Inspired by bamboo

I'm really pleased that my new bamboo Perran Yarns have turned out so well. 

Both Parakeet & Unicorn colourways are now in my Etsy shop, with more bamboo waiting to be dyed.

The yarn has inspired me to find more handmade bamboo goodies on Etsy, which I've included in this treasury.

Enjoy!

Why is it..?

.. that I have found a great yarn and the colours I like but now can't find any reliable UK stockists?!

I'm referring to Crystal Palace Panda Cotton, which is a lovely soft blend of cotton and bamboo with added elastic for a little bit of stretch.

It's perfect for summer pull-on fashion mitts and  hairbands that don't give you a headache from being too tight!

I've had a bit of a frenzy using up what I have of the yarn, resulting in a few new listings in my Etsy shop - the kids strawberry lime mitts and strawberry lime hairband to go with the teen/adult mitts already there.

If anyone knows of a good UK or even European stockist of this yarn please let me know!

BTW: I have an offer on if you buy the hairband with either pair of mitts - buy both together and I'll refund 20% of the total item cost!

Two of three

Remember I said I had 3 FOs to show off? Well here's the second...

It's Sirdar pattern 8877 - which I've managed to lose. I never lose patterns. Good job it's finished.

It's knitted in Sirdar Just Bamboo, shade Driftwood. I have to say that when I bought the yarn (online) I didn't really expect it to be quite so grey.

I guess I was thing of the "wood" part more than the "drift"!

I do love this yarn though, despite having to oversew all the ends with sewing thread as it's so slippy.

I wasn't happy with the increases for the waist shaping as directed by the pattern instructions - they left big holes.

I did it my own way for the front, and they look better IMO. I also added more length as usual, and it's worked for me.

I attempted to try this on when it was half-seamed, and felt very unhappy that it seemed too small and showed up whatever underwear I had on at the time.

Thankfully now it's all done, it does fit as it's so drapey and stretchy, and the right colour underwear just blends right in.

I do love the hem and sleeve edgings - very pretty.

I think I will wear this after all!

Forget me not

Slow progress this last week or so as we've had family visiting. It was wonderful to spend time with them, so the Forget-me-not socks took a back seat.

I did manage to finish them the night before our visitors left though, so my Mom got to see them done.

It's not the world's best picture but the only time I seem to get for crafty stuff right now is after dark.

They feel lovely on - really soft and silky. I used the Panda Cotton Print (a great-value bamboo/cotton blend) in the Strawberry-Lime colourway, and of course my DDs both love it. I may have to buy some more to make socks for them.

There was yarn left over from both balls, so they could have been made longer but this is a cuff-down pattern. I guess the leftovers would make great hairbands for my DDs!

I'm glad I also bought the same yarn in the Chocolate-Almond colourway - now to find another short-ish pattern..

Panda Cotton socks

I was very brave yesterday - I had a large filling replaced as it had developed a hole right up to the root. I was in the chair for 30 minutes!

Thankfully my dentist in Truro is wonderful and it's feeling fine now. I won't show you the result - it's not a pretty sight.


Take a peek at this instead:

It's my latest sock using my Panda Cotton Print yarn from stash (see that halo glinting?!).

I'm loving this free Forget-Me-Not pattern - easy and pretty.

The yarn is quite splitty but I love the colours and it feels silky, smooth and squishy, so all is forgiven.

Stocking up

I mentioned a few purchases last time didn't I? Well they've been trickling in ever since:

Firstly there is a small package of 4 balls of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran from the sale at Stash.

They are a gorgeous salmon shade, intended for a Baby Shrug as a Christmas present for my new niece Sara.

I know it's a little ahead of time, but there's nothing like being organised. And anyway I wanted to buy some more stash. ;-)

Since they arrived though, I realised that they match a dress of my youngest DD's perfectly - the only dress that we don't have any cardigans that match at the moment. So I may have to buy some more...

