Well! That was 0blogtober. I was thinking it might be followed by Noblogvember, and maybe even Dittoblogcember. But when I looked at what I had achieved while not blogging, I started to reconsider.
Here is a picture of what I made this month:
Yup. Nothing. No knitting things finished/started/worked on. No sewing. Hardly any gardening or housework.
I did however succumb to the shoponlinebug. Again.
I managed to secure another 10 books, a few sets of needles, and a few skeins of stuff.
The stuff hasn't arrived yet. In 1 parcel there will either be 9,000 or 18,000 metres of 120/2 silk, but I know it is due to weigh in a bit over 300gms. I have 2 conflicting posts concerning the exact length, but really, am I going to be measuring it all out to find out? I don't think so. But all this fineness is not just for me. As soon as I work out how to portion it out, I know a goodly number of mini knitters who might just like to share.
As for the books, not much on the knitting front, but one book I am just over the moon about. I love me a book with glossy pictures. Up till now, the front-runner in the glossy sourcebook stakes has been
Kaffe Fassett's Glorious Inspiration, published in 1991, with a young dark haired KF on the front cover, and 180 or so pages of colour sources of inspiration for his needlepoint. I expect it is long out of print.
Introducing the National Trust's
Pattern Design. 250pp but smaller format, filled with details of decorative items from the UK National Trust's properties. It has one of those fabric effect covers that make it a delight just to hold.


Like an atom of stuff in a state of chaotic flux, my preference in decorating style flips rapidly between ultra modern minimalism and baroque sumptuousness. This book is satisfying my delight in the latter (with time to linger over early 20thcentury arts and crafts, a bit of 1950's and ancient inspiration thrown in, amongst others). We have textiles, plasterwork, mosaic, silverwork, inlaid timber and stone, drawings, stained glass, you name it.
Sometimes you can just be lucky, with a "That looks interesting." spur of the moment purchase. The National Trust website is out of stock, but of course I found mine on good old BookDepository.
So we are torn, between a desire to help keep the publishing industry alive in these difficult times, and a realisation that several trees may well have been cut down to provide the cardboard that each of the BD books comes wrapped in. I'll plant some more trees this week. Will that help?
I have not been absolutely idle during this month of no blogging. I have been observing a very interesting thing. A couple of weeks ago, someone posted on a Ravelry group site, a picture from the Shetland Museum of a gorgeous old shawl, with a question as to whether anyone recognised the motif that formed a garland effect. Within a couple of days, there were over 200 posts generated by this one image. 2 weeks later it must be getting over 800. The site is heirloom-knitting. Go look at page 1 of the
"border patterns" thread, if you'd like to see it.
Taking part, it is almost like being part of an original group of knitters in the Shetlands, knitting together, sharing patterns, offering suggestions. But the pressure, people! To step up to the standards of some of the others who manage to knock out a 6 foot square lace shawl on little needles, in a couple of months (or so I have read).
The group is attempting to create the pattern for a shawl inspired by the one in the photo. The plan is to offer it in the public domain. Just like the real old days. I'm not planning on knitting the shawl, but very happy to be contributing just a little to the design discussion.
So that's where my month went. Reading squillions of posts, and swatching and planning. Here's a teeny portion of the 160 row, 100 stitch test sample I'm knitting. But I can only manage 10 rows an hour, so I hope no-one's holding their breath, waiting to see the whole thing. 1.75mm needles,
GossamerWeb's Phoenix (2600m per 100g). Delightful stuff to use.

Still 100 rows to go. Can't stand around here, chatting all day. BYE.