Skiing and thick socks.....

Is it only a week since our last day of skiing in Courcheval? Seems longer! We had an awesome week. Obviously it was great to spend time with son & heir. He is having the time of his life & seems to be doing really well on his GAP ski instructors course. Why wouldn't he be? He is skiing every day, in the best ski season in Europe for 25 years, with a group of like minded & likable young people and his own skiing abilities are being even further developed by the fantastic team from 'New Generation' Ski School. We also had huge fun introducing my sister & brother in law to skiing. At least one of them is officially hooked & both report dreaming of snow every night since we got back!!!!

Teaching uncle!

The bobble hats were needed. The sun shone most days, but temperatures stayed low!

On the knitting front, my current 'obsession' (me...obsessed with knitting? Surely not!!!) is thick socks. I currently have two pairs on the needles & yarn lined up for more. I have used DK yarn (Regia Crazy Colors for me, Kaffe Fasset Regia Landscape for himself) & usual 2.5 mm needles to make a 'springy' dense sock for walking boots & shoes. Just stocking stitch for travel knitting but perhaps something more interesting next. I will upload the photos soon. I am also trying to 'perfect' toe up sock knits & use up all of the yarn!

I long to go back to the snow......................................

Modern Art?

I found dumpr.net & turned this photo of Mr J & Moss into a exhibit in a Museum of Modern Art!

Daft but quite entertaining!

I usually use Bighugelabs.com for such silliness/ effects. This gentleman (I think it was a tup) was photographed on our Sunday walk near to the interestingly named Kettlesing Bottom. The effect is 'Motivational Poster'!

No effects, but pretty much summarises the conditions that remain up here 'under paw'!

Winter days

Snow came to Nidderdale just as it did to many parts of the UK. I didn't get a 'snow day' though! Actually the local council did a fantastic job of keeping our roads open. The snow plough ran through the night on Sunday night & the gritters just keep going. I think the worst roads I encountered were last night in Harrogate but it didn't stop me getting to 'Knit Night'. Having a 4x4 truck really comes into its own at times like these!

I have been a 'little knitting demon' for the last couple of weekends. I have knitted 3 bobble hats. One 'Utopia' in Drops Alaska (purple one). One big cream tea cosy in Drops Eskimo & One blue (with blue & orange pom pom -very important) in Drops Karisma. The last two are my own pattern based on a simple twisted stitch. I may get round to writing up the pattern because it seems to make a 'lofty' warm hat, even in the DK weight. The yarn for the three cost £14! All are 100% wool. Son & heir bought a cute (but acrylic) cabled bobble hat in France,just before we left, for a little over £25!!!!!
My Nutkin socks & DH's hut socks are finished. The Nutkin pattern is a simple treat of a sock! They may become another favorite alongside 'No purl monkeys' & 'Queen Carolina's (also without her purls!).

I have also 'designed' and knit another cowl in Malabrigo chunky. For 'designed' read 'cast on 64 stitches, knit one row of K2 P2 & then decide to go off piste with a few cables after some very simple Maths! It was knit on 8mm circular to give quite a firm cowl -a polo neck without the jumper kind of thing, which will hopefully keep my neck, ears & face warm skiing.

What else have we been up to? Work? Let's not go there! We have managed some good weekend walks with Moss, getting some fresh air for an hour or so. We went to Linton, near Grassington, for a stroll en route to tea at the 'outlaws' the other Saturday. This was lovely. We have walked the lanes nearer home & last Sunday went to Fountains Abbey. Funny that I have never noticed this before.....

Son & heir continues to have an awesome time in France. It keeps snowing there too, but with sunshine in between!

Happy February!

Hemlock Ring

I am pretty pleased with my lightweight Hemlock Ring throw. It is knitted in 21st century yarns 4ply & I used about 2 1/2 skeins. Finished it measures around 5ft across. I knitted an extra 6 pattern repeats to the original & a plain p1 row, k1 row, p1 row border. Its a bit wavy towards the edges but that's OK. I would like to knit this in a heavier yarn at some point & I will ceratinly knit some kind of throw for use in our truck camper this year. Something dog-hair coloured & washable I think!!!!! Son & heir rang today! Totally excited by an awesome day playing in 2ft of fresh powder snow! We had ten minutes of sleet!!!!! Its damp & raw cold NOT fun cold up here 'On the Hill'!

