Bendigo 2015

July 20, 2015July 20, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Wow! Just when I thought I had experienced everything that was to be experienced at the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show, this year had a different flavour.

I attended the Women of Wool luncheon with a couple of friends and we had an excellent time. Everything was great about it. The speakers, the food, the company, the other people seated at our table, the competition prize drawings (even though we didn’t win anything), it was a lot of fun.

Then we got down to the serious part of the show. Nicknamed ‘Spendigo’ for good reason… I exceeded my own expectations, surprising only me. If you really want to see it all, check out my recent stash acquisitions (fibre and yarn) on Ravelry.

White Gum Wool played a large part in my purchasing. Nan Bray the owner of ‘White Gum Wool’ spoke at the luncheon, but I was a fan before that, after seeing this segment on Landline. The pink yarn above is White Gum Wool Boucle, specially hand-dyed by Kathy’s Fibres.

I was given the task of buying some fibre to spin for my husband. So that I wouldn’t run short on his next ‘winter set’ (this time), I bought 500gms of Kathys Fibres merino dyed in ‘manly’ browns, blue and black.

We also spent a fair amount of time with the sheep, searching out the babies, because, how cute?

Thank you to my partners in crime for making it such a great weekend. I can’t wait to do it all again next year.

Wednesday WIPs (and a FO)

July 1, 2015June 28, 2015 | Sonia Knits

I finally have an FO!

These are my Xeriscape socks (Cookie A’s April Club). I really enjoyed knitting these. They were simple to knit and, the easy-to-memorise patterning, was enough not to get too boring. I would make these again as my ‘go-to mindless socks’.

And my June club yarn has arrived and it’s gorgeous! I’m hoping to make the next deadline for the competition, but as per usual there are a few other things I need to get done and cast on first.

This stunning fibre also arrived for the Southern Cross Fibre club, I got the colour way ‘Peacock’. It was a lovely mail week.

I’ve been working on my Grace cardigan and with any luck, there will be some modelled photos next week.

I’m listening to The Goldfinch as mentioned last week, and I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying it. I’m only about six hours into listening for a total of 32 hours, I still have a ways to go.

Wednesday WIPs – Purple

June 24, 2015June 21, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Hi there, it’s been another busy week around here. But being busy is good. I popped my head up and realised we’re half-way through the year already.

Despite this there has been time for knitting. I’m still working on my Cookie April socks, I’m onto the second one and loving the basketweave pattern. It’s so simple and squishy, I love it. At the time of writing this, my next shipment of Cookie A sock club has not arrived, so in my mind I’m not behind!

I’ve also done some more spinning this week…

Whilst watching Susan B Anderson’s latest video cast.

It is IxChels Cashmere Fling. So lovely…

I received ‘thank you’ eggs from the chooks for my knitted vest this week. A whole dozen!

I’ve finished listening to Colourless by Haruki Murakami. I really enjoyed it. I’m now listening to The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. So far, it’s great! Do you have any audio book recommendations?

Wednesday WIP – Knitting fever

January 28, 2015January 27, 2015 | Sonia Knits

I’ve been overcome by Knitting Fever, well that’s the only way I can describe it.

I want to knit ALL OF THE TIME, so much so I’ve knitted in my lunch break this past week. I just want to knit and knit and knit.

Except for Friday night. I spun on Friday night, completing the singles on the Cormo fibre. This Friday is pencilled in for plying.

I’ve cast on for Bloom, a little tunic dress for my niece. I’m using some Use It Or Lose It yarn, a Jo Sharp cotton. It is surprisingly nicer to knit with than I expected, it’s a bit splitty, but overall ok. There are a few wonky stitches from an accidental dropped stitch… which I’m hoping will rectify itself in blocking… but nothing a crochet flower won’t sort out.

I’m up to the eyelet row which will be woven through with some pretty ribbon. I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of getting this done before the weekend. I’m feeling quite good about knitting with deep-stash and the fact that this project is working out. It means that ‘stashing’ isn’t such a bad thing and I’ll use EVERYTHING eventually. Or I can, if I put my mind to it…

This week I’ve begun listening to The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I’ve read some great reviews on the story and the narration which so far seems excellent. It is only 10 hours long, so I should get through a fair chunk of it this week.

Friday Night Spinning

January 18, 2015 | Sonia Knits

Due to my lack of spinning on any regular basis, I think I need to reinstate Friday Night Spinning.

I was too worn out from the week to set my mind to knitting of any sort on Friday night but spinning seemed like the ‘right’ thing to do.

I took the opportunity to add to the cormo bobbin I had begun weeks ago. I’m spinning fairly thin (for me) so it’s still going to take at least another Friday night session, but isn’t it pretty? I can’t hardly wait until I Navajo ply it into some amazing pink, white and green stripes, yum.

