This is my ball winder, which is really useful for winding skeins of yarn properly. Together with the Swift, see below, you just wind away and the ball appears in all its perfection. Then if you use the thread that comes from the middle, the ball will sit nicely on the floor and not run away under the furniture all the time.

There is a short video of the Swift and ball winder in action at the end of this post.

Remember my spinning wheel? I am still loving it, loving it, loving it!

This was the first proper skein I made while I was in America.  I used the ball winder and Swift to ball it up and brought it back with me to knit it up.

It's knitting up really well and it feels so soft to the touch.

It gives me a great feeling to knit up yarn which I spun myself.

Here's the short video:

So I'm a happy spinner!

A warm cardi...

I made this warm cardigan during the recent very cold weather and I was so glad I did because it kept me warm during the -5 deg temperatures.  I bought the wool in America. It's a worsted and a bit thicker that our DK here in the U.K.  It's somewhere between DK (double knit) and Chunky so it took a bit of getting used to. I love the colour - it's a rich dark brown, with different coloured flecks in it.

A suit to keep me warm.

I've just completed a suit comprising of a jacket and a long, brown skirt. I think it will be nice to wear over a polo neck shirt in a light creamy colour.  I had fun making it and it will be even more fun to wear it.

Here it is over the skirt.

What are you making at the moment?

Humpty Bunny

My latest toy is a Humpty Bunny for my son. He uses his as a neck pillow.  I've been making them for years!

Here he is on his way to the Post Office.

...and here am I about to go with him, part of the way.  He's on his way to England. I always find it hard to part with the toys that I make, but this one is going to a very good home.

A Purple Bolero

This is my latest completed project - a lady's bolero in a bobbly wool.  I made the sleeves in a complementary purple by Sirdar because they would have been too thick otherwise.

The sleeves and the front have a lacy look edge.

The wool is so soft and light to the touch.

Crochet top

I've been crocheting with some very slippery yarn in a gorgeous beige colour.  The pictures on here don't really do the colour justice so you'll just have to take my word for it. hee hee

Here's a close-up of the stitches.

and the top is done in a slightly tighter stitch, still awaiting buttons.

These are the armholes.

and this is the wool.  I don't think it is possible to get it any more.  I bought it in a charity shop so goodness knows how old it is.  The yarn is very fine, 4 ply in English descriptions.

Keeping Warm

Back in May I decided to make the sleeping bag illustrated on this page of my baby book, to keep Dylan warm in his cot. I figured that it would be finished in time for the more chilly Autumn days to come. I chose red because it looks warmer than blue.

It does look warm doesn't it!