hello yarn

I got my knitting vibe back! I've picked up Jemima again, and hopefully she'll be done in a couple of weeks. A trip to my LYS (get knitted, in Bristol) was also in order, where I found this gorgeous Manos Silk Blend...


and this, which I am so in love with...

It has a soft silky feel and knits up beautifully, but it is variegated so I'm not sure what to do with it. It needs to be something smaller, like gloves or a hat, and something worn next to the skin would be great as its so soft. I was thinking of a garter stitch scarf, but I'm not sure if one skein would be enough. Maybe lace would work better? Anyway...

I think I may also be a Rowan junkie. I was determined to try some different brands when I went into the shop, but somehow I came out with five balls of Rowan. Including this blue 'tapestry' which I'm swatching for Erika Knight's v-neck sweater.

Isn't it oh so pretty!

Tag

I've been tagged for my first meme by Weaverknits! So here is some stuff about me;

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
In 1998 I was in Year 8 - my second year of secondary school. I had celebrated my 13th birthday a few days after Christmas '97 with my family, we were staying in France at my Aunt's house in the mountains near Carcassonne. I was given a large wooden chest with little drawers from a French market, its still one of my favourite possessions. I also stole a book from one of my much older cousins, it was a 'grown-up' novel about sex and drugs. Heady stuff. Around June time I would have been sitting my end of year exams. They were taken very seriously, but unlike in the US had absoulutely no impact on whether we passed into the next year or not. Just a method of the school tracking student performance for the league tables I think. I tended to get a mix of As, Bs and Cs. I always got C in Art. That summer my mum and dad gave in to much harassing from my sisters and I and took us to Florida to visit all the big theme parks. It was something all our friends at school did with their families at least once. It was the best holiday we'd ever been on, kids paradise. We stayed in Orlando and were amazed that Americans had sweet muffins for breakfast, actually went to school in yellow buses, and that chocolate was so bitter. We visited all the theme parks, took a trip to the Kennedy Space Station, and spent the third week on a beach on beautiful Sanibell Island.

2.What are five things on my to-do list?
Laundry, study my 'beginner's french' book, finish my 'jemima' sweater, find a really good novel to read, pick up my sister from Cardiff university and take her home for the summer.

3.Where have I lived?
In Berkshire, in the south-east corner of the UK, for the first 18 years of my life. Then I moved to York for four years (I was at the university for three, and we stayed another year for reasons unknown), and now I'm living in Bath. In fact we celebrated our one year 'flat-iversary' on June 1st! I'm in love with this place, and though there are so many beautiful places in the world, I would be happy to settle here forever. I love travel, but there's nothing quite like home, and I've found mine.

4. What would I do if I were a billionaire?
This is a tough one. I could easily get rid of a few million, but billions?! First off I'd give my parents a few million so they are finacially secure for the rest of their lives. Then I would buy a house like this.




I love the Georgian architecture, the sash windows, the steps down below the street to the huge kitchen, the narrow but tall rooms, the attic bedrooms, in a peaceful street. Heaven. Then I would quit my job and set up a huge sewing/knitting workshop. I'd spend three months just filling it with the most gorgeous fabrics, yarns, ribbons and supplies. Then spend three months just leaping around in glee. Then I'd make stuff. I would also travel to China, Australia, New Zealand and the Galapagos. Oh, and I would buy a 'tall ship' and sail around the world. If I had any left after all that, I'd give it away to all my friends.

Well, that was fun. I hope Knitty Gritty, Juicy Knits, One More Stitch, and Another Shopgirl won't mind if I tag them too.

applique, not as relaxing as knitting

Surprisingly stressful, piecing together, sewing all those curves, getting the whole thing straight. I'll stick to just the one birthday cushion, but, I might have to add a 'must sew' list to my sidebar.

sewing

almost done ...

patchwork butterfly

So my HH and I took a flying visit to Ikea after work, he wanted a proper ironing board and I found some cushions and fabric to make lizzie's birthday present. It turns out that Ikea is one of the best local suppliers of fabric - Bath desperately needs a good haberdashery. I also got this!



I love trays. My desk, where I do most of my sewing, is pretty small and also holds a computer. So until I get a large traditional wooden kitchen table (and the kitchen to put it in) I use trays as portable work-stations, on the floor in front of the TV, on my bed, wherever. They're especially great for keeping pins from escaping.



And I drew a design for the cushion, because a letter is really a bit boring. I have three fabrics: yellow flowery, yellow striped and a sort of red check fabric. I have to make it this weekend as her birthday is on the 14th June.



(The dotted line means I'm going to make the lower wings larger.)

I got two smaller cushions instead of one larger, so the other will probably be three broad stripes of the same fabric. I also got her this poster, cos she loves the Art Nouveau, just like me;

portuguese custard tarts-of-war

Feeling more like myself again, happier... These home-baked Portuguese custard 'tarts-of-war' have helped; oh comfort food! My HH dreamt up the name by the way, I like the way it reminds me of Patrick O'Brian books.

I'm also going to make some new bathroom curtains that let the sunlight in, and I have a metre of cotton left over to make my little sister a patchwork cushion for her birthday. Not quite sure about the knitting yet, though have unravelled the pink Dashings as I thought they were a mess and the wool is too good to waste, but I think that's positive. My poor Nouveau Sack Hat is still half done, and I don't even know where Jemima has got to. Anyway, I sense the itch isn't far away.