Raining, wool, spinning and some treasures

Yay after a warm night we have woken up to rain.  It wont be here for long but it is so nice to see it finally. 

Last Friday Cheryll's giveaway prize arrived and I have decided it is going to be a scarf for Sarah as she is very taken with the colours white, black, grey and navy.  It will suit her wardrobe beautifully.  Maybe later today I might make a start on it.  Thank you Cheryll for offering up some lovely prizes for us too.  I am very happy with my little win.

This first photo is of two lots of wool I spun.  My first attempt was quite thick and the second much better but plied together they look like rope lol.  Not sure what I will end up doing with this little amount but it is a very unique ball of slubby 8-14ply! 

Now the third attempt is looking much nicer lol so there is hope for me yet.  Mum hasn't spun for about 20 yrs and it only took her 5 mins to spin a 2ply!  One day I will get there as it is all about patience and going a bit slower and practice.

The next few photos are of some treasures that Lance came across on Saturday and they are of course all for the right price too which makes it so much better.   Not pictured is a very heavy ornate brass table lamp that I will one day have the wiring replaced and purchase a nice shade for.  I've been in need of a nice table lamp for the lounge for years but never found the right type.  Have now lol.

 This one is a bit old, stained and crazed but the design is so pretty and inspires me to pull out the thread and start some embroidery.  Not enough hours in the day for all I want to do.  Might have to set myself up a timetable and do certain crafts on certain days lol.

Thanks for visiting everyone and I hope you all have a great week stitching, sewing or knitting.  I think it might be FNWF this Friday too!

OPAM

Well I finally had just one finish for the month and I am not sure if it even counts as it is made of wool lol. 

I finished my two at a time toe up socks on Wednesday night and cast on another two from the leftovers.  I am hoping I might make it to the ankle at least with the wool left over.  It was 100g and I was left with 50g so hopefully it will go further than my ankle lol.

Well off to do some more knitting I think.  Sadly there isnt a birthday stash item this month that is finished.  The knitting is calling out more than the machine at the moment.

Suffolk puff quilt nearly there

There was some progress on Grace's quilt on Saturday because I got the last of the puffs sewn to the strips and then managed to join all the strips down the middle to find I needed about 19 more puffs.  Have cut out a few more and got them sewn in the afternoon after I sewed all the strips together in lots of four.  Had to wash out the blue marker so they are pictured here on the airing rack.  All that is left to do is sew on the last of the puffs down the middle of each panel and put them together.  After that Grace and I will work out if she needs a few more strips added or just wider borders than was mentioned in the pattern. 

Spinning

Yesterday I took my Mum to the Nanny and Ewe? Fiber thingy that was in town and had a very enjoyable hour looking at different yarns, knits, other related products and fleeces.  Mum came home with two 1.5kg fleeces and some wool for socks yesterday and a set of dpn's for socks in bamboo rather than metal.  I came home with business cards and one of Mum's spinning wheels lol.  Been a very long time since I have done any spinning but now I have a wheel and some old fleece and cardings to practice on lol.  Mum used to be always spinning and knitting for us when we were kids and a 1.5kg corradale fleece cost about $16-17 so I can see the value in it.  Maybe if I get good enough I can get a white fleece spun up and dye it for socks etc.  Will be a very long time before I can spin like Mum as she used to churn out a lovely 2ply 20 odd years ago.  I am very good at a slubby 8-12 ply lol

Magic Loop Socks two at a time

Well in this photo this morning I have just finished working the gusset and are about to start turning the heels.  I really like this method for socks as they are working quickly together rather than singularly over four needles.
There are some YouTube videos put out by knitpurlhunter called cuff down socks two at a time and also a series by VeryPink knits.  Not sure how to link them on here sorry.

Well its Friday again...

but is it FNSI?  I might be all mucked up I think lol but I am going to have a knit in tonight after learning a new technique and knitting socks from the toe up.  Never done it that way before and also thought why not do them two at a time trying the magic loop method involving a circular needle.  Well some success yesterday after getting it cast on and the toes finished.  So did a bit more while sitting in the sun this morning with the doogie.   It is quite easy so far but hope that turning the heals isn't too bad.  Shouldn't be as it is only reversing it really.