Getting back to spinning may also have been prompted by an ‘unexpected’ parcel delivery this week. The excitement of receiving a parcel, but not knowing what it is?! What could it be? Did I order some self-striping sock yarn in my sleep?!

But alas, it was my Southern Cross Fibre Club for January arriving earlier than I had anticipated. Once again, an amazing colour way.

This week I also received a much coveted book:

Hell if everyone else is going to do colour work this year, then so am I. Someone pass me some scissors so I can steek something!

It has been a book acquisition week, I picked up 2 books with a Christmas voucher.

Magpies, homebodies, Nomads was on my book list and What to knit: The Toddler years was a book I bought for my mum. I liked it so much I wanted a copy for myself, babies grow into toddlers after all.

Wishing you all a productive and fulfilling week.

Yarn Along – Christmas Eve

December 24, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Welcome to another week of yarn-along! Take a look at what everyone else is up to by visiting Ginny’s blog.

It’s Christmas eve and I’m feeling a little frazzled already. Last minute, oops and I just need to do this… and, oh I need to get that… meant that today was spent running around and then shopping for something to wear tomorrow, I kid you not.

Is it really Christmas eve? I’m hoping to pop the Carols on T.V. on in a few hours and chill out. I’m looking forward to seeing my nieces and nephews tomorrow and their sweet little faces.

I’ve finally finished Outlander book 1, but before I venture into book 2, I thought I would pause and listen to Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. I’ve also dipped back into Amy Tan’s Valley of Amazement.

I’ve been knitting a bit on Garance by Julie Hoover, in my Use It Or Lose It yarn. I’m much happier with the stockinette section of the knitting than the ribbing where the stitches look loose and wonky. I think the look of this will improve once the fabric is washed. It’s early days to tell whether or not I’m going to like this garment; but you’ll be the first to know!

I’ve also been working on my hexagons, at last count I have 9 rosettes, and another one almost ready to be sewn up. I didn’t get through as many balls as I wanted to before Christmas, but there’s always tonight.

And I’ve been spinning. This is some of Kylie Gusset’s Cormo that she kindly dyed up for me eons ago. Gosh it’s really nice to spin… I think I’ll Navajo ply it, to give it some stripes. The fibre drafts beautifully.

I hope you all have a happy and safe Christmas.

H-O-L-I-D-A-Y-S-!

December 21, 2014 | Sonia Knits

I love stay-at-home holidays. Today is the longest possible time before I go back to work and I hope to have the funnest time away from my desk.

I want to finish off the year right, knitting all the things and spinning all the things; relax; organise; cuddle babies and read…

I got my last instalment of the Stranded in Oz club in the mail this week, it is wonderful. Melissa is a very talented dyer and the nicest person to boot, passion, passion, passion. How stunning does this look?

A few weeks ago my November SCF club also arrived… another very happy mail day.

And I’ve finished my baby niece’s Wee Cria. I think it will look really sweet on her. But when to give it to her?

Now to crochet up as many Noro patches as possible for our new blanket, before Santa comes and brings another 8 balls… sound relaxing to you?

Yarn Along – Crafty weekend away

November 12, 2014November 10, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Last weekend I attended a crafty weekend away with girlfriends who like to quilt:

Friends who like to knit and crochet:

Sew:

and Spin (well that was just me):

The house was very accommodating, with a new quilt on the wall and a quilt on my bed…

It’s quite amazing I haven’t caught ‘quilting’ yet.

I can’t wait to do it all again with knitting friends next year 🙂

Yarn Along – Hurrah, an FO!

October 22, 2014October 19, 2014 | Sonia Knits

Welcome to another week of Yarn-Along! To find out what everyone else is reading and knitting this week go to Ginny’s blog.

This week I completed my sister’s baby blanket, phew, the baby can arrive now and I’ve told my sister as much! Hopefully, I’ll have a couple of weeks to bask in the glory of having completed the blanket well-ahead of time…

I was browsing at books on my lunch-break one day this week and came upon a Mollie Makes Crochet book. I was really taken with this book and the number of cute projects it contains for the cover price of less than $15, it was a no-brainer to grab it. It also provided some much needed inspiration for the baby blanket border. The granny square blanket design in it, had a fabulous stripy border. I ditched the idea of the single colour frame and improvised.

It’s also been a very good mail week…

I finally stumped up for the shipping and bought these 2 marvellous books (and their pdfs), I’m so excited to be able to knit a couple of these projects, next year could be a sweater knitting year, and maybe a blanket year… sprinkled with some socks.

The latest installment of David’s SCF club also arrived, that man is a magician.

I’ve been listening to Outlander once again this week, it got me through that crochet border! It’s fabulous and the reader makes it so enjoyable. It’s time for a new book on my Kindle though.

Have a great week!