Two scarves done...

While at my mum's over Christmas I completed the long purple scarf on 8mm circulars for my good Bookcrossing friend Angela.

It's her birthday today and I'm hopefully seeing her on Saturday so will present it to her then.

I also finished the blue fluffy "Secret Santa" scarf for my work colleague / friend Mary. As I followed the instructions but cast on too many stitches to make a long scarf as in the illustration, I made it into a muffler with a hole in the middle to pull the end of the scarf through.

I hope that she will like it.

Secret Santa

I had a lovely meal with my work colleagues last night and we did a Secret Santa.

My friend Mary got a knit your own scarf kit which I relieved her of.

I'm not usually in the habit of nicking other people's Christmas presents; as she can't knit, I intend to knit the scarf for her.

I also need to finish the baby blanket (only the edgings to do now, hoorah!) and make a fluffy purple scarf like mine for my friend Angela in time for her birthday at the end of December.

Gonna be busy over Christmas...

Winter Markets fun

My two lovely friends Janet and Anne visited me today and we spent a delightful day shopping in Manchester. I was going to write that they are old friends too; but they won't thank me for that as they're not that old, but I have known them for almost 25 years.

I was supposed to be buying presents but ended up buying lots of things for myself, including a really rather gorgeous charm bracelet from a stall called Calico Monkey; it has a purple plectrum on it and brings out my inner rock chick.

(Actually, not that far from the surface...)

I also bought a delightful handstitched purse as my Secret Santa gift for a work colleague. We are having a meal on Tuesday and shall exchange gifts then. The purse was from another stall called amusingly dontbitchstitch.

Here's a photo of Janet and Anne looking Christmassy and also one of my stash of goodies.

Mobile muffler

I finished the mobile cover for my new mobile.

I used some bronze Rowan Lurex Shimmer I had left from a scarf I knitted for my sister.

Also, amazingly, for me, I have sewn it up.

(Not very well though)

It's a boy!

My friend Isobel has found out that she is expecting a boy so I can't wait to make the skull and crossbones outfit in the new Knit 1.

Just as well, as I'm getting bored with the Heirloom (non) Silk Shawl.

I also knocked off a lurex mobile phone cosy for my new moby but of course I haven't sewn it up yet.

Inspector(ess) Gadget

After the saga with the Cath Kidston phone, I have been trying to get a new mobile phone that might stay undamaged for longer than a day.

I have been haunting the Orange shop and they finally relented and let me have a new phone on Friday.

(On the way there I was lucky enough to see a tree full of a flock of beautiful long tailed tits, busy tweeting away and being totally ignored by everyone but me. It made my weekend!)

I finally got my hands on the new mobile phone on Saturday and this one is for keeps.

It's a Samsung Blush (I believe it is an X830) and is candy pink, teeny tiny and ever so girlie.

It also came with a box of Benefit cosmetics - a make over card, a plastic makeup bag (quite groovy actually), Hollywood Glo body lustre and a Hoola palette.

I am giving the Hoola palette to my work buddy Gemma as the lippy has beeswax in.

So no knitting for me for the next few days while I work out how to work my new gadget. Think I might break it with my meaty thumbs.

One night muffler

I've made a fluffy mini version of my purple scarf for my Bookcrossing NSSFC partner.

I only cast on 115 stitches so it's more of a muffler / tippet thingy than a scarf but I hope that she likes it anyway.