Things have been pretty busy around here so here's a little update on everything we've been up to in October...
We have been living in our little new build end terrace for 11 years this summer - it wasn't ever intended to be our forever home but finances being the way they are it's not likely that we will be moving any time soon. Problem is I get itchy feet if I stay in one place for too long. To counter this I have been moving things around in our tiny house, finding new homes for everything and giving the whole living area a new(ish) look. The main thing we have been working on is moving all the bookcases and almost redundant PC desk out of living room and replacing it with a second hand pine dresser I was given. I gave it a coat of Annie Sloan's fab chalk paint and it's come up a treat. I have always wanted a little country cottage style in our modern, and frankly characterless house, and this dresser is definitely a step in the right direction! The grand move around is almost done and the dresser looks great - I can't wait to dress it for Christmas!`
During the summer I started some new work as a test/sample knitter for British knit and crochet designer Erika Knight. I am absolutely loving knitting with her beautiful range of British wools and have just finished working on a collection of simple baby knits in her British Blue Wool which is wonderfully soft yet sturdy and perfect for baby clothes and blankets. Plus it's machine washable (on a cool gentle cycle) which is an absolute MUST for baby items in my opinion!
Erika's philosophy is definitely one I can get behind - she believes in keeping sheep grazing in our fields and promoting our own distinctive breeds and all her yarns are grown and spun in the UK. I am really proud to be a part of her team and look forward to many fabulous British knits to come!
In other knitting news a couple of projects were finished this month including my Isla Cardigan from Cirilia Rose's fabulous book 'Magpies, Homebodies and Nomads' . Isla is the second item I have completed and won't be the last (I have also made the Breve Cowl which has been well worn through summer.) I knitted it up in Stylecraft Luxury Pure Merino that I happened to have in my stash, and it creates a beautiful smooth finish. I was also exceedingly pleased to find a card of 8 vintage buttons in my local charity shop that were just perfect. I love the shape of this cardi - it is so flattering. All that twisted rib was definitely worth it!
You can read more about this project (and the importance of keeping notes!)in my Ravelry project notes
October - a.k.a Socktober - also marked the first pair of socks that I have knitted in proper sock yarn (Drops Fabel in this case). I am immensely proud of myself for starting AND finishing a pair of socks in a relatively short time - I didn't even suffer from 'second sock syndrome'! My finished socks are warm and comfy and fit perfectly. I just love the meandering lines that run down the side of each sock, meant to represent the Kalajoki River in Finland for which the pattern is named, and the asymmetric toe. I hope they will last a little longer than the cheapy Primark socks currently cluttering up my sock drawer (everyone of them with a hole in the toes!) and I think they could be the beginning of Operation Sock Drawer...(If you fancy knitting these for yourself, the pattern is Kalajoki and is available as a free download on Ravelry)
Finally I was approached back in September about becoming an EasiYo blogger. For those who haven't come across this brand before EasiYo have produced an ingenious yet simple way to make luxurious yoghurt packed with beneficial bacteria at home. I have owned my own EasiYo yoghurt maker for many years and always loved the simplicity of the system and the taste of fresh yoghurt so I am looking forward to bringing you news, updates and recipes from EasiYo in the future.
So there it is, just a little update! I am hoping that our routines will all settle down a little and I can get back to sharing more makes and bakes with you again soon although now it feels like Christmas is just around the corner, and my list of Christmas knits is growing ever longer, we will be more busy then ever!
ps: all the pictures featured in this post are from my Instagram feed - this is where I mostly hang out these days so do pop by and say hello!
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