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Nicolette’s Notebook – A Journey

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Non Knitting Odyssey

In September last year, I injured my right hand, while Neil and I were walking the dogs. My mum’s adorable pooch has a lot more strength (husky x collie) than I realised. She reacted differently to a savagely barking dog than I expected and I ended up with 2 fractured fingers and a central slip tendon injury. I had my final OT session in April. The fractures healed pretty quickly whereas, the central slip will be an ongoing problem for me.

I spent a couple of months unable to knit at all, eating ready meals, and feeling very irritable! Until then, I hadn’t realised just how important knitting is to me. I just love it.[Read More]

Died in the Wool

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Murder comes too close to home for Ari when she finds a dead body in her knitting shop, in Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger.

Died in the Wool

This is the first of a new knitting mystery series, by the author of the “Gilded Age” mysteries.  29 year old Ariadne (or Ari for short) owns Ariadne’s Web, a popular knitting shop in the small town of Freeport, New England.  As well as running the shop, Ari creates knitting patterns and looks after her 7 year old daughter, Megan.[Read More]

Halloween Hoolie Socks

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We were up bright and early and had arrived in the Gap of Dunloe just after 7am to photograph the Halloween Hoolie socks. We wanted to photograph them before the tourists and jaunting cars arrived for the day. It could become pretty busy there throughout the day.

We found the perfect spot and parked about half way up near an old tumble down cottage. It was cold and the ground was damp with early morning dew. Neil fetched the waterproof picnic blanket from the car so that I could sit on it to change into the Halloween Hoolie socks.

Halloween Hoolie Socks

We were aiming to get the rusty roofs in the background for the photos of these socks. I really love rust. It is just so natural and wonderfully photogenic.[Read More]

Exploration Station Shawl

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Knitting the Exploration Station shawl designed by Stephen West has been on my to do list for several years. In June I finally  chose 4 of my own hand dyed 4ply yarns and cast on. I chose a light coloured yarn, 2 mid toned colours and a dark colour, 2 were from my Hand Dyed BFL and 2 were from my Hand Dyed Merino ranges.

Exploration Shawl

“This top down semi-circle shawl begins with my favorite Westknits shortcut rows and yarn overs followed by two-color brioche ribbing, slipped stitches, stripes, and finally a beautiful chevron border. Choose 4 colors of yarn and enjoy the playful knitting journey!” Stephen West

I loved knitting this beautiful shawl, although I had been a bit worried about the brioche section but oddly enough, the slip stitch section was the one that seemed to take the longest time to knit. I actually found that I really enjoyed knitting the brioche section. [Read More]

Valley of the Saints

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When we last visited my sister and her husband at their home in Brittany, one of the most memorable day trips was to the Valley of the Saints at Carnoet. We saw over 60 of these vast carved granite statues of Breton Saints during our visit. Watching the sculptors working so hard on a scorching day while creating new additions for the site was extraordinary.

Valley of the SaintsMany statues were over 4m high and towered over the visitors who walked around the parkland. Although it is hard to see in the photographs, the statues were tactile and featured several different textural finishes, from polished to rough, within the same sculpture.[Read More]

Free Range Knitter

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Free-range knitter is a humorous mix of articles on knitters, knitting and related topics, by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

This is the second book of knitting essays by New York Times best seller, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, who is also known as the Yarn Harlot in her popular blog of the same name.  Her first also is called Yarn Harlot.  Although I have been a keen reader of her blog, this is the first time that I have reviewed any of her books.

Free Range Knitter 1[Read More]

Reyna Shawl

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Reyna Shawl is a lovely pattern designed by Noora Backlund. I think it is an amazing shawl and hard to believe it only used one skein! A perfect project in every way…

Reyna Shawl designed by Noora Backlund

It is designed to use one skein of sock yarn in a variegated colourway. I decided to knit my Reyna Shawl using a ball of my Indulgence hand dyed gradient. Indulgence is our lovely new hand dyed gradient 4ply yarn. I think it shows off the delicate analogous colour scheme in this gradient perfectly.  All our gorgeous gradient yarns are unique and have a long gradient of colours making it the perfect choice for this style of shawl project.

[Read More]

Woollinn, Dublin’s Festival of Yarn 2018

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It was an early start on Friday 25th May as we set off to the first Woollinn, Dublin’s Festival of Yarn 2018. I had taken their advice on the website and paid for the Dublin Airport Red Car Park. I’d also bought our tickets, so we were all set.

We had an uneventful journey to ALSAA, situated beside Dublin Airport, and arrived just after 10am! Of course, we started with a coffee, then I took a first meander around the marketplace. I hadn’t booked into any of the workshops but I had very much hoped to go to the lecture Smartphone Photography for Yarn Lovers by Kate O’Sullivan of A Playful Day but unfortunately, I was too late to get the tickets for this.

So I had to content myself with the Marketplace… lol… [Read More]

The Red Thread

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The Red Thread written by Ann Hood is the fictional story of longing, loss and ultimate realisation experienced through the adoption of new born babies from China to America.

Maya Lange runs an adoption agency in Providence, R.I.  She calls it the Red Thread after a Chinese belief that there is an invisible thread that links children with all of the people who will be part of their lives.  The thread can carry across oceans and shortens over time.  Maya has so far arranged the adoption of over 450 Chinese baby girls.  She takes the American couples through the adoption process until, after a wait of about a year, they travel to China to pick up their babies.

The Red Thread 1

Maya knows that the couples will face many issues during the process and that some may even drop out.  The couples rely on her efficiency and organisation.  However, behind this professional front, Maya has an inner belief that there is a magical destiny bringing each of the couples and babies together.  She uses this conviction so that she can cope with her tragic past; her own baby daughter died in an accident years ago and this broke her marriage apart.[Read More]

Branches & Buds Pullover & Hat

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Technically, my Branches & Buds pullover is a branches only version as I haven’t actually embroidered the buds onto the branches on the yoke.

Branches and Buds 9

Initially, I thought I’d wear the sweater without them and see what I thought. The jury is still out about adding the French Knot buds. I like the subtlety of no buds. Although, I think the buds add a lovely additional detail to the finished pullover.[Read More]