Viva la Poncho

While away in Welsh Wales camping I decided to make a poncho for my 4 year old fairy god daughter Evie.

She has at least 2 ponchos already but they are good for keeping her warm when she's feeling too feisty to wear something with sleeves.

I'm using some Elle Plume in Raspberry Ripple which I bought from Em's Stitches a while back. It has pinks, browns and purples in so should be just the thing.

I am guessing at the dimensions though so it all might go Pete Tong yet.

Summer Reading Challenge

Just joined Amanda's Summer Reading Challenge and will try and read 2 books a week.

So that's the knitting taking a backseat then.

Depleted stash

I was a knitting angel of mercy yesterday!

My friend Denise asked me if I had any spare yarn that her colleague Iris could use to teach some trainee nursery nurses to knit.

I sprang to the rescue and within 15 minutes Denise had a huge bag of unwanted yarn, a beginners knitting book and my knitting handouts from when I taught knitting last year.

Apparently the young women are going to knit scarves and make pompoms over the next few weeks.

Glad to help, ma'am.

And yes, my stash is still huge and unmanageable.

Bit behind at blogging...

and with knitting...

I have now finished knitting my Marakesh bag in cotton rope; the sewing up will be another matter though.

At the Bolton knitting Noras meetup on Sunday I started some small catnip toys for my sister Jane's kitties Bunty and Bert. They keep bringing baby sparrows in so she could do with something to distract them.

I also got the new Simply Knitting magazine yesterday and am quite excited by the cotton lacy cardi in there although no doubt I will look like a granny in it.

Off camping in Welsh Wales this weekend so could do with something to take with me; will think on.

Duttons for Buttons frenzy!

I went to Harrogate with Anthony yesterday and frightened him with my enthusiasm for shopping.

I managed to spend nearly £30 in the wonderful Duttons for Buttons - the green buttons were nearly £3 each but they are lovely. And I just liked the "nan's coat" look of the big black and white ones.

Yes, it's all stuff I need. That's my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it.

Anthony was highly amused at the plan for vegan 'taches so I'd better get on with it.

Cotton Rope hell

After my disastrous shrug project, I have reused the yarn and started the Marakesh rucksack from the Cotton Rope book.

I began it on Monday and unpicked it 3 times before I realised that the pattern was wrong.

So I'm doing my own version of the pattern which looks the same as the picture in the book. (I think so anyway!)

It's hard going though and I lost concentration completely during Lost (put your shirt on, Dr Jack)

Billy no mates on Sunday...

Further to my excitement at receiving the new Knit 1, I decided to try a version of the travel pillow (in a completely different yarn though).

Armed with my pale blue Snuggly yarn and some Rowan chunky chenille, I made a start at our Bolton Knitting Noras knit out on Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately, as I had arranged it for the Bank Holiday weekend, I was the only one there indulging in knitting in public.

I got a free coffee though so passed a jolly hour and then managed to complete the front of the pillow by Sunday night.

Thanks Mr Postie!

I received two bumper packages on Saturday morning.

The green "mohair" is from Anna in Liverpool - thank you Anna. I actually have quite enough mock mohair already but I am just a girl who can't say no.

The Incredible Yarn and Knit 1 are from the excellent Taj Yarns in Bucks. I think the Incredible will become a mesh poncho and I'm quite excited about the Knit 1 magazine, particularly the travel accessories and the pirate gear (Arrrr!)