I was warned....

Ok, so I admit it, I gave in to temptation and cast on for the Forest Canopy Shawl , I was feeling fed up and my resolve weakened when the yarn and pattern just kept calling to me, and they are right you know, once you start ....... here it is so far

I`m not entirely convinced that the colouring on the Opal Magic is the best thing to show the lace (somewhere I saw it made in Trekking XXL which looked brilliant and gave me the idea of using sock yarn) but the yarn is lovely to knit with and I think it is going to be nice and warm - it might improve with blocking anyway.

This is the first time I`ve used life lines - amazing what you discover on the internet, I had no idea they even existed until recently and I`ve been knitting on and off for 35 years , I was merrily sailing away, it is a lovely pattern and easy too, and just thinking I wouldn`t bother with using them any more as I do find the row right after inserting them can be a bit of a fiddle - when I spotted a mistake, Yes I know pride comes before a fall, so I think I shall carry on using them and not try to be a clever clogs.

Elsewhere in knitting, do you ever have those moments on eBay where you throw in a bid not expecting to win and not really caring either? Or is it just me? And why is it they are always the items you win, and the ones you were desperate for get away? Anyway, I threw in my bid the other day, went off to do something else and came back later to find I was the proud owner of

180g of Colinette Fandango - so there is nothing for it but I will just have to go and buy a pattern to make Horace . Don`t you just love the way he moves when you move your mouse (simple things.......)

Cards, boxes and bags

I`ve been playing with paper, card and glue lately, and been having great fun. DD and I went to another card day and learnt how to make these cards

The two outside cards are `waterfall cards` and though you can`t see it from the photo, when you pull the tab at the bottom, the top layer lifts to reveal a layer below and then a third, which
can each have a design or message on - not easy to describe so here is another photo that might help. They are rather unique, and so effective. The card in the middle is made from the instructions at Crafty Lou`s shop The Craft Corner . We were lucky enough to be able to see all the goodies she has for sale at the card day, and it was all very tempting, but DD and I were restrained and only came away with some cards, a punch and some gems - but I know where it all is and I will be back!

The previous week we had a workshop at the Tonbridge lacemakers making bags and boxes, which will be just great for prettying up little gifts for DD`s friends

These are just the basic ideas and can be decorated with all sorts of things, and having seen all her stock on saturday - I know just the place to go.

Coals to Newcastle

It`s a friends birthday today, and I wanted to make her a card, the difficult thing was knowing what to do to be different - She loves pansies, so the subject wasn`t hard but...... she teaches lace (mine wouldn`t be a patch on hers) she does the most beautiful cross stitch - some of her stuff is so fine you have to study it close up to check it isn`t a photo, and she hosts the card days which DD and I so enjoy.

Ah-ha, but she doesn`t crochet

Simple, but hopefully she will like it.

Sorry! You are knitting a what???!!!

Yep, that`s right!

Those of you who have seen the latest Simply Knitting may have noticed the request from lcgb for people to knit these as they are used to help teach new mums to feed, and being in need of a quick to complete project to get me going again, I cast on.

My non-knitting friends and family, however, are now totally convinced I have lost it, and are probably calling the men in white coats as I type, and booking my bed by the window!

I can`t imagine I will be knitting anything more unusual in the foreseable future - but anyway it`s charity knit 5 under my belt, and was strangely satisfying - wish mine were as perky!!!

I wish knitting shows were like this

DD and I went to the Vitality show at the weekend, for a girly day out - I had been warned to take a strong bag ...

and here is why - all free samples!

I was surprised to see people with shopping trolleys (bags on wheels type not supermarket) waiting in the queue to get in, and I can see the logic - this lot was heavy to carry back on the train - never mind anything we bought. We could have had more (including a loaf of Nimble) but being a bit of a reserved type, I happily settled for what was readily handed out and didn`t go in for the `jumble sale` approach. But wouldn`t it be great if we went to knitting and stitching shows and came away with free samples from there?

It was a bit overwhelming to start with, but we had a good day, I had a makeover much to DD`s amusement (though will have to consider extending the mortgage if I want to buy the products used!) and * proud mother moment* DD was approached by a modelling agency scout and asked to submit some photo`s :-) I`ve always told her she is beautiful (and as she also has lovely hair, is 5`8" and a size 10 - if she wasn`t my daughter, I think I`d hate her!)

I don`t have much to show knitting wise, Thermal is growing s-l-o-w-l-y, but so far I am resisting temptation to cast on anything else (though I am not sure for how much longer). I may have to do another quick charity knit to get myself going again, as I find though part of my mind is willing, the bit that controls the hands just doesn`t seem to be picking thermal up when it should. I have also been a bit more absorbed with reading lately. MIL gave DD this book for Christmas (Noughts and Crosses in case the title is as invisible on your monitor as it is on mine)

and DD wasn`t interested - I on the other hand picked it up the other day and read 100+ pages straight off, which is unusual for me this side of my teenage years. It has been a very long time since a book has drawn me to sneak off and read a few pages when I should be doing something else, and invariably led to meals being late, or finally falling asleep in the wee small hours when my eyes could no longer focus.

It follows the relationship between Sephy (a cross ) and Callum (a nought - a second class citizen), who start as childhood friends, unwilling to conform to the views of the segregated society that they live in as they grow up. Though written for ages 11 upwards, I would whole heartedly recommend it to anyone, and when I have been forgiven for the late meals I will be buying the next book in the trilogy!