whole pile of them with some lovely shades of Millamia and a bit of Debbie Bliss baby Cash thrown in for good measure.

Can't wait to see her cot blanket made up.

 

 

 I did leave the room in a bit of a mess but

  I will just make Jane tidy up tomorrow

  (Harsh!)                                                             

Spinning Completed

Well finally - here they are:

I have turned my plaited fluff into these - re knitted about 10 times - I started with a cowl and ended up with these little beauts instead. One is slightly larger than the other and I have no idea why - so to tighten them up I slightly fulled them - which also had the added bonus of making them softer and more blended.

I think they're rather lovely and,as ever with hand spinning , no one else has got them.

If you fancy a go at something similar don't forget to check out our spinning courses http://www.thewoolgarden.co.uk/courses/begin-to-spin-1041.html

Next one early April.

Off to teach Granny Squares now . . .check in later

British Summer Time

The Wool Garden:

Cant believe I have finally turned my spinning into knitting! More of that this evening . . .

As the weather turns more lovely (and about time) I need to share a guilty secret! I am one of those people who turn from knitting all day to gardening all day.

BUT - I still knit well into the small hours - and through the summer begin knitting about 11pm and go on and on and on - before I know it - it's 3am! Woke up this morning with 3am knitting arm - pins and needles (not Knit Pro either) and can barely move my bally hand. Yoga, chiropractor and circular needles all help - but am on a Millamia commission. You know the lovely Carlotta dress that uses every colour . . .




I have changed the pattern to knit it in the round - but top tip - if you do this (I am dividing for the neck shaping) you need to take 8 sts off the recommended stitch count (four each side) The benefits are that you are always knitting (so faster) and if you do make a mistake or want to alter the stripe size you match the colours exactly front and back.






                          Two more guilty secrets . . .

                           1. MY KNITTING BAG

                                needs sorting!

                      and 2. I have been thick!


For a year and a half my lovely website http://thewoolgarden.co.uk has been languishing in the doldrums with barely 10 visitors a day - finally I was told to put commas in between my keywords and overnight I have managed to make it to Google's front page! So I have become and overnight SEO expert!

That's it for now - off to the petrol shop for yes - can you believe it? Petrol for the lawnmower - better dust off those soggy cobwebs!!

Will post my gorgeous hand spun gloves as soon as I have sewn the ends in!