Sister's Summer Socks

Summer is ending and I managed to knit my sisters summer socks just in time. I call them her summer socks because of the yarn which reminds me of summer. When my sister saw them she renamed them her unicorn socks. It's funny how people see different things in yarn.

The yarn is by Mothy and the Squid. She was my fibre swap partner earlier in the year and I am so glad I was partnered up with her because her yarn has become a favourite of mine. I especially love her rainbow series. This yarn is actually sport weight rather than sock. It just means it's 5ply rather than 4 and makes for a slightly thicker sock. The colourway is called "Summer Skies Rainbow". As soon as I saw it I thought it would be perfect for my sister and having knit with it I am actually a little jealous. It's beautiful to knit with. Head over to Mothy and the Squid's etsy shop and you'll find more of her beautiful yarn.

I used the basic sock pattern. I think for the rainbow yarn only the basic sock pattern will do. The colours have to be shown off and any pattern will hide that. It was fast to knit up. I do like a basic pattern now and then. Particularly if the colours are fun to watch as they come out.

March Stash

I think this month is a little bit tamer than previous months....maybe. Remember my fibreshare swap partner Jillian? I mentioned in that post that she hand dyed her own yarn and I couldn't resist trying them when I saw all the wonderful colours. All of her yarns have a rainbow theme and who doesn't love a rainbow? Her etsy page is called Mothy and the Squid. All her yarns are beautifully bright and I guarantee you will find something different.

I picked out two of her yarns and took advantage of the lovely sunshine we had to photograph them. This one is called Speckled Rainbow and is a Merino Nylon blend. I loved the speckled effect of the yarn which is why I chose it. It was a little different from all the solid rainbow colours. I can see myself knitting up this for my sister during the summer.

She also does a series of yarn colours based on the sky which I love. It has this little spectrum of rainbow and the rest is inspired by the sky which means a whole range of shades of blue. This particular one is actually inspired by the sea and is called Stormy Seas Rainbow. I was going to go for one of the sky range but then I saw this which just happens to be my favourite colour. I will definitely be knitting this up in the basic sock pattern as I want to see the full effect of the yarn. As I said she has a whole range of these and it's worth checking out.

I was also lucky enough to receive these stitch markers along with my purchase. As you know I have a stitch marker obsessions and I love having these in my collection. I particularly like the little squids. I also like the little latch hooks.

When do I not have one of these posts and not have something from Lisa of For the Love of Yarn. The answer is NEVER! This is one of the latest ranges from Lisa and this kit is called a Dip Dying hat kit. You crochet the hat following the pattern and then you get to dip dye your hat with colours you have picked out. I am super excited about this and a little nervous as this will be my first time dying anything. This will wait until I have my new flat though as I have a feeling my dad will not thank me for doing this in his relatively newly painted kitchen.

Pins I Love - Rainbows!

It has been a few weeks since I did a pins I love post. Time is not my friend just now. I had planned to do one today. Just not this one. The one I had planned had no colour. However, it is a dull and grey day here in Glasgow so I killed that one (it will get done another time). I need lots of colour and really there is nothing brighter than a rainbow. Anyone who says they don't like a rainbow is either lying or dead inside. Me I LOVE a rainbow.

I thought I would start with this simple one. I think a beginner could do it. It would be a perfect project for someone learning to crochet. It also won't take to long. Maybe just a little bit of patience in sewing in those ends. It would also brighten up your day. If you have an early start and need a coffee to go you would have the added bonus of this rainbow cuff to cheer you up. Also the knowledge of helping the environment just a little. This is a free tutorial and can be found on a craft website. As always the images link straight to the pages they were found. It is written in US crochet terms but would be easy enough to translate.

Most people who crochet will recognise this straight away. It is of course the famous granny stripe blanket by Lucy of Attic24. The link via the image will take you straight to the tutorial (a British tutorial). It's the one I used for my mood blanket many moons ago (or so it feels). Attic24 is famous for rainbow crochet. So much so you can buy the Lucy Stylecraft pack on some yarn websites. Something I have planned to do but yet to do.

