The Lady Vanishes

Woolfest is a real treasure trove.You never know what you might come across. I was rummaging on a vintage stall and came across this collection of pieces of polished wood.

Which came together to form a beautiful set of vintage shoe lasts.I love the colour of the wood and the scars and signs of use on them if you look closely.

Of course, when I finished the Ribbed Ribbons socks I had to try them out.

They aren't quite long enough to accommodate my usual leg length but they give the foot such an elegant shape and really show off the lace stitches.

With a new camera and some new toys one thing leads to another....

Is the lady hidden in the lavender?

Or is something a little more sinister afoot?

What Jane did at Woolfest

Hello - remember me? While every other knitter and spinner who stalk the interwebs is regaling you with tales of derring do on the Tour De Fleece or the Tour De Knitalong I'm finally getting around to telling you about my weekend away at Woolfest.

I love Woolfest - it has to be my favourite UK fibre festival. The location in the Lake District is spectacular, the relationship between the festival and the surrounding environment is beautifully managed and the chance to catch up with friends from all over the country is wonderful.

All things being equal the moment I got home I would be telling you all about it but several things conspired to delay this post. Firstly the weather has been so unseasonably hot and work has been so full on all I have been capable of is flopping down on the sofa like one of Ruben's sweatier muses between meeting the needs of my endlessly thirsty garden. Incidentally I have a bone to pick with my garden. A number of plants, and you know who I am talking about Messrs Pumpkin, Courgette, Butternut Squash, Cucumber and Aubergine are fabulously lush but so far have produced nothing but male flowers - nothing in the way of fruit whatsoever. My garden is starting to resemble the terraces at Manchester United - full of males serving no useful purpose but drinking an awful lot. Has anyone got any clues as to why this might be happening and any advice about getting my idle plants back to work?

Where was I? Ah yes - in the middle of my excuses. I am also in the lucky position of having bought my first digital SLR camera and was trying it out for the first time at Woolfest. No problem there - although I'll be honest, it stayed on manual for most of the weekend but then there was fighting my way through the 300 page instruction booklet to find out how to download my photos. Turns out to be a piece of cake but it all seemed too much to contemplate in 32 degrees of sticky heat.

Posh new camera or no, I am still far too easily distracted by shiny pretties and people to talk to to create anything approaching a coherent photo essay about Woolfest but here is a bit of a look at what did catch my eye.

Firstly and quite rightly, centre stage has to go to the stars of the show - the sheep.

Take a look at this magnificent fellow with all the horns...

And this wonderfully tranquil pair of Herdwicks, the poster sheep of the Festival.

The second thing that really strikes you when you walk into the hall is the overwhelming amount of colour and texture on the stalls.

All of this was created using natural dyes.


and so was this roving rainbow


People and their incredible skills and creativity are the other abiding memory of Woolfest.

I wish I had the skills of this long draw spinner.

I hoped that some of the skills might rub off if I spent enough time in the company of the actual socks knit by legendary designer Nancy Bush. Yes, these are Nancy's very socks!!

And this gorgeous hat, knit in one of my favourite colour combinations.

I spent a lot of my time volunteering on the Kindred Knitter's Stand,teaching the odd technique, demonstrating a bit of drop spinning, playing a small part in raising £150 which we divided between Medecins Sans Frontier, Sweaters for Uganda and a local Hospice.

Of course a little shopping was done - it's such a wonderful opportunity to really see the best of what indie dyers and crafts people are producing these days - it just gets better and better. I think as well, as my skills grow that I am becoming a more discerning customer and am both able to distinguish the unique signature of an artist, but also to envisage the end product and to make better judgements about whose work best complements mine. I'll show you the things that I brought home as I use themas I want them to take centre stage rather than as a heap of stuff brought home from a weekend that was much more than just the shopping. So,if you like the work of Natalie at The Yarn Yard, Jo at Lime Green Jelly, Freyalyn and Krafty Koala to name but my personal favourites, over the next few month I will be trying to do their gorgeous work justice.

