Playing Catch-Up

I know. It's been a long time. Over a month since my last entry. I knew when I started up this blog again that it was going to be difficult. Writing does not come as easily to me as it once did. ME/CFS flare ups can be long lasting and the fatigue, both mental and physical, they cause, makes writing even more difficult.

While I haven't been writing, I have been knitting, and spinning, and crocheting.

"Cloudy Night"

"Candy Floss"

 These are my finished spinning projects. The left and top one are both purple fibres which have been plied together, while the one on the right is a blue and grey. I sometimes name my new yarn, sometimes not.

"Dulcie" (Ravelry link) is a crochet sweater/top made out of motifs sewn or joined together. There are three kinds of motifs: squares, pentagons, and hexagons. I've nearly finished now, with just about a dozen hexagons to go and then the sewing up, but the picture left gives a good indication of the colours I've chosen. It's a paid for pattern from one of my favourite indy dyers, The Natural Dye Studio. The wife of the operation provides pattern support for their yarn, and is a keen crocheter, so all the patterns are crochet. While I  have a lot of their yarn, I wanted to make this top a little lighter than the wool it was calling for, so I made it out of a cotton/bamboo blend.


These Hermione's Everyday Socks (Ravelry Link) were made for the Ravellenic Games. The goal was to challenge yourself, and since I had in the past had difficulty making socks that fit me, the goal was to do that. I ended up, quite by mistake in the first sock, putting more stitches in the heel gusset than the pattern called for, and I think that's what my problem in the past has been. These extra stitches made the heel wider (I think) and that was where I was having trouble fitting the sock. I also increased the needle size. The next challenge is to replicate the experiment!
This hat is by Wooly Wormhead, one of the premier hat designers of the knitting world. I have really grown to like her hats, although many are slouchy - I don't wear slouch very well. This is one that was designed slouchy, and I've taken and shortened it to suit my tastes. It's called Pavone, (Ravelry link) which is Italian for "peacock" and the little holes are surrounded by a motif that looks like a peacock. It's a fun little hat. I made it out of cotton, and it will be one of my few handknit summer hats.

This is the back of a pullover that I am making for my housemate, Katharina. She requested it last summer, and bought the yarn; I started it right before Christmas. It's called Lundy, (Ravelry link)  and is a glorious thing of cables and rib. I am so slow at cables and rib. But it is coming right along. I've had it on hiatus since the start of the Olympics, but will be jumping back into it as soon as I finish Dulcie. I actually did the second half in one long day of knitting, so I'm reasonably confident I can knit the rest of it up pretty quickly. The yarn is Aran weight, so it's nothing like the laceweight sweater I'm working on.

 Said sweater is Marco, (Ravelry link) which is made from the Natural Dye Studio's Angel laceweight. This yarn is my favourite base, and is very soft and warm. The sweater is a pullover, knit from the top down, and uses a drop stitch pattern. I'm about two-thirds through the first arm, so there's just the other arm and a small cowl neck to go and I'm done. I've had this on the needles since last September, so I'll be glad to finish.

My next article for new knitters (and crocheters) I hope to make about magazines. Do you have any favourites you'd like me to talk about?

Crafts4Crafters, Jan 2014

One of the things I've noticed since I started blogging is that when I get fatigued, writing is the first thing to go. I've had a busy couple of weeks ( by my standards) and haven't been up to writing much. My last entry was going to be about the Crafts4Crafters show held at the local exhibition centre, Westpoint, at the end of January. I'll start there.

The plan had been for myself and Katharina, her mother, and our friend Julia to go together. Due to oversleeping on someone's (cough, Kat) part, we ended up going separately, taking two cars. This was ideal for me as it allowed me to take my electric scooter along. It would have been a squeeze if we had all gone in one car. I went with Kat's mom and the other two joined us a short time later. We had a great time at the show. I met Sara of Sara's Texture crafts and got some fibre from her. I had recently started following her on Twitter, and when I found out she was going to be at the show I made a point of searching out her booth. The multicoloured on the right has sparkle fibre in it, which I've never spun before. It will be interesting to see how it spins up. The other is a Hebridean which will probably go into a cushion or something else not close to skin.

I also bought a little bit of yarn. I wasn't going to shop for yarn, as I already have plenty, but I saw a booth selling Drops yarn at a very reasonable price and have been wanting to try the brand for some time. I got these two little beauties. I thought about getting the same colourway, but getting different colourways and playing with the two skeins together seemed more fun. It's a 4 ply wool, and with two skeins I might be able to make a little shawlette that will dance with colour.


My last purchases were entirely naughty. I have a perfectly good handbag, but passing a leather stall, I couldn't help but look in. The vendors were Leatherwise, and they currently have no online presence, so their goods are only available at shows like these. They design and handmake all their leather bags, sourcing the leather from the furniture industry locally. I was incredibly impressed with the quality of the craftsmanship and the designs of the bags, and finally settled on one I think I can live with for a long while. This one is large enough to hold my things as well as a small knitting project.

We were just about finished when we found the booth I bought from last. Despite already having bought a new handbag, I saw a stand selling all kinds of satchels, craft bags, and baskets. Several of the baskets were on sale for £5 each - large, lined baskets. They were being snatched up like the bargain they were, so I got one myself. I already own one large basket, but it's full of fibre, and with the lining I thought this one would be a good addition to my collection. Now that I've seen how useful it is, I'll probably line my other big one as well. I currently keep my crochet work in the new one.

