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2007
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It’s been a long time! We have been creating and taking photos but I’ve just been to idle to get around to blogging. So here’s a quick catch up. I did class with Donna Druchunas at last years Woolfest, a fabulous teacher, I learned a lot and was inspired. Eventually I got some Qiviut for my birthday in November, in the Easter holidays we went to Provence and I cast-on poolside just hoping to wing it with a pretty easy stitch pattern and a garter stitch border, I blocked last night - must get some blocking wires.
On the run up to Christmas I was having a go at Fair Isle, I wanted to do a tank for me so started with something for Betsy. I swatched which as it turned out was very useful and I later felted the swatch and it is now an i-pod cosy. Betsy has worn the tank constantly, for some reason I don’t have a photo, only one of the dangerous steeking which was so good.
Some time in October or November Betsy stopped wearing nappies - HOORAY - and so I was desperate to knit her some leggings from Knitters Almanac by the fabulous EZ, didn’t want to knit them with a massive backside only for them not to be worn a few weeks later. Louis broke up early in December and so we did much baking and general lazing about.
We started off our Christmas hols in Munich, I had taken a pair of socks, a shawl and the makings of a pair of mittens for Betsy plus EZ Knitting Around to keep me happy. Betsy pulled the end out of her store bought mittens so whilst watching the Horse of The Year Show in the hotel room I cracked on with these little beauties, made from Shetland left overs from her tank. We went on a bit of an EZ pilgrimage whilst in Germany using Knitting Around as a guide.
As I write the only thing I have on the needles is a pair of socks for me from some Fyberspates sock yarn bought at WonderWool, I don’t count these as a UFO.
In Germany Christmas eve is the big day and so this is Miss Belle in our suite on the eve of Christmas eve, note the real Christmas tree and smocked full length Christmas night gown.
By now we were in Berchtesgaden in Bavaria, the most magical place in the world for Christmas, the snow tinkled as you walked through it. We made many a snow angel.
The scenery was fabulous, so was the hotel and the food, far too many five course meals had to be walked off.
After every walk we had to have refreshments around the fire which the children were fascinated by.
This is Louis and Andrew in the pool, it was like bath water, heaven. We managed a train trip into Austria to Salzburg, I have made them watch the sound of music.
In January Miss Belle was 2 and started nursery, which she would go to every day if she could, she doesn’t cry when she gets there just when she has to come home.
At the end of March the children and I had a little trip on our own to the Jorvik Viking Centre in York and Betty’s Tea Rooms. Then onto Newcastle Upon Tyne and the Baltic Centre and Seven Stories.
We ate a lot of Cake and looked at a lot of art.
Not feeling very inspired I knit socks and scarves.
In April we went away to Provence, ate a lot of offal, had a trip to Monaco and only took one photo!
Wonderwool Wales was at the end of April.
I started the shawl in December with yarn I got from Woolfest last year, I must admit it got a little too boring even for me, the pattern is roughly Melon from Victorian Lace Today and the stitch pattern is easily remembered. This is Garthenor Organic Shetland Laceweight, comes in 100g skein and I ran short just at the last bit of border, I managed to get an extra bit of wool and in the end the shawl weighs 103g!
Before Christmas I was on a mission to clear the backlog of UFO’s, all of the knitting ones are done with just a few sewing ones lurking. The sweater blanket was for Louis, I had the stack of sweater pieces hanging around for ages, all 100% wool, felted first in the washing machine. Betsy’s hexagon quilt was started I think when I did a short textiles course just after having Louis - he’s nearly 8 - the hexagons are all hand stitched, I just don’t like them any more but didn’t have the heart to throw them out. The compromise was an old wool blanket that had been felted, I used the original satin edging from the blanket and stitched the already sewn together hexagon pieces directly onto the blanket by machine. That’s two more off the list, just Kaffe Fassett left to do.
After the joy of the first Tomten I did one for Betsy with some Malabrigo I had picked up in Boston last year, I had a couple of skeins and wanted to use up every scrap. I started off with the skirt part which was just short rows knit until wide enough, the top half is Tomten.
I have had the Cat Bordhi book for ages and kept putting off casting on for a mobius because I thought it would be complicated, it is so easy I made two. The Point 5 was originally knit into a tank from a Colinette pattern but made me look huge, I undid it and made a poncho and wore it for a while, I then undid it and made it into a scarf and wore it for a while. After it’s final undoing I re-skeined it, washed it and let it hang with a weight to straighten it out, I think it will be staying in it’s present form.
I did a Clapotis - didn’t take a photo - for a friend and made another My So Called Scarf from the left over Lorna’s Laces Lion and Lamb. Another Rowan All Seasons Cotton dress for Miss Belle she has worn the blue one I made her to death and I fancied a quick knit, this time I knit it in the round.
