Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Knitting Socks + Planting Seedlings


You may have noticed that my blog posts have been less frequent lately. The simple reason for that is that I've been spending a lot of time thinking about and working on my knitting patterns and yarn shop, and as such the only words coming to my mind to share with you were wholly knitting based. I must write about something else, I told myself, for some reason or other. But today I have decided to let go - I've been trying to control this space, trying to keep it the same across every season and every month but reality is that just can't happen.
Of course what I have to write about here is going to vary across different times, and may over the course of years change altogether. It's hard for it not to when this blog is based around my life, and I'm not just writing "articles" or other types of things. I knew my content would change when we sold the livestock last year, and I will be honest with you that at times it has been something I have struggled with. I've been blogging for close to five years now but at times I feel as new and unsure here as I did when I was trying to craft my very first post.


So, back to the letting go. The words I have to share with you today are about knitting and yarn and other woolly things. I'm knitting my first pair of socks and I'm absolutely loving it (project details are at the end of this post). I'm in the midst of designing a beautiful women's beanie pattern in collaboration with an Australian yarn brand and I'm so excited by that. And I'm about to receive a massive parcel of very special yarn for my shop and I just know that I'm going to go a little crazy with the photos of it here when it arrives because it's just breathtaking. (It's hand dyed and it's sock yarn and it's sooooo squishy!).

And in amongst this everything else in my life feels a little chaotic at the moment. A lot of the chaos isn't in my control so I'm just having to learn to let go with that too, and know that things will calm down one day, soon. This is so much easier said than done!
And there's a veggie patch now simply full of little tiny seedlings finding ways for their roots to grow deep down into the soil, and it's lovely to have them to look after and think about, and to dream about harvesting from them. Planting them was like disturbing an underground city with all of the life present in the soil, and I know that there was so much more that wasn't visible to my eye. I filled that garden with the wasted hay from the dairy cows at the beginning of summer and now it's turned into beautiful rich soil. It's such a good feeling!

Now, please do share a little of what's been happening in your world lately. I'm off to put the finishing touches on my newsletter (it's a fortnightly knitting one filled with project ideas and other inspiration. You can sign up here if you'd like to check it out).
And later tonight I'm making doughnuts for dinner. Yes, really! They're based off / inspired by Jamie Oliver's Breakfast Doughnuts, except I've fairly changed up some of the ingredients. But they're yummy!



Sock Project Details:
Pattern: Rose Hip Socks by Verena Cohrs
Yarn: WOOLganic Merino 4ply in Lotus


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12 comments

  1. And you're doing cables as well in your first pair of socks!! They're looking so cosy Sarah xo

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    1. I certainly am :-) They are lovely and cosy x

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  2. I love seeing your knitting! Just weite about whatever you want. Looking fwd to seeing the dock yarn. I need to knit through my stash so I can buy more!!! I haven't even started any knitting this season as I've hardly sat still long enough. Soon I hope.

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    1. Thank-you so much for your encouragement Liz! You'd best dig out those knitting needles, a row here and there adds up surprisingly fast :-)

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  3. Sorry about all the typos!

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  4. Oh no, do you know what what you have started......last week I counted up and it came to over 30 pairs, I have 10 and the rest were gifts. I am on my second pair of toe up so I can make these as long as the yarn lasts, they are a gift for a friend who feels the cold so they will be layered turnover at the ankle or quite high for wearing in boots.
    Most sock yarn is 100grm balls so I wind it into 2 equal size 'cakes' with the help of my digital scales so I will keep knitting the k2, p2 rib part (stays up better ) until I run out of yarn.
    Socks are such a great portable project, mine go to meetings, cafes, on planes, trains etc. It's amazing how a few rows here and there add up over a day.
    Have fun....so much sock yarn...so little time 😊

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    1. Wow that's a lot of socks! I'd better speed up on my pair :-) Sock yarn is delicious isn't it? x

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  5. Just keep writing like you always do - such a pleasure to read about whatever you're up to and if it's all about yarn and knitting, I'm not complaining!!

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  6. Your socks look like they will be so cute, warm and soft once they are finished! Congrats on getting your seedlings planted, I love hearing how your garden is going xx

    Kez | acaciasdreams.com

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    1. Thank-you Kez! I can hardly wait to finish them :-)

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Maira Gall