Such a horrid photo but there it is. 

Some other news is I only have about 5 strips to finish putting the puffs on.  Didn't quite get there last weekend and the week really disappeared with lots of things to do other than sewing. 
We also heard the hot water service blow its bottom out about 5.30am on Wednesday.   Had a lovely plumber come and look at it and arrange for a new gas continuous to be fitted so had water by 2.30pm.  The old one was very early 80's so it has done quite well and apparently it will not cost us too much for the unit after some rebates have been applied for which he is also doing.  At least now we will not run out of hot water and now that it is on natural gas should also receive a cheaper power bill too.   So if anyone in Victoria has a really old hot water service perhaps you should look at updating it before something happens while these grants are still available.  Mind you I still haven't got the bill for it lol but have been told worst case it might get to $800.

Well off for a knit....

Grace's suffolk puff quilt progress

Well after a light bulb moment yesterday morning I have something to share lol.  After handsewing two strips worth of puffs I thought why not use the free motion foot on the machine!  Not as nice as hand sewn but not bad either and look at how many I got done yesterday while doing a few other jobs as well.  Plus the other bonus is it will improve my free motion skills too.  Here they are all laid out and in no particular order as I just wanted to get a feel for it.

Last night I prepped and pinned these strips and hope to get onto them by lunchtime today.  Might have a finished top by Sunday lol. 

I need to sew a few more puffs too as I must have miss counted them lol somewhere along the line.  Better to have not too many left over although I am sure I will cut more and do something else with them.  Love the look of mauve on white!

Now I have also made the decision to join in on the Christmas swaps mentioned on Cheryll's blog.  Going to be lots of secret sewing going on lol pre sign up!  Love having the opportunity to get a head start on the Christmas in July one.  Pop over to her blog and have a look.  

Magazines and things

Early last week I bought these magazines as they caught my eye.  Don't get them as a rule but have enjoyed reading them. 

While at the newsagents I also stumbled across this knitting socks book.  Although I can knit socks I haven't done many pairs with patterns etc like Mistea has mainly due to a lack of patterns lol.  So just had to grab it. 

The little red scissors were from Fee's deal of the day.  I picked up two pairs and kept one for myself.  The other pair went to my mother along with the needleturned bird journal for her birthday on the 4th.  They cut well and are Triumph brand from memory. $10 a pair posted is pretty good!

FNWF results

Well not much to show for it really but I did press all 400 puffs, found up matching cottons, and sewed down one strip lol.  I suppose it was a far bit of organisation involved.  It was also pretty quick to sew them to the strip too.

Might head off to do a blog hop while the floors dry.  Life is getting in the road of stitching at the moment lol.

Friday Night with friends

I've just signed up for FNWF.  So need a relaxing stitching night lol.  I think I might just start sewing some puffs onto those white strips because I haven't had a chance to start it yet.  See you there...

Some advice for everyone

I have some very important advice for everyone and that is to regularly have your engagement rings checked for any flaws with the setting that happen with age.  I kept a very close eye on mine myself but it was obviously not enough because I discovered after tea last night that I no longer had a diamond in my engagement ring.  I wear it all the time and never take it off like I used to years ago before we were burgled.  For the last 12 years I have worn it constantly as I would hate for it to be stolen.  Now I am sad because the stone has gone but at least I have the setting and should be able to get the stone replaced in time.  Its the sentimental value of the ring that has me upset but as Lance has said the wedding bands are more important and he is right.  But Lance picked that ring out all those years ago and surprised me with it at our favourite restaurant.  I was under the sink last night in the vain hope that I would find it sitting in the u bend of the pipe.  I've even checked in the oven gloves I used.  Sadly I think it has happened when I was bringing in the washing or dragging the greenwaste bin out.  I remember playing with it while Grace was at the hairdressers at 3.30 but had done a lot of things between then and 5.30 last night.  It looks like one of the claws have broken and the stone has managed to fall out.