End of Holidays

Well we're back from our holiday in St. Ives and as usual it was fabulous. This is the view we had from our apartment. Gorgeous isn't it? We didn't see any rain while we there and had lots of sunshine so were really pleased with the weather. We visited Penzance and the lovely Knit Wits shop were I met Julie, the lovely owner of the shop. I bought some Sari Silk to make a bag as well as some bamboo handles. I also just had to buy the Petticoat sock yarn and the Apaca in rose just spoke to me ever so quietly saying wouldn't she make the most luxurious, warm and comfy slipper socks. If only I could make socks quick enough to keep up with the amount of sock yarn I buy.....



For the first time I also bought some yarn in St. Ives itself. Only a couple of balls of Adriafil for a small scarf that will go lovely with a jacket I have. We popped into Iriss in Penzance while we were there and DH bought me some locally produced hand-dyed yarn for yep, even more socks!

I will get round to pressing & finishing my ever growing pile of FOs as soon as I get through some of the huge pile of washing I have. Seeing as we only went for a week the amount of washing to be done is unbelievable.



All my babies are well and happy though obviously missed us, especially Thunder. And to be honest, I missed him dreadfully and was just so excited on the way home. He's grown a little and is still the adorable and friendly but cheeky little devil he was. He has also realised that the sofa and my lap are for his personal use as and when he feels like it. He really is one cool rabbit. He's giving his dad a well needed wash in the pic. DH had just got home from work and Thunder just loves washing him.

So for this year our vacations are all done now and it won't be till next year that we'll enjoy the luxury of eating out every night at restaurants. You didn't think we'd eat in now did you? Oh no, walking and shopping each day, restaurants each night followed by a bit of fun in the arcades and maybe a quick drink in the pub. No wonder we do it every year. And my DH gets to eat as much ice cream as he wants. Which is a lot, believe me.



Knitting wise I finished the back of Lizzy from Naturally Noro. Shinano is just gorgeous to knit with and I wish it hadn't been discontinued. Never mind though, I've got more than enough to be going on with that's for sure.

I Love Thunder

It's our wedding anniversary this Saturday and we're off to St Ives, Cornwall for a week and we can't wait. We go at least once each year and absolutely love it. My DH has bought me Ribbon Twist in Rascal to make the gorgeous Beth. She reminds me of the fleeces I wear and will make a very welcome addition to the family. and I can use my lovely 12mm Brittany needles on her too.

We have another reason to celebrate too. We have a new baby bunny rabbit called Thunder. He is the cutest, most friendliest rabbit I've ever seen and is definitely the best rabbit in the world. We weren't exactly planning on getting a rabbit just yet, but Thunder chose me you see. It really wasn't my fault. Honest. I was just saying hello to all the animals in our local garden & leisure centre which is quite a regular occurence, when Thunder immediately came over to me and jumped up wanting to be stroked and cuddled and asking to be picked up. Well, it was love at first sight and that as they say, was that.

He's settled in really well and is happy for anyone to cuddle him and stroke him and everyone is amazed at how friendly he is. Of course I shall miss him when we're away but he'll be looked after well by our local PetPals man who will be taking care of all our brood.

So you know why I've been rather behind on my blog and keeping up to date with everyone elses. Playing with Thunder is far more exciting!



My lovely Lopi yarn arrived from Wollywood in Germany last Thursday by courier and is gorgeous. Am very pleased. And would you believe it - they sent me the Lana Grossa booklet that I hunted high and low for free of charge! After all that, if I'd have waited I could of got my brochure without having to order it in the first place. Isn't it always the way?

Once I'm back from our holidays I should have some pics of FOs ready. I've currently got 4 projects waiting for either the last few rows to be done, sewn up or pressed. Unlikely I'll get it all done before we go, I haven't even started packing yet!

Somerset Sock

The lovely Somerset sock has been completed. She is lovely. Her mate will be started shortly. I don't believe in SSS. I want a matching pair. Preferably right now please.

It was love at first sight as soon as I saw this Felted Lopi Tote. I just had to have the yarn for it. No substitute would do. I wanted furry lopi yarn. Oh boy did that turn into a challenge. I don't know why it's so difficult to get some yarn made in Iceland. Plenty of places in the US sell it - but isn't it kind of ridiculous to order Icelandic Lopi from the US! I eventually found some on a German site that has a partial English translation and managed to place my order no trouble. They sent me a confirmation email following day saying it had been shipped. Yippee! Will let you know some more next time.




