| Archive for Crafty Threads 'n' Yarns The Friendly UK Board that invites Knitters, Crocheters, Dressmakers, Quilters, Patchworkers, Jewellery makers and Paper Crafters to join in our chat about Craft |
| Aknita |
Tour de France KALYeas it's that time of year again, and sign-ups for the Tour de France KAL have opened.You can see details of the KAL here It was great fun last year, and this year I am going to be a team leader. There is also a TDF group on Ravelry here Numbers signing up are limited to 108 I do beleive n might have something up her sleeve too 
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| terri |
ooooooo, I think I want to join in..... not sure whether I should be green or polka dot though 
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| Aknita |
I'm a polka dot this year - I am knitting ( or planning to ) toe-up socks which will be an uphill struggle if ever there was one 
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| terri |
I've emailed to see if I can sign up!!! Polka dot for me too, not 100% sure what I will knit though
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| probablyjane |
I'm a team leader too, Joy and I'm also going for a polkadot jersey. I am planning to tackle my nemesis, lace which, judging by my progress with my practice piece is certainly going to be a polkadot worthy challenge!
I love their new blog buttons - have you seen them? |
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| Aknita |
Works of art I think! |
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| blueadt |
Try the pattern I'm doing at the moment. It works really well & mine fit VERY well. I've always struggled with toe up heel flaps as I don't like short rows & this has solved my problem
I'd love to join this KAL as I'd set myself a challenge of tackling lace other than socks but want to make The Estonian Lullaby Baby Blanket, as I found out yesterday a friend is having a baby in August, but the pattern isn't French 
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| Aknita |
Oh thank you, I'll have a look at that. I was going to try Express Lane I especially liked the ones FatCat made and she was very taken with the pattern if I remember. |
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| blueadt |
This one you can make with any yarn & insert a pattern. You have to do some measuring & a swatch is essential but I'm a total convert & will use it from now on for ALL my socks
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| KnittingLadybird |
I might sign up for this too but I think i'll go for green and test myself against the clock....hmmm. | ||||||
| terri |
Yayyyy, I'm in!!!!! In Jane's team too
I didn't take part last year, so really excited
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| CJ |
I'm in too - the polka dot section but on the CSC team. I've not sure what to knit yet either.
I'm definately not trying toe-up socks as my challenge though, I hate them. But I might try and spin some yarn for a specific project, then knit it up. That should be challenging enough for the mountain group I think. 
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| Aknita |
I'm in the pink polka dot group with you two girls, but in team Liquigas - the lean green cycling machine
I just want a challenge CJ |
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| CJ |
I'm sure you'll be fine with the toe-ups. I just didn't like how they fit me, or short rows.
I can't decide what colours to dye my rovings though - red and white is a bit boring, and the CSC strip is no better.
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| terri |
I'm thinking lace, with lace weight yarn, pondering over the french trellis scarf from Victorian knitting today.............
Do you get more points for yourteam if you do a challenge project for polka dot, and finish it for green iyswim????? |
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| CJ |
hmmm, not sure about points. last year there weren't any points or winning teams.
I'm definately going to do lace weight, I might skip the spinning bit and just go for a lace shawl, as i've not done one of those before. no frogging this time though.
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| terri |
maybe there aren't points and I'm just making a competition where theres not one to be had 
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| Aknita |
I know the co-ordinators have some surprises up their sleeves this year. It's such fun though, I tried to blog daily last year like CJ, and it's a wonderful opportunity for my appalling French to come to the surface
And endless hours of cycling on Eurosport................ |
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| terri |
Is it only on Eurosport?????
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| terri |
what do the letters after peoples names mean on the blog, you know where the participants are listed
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| Aknita |
I hope it's on ITV4 too - it was last year.
Terri - they're the teams people are in. RAB is Rabobank, LIQ is Liquigas ( my team ) You have CA after your name, that's Credit Agricole. They're the teams the cyclists belong to in the Tour. Credit Agricole edited to add a link for terri
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| CJ |
well, if it's not on ITV4 again, I'm making DH get Eurosport back. 
I still can't decide what to knit. I might try the same pattern I bombed out on last year  - the miriam felton lightweight mountain peaks shawl - should be a challenge enough, and this year I think I'm up to it.
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| terri |
Thanks Joy
I've been on the ITV website and it says it will have daily round ups of the action.......... so sounds like it will be on
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| CJ |
oh good, the daily update is quite good, I do miss eurosport though. mind you, I only really watch the alps/pyranees sections live, cos they're really interesting to watch all the breaks and suffering uphill.
I have nearly decided what I want to knit, but need help. I though one of two mimknits patterns - either the aspen grove shawl or the mountain shawl - not the light weight one this time, the lace weight one on 3.75mm needles, so technically this is not the same pattern I tried this year, as I tried the light one on 2.5mm needles.
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| terri |
The mountain shawl would fit in great with the theme wouldn't it........ But do whatever you think you'll stick with I suppose
i haven't decided what I'm going to do yet, almost definately lace, but pondering over what pattern at the moment........ then I need to decide on yarn too
Have been reading about my team following Joys link, and looking forward to watching the tour get underway Its a few weeks yet though  And finishes on my nieces birthday too so I'll be having jelly and ice cream as the cyclists cross the line I think. Good job we have sky plus, I can record all the action
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| Aknita |
I shall be in what I hope will be far sunnier climes by the end of the Tour
I'm only co-leading my team until the 18th July so I shall need to get my skates on if I am to finish my socks before I go away. I have the pattern you want to make CJ - I'm scared of it and it's charts, but WyeSue is hopefully going to de-mystify them for me.  