I also got a new project bag. I've been admiring the plastic cloth (not sure what it's really called) bags with the gorgeous prints that everyone seems to be carrying around these days. I've looked at buying one myself - places like Cath Kidston do them  - but they were minimum £25 and I just didn't want to part with that kind of money when I already had bags I could use. I saw this one on sale for less than half that, and snapped it up. Roses are a favourite flower of mine, so the design is apt. It's roomy enough to hold yarn enough for two sweaters, my box of accessories (box'o'tricks) and a few crochet hooks for fixing problems.

Overall, we had a very nice day, and stayed at the show far longer than I've stayed anywhere, including Alexandra Palace last October. I was dead tired by the end of it, even with using the scooter, but it was worth it.

Tricks and Tips - Tension

As promised, the next instalment for beginners is here. Tension is one of the most important things in both knitting and crochet. However, it is a little complicated, and can easily be misunderstood. The first part of tension lies in how a crafter holds their yarn. The tighter you hold it, the tighter your stitches will be, and the less yarn you'll use. If your stitches are too tight, however, they will be extremely difficult or even impossible to work.

The second part of tension involves how many inches per so many stitches and rows you get when you work with yarn. This is called gauge. You can see what gauge you should be getting when you look on the ball band (the band circling or attached to a skein of yarn.) If you look in the middle, between the washing instructions at the top and the weight at the bottom, you will see a pair of crossed needles with a size under them, and next to that a square that reads "10 x 10 cm, 30 rows, 22 stitches." This means that when you knit 22 stitches over 30 rows with 4 mm needles, you should get a square that measures 10 cm - which is also 4 inches.

Using this information helps you figure out if the garment you're making will the the right size. While many things don't require gauge swatches, such as scarves, blankets, shawls and stoles, other things, especially sweaters, really need them. The pattern will include the required gauge/tension. It will be in the form of 10 cm/4 inches = x stitches over y rows, usually similar to the gauge on the ball band of the yarn suggested in the pattern.

To find whether your personal tension matches the tension required to make your garment the right size, you need to take the  yarn you're going to use and the needle size suggested on the ball band, and work a gauge swatch, also called a tension square. To the right, you will see some of the ones I have done; the one in yellow was knit in the round because it was for a hat that was to be worked in the round. Keep in mind that when you knit your square, you want to knit it either flat if your project is flat, or in the round if your project is going to be in the round. A person's tension often varies between these two styles of knitting.

The swatch is easy enough to work. You cast on the number of stitches the tension of the pattern suggests, and knit the required number of rows. You then cast off and measure the swatch. It's strongly suggested in most circles that you also wash it, to give a good indication of what the material will do once it's been put through what the finished garment will go through. If it measures 10 x 10 cm (4 inches square) then you are set. But what if it doesn't? If it is too big, go down a needle size. If it is too small, go up a needle size. You may have to try a few times to get the right size needle if your tension is not typical to what is on the ball band, or if you are using a different yarn to that suggested in the pattern. For example, a DK weight yarn called for in the pattern might be slightly thicker or thinner than one you decide to use instead, and so the tension will be slightly different.

A note on yarn substitution: if you are going to use a different yarn to make a project than one suggested, it is a good idea to use one of the same weight. Using a different weight yarn will change the math of the pattern, as you will need to cast on more or less stitches for a thinner or thicker weight of yarn. While you would need to do a tension swatch to know how many stitches you'd need to cast on and work, this is a little more advanced and shouldn't be tried until you are very comfortable with how patterns fit together.

I will be the first to admit that I don't always swatch. I know my tension usually matches that of the ball band, and I can alter things if I find my pattern going awry while I am knitting. This comes with practice and confidence. I still get caught out, however, and have had some catastrophes in my time. I tend to swatch for sweaters and hats for the most part, and always when I made things for other people. Tension swatches are a good idea for making sure things fit and look their best on the intended wearer, and should be used accordingly.

Tips and tricks for new knitters: Needles and Hooks

One of the first questions facing the new crafter is "What kind of needle/hook should I get?"

My answer? It's very much down to the individual and how you like the feel of different materials in your hands. I'll start with hooks, because there seems to be a little less choice involved with them than with needles. 

Crochet hooks come in a range of sizes. The smallest run to about .6mm, and the largest can be upwards of 10mm. (American sizes use letters, but I find the millimetre to be more exact.) The sizes, like those of knitting needles, are dependant on the thickness of the yarn. Cobweb and laceweight yarn use the smaller needles, while working up through the different sizes you use bigger and bigger hooks or needles. More on that below. 

My set of crochet hooks. The one with a hook at each end is two different sizes.

Hooks are also made of several different things. I bought a set when I first started crocheting. The smallest hooks were made of metal, presumably steel. The bigger hooks were made of plastic, and I bought some that were made of wood. Some have handles that are made of a different substance to the hook itself. One hook I have has a wooden handle and a metal hook. Some hooks offer easy grips that have gel like handles and can have either a metal or plastic hook. If you suffer from arthritis or pain in your arms, something with an easy grip would be better for you. KnitPro makes a hook called Waves that offers easy grip; Clover offers two that I know of - Amour and Soft Touch. I have not used any of these hooks, but have been told the Amour are a nicer version of the Waves. I do not know the difference between the Soft Touch and the Amour. 

Disclaimer: It is my firm opinion that hooks and needles are a very personal thing. What one person really likes using, another person might not like. I will not recommend any kind of needle or hook for this reason, but will only say what I like using and encourage you to try different types yourself. Many local yarn stores will let you try out a type of hook or needle before buying. It can't hurt to ask. 

