Gulp!

Hi Everyone and welcome, I hope you enjoy this first episode.

 

 

sorry for sound it will improve :-)
FO's
Pimpelliese Shawl using fivemoons Selardi 4ply from www.fivemoons.co.uk
Sharon from fivemoons is running four sock yarn clubs, Sign ups are on the website.

Wips
Keiras Socks, which I amalgamated from several patterns.
My Firefly Nantucket Hat which was designed by Laura Linneman on www.ravelry.com using indigodragonfly MCN Worsted in the Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal. www.indigodragonfly.ca
I have been doing a couple of test knits which I will talk more about in July.

What to Finish?
#1 Ginko Shoulderette Shawl by Maggie Magali
#2 Sweetdreams by Boo Knits
Post in the 'Choose which way' thread on Ravelry.

Spinning
Ashford Traditional wheel: I am spinning some Blue Faced Leicester from www.ontheround.etsy.com or www.ontheround.com which Rachel Jones very kindly dyed for me. I love it.
Spindles My spindle this episode is a top whorl drop spindle from TinasAngoras on Etsy. At the moment it is some plain merino roving in various colours from www.needleworks-pleasure.com It will be used for Christmas!!!!
My Rolags were from www.fondantfibre.tictail.com which is where next weeks prize will come from.
To Cast On
Baby sock hat for my cousin-in-law new baby girl. using fivemoons and JL Alya,
Cutting Teeth Toque by Courtney Spainhower. for Keira using my handspun Gnomeacres in Unicorn Freckles Humbug BFL.
www.shop.gnomeacres.com

Competition ends Tuesday 25th June 2013 @ 12noon GMT approx. 2am New York Time
Prize: 3 fivemoons 20g minimoons
I will pm the winner for address and post within 48 hours of reply.
Next week spinning prize....

 

Potential Podcast??????

Hi Everyone, Well I have been very busy knitting for the Stashdash2013 that Leslie and Laura from The Knit Girllls podcast are doing. I am having an absolute blast on that.
Anyway, I have a little podcast test so let me know your opinion as to whether I should do a full version. Obviously not done anything like this before so be easy on me. I will get the lighting and angles better in time I promise. But I'd like to be more vocal about my knitting and spinning. Plus when I do sewing too I'd like to be able to talk about it in a more head on way. Also I feel you will get to know me better via podcasts as well as chatting on various Ravely forums. Ravelry is brilliant.

Love from England,
Elly ( Elspeth81 on Ravelry & Plurk. Elspeth Campbell on Facebook, ElspethC81 on Twitter)

Tuesday 14th May, 2 days before I'm 32.

Well, on Thursday I turn 32! So why am I torn? Well part of me feels like a teenager who wants to run off and go travelling and see amazing things to tell my children, part of me ( the I'll, fragile part ) feels like I should be in my late seventies. However, the biggest part is just thrilled that I made it another year. To back up....on my 31st birthday I was so I'll I literally had started saying goodbyes to my family and friends. The doctors didn't know why I was so I'll or how to treat me. I was 18kg underweight and frail to the point that breathing was exhausting. But over the last year, I have managed to gain weight up to a healthy 57kg. My body still doesn't work properly and my nausea is still bad but I'm alive.
I've decided that instead of making New Years resolutions I will be making birthday resolutions. This year it will be to try and be more available to my daughters. They have missed out effectively on having a mum because I was just this object of illness in their lives. I want to read, play, love and laugh with them. They are my gift in life and I intend to show them everyday. My oldest starts high school in a year so she needs to have enough self confidence and belief to grow into the young lady she is becoming. My middle daughter is now back at ballet school and has a born talent and she needs my encouragement, love and support to be the ballerina she dreams of becoming. My youngest daughter starts school in September and I need to help her grow into that, give her confidence to make friends and learn. I am so lucky to have such loving children so now I'm starting to recover, my extra strength will be used on them.
I hope you all have someone to love and cherish too. These are my reason to live.

