Now - I'm sure I've forgotten something....

I'm back from Darkest Cheshire where I went for the weekend for my "baby" cousin Jenny's 30th birthday party. The lilac Swallotail in Posh Yarn was for her present, and I remembered it. I remembered all the bits for my outfit for the party (it was a Wild West theme, and I was a cowgirl, complete with pink sequinny cowboy hat - it's amazing what you can pick up at a major supermarket these days). I remembered my knitting (but was having such a good time, I didn't knit a stitch ALL WEEKEND!). I remembered my 12p for the toll bridge into Lymm. I remembered my way - which is hard for me - I have the sense of direction of a spinning top. What I didn't remember was my camera - so I have no photos, which is a shame, as the weather was beautiful, and Jenny looked absolutely beautiful dressed as a saloon girl. She loved her Swallowtail, and wanted to wear it, but didn't, in case of spillages.
It was lovely to spend a couple of days with my family - I feel comfortable there, and it's great to see them all again. My Aunt has also asked me if I will make a shawl for her friend - so I am going to attempt to make up my own pattern. I'm not "designing" - what I am doing is compiling, I think. I have Traditional Lace Shawls by Martha Waterman, which has a lot of traditional patterns in for Shetland Lace, and what I'm doing is a little bit of swatching. I'm not sure, so I'm doing a 40 x 40 stitch swatch of the centre, then popping on a border, and maybe an edging. That way, I'm not committing to something I'm going to be unhappy with. It also means I can play without frogging. My rules for this are to go with something I think I like, and see how it looks. No frogging unless I make a boo-boo. That way, something I'm maybe not keen on to start with may do an ugly duckling on me.
What I probably will get is a lovely set of lacy dressing table mats! I'm horrificly indecisive, so I'll probably knit 10-15 swatches by the time I decide (or give up and go and buy a ready made design). I'm only on swatch 1 at the moment, so I will post swatch pictures as I get them.

Best Laid Plans...

Oh well... I was going to try Baltic Blossoms, or Melon, honest, but it's my niece's first birthday soon, and so I'm ploughing through a cardigan for her. It's a Tiboodoo pattern, and it looks lovely, and it's an easy knit, but I'm finding it slow going.
And I'm having an Anne Hanson thing going at the moment... I've knitted one Cardigan sock, and I'm itching to start its mate. Great pattern, and it looks fab - pictures when I have a pair. Then in the past few days, my Cranapple laceweight's arrived for my Whispering Pines triangle, and today, my Blue Moon Fiber Arts Haida arrived, for Irtfa'a... And they're calling to me, seductively, from their gentle squooshiness...
Not to mention I scored with Posh Yarn this week too - with three skeins earmarked for the Wallis Cardigan from the Summer Interweave Knits.
So, like, yeah - I'm really going to knit all this, aren't I?
Well maybe not this week, but yep I am.
And it's my cousin's 30th this weekend, so hopefully I can get some pictures of Jenny's Swallowtail in action!

Blocking Day

Today, I have been mosty blocking...

I have upstairs, drying, a Spiders Web Shawl in Cherry Tree Hill Merino Lace, Winterberry (could not get a decent photo); two Swallowtails - one in Posh Yarn Eva 4 Ply, Frock (a lavender / silver one), destined for my cousin's 30th birthday present, and one in Knitpicks Alpaca Lace.






I've loved this pattern. It's such an impressive knit, and once I had my head around the nupps, really straightforward. The Posh Yarn one was part of the Posh Yarn Swallotail KAL on Ravelry - if you're on Ravelry, and love Posh Yarn, or think you may, pop along to the group - it's one of the friendliest going (except for Sundays at 6pm, when it's every Poshite for her/himself).

I've also blocked out my Gust by Anne Hanson of Knitspot. Again, a very well written and straightforward pattern, with lovely results. I've got wool for two of Anne's other designs, irtfa'a and Whispering Pines (both shawls, both stunning) on order, and I'm itching to get going on them.



It was a little difficult to get the photo, but I couldn't resist the contrast of the wispy warm earth tones of the Posh Yarn Sophia against the green of the new growth in the "garden". It goes beautifully with my new shawl pin from Leslie Wind - absolutely beautiful in its simplicity. I was spoiled for choice amongst her designs, and have already mentioned to Jon that I would love the heart shaped one for a special occasion pressie - such as my birthday, maybe?



The closure is a pair of long tabs - so no pins, and it sat on the wispy cashmere laceweight like it belonged there. It's going to get well worn!

