I just finished this Halloween Humpty Dumpty for my grandson. He'll get it on Sunday so I thought I'd better take a picture quickly because once it goes, it's gone!

He's made from double knitting yarn and the pattern was partly my own, made up, and partly from a very old pattern book I've had for years and years.

Duke Street Shawl from Glenna C. on Patternfish

I made this shawl to cover my shoulders when I'm reading and to use up a lot of spare yarn, which had accumulated from other projects. I'm pleased with the way it's turned out.

I found the pattern on Ravelry and you can download it for U.S. $5.00.  Click here for the link.

I just love shawls, don't you?

Handspun merino yarn, knitted up as jacket: Project no. 1 for 2015 completed.

I have now completed the first project of 2015, which is a handspun/handknitted merino yarn jacket. I blogged about it here and have made other things in between but it was really nice to make something completely from scratch.

This is the back detail, which I made in a mixture of the purple and grey yarn. I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

The collar is large, but it lies comfortably on my shoulders and will give extra warmth. I will have to wear a higher collared something or other underneath though or else I'll get a cold neck come the Autumn onwards!

Here is the pattern I used:

and these are the yarns:

so now I can think about the next project!

Handspun Shawl using some Sirdar Escape Chunky, colour 0187

I've just completed a handspun plus Sirdar Escape Chunky shawl in some of my favourite colours. The handspun is merino and the Sirdar is a mix of wool and synthetic. It feels lovely and warm around my shoulders!

Have a great Sunday?

I'd love to know what you are working on?

A New Project for a New Year - Button up cardigan using handspun yarn.

When Larry and I were at the Festiwool wool fest recently, I bought some interesting rolags. As you can see from the picture, the rolags are multi-coloured. What you can't see very well are the sparkly bits running through them. I've been spinning them up lately, mixing them in with some of the white Polworth yarn that I spun from an original fleece in the summer. I intend to make this cardigan:

 

which is available as a button-up or zip-up version. I shall make the button-up version this time. I have made a start, knitting the back, up to the armholes, in a purple yarn which I had spun up ready. I don't have enough of the sparkly rolags to make the whole cardigan.

If you would like to see more of the Festiwool get together, you can click here.

For my new project, I am using a selection of yarns. The first is a combination of the rolags I bought at Festiwool, Hitchin and some grey merino I had in my stache.

I am also adding in some of the very white Polworth fleece, which I hand-carded recently:

 

I also have some purple and grey merino which I will work in.

This is how the finished project will be: a short waisted button-up cardigan with a large collar:

So far I've done the back up to the armholes in a plain purple merino. First picture gives the true colour and the second picture shows the detail with the flash turned on:

The flash sure makes a difference, doesn't it. The first pic is very accurate.

This project will not be finished quickly. I am still spinning the wool into yarn and in between I am working on other projects. However, I will come back and show you as and when I finish each section. I don't have enough of the purple to finish the back so I may use the mixed purple and grey from the armholes up. Let's just wait and see shall we.

Meanwhile, five weeks to go until my new grandchild appears. It's getting exciting. Pity they are in South Carolina. We won't be visiting very soon!