Finishes and starts Finire e comminciare

This week I have finished three knitting projects:
Questa settimana ho finito tre capi ai ferri:

First - A shawl in mohair loop yarn, which I dyed with Japanese Indigo which I grew in my garden last summer. I got the shaded and flecked effect by winding the yarn tightly into two centre-pull balls using a ball winder before dyeing them in the indigo vat. I started knitting at the point of the shawl using the end on the outside of the first ball of yarn, so the point is blue then fades gradually to white with flecks of blue. I increased one stitch at the beginning of each row. When the first ball of yarn ran out I joined on the end from the inside of the second ball, continuing to increase and casting off when I reached the last few metres of yarn - back to blue along the top edge of the shawl.
Primo capo - una scialle in mohair, tinto da me con indaco giapponese, cresciuto nel mio orto l'estate scorsa. Per questa sfumatura ho avvolto strettamente il filato in due gomitoli prima di tingere.
Ho cominciato a lavorare al punto della scialla con il filato al esteriore del primo gomitolo. Quando il primo gomitolo era finito, ho aggiunto il filato dal interior dal secondo gomitolo.

Second project: my fifth (!!!) Sheep Carousel teacosy. can you spot the sheep with it's back turned?
capo secondo: la mia quinta(!!!) copriteiera Sheep Carousel. Vedi la pecora girata?

I have kits available with original Kate Davies printed pattern and 100% Shetland Supreme natural undyed Shetland wool yarn, either white and moorit as shown or white and natural black.

Third project: a cosy pair of socks, my own design, with divided toes to keep my tootsies cosy while wearing fit-flops (in the house) in winter. Knitted two-at-a-time and toe-up, with the soles in reversed stocking stitch for extra comfort. These are in DK Mirasol yarn and some DK cashmere. The pattern (printed copies available) is written for both standard sock yarn and DK, and the divided toes are optional.
Terzo capo: calze caldissime, il mio modello, per piedi caldi con infradita (in casa) in inverno. Lavorato due - alla - volta in tondo, dalla dita. Queste sono in DK Mirasol e cachemire, la schema (disponibile stampata) e scritto per filato di calze normale e DK, la infradita e un opzione.

Two new solar dyeing experiments started this week:
Due esperimenti nuove di tintura solare comminciati questa settimana:

buttercup petals  petalli di Ranunculus repens
plenty of this in my garden! Ho tante nel orto!

Forsythia leaves  foglie di Forsythia

Finally, I'm replanting dyeplants  - woad (guado) and madder (robbia)

Shetland shearing time La tosatura a Shetland

Oliver in the Jamieson & Smith wool store

Here in Perthshire the sheep are mostly shorn now, in Shetland the shearing is probably also well underway. Here is a link to a nice post about Shetland Wool from the real experts, Jamieson and Smith the Shetland Wool Brokers.

It makes me look forward even more to Shetland Wool Week and the three workshops I will be teaching, using lovely Shetland wool of course!

http://bit.ly/10pQBmx

Miei corsi a Pavia - un'altra punta di vista

Blog pubblicato di una mie gentilissime allieve - grazie L! Bellissime imagine.

My workshop in Pavia - another point of view - blog post from one of my lovely students - thankyou L! Lovely photos
http://birbolina-birbolina.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/due-giorni-intensi.html

Ritorno a Pavia e una gita al mare - Return to Pavia and a trip to the sea

Che emozione! Tornare a Pavia per rincontrare dei amici dal primo visito, e per incontrare amici nuovi .

It was so exciting to be going back to Pavia, to meet up again with friends from my first visit and to meet new friends.

sabato 8 giugno - approfondimento di filature a mano
Saturday 8th June - advanced hand-spinning

selezione e preparazione delle fibre, filature col fuso o col filatoio
choosing and preparing fibre, spinning with spindle or spinning wheel

mescolando fibre usando spazzole, poi filatura dei filati unichi
blending fibres using hand carders, then spinning unique yarns

imperando le tecniche di Navajo Plying, boucle, spiral e loop yarn
learning the techniques of Navajo Plying, boucle, spiral and curled loop yarns





Domenica 9 giugno
Sunday 9th June

Tintura naturale - mostra e spiegazione su piu' di 60 campione tinti e filati a mano
natural dyeing - display and explanation of more than 60 samples, hand dyed and hand spun

Spiegazione su tecniche tradizionale della tintura naturale
Discussion of traditional natural dyeing techniques

Esperimenti di tintura solare - due o tre vasi da portare ognuna a casa per il sviluppimento del colore
Practical experiments of solar dyeing - two or three jars each to take home for the colour to develop

Sabato 15 giugno - feltro ragnatela
Saturday 15th June - gossamer felt

Ognuna ha fatto una sciarpa bellissima e unica
each person made a beautiful and unique scarf

















Domenica 16 giugno - mostra -mercatino dei filati artigianale, dimostrazione di filature manual in Cupola Arnaboldi, nel centro storico di Pavia
Sunday 16th June - show and market of craft yarns and spinning demonstration in Cupola Arnaboldi in the historic centre of Pavia

Fra le fine settemane, un po' di relax al mare, a Rapallo (Liguria)
Between the two weekends, a bit of relaxation by the sea at Rapallo, Liguria

Un bel posto per pranzo - e un bel pranzo - burata
A lovely setting for lunch - and a lovely lunch - burata

Lavoro tradizionale di Rapallo - pizzi al tombolo - c'e anche un museo di merlotto
Traditional craft of Rapallo - bobbin lace - there is also a lace museum

Lots of boats!

In traghetto per Santa Margherita Ligure e Portofino
on the ferry to Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino

Santa Margherita

Portofino

Forse  pua essere tradotto in maglia Fair Isle?
maybe could be translated into Fair Isle knitting?

Portofino's wild side and wildlife

Some seriously big boats!

Camminando da Rapallo a San Martino in Pagana
walking from Rapallo to San Martino in Pagana

Non ho mai visto o assiagiato le nespole prima...
I had never seen or tasted NESPOLE before..... yumm!

A bit of local colour

Giovedi - Il mercato grande di Rapallo
Thursday -the big market at Rapallo

World Wide Knit In Public Day......

..... and something else I created in public

raccolto dei foglie di Eucalyptus (per tingere e eco-stampa)
a harvest of Eucalyptus leaves (for dyeing and eco-print)

Cena e tramonto vicino del castello
Dinner and sunset beside the castle

pansoti con sugo di noci per pranzo, prima di tornare a Pavia
pansoti with walnut sauce for lunch before returning to Pavia