From A-Z - Complete Knitting Skills - the finished product

My new book, Complete Knitting Skills is now available!

When the first copies dropped through the letterbox I was too excited to open the parcel! Eventually of course curiosity got the better of me and I am so thrilled with it (just as well really!).

There are two different covers depending whether you are buying the UK or the US edition. Both editions have the same content and video links and, (as anyone who has spoken to me in person will quickly notice) the same voiceover. So you are spared my dulcet Yorkshire tones although you do get to see my hands (and the manicures!). A big thank you to Meghan Fernandes for taking on the challenge of voicing over my knitting - not an easy task but handled brilliantly :-)

And on the subject of thank you's, a huge thank you to the Quarto team - Kate, Moira, Paul, Jo and especially to Katie who had to make sense of my corrections and scribbled annotations! And thank you to Simon for his photographic and video skills in making the samples and my hands look so glamorous (and for the pastries - very welcome after a long train journey from Manchester).

As always with books there are things I wish I could have covered and some things I could have written entire books about, but I hope I've given plenty of useful instruction for beginners as well as some interesting nuggets and new ideas for the more seasoned knitter. I learned a lot researching the book so I hope you'll find something in there that's new to you too.

It wouldn't be complete to finish without showing you (some) of the work that went into the book's production....

From knitting on the hoof...

Sample, sample, sample....

Say cheese....

Have I got all the right pages for the next shoot?

Some of the different edits.... (this was as many as I could hold!)

And making it all look easy....

Complete Knitting Skills is published by Search Press in the UK and Barrons in the US.We'll be stocking (signed) copies shortly but if you can't wait, you can have a peak inside at Amazon

Botanical Colors - (and Saxon Blue!)

Liquid Indigo - Saxon Blue for vatless indigo dyeing

Not really my blog post but I thought I'd borrow this from our news page with an update. This was the original news item in case you missed it....

"For those of you who were followers of renowned natural dyer Jenny Dean's website before it was hacked, you will be pleased to know that it is now back up and running and every bit as good as before! In addition to a very interesting post on chickweed as a possible mordant and a great post on Celtic dyes, Jenny has been busy experimenting with our Botanical Colors liquid natural dye extracts. For a review of her findings (and some lovely photos!) please click here to visit Jenny Dean's website

Unfortunately, it would appear that Jenny has once again been the victim of hacking (honestly, wouldn't you think people had better things to do than spoil someone's hard work?). However, on the positive side, it's still possible to access the blog at the link above and there is info there about how to contact Jenny. Even more positive is news that her latest book is on its way to the publishers. I shall be first in the queue for a copy and we'll be planning to stock it I'm sure!

Handspun sock(s)!

Remember the gorgeous fibre I received from Helen at My Heart Exposed in a Christmas Secret Santa Swap?

I proudly give you... (drum roll) the socks!

I had two 100g braids of naturally dyed BFL in similar shades from Helen so I split them into thin strips. I pre-drafted the fibres as I knew I needed a fine singles to make up my finished 2ply sock weight yarn. The strips of extenuated fibre were spun at random to further distribute the subtle colour variations and the plying was a standard 2ply (2 singles yarns spun Z twist, plied S twist).

The spinning wasn't terribly scientific, measuring tpi, wpi and degree of twist by eye (with apologies to Mabel Ross!). Nonetheless, by the time all the combining and plying had been done it seems to have evened itself out and the socks look like they'll be pretty hardwearing.

The pattern for the socks is my simple 2 x 2 rib groovy sock pattern. A basic heel flap, cuff-down affair with a nice star toe (I have pointy toes!). Being a dpns girl they're done on a set of 5 (very well-used!) Brittany dpns. I had several skeins, each slightly different so I knitted in stripes to create the extra colour variations and avoid blocks of colour. The flash has over-exposed this shot a little but I've included it because it shows the amazing lustre in the BFL.

The shot below shows the subtlety of the colour variations better. I have to say the sock looks pretty uninspiring when it's not sporting a leg but I haven't worked out how to photograph my own feet yet and no-one in the house has hobbit feet as small as mine!

Starry night!

November's clubs were inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's famous painting, the Starry Night.

I have to confess it has taken me a long time to come to terms with Vincent Van Gogh and see his work with less jaded eyes. Not because I don't like it - I find it amazing now. Unfortunately, I had a long-term arrangement with Mr V G's work in the shape of Mrs Reid's English class. Week after week I sat in the same classroom faced by the same poster (not even a print!) whilst learning the joys of English Literature. Many the hour I spent staring deep into that poster willing all my carefully memorised but frustratingly elusive quotes to resurface and leap onto my exam papers. I shudder at the memory even now.....

But enough reminiscing, I'm long since past all that (no permanent trauma at all, honest!) and now I can enjoy a lovely VVG as much as the next man. And I'm glad really, as they are such beautiful, intense colours with amazing swirling shapes and textures.

So, if you're still with me, thank you, and here are this month's clubs, inspired by The Starry Night...
Bluefaced Leicester and sparkly trilobal nylon roving for Roving Medley members,

BFL/trilobal nylon, twirly soft kid mohair fleece and lustrous Wensleydale roving for Fibre Adventure members,

And for Sock Club members I had a bit of extra fun dyeing two cakes of yarn in matching shades, dipping, rolling and syringing colour onto some beautiful merino/nylon softspun sock yarn.

(I got an A in English Lit. and English Language btw, in case you were wondering!)

Yes, we're in a video!

A music video no less!

See if you can spot Pete and I in the crowd in Sonic Boom Six's latest release, Keep on Believin' (hint: Look for the familiar pink hair in the darts-crowd sequence and Pete at the back).

This latest track from the awesome album, the eponymously titled "Sonic Boom Six", is released today. Check out the band's website for more info....

(And if you happen to be a Scuzz TV viewer, you may just catch us on there, too!) A definite (if unexpected) big tick on the Bucket List!