Believe it or not, finished objects are starting to fly off my needles and as I have for some reason I can't quite justify joined both the the Tour de Fleece and the Tour de Knitalong there will be much furious activity and perhaps the odd bit of terrible Franglais to be encountered here over the next few weeks. Speaking of which, something that I hadn't realised until Lime Green Jelly Jo asked about the Queen of Hearts roving that I had bought a few months ago, indie dyers are very keen to see what becomes of their work. Jo, the Queen of Hearts Roving is in the Tour Team - you will soon be seeing it again.

Oh and the Horse Chestnut sock pattern will be finished over the next week or so. Thanks to everyone for their kind words and encouragement.

I'll see you here again very soon!

In honour of my favourite tree

As regular readers may recall, I was born and brought up on the Isle of Wight, in the same house that my father still lives in to this day. At the top of the garden is a large horse chestnut tree which has a huge place in my heart. My favourite tree. Many of my childhood memories are associated with this tree. I have swung from its branches, sat in it and shared secrets with my best school friend, climbed it to the topmost branches so high that, like a cat I couldn't turn around and had to call my mum, a seasoned tree climber in her day to come and get me down. Later on dad hung a swing from its branches and we would seek shade from the hot summer sun under its branches.

The seasons of the year could easily be plotted by the condition of the tree. January and February bare except for the shiny brown sticky buds. March and April watching the delicate green leaves bursting from the buds followed in May by its beautiful towering candelabras of blossom.

Through June and July the flowers turn into prickly green fruit swelling though September and October to reveal glossy brown conkers to collect and share with friends. November and December see the leaves disappearing from the tree and the cycle beginning all over again. This tree has completed this cycle every year of my life growing broader and taller, losing branches here and there but continuing to cast its protective shade over my childhood home.

I've long wanted to design something that was inspired by this important tree. When Natalie from the Yarn Yard said that she wanted to name a yarn for me I knew straight away that I wanted a bright, juicy green that reminds me of the leaves of the horse chestnut tree newly burst from their buds. I think she did rather a good job. The yarn is Toddy which is a blend of merino for softness and nylon for strength.

Every year I have created a sock design for Natalie to launch at the annual Woolfest in Cumbria which starts this Friday. This year is no exception although I know I have cut it fine as I only cast off the second of these socks on the bus an hour ago . These represent my humble attempt to pay tribute to my favourite tree in sock form. The Horse Chestnut Socks.

In a new departure they are knit from the toe up. The central panel represents the columns of blossom as they turn and produce their spiky fruit.



This is flanked by the diagonals of the deeply ribbed leaves which wrap themselves further around the leg as they travel up past the ankle.

I resisted the temptation to dangle a couple of conkers from the top as although I want them to pay tribute to my beautiful green companion I want them to be handsome socks in their own right, suggestive rather than derivative. I hope you like them.

Natalie will be displaying the socks on her stand at Woolfest and will be taking down the email addresses of people who would like to receive a copy of the pattern which will be available soon after we get back home again. It will also be available to people who aren't able to make it to Woolfest.Watch our blogs for details.

I will be travelling to Cumbria tomorrow and will be at Woolfest on both days. You will probably find me somewhere between the Yarn Yard, Kindred Knitters and P/Hop stands. Do come and say hello and watch the P/hop menu board where alongside the ever growing selection of patterns available for a donation to Medicins Sans Frontier we may just be launching a new venture.....Skill Snacks!

Now what knitting shall I pack....

Sunshine, knitting and Glen Matlock

Well I'm back from the Isle of Wight Festival, free from sunburn, alcoholic poisoning or trench foot thanks to plenty of suncream, spending the nights at my dad's house and a weather forecast that didn't let us down. This was the view from my knitting spot.

