Surprise Package!

I got home from work today to a really lovely surprise!

A book on the Japanese art of Furoshiki Tsutsumi. It's gift wrapping with fabric. The lovely Averil sent it to me. She was on holidays in Japan this year and picked it up for me as a surprise. How nice is that?

She also included two beautiful squares of fabric for me to practice with. They really are lovely:

These are some of my favourite items. A bag:

A wine bottle wrapper:

A gift box wrapper:

Thank you SO much Averil! Alice and I are really looking forward to trying it this weekend. You're so thoughtful, it really made my day. :)

Remember I was talking about making tags for the knitted hospice items to give credit to the makers? Well I picked up this stamp in the states:

I think this is perfect.

Speaking of hospice knitting, I just this minute cast off my last project for the fair:

A two colour Brioche scarf. This was a technique I'd wanted to try for a while now, so what better excuse? It was a bitch to get the hang of, but once I'd got my head around it, I was happy enough. I love the way one colour is to the front on one side, and it's reversed on the other. Perfect for a scarf!

Pattern: A basic scarf, CO 31 sts and use brioche stitch.

Yarn: King Cole Big Value Chunky (Acrylic) 1 ball of light blue and 1 ball of dark blue

Needles: 6mm KnitPicks Options Circulars

I'm happy enough with it, I think. Now on to Christmas knitting! What is it, 5 weeks to Christmas? I best start hubbys jumper then! I'm making this pattern up too, so I hope it goes ok! I'll be chanelling EZ all the way.

Good knitting!

Cloth Crazy

I know, I know. My blog post titles are not very good these days. Sometimes you just run out of inspiration, y'know?

Anyway, here's my next entry for the Hospice Charity knit:


Pattern: Circle Cloth (Ravlink) by Hakucho
Needles: 4.5mm straights
Yarn: Sugar & Cream

I love this cloth pattern. it's a lovely honeycomb effect that's really easy to do. And the raised pattern means it'll be a really scrubby cloth. I've one done, so two more to go.

In exciting news, LOOK! I've finally finished the first Baby Fern Sock:



I only cast on for this on July 18. Sheesh. My sock mojo has really deserted me.

Now I have a dilemma. I'm going on my holidays in 3 weeks, and of course, I'm bringing sock knitting with me for the plane & car journeys. So, do I cast on the second one of these with the proviso that I must finish it before I go. This would mean I'd have to postpone the charity knitting.
Or, do I leave it to finish when I get home, continue with the charity knitting now& have the needles free to bring on holidays.
I'm leaning towards the first choice, as I think if I leave the sock I'll probably never come back to it.

Also, I need to choose really carefully what sock pattern to do on holidays. My sock mojo is very unwell at the moment, and I need a super dooper pattern to kick start it again. A sock defibrillator, if you will.

I must put on my thinking cap.

Oh, I was transferred out of IT in work last week. I start in the budget area tomorrow, so wish me luck! I've never done this kind of work before, and I'm really nervous. Kinda like your first day at school all over again. Eep!

Good knitting!

Flying Along

Well the charity knitting is going great. I've done two of the ballband dishcloths so far, and am casting on the third now:

Aren't they gorgeous? So simple, yet effective.

I'm using Peaches & Cream cotton yarn (white) and Zettl Colorado from Lidl (orange).

Dirt cheap. I adore this pattern, it's so simple it's ridiculous!

I'm going to do one more of these and then switch yarns & try another cloth pattern. I think they'll be lovely packaged with a nice bar of soap as an item for the charity craft fair.

In other news, I forgot to blog about this last time, how could I have forgotten!

I was in TIK last week to buy some Knit Picks circular cords and a set of needle tips. The lovely ladies there gave me a pressie:

Some of the yarn samples from their recent yarn tasting event! I couldn't make it as it was the day Dad had his operation. (He's doing great, btw)

I was so touched that they thought of me and kept me some samples. I had to leave the shop quickly, I was welling up. How nice is that? Knitters rule, they really do.

Now down to identification! I know the bottom right is Louisa Harding Sari Ribbon. I also know one of them is Louisa Harding Rossetti, but which one? I'm afraid I was so taken by surprise that I didn't take it all in when I was told what they are.

So I have to think of something to make with them that will remind me of knitters kindness.

Good knitting!

I'm a Hottie!

Well, maybe I'm not a hottie, but my latest FO sure is!

My first charity project:



I really like it, I think it looks great:



Pattern: Hottie Cover from Simply Knitting issue 72
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease, Black, Ranch Red & Fisherman. Less than 1/2 a skein of each
Needles: 3.75mm circs using Magic Loop.

A quick enough project, but there were loads of ends to weave in. I think it took me the evening last night to weave them all.
So, 1 project completed for the charity craft fair, now on to the face/dish cloths!
I have plenty of cotton stash to choose from:



So I'm off to browse Ravelry to see what patterns I can find. I think I have a booklet on dishcloths too that I got in Michaels last year. I'll see if I can find it.

Good Knitting!

Pi Border & Charity Appeal

Can you believe, I ran out of yarn, again? Unbelieveable.
I decided enough was enough, and that the shawl was big enough as it is. I was about halfway through the second section of the final repeat, so I called it a day and began the edging.
What do you think?:

I know it doesn't look like much. I'm really hoping it opens up with blocking as it feels denser than the shawl body.

This is how much I've done. I guess about a quarter? It's not too bad, but the turning every row is a bit annoying.

Now, onto the appeal part of the title. I was contacted today by a lady on behalf of St Francis Hospice. They're fundraising to complete the building of a hospice here in Dublin 15. A truly great cause, and one I've always supported at their other location in Raheny, Dublin as they cared for two of my relations wonderfully in their final days.

Basically, they're hoping to have a craft fair in early December and are looking for knitters to make lots of different things. Here's the flier:

I, for one, am really going to try and make some things for them. They sent me a few free patterns that they're sending out to people who ask, so if you want one, leave a comment with contact details and I'll send the info on.

One of the organisers, Maeve Henchion, will be coming along to the knitting group next Tuesday to fill us in on all the details.

I think you'll agree it's a wonderful cause, so please, if you can, knit something up!

Good Knitting!