Thursday 28 May 2009

Back from the hols

Just after the last post, the washing machine broke down. So we flew off to France knowing that we had several things to sort out when we got back! At last I can report that the sock machine is re-attached to its desk, the car is running, and the new washing machine has done two loads today. I seem to have hit the ground running, so have only completed the rib and leg of a sock so far.

I brought back three magazines from France, mainly on crochet, some new techniques to try out, like their macrame crochet and their Cro-Tat, which have quite different interpretation. Macrame crochet looks a bit like Irish Crochet, and is done not over padded cords but over crocheted ones. The Cro-Tat is a wonderfully easy way of doing tatting, at last, without worrying if the knot is done the right way or the wrong way on the other thread. If you have ever struggled to learn tatting you will know what I mean!

Friday 8 May 2009

May Day, mayday!

A bit in limbo! The car passed its MoT on 27th April, then the sock machine got impossible to turn, so took it with me on my regular Wednesday in Ruddington to see if Helen and Milla could sort it for me. It was a bit embarrassing, as I was doing a local event on May Bank Hol and it just kept stopping when visitors were having a go. Sold the pair of bamboo socks, though, a hat pattern and some of my own spun and dyed yarn, and encouraged one woman to start spinning.

Anyway, it was sorted - the central nut and bolt, as I thought. I’m not sure whether there is a screw inside a screw, but it wasn’t a straightforward relationship between one end and the other. Packed up to come home and the clutch went on the car so had to have a suspended tow. As my local garage is at the bottom of the hill, no way could I drag the machine home, even in a wheely case, so it is stuck there for quite some time as we are off on our hols, flying on Sunday. I hate this bit before a holiday - everything is ready, no car so can’t even get to the wool shop in Beeston for more of the bamboo yarn with my profits, don’t want to start anything new and can’t even fill in time by playing on the sock machine.

However, did wind off some more of the stiff Jacobs yarn (see string bag on 2nd April - now finished but not got round to a photo) and am making crochet bowls by the technique of one round of dcs, one round dcs into the same places as the round below. Hard work on the wrists so can’t do many rounds at a time.