I said I'd do an update on my order from the German site Rikes Wollmaus which as you can see, has now arrived. It came on Friday special delivery, which is pretty good seeing as it went out Sunday and of course we had a Bank Holiday on Monday. I was really pleased with my goodies and they even put in a little packet of sweeties. DH appreciated those. The pattern for the Lana Grossa cardigan I love should be fairly easy to sub, as Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Chunky has exact the same tension as the main yarn used, so I'll probably use that in different colours all the way through. Yarndex.com had proved to be an absolute godsend with finding alternative yarns. Especially as you need to find out the recommended tension for a yarn rather than what's used for a particular pattern. I'm a huge huge Yarndex fan. It is just the most amazingly useful website.

I gave up on the Ballet T-Shirt from Loop-d-Loop. Tried subbing 2 yarns but wasn't happy. Also think the pattern might just be a bit too chunky for me as a summer top. This yarn subbing thing is a real pain unless you can get a yarn with the exact tension match to start with. Does rather put me off a bit I have to admit...... I mean, who wants to knit tension squares when you could be knitting a new cardigan or bag?

Vogue Fall Finally Here

Well my Vogue Fall copy duly arrived on Friday and I love it. My 3 favourites are in order of favouritism (is that a real word?) and are the Big Wool and KSH jumper by Louisa Harding (minus the KSH frill which isn't my cup of tea), the fluffy hoody which I think is just beautiful (if a little bit too fitted) but rapidly went off it when I realised it would be a nightmare to sub, and the zipped hooded top which my DH prefers over no 2 but would need to be a bit shorter and not as baggy for me to wear it. Who knows if any of them will get made at this stage. Too early to tell.

But you know what really had me drooling - the ad for this gorgeous Lana Grossa cardigan.



She is just beautiful and reminds me of the O'Neill jumpers/cardigans I love so much but never buy as I always think I could make that in a much nicer yarn. And I could even order the knitting pack for this design from Germany. Except, the yarn contains mohair and nylon which I'm allergic to. Darn and drat. Isn't there always something?

Anyway I love it so I've found this amazing German website Rikes Wollmaus that is also in English and eazy peezy to use and ordered the pattern and some sale Lana Grossa Multicot Print which has the same compostition as All Seasons Cotton which will hopefully be for the Ballet T-Shirt, as long as I can get the tension sorted. Fingers crossed eh?

So once I get the pattern I'll have to see if I can rework it using different yarns. They have a superb selection of English edition magazines on their website for any Rebecca, Lana Grossa or Filati fans. I'll let you know how quickly it arrives. What I can't believe though is that I ordered it on Sunday and a couple of hours later got an email saying my order had been despatched - and on a Sunday!!! Whoa - cool customer service or what! Just amazing. First time I've ever had that kind of customer service before....

Knitting is going swimmingly well with felted bag being sewn up, Shingle ready for pressing and sewing and halterneck top on final rows. So lots of FOs should be making their appearance soon!

Knitting Club & Troubles

Me and knitting clubs are a bit of a challenge. It's not that I don't enjoy them, quite the opposite in fact. It's just that I can't knit and chat at the same time. Actually, that's not strictly true. I can knit and chat, but manage neither very well at the same time. Yesterday for example, I came home after knitting club and found that I'd managed to do an extra k2tog for no reason I can think of, and also decrease an extra 2 stitches on the sock I'd brought with me. So then I had to drop the stitch down to the error and fiidle about with lots of DPNs till I'd fixed it, then frog 2 rows to get to the correct number of stitches. Hmmm. Not quite what I'd planned!

I'm still working on the halterneck top, though progress is still slow. And Shingle is only missing one sleeve so will be all done shortly.

The felted bag is on a go slow too. Mostly as there is a lot of iCord to be done which has to be the most boring thing to do. I did try a wooden french knitting thingy but that gave me headache and was just as boring as iCord so gave that up. But I'm looking forward to getting the bag finished as I need a new bag, I mean it's been at least a few months since the last one!

I finally cancelled my subscribed to Vogue Knitting in the US and resubcribed to the UK distributor GMC last week. My fall copy hasn't turned up yet, but I'm hoping it won't be long now, I'm still feeling like the only person missing their copy and I want it NOW!!!

There is something very strange about yesterday. I had 3 bad things happen, not major but still annoying the same. Firstly the confirmation arrived for our holiday next year and they'd put the wrong name so that involved a rather irate phone call as I was told I might have to pay to have it changed even though not my error. I wasn't going to and it was sorted today with no problems. Secondly I picked up my DHs photos that he'd been taking of his work that he needed. Half of which were just useless and fit for the bin. He's not been blessed with my photographic skills and hadn't used the flash indoors. Oh dear. The third incident was when Sky Digital decided it would no longer work. By then it was no surprise - just one of those days.

But what is peculiar is that today I've been reading my favourite blogs and found out that 2 of them have had awful things happen to them yesterday. One a household disaster and the other a much loved pet incident. What is going on?

