Tag: socks

yarn

Wooly Wednesday, even more yarn dyeing

Ellie

So last week I gave the first half of the story! This week here is even more of the colourways I have been dyeing up ready for the yarn show!

There maybe more but I am at the point I can’t tell which I’ve uploaded and which I haven’t! 🤯

Sooooo these are getting released at Sweater Weather

Have you got your tickets!!!???!! I am super excited about meeting all sorts of knitting people!! Plus there are a few patterns going to be released for the show!!

If you want the heads up about any yarns left after the show going live for sale then head on over and sign up for the newsletter!! You can get priority notice on new releases yarny and patterns!! And occasionally the odd discount code!!

Patterns, yarn

Woolly Wednesday – Socks

Ellie

Lets talk socks!

Now I love sock weight yarns… I certainly dye up enough of them! and I love socks knitted out of them…. but I am finding with more limited knitting time these days with the two kids, a smallholding and a few businesses to sort that sock weight yarn socks just takes an age….. I have definitely been more in the mood for quick and easy finish projects.

More recently I have been using the DK yarns to make up socks! The Rustic ranges of DK both make up gorgeous socks and the Hilltop does too!

I have even designed a few patterns for DK weight socks!! You can find them here on Ravelry, or in my Etsy shop.

I have been knitting up some custom socks for a smallholder friend and her husband and have the second set of two pairs ready to go to her. The farmer whose fleeces became the Hilltop yarn blend has requested a pair of socks as well made up from the yarn from his sheep. He is currently living in the hat I knit him!

So…. I thought I would add in a plain set of DK socks as a free pattern… You can download the pattern here!! Hop on over and join the FB discussion I would love to see the socks you knit up!

I have also hit upon another idea!

I fancy a collaborative Knitalong!!

I thought a scarf, as this would allow newer knitters to join in the fun.

So I thought:

  • DK yarn
  • 2/3 colours
  • 4mm needles
  • Cast on 30 stitches

Then each week a person in the group is chosen to provide the patterning idea for the next week’s worth of knitting.

This could be a new stitch you have been itching to try, a bit of colour work or anything you fancy, as long as you keep to the stitch count!!

Hop over, join the FB group and add a comment to the thread with the image above, then go get your needles and yarn ready! I am thinking a February 28th start date??

Craftiness, knitting, Knitting and Crochet, Patterns, Tyddyn Bryn on Etsy

Looking for last minute gift knits or a Christmas Eve cast on??

Ellie

I got you covered!!!

I have been working on quite a few patterns recently!! Including these!! (With more coming in the new year) All inspired by my love of nature and living close to nature!

We have the Queen Bee Hat and I am chuffed to bits with how this has turned out so I made mitts and socks to go with!!

These have all been knitted using the Tyddyn Bryn Rustic with Alpaca range of DK wool and they are sooo wearable and WARM!!

I have also finally sorted the pattern out for the Jewels shawl (thank you my fabulous tech editor for reminding me!!)

This is knitted in a sock weight yarn with a silk content to give it maximum drape! The Tyddyn Bryn Smooshie bade is perfect for this!

All these patterns are available on Etsy, Ravelry and Loveknitting!!

Still on the go we have the Hazels shawl…. which I seem to be taking forever to write up let alone chart….

And the Hive shawl, which is nearly written (honest mum!! 😂😘) which need blocking final photos and a trip to the tech editor!!

I am also now working on a range of foraging and smallholding inspired patterns!! Mushrooms, more leaves, animals and even a hedgehog set of patterns which will be released to raise money for our local hoggie hogspital who nursed our beautiful Holly so well!!

Children, Craftiness, Garden, Life with a toddler, Podcast, Sustainability, Working the land

A week’s worth of vlogs!!

Ellie

I promised myself I’d be better at Blogging as well as Vlogging…. but life kinda happens!! Anyway here are the links for the blogs this week

Something new Sunday

Makers Monday

What we do Wednesday

Sustainable Saturday

Also I’ve managed a load of baking this week!! 😁

Craftiness, Day tripping, knitting, Patterns, yarn

Crafty Catching Up!!

Ellie

Well a fortnight has vanished since my last post!!! Well more than a fortnight!!! That’s what new babies manage to do…. and toddlers… they eat time!!!

So…. now I’m a captive on the sofa with a post immunisation snuggler….