Needle are made of much the same things. Wood, metal, and plastic seem to be the default materials, but with knitting I find that depending on the yarn  you use, you will want to use different types of needles. Because in knitting you have many stitches on the needles, what yarn you use will be affected more than in crochet, where you have at most two or three loops on your hook. 

Slipperiest of all are the metal needles. These are either nickel or stainless steel as far as I know, and different manufacturers will advertise what their needles are made of. One yarn I usually use metal needles for is silk yarn. It tends to grip the needle, and when I tried to knit with silk on a wooden needle, I could hardly slide it up and down. Switching to metal made it much easier to work the rows. 

Next comes plastic needles. These are hard and durable, usually the cheapest of the needles, and I started on these. I found they worked pretty well for most types of yarn, but the ends are blunter than wooden or metal needles as a general rule, so if you're trying to work fine or splitty yarn, they might not be ideal. 

Finally, the wooden needles. These are comprised of either hardwoods like the KnitPro Symphonies, or bamboo. Bamboo needles are often soft on the hands, and warm up as you work, making them ideal for people with aches and pains in the hands or arms. Hardwood needles offer a superior gripping surface for the yarn, and are great for yarns that like to slide around a lot. If you're having trouble keeping yarn on the metal or plastic needles, go for the hardwoods. 

Double pointed needles. 

One set of circular needle tips with different sized cables.

Knitting also has different kinds of needles. In addition to the straight needles that everyone may be familiar with, there are double pointed needles ((DPNs) and circular needles. These last two kinds were developed for knitting in the round, although I use circulars as well for knitting flat as well. Circulars come in two different kinds too - fixed, where you have a cable between the needles that is a certain length, and where the needles are a certain width, and interchangeable, where you have a set. The set comes with needle tips of varying widths (usually ranging from 3.5mm to 8mm) and cables that make up a circular needle length of 16" to 32" or longer. Circular needles can be used to knit things which are too long for straight needles - the body of a sweater, or a shawl, which often has 300+ stitches in some part of it. The cable in between the needles holds the work, and I find it very useful in working with heavy items such as large garments. It helps take weight off the wrists and prevent RSI or other kinds of pain.

One thing to remember with double pointed needles is that you only work with two at a time; most of the needles simply hold stitches, much as a straight needle does. Depending on the number of stitches in your row, you can either use all five, or just four. A  minimum of three needles is needed to hold the stitches, and you work with the one not holding any. Rubber tips can be gotten to put on the end you're not working with so the stitches don't slide off.

I was going to cover tension swatches in this article as well, but I find I've rambled on somewhat about needles, so I'll leave that for next time. I'll leave you with this chart on what size needles work best with the different weights of yarn.

Laceweight (2-ply): 1.5-2.25 mm (US 000-1)

Fingering (also called sock weight or 4-ply): 2.25-3.25 mm (US 1-3)

Sport (also called baby or 5-ply): 3.25-3.75 mm (US 3-5)

DK (double knit): 3.75 - 4.5 mm (US 5-7)

Worsted and Aran: 4.5-5.5 mm (US 7-9)

Chunky: 5.5-8 mm (US 9-11)

Bulky (also called superchunky): 8 mm + (US 11 +) 

Monday special: Tips and tricks for beginning knitters

I've noticed that several of my friends have decided to take up knitting or crochet recently, and many have been asking for advice. As with most people who love their craft, I am always keen to pass on information and help to new crafters. Sharing the joy of working with yarn is something that any knitter, crocheter, or spinner can relate to.

With that in mind, I've decided to do a semi-regular series on getting started in the world of yarn craft. These will likely be posted once or twice a week in addition to my regular weekly post.

I'm going to start with yarn. Yarn is the one material crocheters and knitters have to know best, and while getting to know how different yarn behaves is part of the learning process, there are some things I have learned through trial and error that might benefit people just starting out.

There are several different materials that yarn is made of. Probably the most well known and common to work with is wool. Wool comes from the fleece of a sheep, and there are many different breeds of sheep, so there are many different kinds of wool. The wool from the Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) and Merino breeds of sheep are common in use today. They are usually soft enough to wear close to the skin of all but the most sensitive person. However, there are many, many more breeds, and each has it's own characteristics. Wool often offers sturdy material once knitted up, and many types will felt. Felting is when the fibres of the wool stick closer together and make a very dense fabric, shrinking whatever has been made with it.

Superwash wool is wool that has been taken and chemically treated so that it does not easily felt. This can be more safely machine washed. This kind of wool is popular for socks and gifts, especially baby items that a busy parent can just throw in the machine instead of gentle hand washing.

Another type of yarn is that of the camel. Other camelids are also used, alpaca especially, and these are considered a more luxury yarn. The fabric they make often drapes nicely, making a different kind of fabric to that of pure wool. They are also very warm. One thing I have noticed about alpaca specifically is that is tends to "grow" as you work with it, and even after you are done with the project. I made a cardigan out of an alpaca blend yarn (with some silk and some wool) and it has grown to be too large for me, especially in the arms. One trick I have learned with working with this fibre is to use a smaller needle size than you would otherwise, because it will get bigger. Washing it does shrink it somewhat, but with wear it will grow again.

Other animal fibres used in yarn include angora, which provides a halo effect when knitted up, and silk, which gives a bright sheen to the yarn. Silk takes dye especially well, so any yarn with silk in it tends to be brilliantly colourful.

