Yarn love affairs(or not) and happy birthday Mr mog:)

I was perusing a destash thread on Ravelry today that included Colinette yarns. I saw it and passed on to the next message.
At one time the mere mention of Colinette yarns would have had me interested, but no more. I am not sure if it was the abundance of knots in the yarn, the mismatched colour when they tied new strands on or the short yardage on the jitterbug that soured my love affair. Any and all of those I think.
At one time Colinette yarns used to be the one to go for. Her colours were, and still are, exquisite. Sadly nowadays ,for me at least, the quality control seems to have totally gone to pot. Several skeins I've had have been knotted, not just one knot but several:( The colours leach when I am knitting, all marks of a beginner in yarn dyeing not a long established firm.
I still love the old skeins of mohair I have in my stash but wouldn't buy more. This is just my opinion based on the yarns I've purchased over the past too many years to remember.
A lot of indy dyers are doing much the same style of colours as she is, she is no longer the only one.
I know also that as I've continued to knit over the years my taste has changed. Am I a yarn snob? Yes maybe. I care what yarns I knit with, I want comfort as the yarn passes through my hands so no cotton and no silk. No acrylic and no chenille. No hasty dyeing where the dyer hasn't rinsed the yarn properly causing stained hands and needles and in some cases skin problems.
I want fabulous lift your spirits colours. I want colours that zing and say "knit me now". colours that resonate within my soul, reflecting the beauty that surrounds us.
I like choosing colours to mix in a dye pot that reflect who I am at that moment and what my muse craves.
I do love indy dyers, I love their enthusiasm and their eye for colour. So have your tastes changed in yarn? What are your favourites? Some day I'd like to try the Sanguine Gryphon yarns and maybe Mama Blue. Not important and not necessary but interesting to give them a go.
On another note;-

Tomorrow is Mr Mog's birthday and as this approaches I thank the Goddess that he is here with me for this auspicious day. I give thanks for his smile and his patience with me when my pain becomes too much and I snap. I give thanks that I finally found my prince after kissing too many frogs. I give thanks that his cancer was caught speedily and that he is being treated for it.
I give thanks that he shares my life with me and always my love
Happy Birthday Mr Mog.

This n that

We(Mr Mog) are remodelling the garden. We visited friends for dinner Saturday evening and they have transformed their garden. Naturally I came away full of enthusiasm to do something with ours. It was made easy access mainly gravel when we moved in and some of that was for me but also some for the grandsons. They are growing up and don't play out as such and I only need easy paths to the 2 seating areas. That means we can revamp:)

I had all tubs down the side you see and none matched. The aim is to have one long tub to the seat and angular ones each end. Trellis to stop you looking straight down the garden.



Not bad going Mr Mog for just a few short hours. The tubs won't be staying there we will be filling up with soil and planting directly into it. The royal we of course. I help with the ideas, Mr Mog does the physical labour.
What have I been doing?
This.

It is growing quite speedily now and I'm ready to start knitting the sleeves since this picture was taken. 1 sleeve purple, one green I'm thinking.
Not done a lot past couple of days as I have been exceedingly sore.
Weather has cooled down and we have had quite a bit of rain this week, saves watering the garden.

STR socks finished and on the feet. Lammas came and went

Finished the socks that rock socks for Mr Mog. Colour is jewel on the Nile. I like the finished socks and so does Mr Mog. I didn't like knitting them though. The yarn is pretty heavy and doesn't flow through the fingers like some yarns do. They do match don't they and how about the fancy heel?
But finished and they fit which is the main thing.
I'm going to start a pair for me now using some yarn ArtisAnne dyed for me. I've had to promise the next pair would be for me:))
Sold a few sets of needles so a little nearer the harmony needles, although I did get distracted when staying with Anne and I've finally purchased a panasonic bread maker.
I've wanted a decent bread maker for quite a long while now and kept putting it off. I can't make bread by hand any more and I did miss proper bread.
This was pretty cheap because I had some vouchers for Amazon from completing surveys, a boon when it gives you a discount. We made our first loaf last night with unbleached white flour and it is beautiful. Only a small hole in the bottom from the paddle as well.
I've been trying to get hold of Dove granary flour to no success. All the stores around here do a wide variety of Dove but not granary for some reason. I think I'll end up getting it on line.
Apt to make bread yesterday as it was Lammas or Lughnasadh. We also had pasta for tea with a tomato and chilli sauce made using our own tomatoes and chillis.
I'm hoping that now August is here things will look up. It is both Mr Mog and my birthday month after all. July was yuck.It was also new moon yesterday, all auspicious signs I'm hoping.
Fire shawl almost finished and soon be ready for beading. Mr Mog has promised to find me some wire for the beading technique.