And here is my knitting spot itself. Note the uncool but very cosy travel rug. Note also good progress being made on the second Ribbed Ribbons sock.

We didn't spend all our time at the festival. On Saturday we joined up with other Island knitters to take part in World Wide Knit in Public day in St Thomas's Square in Newport. It was lovely to catch up with people I've met before and to meet new faces. Hello to Sam and her daughter, Rachel, Rachel and Jan.

Over the years I have see this festival grow and grow and have learned to take from it the things I enjoy best, not rush around trying to see and do everything.

For example, these flags make a wonderful colour inspiration.

And it wouldn't be a festival without a good old fashioned spelling error.

Everyone is getting environmental these days - this exhibit on the future of honey bees was well attended and informative.As a creative person it's good to see other people working in whatever medium. I loved this dragon sculpted from sand. He even had smoking nostrils!
Finally, there was music. One of the downsides of a huge festival is that unless you want to get up close and personal with a huge crowd of people, you have to accept that the big name bands will be as ants in the distance with their presence confirmed by big screens. Jen and I found ourselves spending most of our time at the acoustic stage listening to three very good sets by James Walsh, the lead vocalist from Starsailor followed by Glen Matlock from the Sex Pistols. It was only when we were singing along to Pretty Vacant that we realised that the last time we did this was thirty years ago when my knitting consisted of monstrous mohair jumpers.

But then Glen's changed a bit too...

Out and about in Coventry and London

For those of you old enough to remember the earlier years of television, today's posting has the feel of the Outside Broadcast about it when I take my knitting kit out from the security of my living room, into the big wide world. This will partly account for the fact that I still haven't managed to finish anything.That and a minor fall from grace which we will speak of later....

Firstly,this weekend I attended the first UK Ravelry Day in Coventry. Despite the teeming rain I think a good time was had by all. I fear I came home with enough lace weight to lasso the moon twice. It was wonderful to see so many new indie dyers that I hadn't come across before as well as some more established names and I had to support them - it's the closest I'm going to come to being a patron of the arts.

Of course, the day wasn't all about retail therapy, there were loads of people that I've only known through their Ravelry names as well as new people to catch up with. I was especially pleased to meet Lou on the P/Hop stall and to hear that the Cranford Mitt pattern was proving popular. I understand that together with the other lovely patterns that have been donated that they raised £250 on the day through the collecting tins alone.

There were also courses and talks arranged. I chose to go to the 'main event', a talk by Meg Swansen,daughter of Elizabeth Zimmermann and member of US Knitting Royalty.

She was introduced by the Crown Prince of Knitting Royalty, Jared Flood (aka Brooklyntweed in case any non knitters are reading). How can you not respect a man in such a lovely yellow jumper?

Here is Meg herself looking extremely elegant in one of her mother's trademark patterns, the Ribwarmer. I may have to look at that pattern again.

I think Meg's presentation took some of us by surprise. Over here we have limited experience of what to expect from 'name knitters'. Those of us who met Stephanie Pearl McPhee at Ravelry might have been expecting an hours seamless stand up routine complete with jokes, science, history and knitting tips. This was not Meg's style at all. She read extracts about camping from her mother's books then opened up a question and answer session which was the main part of proceedings. There then followed a slightly uncomfortable and very British silence. Once people had cottoned on things went a lot more smoothly as she has a very conversational style and was received warmly. We also got to see original Baby Surprise Jackets and other examples of Elizabeth's knitting. At the risk of sounding heretical, I am impressed by the technical virtuosity but some of her colour choices - eek!


I'm afraid that once again I totally failed at taking any more photographs on the day. This is a bad habit of mine - partly I think it is because I am so caught up in the moment and chit chatting away that I forget. There is also an element of reserve where I feel I don't want to be waving my camera around lots of people who might think I am taking liberties and are worried that they might end up on a blog somewhere...

