Friday Randomly Sharing

Happy Friday everyone! Welcome to FRS where I share what has caught my eye recently - but where you could also share what was interest to you - so please make full use of the comment box!

- Let's start by some baking - a nutella cake, sounds good, right?! I saw this post from earlier this month (I caught up a bit with posts this week), and I just knew I had to try it just because it looked beautiful (and yes, it got me started thinking about Xmas, and we know how much I love Xmas!). It looks ok for a first attempt, but the dough is too bread like at the moment, and I think I need a brioche type of dough. I have not found a recipe I like yet, so still on the look out if anyone has any to share? 

- This week, Brooklyn Tweed published it Fall 2015 pattern collection. As always it is worth checking it out just for the photography - how beautiful! I am head over heels about this collection but I do have a favourite, the Bannock cardigan. It is also featured in a beautiful plum colourway, absolutely gorgeous. This collection also features the new BT yarn - quarry - very exciting stuff!

- Talking about new yarn, de Rerum Natura, the ethical yarn from France I talked about here, has also launched new yarns - Albertine (a fingering weight yarn) and Penelope (DK weight). I will have to plan a new project - as if I did not have enough WIPs already. 

- And maybe this new project could be the Farmhouse shawl (by Cabinfour). I have seen many versions of this shawl, and Liesl version is beautiful (and her pictures), and reminded me how much I loved this simple pattern. 

- Fringe Association is organising a tag along in October called Slow fashion October, I will try to join in, will you? 

- An epic knitting project by Kessa in stitches - a knitted lace wedding dress. I won't say more, you have to see it for yourself, it is truly unbelievable. 

- Blanket capes are in (again) this season, check out this DIY to make your own! 

 

- New on my playlist is I can't Feel my Face by The Weeknd - makes me so happy. 

- And well, as I am in the England, I have to remind you (or do I have to?) that today is the start of the Rugby World Cup! Check out Matt Dawson's hakarena video. It is quite funny, but then again I don't support the All Blacks. Allez les Bleus! 

Worth trying again :: Knitting ::

Believe it people - these are socks, hand-knitted socks, my hand-knitted socks, in fact my first pair of hand-knitted socks. It was one of my knitting goals for 2015 - to knit hand-knitted socks. And here we are, beginning of April 2015, and we are discussing my first pair of hand-knitted socks. This is not bad going. 

To be fair, I put ALL the odds in my favour - 

     1. I chose a simple and clear pattern that plays on its colour scheme and not on a fancy design (ie stockinette); 
     2. I chose the same yarn as indicated on the pattern - in fact I only switch the colour scheme - crazy move, I know; 
     3. and I made one MAJOR modification - by adding a 1 inch to the leg section, whoohoo, crazy mods right there!

Pattern: Camping by Cabinfour

Yarn: De Rerum Natura Ulysse in sel and poivre (you can read my review of the yarn here)

Needles: 3.25 mm

Modifications: Minimal. I used Jeny's stretchy cast on and added that inch to the leg section

I am writing this post whist wearing my socks. They are so comfortable. These are not your regular socks - they fit perfectly, they are warm, cozy - everything that I believe hand-knitting should be about. OK, maybe I am seeing more in the work I put into it than I should - it is late and I am a bit tired too. 

I am planning to knit more socks, there is no stopping me now - I can do it (well that's if they are knitted top down, and I may be that  crazy and that I will give the toe up method a go!)

And it is one 2015 aim ticked, and onto the next... Fair isle anyone? 

Try Try Again :: Knitting ::

Socks... Handknitted socks. How many times have I commented on other blogger posts saying that I had never tried to knit socks. In fact I tried, at the end of last year, and failed - it was bad, so bad that I could not feature the project on the blog. 

I needed to get over this epic fail and try again. This time I decided to follow a pattern to the letter - same yarn, needle size and even similar colour coordination. Not leaving a lot of room for another failure. This year (month? - ok maybe not) I will have knitted my first socks. It is written on this blog, and therefore it will happen - and I will have cute pictures of handknitted socks on my feet. 

And you know what, I cannot wait!