hand dyed yarn | The Little Room of Rachell

Vicki and I have followed each other on social media for years. I read her blog long before Instagram. And once volunteered to test a crochet sock pattern for her. I don’t dwell on that really; since my stitch count definitely did not tally with the pattern’s. I kept on thinking it would magically resolve, but we all know how that ends. I remember giving up and embarrassingly bowing out with a “Well, you’ve got plenty of other testers, oops!” The fault was all mine.

I’ve been promising to visit her newish shop String in Cheltenham, a town in Gloucestershire, for ages. Saturday was finally the day. I went with excellent intentions; I would have a look around and introduce myself, but not buy any yarn. For reasons of stash. I crumbled. How ridiculous to go to a beautiful shop like that and not buy any woolly products! I don’t know what I was thinking really. It would be like going to Italy, and not eating a single bite of pasta or pizza…

As you see I didn’t crumble spectacularly, but I love this skein of DK ’Hendricks’ so much that I’m already anticipating my next visit to String. It’s a bright space filled with very good things! (And a very nice maker, designer and shop keeper too.)

Here’s Vicki’s site, Vicki Brown Designs where you can make heart eyes over her small batch hand dyed yarns. She’s also to be found on all the socials.

I then took myself off for a walk in Cheltenham’s most beautiful park. I have family connections to the town and a visit without a wander around Pittville would feel lacking.

Information about the history of the park and the Pump Room

Lovely to see the candles on the horse chestnut trees. Everywhere is looking so lush and green now. England in May is spectacular.

Eye catching planting

*Cheltenham is the most complete Regency town in England and one of the few English towns in which traditional and contemporary architecture complement each other.*

http://www.Cheltenham.gov.uk

A Victorian postbox. VR for Queen Victoria which stands for Victoria Regina. Regina means Queen in Latin

And now I shall put my beautiful skin of Hendricks away, hopefully just for a little bit, while I finish my blanket and shawl.

I’ve had a hiatus in crafting lately, but I feel inspired again after a visit to String.

Have you been on any trips lately? Met anyone in real life you’ve ‘known’ online for years? How did it turn out?

I know I said I’d do a lucky dip delve into my craft box to come up with bags containing mystery items. I’d concentrate on finishing, or unravelling, long ago started things before starting anything new, but blame my friend.

She messaged me last week with two shawl pattern pics asking which one she should pick. Then I say a day or so later that I really have an urge to knit.

“What’s prompted that?”

“You, you lemon!”

Ha!

Digging through my craft cube I found yarns I’d forgotten all about, some really nice stuff that’s been tucked away for a lonnnng time. I’d done that deadly thing of keeping it ‘for best’ and it ended up there for years. Today is the day I decided. Just make something, anything, with it.

Life’s a bit like that in general at the moment, isn’t it? On Simon Mayo’s Books of the Year podcast author Sabine Durrant said that she’s always finished books, no matter whether she’s enjoying them, or not. However now she will give up on some. It’s the same sort of thing. This year is making us think about some aspects of life a little differently.

It’s really pretty. The colourway is Spiced Plum and it’s by Fyberspates. It’s 100% merino 4 ply. Very pretty. I bought it years ago in iknit in Waterloo, London. I googled to see if they still sell it and found the shop has closed. I can’t find any more information about when, why or if they’ve moved. What a shame.

I’d kind of forgotten that with luxury skeins of hand-dyed yarn you can’t simply pick them up and start knitting; before you begin there’s hard manual labour to do!

I don’t know about you, but I can spend a very long time looking through patterns trying to decide what to make. This time I just went straight to things already saved in my Ravelry library and picked the first shawl pattern I saw: Close to You by Justyna Lorkowska.

Later I messaged my friend as actually it seems we’re doing a Knit Along! She didn’t pick either shawl in the end, but went for a pattern she’s used before. Here is hers in progress and here’s mine (there was a knot and undyed piece of merino unfortunately, so I had to cut it. That’s why there’s a trailing end and separate ball. Beautifully hand wound, I think you’ll agree?)