Proud Mamma moment....

....so indulge me!
We now have a qualified ski instructor in the family. Son & heir rang last night to say he had passed his BASI Alpine level one, qualifying him to teach skiing most places in the world except France! The next 6 weeks is preparation for the much more demanding Alpine 2 qualification that he will take at the end of the course.
There is two weeks of snow forcast for the French Alps so he should have plenty of the white stuff to work with.

I have nearly finished the 'cowpat' i.e. Hemlock ring blanket. I have taken some pictures but they are still in the camera! I may do a plainer cast-off than the frill on the original. We shall see!

Christmas and some more

A very belated Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Its been a busy one! We had a 'pre-christmas' Christmas with my family the weekend before, which was lovely. Home then meant gentle Christmas food shopping at Weatherheads & Elliots in Pateley Bridge & a Christmas meal with DH's parents on Christmas Eve. We liked this idea. The only foodie input to Christmas Day was a cold buffet in the evening. Something we always like but never have tummy room to do justice to! This time was different!

On Boxing Day it was pack up finally & head to Hull for an evening ferry. We had booked a 'Club Class Cabin' & so we were able to enjoy another evening Christmas picnic, a film & a good nights sleep before disembarking next morning & driving down through France to Courcheval. The drive was long, there were a couple 'bouchons' (queues!), firstly at Riems north at the toll & then again south of Lyon. Took 11 hours which is OK & we arrived to find a great apartment & a decent amount of snow. As regular readers know, this was to be the start of son & heirs winter season in Courcheval! I think it is the coldest weeks skiing I have ever known, but it was mainly accompanied by wall to wall sunshine, with a light snowfall on New Years Eve. We don't have many pictures -too cold, but here is Mr J with something to celebrate...... his birthday! Lucky boy! All in all it was a great week. The knowledge that I would be leaving my son behind caused a few 'mummy moments' but a least we were able to deliver him to his very well located chalet before we started our dash back to the coast last Saturday. He is having a fantastic time with 'New genereation Ski School, on their GAP ski instructors course. He reports 'awesome time' & 'ace people'!

Knitting.... yes I have done some, beyond last minute ipod cosies & 'phone cosies ('cos ipods & 'phones get cold in the snow). I have embraked upon the iconic hemlock ring blanket, but I am knitting it in 4ply, not the usual more chunky yarn. Its some from 21st century yarns & whilst I love the stormy blue colourway I decided that it might not work for me as a shawl but would be great as a throw for our lounge or bedroom. As its a 'heavier' 4 ply & the pattern has 4 rows knit to one row pattern it is growing reasonably quickly although I have now over 400 stitches on the needles. I have lots of yarn so I intend to keep going to make it a decent size. I did take a photo on my phone but it looks like a cow pat so I might spare you that & take some pictures in decent light & with the camera.

I can't believe we have done a full week back at school -not sure if its because I have done enough work to fill at least two! never mind, 5 weeks until we go back to Courcheval! Hope the exchange rate bucks up a bit before then! £1 = 1 euro was a bit tight!

The generosity of knitters

Last Wednesday was our At Home in Harrogate 'Swap Night'. This was for our one skein holiday swap. A little excitement (understatement!) built up as we waited for Nicola to arrive from her pottery class. It was a freezing night, with snow forecast so that added to the tension if you drove a sports car (Libby!). As expected the swap turned up a beautiful array of winter warmers. Fingerless mitts in a range of gorgeous colours, a malabrigo hat, malabrigo loafers, another hat, a cowl and a shawl........ wind back! ...... shawl? ...... Oh yes. I received a scrumptious shawl from Anne. I was/ am totally overwhelmed.. I am assured that it was one skein but it was clearly on BIG skein of fingering weight yarn to produce a Cliet shawl. The pattern is wonderful & the colour is to die for. Thank you again Anne, she will be worn, petted & loved. I feel very touched by your gift of so many stitches.

Next morning, as forecast, the snow arrived. I even got a 'snow day' as there were no school buses in Leeds. I stayed home by the fire and knitted a cowl. Its just a simple garter rib tube in malabrigo chunky & is very thick & very cosy. I nearly had it snatched from me by an admiring colleague on Friday. She thought it looked very complicated. Bless. Non-knitters! They make you smile! I also practiced toe up socks by knitting some cosies for MP3 players & phones!