Plant fibres used in yarn are extremely varied. Personally, I have used yarn made of sugar cane, bamboo, cotton, and soya, and I know there are others out there. I am sadly ignorant of how these fibres are spun into yarn, but together they make up a wonderful selection of yarns that can be worn in warmer weather. Cotton comes in two forms; mercerised, where the strands have been treated so they do not separate easily,  and regular, where the strands are a little more separate.

In crochet, I find mercerised cotton easier to work with. The strands (plies) do not separate easily, and this makes it easier to take the hook through all plies without splitting them. In knitting, it is a little easier to take the needle through all the plies, although you have to pay attention. Splitting a ply in your yarn makes the finished work look untidy at best.

The way plant fibres are processed usually leads to a splitty yarn, and care must be taken when working with these yarns, but they produce delightful results. Cotton is my favourite material to crochet with.

There are myriad books written on the different properties of different types of yarn; I can not even begin to cover them all here. One thing I really recommend is doing your homework when starting a project with a new-to-you yarn. Ravelry comes in very handy here. For those of you not familiar with the website, it is a kind of network for yarncrafters. Databases with patterns and yarn are built into the site, along with forums and groups that you can join depending on your interests. There are thousands, if not millions, of different patterns, both free and for sale; there are also entries for nearly every yarn you can buy. These entries have information such as washing instructions, what fibre(s) are in the yarn, and many other useful things. They also have comments users have made based on their experiences with it. Reading these comments requires only a free membership, and can give you insights into how the yarn will behave while being worked and what the finished object will do. Will it felt? Grow? Look good with those cables you want to put in? It's all there.

Next time, I'll talk about needles and tension. If you have any requests, please feel free to leave me a comment and I'll do what I can!

Wherein I get addicted to crochet

Fun matching hats!

I'm a little bit late with this week's blog, but in all fairness to me it has been a very busy second half of the week. More specifically, Wednesday was very busy, followed by sheer exhaustion on Thursday and a little less sheer exhaustion on Friday.

Wednesday, as I think I have mentioned before, is when my local knitting group gets together. This week I had a little added excitement in going. My housemate Katharina had decided she wanted to learn to crochet this past week, so I sat her down and went over the basics. I got as far as the (British) Treble stitch, and decided to set her to work on granny squares. She wanted to make a baby blanket, so was happy to get going on something that would be more than just going back and forth in a row. I was getting my things ready to take to the group, and she peeks her head in and starts asking me questions about yarn. One thing led to another and she came along with me! So I have gotten someone else hooked on yarncraft and I am very excited about it. I've been told I'm a very good teacher, so I've added teaching knitting and crochet classes to my list of considerations for the future. Once I'm back in America, I'll have a look at what local yarn stores offer and approach them with ideas.

After knitting group on Wednesday, we headed an hour south to the town of Brixham where I auditioned and Kat sat on the panel for Romeo and Juliet. This show is being put on by the South Devon Players, whom I have done shows with in the past, and will be set in the 1860s in Brixham. I went for the role of either Lady Montague or Lady Capulet, and got the former. It will be perfect, because I can sit in rehearsal and craft while the others are going their bits, then when I am needed (she appears 3 times in the show) I can toddle on and do a bit of acting. Best of both worlds.

After such a long day, I was too wiped out to do much but work on the newest project I have started. That's right, something new! I got a message from my friend Kieran, who recently had a baby daughter. He and his wife (also my friend) Krysh were wondering if I would be able to make a second baby blanket for them, and how much it would cost. I gave them a quote, and they gave me the go-ahead. Wednesday, I had a look to see if I could find yarn I wanted at the yarn shop, and found some. I bought it and started right away. I must have worked 4 hours on it Wednesday, and a further few hours Thursday. By late last night, I was getting near the end. I'm going to have to buy some more yarn soon.  I made the first one as a gift for their new baby, so I'm really quite thrilled to be able to make a second. It speaks volumes of what they think of my work and is a huge boost to my confidence. They asked for bold colours this time around; the first time I used pastels. I will make it to 3 feet square and then line it with fleece. I'll be seeing them at the beginning of February, so I have set myself that deadline so I can give it to them in person. I don't think getting it done in time is going to be a problem. I seem to be addicted to crochet at the moment.

Aside from that, I haven't been working on a lot else. I knitted quite a bit last weekend and early this week on my Marco pullover. I'm almost done with the body, and will do the arms and cowl neck during the Olympics. They will be part of my challenge for Ravelry's own version of the games. More on that once it's actually started.

 I did get my final hat washed and blocked for Halos of Hope, and sent those off on Wednesday as well. I'm sending a total of five hats, three of which will fit adults and two which I think will probably be too small. They do take hats for children though, so hopefully they will find heads that need hats. Three, the dark brown hats, are to the same pattern, the Sockhead Hat (Ravelry Link) which I altered to make them less slouchy, and two are simply hats I liked the pattern of.


Next Thursday is a show at Westpoint Arena (a local centre that does a lot of shows) called Crafts4Crafters, and I will be going with a small group. Depending on how tired I am afterward, I will write either that day or the next. There will be a lot of fabric vendors there, so I will be sourcing the fleece backing for the baby blanket. To see what else I get, tune in next week!

A busy week

Last week, I promised I would write more about an exciting plan I have for 2014. I have been thinking for awhile about doing some of my own design work, but putting thought into what I am physically capable of, and how much work design actually takes, I have decided on something a little different. I'm planning to do just a few designs, and sell the results; my first foray into the field is a lace shawl. I have also decided I'm going to do armwarmers, and I got a book on designing sweaters for Christmas, so I'll probably have a go at that at some point as well.

