Here Be Knitting

The last few months I have struggled with my knitting mojo. I had a list of things I needed to knit and somehow my love of the craft just withered as I soldiered on with my long list. Fortunately I came to my senses and my long list of need-to-knit projects has been put aside. I still have things I need to knit, but I have realised the best way will be to mix my need projects with want projects. Funnily enough it was one of my need projects which got me back on track. I was knitting a hot water bottle cosy out of Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds DK - and the combination of soothing garterstitch and beautiful, soft rustic yarn reminded me just why I love knitting so much. I finished the project quickly (so quickly I did not manage any photos or even a Ravelry entry) and saw my knitting mojo return. Phew.

So I have cast on for a new project. So far it does not look like much but it is the type of project which I seriously love. I am knitting the Dew Drops Shawl (rav link) in Navia Uno, a Faroese 2-ply yarn.

The yarn is a mix of Faroese wool, Shetland wool and Australian lambswool and I'm really enjoying working with it. I got it for Christmas last year and I think I'll put it on my wish list again. The yarn has a wonderful complexity to it: it is stringy and rustic but makes an amazingly soft and light fabric. I still prefer the Snældan 1-ply, mainly because it is less blended (and I'm looking forward to trying Sirri which I know that I can find in Copenhagen) but knitting with Navia Uno is such a pleasure.

Speaking of knitting pleasure, I wonder how I will ever go back to other alpaca yarns after using RYC Baby Alpaca. It makes me sigh with pleasure every time I use it and my knitting is often interrupted by me needing to touch the knitted fabric.

Yes, I am still knitting my Lumley.

It is working up beautifully and as I have noted earlier, I'm full of admiration for Kim Hargreaves. She understands shaping, knows how to manipulate knitted fabric, and adds tiny, immaculate flourishes. It has just been a bumpy ride for me and I have had to set up a spreadsheet in order to navigate her ..and at the same time .. instructions. The back was straightforward, but the fronts have been a lesson in keeping notes, setting up a five-page spreadsheet and knowing your place in the pattern. There is a reason for the madness and I have grown as a knitter. The end result is a delicately sloped front with a slightly biased fabric and pretty picots.

One back and one front down - but at least now I have a spreadsheet so I can quickly knit the other front. Then I face the sleeves, but I think they are so straightforward I might be able to knit them both at the same time. Huzzah!

Idle thoughts on future projects: + I am now seriously considering a knitted dress following a conversation with Lilith. I am still trying to decide if I have gone mad or not. + I am itching to start Inga, a crocheted cardigan, but I'm waiting for three of the colours to get back into stock at my local yarn pusher. I had considered doing Inga in a grey-white colour scheme, but I've now decided to stick with the original colours. I hardly ever use the original yarn or colours for a project, so that will be interesting. + Finally, I need gloves to match my Idunn hat. I have 75% percent of one ball left in the colourway used, so I think I'll need to poke about my stash in order to see if I can come up with a suitable colour combination.

Yay! Knitting mojo is back.

Snapshot

I love autumn in Scotland. You get intense skies, beautiful colours and so much unexpected depth. As a young student I remember poring over John Keats' 'To Autumn' with its Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun.. It took a move across to the North sea to fully appreciate those words. Anyway, David took that photo walking home from a grocery shopping expedition in the busy West End. We live in outskirts of the West End and isn't it just beautiful here..?

Knitting post tomorrow. It'll be a tale of woe and joy.

Attack of the .. WHAT?

Last night I discovered that my wonderful father-in-common-law (aka D's Dad) will be starring in a low-budget spatter film set in Aberdeenshire. Ah, The Geekiness It Runneth in The Family.

I uncovered a few videos and found this one to be the most interesting - not because D's Dad is it (he is not in this video, actually) but rather because it is filmed where I spend most of my holidays. OK, so it is not incredibly interesting but I thought a few of my Danish pals might want to take a look. Please note that normally the village only houses a handful of zombies and that the video features some colourful language.

Unrelated: is this the greatest headline ever? It's a contender, I reckon.

Some knitting content to follow, I swear. It has been a long time coming, but my knitting mojo has returned.

