February fever and Esefen Gloves

Nearly missed February! Pancake night tonight as well. I have been busy organising Circles 17. This is a gathering of circular sock machine knitters. I did small events in 2012 and 2013 at the Framework Knitters Museum., getting 20 people each time - bit of a squash. Then in 2014 my pal Jane did an event in Coventry, only 7 of us but I w=think we all learnt a lot - the excitement there was one of the brand new machines from NZ. 2015 saw a weekend event in Bristol - 28 people. We all loved it, and sat around waiting for JO to do the same thing last year. She couldn't as she was out of the country. Summer and autumn have so many other textile events a date clash would have been inevitable. So we all sat around some more until last November I thought "Sod this" and went to look at a couple of local conference hotels and sent 80 invitations out. Now, a week before the event, there are 50 people booked in. Wow! I am not sure I will be any good at crowd management on this scale! The ever faithful Margaret will be by my side. So, I was frantically knitting socks to have in a "guess the yarn" competition. The only other knitting I was doing for myself was Esefen gloves. I had bought the book A Shetlander's Fair Isle Graph Book. One page was roughed out as the palm and back of hand patterns for a glove, entitled Norwegian. I called mine Shetland Fair Isle Norwegian, SFN, or Esefen for short. Looked up the word on Google and it exists as a type of Ibuprofen! For speed, the ribs and fingers were knitted on the Knitmaster. As usual, my tension is rubbish, especially where changing from one needle to another and there being a single contrast stitch on the edges.

January

Not too far into the New Year! Organising a gathering for circular machine knitters in March. Some parts seem easy, some other parts have details which are taking far too long. Finished my Newstead Mittens. On looking at the chapel floor photo again, I see I didn't use the scrolley blue and white left edge because of fine detail. I also left out yellow lines - would have made the cuffs too long. However, added in to the general cuff pattern would make a rather nice circular yoke jumper I think. I have not other "personal" knitting on at the moment, but increasing production of socks and handwarmers for the Framework Knitters Museum and of course they roduce leftovers for the eternal bnalnkies.

December

Finished the Advent Calendar, now on its way to London.

November

A new wool shop opened in Loughborough last month. Selling mostly King Cole. So I trotted along and duly bought a ball of every colour of the sock yarn. And knitted it. Scheduling clashes meant that instead of Knitting History Forum, that weekend I did shop/reception duty at the museum on the Saturday, and Winter Woollies at Nanpantan on the Sunday, so had to have higher "stock" levels than usual. As before, the Bargain Box got far more attention than the good stuff, but did sell two pairs of socks and publicised the museum. Made a bit of pocket money for the Knitting & Stitching Show at Harrogate. Now got 18 pairs of socks, 11 pairs of handwarmers and 6 pairs of gloves stored. Started using some ends of yarn to make silly socks, as getting rather overwhelmed with remnants, far too many for blanket no. 3. Found another wool shop online selling off Sirdar Heart & Sole old colours at virtually half price. Shetland Hap was finished and blocked. Wish I'd put it in the spinner after soaking, it dripped everywhere. Decided somebody had to take the initiative and started setting up the organising for a Circular Sock Machine Weekend in Kegworth. FWK Museum will be open on the Saturday, so people can go there as well. (Museum has got new manager from next month, but she is unlikely to change the opening hours at this stage). Within first week had 20 positive replies, which is my break even point, hoping for 30, so some funds can be raised. Also sent for a very expensive book from Norway, heavy, so postage heavy, AND ridiculous bank charges. The silly sods got themselves mixed up and sent it me twice, but letting me keep second copy. Decided to raffle it for museum funds. Raised £90!.

October, Socktober?

After a lovely holiday in France, came home to find there has been a run on my new style heel-less socks in the Museum. Just about ran out of yarn so a hefty order (by my standards) has gone in to Wool Warehouse. For once, I ignored all the Drops Fabel shades and chose a mix of several different brands. As I am demonstrating at Winter Woollies at end of November as well, have now got to work twice as fast to replenish shop stock, some for show and some in hand. Manager of museum is going on to a different job, wonder if inevitable changes will affect the Textile Emporium. On holiday, completed Sami (Lapp) mittens for Erika, don't think she was impressed though! Then I was asked to do some Vegimal Tupin (from the Octonauts) things for hair elastics for her. Really fiddly. One advantage was that in looking for the crochet cotton, found some snowflakes, so one less job for the Advent calendar. Really disappointed that the Knitting History Forum as been put back by a week, it clashes with some many other things now. First time I will have missed it.

Advent is coming

I have now put together the advent calendar "quilt" with wadding and backing and a couple of loops at the top for a bamboo cane. As at today, I have 16 items for the pockets. Planning to write a little booklet of the origin of the items to go with it, and have treated myself to a copy of the Enid Blyton Christmas Book I enjoyed so much as a child.

See Life but not at Sea Life

Saturday was Granny's Annual Treat Day. This year it was the Sea Life London Aquarium. Rather boring, and I don't think even the five kids, ages 2 to 14, will request a return trip. However, lunch afterwards in an Italian restaurant went down very much better. A short burst at an adventure playground and carousel afterwards was also appreciated. In the afternoon I schlepped up to Islington and bought the Estonian knitting book I had browsed on my last visit. What an eye-opener, very inspiring, itching to do more mitten designing. Patterns must be easier than those bluetit mitts I did last year. I suppose I really ought to knit the Fleur de Lys mitts I designed as well. And must crack on with the advent calendar knitting, this has to be completed by 14th November