Now to my minor fall from grace as mentioned before. The only ball of commercial yarn that I bought was this Noro Silk Garden Sock as I've been dying to try it out for some time.

Now I have been diligently plodding away on my mountain of WIPs all week until Natalie mentioned that she had started a Baktus scarf, something that was proving very popular on Ravelry. In short, you take a skein of sock yarn, cast on 4 stitches and then one at the beginning of every 4th row until you have used half the ball then decrease every 4th row until you have made a very elegant little triangular scarf. Now this yarn would be absolutely perfect I thought. So before I knew what I was about I cast on and knit and knit and knit.

I'm not even half way yet...

In other news that I haven't shared with you for a while, I finally finished spinning the two singles for the Muddy Jeans yarn. I have had this on the bobbin for months as I wanted a nice fine even sock yarn. I have wasted quite a few metres just trying to get it right. I am now in the middle of plying which once again is taking me way longer than I imagined that it would take.

Here are the bad boys in all their glory.

Yesterday I had a day off work to attend a knitting course. Not just any knitting course but a class in knitting seamless sweaters with that man again, Jared Flood.

Here he is with his flip chart. Check out the yellow jumper again!

And here is the desk of a diligent student.

...who also loves yellow.

He is a very charming and inspiring teacher and I of course set off home wanting to cast on at least half a dozen jumpers immediately. I satisfied myself with a couple of inches on the sleeve of my yellow cardigan now I realise how fashion forward I clearly am in my colour choice.

And best of all, ladies - he let us all touch his Cobblestone the construction of which is way more complex and intelligent than I had first realised and showed us a technique for getting the kinks out of your SSKs - we now have the SYTK (Slip, Yank, Twist, Knit)

Whilst you practice that I will be off on the Isle of Wight for the Festival for the next few days. As it is World Wide Knit in Public Day on Saturday, look out for a group of us in St Thomas's Square in Newport from Midday onwards or if you are going to the festival look out for a knitter with a bright green sock!

The tedium of virtue

Well, another week has slipped by and I have been thinking about potential blog posts for several days and come up empty. I've certainly been knitting determinedly and trenchantly but have neither started or finished a project which doesn't exactly make the most riveting blog fodder.

I'll show you what I mean. Here are the Ribbed Ribbons socks. Since we last spoke I have nearly got up to the end of the gusset expansion. Please,please, no stamping and cheering.

I have nearly finished the body of the top down yellow cardigan. I have made this pattern several times and somehow in the excitement of starting a new project I can get myself to the point of dividing for the sleeves in the blink of an eye. Then the endless tundra of stocking stitch stretching from armpit to arse unfolds itself and I feel like I'm plodding through sand. I was half hoping that I would finish this in time to wear at Ravelry Day but despite carting it back and forth to work several times to take advantage of travel knitting time I have to accept that there's no way, even if I stay up all night that it will be done in time. Here, as evidence in my defence is the much expanded article.

And as for the lace. I'm sure it has also managed to get itself into that wrinkle in the space time continuum such that the rows are becoming hundreds of stitches long....

but the ball of yarn isn't getting any smaller... Hot on the heels of this conundrum come all the usual newbie lace weight users anxieties. How big is the shawl now? How big do I want it to be? How gently must I block cashmere?

You see what I mean? Hardly news to hold the front page for. However, I do have other things to tell you. I'm teaching a range of sock knitting classes over at IKnit on Sundays throughout the summer. There's a beginner's top down sock course, a toe up course for the more adventurous and then a couple of fun one off classes , one on adding colour to your small projects and one with tips on how to get started on designing your own socks. I usually have great fun (don't know about anyone else) and have met some fabulous people who have gone on to do some beautiful work so it would be lovely to see some of you there.

I'm saving my best news till last. News that made me blush to the tips of my ears. Natalie at the Yarn Yard has named one of the colours in her gorgeous Summer Collection after me! It's one of my favourite shades of green and it's absolutely beautiful. Thank you,Natalie. There will be a laceweight too and we have some plans for it that we hope to be able to show you at Woolfest but I can't say any more because it's a secret!

