There's nothing like an English Summer...

and this weekend's dreadful weather was NOTHING like an English Summer (except, unfortunately, it was).

I finished my Mash poncho on Friday, just in time to wear for the Chester Folk Festival.


It was a fun project, despite several false starts; the original version was too small and the knitting was too tight, then when I changed to 15mm needles it was too loopy.

I also kept dropping stitches so until I hit upon the wizard wheeze of using a smaller 6mm needle to pick them up I had to keep starting again.


The sewing up was a bit of a challenge too - took me ages to work it out. Here it is after I'd lashed it together:
And here is a detail of the stitch, with my chubby arm underneath it.

It is not as big as the one in the book but I am a lot wider then the willowy model so that might be why.

And then in traditional Bank Holiday weekend style, it was too cold and wet to wear at the Folk Festival so I will keep it for when summer does arrive...

It's ponchotastic...

As I am still off work I decided to start another knitting project yesterday.

I am making Mash from the Viva Poncho book, using some Colinette Giotto in raspberry which I have had for ages.

This is a bit of an experimental project as I am hoping to make one in turquoise shades for my good friend Amanda. Just the thing for her to swan about on the beach at Goa, where she goes every year, the lucky so-and-so.

So if it works out, she'll be getting one too.

Last night was spent untangling the skeins, using my lovely little wooden tool thing I bought at Habu Textiles in New York.

I have cast on 30 stitiches on some 10mm (or so) needles, it is easy but also a little bit more challenging than the garter stitch scarves I've been churning out recently.

It doesn't look wide enough at the moment but I will carry on regardless and see how it turns out.

Bookcrossing blankie and baby blankie

I have created a square for the Bookcrossing afghan / blanket which is being put together and then will be auctioned at the UK Bookcrossing Unconvention in Brighton at the end of June.

I was trying to do one with an interesting VK symbol on (for Veganknitter) but this was much too hard and I thought my brain would explode, so I settled on knitting a square with a V on.

I used some cream Rowan cotton and it looks OK - it could be better but I only had until the end of May.

My friend Is has also sent me a lovely photo of Roscoe's baby blankie in action - here he is with grandmother Mary. All together now, aaaaah.

I'm a lucky, lucky girl

On Saturday my friend Caroline presented me with this beautiful handbag that she has made / embellished for me.

She is ever so clever and I'm a lucky, lucky girl.

She is selling more handcrafted and knitted wares at a craft fair in Chorlton, South Manchester on Saturday but unfortunately I can't go as I am going to a wedding instead. (Despite not having a stitch to wear)

Good luck Caroline!

2 down, 3 to go...

My good friend Lindsay generously sent me 4 scarf kits for my birthday. At my party on 21 April, I drunkenly waved them around and offered to make scarves for four of the people there - Cathy, Janet, Chrissie and Joan.

The good news is that I have now completed two of these for Cathy and Janet. Each kit had 3 balls of fluffy fur yarn, so that's 12 balls of yarn altogether. As I am using the 9mm Boye needles Bev bought me in New York (they are so useful!) I have managed to make 2 long scarves from 4 and half balls of yarn. So hopefully I can squeeze another 3 scarves from the rest of the yarn.

The bad (but good news) is that I am off work with a recurrance of cellulitis in my right leg. Last time I got this, the doctor I had at the time didn't work out what it was and I eventually had about 8 weeks off work and a stay in hospital. My plight wasn't helped by my sister ringing me while I was propped in my wheelchair in A&E awaiting a bed with the cheery comment "I've looked it up on the internet and it can be fatal."

Luckily, this time I diagnosed it myself and hot footed (limped) to the doctors to have this diagnosis confirmed yesterday. I now have a few days of knitting leave...erm, sick leave and a course of antibiotics to keep me going until Wednesday so can now sit on the sofa with my leg propped up, knitting away all day long until Monday at least.

So every cloud has a silver lining...