April Fool's Day: this fool spent the whole morning slumped over the computer, phone pressed to the ear on permananet redail, but alas, she didn't manage to get a ticket for Glastonbury. Plan B now being put into action, as Buddhafield Cafe may be able to come up with a ticket for me. Fingers are well and truly crossed. I have some progress on the socks, but not enough to post, so here are some pics of Avril Yarns and Ananda Fibres in Tokyo, from whenI was in Japan in January. Socks are slow going, and so far I'm not enjoying them much, but I'm sure by the time it gets to the heel I'll perk up a but. I started reading Jonathon Strange and Mister Norrell this weekend - enjoying it far more than socks!

2S 2C - at last! I've cracked it!

It's taken four attempts and much cursing and stamping and the throwing of knittings on the floor, but at last I've grasped the vexing concept of two socks on two circulars. I approached it with a few clear hours, natural light and the yogic clam that what would be would be, and after a hour and a quarter and many mutterings of 'blinking bloody nonsense', it worked, and here are the first half inches to prove it. I've no idea how I'll handle the pattern and heels of these socks, but let's see what happens when we get there. The variables are these: two needles, each with two ends, two sources of yarn, two separate cast ons and for each two possible sides and two possible directions to set them on the needles. All in all, a whole lot of trouble! But once the cast ons and the first few rows were done it started to get into a rhythm. The key for me was to grasp that the cast ons had to both face in the same direction and not each other, and that it was easier to manage them if I cast on on a separate (i.e. a third) needle and arrange the stiches there first before transferring to the two working needles. I looked at several online tutorials, but the one which best gave me all the answers I needed was blogged by Sara in Oregon, The Quacking Fibre Addict: http://fyberduck.blogspot.com/2006/10/socktoberfest-tutorial-2-socks-on-2.html

I'm trying to use up stash rather than buy new. I was pleased to see that use your stash in 2007 exclude sock yarn, but nonethless I needed something and 200g of bright orange 4-ply in my yarn cupboard was perfect for the job. It cost me almost nothing on Ebay last summer, and I've never liked it. But actually knitting it has given me a new feeling for it: as I'm working the ribs, I'm coming to see it as fine quality, springy and joyous. And OK so I'll look like Daffy Duck in the socks once they are knitted, but it'll make a change from Dora the Explorer...

We're listening to the new Wilco album today, Sky Blue Sky. Very pretty, organic and forgiving.

Jessie arrived two years ago. She came from the rescue centre. Sometimes I wonder who rescued who.

Here's the latest carded fibre: mostly Jacob and Portland fleece: the pinks have some BFL and bamboo mixed in, all hand dyed. Thanks to Corrinne for lending me her drum carder, so now I can look forward to sitting back and spinning it all... I think there's a kilo and a half there. Socklady Lynne gave me a tip on how to make my Louet wheel less grabby, which is to zig zag the spun across the flyer guides. Thanks to this technique I've now been able to spin very finely yarn which needs lots of twist but not so much tension, and it's effectively made the Wee Peggy redundant. So, maybe try and sell her soon. We're thinking of downsizing. Gary's talking about buying a boat...

These were finished at the weekend, being the Gentleman's Plain Winter Sock from Nancy Bush's book Vintage Socks. Some modifications to the gauge, the size and the toe, and knitted in a commercial smoothly spun mohair and silk mix from the stash. They came out well and are super toasty!

I've been carding this week: am doing colour blends, and trying out blends of different fibres. The finished batts are not as fine as when I flick card each lock, but it is much quicker... Still working with a huge Jacob fleece I bought at Singleton Rare Breeds show last summer, and fooling around with fibres bought from Ruth at www.winghamwoolwork.co.uk/. Will post a pic when I've got a stack to show!

Life unravelled for a while but I've picked it back up - enough to blog anyway. C&G is on hold just now, but kntting continues in full effect. Thanks to Marji LaFreniere of Marji's Yarncrafts for the rib-and-cable mitts pattern (IK Spring 2006). Here is my third pair, just completed and destined for my photographer friend Nicola Edmonds http://www.nicolaedmonds.com/, where the season is on the turn (in the wrong direction..). These were knitted in a ghastly 4-ply which I bought from Ebay, but which I then overdyed to produce this heathered autumny colourway which pleased me.

Those yarns: special thanks to the wonferful people at Texere Yarns for those pinks at the bottom, and without whom my creative life would be the less. Check their site - link is on the left of this...

Here's my final swatch. Made up of four yarns (1+1+2 held together) including a silk, a slub and two mohairs. Some man made fibres in there, and one of the mohairs has two metallics plied in (by me on the spinning wheel). Lots if visual interest, a good tweedy look, and informed by my colour design work. Now onto the pattern calculations...

Using the flecked tweed pattern from Alison Ellen's book New Directions in Hand Knitting, I dived into the yarn stash for colourways that came out of my corals picture.

Texture of yarn was important as well as colour. I wanted a reasonably firm handle but with softness and textural interest. I sampled with combinations of regular yarns, fuzzies, metallics, variegated. Some worked better than others.

Why am I here? Oh yes, knitting... Swatching for the jacket I sampled a number of different slip stitches. The aim was to try and find a stitch that best gave a feeling of tweed fabric.

City & Guilds in Hand Knitted Textiles

The C&G Certificate requires 4 assessed pieces of finished work, each to link to the technical and the design sides of the syllabus. These four are:

• a sweater with a round neck and set-in sleeves
• a cardigan or jacket with a different neckline and sleeve design
• an item for the home
• an accessory

This means designing and illustrating, writing a pattern, swatching, knitting and finishing each piece from scratch. I'm starting with the jacket. The sweater will follow it fast, I hope. I began the course more-or-less as a non-knitter, so my spidey sense tells me do the complicated, difficult things first and get 'em done and dusted before the summer starts again.

The course is taught by Fiona Morris: hand knitter, machine knitter, textile artist, teacher and designer.

Where Are You Coming From?

Here's the opening post on this blog, so let it be said I explained it all right at the start... A while ago in Foyles Bookshop in London I came across a copy of Lynne Vogel's Twisted Sister's Sock Workbook. At the time I didn't knit at all but the luscious photography and the spirit of the book whispered to me and I had to buy it. Now, a year and a half later, I'm half way through a City & Guilds Certificate in Hand Knitted Textiles, I own two spinning wheels and there's a whole lot of show and tell going on...