Some FOs!

The hat and scarf sets I crocheted for my sister and my friend Mary and the t-shirts I made for my sister!!

Back from Italy!

Hello all!

NIB (News in Brief)

*Grandad loved the socks - thinks they are too good to wear!

*Sister loved the crochet hat and scarf and the slogan t-shirts I made her

*Joined the Hello Kitty Mystery KAL 3, see side button

*Joined the Swapbot European Knitters' swap - currently putting together a box of goodies for a vegan girl in Germany

*Still not counted up the final amount raised for the knitathon but it should be about £250

I'm back from Italy and I still haven't got down to my Christmas knitting! I did take the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Sweater on two needles away with me to work on and the ingredients for some monkey socks but we were constantly on the go so I didn't get much knitting done and what I did do had to be frogged on my return!

I don't know about you but I'm really struggling with the baby sweater pattern, I understand it but somehow I keep messing it up! I missed a button hole, messed up the gull pattern and had to go over the increases at the beg several times. When will I ever get to the sleeves! It is quite frustrating as I had been very productive up until this point and I'm also dying to get on with my Christmas knits.

While in Italy I visited Beatrice Galli Yarn Shop on the recommendation of Typesetter (many thanks!!) and it was a joy! Loads of gorgeous stuff and the lady who owns it (Beatrice, herself?!) is very welcoming. I did also try to visit Lovilane and Filo a Filo in Lucca and the Sheep Shop in Pisa but they were all shut - boo hiss!!

I did stumble upon a shop in Pietrasanta which sold yarn.....and I forget to get its name but it is down the main shopping street. I went in to have a browse but got commandeered by the old dear who owned the shop who kept insisting on showing me pastel 4-ply. I really couldn't understand why until she rubbed my belly and said: "Do you know if you are having a boy or a girl?" !!!!! Well, I nearly died with shock!! Due to my thyroid condition I am carrying a fair bit of extra timber at the moment but I never thought people thought I was up the duff!

I didn't have the heart to enlighten her that it wasn't a baby but a belly full of pizza and Chianti - told her I wanted it to be a surprise!- and I ended up buying some white double knit with spots of other colours running through it to make a cardi for Beanie. She agreed it was a great choice for unisex knitting!!!

My parents and husband fell about themselves when I got outside and told them!!

Right then, must go and post off my secret pal parcel!

Loads of news!

Well, firstly and most importantly I'm an auntie once more! My sister-in-law gave birth to a 7lb 8oz beautiful baby girl just after 10am this morning! They are going to call her Fern Olivia and I have already decided to put the Panda Baby outfit to one side (it is 3-6 month size) and make an Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Sweater on two needles for her!

I can't wait to see her! As I am in Manchester and they are in the North-East I might not get there until next week so in the meantime I will have to be content with photos.

Secondly, I finished my grandad's socks, finally! I hope he likes them! They should be a welcome change to the piles of whiskey and beer that he usually receives on his birthday! Not that he is an alcoholic - the booze lasts him all year!

Thirdly, I finally uploaded the pics of the crocheted hat and scarf - I got the pattern from I Love Crochet but found the English V American a tad confusing. Not so confusing, however, that it put me off. I have since done another hat and scarf using Rowan Big Wool in Pistachio for my friend Mary. I just need to add a flower detail and they are finished. Crochet is sooooo fast!!

And finally, we did the Knitathon!! 8 hours solid (or thereabouts) of knitting and collecting donations!

I made up some t-shirts with knitting slogans such as 'Knit Happens', 'Knit Hot' and 'Purly Queen' for people to wear (they were prototypes of the ones I'm going to stock in my store if I ever get it open, looks like launch date will be next week when I am back from Italy).

We started off in the Cornerhouse (arty cinema) cafe where a woman came up and said she wasn't interested in our charity - Children in Need (queue our collective jaws dropping) but she did like to knit! We then moved on to Kro2 - a Danish bar on Oxford Road where we were joined by Penny a fellow Raveler. After that we headed to the central library where a woman called knitting 'boring' - the mentalist!

Then on to China Town, the Bavarian Beer Hut in the Christmas Market in Albert Square (where Charlotte from the Miss Spiritual Tramp Knitting Group joined us) and then to Odd Bar in the Northern Quarter (where we were met by Elleyon another Raveler).

A big tip for all those who are thinking of doing something similar - spend time in pubs! We had loads of drunks tossing in a fortune!!!

We are not sure what the final total is for the day but I can say it was an overwhelming success and a lot of fun. Plus we met up with some really nice fellow knitters and generated some positive interest in our group!!

Right! I'm off to cast on the baby sweater! Ciao for now!

So much to do!

Well, this is going to be a short post as I have to get back to my knitting!

It is my grandad's 82nd birthday on Friday and I need to finish the socks I started for him way back in September. I'm on to sock two and I want to get as far as the heel before I turn in this evening.

I also need to get a move on with the Perl Grey Panda Baby outfit I am working on as my sister-in-law is due to give birth tomorrow.......although I know babies almost never come on their due dates!!

All this means that I have had to put the crochet to one size for a few days...........having finished the hat on Monday I knitted a scarf to go with it yesterday! Crochet is sooooo fast. I think some of my christmas pressies are going to have to be crocheted!

On Saturday I will have bags of time to knit - the Kings Arms Knitting Club is holding a knitathon in and around Manchester City Centre in aid of Children in Need. So if you have any spare cash and are feeling generous - Sponsor US!

Howdy!

Loads of news to tell..........I have lost too many hours to Ravelry but I still want more (!), I have knitted some cute mittens with the left over kimono wool, I have been to another Manchester United game and knitted while Beanie and her Babbo watched the match, I've found yet another source of yarn and other crafty supplies - Clark Craft of Ramsbottom (which was a bugger to find, I ended up driving up and down very narrow country lanes and tight steep bends which nearly caused me to abandon my trip), I've been to knitting club at the Kings Arms and we are doing a knitathon on Saturday in aid of Children in Need........................and I have crocheted a HAT....yes..........an entire hat in an evening!!!

I don't wish to blow my own trumpet but this time last week I didn't have the slightest idea how to crochet and last Wednesday I hoyed my crochet hook across the room, vowing never to stray over to the dark side ever again. I feel really chuffed with meself now!! (Will post pics of it tomorrow)

I must now return to the path of righteousness as I have a pair of socks to finish for my Grandad by Friday and a Panda Baby outfit for my brother's baby, whenever she/he decides to arrive!!

Beanie is 1!!!

My little girl Beanie (or Sofia as she is actually called!) turned one yesterday!

I knitted her............a beanie! (I love this pattern, so quick yet eye-catching - here is where you can find it!)

Yarn-tastic!

Oh my god! I have found a major source of cheap yarn!

There's a shop in Monton called Auntie Pat's that is selling off all its stock of yarn for £1 a ball and 20p a pattern.

I went in there yesterday and bought three bin liners worth of the stuff.

The stock is all upstairs - from floor to ceiling with yarn and the shop owner tells me she has twice as much in storage that she is dying to get rid off. The woman is crazy but I can't argue with cheap wool!

I'm trying to organise a knitting club trip there next week!!