Next up is an ebay bargain that I shouldn't have bought really but couldn't resist.

It's 500g of Lana Grossa Pina yarn which is 100% viscose. I love viscose, and it only cost me £5.50 plus postage. The colour isn't ideal for me, and I have no idea what I will make with it, but the price meant I had to have it!

Finally (for now) is a parcel from Web of Wool. It's the Panda Cotton sock yarn - 2 skeins of Chocolate Almond and 2 skeins of Strawberry Lime. Who could resist colours like that?!

I had to try it, and seem to be getting more into knitting socks - or at least buying the yarn. Plus it's a bamboo/cotton blend - my favourite right now.

I have been knitting some of the newer stash too. My enthusiasm was waning for the Beachcomber Tunic so I decided to make my welly socks!

They only took a few days to knit - chunky and easy. I followed the Irish Wellington Socks pattern using the 200g of the Garnstudio Big Fabel yarn in the red/orange colourway on size 4.5mm needles.

I guess it's back to the Beachcomber Tunic now!

Culture and Cashmere

Look - I have a cashmere Tidal Wave sock! Just the one so far though.

There won't be much knitting today as I'm having a cultural day - I'm taking my DDs out for dinner and to see the Snow Queen ballet in Truro.

DH wasn't so keen, so he's going to the pub with a friend. ;-)

Look what I received yesterday! A gorgeous skein of Bamboo sock yarn from YarnAddictAnni. I'm looking forward to casting on with this soon - possibly for a pair of the infamous Monkey socks.

I also received my Amazon parcel including Norah Gauhan's "Knitting Nature" - I've had a bit of a splurge as I resisted any knitterly purchases for about 3 months.

The last acquisition for yesterday was "Fabulous Flirty Crochet" from the library. I'd reserved it and they sent it over from St Austell library to Perranporth for me, for just 50p. What a great service!

Bamboo Success!

The frilly bamboo cardigan is done, it fits, and I love it!

This yarn is so lovely - soft, warm, fantastic drape, with a subtle sheen. The finished cardigan fits me really well - even the sleeves are the length I like.

The details:
Yarn - Sirdar Just Bamboo
Pattern - Sirdar Just Bamboo 8878

No modifications. Easy to knit, and great to wear. Big hugs go to the members of the Beatties Knit Chat group who bought this yarn and pattern for me as my leaving present when we moved to Cornwall earlier this year. Thanks everyone!

Holy Shaping!

Driftwood Bamboo Top

Would you take a look at this:

This is how the pattern instructions say to do the shaping increases - make 1 by picking up and knitting into the back loop into the next 2 stitches. Hmm, holy indeed.


This is how I normally do my shaping increases - make 1 by knitting into the loop of the stitch below. Much better.

Looks like the yarn manufacturers don't always kow best when it comes to pattern instructions.

I guess I'll be sticking to my usual way - thank goodness went to the Finishing Techniques day run by Jane Crowfoot where I learned it!

Beetroot and bamboo

We have a very kind elderly neighbour with an allotment producing too much food for him and his wife to eat by themselves.

So we currently have this - a small bucketful of fresh raw beetroot, grown about 10 feet away from our garden boundary.

I'm thrilled to have such a kind and generous neighbour, and if ever we have a glut of anything edible we will return the favour.

I have to admit that I've never taken to pickled beetroot and have never bought it fresh to cook with. So having absolutely no idea what to do with this bucket full of goodness, I scoured the Good Food website for ideas - and there were plenty.

I decided to try a couple out for a family BBQ last night to celebrate my in-laws buying their new house just a few minutes walk from ours.

This is one of the results - beetroot houmous - divine!

I would have shown you the beetroot slaw too, but that's all gone already. :-)

The other project simmering away is this - the frilled cardigan in Sirdar Bamboo.

All the main pieces are now finished, so I can seam those shoulders and start on the beautiful edging..