Twisted Stitches

I'm really loving working twisted stitch patterns so imagine how excited I was to find this book. What a fantastic resource!! There are 174 traditional Austrian stitch patterns and instructions for garments including stockings, sweaters and vests.

No, I haven't had time to use the book yet but these socks are definitely in the spirit.



They are the Bavarian Twisted Stitch socks from Cat Bordhi's "Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles"with modifications to magic loop, toe-up and short row heels.



I used Dye Studio's "Unicorn" yarn, colour Starlight. It's the first time I've used this and I certainly wasn't disappointed although I think the stitch definition may have been even better with BFL.

I can't tell you Unicorn's composition because I don't know, in fact it's a secret until the end of the year. When you buy a skein - either from Natural Dye Studio or Fyberspates - you get a clue and in December if you can solve all the clues and sort out an anagram of the first letters of all the answers you end up with the compostion. And you can win an enormous prize....

Wel,l I've collected all the riddles so far but don't have the answers yet. Not by a long way. But it's fun.

I seem to be having a change of direction in my sock knitting. Instead of all those colourful ones that only need plain stocking stitch knitting I'm loving doing twisted stitch patterns on more neutral coloured yarn. Like Gschnitztal from Laura.





I used the Natural Dye Studio Dazzle HT - a high twist British Blue Faced Leicester yarn in colour Starlight. The high twist really shows off the twisted stitches. I used 2.5mm circular needles and adapted the pattern to work toe-up, short row heels.

And another from Laura - Algernon





I used Posh Yarn Martha colour Moonstruck, 2.5mm circular and again adapted the pattern to work toe-up, short row heels.

But that's not to say I'll never do plain socks, although you could hardly call these plain!



Aren't they gorgeous??





I love Fyberspates's self striping sock yarn. The colour is "My Pretties" and of course they are 2.5mm circular needles, toe-up, short row heels.

I liked the colour so much I had some custom dyed for this little cardi.


It is a cross between Knitting Pure and Simple's Top Down Cardigan and Featherweight. I used 2.5 skeins on 4mm needles.


I seem to mostly wear it tied at the front like this.

End of holiday

Circle Socks



Dh had admired these so much while I was knitting them that I decided they would make a nice little extra anniversary present. I know they're very colourful but it seems men who normally wear fairly conservative clothes often like something a bit more flamboyant where it won't show too much, certainly Michael does and socks fit the bill. I wasn't entirely sure he really wanted these but he did and they are his favourite socks atm.



Actually it seems he really likes these little circles on the legs.



Circle Socks by Anne Campbell
Yarn: Zitron Trekking XXL colour 100
2.5mm circular needle.
Pattern slightly modified to knit toe-up with short row heel

But what a long time ago our 6 week summer holiday seems now. And how selective one's memory becomes.



This one day of stair rod rain that poured through the back door, down the hall and out of the front door seems to have left more of an impression than the weeks of glorious sunshine filled days and balmy evenings.

And the lovely meal at the nearby Chateau de Marcay , memorable enough as our celebration of 40 years of our marriage - and yes dh did give me a ruby and - even more special - a poem. In fact he has written me a poem for almost all the significant dates in our time together.

But the memory now is of the end of the evening spent in hospital in Chinon. All's well that ends well, but it certainly rocked our confidence when for no apparent reason Michael had two consecutive fainting episodes - fortunately we'd nearly finished our meal. Seriously though, it was very scary, mitigated by three very helpful and competent fellow diners who were able to tell the ambulance crew exactly what had happened better than I could. The hospital did loads of tests and found nothing wrong. A phone consultation with our doctor at home was very reassuring and apparently this sort of thing is not uncommon and has a name - it's a vasovagal episode. It means you faint when you are eating your dinner......I think it's the same sort of thing that causes teenage girls in assembly to faint when they've been standing for a while...


My French vocab has widened....

I know as time goes by I shan't have to deal with the memory of this in such a flippant manner and the hospital bit will fade and we'll just remember a good summer.

The long lazy days were very conducive to outside knitting and I enjoyed taking part in the Socktopus mystery shawl kal on Twitter - although I didn't actually ever tweet.



Poshyarn Sylvia 4ply (50/50 merino/silk) colour "seek" on 4.5mm needles.





I can't believe that right up to the end I hadn't realised it was going to be sort of circular and as such sits beautifully on the shoulders.