I've already started work on a shawl design, and have notes for another and possibly a third. Lace shawls are something I am confident making, and so far my design work has gone well, if slowly. It's fatiguing work. I've only taken one picture so far, a little sneak preview of what the first few rows look like, which will have to do until I've knit the first shawl and am happy with how it looks. I'm sixty or so rows in now, out of perhaps 200; I plan to knit until I run out of yarn. The first shawl I will keep, and any adjustments I make I will integrate into a second shawl, which I will give to a member of my family. The third will be up for sale. My sister already sells some of her own sewing creations at local craft shows in Columbus, Ohio, and I hope to partner with her.

In addition to my plans, I have been doing a lot of more ordinary work, working on things both for myself and for others. Several knitting podcasts I listen to are participating in a Halos of Hope charity drive called the Podcaster Throwdown, (link to Halos of Hope store) where the various podcasters are competing to see who can donate the most hats. Listeners are encouraged to choose one podcast as their team and donate as many as they wish. I set myself a goal of five hats, some of which I made last year. The last one I finished this past week. It's a simple mock cable pattern called the Caramel Ripple Hat (link goes to my Ravelry project page), which I made out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. It's quite small, but will fit a child nicely. I plan to get my hats sent off in the next week.

At the request of my housemate, I made a little holder for her dictaphone. I crocheted it out of green and purple yarn, alternating rows, and am very happy with how it turned out. The green rows are a simple double crochet (American terms) and the purple rows are a crossed double, where I crochet in the second space, then go back and crochet in the first. The top has a picot edge.

I have also started a sweater for her. The pattern she picked is Lundy, made out of some wool she picked up at Aldi - the brand is Kirkton House and it's an aran weight. The sweater is a mix of 1x1 ribbing and cables, an interesting mix of mindless knitting and intricate cablework.




That's not to say I'm not doing anything for myself. After doing five hats for Halos of Hope, I felt like making another for myself. I had recently given one away because it was really too large for me, and I thought I had just enough of the yarn from the first left to make a second if I made it smaller. I got out the pattern and knit the smallest size, and have just finished it tonight. It's a pattern called Everglade and I've made it out of The Natural Dye Studio's Angel DK, which I got some time ago in a club special.  This is unblocked, as I've literally just woven in the ends.

The other project I worked on for myself was a new pair of armwarmers. I seem to have developed a bad habit of taking finished objects I'm bored with and giving them to other people. My housemate is the major recipient of most of my recent generosity - since I've moved in she's gotten a hat that blocked large, and a set of armwarmers that have stretched, besides the dictaphone holder and the sweater that's on the needles. Anyway, I had some homespun yarn that I fancied using, and was planning to make a hat with it. Looking at the yardage, I decided to make the armwarmers with it instead, and was kind of glad I did. My spinning is getting better, but it's still not top notch, and this yarn is a little older than my newest and therefore not as good. It was uneven and would have made a rather rough hat, but it knitted up lovely and thick for armwarmers. The only downside I had was the fact that there wasn't enough. I had the foresight to weigh the ball at the beginning, and then I weighed it about half way through the first armwarmer and found I would be short. I dug through my leftover half balls of yarn and found a skein that complemented the handspun, and which was also a little lighter and not as itchy for the sensitive parts of my wrist and my hands, which didn't really need to warmth I required for my arms. I am exceptionally pleased with how these turned out.

I got asked a question during the week by a friend with Fibromyalgia who knits and crochets. She asked me some strategies  I use to knit and crochet when I am tired or achey. One of her main avenues of questioning was grips on crochet hooks. I gave her a response, but I thought there might be other people out there with the same or similar issues who don't know who to ask, and that a little something here would be good from time to time. Here is my response to her query:

"Bearing in mind I have ME/CFS and not fibro, and therefore more problems with the fatigue end of the scale than the pain, there are a few things I can say. I got some voltarol (diclofenac) gel prescription strength off my GP a few years ago when I went to him with pain in my thumb and elbow. He said it was RSI, gave me the stuff and told me to rest and apply when necessary. It was a huge tube and I hoard it, so I can use it when the pain gets too bad. I find the gel really works, if you can get it. It's also an over the counter medication, I believe.

Another thing that I use a LOT are braces. I have some for my hands, wrists (which make knitting next to impossible, but stabilize my wrists so that they feel better quicker) and an elbow brace that I often use when I crochet and sometimes when I knit. Elbows are one of the places where I get pain first, so I can wrap the brace around the base of my elbow and work fairly happily. All of these were recommended to me by GPs. The elbow brace is just a long strip of different kinds of material that fasten on via velcro. You can apparently get them at any sports store; they are commonly used for tennis elbow therapy. Mine was about £8 and I highly recommend it.

Talking about crochet hooks, I do know of a hook with a soft grip. One of the indie dyers I often buy from does a lot of crochet, and she got onto these ones by Clover called Amour. They’re fairly new out; bearing in mind she sells them on her website for about £6 they’re not cheap, but I’d guess they’re worth checking out. (Please note; I have not used these hooks, but reviews by other people have said they are good.)

A lot of different sources I’ve read recommend using bamboo needles when your hands are sore, as the lightweight factor in the needle works to reduce the grip you need, and also the wood is warmer and kinder to your hands. The only problem I’ve found with bamboo is that it is very grippy, so your projects using them are limited to things you really don’t want sliding off your needles.

In terms of the kind of needle I use, I almost always use circular needles to knit back and forth, and find it holds heavy projects easier than two straights. You aren’t straining your hands to hold something heavy up. This helps ease pressure on sore hands and arms."

