Fiddle Faddle Sanquhar Glove

I love to fiddle with knitting.  Quite often I will knit three or four samples before deciding how to start the knitting and on what sized needles, using what stitch pattern etc.  A very laudable habit except that I am less good at finishing knitting.  Now Gloves are heaven, because they are all fiddle with no straight knitting in between.  And patterned gloves are even more so.

I got sanquhar glove patterns because my Guild of Weavers Spinners & Dyers is having a Sanquhar knitting challenge.  the usual thing is that mine is not finished in time because of all the other demands on my time, but we shall see.  That is a very good idea seeing as the village of Sanquhar is in our area, and we even have members who live there.  Sanquhar is about 20 miles from where I live, and it doesn't realise how famous it is via the Sanquhar knitting if appearances are anything to go by.

The patterns are written by the Scottish Womens Rural Institute (AKA The Rural) and are therefore very very good.  they have no errors, they explain why you are doing things and are typed in double spacing.  Listen up all you knitting designers - tell us why we should knit 2 together then it is easier to fudge if the pattern does not work.  And please do not print your books on black - I want to photocopy one pattern FOR MY OWN USE not to cheat you out of money, but so that I can fit my knitting into my handbag and scribble all over the pattern whilst I knit.  Come to think of it, those books of knitting patterns so piss me off.  Why not make individual patterns anymore?  it is all about money, but some of us just don't bother rather than pay £8.99/$15 when we only want one pattern in the book.  Or we buy one between three of us so I doubt if you really make more money out of us.  And I would happily pay a decent price - say £2-3/$3-5 for one pattern if only I could get one.

So a resounding thumbs up to The Rural.  And here is my work in progress Sanquhar Glove.

spinning silk

Ah the joys of picking silk out of your eyelashes...
We were spinning silk at The Guild yesterday and what fun we had.  What was especially nice is that some of the people who did the silk spinnig course had not spun silk before. 

Funny how you often seem to wear exactly the wrong thing for spinning.  A bit like when you go out for an Italian meal and seem to always end up with a white shirt on. 
well I was wearing a black tee shirt and forgot my spinning apron.  Actually it was in a bit of a state - covered in oil, gunk and assorted extras so I was too embarassed to take it, Guild logo and all!

Concentrating hard whilst spinning silk.