Hello again. It's been too long, how are things with you?

Here life has been meandering along full of the usual stuff,
infact it has been a bit more full than usual owing to the half term
school break last week, which accounts for my absence. Amy was in a play
at the local theatre which kept her busy for most of the week and I
kept Toby occupied with lots of walks in the woods. I took my camera
each time because the trees are at their most beautifully autumnal right now
but Toby doesn't like to stand still when out on a walk so I just ended
up carrying it and not actually taking any pictures.

There was even some knitting, but there is no point in attempting complicated stitch patterns or fiddly shaping because all of that needs more concentration than Toby allows me and I end up making lots of mistakes, so when he's around it has to be simple knitting. Over the half term break I mostly worked on the shalom jumper, which is a lovely straightforward project.

 

Although I truly dislike knitting in the round on small items like gloves etc I do quite like it on something as big as a jumper and because of the thick weight wool and 6mm needles this jumper grew at a pleasing rate. Finishing it off has come at the right time too because the temperature has now dropped and it's definitely jumper wearing weather! 

 

Now the children are back at school so I can concentrate on more complicated knitterly things. I'm sewing faces today and putting the finishing touches to the batch of autumn inspired animals. I'm also sticking pins in my little hedgehog pincushions and have made some autumn leaf toppers from shrinkle sheets to finish them off.

 

 

I'll be back soon with some pictures of the animals and hopefully a picture of the finished misty afghan because I'm working on the final round of the border now – there's lots of woolly play going on here! Thanks for stopping by x

 

This week I have been fighting a loosing battle with a cold and for the last 3 days I've been curled up with the boxed set of Cranford, some warm ribena and my knitting and haven't ventured out much. Thanks to the internet I did however manage to treat myself to some new wool in celebration of Wool Week. First to arrive was some soft and springy organic aran yarn from Garthenor in Wales. This batch is spun from Portland fleece and is a lovely buttery cream colour with a nice natural sheen. I've already started a new jumper from it – Shalom (adapted to a pullover from the notes found on Jentide's Ravelry page).

 

I also fell in love with this fabulous Juno Fibre Arts hand-dyed buffy sock yarn in shade 'garden shed' bought from Tangled Yarns. It is so very beautiful and at the moment I can't bring myself to do much else with it other than admire it, though I do have plans to turn it into wristwarmers when I'm done with using it as an ornament.

 

I reckon a new ball of yarn is much better at sorting out sniffles and a sore throat than Vitamin C and thanks to my wonderful woolly purchases I'm feeling much better.  The next time I feel a cold coming on I'll definitely be reaching for vitamin Y.

 

I've been sitting here, in the quiet of the early afternoon, with my cup of coffee, sewing up bunny heads and pondering just how it can be 28 years since these two young people went out on their first ever date

 

and yet yesterday their oldest child became a teenager. Doesn't time whizz when you're not paying attention to it?

 

Yes, that is me holding a very dodgy 'art' project which is supposed to represent a dragonfly wing. The homemade aran jumper is sound though, even back then I loved knitting – good job I've stuck to it and not sculpture eh?!