Where was I….

Wonderwool Purchases!!! Those of you that follow me over on Instagram will have seen these beauties posted there!! But look!!!

A good mix of mainly sock yarn and some spinning fluff for my breeds log cabin blanket!! Hurrah now I just need the time to knit them!!

In other news I was lucky enough to test knit the fabulous Peeky Cat socks, a colourwork double knit socks pattern by An Caitín Beag!! Wow these knit up quick!!! I used some deep stash Sweet Georgia merino DK yarn that I bought an age ago with plans for a top for me…. two children later….. and seriously limited knit time…. and it’s now becoming snuggly gorgeous cat socks!!!!

This pattern is amazing!! And she has set it up on Ravelry ready for release on the 25th!!

Other than that I’m plugging in with James’ socks….

And I’ve finally finished the reknit of my hazels shawl in RiverKnits in Indian Giant Squirrel!!

Now I need to block it and finish writing the pattern and get it off to the wonderful tech editor!! Any interested parties for the test knit?!

So that’s the crafty catch up… for the mo!!!

I’ll post again with some farm happenings!!

Craftiness, knitting

More socks on the go!!

Ellie

I have cast on another pair of vanilla socks!! Yes I seem to have a problem needing to have some vanilla socks on the needles at all times!!

But it does seem to be all my poor sleep deprived brain can handle!!

Look at this yarn!!

It is Weavers Loft sock wool and I bought it last year at Wonderwool!!

Squee!!!! That is this weekend for this year now!! Anyone going?! I shall be there Saturday with the boys and Mum!!

Soooo more vanilla socks!! And lots of more complicated projects languishing for a day when I feel I have had some sleep!! That may be a while… though this little man is sleeping better than his big brother did at his age!!

Craftiness, Firewood, knitting, Knitting and Crochet, Life with a toddler, Livestock, Podcast, Sewing, Spinning, Weaving, Woodwork, Working the land, yarn

Episode 13 show notes

Ellie

Episode 13

Sunday 18th March

So I’ve made it this far!!! Still got bump in tow!!

Lots of little bits to tell you all about this week, some sections are a bit light on content this week, because we’ve had disturbed nap times due to toddler illness ( joyfully he threw up in the car the other week so that was a heap of pulling apart the car and car seat to wash!!)

Plus more getting ready for the new baby, growing season by sorting out the seeds etc..

Well it’s another snowy day here in Wales and it’s freezing!!!

I’m wearing James’ fleece as it covers the bump!! And I’m wearing a cowl my Mum knitted for me!! It’s a Song of the Sea cowl by Louise Zass-Bangham and the Pattern is on Rav.

Knitting

I’ve managed to finally block my samples I had knit up and have subsequently tweaked patterns etc!! Now just need to get some more projects off the needles so I can cast on the full projects for those!!

I have two FO’s

Two little baby hats!!! The pattern is my Jelliebean Baby Hat pattern and it’s on Rav, I’ve knitted one in Rainbow heirloom solo light and one in some left over hedgehog fibres, plus a small amount of my own hand dyed yarn to stripe in so I was definitely not playing yarn chicken!! These are in my bag that the lovely Zoe of Pins and Needles made me.

I am halfway down the foot of the second sock for my Dad’s birthday

These are a Plain top down vanilla sock knit out of Weavers Loft sock yarn which is 75% super wash wool and 25% nylon, so good and hard wearing for much use for my Dad! These are in my fantastic Thimble and Thread Makes Harry Potter bag.

I have managed a heap more rows on my Hazels shawl and the leaves are really starting to come through now!! Ive knit this in River Knits 4ply fingering in the colourway Indian Giant Squirrel and it’s a pattern I am working on for release after the baby is born

I have decided to start using my progress keeper on my weasley sweater, because I can’t for the life of me remember whether I have even knitted on it since I last podcast!! The progress keeper I am using is a lovely tardis one from Jennie of Owl about Yarn.

Sewing…

Yep none…. No FOs….

But I have managed to cut out some fabric for a commission project and have some more to cut out this week so I can get sewing on that!!

However I have managed some mending/darning etc!!

I’ve mended The rainbow jumper which is the DayDreamer pattern by Jennifer Steingass, James’ socks and two pairs of Williams socks!!! Some knitting required…..

