Sock Yarn Blanket wip1

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I’m starting a blanket made out of scrap sock yarn. I’m in love with hand knitted socks and the beautiful yarns.
So I’m going to use the remnants I have, and any I receive from others to make this blanket.

My reasoning behind this project is…
I have a condition called Fibromylgia syndrome, it causes me to have chronic pain over most of my body most of the time, the pain doesn’t respond well to treatment, so most of the time I just have to put up with it. Among other things it makes it very hard for me to sleep and I get cold limbs.

So I tend to spend a lot of time sitting in a chair, instead of in bed, and to pass the time I knit, as I don’t have the energy for much else. I have numerous blankets which I have tried to keep me warm, but they are all so heavy they make my legs hurt more.

So… I want to knit a warm but lightweight blanket, that is just the right size for me. I did start one, but the plain blocks of colour drove me to boredom and it has since hibernated. I have recently fallen in love with knitting socks and beautiful sock yarns and I thought that a sock yarn blanket, where I can knit little bits at a time would be brilliant!

If you’d like to give me your sock yarn remnants place email me. (Anything 4ply with some wool in it would be brilliant, any colours.)

Re-Launch

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Today is the re-launch of The Colourful Designs Shop!

We are now stocking various knitting accessories and there will be lots more to come. If you do want any custom items based on any items I used to sell then just email me.

So go and have a look, the selection is quite small at the moment, but I will be doing an update at the weekend with some more additions.

Here’s a sneak preview…
Knitting Pins/Broach
Knitting Pins/Broach

Knitting Accessories
Knitting Accessories

Jacob Fleece Spinning + Plying

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This is some of my Jacob fleece, which I have hand carder (I don’t think I’m very good at it…), then hand spun and plyed. I’m actually very impressed with myself, being as I only got the tools yesterday! I think when I spun the singles I over twisted? Comments?

This is some of Corriedale Silver which I have also Spun and Plyed. It has a smoother finish than the Jacob, but I think this is down to the quality of my carding not the wool. Again it seems over twisted, but I wonder if washing it and setting the twist will improve this?

Jacob Fleece Washing…

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I washed some of the fleece today, as my new hand carders and spindle arrived in the post. It hasn’t come very clean, so I might try teasing the fibres more first, and maybe different detergent, as this had 3 washes and rinses in very hot water.


I also thought I’d try some spinning, which is going surprisingly well I think. The first batch is Corriedale Silver in Dark Purple.


This is the second batch in White, work in progress.

I will have to try and card some of the Jacob, then I can try and spin it… :-s

I’ve been a good girl

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I’ve been a really good girly, I finished the previously mentioned hat, booties (and matching mittens!). (Ravelry Link)
hat, mittens + booties

And the Candy Jumper I started quite some time ago…
(Ravelry Link)
Candy Jumper

I’m on abit of a project finishing mission, as I seem to have so many on the go, many of which haven’t had a single stitch knitted in months, so much so I’ve forgotten what I was doing, that’s what happens when you don’t write down your patterns. Let that be a warning to you all…

Jacob Fleece

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Today I collected some Jacob Fleece from Tamsyn G.
It looks lovely, and Tamsyn has kindly picked out most of the VM which I am very thankful for.


Jacob’s are white with well defined black (dark patches), they produce a medium quality fleece, with micron count 30-33 and staple length 3″-7″, average fleece weight 2-3Kgs.


The fleeces I have are a mixture of off white, light brown, dark brown and black wool. Hopefully next weekend I will get time to wash a selection and have ago at hand carding it. (My new hand carders are expected to arrive this week.) I think I will try washing some with and without the lanolin removed to see how it spins up.

I’m determined to try and use this wool undyed and take advantage of the natural colours.
Watch this space…

Newborn Booties and Hat

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I’m knitting booties and hat in pale green for Molly’s baby (due in 4months). The scan told her its a boy, but I thought I’d do them in pale green just in case its a girl. I feel this colour is quite unisex.
I have finished the booties, just need to locate some ribbon.
I’ve just started the hat, shouldn’t take long.
Ravelry link.
I know I shouldn’t keep putting other projects down (the felted bag for starters…), but I really wanted to do something for her, in case I get caught up with other things.

Freedom Spirit Bag Felted

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I had a rethink about the socks, unpicked the half sock, and made a felted bag, which has come out brilliantly.

I felted it in our washing machine, which keeps going on and off (so ended up dragging it out and dismantling it twice before managing to felt anything).

Felted front loading washer, in a pillow case, with a pair of jeans, 60C, short wash, fast spin.

It probably could have been felted more, but I didn’t want it to shrink too much or my knitting needles won’t fit in it!

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Freedom Spirit Sock

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I saw some beautiful wool, which wasn’t perfect for knitting socks, but I couldn’t think of anything else to knit with it, so socks it is.

It’s a beautiful 100% Wool yarn from Twilleys of Stamford. It’s striped in many colours, but has a constant strand of deep purple.

As you can see its striping nicely.

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