Still, it's funny how quickly you adapt to change. Every morning starts the same way: crawl unwillingly out of bed. Pile on clothes until you resemble the Michelin Man. Dig path from door to car. Dig path from car to road. Worry as Mikeyfox drives to work*, and dig a path for the cats to poop in the garden. Check the drains & pipes haven't frozen up & brush snow off the polytunnel. Then tramp back indoors & consume as much coffee & porridge until something resembling humanity is restored.
Still, snow is being admired, rolled around in & shovelled out of the way in equal measures.
So my last post was a bit of a vague non-pattern, and the next one will be a not-hard-but-not-easy crochet pattern, so I'll give you a break with something that's really easy to make - so easy that the most novicey of novices can knock up in no time - and looks much harder to make than it actually is. Woohoo!
At the risk of sounding like a shill, I'm basically raving about Katia, a Spanish yarn company that set itself up around 50 years ago with the aim of freshening up the wool industry, mainly by coming up with fun, funky & fashionable wools & yarns. The highlight of their Autumn/Winter range has been the glorious trinity of Ondas, Triana & Rizos - 3 novelty yarns that are actually lengths of netting or webbing (you knit into one edge of the netting, rather than with the whole strip, which is what gives you the big ruffly effect) rather than traditional yarn - that come in a range of colours, single toned or variegated, and knit up into lovely, frilly, ruffly, waterfall - style scarves (and really, they're just designed for making scarves).
My current favourite is the Ondas yarn (though Triana is a close second). It takes a little getting used to, as you have to stretch out the netting before you start to knit. But the results are lovely.Oh, and this is the kicker - you don't have to know how to cast on to use them. How crazy is that?!
So whats the downside? Well, they're not cheap. a ball of Ondas (which will make one scarf) will cost around £6, Triana around £7 & Rizos around £8 (depending on where you shop)
Your local knitting shop should have them in stock if you fancy giving it a whirl. Or you can order online from various places (I will, however, take this opportunity to plug my local woolshop Tricot in Scunthorpe, lovely people full of helpful advice who'll bend over backwards to feed your knitty addiction) & they're also cropping up on eBay.
And no, I'm not getting paid for this!
Almost completed scarf. Eee!Okay, enough getting giddy over wool. Hope you're all keeping warm & well where you are!
*15 miles away on ungritted country roads. While his co-workers who live less than 3 miles from the brewery stay home because its 'too snowy'.
2 comments:
The snow is bringing me down as I have been gettin public transport into work the past two months, waiting, delays and cancellations.
Anyway, remember you have to add the labour cost on top of Your scarf is beautifully crafted.
PS Your astrix comment echoed with me big time. Seniors in my workplace have been pressuring me to go to Dundee from the West of Scotland (aobut 3 hours) like travelling from Liverpool to Newcastle each day this week, but colleagues who live just outside of Edinburgh (Linlithgow) can't get into work cos of the snow. Makes me angry. Hope your both keeping well.
Aww, I'm sorry the snow has been getting to you. Yesterday was a bad day. Work, a leaky boiler & the problems-that-come-with-snow (car getting stuck, no post all week, no buses, the council leaving us all to fend for ourselves & waking up to -18C) all piled up and gave me a bit of a meltdown. So lots of chamomile tea & Polish biscuits were required.
Today has been a better day, though. Things suck now, but it won't last.
Much love to you, dear friend. Were I not so far away, I'd be at your door with honey pryanik & ginger tea. You'll just have to imagine I'm there. And probably talking about what vegetables to grow next year :)
Jx
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