Re-directing mail!

 I've noticed that some Blogger blogs won't let me post  comments under a Wordpress ID, so if you've pitched up here because I commented on your blog or a blog you read, this is just to let  you know that you haven't been abandoned in cyber-space and you  can still find me for real  at my wordpress blog linked  below. One day I'll get round to redirecting this straight there - but in the meantime, just one more click.

Strands of Life

ps: just edited to add that, despite the date, this is completely genuine! The lone post with a 1st April date looked rather odd :D

I've moved

I decided to move home - all the posts below and everything following can now be found at
http://fibrefairy.wordpress.com/ see you there :-)

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

another quiz!

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Merino Wool.You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted. You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes.
Take this quiz!

well it wasn't novelty fun fur!! thankfully ;-)

and this was what Ruthy, DD1 came out as... pretty spot on, though the cashmere option was always a possibility!

You are Shetland Wool. You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a little on the harsh side. Though you look delicate you are tough as nails and prone to intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are widely respected and even revered.

Ooh get me!!

they didn't have a section for Knitting Anarchists though which would probably fit the bill better, i don't think I've ever followed a pattern to the letter ever !!!

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting and do it all the time. While finishing a piece is the plan, you still love the process, and can't imagine a day going by without giving some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation involves leaving ample space for the stash and supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn ends and you begin. Take this quiz!

" Spring Rainbow"

" Spring Rainbow"
Originally uploaded by fibre~fairy.

I dyed this laceweight to send as part of a "Spring time Secret Santa" exchange, I loved how the colours turned out. I started intending it to be purples and blues and just ended up mixing up a rainbow as I went.

this is it in process

and this was the silk & cord needleroll I made to go with it - designed for DPNs circs & hooks.

embellished with a felt & stitched motif

"Heart breakingly Cute Baby Kimono"

"Heart breakingly Cute Baby Kimono"

I've finally got this made for a friend's baby - I just hope she hasn't grown toooo much!!
it's a gorgeous pattern - I added the eyelets at the bottom to match the YO increases and then added the ribbon too. Very cute ( BTW the title is the name of the pattern, not me bragging!)
It's knit in a fabulous natural colour DK wool from Coldharbour Mills in Devon, it was very twisty to knit but blocked beautifully.

Calorimetry

Calorimetry

I've got lots of catching up to do here - but for now here's a pic of the perfect " hat" for me & my hair! It's hard to fit your spare pencil under a normal hat.
For those logging these details, I CO 88 on 5mm in Noro Silk Garden, and it's plenty big enough for my larger than average head ( regular off the shelf hats tend to be on the small size for me..) so there you are.
I'm just starting one for tiny headed DD1, CO 88 but in a DK ish yarn and 4.5mm

here's another pic

Nutty!

I'm allergic to nuts - tomorrow, finally, the children are being tested to see if they are too - and therefore if I can stop being quite so paranoid about what they eat at parties etc.
To say they are unreasonably excited is understating it! They do know it's going to involve needles, and a lot of boring waiting around - they also know that they might be unlucky like me...
I found this message on the kitchen whiteboard this morning!

Great post day 2

I got this vintage knitting bag from a member of a list I'm on ( thanks Penny!) it's utterly gorgeous! It belonged to her granny who died the year I was born, ( probably shouldn't use the word vintage, huh?! ) fab bag!!

Great post day 1

I got this last week on Ebay - it's a book I had as a child, I think I made practically everything in it at one time or other, it certainly taught me loads - mum always says I was one for teaching myself stuff from books rather than " being told" !! I think I know someone else a bit like that now too ;-)

this page took me right back...

It's all just spin...

this afternoon's little bit of work, turquoise merino single, being set with a can of pears!
sadly I managed to break my spindle too, so this was it for now!!

and all wound up

still beautiful :-) I could sit & look at it all day!!
( but I won't... onwards & forwards... it's Friday after school you know!! )

Soft posh & scrummy

just how yummy is this?
8ply aran weight cashmere.mmmmmmmm
sadly not enough to roll around in;-)

Beanie Beanie!

It's wet & cold and I'm not feeling well but I've uploaded the Ribbed Beanie pattern after lots of requests - you'll find it HERE
Bear in mind that I knit it originally freehand and if I've made a mistake on the numbers in the pattern it was in the transferring from brain to "paper". Please forgive me - and let me know!!

I'm in the process of knitting it up again from the pattern, but other stuff keeps getting in the way.
Have fun, and may your ears stay warm.

How could I forget....

this chap....
I made him & his twin for Ben & his cyber mate! He's looking a bit lumpy here cos he's been chucked about & pulled all over - but he's much loved

Tired

Can I go to bed yet please?
How come I stay up till past 12 on a regular basis getting stuff done and I'm fine, but sure as eggs are ovoid shaped pale brown things, come Jan 1st I'm shattered!!
This morning I actually felt quite energised, the sun was shining and it was a lovely bright crisp morning as we drove back from the friends with whom we spent last night - but now it's cold dark wet & windy and I don't feel so enthusiastic!! I've just gone round putting all the lights on and cranking up the heating and it feels a bit more cheerful, so..

