It's that time of year again - the time when there's a crispness to the air and I can think straight again. My whole life seems to melt into a puddle of laziness through the summer, but come autumn, things start jelling and work gets done. Fittingly, I've made mint jelly and roasted garlic jelly, both with loveliness harvested from the garden.
The garlic jelly is a dreamy, pale amber colour - the mint jelly would have been too, but I added the tiniest hint of kelly green food colouring, just so I could tell them apart. I have plans too, to make some mango chutney, that doesn't use anything from the garden though, so, no rush for that.
Off the needles recently, a neckwarmer in a sequined fuchsia wool/acrylic blend. I'm not one for acrylics normally, but I saw this one lone ball of King Cole Galaxy in the bargain bin at Wolseley Wool, and I couldn't resist the sparkly twinkle. I hope to get much wear out of it this autumn (still a shade too warm around here just yet).
More impressive, also off the needles this month is the Union Jack slipover. I made the smallest size, and it's still plenty big on Ian, it hangs in my closet though - hee, hee.
I'm fairly pleased with the neckline. I usually hurry through the last parts of a project and my finishing work can leave something to be desired, but I took my time with it, and it looks pretty good.
Recently on the needles is Wilhelmina Witch by Alan Dart. I love his toy patterns, though I always fail to remember just how much work they are to assemble. The knitting takes no time, in fact, all her pieces are finished, I just have to sew them up and embroider her features - I suppose at the rate I've been blogging she should be done well before I blog again.
And, never on my needles (or hook, in this case); I found an old crocheted tablecloth while out trolling the thrift sales/estate sales (can't quite recall where I found this). It's not especially large and it had an old stain - something greasy, I suspect - and a bit of unravelling, but I couldn't resist giving it a home. I darned the tattered bits with white cotton thread and thought I'd pop it in a dye bath to give it a bit of life.
I chose gunmetal dye, thinking it would turn a lovely steely grey colour. No such luck.
It went a dusty chambray blue. Hmmm....not what I wanted. So I re-dyed in a jet black dye bath.
Success! Gunmetal! It's going to look fab on the table nearer Hallowe'en!
