Sunday 16 June 2013

The Knitty Bit


Thank you so much everyone for your friendly welcomes and generosity in posting links to my new blog. I am overwhelmed by all your comments and very happy to be here and have such fabulous followers! 

As some of you may know I spin yarn and occasionally do a bit of knitting. I have decided that my yarn will be my hobby as they don't do great on my etsy shop and I seem to to be forever relisting them when they expire.
I have built up quite the stash of hand spun yarns...





 I hope you can get an idea of this project from my terrible yarn and wool photographing skills. 

Now that they are not in my shop I have started to knit a big colourful blanket for my cheerful new home...





My cats are extrememly pleased to have all the wool around and Peanut is forever trying to sit on it and the kitten (Butter) is chasing the ball of wool everywhere so it gets tangled up around me. This is a big part of my knitting experience, maybe I only pick up the knitting needles so I can get some kitty cat hugs and attention? 










Nah! I'm just as in love with wool as they are


This is Butter saying 'mmmm wool'


Peanut's face in the wool

This is where I sit when working on this bonkers striped blanket...




Here is a picture of a rustic blanket I made from organic hebridean fleece...



I found the fleece for this when I lived at the top of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, I had a caravan with a wee stove and a couple of cats and chickens around the place. Every day I would check the tide schedule and make my way down to the rocky beach where I busied myself picking winkles. Sometimes I battled ownership of the road with large highland beasts to get to the shop for a pint of milk. 
Nearby I discovered the whole universe in a ginger pony's eyes (only to be seen by sweeping it's mane from off it's face) big pools of iris blue getting darker in the middle and peppered with flecks of white, a truly mystical being! 
The same neighbours that owned this pony had some sheep that they kept as pets. This is where I got the scrumptious chocolate brown fleece and some wirey stuff as well. 




When I got it home to the caravan my cat Peanut went mad for it, rubbing her face and body all over the thing covering herself with lanolin.
I chose to felt this blanket after knitting which has given it a cushioned dense quality.
Here is a wonderful wobbly felt tail on one corner...




I think I will felt the colourful one as well and perhaps bind the edges with something to neaten it up. That is a long way off as I still have a lot of knitting to go and anything could happen between now and then.


Here is some new listings from my shop...
























Thank you to my knitting friend Susie for this blog post title and holding such a great knitting group.


16 comments:

  1. i love your kitty! she looks like my kitty! they always want to sit on what we're doing :)
    and my other cat's name is also Peanut :D
    (crazy cat people bonding heheh)

    handmade blankets are the best thing ever. something so comforting about that

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    1. Ha! Thats mad, Peanut is the older one I hav just added pics of her. Crazy cat people are the bestest kind :)

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  2. Gotta love tabbies. The blanket and the colours are stunning and I always love your beads.

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    1. Yes this little tabby was a stray kitten and is the cuddliest cat I have ever known

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  3. Oh knitting! I am envious- I'm a huge sucker for wool but I can't knit or crochet for the life of me, which means I can't justify buying it. I still buy it though, now and then. Am envious of your kitty too, I miss my grey tabby.

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    1. Im not a great knitter I just do the basics and Im awful at following patterns This is just simple straight knitting and I can do what I want, no wrong moves!
      Grey tabbies are gorgeous. My kitten has bengal markings, striped legs and rings on her tail. Love em to bits :)

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  4. Nice kitties. Butters beautiful stripes are a purrfect pairing with your blanket. And you know I love love your awesome beads.

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  5. The yarn is gorgeous...as is your knitting. And of course I love your great beads..the colors and textures you get are wonderful.

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  6. I learned "The Skye Boat Song" as a child and always imagined it to be a magical place. Sounds like you found some magic there (or maybe you brought it yourself.) Love the beads, blankets - and the kitties!

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    1. Yes it is a magical place. Luckily my auntie Rey still lives there and I visit whenever I can.

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  7. You write so beautifully about where you live and who lives with you--and the creations are stunning! I have a handwoven blanket from wool--cannot imagine anything as lovely as wool.

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    1. All this colourful yarn is made from various fibers but mainly merino wool which is super soft. It has just got to the size where it fits neatly across my knees and lap while I knit, very cosy :)

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  8. Just dropping by to join your followers, praise your beads and admire your kitties and their blankets. I'm so happy to see you have a blog and I will link it in mine. More spikes, please!

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    1. Thanks for visiting and your lovely compliments :)

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