If you're a knitter or crocheter reading this, and have not joined Ravelry, I strongly suggest you do. It's free, and has databases full of patterns and yarn; it also has places to keep track of what projects you're working on, what yarn and needles/hooks you own, and all your bought patterns. On top of that, there are forums and groups full of helpful advice and friendly people. I believe it is the best resource for fibre workers out there.

I hope to post once a week, so until then!

2013

It's been a long time since I've written a blog post, and I seem to be a little out of practice. This is my third attempt to write something, and I'm not sure I'm happy with it - but here goes.

The turn of the new year is always a time when we go over what we have done the previous year. I'll do a little of that in this post, and then over the next few days I'll talk about what this year will bring for me. I have exciting plans, and high hopes - probably the reason I'm resurrecting this blog after a year away! 

To start with - what did I do? Well, I did knit, of course. I did a little crochet as well, but not as much as I would have liked. I have trouble with my joints and have to take it easy; working with the hook too much makes my elbows and hands hurt. I also worked on my spinning, and am finally getting to the point where my perfectionist self is happy with the yarn I'm creating. 

The obligatory montages; first, the knitting finished objects: 

A smaller section for the Christmas presents I made this year:

And the crochet FOs:

And finally the spinning FOs. 

2013 was an interesting year for me. I started up amateur dramatics again. I was involved in two shows, one being the epic Les Miserables written as a stage play by the woman who directed it, based on the book. I had four roles, so it was quite a lot of work! I did a little bit of larp, and decided I was going to move back to the States. More on that later. 

My health has not improved any, and maybe even gone a little downhill. I still go to a knitting group, but I don't get out every week anymore. I find working on more demanding projects exhausting, and always have something "mindless" on the needles. However, my craft is one of the few constants in my life, and it is a rare day indeed when I physically can not do some kind of work. I mention this, because it will more than likely come up quite a lot in my blog. Suffering from ME/CFS has certainly changed my life, and talking about the condition is something I do openly and often. 

I'll end this by saying if you have anything you'd like to see me include, please let me know. I've already had a request for a tutorial on beginning knitting. I will probably do one for crochet as well. Thanks for reading! 

The Last Six Months

I can't believe it's been over half a year since I last blogged! I have been keeping myself busy with various knitting projects. Taking up most of my time was the one that I started at the end of July and took me 2 months to complete: a pullover for a friend of mine who had need of a new one. She wanted something long in black, and so I found some cotton that was nice and inexpensive and knit... and knit... and knit. I only charge for materials, and not my time, probably a good thing, since this took forever to make, despite being an easy knit! I based it on Sprout (my Ravelry link) from Knitty (the Ravelry project link), but extended it, didn't do the wraps as written in the pattern, and seamed it all the way down.I shipped it out at the beginning of September to one very happy customer, who then turned around and asked for some extra yarn to fix the seaming which I had obviously not managed to get quite right! Obviously something I need to work on.

After that, I started on Christmas stuff, to make sure I had time to get it all done. I did necklets for the women in my family, and mug hugs for the men. While they were small, they were lots of fun to make, and I got appreciation from all receivers. I made two of each colour necklets; the purple yarn was a Rowan silk cotton I picked up years ago in America, and the blue is Rowan Calmer, which is super soft and stretchy. I loved working with both of these yarns. The men's mug cozies were made from bits of yarn I had left over. It seems to be a great stash buster project as you really don't need a lot of yarn to make one, even making the fancy version (as I did) versus the plain version (which I have made in the past and is all stockinette stitch.)

After I made those, I decided I had time to finish the vest/waistcoat I had been making for Malcolm, who was until recently my father-in-law. I sat down and got it done in time to ship out for Christmas.This is a picture of it with my housemate generously modelling it for me. Malcolm wanted something in green, and I liked the tweed effect the Hayfields Aran yarn gave. It was however very coarse and hard on my hands, which kept cramping when I knit with it. I was pleased with the final outcome however.

Once I was done with my Christmas knitting, I sat down and picked up a shawl which had been on my needles since April 2011, according to Ravelry. This was a mystery KAL shawl I had bought to support the Japanese tsunami disaster relief efforts, and had never gotten around to finishing it. It's a two part shawl, with the first 36 rows done in intricate lace; nupp and cables play a major role in it. Those 36 rows took me forever to do, but once I was done with them it was stockinette with a cable up the middle, which I finished in about a week. The finished product is really amazing.

Interspersed in all that, I decided it was high time that I learned Fair Isle. I was inspired by several designs in the January edition of The Knitter, and looked up a few tutorials. Both recommended that you hold the different yarns with different hands; knit continental with one hand and English with the other. In order to do this, I had to learn Continental knitting, and to learn to knit with my right hand. I sat down and first figured out the intricacies of Continental, which really isn't all that different to how I currently knit, holding my yarn in my left hand. The major difference is that the working needle is the right needle, where I'm used to the working needle being the left. The bigger challenge for me was when it came to doing fair isle itself and trying to knit with my right hand in a fashion that I'm used to doing with my left; I had to go back to basics and ask myself "how to right handers purl?" and such questions. I'm very slow with both techniques, but that's to be expected. However, I have managed one Fair Isle tutorial with a simple project. The green is all Continentally knit, and the red is stranded across the back in the traditional Fair Isle style. This is without washing or blocking to even out stitches, so I'm quite proud of what I managed.

