Boo here I am!

Hey guys!

I know I've been hiding for 2 weeks but... o.k. don't have much of an excuse to be honest. There has been way too much time on the laptop swapping on ravelry and still I couldn't quite be bothered to blog. Life happens huh.

I have had some great parcels over the last few weeks though! UKarma swaps is the best/worst thing in my little knitting lifetime at the moment. I find so much support, inspiration and of course yarn (!) from these guys.... but the knitting itself has taken a bit of a knock! I have finished a my fetching mittens though...














I have to say that I absolutely L.O.V.E. these mitts! I'm glad that I forced myself to get them off the needles; 1000 modifications and all; and make them to fit me. I've had lots of lovely comments about them too... so many that I have a long list of non-knitting people who want wristwarmers. Ahhh well I know what everyone i getting for birthdays and christmasses! Trouble is it's nearly the end of spring.... well actually no it isn't is it? Not in rainy england anyway.

And so I have cast on a pair of 'Extra Warm Kureyon Wristers' from ravelry pattern library for my sister Jose. Only I've used Noro Silk Garden I got from UKarma swaps. Jose saw this yarn at my mums a few weeks ago (I'd been to the PO depot to get a zillion parcels) and claimed it for some wristwarmers. See not all the yarn is for me! The colour is a purple/rusty orange/grey colourway.

I have been making slow painstaking progress on the Hexacomb cardigan too. Trouble is with this project atm is that there is 194 stitches on the 4mm circular addi. All of which are 100% cotton and non stretchy. In turn I get massive cotton related RSI in my right thumb and could cry after about 3 rows. Also, the purlside row has to be counted and patterned so can't just zip bacwards and forwards. I think after another inch or so I can separate the fronts and back and it will be easier going for me. I like the pattern to look at and making it because I love the style of the cardi. I knew all along that I'd hate knitting it though!



















I am a bit further along than this- I took this pic for the ravelry project avatar. I've nearly finished the ball of cotton. This particular brand has got 200m or so to a ball and I've nearly got to the AH without changing balls; even if it's a cropped cardi I'm impressed.

I've also taken a little trip to fibreville. I was sorting stash for swaps last week and found my turqoise merino... started spinning it just because I could and all that.... and now have this:















and














I bought this from an etsy store (first etsy purchase) called Felt Studio UK. I was a bit nervous though goodness knows why- maybe the $ thing or never using it before but the service was amazing. Bought it thursday evening- here saturday morning. The rosewood colourway is bigger, but I got both plus p&p for about $33... about £17. I was well impressed with the quality and softness, plus as I started spinning the 'beach' last night it was way easier than spinning the merino. In fact I've spun about 1/3 of the beach already! I've already had a look at her stuff again. Oh dear. Well the great spring destash has made some room at least. In fact I paid with th fibre from some yarn-cash in my paypal account- so didn't spend "real" money!

Ooh.... I had some yarn come last week which is fab. It's similar to malabrigo in texture and thickness:















The colour is less mauvey and more lilaccy but is so gorgeous. I'm thinking of making it into some of these or even these. Both are definately me!! Can you tell I've gotten cought up in some sort of wristwarmer disease? I've even joined the Fingerless Glove Fanatics on ravelry! They are hosting a May KAL and I've joined up... though I'm finding it hard to decide on what yarn to use. The pattern is 'Bronte's Mittts' and seems to need a DK weight though the pattern uses two strands of a mohair and koigu held together. Hmmmm. Still pondering and only have a few days til CO. Never done a KAL before either!

Right, Seth is demanding that I play with him.... he's covered in crayola markers.... you can hide the pens but he still manages to find them. At lease they're not on the walls ;o)

See ya x