Finished

Demeter's Shawlette http://images4-b.ravelrycache.com/uploads/elspeth81/163171685/file0_medium via #ravulous
so I finally finished my shawl. I started it on 16th February this year. So its taken four weeks. I've been knitting on a lot of other projects too but this is beautiful colours. The yarn is from Fivemoons.co.uk as part of their sock club. I Love it and will definitely be wearing this shawl a lot. More photos of other projects to come. Be happy Elspeth x

Tuesdays and my adventurous cat.

Today I spun more pale blue merino on my beautiful drop spindle. I now have spun 50g of the 100g. It is super fine for me to have achieved. Mostly a fine to medium laceweight. I'm not sure whether to keep it as a single or when I have spun the second 50g to two ply it, or even 3 ply with some pearl lurex  and dark blue irridescent beads. I love the idea of using beads. I love adding beads and sparkle where I can.
I am still spinning the pink/purple for Niamhs dress. I have now finished spinning the contrast yarns for her Playful Stripes cardigan by Alana Dakos. Niamh is cuffed to bits.
As far as knitting since friday, well I've started to knit on my Noro cardigan again. The pattern is just labelled as Gorgeous Garnet from Knit Today magazine #28 May 2008. Not on Ravelry. Its nice and long. I finished the back this morning ans then cast on and worked about 3 inches of the left front. The yarn is Noro Aya and it is lovely. I find cotton hard on my hands which is probably why this very simple piece isn't finished yet. Spring has finally arrived and it was lovely and sunny today so I'm going to need a cardigan soon.
Confession time. I worked out this morning that I am rotating 19 knitting projects at the moment. 10 of them are for other people without a due date. I also have a large box full of hibernating projects like items I didn't finish by christmas or I fell out of love with. Nothing wrong with any of them I just got itch needles and they got put aside. The baby cardigan I'm knitting for our friends now has arms and the body worked top down is half done. Very cute. He will look adorable in it I'm sure.
My spinning wheel is getting a make over this week. I'm staining it a rosewood colour, then waxing it with pure beeswax. It is an Ashford Traditional spinning wheel that I bought second hand. It was neglected and I did a lot to get it in a usable condition. It has however faded and looks very sorry for itself so it needs finishing properly.
Until next time take care of those you love. Elspeth x

Been delayed by life

So, I've not blogger for quite a while now I know. Sorry everyone, life just seems to have gotten in the way. Lots after good things and some bad too. In brief, I have been crazy knitting on both old ufos and current whips. I've finished a few projects and started a lot more oops!!! I have got both startitus and finish-it syndromes at once. Very discombobulating. I've joined yarn clubs and I'm on a fibre club waiting list. My sewing has slowed down to um sitting in my sewing cupboard hoping each day I will make something ha ha.
My health went right up and has since come back down a few steps too. Gah!!!
I have learnt to spin on a top whorl drop spindle and a spinning wheel. I also seem to have breed fibre. I love spinning and then knitting with the yarn I have spun. It feels very satisfying and slightly clever of me. I'm sure you all have had that feeling when you're trying a new skill and it suddenly clicks and you give yourself a pat on the back. Ditto with the spinning.
We had a nice Easter and my daughters go back to school on Monday after a very long two weeks off.
Today however, my youngest is at the beach with some friends and I am about to cast on Laura Nelkins Juego mystery kal. Have a great day everyone and I'll post lots of catch up photos soon.
Elspeth x

Getting there.

I feel a huge need to celebrate. I have gained a huge amount of weight back. On 6th February 2012 I weighed 5st11 oz. My bmi was 13. All due to unknown gastro problems( still unknown too). Today I am 7.6.5oZ. Hooray me. My goal is 8 stone which is my healthy natural weight so almost there.
Oh and my teaching myself to spin is going really well. I've spindle spun all day today and has a lovely day. Pee draughting, spinning, wet setting the yarn. Repeat 3 times. :-)
Oh and spring is almost here.