A week nearer Christmas

A week of knitting on James' black tank top has brought me to the point of picking up for neck and armbands. Yuck yuck yuck. Don't like it. I've knit it on a circular needle and done 3 needle cast offs for the shoulders so there are no seams...but still there is no way of avoiding the pick-up. Well I could avoid it by spending a while on the shawl tee hee.
I am quite pleased with myself as I have already booked for a performance and a workshop for Millie at the Lakeside Arts centre, even though I've only had the programme for a couple of weeks. I have such a dreadful habit of leaving it until it's too late, I just hope nothing turns up! especially as the reason I was at the booking office yesterday was to exchange our Bear Hunt tickets for a later date as Millie's Nursery Play is on the day I originally booked.

Busy days

I seem to have been too busy for blogging lately. Of course there is Christmas knitting to be done, a plain with a capital P black slipover for Isabel's James which is on the needles (well needle as I am doing it circularly) and a cardi for Johnnie which is still in thinking about mode, as well as other bits and pieces.
Last Wednesday we had a trip to Attenborough for a Tots activities session in the woods.

It was pretty good but not as much fun as Millie and my re-enactment of the Three Billy Goats Gruff which opened to rave reviews and 4 encores in the privacy of the Willow garden at the back of the Visitors Centre (yes of course we were the only 2 there) This was followed by a visit to Bardill's Garden Centre where Millie decided the houseplant department looked like a jungle and had me trailing about singing 'Walking in the Jungle what did I see'. Of course there actually where people about here and although I tried to keep it discrete I'm not sure I entirely succeeded. It was lovely to see my old colleague Janet at Attenborough. She and her husband and grandson were just going in to the welcome warmth of the coffee shop as we were setting of in the wind and weather along the trail.
On the way home I talked to Millie about the Christmas Child charity and she was very enthusiastic about filling a shoe box, so we went to a store called Home Bargains to stock up. As well as soap and toothbrush, toys and crayons she spotted an Angel outfit which she just had to have. Her excuse was that I could then take photos of her for Christmas cards like Mummy has already done at home. Okay I did. Unfortunately it wasn't until I uploaded them that I realised how dirty her face was. Do you think she'll let me do it all again???



Speaking of Christmas... I dreamed the other night that we had arrived at my brother's house where we will be spending Christmas and I realised I hadn't got round to buying any presents!

Finished Items

First a shockingly poor picture of my Icarus shawl. I have been wearing this much more than I thought, just slung round my neck as a scarf. It's a lovely soft merino so it's very comforting.

Now, at last, the Tangled Yoke. Eunny Jang's design in the Fall Interweave Knits. I love it but I had some sort of pattern blindness and made so many stupid mistakes, like missing out a row of K1 K2togs that I lost count of the number of times I had to frog all or part of that blessed yoke. Then when I was blocking the finished garment I realised I had left off the last bobble!*$!#!. Fortunately it was easy enough to add it on but I am so happy it's done.

Finally a little light relief. Wine and Roses from Interweave Knits Winter 06 in a yarn from Stroud Wool which I am now knitting socks from the same skein. These are for a swap on the Angel Yarns forum.
This post is brought to you care of a rotten cold which kept me off work on the one day a fortnight I enjoy it. That's when I lead Rhyme Time for about 10 -12 under 5's and their Mums and Grans. Not that I can sing you understand but we have a good time...well they keep coming back.