Dragonfly garden

Well, I had a really lovely week catsitting at Sparkleknits house, Coleman and I got on fabulously.  I did manage to hurt my back on Monday night just by rolling over in bed but it’s much better now and should be fine for my 2nd Yoga class next week.  Ironically I decided to do yoga to improve my posture and hopefully strengthen my back/neck/shoulder as I do hurt it much too often!

I did get some knitting done, the sleeves of the cardigan for mum are both knitted to the elbows now, but I didn’t knit that much due to Coleman trying to eat the yarn and my back.  I did do some sketching and some doodles of jewellery I wanted to make and I’ve made some good progress on my latest college project – a still life of pomegranates in acrylic on canvas. 

Thursday after work I went to a 15% sale in the local Bijoux Beads and bought some of these in silver and these to make a necklace inspired by a dragonfly clasp I got at the Knitting and Stitching show from www.nostaligia.co.uk.  I put the clasp at the front as a feature and I wanted the necklace to look like a flower garden that the dragonfly would be flying around.  So I was going for the purples/turquoises/teals/blues that are conveniently in fashion this winter.  They are also my favourite colours so for a change I was indulging myself. 

So last night I finished the grey pearl vintage necklace I’d started a month ago and then made the dragonfly garden one straight after.  They have both turned out well, and almost exactly how I imagined them.  I need to add a few more beads to the dragonfly garden and I’m going to make matching earrings this weekend.

Goodies!!*

Goodies I got at the knitting and stitching show in October at Ally Pally.
From L to R: bead necklace kit in peacock colours, grey glass pearls, summery pink beads, millifiori beads, teal glass beads, needle size gauge for Emily (she’s just moved her from the US so I thought it would help her convert needle sizes), 2 copies of Selvedge magazine (underneath), Zauberball sock yarn, vintage looking findings to go with grey beads, 3 rolls of ribbon and an addi turbo circular needle. 

This is a close up of the Zauberball sock yarn,  I couldn’t resist it.  I’ve cast on a toe so far in the orange stripe you can see at the top and it looks wonderful.  I took it to knitting group last week and asked everyone’s opinion on whether I should knit a plain stocking stitch sock  or if I should use a stitch pattern.  Most people went for plain so you get the benefit of the colours without a pattern interfering – so that is what I shall do.  But I’m restraining myself as I have 4 other projects I should be knitting.

I couldn’t believe how many beads stalls there were and how cheap the beads were.  The string of teal glass ones was only £1.50 and I think it’s 20 beads.  Brilliant!! I got a lovely cardigan in a really similar colour a couple of days later and they will work really well together. 

This week I’ve cast on the sleeves for mum’s cardigan on two circulars and am knitting them simultaneously which was quite difficult to get started but is now working really well. Both are 7 inches long so far. 

I’ve just started reading The End Of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas, I was reading it in bed last night with a cat on my chest, as I’m cat sitting for Sparkleknits this week!! I’ll let you know how I get on, with the book I mean – the cat and I get on like a house on fire.

* and by goodies I mean great crafting things not the 3 comedians from british television.