Anyway - talking of eggs _ i'm off to make eggy bread for the children's tea and persuade Dh we can get a Chinese to eat in front of the Vicar of Dibley later!

Happy New 2007 to you anyway - hope you enjoy what it brings!

ipod socks

I made these the other evening as NY presents for some friends - fairly fast knit though my making up could have been better - I hate that bit :-(
I do like the dinky little earphone pocket!

They were based pretty much on these
with some changes ( I didn't do a folded over top rib cos I thought it would be bulky and as you can see I did the thick-thin stripes instead of the solid cuff. I reckon I could come down another needle size for the cuff to make it a bit tighter at the top)
I'll have a play with one for me, smaller this time for my Zen Micro (pictured!)

Christmas PJ bottoms

Christmas Pjs for the older 3- we teamed them with co ordinating plain T shirts ( time ran out as per usual!) CW from top Left, Ruthy's, Kate's & Charlie's

Christmas PJs

Baby's Christmas PJs

These ones were for Ben, a sock monkey flannel top with stretch ribbing, and a pair of Babyology wool longies dyed lime green - and a very good match they were too!!

On the Second Day of Christmas...

or is it the third? does Christmas Eve count as the first?... anyway...
I finally get to post my Christmassy makes & stuff ( always a risk some lucky recipient will stumble upon a picture of their present before the Big day ( though judging by comments on bloggers by my dad & brother today they wouldn't be reading " self obsessed, self publicists" I think was the phrase they used ;-)

It's been a good Advent, I usually lurch along, swinging between being Little Donkey ( plodding onwards with my heavy load...)and the Alternative Shepherds (washing socks) and somehow manage to concentrate only on what is being prepared for rather than the act of preparation. For no known reason this year has been much less stressy, and actually a really lovely run up to Christmas. I can thoroughly recommend this book for a thought provoking read, my older 2 and I have really enjoyed reading it.

so, back to the fibres :-)
I made a couple of Knitty Knecklaces for my mum & my SIL,
Mum's was done in Debbie Bliss's Pure Silk and beaded too ( my addition) threading on the zillion of beads to start with was a bit of a pain, but the results were worth it.












SILs version was in Twilleys Freedom Spirit in a colourway whose name now escapes me!
checking here I see it's "Energy"






Two ribbed hats to my own pattern were for my brothers - ably modelled by one of them here!
They're again in Twilleys Freedom Spirit "Force" and "Earth" They were knit double stranded and were extremely well received - apparently they are nice and long over the ears ( a rare thing in a hat I was told!)

I'd also done a 1 Hour scarf for MIL but I didn't get a picture of that - nice colours though :-)

Ruthy has the knitting bug again having got a book and some more yarn for Christmas:-) she's doing really well following someone else's instructions too! much better than me trying to show her sometimes.
I was saying to my mum yesterday that I can't remember learning to knit - so I assume I was pretty young, whether it was mum or Granny or someone else who taught me I have NO idea! Knowing me it was a book & self teaching - Ruthy is so like me sometimes!

I did a bit of sewing in December too - PJs mostly, I need to get pictures of those, so watch this space.

It's time for bed said Zebedee...

First Day

He's been waiting (impatiently I have to say) for months now for today - and here it finally is... can we say EXCITED?!
He went in without a backward glance, so I was a very brave mummy too :-0 I'm going to miss his cheeky face this morning though.

Random Musings on flooring...

It's Sunday , its late, the ironing's done, I'm doing this as displacement cos my baby starts school tomorrow ( yes, not *the* baby Obviously... ( durr...as the girls would say) but he's still my baby..) anyway I thought I'd treat you to the random thoughts I had this week about floors.
You know how people say that hard floors are " less work" than carpets? well I think that's rubbish personally ( and I speak as a hard floor keeper) With carpets you hoover and you're done, unless someone spills something especially nasty on it.. ugh, then every what? 6 mths? a year? 4 mths? I have NO idea... you get the carpet cleaners in and they get rid of the build up.
Now if you have a hard floor you hoover, or you brush, and then you wash it, if you don't do the washing part, that build up of muck ( the stuff the carpet cleaners deal with) well it builds up, and hard floors don't hang onto it like carpet does, so *you* have to do the work.. often....
ask me how I know, I have a crawling baby ( yes *the* baby) the other week I was busy, the floor didn't get mopped for 2 days, - just hoovered, the floors looked ok, but he crawled round and he was filthy, yuckity yuck...
Just think though -if I had carpet, all that dirt ( & more ) would still be there, just unseen...bleurgh... I mean it's not as if you suddenly have less dirt just cos you have carpets is it? so it has to be there ...somewhere...lurking...think I'd rather have the mopping to do :-) so, inconclusion, ( if you're still awake..) hard floors - unforgiving but So much nicer... don't you think?!

Normal service will now be resumed.

Serendipitous shopping

Planning ahead slightly (only about 2 weeks ahead actually but it's better than nothing )
I bought these trousers for the boys in H&M , partly cos they need something to wear for a Christening we're off to, and partly cos look what I had in my stash waiting to be something!
Serendipity or what? stripey T shirts are the order of the day I think, and what would you know - I had unbleached ribbing hiding here too:-)