Another crochet rainbow and another free tutorial. I think this is a US one again. I have to say that crochet socks are not my favourite thing to do but I do like the outcome of these. They were designed by blogger Rina of Oomanoot.  I am not familiar with this blog but after a quick perusal it seems like a good one for people who like a variety of crafts.

Not a tutorial and not crochet this time. I just thought this one should be shown. I love a quilt and thought this one was rather pretty. I liked the reverse use of the rainbows. This was done using a jelly roll. Quilters have to be amazed that I actually know what that is. This was stitched by blogger Basildon Kitchens. Lots of lovely photography there so worth having a look.

Lastly I thought I would pick out a more subtle rainbow. Another one involving stitching but this one also comes with a free tutorial. I think this would be easy for sewing beginners too. It's a tutorial on how to brighten up your dish towels. I can see myself doing this and I think it would be rather quick to do. This was posted by blogger Cheryl of A Pretty Cool Life. She seems to love colour and she bakes. Well worth checking out!

Shout Out to a Friend! Stitching a Rainbow.

I am taking a break from my studies to post this (before I go mad). I thought it was about time that I did a shout out post dedicated to one of my many talented friends. Aren't I lucky?I mention the lovely Lisa quite a lot and her beautiful yarns and crochet hooks. This time it's Magdalena's turn. I've known her for about 5 years now and there is nothing this lady can't do in the land of crafts. Doesn't matter if she is trying something for the first time.

Last year she started up her own crafting business called Stitching a Rainbow which is apt for all the lovely colours she uses. She started off with baby quilts which she still does and takes commissions for. Recently she has been taking part in craft fairs and has been expanding her market. I do recommend going to see her beautiful quilts though. She has a facebook page and a blog.

The most recent addition is her stitched notebook covers. As soon as I saw these I had to have one. I love Babushka dolls and so there was really no chance at all that I wouldn't be purchasing one. I absolutely love it. I even love the way it was packaged and it's only today that I have opened it up. I just have to decide what I am going to use it for.

On the night I purchased my notebook she also brought these along. I love both but the bird one with the rainbow edging is particularly stunning. Another friend purchased this one as a gift and has since ordered another. Myself and another person have been blamed for her picking up this fabric (we enabled her). I am quite happy to take the blame for that because look how pretty!

The following week she brought a huge pile of finished covers. I took a photo of some of my favourites. The rainbow one I particularly love. I also like the changes she made to the one with the birds. She also added a range of smaller notebooks which I also love. My mother purchased one of those as they are perfect for putting in your handbag.

Last but not least is the little labels she has stitched inside. To me this just sets them off. How long are you giving me until I buy another one? If you are in the Paisley area pop by and say hello to Magda. She will be there along with lots of other stalls. You can check out the facebook page for the market for details.

Wear the Rainbow!

Remember the scrummy yarn that Lisa gave me to knit her socks? It was one of her own hand dyed yarns and was aptly titled Rainbow Bright. Well, I finished them and I have to say I am a little sad and happy at the same time. Sad because, as I mentioned with the first time I tried Lisa's yarn, it was so lovely to knit with I didn't want it to end. Happy because look at the pretty! I think it's safe to say that these socks are unique.

I loved the way the colours of the yarn striped together and created a spiral pattern. It brings together the strangest combination of colours which somehow work. Like green and reddish-pink, yellow and purple. I can't help but wonder how Lisa managed to get the colours onto the yarn like that. I have seen pictures of her yarn drying but it must be difficult to get so many colours onto the one yarn. The mind boggles.

 My favourite part of the sock though is the heel. You can truly see the rainbow there. I could stare at it all day. The toes also ended up like this but a little bit more subtle than this. If you look closely in this photo you can also see the sparkle that runs through the yarn. Yep, that's right, this yarn has everything. It's soft, full of rainbow goodness and has a sparkle.

I said my favourite part was the heel. Really it was handing the socks over to Lisa. I have never seen anyone so excited about receiving them in my life (and I've had a lot of positive responses in the past). She did a dance around the room and jumped on top of a chair so that everyone could see them.

The result of this has been is that I have been asked by a few people to teach socks again. I now have a list of about five people. That will keep me out of trouble in the new year.