Book Cover Versions

A good friend of mine wondered if she should read Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (coming later this year to a multiplex near you). I warned her that I found the book unbearably bland, despite its good premise. "If there were cover versions of books, could this one benefit from being retooled by another artist?" My friend then asked. I don't know about you, but I love the idea of book cover versions.

Going back to Never Let Me Go, I would have liked to have read Iain Banks' version of it. Not only does Banks understand genre - but crucially he knows how to combine so-called literary fiction and genre fiction. His books are full of messy human emotions, empathy, dehumanisation and raw anger. Banks would write a Never Let Me Go which I would happily read and re-read.

On the same topic: David Mitchell's version of Tom McCarthy's C would probably be closer to the "experimental mind-bender" the novel is being marketed as than the actual book is..

Any book cover versions you'd like to read?

A few random links for your perusal: + The Future is Now - according to William Gibson + Is social media being monitored? Time to rethink all that time you spend trolling the acrylic vs natural wool threads. + How to Slice A Bagel Into Two Linked Halves - mathematically correct breakfast, y'all. + British artist Banksy's take on the Simpson's intro. + Necropolis. A webcomic set in an alternate reality Glasgow. What is it about my hometown and alternate realities? + Most Unnecessarily Over-dramatic quote Found in the NYT. Ever.

Finished Objects &c

If you are in the UK, you can do much worse than watch Rosie Boycott, John Mullan, Germaine Greer and China Mieville thrash it out over the Booker Shortlist on The Review Show. I chortled. Loudly. Several times. But, you are probably not here to hear my own thoughts on literary novels. You are probably here because I have a few finished objects to show off.

First up, Idunn. I knitted it out of some lovingly hoarded Rowan Scottish Tweed in "Apple". I used the February Beret I have used before and used the same moderation I had also used before: instead of an i-cord cast-on, I cast on 98 stitches, knitted k1p1 rib for a few inches and then followed pattern from there. It looks neat, fits my head and is less fiddly. I am a big fan of 'less fiddly'.

When blocked, Idunn grew. I am still pondering whether to rip back and do the decreases more sharply, but right now I'm too lazy. The beret is just a bit slouchier than I would have liked, but it still looks nice.

And it has certainly earned its keep over the last few weeks. The autumn weather has really kicked in and my head/ears appreciate being warm.

Secondly, a small project I just started/finished yesterday. I have a lot of work-related projects on the go at the moment, and I feel a tiny bit burned out. So, it was nice to sneak in an absolutely frivolous project which has to please nobody but me.

I have a thing about knitted and crocheted jewellery. I really like it, but find it difficult to find something unusual. My A Little Ruffle necklace is pretty unusual and I love wearing it.

The original pattern makes it more of a statement in substantial cotton - but I thought it'd be interesting to work it up in some tweed and toy with the contrast between "traditional" tweed and something quite fashiony. I whipped it up in just over an hour and I can see myself making a couple more necklaces in various textures, fibres and colours.

Specifications: 1/3rd of a ball of Rowan Felted Tweed (colour: "Bilberry"). Size 5mm (H) crochet hook. An old necklace I tore apart to get the chains.

I will probably not be wearing it with a black tee again, though - it dulls the necklace just a tiny bit.

Other necklaces I like: The Statement Necklace and the Crochet Braid necklace.

I've also looked at brooch patterns and hairband patterns, but I'm slightly underwhelmed. Any suggestions for slightly unusual jewellery projects (or even unusual scarves)? I feel the need to churn out accessories.

Sufjan Is Just Like You & Me

After his experiences of recent years, I’m almost afraid to ask what’s next. Well, bizarrely, and quite endearingly, [Sufjan] Stevens likes to spend his downtime knitting.“Yes, I still knit,” he says, laughing. “I’m part of a knitting group of mostly women, but there are a couple of guys who crochet. It’s pretty casual, but I like to do hats and scarves. Occasionally I’ll try something harder, like a sweater.”

Sufjan Stevens talks about his new album and, yes, knitting with The Irish Times' Sinéad Gleeson.

Old Skool Sufjan video below.