Walzing Along

I work from home and one of my guilty secrets is that I keep a knitting project at the side of my desk - for those 5 minute 'let's think this through', 'if I don't stop I will explode', 'bugger it I can't be arsed' moments and (the biggest secret of all) to occupy my fingers and the 50% of my brain not in use when I am on a conference call that I am not chairing.

The criteria is that it is must be tactile, mindless and soothing to do. At the minute it is this which is perfect http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elizabeth-zimmermanns-green-sweater so its miles and miles of stocking stitch in the round on lovely, 4mm, metal tip, Knit Pro interchangeable needles.

I also have the radio tuned to BBC Radio 3 all day - classical music with no interference from adverts. Today I noticed, during a 'let's think this through' time out that I knit garter stitch (I throw) in 3/4 (three four) time at the speed of an average Mozart or Haydn minuet and trio.

Blue

I have spent the day knitting the edge on a Forest Canopy shoulder shawl, a Christmas present for my sister in a silver grey, 4 ply alpaca. I decided to bead every scallop on every pattern row, making parallel lines of beads using the crochet hook method, I’ve spent all of the afternoon and early evening on it.

When I had done 6 beaded rows it was clear that it was far too ‘bling’ so I have just pulled out the edge and put the beads back in the jar.

It sort of sums up the day.

For Kym

Who is doing a 'Light the Night' walk in aid of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society with her family and friends. A small light to add to the light you shine on all who know you - even those you've never met.

Small Victory

This is me, knitting Continental style. Yes - Continental style and I can do it easily and without much thought.

I have been a serious knitter since my teens - a lot of years, I was taught by Mum who is also a serious knitter. However she left me to find my own way of 'throwing' she does it in a neat, looping way with the yarn wound round her fingers, I do it with a maximum of hand and arm movement, not elegant but I can get up a decent head of steam and what I lack in speed I make up for in hours spent.

To date I never managed to sort out Continental - it kind of made sense because I can also crochet. The breakthrough was the workshop with Alice Starmore on Fairisle knitting - she showed me how she holds yarn in the left hand when doing two colour work with a colour in each hand. She said to hold it close to the needle so the yarn is 'just there'.

I've overdone the knitting recently - I blame a new box set of 'The West Wing' and my right arm and shoulder have started aching a bit too much so today I have concentrated on the Continental and - bingo - its fallen into place.

I'm doing it with chunky on size 6.5mm but the tension is the same as when I throw which is great because I had read that some people get a looser gauge with Continental. One of the drawbacks for me is the awkwardness of purling - even Meg Swansen says her purl isn't the best, but these days I do the majority of my knitting in the round so not so much of a problem.

In case you can't tell, I'm a bit chuffed (as they say in Yorkshire).

UK Knit Camp

How cool is this? Not only is it six days in Stirling which is a lovely Scottish city it is five days of working with my knitting heroes and other wonderful knitters plus a final day of the best selection of knitting shopping ever!

I have bed and breakfast booked in University accommodation, workshops to be booked in January.

So far the British knitting events I have attended have been awesome. At theCoventry Ravelry day earlier this year I took a workshop with Jared Flood (aka Brooklyn Tweed), sat entranced listening to Meg Swansen and Debbie Bliss.

At the  I-Knit day in London last month not only did I hear her wonderful presentation about what inspires her but I did a workshop with Alice Starmore, ALICE STARMORE! She showed me how to hold the yarn for doing fairisle with a strand in each hand, and she passed around a WIP for us to examine. Separate post on this to come.

So expecting big things from Stirling in August.

WIP

Sorted the uploading of pictures (after a fashion) IE still closes itself now and then. Opened a Flickr account for Ravelry projects which makes it much much easier once the photos are uploaded.

Here is Granny Smith WIP - you can't see from the pic but I am using the new Knit Pro Spectre tips. The lightness of the needles plus the gossamer of the Kidsilk Haze makes it a slow but satisfying knit.

Not quite decided about the Spectres yet - its a bit disconcerting to see your stitches through the needle but the slight stickyness makes them perfect for this yarn.

Aunty Ps

Whilst contemplating the sorry state of the tomato plants in my garden last week it occurred to me, with tremendous delight, that I had the perfect tomatoes for green tomato chutney.

The basic recipe I use was passed to me from dear friend and is called Aunty Ps, after her husband's Aunty Pat who passed it to her . Its a very simple recipe - "2lbs of green tomatoes, 2lbs of apples, 2lbs of sugar, 2 pints of vinegar and pickling spices, boil until done".

What I do is chop the tomatoes and apples in the Magimix first because I don't like big lumps. This year I also chopped in half a courgette that had grown, unobserved, to marrow proportions hidden behind a big leaf. I make up my own pickling spices in a muslin square - peppercorns, cinnamon, juniper berries, coriander seeds, dried chillies.

This year I made two batches - one for Mum and Dad with only a little chilli and one for me with more spice and heat. Perfect with cheese and my homemade, wholemeal bread rolls.

(I will blog/rant about bread another time).