I'm working on Victorian Ruby from Victorian Lace Today at the moment, and am about halfway through the bottom border - after that, it's either going to be the Melon Shawl in Kidsilk Haze (nothing if not ambitious, me) or Baltic Blossoms by Evelyn Clark (more nupps!) in Posh Yarn Lucia... Nice decision to have to make...

Freedom tastes so good!

Finally, after 6 weeks and one day, I am off Jury Service. I appreciate that people need to do it, and that we need a cross section, rather than those for whom it may be convenient, and that everyone charged has the right to a fair trial, but sometimes, you wonder who is on trial. I have had 6 weeks at right angles to my life, with things going on as normal, but where I have been sitting with different priorities. Without going into details, the trial has been complex, and we can't forget that this is not a logic puzzle; that the people accused, giving evidence, and referred to are all real people, and all have a lot hanging on what the Jury eventually decides. It's taught me a lot about myself - I thought until very recently that I was quite good at dealing with things, that I could divorce myself from what was happening, but that has proved impossible. I became emotionally involved, and have really felt under a strain. I have spent a lot of the afternoon crying, which came as a surprise to me.

Now I am finished, I need to pick up my life and put the pieces back into place. It's going to be hard to click back in. It's as if I have to forget about this, and let go of the last 6 weeks of my life, where I have eaten, slept and breathed nothing but this trial, shared with 11 other people who I became close to, but will now probably not see again. It's Jon's birthday tonight, so we will be celebrating quietly, free of this hanging over us, which is good. The support I have had from Jon, my family and my friends (both "real world" and "online" has got me through this - so thank you - if you are reading this, you probably count in one of those categories).

So - I can let all the detailled data ooze out of my mind, and get on with making honey and lime glazed chicken for Jon's Birthday Tea!

Confessions - from right at the bottom of a rabbit hole...

Oh dear. Please will someone stop me, tie my hands, hide my purse, anything to stop me from buying even more yarn? After a quick enable from a couple of members of the North East Yarn Fiends on Ravelry, I visited Woolaballoo in Crawcrook. It is amazing - they have beautiful yarn. They are lovely people. They have Colinette, Noro, Regia (including the new Galaxy yarn), Artesano, Ranco. They are good value. The displays are lovely - I can see what things look like, and feel the luscious yumminess of the yarn. They are sitated 5 minutes in the car from my house. They are too near...

5 Skeins of yarn, 2 circulars and a book later, I am at home, and I am torn. I have a Local Yarn Shop which is local, and beautiful. I also need to discipline myself, else I may as well ask for my wages to be paid to Woolaballoo each month, and I can then just go and pick up my goodies! I shall be back, and I shall be buying. Again. What a lovely shop!

Knocking one off the list

So - I can prove that I have tackled Magic Loop. I've decided to use it with a couple of old favourites - Monkey Socks by Cookie A (although I have done the version without purls), and Posh Yarn Emily in Pretty Young Thing.
This is the second sock - the first is all done:

I'm nearly there, and can't wait to wear them - and there is nothing to fear from Magic Loop - I used a You Tube video to see how it was done, and it took a few rounds to "click", but when it did, I found it straightforward. I will use it again - probably for socks with a regular pattern, until I get a bit more used to it.

And my Marilinda, again by Cookie A are finished.
I used Fearless Fibers Superwash Merino Sock in Imagine for this, and for such a complex looking pattern, it was really straightforward to knit. I loved the pattern, and really recommend it. The "sock blocker" is actually half a dozen carrier bags - I wanted to be able to show the pattern, and this was the best option I had!

Still in court... but nearly halfway there now!

It's oh so quiet....

I'm sorry I've not been posting much, however these past two weeks, I've been on Jury Service. And shall remain so for the next four weeks or so, unless something unforeseen happens to the trial I've been assigned to. As I'm not allowed to say anything about the trial (but what I will say is that thankfully it is not one which is upsetting to sit on), and I am shattered each day, and I have to fit the rest of my life in sideways around the court, there's not much to blog about at the mo - although I am ploughing through some good socks - Melanie, at http://pinklemontwist.blogspot.com has a new sock pattern out - well pair of sock patterns, as she has bundled one complex sock with travelling stitches (Scarborough Fair) with a more straightforward pattern (Caledonian Mist). I love the concept, and I'm loving the pattern - two for the price of one! I'll post some progress pics soon...
And, I am confronting my fear - I have tried looping the Magic Loop - one No-Purl Monkey down, one to go (and yes, proof will be forthcoming). I still love my dpns, but have confirmed that there is nothing to be afraid of, and will be using it again - especially when travelling about.
Off to court to be one of the 12 good men (and women) and true....