It seems something calming is much needed so here are some pics of the Maldives I took last year. The first pic is of the beach villa we spent 2 blissful weeks in. Swimming with turtles, seeing dolphins, having stingrays and baby black tip reef sharks swimming past our villa every day. Oh yes, paradise really does exist!

To Die For

I finally found what I'd been on the lookout for for ages and was beginning to think they didn't exist in the UK - Birch cable needles - to be honest I would have been delighted with bamboo, but these Brittany cable needles are just to die for! And did I mention the glorious oh so smooth and beautiful 12mm Brittany Birch needles?? Oh my, I am in knitting needle heaven......

I have a pair of wooden 12mm needles that I use, but they're not exactly the smoothest needles I've ever used and compared to the Brittany ones, are as rough as old boots. Well, that is a 'slight' exaggeration of course. I am just so happy with them. I can see a present list for Xmas consisting of lovely luxurious Brittany needles. DH loves the top of the Brittany's so I'm sure will be more than happy to oblige;)



And this sweet harmless looking halterneck top is the cause of all my arm ache trouble. Hard to believe really that something so small can be so awkward. I have learned a valuable lesson. Don't knit 4ply cotton in one piece on straight needles! I've also a developed a peculiar workaround which involved slouching on the sofa so that my elbows are supported by the sofa. Bad for the back no doubt but better for my arm. Doing just 2 rows max a day isn't going to get it finished now is it?

My Big It Up arrived the other day and I'm a little disappointed. I wanted MORE designs it in. Perhaps last years bumper Big Just Got Bigger spoilt me a little. It was like, oh, is that it then? Hmmm. I do love the Laura cardigan and will probably put that on my Xmas pressie list.



And the Berber Bag is just gorgeous, however will wait till I've finished some Big Wool projects I've got waiting so I can see what leftovers I can use for it.



The Lilla bag will be my next Big Wool bag project. It's gorgeous and only uses a few balls. Aren't those bobbles on it just the cutest?



I also liked Elsa but changed my mind after seeing the diagram and realising it had batwings. Not sure that design will stand the test of time......



And finally we have the lovely Shingle who gave me a bit of a challenge at the weekend as the right front decreases didn't match the left front. I eventually found out a way of mirroring the increase and redid it and now it looks fabulous. I used short row shaping with the 3 needle bind off for the first time and it is seriously good. No, amazing is more like it. The shoulder seams are just perfect! Many thanks to Knitty.com for their brilliant instructions. I'd been meaning to do the 3 needle bind off for ages, but just kept forgetting and casting off as usual. Now I know it's practically the next best thing to sliced bread I won't be forgetting again!

Let Us Out!

This is the holding cell i.e. carry cage we use when cleaning out the boys regular cage. Don't they look so sad and resigned in the second pic? Aah...

I'm still continuing with my plan to get pretty much all my ongoing projects finished before starting and new autumn/winter ones. It's kind of a weird time of year, no point in making any new summer stuff (what summer I hear you say) and not quite ready to go for Big Wool stuff. And apart from Shingle, all my current WIPs are taking far longer than expected which is a bit of a pain. Even my felted bag that I thought would be as quick as the Booga Bag is more involved than I'd thought. You see, I don't actually read all the pattern through before I start, and sometimes it can be quite a surprise to find out exactly what's involved. Or perhaps thats just why I don't read them first.....


I'm planning to do is Lizzy from Naturally Noro with my stash of Noro Shinano, now discontinued, bought last year with pressie money from my best friend. I had planned another project but saw the new cardi and thought it would be perfect. Apart from having to lengthen the sleeves as I've just noticed they're 3/4 length ones! Of course I still actually have to finish the WIPs first. This is the difficult part isn't it. All those lovely yarns in their packets just waiting to be started...... I won't succumb. Not yet anyway.


One of the projects that just (??) needs sleeves done is Macey from Rowan 31 in All Seasons Cotton. She would be perfect for this time of year and I'll get working on her shortly. She's being made in Ravish.

With the yarn leftover I'm planning to swatch for the Ballet T-shirt from Loop D Loop. Have currently put plans aside for the moment on anything from Loop D Loop until I've done some swatches. Which I am horribly allergic to by the way. But they'll need to be done on my Denise Needles so hopefully will be a fairly painless affair. I do love my Denise Needles.

I love having comments, as all bloggers do. But I've noticed that if Blogger blog users have their profile set to no email, I won't be able to reply directly to any comments which is a shame as sometimes you're asked questions. I did the Blogger survey saying they're should be an optional email box when you leave comments, as TypePad and other blogs have. Makes life much easier.

And thank you to Linda, for reminding me that I wasn't 'dippy', but busy. These things happen don't they when you're got a dozen things on your mind. And as for the right front of Shingle, I managed the drop stitch pattern no problem this time!