The Glue That Sticks

If, unavoidably, this is what Sunday afternoon holds, in spite of the wonderful Indian Summer sunshine outdoors,


and you would much rather be making something with this

(Fleece Artist DK Organic Wool in Sugar Plum)

or with this

(Fleece Artist Merino 2/6 sock yarn in Ruby Red)

then I strongly recommend listening to The South African Gospel Singers and the sounds of Pinise Saul, Lucky Ranku and colleagues. They provide just the right mixture of enthusiasm, poignancy and addictive rhythm to glue me to the desk when I'd rather be dabbling with wool.

The wool is from yesterday's Open House Knitting Tea Party held most graciously by Purlescence. There were cakes and wool and buttons.

Autumn Sock Club - First Arrival

What an excellent thing to come home to one evening, courtesy of the postman and the Skein Queen.

This is the first instalment of the SQ Autumn Sock Club. Such soft sock yarn, this is Plushness in a summery, anti-autumn colourway. Very clever. Paradoxical yarn naming.

Yarn: Skein Queen Plushness
Colourway: Secret Garden
Composition:80% lambswool, 10% angora, 10% cashmere
Weight: DK Light - sock weight; 100g, c 300 yards

Now to decide what to make with it.

When bad things happen to good socks

hole, Charade! , originally uploaded by GreenPea6.

My favourite Charade socks in Skein Queen Cashmerino - whole no more. Hole instead.

Since it's turned a bit chilly at night here and what with one thing and another sleep could do with a bit of a helping hand (foot) at the moment, I wore these socks to bed. I have no idea what I was doing in the night - dreaming of kick boxing? running an imaginary sock-footed marathon? - but I woke up to find the bed dotted with bits of coloured wool and a large hole and a cold heel.

Some serious darning will be needed. If I can find the tiny bit of the SQ Cashmerino I had left over. If not, inventiveness will be required.

All done bar the Kitchener

Fascine Braid sock in progress, originally uploaded by GreenPea6.

Please can someone teach me to do Kitchener stitch?

This Fascine Braid sock is all finished apart from grafting the toe. I've tried following every video and every book diagram and still I end up with a lumpy, entirely visible join. It has occurred to me that I may have diagram-lexia. Perhaps I will simply invent a new method entirely for finishing toes. Alternatively I may start a fashion for open-toed socks.

• Yarn: 100% merino wool Laine Claude, "Penelope" colourway, by Tricoquelicot; 1 skein (100g = c 430 yards)
  
• Needles: 3.00 mm (I use magic loop so circular, but Tiennie's pattern is for DPNs)

This yarn from Japan is wonderfully squishy (such a good technical term).

Autumn is creeping in

lazy Sunday, originally uploaded by GreenPea6.

The first conkers are falling and my love of Rowanspun is not abating. More of this yarn is needed. I have heard of a secret stash of it that might be for sale and am remaining patient in the hope of finding some of the colours I am still searching for, the brighter shades of green, blue, red.

Sundays

A day of doing quite a lot while feeling I'm not doing much at all. Perfect.

Today: a sweet potato stew, and a blueberry crumble.