Well, baby George arrived 2 weeks early so I was up against it with the blanket! I had 2 sides of border to knit and it had to be blocked. I managed to block it before I took the kids to school/pre-school and I put it in the conservatory so it would dry quickly ready to hand over that evening. George loved it but I forgot to take a picture of it before I handed it over! Typical. So next time we see them I will take one. I have it on good authority from George’s Gran that he had it over him when they visited on Saturday. Cool.

Now I’m knitting bunting for our stand at Quilts UK in a couple of weeks. It will be available as a kit at the show and afterwards in the shop and on the website. I am desperate to start something new and exciting. I have been on Ravelry this morning fiddling around and I think I might start O’Mally from Rowan Magazine 38. It’s a crocheted jacket with clasps down the front. I bought the clasps about a year ago and have had the yarn stashed for a couple of years. That would be a good one for the winter.

Yes, I finally did remember to download the pic of the green yarn I nabbed out of the bargain bin. I just love it! I have an unequal amount of each kind though so I have worked out a random pattern that should make sure I use what I have. Actually I had a dream about the pattern - that’s how obsessed I was!

The denim jacket for Jake did get finished and it looks pretty good. I will as ever post a picture when I get round to it. I have a nice little stash of pics to post to the blog! I am on the homeward straight with the entrelac shawl thank goodness. It does look pretty good but I will be glad to see the back of it.

I nabbed some lovely balls of green from the £2.50 basket in the shop. It is all different types of yarn in bright lime greens. It was just sat in the basket staring at me all week. I put it on the counter for a day just to see. If anyone had wanted it I would have let them. Then on Thursday, that was it. I couldn’t leave them behind for the weekend. I think they will be a crochet ripple blanket for my sister. She loves green at the moment. I have to post a pic of how great these balls look together so that may spur me on to get my camera sorted!

I am seriously hoping to have finished the entrelac by this time next week. I have 2 secret projects on the go for our new kits for Quilts UK in May so I need to get those done. If you live nearby you should really come to Quilts UK. It is so inspiring and just so much great stuff to buy! We have to man our stall with 2 of us at a time so that we can keep wandering off to look at things.

Last year I bought some flannel fabrics to make a bigger version of a quilt I made for Claudie. Needless to say it is still in my fabric box, untouched. I said to Mary  it doesn’t count as started (and so on my ‘to finish stuff’ list) if I haven’t cut it out or anything. She said it counts as started if you have something in mind for the fabric. Hmm. I have a huge amount of started things then.

I am on a roll. Tonight I will finish a great Rowan Denim jacket that I started knitting for my son this time last year. Luckily it was oversized so I think it will still fit him. If not, it will fit his sister although it’s not pink so that could be difficult. I also finished a crocheted hat (see our free patterns) for a customer. We don’t normally do knitting for customers but I made an exception because she is a friend more than a customer nowadays.

So I feel great that these projects that were hanging over me are now getting finished! I am halfway through the entrelac baby blanket but it is a little tedious so I will be starting something new tomorrow once the denim’s out of the way. Actually I have an Araucania cardigan that just needs sleeves so I will finish that and it can go in the window to inspire some summer type knitting because it’s cotton.

I have been buying a lot of fabric lately so I think some of my knitting time will be taken up with sewing. I made my daughter some great trousers last night which she proudly wore today! I got into trouble with Jake though because I hadn’t finished his “lounging trousers” so that’s my job tonight. Maybe the Denim won’t get finished tonight…. 

While I was slaving away at my christmas knitting, all I could think about was how much fun I was going to have afterwards starting my baby knitting. My best friend, Beth who lives in Spain is expecting her first baby in a couple of weeks and my sister-in-law is due on May 1st. I have already made a Baby Surprise Jacket for Beth’s and I am halfway through the ‘Bob Blankie’ from Mission Falls ‘Wee Knits 3′. I do love it but it is boring garter stitch knitting but the ends are plaited at the end so that is something to look forward to!

My next project is the entrelac shawl from Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino which will be perfect for my sister-in-law as she likes more traditional things. I should have enough time to knit it as it’s only 8 balls, even at 1 a week that’s fine.

The webmaster has been nagging for a ’sock’ for his MP3 player since Christmas so I guess I can fit that in now. One for the PSP has just been added to that although I’m not sure that needs a sock really.