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| CJ |
right, OK then Joy, I reckon we should both do the mountain shawl - I can already read charts, so that's not the problem.
let's go for it. we can cheer each other on, even though we're on different teams.
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| Aknita |
Oh CJ - I'm committed to my toe-ups, and I really want to learn how to do them. I'm sorry. | ||||||
| CJ |
Looks like I'm on my own then, unless Terri wants to join in.
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| terri |
I'm going to do either lamanaria or french trellis scarf I think  I'm hoping ot gift it to my mil for her 60th in september
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| KnittingLadybird |
I've signed up, chose the spotted challenge as I do have certain items I need to finish...lord knows is a challenge in itself but also I want to learn a mobious cast on...or change my mind and seek another challenge before then
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| Aknita |
I'm sorry CJ
Terri I love the Lamanaria shawl. What a lovely gift that will be
*waves* to Linz |
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| KnittingLadybird |
coooeeee Joy!
How long before they let you know if you are in?....just a bit giddy I guess lol |
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| Aknita |
I usually receive an email in the morning to let me know who's in "my" team. Meg is in Sydney so it's still early hours in the morning there for her I think. | ||||||
| CJ |
oh, laminara is gorgeous. Eluned on ravelry showed me her's and I want one too.
no worries Joy, I'll survive.
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| Aknita |
I expect you've checked your in box this morning............
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| terri |
She's in your team Joy
Where is jane atm?? is she away? |
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| KnittingLadybird |
Yay i'm Joy's team...only just got up
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| Aknita |
Which Jane terri? I had an email telling me you were in my team Linz - I was hoping someone would be
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| terri |
probablyjane, but I see shes added as team leader now
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| probablyjane |
No, I'm not away - just been at work, such an inconvenient intrusion into my knitting time! | ||||||
| terri |
Inconvenience, thats definately how I would describe work too
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| Aknita |
D'you know, there are times when I am actually pleased to be at work
I have got to the stage when I dread the phone ringing here
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| terri |
ahhhh, but you see, I have no stresses other than work....... no wayward children for me to worry about and you can knit at work! If I could do that, I'd probably be happy to go everyday
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| Aknita |
Wayward children, poorly parents in law, sisters in law ( think she who must be obeyed ) it's no wonder I fill my spare time with things to do!
I'm even hi-jacking my own thread
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| Wildpurl |
LOL Joy that made me laugh, the very idea of someone hi-jacking their own thread.
Life goes through phases doesn't it, sometimes calm and everything goes well, and sometimes there are just waves of chaos going through everything and it seems never ending. Think of yourself as a surfer on the Ocean of Life, all you have to do is ride out the waves and you will land safely on teh shore again soon. |
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| Aknita |
Le Tour begins tomorrow. I'm still waiting for my yarn to arrive, but I need to practice and get the hang of toe-ups. Or I'll be out before the the first hurdle!
So my crochet hook and I, together with a ball of leftover sockyarn, are ensconsing ourselves in front of Wimbledon. I need to crochet a chain
I may be gone some time...................... |
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| KnittingLadybird |
Joy have you a look at Judy's magic cast on? I use this all the time now,no stitches to pick up and no crocheting either
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| CJ |
i've finally decided to do the mountain peak shawl after all, but can't decide on which needle size/yarn.
So I will cast on tomorrow evening in whatever DD chooses then.
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| mogiebear |
I've decided to do Montparnasse - just cos it sounds French , but it's a nice pattern too and will knit up quickly and should be finishable by the time we go away.
Going to swatch this evening and wash it, so should be dry by tomorrow. |
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| KnittingLadybird |
lol @ DD choosing | ||||||
| Aknita |
Thank you Linz - oh and CJ I shall have to meet your DD one of these days
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| CJ |
well, DD chose the pink earlier. but actually it's not dry yet, so I guess it's got to be the green I dyed myself.
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| probablyjane |
My yarn arrived today and it's perfect. Yarn Yard laceweight in a colour that n and I cooked up between us - Le Germolene - and no, it isn't pink!
Now I've got to get my stitch dictionaries out and start deciding what to knit... the name 'Germolene' comes from the fact that as a novice lace knitter I've decided to design my own project and am likely to fall off on a regular basis. |
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| Aknita |
I can't wait to see it Jane - it sounds intriguing.
My yarn has arrived too
I'm also feeling much less grumpy today which I am sure you are all very relieved to hear
Le Tour has been on Eurosport most of the morning but I am going to have to switch to Wimbledon soon - now probably in fact. I have been warming up all morning - and I have a crochet chain ready to start - well you can't ride a bike without a chain now can you
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| terri |
I'm just watching the highlights now
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| Aknita |
I am coming along well with my sock - I am about to turn the heel.
However, I couldn't let le Tour go by without another canapé now could I it's one of natalie's yarn's dyed especially for the tour and I love it
It's been knitted in tandem with my socks - please note the very tenous cycling link
More details on Ravelry and my blog. It will be my July entry I think. 
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