UK Swap parcel of loveliness

Huge thanks to Snailspace for a great swap parcel.



There is an awesome pair of Magic Mirror socks - I love them - a spinning kit, some lovely bath pearls, sumptuous chocolate, scrummy chilies, some invisible ink pens for the girls (they'd already eaten the sweeties when I took the photo!) and some bright ideas stickies for Nick.

Just gaze at the divine Magic Mirror socks... they are great



I have been truly spoiled!

The never ending size 12 socks

Blimey I really must stop offering to make socks for people before I've found out what size feet they have. I am knitting a pair of UK size 12s for a colleague at work and they are never ending! I feel like I've been knitting them since forever!!

On the second one now though so not long to go and then I can knit something a bit more petite!!

Might do a pair for my younger daughter as she has lovely little feet and it will be a nice quick job too.

Got my winter warmer item to make for the UK swap and then I am free to do whatever I please!

So for 2009 I would like to:

crochet a blanket (a la Bessies Blanket most likely)
Use the stash of Rowan Kid Classic and knit something for me!
Finish off all the sad and lonely bits and bobs that are lying around.
Conquer my fear of lace knitting

But no doubt I will get all enthused about something completely different and will be relating the same resolutions in 2010

A Bag of Nostalgia

My mum is finally redoing the front bedroom and brought over a bag of my stuff that's been there for almost 20 years. So I spent a couple of hours lost in the past going through it all.

There were letters from friends I still know and some I lost touch with long ago all concerned with stuff that was so all-encompassing then but seems somewhat shallow and meaningless now. There were photos, a few records and lots of bits and bobs that I hung onto for a whole plethora of significant at the time reasons. There were fanzines from the 80s and a really old copy of Viz. My favourite find though was the zippo lighter that I thought I'd lost a lifetime ago.

Feels like finding an old friend.

UK Swap - Warming Your Head

Ooh ooh... catching up now!

Hats are great fun and a lovely quick knit too! I've fought in Hat Attack twice now (got bumped off quite early on both times but got a couple of lovely hats for my demise which made up for it!)

What is your favourite style of hat?
I love hats! No particular favourite style really. If pushed then I'd have to say earflap hats are my favourites

Do you have a favourite yarn for making hats with?
Wool or other natural fibre works best for me I think. The Hat Attack hat this time was designed using SWTC's Therapi yarn which is lovely and has some sort of jade composite in it along with silk and wool. Having said that the most important thing about yarn for a hat is that it is soft, warm and not itchy so I wouldn't rule anything out.

What hat patterns are in your queue at the moment?
Just had a quick look. I've got a balaclava, an earflap hat and some berets in there at the moment! Anything goes really

Do you have a favourite handmade hat that you (or someone else) has made?
I made the We Call Them Pirates Hat for a little boy and it was brilliant but I forgot to take a photo but it did look like it should have!


I also had fun knitting the Loopy Flapper hat recently. I too love the Woolly Wormhead hat designs

The Fibonacci Sequence Hat that killed me in Hat Attack is a favourite in this household my DH loves it too... it's just soooo cosy! Here's a pic of the Fibonacci hat and a nice red beret that I knitted recently for Natty. We were up Pendle Hill on New Year's Day and it was rather bracing and windswept!

UK Swap - Warming Your Knees

Oops falling a little behind on these at the moment. It's the whole end of Christmas sloth and getting back into being back at work syndrome I reckon. Feeble I know but oh so true!

What has been your favourite finished blanket/lapghan?

Do you have a favourite pattern that you'd like to make in the future?

Do you have a favourite type of yarn for making blankets/lapghans?

I have never knitted a blanket or afghan to my shame. This is because it's such a big project and I have such a small attention span. I do have some lovely old crochet blankets that my Great Aunt Lizzie made and gave me - bless her she was the one who taught me how to knit and crochet many, many years ago. I love them. They are made of acrylic yarn but I've had them forever and they wash and are all saggy and funny shaped and I wouldn't be without them.

There were also lots of lovely little knitted blankets in the NICU when my youngest was there which we all tried to grab first after they had been watched... much nicer than the utilitarian NHS cellular blankets! There weren't enough to have one to keep though which was a shame. Note to self - must pull finger out and do some knitting for the baby unit to rectify the situation!

There are lots of stunning blankets and afghans around but my favorites are:

Color Me - a crochet blanket that's really original

Love the bright colours and the crayola crayon vibe. It's great!

I also really like the Natural Dye Studio's range of Bessie's Blankets too. There is just something so cosy about crocheted blankets. These blankets are so timeless and are made from the fabulous Dye Studio yarn so really sumptuous and touchable too! Love 'em!


I'm also really like the Lizard Ridge throw. It's just beautiful.