Finally, I learned through Twitter of a contest that Artyarns was holding. They were offering a pattern free for a limited time, a cowl, which you had to knit using any Artyarns yarn before December 30th. I ordered some Supermerino in the Berry colourway (I think it was) and then promptly forgot about it. The yarn arrived Christmas Eve from the States (I got it off Amazon, and wasn't expecting it to arrive from America) and I thought it was a present. I put it under the tree and decided to open it at midnight. Glad I did! I discovered this yarn and immediately remembered the contest. I was having trouble sleeping anyway, so I wound it, cast on, and did about half the cowl in one night. I finished it the next night. A nice quick project, but I did screw up and it became a mobius instead of a nice round circle. However, this doesn't stop it being a warm cowl, so I plan on using it. It is very pink though.

My knitting new year's resolution is to go on a yarn diet. I plan to move back to America in mid-2014, and want to get rid of as much yarn as I can, so I don't have to move it. Granted, I'll still have to move the stuff I make from it, but this way I can get into some of my stash and enjoy it and not think about spending more money on yarn I don't need or really have room for.

Spinning and the Ravelympics

Today's blog is brought to you by spinning. I had kind of left spinning behind since I moved to Exeter, letting the wheel gather dust in the spare room which also stored all the craft supplies. With the rent going up and our need to get a third person in the house, we have moved most everything out of the spare room now, so my wheel has taken pride of place next to the chest of drawers in my bedroom. That, and the fact that my bag of fibre was so full I was having trouble fitting it in the drawer which is now its new home, drew me back into the spinning which I had let lapse.

I started off by finishing off some plying that I had begun before I broke my arm. I was having trouble with getitng the wheel to "take up" the yarn, resulting in a lot of frustration and no plying happening. I decided to let it sit awhile and I would go back to it, and ended up letting it sit for over two months. I did get it sorted in the end though. The fibre I was plying was merino, part of a pack of six different colours I had purchased back when I started. They were very small (about 20 grams) worth, and I decided that I would spin the seperate colours, then ply them together. I think I did yellow and green, then a couple of purples with a blue, and then a different yellow with a different purple. Or something. Anyway, this particular one was the yellow and purple (which also happen to be the colours of the university I went to.) I plan to make some wristers or something with the yarn, since there's not much of it. It's really very pretty though, don't you think? Now I just need to work out how to use my niddy noddy, which has defied all my attempts at figuring out just which way to wrap the yarn. I fear this may mean taking it to someone who knows about these things, as youtube is just not hacking it.

My current spinning project is a little... bigger. At the same time I bought the merino tops that were spun above, I bought some Corriedale sliver. The colour is called Ice, and it's a lovely shade of grey-blue. I got 300 grams of it because I loved the colour so much! I'm really glad I did too, because Corriedale has fast become my new favourite fibre. While it's not quite as soft as merino, it spins up so easily that all I need to do is sit there and hold it. I'm sure that the fact that it's sliver, which is a thinner preperation of the wool than a top, may be helping, but I'm really loving spinning this stuff. It's also spinning really thinly really easily, meaning that I'm getting a consistent, thin yarn which will be perfect for a shawl. I'm really excited about this, as I didn't think I'd get such consistent shawlweight yarn for awhile longer. Even plied, I think it will be sock weight if not lighter; the singles are certainly laceweight. I may just knit the singles. I'll decide that once I've finished the spinning. You can see the very end of the spun bit hanging over the spindle in this picture. It's only half spun because it's on the end, so that will be tighter when it's done. I'm very pleased with this yarn.

My knitting project are coming along slowly. Very slowly. I'm considering what I want to do for Ravelympics (link requires a Ravelry login) and being amused/horrified by all the to-do going on. If you are unfamiliar with it, there is a news article here. Basically, the US Olympic Comittee insulted knitters (and crocheters) worldwide while trying to get them to change the name because of  Trademark infringement. Last time I checked (media law and ethics class, 2002), trademark can only be affected if there is a profit involved, but I'm going to leave this to heads that actually remember things. Still, disgusted by how they refer to knitters. You'd think officals would have more sense when so many people are involved. It's become a trending event on twitter.And THAT is amusing.

Back in business - and a contest!

After four weeks of not being able to do much of anything thanks to having my left arm in a sling, I am back in business! Already, I have finished a little something that goes around a can my orchid is currently living in; the can is a little wider than the pot for the orchid, so the pot goes in about half way and leaves the other half for water to accumulate so the roots aren't drenched. This is important for orchid cultivation. I used up the last of some yarn I got last year, and then finished with some completely different stuff, just for drama. Ravelled here.

I promised a picture of the hood I made. I took a pattern and modified it, then took some plastic wiring and fed it through the bit that frames the face. It ended up looking very different to how I imagined, but given the circumstances in which I will be using it, I'm not too bothered. Other pictures can be found on the Ravelry project page.

I subscribe to a site that has probably several thousand crochet patterns for free. They send me emails with some of the most popular every day, and there's also the odd contest. Right now, they're running a contest for free yarn. If you would like to enter, the link to the blog is here!

I'm currently working on a baby shrug for a friend, and a stole that I think I might give to my sister. Lots of exciting projects coming up, so watch this space for more!

I recently bought a new cloak for larp. It didn't have a hood, but I bought it at an IC shop, using IC money, so it was essentially free. I decided I would make a hood, and found a pattern on Ravelry. I haven't been able to get a picture yet, as taking pictures of the back of one's own head is difficult.

Not too long after I finished this hood, I fell and fractured my shoulder. I'll be out of commission for awhile, so don't expect to hear from me. Pics to come when I can manage.

