And another FO

This was a cardigan I started on the plane to Toronto, rather than schlepping Promenade with me for fear of getting it confiscated at security. I like the yarn - Sirdar Preuvian natural (or something like that) in pale pink, grey and with the odd hint of blueish mauve running through it.

It was an easy knit, with enough shaping to keep me interested. It was virtually complete for weeks but as I was sewing up the shawl collar, I was not giving it my full attention and inadvertently joined the mid-back seam inside out. I had yet to master the appropriate stitch and so had backstitched it. I sew my seams to stay put and having sedwn in all the loose ends neatly, realised my mistake and had to set about unpicking it all. In so doing, I managed to damage the edge 2x2 rib. I tried to salvage it but made a pretty awful mess of the second attempt at the seam. I put it aside in disgust and tried to ignore it. Weeks later, I came back to it and had another go, having now mastered how to sew up a rib seam. The finished article isn't perfect due to the damaged edge stitch but it is 100% better than it was and is now wearable. I'll try to get a photo of me in it some time as it really does look better in person.

"Kite" on a real, live 5 year old

As promised, here are some photos of my 5 year old daughter wearing her sweater for the first time. She had just come out of the bath, hence the wet hair, but was so eager to wear it that she insisted on doing so before going to bed. Ironically, hot, dry, sunny weather has now arrived (at least for this week) so she hasn't worn it since. I'm quite pleased. I made it intentionally with room for growth, although the sleeves are a little on the long side.

Finished objects abound

Rogue is complete. Finally. After what seemed like an age blocking. I have to confess it was a pig to block. Debbie Bliss and I are definitely not the best of friends. I wanted to have this hoodie in something warm but soft and cozy. I chose DB cashmerino aran. I think it was probably a mistake. It stretched like fury when I washed it in preparation for blocking and it took me a very long time to block it to the right size and shape. Even after blocking it feels like it is stretching and will probably end up a mini-dress. It also looks as if it has the tendency ot pill horribly. Hey, you live and learn...

The other FO is a pullover for my 5 year old daughter. She has been nagging me for a mummy-made jumper ever since I embarked on Chelsea for my son. It has finally been blocked and finished and when I get a moment I will post some photos of the proud recipient wearing it. It's a pattern from the Rowan Story book of Little Knits and was knitted in Rowan All Seasons Cotton. So, unlike her darling elder brother (who declared on first and subsequent wearings of Chelsea that it itches) loves it and wanted to wear it to bed on her first evening of it being finished. Don't you just love an appreciative audience??

What a difference a day makes... (well, actually about 16 days)

The picture on the left was taken on Sunday 6 April when we had freak snowfall, both for this area and for this time of year. The poor buds trying to poke their heads out were all but swamped by the snowfall. My daffodils were completely flattened by the unexpected 2.5 inch white blanket which appeared over the space of about an hour. The photo on the right shows those same buds flourishing in the spring warmth a mere 16 days later. April is always a mixed month in the UK and this year has proved that rule.

Distractions, distractions...

There are times when I think I must be knitting very slowly. Now is one of those times. I'm knitting things which aren't inspiring me and I feel like I'm never going to get to the end of them. When I hit a moment of self-doubt, I realise there are distractions which are keeping me away from my knitting (aside from reading my favourite knitting blogs of course - I can waste literally hours doing that). The distractions in question are shown above. First was my wonderful evening at my friend Helen's house doing "glitter and glue". Now, as a pre-school teacher, initially the thought of yet more glitter and glue did not hold much appeal. However, when Helen showed me some of her home-made cards, I was hooked. The first photo shows a completed card I made. The second photo is a sheet of mosaic style tissue paper, mulberry paper, glitter, glue and fusible fibre from which I will select little windows to stick onto cards. The overall effect is beautiful and, despite all sorts of self-doubts before I started, the process was liberating and fun, demanding very little skill.

The second distraction involved scissors and my counting skills. I volunteered to cut up 34 yellow card teddies with their corresponding legs and arms (if teddies can be classed as having arms??) - all 132 of them - for playgroup. Having recently cut out 34 teapot cards out of the same yellow carad, I will be glad never to see yellow card ever again!!! On top of this I have volunteered to count Tesco "computers for Schools" vouchers into neat piles of 100 vouchers for my children's infant school. The piles of blue vochers represent only a small part of the vouchers counted so far (something like 2500 and counting). And I wonder why I don't get enough knitting done??

And then came Sunday 6 April which brought snow. We don't get snow here very much and when we do, the sugar coating we get barely counts as snow (although it does have the capacity to bring the region to a grinding halt...). Sunday was a whole different ball game. In an hour we had 2.5 inches of snow. So, it called for photography, snowman making and snowball fights with our children. Wonderful, childlike fun which was therapeutic and exhilerating. We all got red faces and ears, soggy gloves and wet knees. But had a ball. So I didn't get to do much knitting that day. Instead, I got a couple of hourse of laughter and excitement shared with my 7 and 5 year olds. I call that a good deal.

Rogue is being blocked & Chelsea pullover is finished!!

I never thought I'd get to the point of blocking Rogue. After I finished most of the knitting, my son insisted I start making him a jumper. And because I promised him one, I had to promise to knit one for my daughter too. So, I have one jumper blocking (Rogue - seen above). One jumper on my son (dubbed the Chelsea pullover after its main colour and my son's favourite football team). And one for my daughter in the throes of being knitted (photos to follow).

At least I am making some progress...

Rogue and the lurgy

Well, actually they're not one and the same thing. By way of an update on Rogue, it's nearly an FO. Body complete, sleeves 99% complete (I do two at a time as I hate going back for the second sleeve. It's more likely to stay a UFO if I do them separately). Just need to block it, sew in loose ends and hem it after that. Which is great because I have a 7 year old son who is champing at the bit for me to make him a jumper in Chelsea FC blue with pale and light blue stripes (nothing tasteful, please note. Well, I suppose, he is only 7) I have lots of other things on my wish list but he has to come first. And it will be a first too - he has never wanted me to knit him anything before. He may never want me to again... :-)

The lurgy part of the title comes from the fact that I am going down with something pretty nasty and viral - flu-like symptoms - just in time for Easter. So it will slow my progress considerably. I may not be able to post the FO photos of Rogue for a while. mind you, I never managed to post any WIP photos of it either. Sorry.