Mostly about knitting.....honestly!

In another couple of weeks and we are driving down to the Alps (at least I can knit without worrying about security checks!). The destination is Vallandry, which is part of the Les Arcs ski area but will hopefully allow for some 'doorstep' skiing, rather than riding the Funicular each morning. When we left last month there was a real need for fresh snow & it has been arriving in abundance for the last week and looks like continuing for at least another week or so!

Now, about knitting! The ladies in the Ravelry 'At Home in Harrogate' are proving to be an evil influence!!!!! They encourage MORE yarn purchases and MORE time spent knitting, sometimes in THEIR company & alone and EVEN MORE time spent on RAVELRY engaging in reading & writing messages and STALKING other peoples projects!!!!!!!!! Its great! More of it I say! We met again on Wednesday, at my house. We had a really good laugh, started on a Forest Canopy KAL, inspected new stash & knitting book acquisitions and generally spent a great evening in the company of fibre fanatics! I am knitting the Forest Canopy shawl in Merino/ Lambswool DK from 21st Century Yarns, purchased with nothing in particular in mind at the Harrogate Knitting & Stitching Show. Others are using 4ply or fingering and there are over 500 projects on Ravelry to help(?) you decide what yarn/ colourway you might want to use for your Forest Canopy shawl. Its a fairly easy, intuitive pattern to use (I am using the chart rather than the written pattern). I have placed lifelines (a first for me) but I have not needed to use them yet. Its intended as a 'driving' project but I keep been tempted to 'just do another repeat'! The yarn is more 'claret' than 'pink' though!

Father in Law has requested socks, so socks he is getting. Ann Budd's Mock Wave Cable Socks in Drops Fabel colour 520. The yarn came from Scandinavian Knitting Design (very quick postal service), is 25% polymade & 75% superwash wool. The colours are great and its £2 for a 50gm ball!!!!! I am on sock two & its really knitting up well. I have left the foot in plain stocking stitich as the pattern produces quite a raised rib. I used 2.75 & 2.5mm needles (as most folk on Ravelry have done) rather than the 3.25 & 2.75 suggested in the pattern.

I have also made a little progress on Brigit socks but need to learn to cable without a cable needle. Mr J's garter rib socks are finished (I didn't need the extra yarn). The Trekking XXL colour 100 is fantastic -at least one 'At Home in Harrogate' member has some on the needles but isn't planning to match her socks with this yarn! What is that matching stripes stuff about Sue?

I have also bought a couple of books! Yup..... this means I plan to knit something with sleeves. I am drawn to a raglan jacket, with cables & things. I have bought some Aran in Heather colour denim from New Lanark Mills. This is a fantastic find! £1.80 for 100grams 100% wool aran yarn in a good range of colours (or 90% wool 10% silk) and £1 for 50gm DK wool.

My inspiration might come from this book, Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys and Arans by Gladys Thompson, I suspect it will come more under the heading 'general knitting interest' in my library, rather than an actual 'things to knit' book. It discusses & includes patterns associated with the different Fishing Villages around the coast of Britain & Ireland. The resulting Guernseys are increadible but I doubt I will be knitting on size 14 steel needles!

Oh and yes, I have knitted both mitts from 'Folk Knitting from Estonia'. Trouble is, they are both for the left hand!!!!!! I am just about laughing as I have plenty of yarn left for two right mitts!!!! I even remember thinking about needing to do the 'other hand'!!!! What an idiot! I need another holiday! Don't even ASK what school is like at the moment!