Olympic Pillow

I have a new project. In my copy of The Knitter for this month, there was an article about an initiative to make cushions out of British Wool for Olympic and Paralympic athletes coming to the London Games. The link can be found here. I already had 100g of Ronaldsay wool that I picked up at Fibre Flurry in 2010, but needed a total of 250. Katherine and I had been talking about going around the various yarn stores in Exeter anyway, so I took that opportunity to look for some appropriate wool. At one of them, I found wool from locally raised sheep - perfect! The breeds were Hebridean and Shetland, the colours brown and black respectively. The light grey is the Ronaldsay. It's Ravelled here

I'm quite pleased with how this is going. The yarn is aran, and knits up fairly quickly; I've not been knitting quickly as my elbow is still bothering me somewhat, but I've had it a little over a week and have done one 16x16" side. Once I do the other side, I will be able to send it off to be stuffed - the stuffing has been donated and there don't seem to be any stuffing events in my area. I have plenty of time, since they want all cushions submitted by the end of March.

In case anyone was wondering, I finished the hat from my last post. It turned out pretty well.


I've been doing some spinning as well. Once I get the yarn plied, I'll put it up here. That's all for now!

Endings and Beginnings

I have been very busy lately. You see, I have just moved house - from Bristol to Exeter! It is a whole new stage in my life, as I am leaving behind the home I lived in for over six years and my husband of almost five to live with a friend and try my hand at the single life again. It's kind of bittersweet; it was his choice to break up, and yet I find myself looking forward to taking this step in my life and seeing what I can make of myself.

Enough philosophy! I was going to write about the projects I've been working on during the move. I only got the boxes from the removal company a few days before I was due to move out, so I ended up packing up everything in about a three day period. I kept aside a few small projects that I was trying to get finished, and the first off the needles was Elorne, by Woolly Wormhead. This hat grabbed my attention immediately, with it's fun little cables and yarnovers right next to them, which give it a interesting air. I didn't want it to be very slouchy though, so I cut back on the 2 inch brim you're supposed to knit, and then cut down on the pattern repeats. Alas! My bad luck with hats continues, as it seems to be a little small. It fits my head, but just barely, and doesn't really look very good. I'm currently blocking it now in the hopes of stretching it a bit. If it doesn't, I'll be adding some crocheted rows on around the brim. Below is a picture of it blocking - stretched around a plate. It is the only way I have found of blocking hats without buying some expensive piece of kit to do it.

I used the Grace Hand-Beaded yarn that I talked about in a previous post. It turned out to be pretty nice to use, with the slight drawback that the end was knotted to keep the last bead in place, so joining the yarn was a bit... interesting. Still, I love the yarn and was really pleased working with it. It turns out to be a bit of a pain to frog though, since the beads get in the way - something to remember.

My next project had to wait until I was in the new house. I spent a few days unpacking, and then went straight to work, finishing off something that has been on my needles for over a year now. I started this with the intention of using it to get used to Rowan's Kidsilk Haze. I plan on using this amazing yarn to make Ice Queen, a rather intricate and beaded creation. I didn't want to bead the yarn until I was used to it, and had an extra ball going, so I decided to just make two things. The pattern is Party Lace Scarf (Ravelled here) and it took me forever to get it finished. I had trouble getting used to the yarn, and would put it down after only a few rows, then not pick it up again for ages. This week I decided I was going to have it done by the time the weekend was over, and so I sat down and did it. I spent from Thursday morning to Sunday morning knitting, and have gotten it washed and blocking this afternoon. It'll be ready to come off the boards tomorrow morning. Do you like my pink blocking boards? They are just multi-purpose interlocking mats I got off ebay. I had to put three together to block this 61" scarf. It's as long as I am tall!

My project for the next few days will be to finish off a pair of socks that I started sometime last year as well. The Spring Forward socks from the ezine Knitty are fun to knit, but get a bit tedious, so I had to take (what turned out to be a very long) break from making them. My memory seems to be saying Christmas knitting got in the way of that, as well. With my recent success in making socks, I'm going to finish this second one before I stop feeling good about them. Then it will be on to a cardigan, or a shawl, or a stole or... oh, so many things I want to make! 

Socks: Round 2

I have a love-hate affair with socks. At the beginning of 2011, I said to myself that I was going to learn to knit socks, and I did. By May, I had decided that I was going to make socks for my family for Christmas. By August, I knew that I was never going to make another pair again, because every pair I tried to make ended up not fitting in the heel.

That is, until I was contacted by a good friend of mine, who offered me a commission. My first commission. He wanted a pair of good warm socks, knee socks. This guy has been really nice to me, and I didn't want to say no, so I didn't. Instead, I started poking around, trying to find a heel that would fit better. In my research, I found out why the socks I had made in the past didn't fit me; I was making a heel flap instead of a short row heel. There's a difference? Apparently so. I also learned that for this friend, making the socks with the aformentioned heel flap would be better. I told him I would do it, and have set to work. The project is Ravelled here. I'm using a pattern called Thuja from Knitty, and heavily modified it to make it more suitable for knee high socks. The yarn is King Cole Merino Blends, a superwash merino that is really nice to work with. It's not quite as soft as the other merinos I've worked with, but I'm putting that down to the superwash. The colours are really nice, and have knitted up quite nicely. I originally bought three balls of the stuff, then panicked and bought another two more in case three wasn't enough. Looking at it now that I'm half done, I think three is actually going to be ok, but I'm tempted to keep the other two just because the yarn was a good price and is really nice stuff in colours I tend to enjoy knitting in. As for the commission, I don't expect to get much more than what will cover my expenses, what with buying 5 balls of yarn and sock blockers, but I'm not in this for the money (at least, not yet!)