It's been a funny week here as I've struggled with a chest infection, I was hoping it would be cleared for the weekend as Mum and sister Kate were coming to London for belated birthday celebrations.
The idea was originally proposed back in September to celebrate Mum's 75th birthday, then Kate had a fall and has been ill for months as a result. We tried to organize it for February to coincide with Kate's birthday but couldn't get theatre tickets for the show we wanted on dates that we could all attend.
This week was Matt's birthday and he received this book which includes 20 uses for a knitting needle!
So I didn't feel left out Kate gave me an early birthday present - a very funky walking stick with metallic red and purple swirls!
I finally managed to get tickets to see Billy Elliot, find a good hotel at a very reasonable price and get all our work schedules to match up our free time.
So we had a fun day yesterday which started early enough to avoid the big march in London, spent the afternoon at the theatre laughing , crying and enjoying the ballet ( I grew up in a mining community and Mum was a dancing teacher so the play was especially relevant) and then went back to the hotel for a wonderful meal and cocktails.
Today started with an enormous breakfast and then a gentle stroll around
Regent's Park. Mum and Kate enjoyed the sun in Queen Mary's Rose Garden (memo to self - come back when they are in flower)
The spring flowers were beautiful
I fell for these strange objects - anyone tell me what they are?
Oh and I cast on some new knitting - Ishbel by Ysolda Teague using Sundara's fingering silky merino in a colour called Flaming Flamingo, there will be photos once I make some progress!
I seem to have been infected by startitis but with no finishing effects!
Here's a sample of some of the wip's:
First up is Cusco from Cheryl Oberle's book Knitted Jackets
I really enjoyed knitting the first half, I love the yarn Artesano Alpaca, the pattern is easily memorised and it was good bus knitting. I've started the 2nd side but have mislaid a skein of yarn and now I'm not sure if I'll have enough to complete it - instead of trying to finish it, I'm dithering about undoing part of what I've already knitted and making the bands of stocking stitch smaller in order to eke out the yarn I have.
Next up is Baby Blanket no. 5 knitted using James Brett's Marble Chunky and loosely based on a Hap Shawl pattern. The centre diamond was knitted dishcloth style and then I started the Feather and Fan edge.
Having got nearly to the size I wanted I looked at it and realised that I've done all of that as Knit and as I'm knitting it in the round every 4th row should have been Purl - another partial visit to the frog pond!
What is the difference in Feather and Fan / Old Shale? I've always used the terms interchangeably but I secretly know that that is wrong!
Baby Blanket no 6 is the Curlicue Coverlet by Oat Couture knitted using yarn I got for £1 per 100gm ball and it's 55% wool machine washable!
I was knitting this at Mum's the other week when my eldest niece decided to sit on my lap and watch my hands. Then she held onto the needles, practiced wrapping the yarn around and then took off and knitted two rows - her first knitting and her gauge is more even than mine! This blanket will be for my Great Niece/Nephew so I plan to tag those two rows at the start of section 5 for posterity!
My latest knitting obsession is Kate's Cardigan from the wonderful little magazine KnitCircus which seems to grow from strength to strength.
The yarn I'm using is from New Lanark and is a souvenir from my trip to Glasgow. I do love knitting with a crunchy tweed. The back was completed as commuter knitting last week and the first front started yesterday.
No knitting today though as I've a foul headache and numb fingers and have spent most of the day sleeping.
Will I ever report a finished item? Perhaps I need to follow Dawn and Polly's examples and make lists though I feel exhausted just reading them!
What a wonderful week. The hotel at Luss was fantastic, the external views were stunning, especially with the snow.
The internal views were just as good, roaring fires, squashy sofas, fantastic meals and amongst the paintings adorning the walls was this gem
if anyone can give me the name of the artist I would be grateful.
The show in Glasgow remains my favourite show. There may only be a few knitting stands but what there is is a great sense of a knitting community. I love the fact that there were sometimes 3 generations of family visiting together, each exploring different aspects of our crafts.
I also enjoyed the fact that I got to meet up with Juliet, Pat, Nancy, Bob + Nell, Christeen, Agnes, Margaret, Purple Jen and others but was sorry to miss the Gourock group - I promise I'll try to do all 4 days next year!
There's none of the cynicism of some of the larger shows with everyone wanting the latest "fad" yarn or gadget. There's more of an emphasis on creating beautifully constructed wearable art in quality materials; on learning new techniques; on improving skills and sharing knowledge with others.
I love teaching beginners but got a real kick from working with some of the disabled visitors and helping them experience the joy of playing with yarn, some for the first time. Members of Nancy's craft group visited one day and it was lovely to meet them in person having heard Nancy's stories of their adventures over the years.
I think the happiest moment of the show for me was when a gentleman returned to the stand late in the day asking me for details of where to buy the crochet hooks I'd encouraged his wife to try - he said she hadn't stopped talking about them and smiling - it was the most excited he had seen her since her stroke.
Whilst I was in Scotland I heard about this project Stitches on the Bridge and thought it might appeal to some of you, I've never been to Skye but it is on my "wishlist".
ps I know that link isn't working but can't work out why - very exasperating- just click on their suggested link (which is exactly what I typed) and it works
Yesterday we left our wonderful hotel and it's serene view of the Loch and headed south to Glasgow
Of course Matt being Matt we didn't go the most direct route - instead we drove around the coast road visiting the old Timber ponds, Greenock - where we encountered a very sudden flurry of snow; Gourrock and Largs.
We found our accommodation easily and had a quiet night in.
I'm now ready to set off to find the SECC and the Creative Stitches show and hopefully to meet up with Juliet, Nancy and Pat at some stage in the next few days
is a weekend playing with my nieces; a drive through the fantastic scenery of the Peak District, Pennines and Scottish Borders to arrive in time to watch the sun set over Loch Lomond.
Perfect bliss comes when you find you have a free upgrade to a room with a balcony over the beach of the loch and a room with an en-suite sauna.... I may never come home!
There's wifi access and sofa and lights just right for a knitter and a superb evening meal - this is where I am for the next few days