I am also getting into sewing a bit more at the moment. I got a couple of Japanese craft books with really cute baby stuff in them (no, I can’t read Japanese but luckily they have very good diagrams!). The fabric they use is just great so I bought some calico last week and a set of tea towels which are different fabrics but co-ordinating which I am going to chop up for making these lovely patchwork bibs. You know those waffle type tea towels? That’s the fabric I wanted so they are just the job. I’ll post a pic once I’ve done it because they’re nicer than they sound!

By the way, we have a new camera so there will be more pics from now on as soon as I work out how to get the pics off it!

My aim for this year is to finish all my projects and make huge inroads into my stash of both fabric and wool.  Well I am making progress and have finished one jumper in Rowan Felted Tweed and I am really pleased with that.  In response to a request from my daughter I have also finished a bolero using the Opal Sock Wool for my grandaughter who was running out of pink cardigans! 

Now I really must make progress with my Cotton Jeans Jacket ‘Appledore’ from the Coast book.  We had a sample in the shop window and I fell for it.  It will be very useful in the spring.

The shop is just getting some of the spring yarns in and Debbie Bliss has a Cotton DK which I think is worth a try, probably for Jess. 

There is a new Sirdar Book ’ Simple Easy Knits’ that has a lot of basic patterns in DK.  I don’t mind trying lots of different stitches and textures but I do like to have a basic shape to work to so this is the book for me. It covers all sizes so at £6.99 is good value. 

 Now it’s back to the boring doll’s blanket that should have been finished for Christmas!

Congratulations to Elizabeth Rozelaar who won a Kaffe Fassett sock kit in our Snowflake Competition. There were 196 snowflakes in the window and Elizabeth’s guess was the closest with 183.

Don’t forget to check out the special offers section of the website  - there is at least 25% off our sale items. There are also great offers in the shop if you are near Malvern. Happy New Year!

Just a quick post to let everyone know our xmas opening times. We are open until about 2pm on Christmas Eve and then closed until Friday and Saturday. We will be open from 10-4 on both those days. Then we close over New Year and open again on Wednesday 2nd at 9.30.

Any web orders will be dealt with and posted  on the days we are open.

Have a great Christmas!

Today is my last day in the shop before Christmas. Earlier in the week it was quite busy but I think now even the most optimistic have realised that actually there is not time to knit that person a jumper and in fact a pair of socks may be pushing it. 

Personally I have to admit defeat there is one item not completed, well actually it is barely started but the recipient does have a birthday early in the New Year so maybe!

I am really pleased with the mitts I have knitted for Jess and my daughter says they stay on. I used the mitten pattern in The Knitters Book of Handy Patterns  by Ann Budd and although initially it looked really complicated when you got going it was easy to follow although I must admit I used the tension measurements on the ball band instead of knitting a tension square.  I used  some 4 ply sock wool that I had left over and the amount of wool used was tiny.

Now I think I had better concentrate on feeding the family and get on with some cooking etc.  as they all come at the weekend and our house will be full!

I hope everyone reading this has everything they wish for themselves, whether it is a frantic time visiting family and friends or a quiet time to relax.

A Very Merry Christmas andd a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Well, I am really pleased with myself. I only have 1 glove of christmas knitting left to do, fantastic! I have also done a couple of extra bits that weren’t on my list and I am so chuffed that for the first time in a few years I won’t be panic knitting on Christmas Eve. The Webmaster will be VERY pleased about that.

I do have some sewing to finish but it isn’t vital present sewing, just decorations. I’m making some ho-ho-ho bunting and a christmas tree skirt. Both are well started so I’m sure they will be finished by the weekend. I also have to make an outfit for my daughter’s nativity. She has to be a king as they don’t have enough boys in her pre-school which I thought was great as her brother has a king outfit already. But no, she must be a Princess King so I am revamping the outfit to make it more girly. I bought some gaudy gold net so I must get cracking on that for next week. Luckily my son is a ’scruffy shepherd’ in his nativity and just has to wear the traditional tea towel and a grown-ups t-shirt. Easy.

By the way, any members of Malvern Knit and Natter who haven’t heard about the venue for the 18th please get in touch for details. This Tuesday (11th) will be the last meeting at the Mount Pleasant until 8th January 2008.