Dreich

It's been a dreich old day today. So what better to cheer me up than a couple of skeins of old maiden aunt's yummy squashy dreich alpaca/silk blend?

It's not as gloomy as it sounds - the boy says (and I agree) that the colourway looks like the sky with a silver lining - when the worst has passed and it's beginning to hint that it might brighten up soon.

I popped along today with a couple of knitty friends to see Lilith in her studio. It was great - I got to watch her dyeing away - a very organised set-up it was too. Hooks above the sink to leave yarn to drip and cool, clothes horses to let it dry. It's given me the dyeing bug again and I'm hoping to get along for one of her dyeing workshops soon.

I also borrowed a copy of Stahman's Shawls and Scarves as I'm having a lust for a faroese shawl, and Fenna looks like the just the ticket!



I know, I know, what about Rogue? Well Rogue is motoring on - I'm onto the hood now.

It's still a great knit, it's just that I'm in a knitting mood, and ends need woven in and the sleeves need hemmed and blocked. And I can't be arsed with doing the footery stuff at the moment.

But to be honest I'm looking for something a bit mindless to work on. I realise even as I say this, that I winge relentlessly when I end up knitting something mindless ... but I'm hoping that the Faroese shawl has enough in it, with shoulder shaping and a planned feather and fan bottom, to keep me entertained.

I tried to take some arty Brooklyn Tweed-style shots here - the angle is quite fun, but the colour is WAY off - it's much more of a petrol teal-y blue (hence the colourway Petrol!).



Some more nature shots - the flower below is lovely and sharp. I'm very happy with it!

At the bottom is a very quickly taken shot of a moorhen baby hiding in the reeds - it's blurry but so cute. We saw him/her about a week ago but haven't seen it since - it's been pretty rainy though, and the council (in their 'wisdom') have seen fit to start digging up the path next to the pond in the middle of nesting season...

And the squirrel was papped scratching his armpit on a bin - classy.