Behind the scenes

Another week has flown by and I still have nothing that I can show for it. I've been tinkering away behind the scenes, working on something to raffle for a Red Cross/Japan fundraiser and a new pattern.

But I've nothing to show you, except the bits of knitting machine experimentation I've done in fits, starts, dribs and drabs over the last week or two.

I've made a (seriously flawed) set-your-teeth-on-edge-squeaky acrylic rainbow scarf with a small girl. I've tried cut-and-sew experiments with cotton yarn.
I've tried throwing the cut-and-sew experiment through a clean-it-or-kill-it cycle in my gung-ho front-loader.

Despite a few fluffy ends poking through, it looks like it'll survive. I'm going to try a tighter, wider overlock and give it another go. This area has enormous potential..... (insert little squeal here...).

And then there was a spot of experimentation with food colourings and machine-knitted lengths.

This piece (below) was knitted in cream coloured yarn. I gave it a food-colouring bath and turned it budgie-green (eek!). Another bath (this time with RED in it) resulted in a tweedy, mossy green. Lovely. (Insert more squeals). On Thursday night, the incredibly generous and kind Angela showed me how to clean and service my machine. She loaned me a new sponge bar and showed me how to do some fancy-schmantzy stuff.

I'm a bit excited about the prospect of being able to create shape on the machine, but so far the wee girl and I are trying out pattern cards.... great fun.

Next week, I hope to have more results on the surface of things as well as some bits of yarny fun on the side.

But I'm pretty sure there will be a fair bit of yarny fun on the side.

A Grand Day Out

We went to the Skirt and Shirt Market at Abbotsford Convent today....

"We had a LOVELY day!" my wee gal proclaimed as we made our way back to the carpark.

And so she had. She'd ditched the handmade felt flower I'd bought for her (in favour of a rock she found), stripped publicly and run around on the lawns in her knickers and gumboots, handled every precious handmade object she could get her mitts on, spilled curry all over my pants and smashed a glass, fallen head-first out of a tree (caught by me - making something go "twang" in my back) and generally had... well.. a lovely day!!! I got to hang out with two of my best girlfriends and our gorgeous kids, see some beautiful things that had been made by talented people, meet a few old friends, (watch my normally civilised child turn feral...), buy a few things... so I had a pretty lovely day, too.
We all fell in love with this knitwear by Fibre Red. One of us bought a stunning piece (unfortunately it wasn't me. I had to have blinkers on after my book and computer gadget splurge this week).

I just loved all the colours and textures, and the individual garments were beautifully made and very versatile. Very impressed!!

'Twas great to also see Carla and her gorgeous Emotional Baggage there. Apparently her website is about to be published up, so watch this space....