some finished things to announce

I finished some of the projects. the"wine and rose" mitts from the winter issue of knits (06) turned into "denim and delphinium"; at least they are blue, and instead of cashmere I used tussah silk, handspun two-ply. might make another pair for myself, they looked quite nice, but next time I will choose a finer yarn or larger needles (might have to recalculate though) to have a more open lace pattern. and I might change the rather boring pattern in the arm part! I do like the wavy edge and the hand part, but the lace pattern in the rest is not exactly spectacular! or maybe I do change the border at the lower end too and knit the wavy edge instead of the turned-over seam?

the dye experiment with the delphinium turned to be mint green, no blue in it, but I also finished the rest of the mixture to free the bobbin. I left it all as a single - not sure if I should dye the second half too - and if so, what colour would go well with the mint green.

I won't have time to use it just now anyway, as I just have to get going (and quickly!) with the workshop projects. yesterday I did nearly finish some very fine bombyx mori, dyed rosewood with fuchsia flowers. this I will need for the planned scarf, together with some other silk yarns, which have been finished for some time now. not sure, if I should ply it though, I need some rather fine yarns for couching too.

not much happening on the knitting front; I didn't have time yet to spin some of the alpaca for the dog pattern for the back of the hp sweater, can't keep knitting without it. because I needed something to knit quickly for a train ride to castlebar last thursday, I grabbed a ball of multicolour sock yarn and started a simple waffle pattern - for myself = sock knitting without thinking:)

also I have been working on the seascape bag, the body and the carry handle are done, now I am thinking of the deco part. I tried to crochet a fish sideways, but the yarn was to thick - to have a nice shape the fish would have to be enormous. either I have to switch to another technique - or use a different yarn.... have to put it on the backburner though, or I'll never make the embroidery projects.... that's always the same with me: I don't like working on the most urgent project and doddle around with those I don't need yet:(

when in town we did go to the "creative resource center" in castlebar to get some cardboard - and were very lucky to get some other good stuff. quite a lot of yarns, which doesn't happen too often, so I took as much as I could carry. the colourful stuff is cotton, very fine, but good quality. the blue stuff is cotton/linen two-ply, same for the white cones on the left. the one in the middle was a great find: pure cashmere, though very fine, but that can easily be remedied:)) or I could use it as it is for one of the projects from "victorian lace knitting". one cone of frizzly stuff in white, I guess polyester or similar, but useful maybe for "christmas knitting", or some smaller fancy projects. I am just hoping to get my peg loom soon, the order from germany is on its way and I am looking forward to some pegloom weaving, as it should be much quicker and easier to set up than normal weaving. we could use some new carpets, either in wool for my room or the sitting room - or some in cotton (old t-shirts?) for the bathroom! I am not going to use up the pink, the green and the yellow together though - don't want to go blind from the dazzle:)