Tomten

This is the gorgeous jacket from Knitting Without Tears and The Opinionated Knitter, both by Elizabeth Zimmerman. I haven't enjoyed making something so much for ages. The chatty nature of her pattern directions make you feel that you a knitting alongside your best friend with a good cup of tea and warm chatter to keep you smiling.

The yarn is Katia Mexico which I was sent in a swap sometime last year and the icord edging is King Cole Merino. I did spin some green yarn for the edging but I learnt a lesson doing this. Don't bring your wheel downstairs to watch television whilst spinning, don't spin in a hurry and always let your singles settle overnight on the bobbin before plying. I made rope rather than yarn...

Maddie got a bit fed up with posing so the photo's aren't that great.

Mum, Barry and Maisie are down this weekend. Today Mum, Barry and Millie have gone to Fibrefest, Jez is competing in the Clovelly Gig Boat Regatta and I'm at home with Sullivan, Maddie and Maisie.

Maddie and Maisie are currently making felt beads and cardboard sandals from a lovely book called Green Crafts for Children that Mum brought down for the girls. I'll show the results later as they are enjoying being in a crafty, happy mess at the moment.

Tomorrow Mum, Sullivan and I are going to Fibrefest, I am so excited. I'm looking forward to meeting my friend Sarah whom I used to knit with a couple of years ago in Boston Tea Party and I can't wait to squidge lots of yummy fibre.

I'll blog again tomorrow to show you all my purchases!

Happy Days

I received my 3rd wonderful parcel from my Knitty Secret Pal on tuesday - look she even got the post office to print SP on the label ;) Absolutely beautiful packaging, Her DD chose the tissue paper and I just love it! Look what was inside, the complete kit to make a Maud bag from Get Knitted including pattern , yarn - brown sheep Lamb's Pride, 2 pairs of Addi Premiums and the metal handles you felt the yarn over, 2 fantastic wartime Woman's Weekly magazines - these are beautiful and give you such a sense of history and pride in being a woman, butterfly notecards, more fabtastic stickers, sweets - sherbert pips, millions and toffees, Jelly Bellies for DH, a hedgehog for Maddie and a squirrel (still wrapped in this photo) for Millie. We all feel super cherished, thank you so much Penelope Pitstop xxx


I've just started working on Ester from the new Knitty which came out last night. I'm using yarn I bought in New Zealand, JJ's 10ply montage. It's knitting up well but is a little bit scratchy so I'm hoping it'll soften up with a conditioner rinse.

Here are my recent FO's. Fetching from Knitty summer 06 for my Sister-in-Law's birthday. Made in Debbie Bliss Alpaca silk - not quite thick enough for winter gloves but lovely for spring ones. Maddie is modelling her new Polly cardigan from Classic Bambino, made in Debbie Bliss wool cotton. I love it! And for me we have Short and Sweet from The Happy Hooker in Adrienne Vitadini Julia cotton. Busy,busy, busy!

And finally, a little funny from Maddie....

Maddie - "Mummy, there aren't any heights in here are there?"

Me - "Heights? No."

Maddie - "That's good cos Millie is scared of heights."

She must have thought "heights" was a new name for monsters or something!

oh, I'm not sure what happened to my photo of fetching. Mum, can you help?

First Crushes

My little Millie has got a crush on Matt Dawson. She loves to watch A Question of Sport with us on Friday evenings, giggling away although we are sure she hasn't got a clue what it going on. I love it as well, it's a fun, harmless, happy programme. Anyway last week she was sat watching it with me and asked where the 'young fellow' was. 'Young Fellow' I thought, what a funny thing for a five year old to say and asked more. His team was then shown and she said 'There he is, mummy. The young fellow that I like!' Bless her xxx This morning she asked when her friend Zoe would arrive for the weekend and I said she'd be here after A question of Sport. 'Oh good, Mummy, I can see that nice young fellow again. He's so cute and funny.'!!! Aww, she's only five! SHe could have chosen worse though, he is cute, he's sporty, a good dancer, a good cook (he won Celebrity Masterchef) and he is funny.

This is my latest FO. It is Dolly Mixture by Kim Hargreaves and is in Rowan 33. I'm pretty pleased with it and can see myself wearing it a lot this summer. The cups are too big though, si I will frog them and construct them differently with more shaping in them.

I don't look too bad in these photo's do I?

Here's this weeks portion of yarn pron. Beautiful, stunning Regia Cotton sock yarn from my lovely secret pal. The colourway is 4301, in the India range. I love it and will be casting on a pair of socks soon...once I've finished Maddies cardigan.

I seem to be finishing a lot recently, but most of it is stuff that has been on the needles/hook for months. I'm trying to add a modicum of organisation to my life. HAHAHAHAHA!

Penelope Pitstop!

WOOOOW!

Look at these lovelies!

I'm so happy and overwhelmed, have you seen the button, and the needles? Oh and the Burts Bee lipbalm and the Regia cotton and and and!

I ca't wait to start playing! I'll be fighting the girls for the lovely stickers :)

Favourite Colour Swap

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire

1. What are your top three favorite colors? Pink, Purple, Green, Jewel tones

2. What crafts do you really enjoy? Knitting, crochet and sewing

3. What products do you really covet? A serger/overlocker! hahahaha. Anything knitterly, like a fun tape measure. I also love the feel of bamboo/soy/silk/cotton yarns

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things?Baking, reading, being a mum.

5. Is there anything you collect? Mess and dust! Yarn :) Pretty knitting needles and crochet hooks
6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol? Taurus, although it means nothing to me.

7.What are your favorite……scents/smells?Rose, lavender, sweet almond

…types of music and/or bands?UK Indie

…authors?Joanne Harris, Maya Angelou

…animals? Alpaca

…places to shop?Yarn stores, haberdashery departments, marks and spencer/waitrose for food

…season? Spring and Summer

…yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies? See #3

…candies or goodies?Jelly Belly, milk chocolate

8. Do you have any wish lists? Amazon

9. Are you allergic to anything? no, but mohair makes me itch

10. Do you have any pets? What are they? 2 guinea pigs and 3 goldfish

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy. Erm, this blog tends to contain everything you need to know :)

So many pictures!

Look! I got my first SP package! Penelope Pitstop is a tricky one...look, no stamps, no postmark...I am typing this whilst being serenaded by Lily Allen, thanks so much PP, I love it! It's going to be my new driving music :)

I made the scarf this weekend. I used a mistake rib pattern, 1 row knit, 1 row knit 1, purl 1. Cast on 21 stitchs and used 8mm needles. It's great, definitely different. I'll take it to my LYS tomorrow as the ladies want to see it knitted up.

Both girls had fun in the bath yesterday...It was so hard to get them in focus. I'll try again....

Look at my clever girl (with her pretty new haircut xx). She's been learning off and on for a year now, but when she picked it up yesterday she just got on with it. She managed to do 2 rows and then had to go and see what Daddy and Maddie were up to. Look how neat the last 2 rows are... I'm so proud of my Millie. She went up a group in reading on friday too. I took her to the bookshop to choose a new book as reward and she chose the first St Clares book by Enid Blyton...she is so my daughter!

Fancy a yoyo? That is what these biscuits are called. I found the recipe in my Edmonds Cookbook that I brought back from New Zealand. You use custard powder in both the biscuits and the buttercream. I s'pose they are like custard creams really. The biscuits are like shortbread and I'm off to make some more!