A good reason to knit a hat...

I just saw this and wanted to share it. Save the Children are asking people to knit hats for newborns.

FOs & WIP: three hats and a jam sandwich

Maybe it was the eco-buzz that started it, but over the weekend I had the urge to cast on for another scrap hat. This one was requested by my brother sometime last winter, but other things (you know: socks... baby things...er, things) have been getting in the way. I've been in a bit of a knitting funk with it, and have found it hard to put down, despite having to do mildly inconvenient things like go to work and sleep. Anyhoo, I'm now onto the crown shaping and will soon be at the top. I think - but I'm not sure - that my brother wanted his hat to come with a lining, so that will follow. Here's a sneak preview...



And here are the 2 baby beanies I mentioned last time, now safely filed in the gift stash.


Whatever our failings in the gardening department, our raspberries are a huge success. Day after day we pick the ripe red jewels, thanking heaven that something is growing and ripening in this confusion of a summer.... the bean has developed quite a taste for fresh raspberry, and now hangs about at the top of the lawn hoping that someone will pick some for him. At not quite 18 months he hasnt quite got the requisite skill or discernment required for picking rasps himself - but he knows how to eat them.

Last week we were running out of freezer space, so 2kg of berries were 'preserved' in the traditional way: as raspberry jam. Yum.


Shhhh......Can you hear it? There's a jam sandwich calling me. Better go.

Eco-buzz

For some reason reading the ecologist and greenfutures always invokes a feeling of urgency and a need to do something that minute. It's an energising thing and I love the eco-buzz.

Recently I've found a few corners of the blogiverse that share in this need to take action. Wardrobe Refashion and Sew Green are just two that keep cropping up. Perhaps I should take the wardrobe refashion pledge? I'm not far off it really - I havent bought any new clothes for about a year, although I have been given some new things for birthdays & christmas (thanks mum!) . But I have bought plenty of charity shop things, and I turned a ripped pair of my jeans into a cool pair of toddler trousers for the bean. I've also been making a conscious effort to wear a greater variety of the clothes that I own already.

Last week I had to go to London for work, and travelled on the train (>4 hours in each direction, and I went down and back in one day!). On the way down I worked and on the way back I knitted. I managed to finish one baby beanie and get most of the way through another (brim to start of crown shaping). As the stash of baby hats was almost gone, I thought I would use up a few odds and ends of yarn. I'll post the pattern sometime...

FO: Polka dot cardigan and the interloping scarf

She's finished (finally). The polka dot cardigan (Rowan Babies) with no polka dots. Knitted for little Harper Hope born on June 9th. Welcome little one, and congratulations to mum and dad Pam & Dan!

I think it looks fairly gorgeous even without the polka dots. The trim is knitted in a stash busting oddment of Jaeger 4ply, and the rest is knitted in Rowan's organic cotton (DK weight). The buttons are vintage from the button box I inherited from my grandmother.

It took a lot longer than I planned. First, I ran out of yarn and had to buy an extra ball of Rowan's organic cotton. Then, I came to the sewing up bit. It just seemed to take ages, and there was a project burning a hole in my stash, so I'm afraid I allowed myself to be diverted by yet another Purl Scarf (from last-minute knitted gifts), aka the interloping scarf.

I love these scarves - I think this is the third one I've made. It's gone into the gift stash (or long range planning department as the yarn harlot would call it), although I'm tempted to nab it for myself. I used 2 balls of Patons Soho (closing down sale, £1 per ball I think), one ball of mystery DK yarn and half a ball of turquoise lace-weight mohair (both acquired from charity shop raids). I've got a bit of a thing for bluey-turquoisey colours.

Now that the tennis (Wimbledon) is in full swing, I need some knitting to keep my hands busy while I watch (come on Andy!!). I ought to pick up the lacy shrug again - it's aged 3-4, so it ought to be quick, but I've already ripped back one front because I got the pattern wrong (doh!).

Finally, today is my 3rd wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary my love.