Weaving…

Zero…. Too much getting the desk cleared and the loom hoiked about at this stage of bumpness…

Crochet….

Also zero!! But to be fair I have been awaiting the plying of the Icelandic to carry on with that….

So that leads me into Spinning….

I have Navajo or chain plied the Icelandic!! Just need to skein it, wash it thwack it and it’s good to go into a crochet project…

And I have thread plied the Sara’s Texture crafts exmoor BFL!!! I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out and can see more thread plying in my future especially with the beautiful variegated skeins of yarn. Mainly because I believe my yardage for this skein of yarn is going to be HUGE!!! in comparison to the Icelandic which will be minimal as it is three ply and super chunky!!

Acquisitions!

So I have received the fabric I ordered for the commission project

Cotton

Terry

Rip stop

And I have ordered more rip stop and received it to make the boys waterproof dungas using the Made By Jacks Mum Free Range Fun Over Trousers.

And also this last fortnight I had a really happy post day!!!

The Lovely Anita from the Gaga Knits podcast has sent me some beautiful gifts!!!

A beautiful little cardie for the newbie when he decides to put in an appearance.

A book for Will which he has had read several times already!!

And a beautiful roving of Fondant Fibre in merino and mulberry silk!!! Part of their Illume collection called awakened spirit.

Thank you soooo much Anita you are so very kind!!

Shop update

I’ve been inspired this week to get my backside back to the dye pots!!! So hopefully (baby arrival allowing) later this week I shall have a little shop update with these two colour ways!!! Daffs and Crocus, they are currently drying out, having been my first attempt at yarn dyeing on the wood fired stove!! Man I needed to haul lots of wood!!! Or it seemed that way because I can only bring in small amounts at a time, not the big basket!! However I digress there are two bases, a sport weight merino base, which are the slightly softer colours, and the Stardust sock weight base which are the more vibrant colours!! So keep an eye on Tyddyn Bryn on Etsy later this week for them to pop into store!! One time limited dye lots, using up the last of the undyed I had in stash…. The next time I dye I shall have to do another big restash of the undyed before I dye!! And who knows when I might get time to do that!!! It has been two years since I last dyed yarn I believe!!!

Woodwork….

I’ve been out varnishing the sign for the front of the house again, and giving the bird boxes a quick coat too to protect them…

Farm update…

So James hired a mini digger a fortnight before I was due to pop….

He has now dug raised beds in the slurry it, which he needs to blockwork out…. watercourses…. Potato beds….. Flattened an area for me to make into a digging zone for the kids….

I’ve sourced some tractor tyres for digging pits for the boys…..

We’ve scoped out a pond site, but it wasn’t safe to take the digger to it….

In looking at that though I have found loads of my basketry willows have grown and need cutting back allowing me to get more plants going…

And Friday next if no one comes forward we become accidental sheep owners…. Still no idea if it’s multiple deal…. As in whether she is I lamb or not…. But we have bought some feed to supplement her diet in case and come next week we shall book a vet out to see her and register her as ours.

The chicks are growing well and feathering up… They are much bigger much faster than the last two, and are certainly eating more, drinking more and stinking more!!!

We’ve baked more cakes…. Muffins of the White chocolate and Rasberry variety and the banana and chocolate chip variety!!

I shall add a little photo montage at the end of all the farm happenings…

Sooo….

I hope you have enjoyed this weeks podcast!! I’m not sure when I’ll get to podcast next…. Baby is due Friday next!!! So in the meantime Happy crafting everybody!! And you can find me as Tyddyn Bryn on Instagram, Twitter and Ravelry, there is a Tyddyn Bryn Facebook page…. The Tyddyn Bryn Etsy shop, which I am going to attempt to keep open…. But we shall see what occurs in the next couple of weeks…

If you enjoyed the episode please give us a thumbs up at the bottom and I hope to see you all soon!!!

Craftiness, knitting, Knitting and Crochet, yarn

Socks knitting ahoy!!

Ellie

I managed to finish Dad’s Christmas socks out of the yarn, which turned out not to be too thin!! Yay!!

And I have cast on James’ birthday socks in a Regia 4-fadig sock yarn which is knitting up very differently to how it looks in the ball but I love it!!!

Hopefully I have enough left from all the man sock knitting to make a little boy some socks too!!!