In the meantime here are a few gratuitous shots of some of Natalie's lace wight yarns which might just have happened to fall into my shopping cart. This is Mist, temporarily discontinued and terrifyingly fine.

And my personal favourite, Gloaming, a heavier lace weight in a merino and silk blend.

As I mentioned previously I am coming to the Ravelry Day in Coventry tomorrow (Saturday) and will have my Ravelry name (probablyjane) badge on so please come over and say hello if I don't pounce on you first!

Whose filthy fingers are these?

They would be mine...

These are not the fingers of an elegant knitter attending closely to a delicate piece of lace or dainty socks on fine needles I hear you say. More of that later.

My hands are in this state because it's the time of year when householders across the country are cutting, trimming,weeding, potting and planting as the gardening season gets underway again. Tuning in to Gardener's Question Time or hanging on to Carol Klein's every word.I am no exception as you can see:

I have planted beans and peas, tomatoes and peppers, courgettes and cucumbers, aubergines and salad leaves. I have tended and repaired my herb garden and cut the grass.

Now I want to sit back and watch them grow. Here is my vantage point. As knitting spots go I think it's rather lovely.

What have I been knitting? The first of the On Hold socks is finished. It was a fun knit, the texture of the Posh Lei is lovely and the sock feels wonderfully soft. It is, however, tricky to knit with as it tends to split and has at least one knot in so not an unreserved recommendation.

Whereas my fingers are not the well manicures digits of a lady who lunches there are other ways to be girly. Hot on the heels of my deep lipsticky pink sock is this frothy confection. This is the Leaf Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clarke which I have made on a number of occasions in nothing finer than a 4ply. This time it is made in Knitwitch's 100 per cent cashmere laceweight. It's lovely, if tender yarn to work with and, whilst the work feels like it weighs nothing at all, the halo on the yarn makes it feel quite warm and substantial. It was a good idea to practice working with laceweight yarn on a simple and familiar pattern as I can concentrate on the yarn and making my motions less tentative and exaggerated.

I have ordered some laceweight yarn from the Yarn Yard which is much finer than this. Whilst it slumbers gently at the Post Office it now holds no fear for me. In fact I might go and pick it up tomorrow if the desire to cast on immediately isn't too strong and I run the risk of cheating on my cashmere.

I must focus on dreaming how nice it would be to wear a scarf this soft against the skin.

Of course, I haven't abandoned myself entirely to lace knitting. Allow me to introduce you to another one in the series of favourite jumpers knitted ages ago. This is a very simple top down raglan cardigan with three quarter sleeves knit from one of my good standby Knitting Pure and Simple patterns in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in a cheerful leaf green. It is the perfect thing for late spring mornings and I always swear to myself that I am going to knit half a dozen of them as they are so useful. Of course, in reality my butterfly brain only allows me the maximum of one per season until I'm off playing somewhere else.

Here, however is this year's summer cardigan which I've chosen to do in this beautiful, warm yellow. As you can see I've just divided for the sleeves which means the rows get a bit shorter. I've now got to work down the body remembering that my friend Sue reckons I always make my stuff an inch or two too short. Must control my impatience! I also think that being generously endowed in the boob department means that the back of a jumper has a tendency to ride up to compensate for the difference between front and back. I have allowed a couple of inches extra fabric in the front of the cardigan and hope that will improve the fit.

Observant readers will have noticed that I have embellished the front of the cardigan with a touch of eyelet lace on each front. Even more eagle eyed knitters will have spotted that it is the same lace pattern that I used for the Lace and Cable socks from Socks from the Toe Up which lends itself perfectly to being upscaled and used in this way.

So, like most modern women I run the gamut from filthy fingers to frothy pink lace and all points in between. I think I enjoy being a girl!