Blue cardigan

A simple blue cardigan. This is the #yourscardigan pattern released this week by Naoko Ogawa @atelierknits_strandsoflife

It’s very comfortable and will be perfect for the cooler Autumn days. This is the first time I’ve done test-knitting (knitting a pattern before it is published) and the process went really smoothly. Test knitting also gives a deadline for motivation to keep knitting.

Knitted with West Yorkshire Spinners Exquisite wool/silk blend in Regal 438. Size 6, on HiyaHiya needles.

TCR 2022 – Done!

In the early hours of last Friday morning, in Burgas, Bulgaria, I succesfully completed Transcontinental #8 ultra-endurance bicycle race. I arrived at the final checkpoint 25 days, 5 hours, and 43 minutes after setting off from Geraardsbergen, Belgium.

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Pan Celtic Race 2022 – Photos

  • PCR 2022 Photos

On Saturday at 5pm, I finished the Pan Celtic Race 2022 ultra endurance bicycle race.

I really wasn’t sure how it would go. My training had tailed off in the 3 months prior to the race. But I got the bike ready and packed the same as in the previous races – with a lot of spares and tools in case of mechanicals – as my top goal was to finish the thing.

But I pushed quite hard on this one, with more of a race mentality. So I maximised my day lengths by sleeping less, trying to be efficient at stops, and went at as reasonable pace as I could sustain.

View my photos I took during the race here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jameshouston/albums/72177720309492378/

Blue Tie

  • Blue tie

Another finished object! This one’s special as it’s for me 😂

Karin at the brilliant Beautiful Knitters yarn shop in Pimlico kindly gave me her own pattern for a tie, which I’ve knitted up in Positive Ease pure merino using HiyaHiya sharp circulars.

I followed the pattern mostly, but inadvertently went a bit off-piste for the main front section of the tie, as I didn’t add end-of-row purl stitches. It turned out ok as it gave those edges a rounded finish which I think looks quite nice.

The yarn has a really great (but difficult to capture!) colour and shine to it, and has a good weight and elasticity to it when knitted, so the tie hangs nicely, as well as being soft and silky.

I haven’t blocked the tie yet as I rushed to get it finished in time to wear to an event.

50 Years of Ziggy Stardust

It was the 50 year anniversary of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars record release yesterday, so I thought it was a good time to visit some of the places in London with Bowie connections.

Thanks Andrew for joining me in this enjoyable quest, which ended up in Soho, where we enjoyed Simon Goddard’s enjoyable and informational ‘Bowie Odyssey 72’ book launch at 21 Soho Square.

The more you read, the more there is to know. I need to do some more research and then will revisit!

1. Bowie mural, Tolworth
2. David Bowie’s birthplace, Brixton
3. Group photo, Bromley
4. Recreation of same
5. Bowie bandstand, Beckenham
6. Book launch
7. Ziggy album cover
8. Recreation of same

Vegar Fairisle Jumper

A woollen sweater, nicely timed for summer 😅

Inspired by Icelandic Afmæli patterns, in blue representing Shetland, this design by Barbara Cheyne is the first piece of Fair Isle knitting I’ve done. I was drawn to this Vegar Jumper design as I think it looks elegant, especially in the cool blue and grey colours.

Pictures of the process are available in the story highlights on my profile.

If you have any suggestions for future projects, please get in touch.

Pattern: Vegar Jumper by @cheynebarbara via Shetland Wool Adventures Journal Vol. 03.

Yarn: Shetland Spindrift from Jamieson’s of Shetland

Needles: HiyaHiya sharp interchangeables

Gold Wheels

Gold! I was looking for a colour to match this black raw lacquer frame, and I’m pleased with how the gold turned out on these new rims. Surprisingly subtle, and a good complement to both the frame and the brazing.

Learning to machine knit

Last weekend I took a class in machine knitting with Timothy Andrews at Knit Works London and knitted this scarf. It was really enjoyable, a good pace, and I learned a lot of the basic techniques in just a few hours. Soo much quicker than knitting by hand! I’m now very tempted to pick up a second-hand machine and get some experience.