Got Milk?

Finally I actually have some knitting to share! I was getting pretty frustrated having this knitting blog but not being able to show what I am actually working on....so I decided that I won't keep everything a secret (just some)!
So this is totally my design and yes it's called Got Milk? ...because?...it is made from Vickie Howell's Craft yarn which has some milk fiber in it! The yarn is a blend of the milk fiber and organic cotton and is very, very soft and lovely...I can highly recommend it for those that prefer non-wool yarns.
This design is a cropped vest, knit from the bottom up ( then separating for back and front at armholes) -with capped sleeves and a folded scoop neck worked with some short row shaping .
Seeing as I won't be using this as a submission I plan to write up the pattern and make it available here.

(By the way it was stinking hot when my husband was taking these pictures hence why I have a slight frown on my brow)!


Other news....I'm on Ravelry now!!! It's a very cool site and I'm very excited to be there........however it's another reason to be online! (my poor kids will be totally neglected...lucky that David cooks dinner every night)!

Going Home!

'Muckle Bousta'

Well technically this isn't my home, but the home of my parents, and yes I will be here in about 3 and a half weeks with my Mum, Dad and siblings for a wee family reunion. Although all us kids were born in Shetland we haven't all been here at the same time since around 1978 (we lived a lot of other places in Scotland and then my parents retired back here).

I haven't had this long of a gap since being in Scotland (it will be two years) and since seeing my siblings (my sister and 2nd child, younger brother and wife are coming from New Zealand). I haven't even met my wee niece yet! I've managed to connect to my sister's flight in L.A so we can catch up on the long plane ride to Scotland! I also haven't been away from my kids for more than a couple of days so that is going to be strange... I always get the feeling that I'm missing something (as in misplaced it) when I'm away from them!

On top of seeing all the family, I'll get to visit Shetland as a knitter (haven't done that before as it's been 6 years since I was in that particular part of Scotland)...can't wait! My parents live close to Jamieson's Mill so I'm hoping for a wee private tour ( Dad knows Mr. Jamieson) and also to fill up a spare suitcase I'll be bringing along (although if you remember the basket from my previous post you'll know I hardly need anymore Jamieson's yarn...but there is Eunny Jang's Autumn Rose)......

Let's see what knitterly things I can pack into 7 days!

Things!

So it's a bit of a long story but we have been without most of our belongings for almost a year now. However they have returned to us recently and we are starting to feel like we live in a real home again. Funny how having your own things around can do that! Anyway it was kind of like xmas all over again rediscovering what we actually own (some things had been forgotten so that is an indication that we have more than we need)! So I thought I'd share some pictures of things pertinent to me and knitting. For the first time I have a designated knitting/designing/er...storage area and I love it! Obviously I don't sit and knit at this desk and still have knitting related matter strewn across the living-room but it does make me feel somehow grown-up and official having this space. My husband has always had his own space for writing but it hasn't exactly been necessary for me until now (well it wasn't necessary but I made a good case)!

The pin-board is a little bare but I did come across these old swatches of my Mum's when unpacking and decided to have them up there...they're almost antique at 30+ years (she had these samples for her designs back when running the Shetland Trader).....you may notice that the second from the left on the top row is the swatch that matches the waistcoat below-modeled briefly I might add as it's not really Shetland knitwear weather here yet-not sure if it ever will be! I love these colours together..very me!

Have you seen one of these before?
When my dad first brought one over for me as a present I was really unsure for a few seconds what it was..some kind of kilt accessory? (which he would not be buying for me)...it came to me when I remembered that I had requested it...a knitting belt.....to my shame I have not used it yet! However those Shetland knitters use it and get great speed whilst also multi-tasking! (not a great photo-sorry)

The spinning wheel belonged to my Grandmother who bought it in Shetland but didn't use it. It needs quite a bit of repair work and as I don't spin (yet...there's always a chance I'll get to it one day) the wheel is more of something to look at and remind me that it needs some loving....I promise we'll get some spinning out of you one day! On the same trip back to Scotland that I got the wheel I also brought back a couple of raw Shetland fleeces which I intended to wash , card and spin ....well two years later they turned up with our belongings and er...needed to be let go! (David rolled his eyes as it had been a bit of an ordeal for us to get these past customs0!

The basket alongside the wheel is part of my stash and only contains Jamieson's yarn kindly brought to me by my parents....there was a lot more which has been used ...honest Dad!

I also had to include a shot of our newly built bookshelf. Along with knitting supplies, this is the thing that most makes a home for me. The wonderful (and economic) bricks and planks architecture is something that my dad always used to house his vast collection of books and David and I have continued the tradition in all of our living spaces.

So there you go pictures of things I'm NOT using....however I am doing plenty of knitting I assure you.....here are some very sneaky peeks of things I'm working on (not of the designs but the swatches used for them )....one is a design I'm working on for Gryphon's Dance yarn and the other a design I think I may submit to Knitty...we'll see!

How's Your Shetland Dialect?

(poem by Nancy clarke from a series of postcards on Shetland Dialect/ Photograph from the Islesburgh Photographic Club)
In the vein of a recent post that Ysolda made I thought this familiar nursery rhyme with a twist might be fun to share.

The Random List

(me age 4 ish in one of my mum's designs)

So I've been tagged by Kat to list 8 random things about myself...here goes:

1) I have moved a total of 25 times in my life....this means actually living with belongings in different places and does not include extended travel to places (which I've done a fair amount of)..15 of these moves have been with my husband in the last 10 years! I should add that we are probably not done!

2)As an 18 year old (15 long ago years) I was training as a classical singer at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.....I recently started lessons again and still sing but mostly for myself...and anyone in the house at the time!

3) I absolutely HATE ...with a vengeance.....goat cheese! Sorry you goat's cheese lovers!

4) I once kayaked (as in whitewater) the gorge section of the American river at 5000 cfs, before kids arrived on the scene....probably couldn't do it again!

5) I hold a teaching certificate in yoga...but....currently don't teach.....and er.....my own practice is pitiful right now....but I'm working on it!

6) The saga behind my name:Gudrun was the first nun in Iceland after she had been married about 7 times and murdered all of her husbands.....she was sorry though!

7)Another achievement...I hiked the Inca trail....carrying my own pack of course...getting past the Dead woman's pass (13,828.7402 feet)....endless steps carved into the mountainside.....and was greeted with an amazing end result....ruins....Llamas and all!

8) Last random fact without an exclamation mark: I always under estimate my abilities...Like I thought I'd find it hard to come up with 8 random facts but actually I could go on......also thought I'd never kayak a class 111+ river! (ooops exclamation mark)!!!

So now I have to tag 8 other folks and considering that I move in a fairly tight blog circle this is difficult as so many have already been tagged...this is who I chose: Cirlia, Romi, Christy, Ysolda, Marit, Ille....and because I ran out of knitting bloggers ....I preyed upon family....Jamie and Helen (my brother and wife-that counts as two)