Simple pleasures

Knitting is such a simple pleasure isnt it? I love the process AND the end result - especially when it is worn and loved and appreciated. There seems to be so much to catch up on, so I'll be short and to the point here.

Much Christmas knitting has gone unblogged, and worse, unphotographed. I sent a pair of mittens and a lacey scarf to friends in Denmark. I also made socks for my dear father - maybe I'll be able to catch them in use next time we see him.

I did however, manage to make myself another pair of socks with the leftovers from Dad's socks. I combined the plain blue from his socks with some of the self patterning yarn from 2008's christmas socks, and used a grumperina stripe (one round plain, one round patterned yarn). I really like the end result, comfy, machine washable, stash-busting and pretty!

At Christmas I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of some fine knitterly gifts.

My dear husband not only got me a copy of EZ's knitters almanac, but also added membership of Rowan for the year.

I like getting things in the post, so regular instalments of Rowan loveliness via their newsletter and magazine is a great treat. The free gift is a kit to make a bag from 6 balls of rowan denim. As I dont really need any more bags, I'll probably knit something for the bean instead.

I also received this lovely skein of sock yarn from my parents (thanks mum!). I'm itching to cast on, but there are other. things. to. do. first.

One of those other things is finish this: the bobble cardigan (sans bobbles). I need to reknit the collar/neckband as it's a bit flabby, and then finish the seaming and find some buttons. I like the way's it's turning out though...

Meanwhile the first birthday is looming and Lottie is still on the needles. Yikes! Better get on....

WIP

Seriously good news is springing up everywhere at the moment. Not only has the mojo come back but there is a new WIP which is thrilling, exciting and scaring me a bit too. Any guesses?

Yep, it's a new baby. Due to arrive sometime in August, so I'm trusting that Edinburgh will be as cool as usual and I wont melt in the heat of a fierce Scottish summer. After all the shenanigans of last year, we are really thrilled, and now that the first (horrid) trimester is over, things are starting to get exciting again. Yesterday we saw a midwife for a booking in appointment - another lovely homebirth has been ordered and life seems pretty good.

As if this wasnt enough, my knitting mojo has crept back into view and yesterday I took knitting with me to the hospital. I snatched a few rows here and there while we waited. It feels good to have something growing on the needles again. I had cast on for Lottie from Rowan Junior the other day - there's a first birthday coming up and a stash to consume. If we're going to have another wee person in the house, toy storage will become even more important and the stash will have to make way!

Joining in

There is good news to report, my mojo has been seen (somewhat fleetingly) and I actually managed to finish something teeny and tiny over the weekend, as well as starting to sew up the bobble cardigan, which I blocked sometime before Christmas!

More of that another time. I was struck today by Ysolda's recent post about designers rights (even if I'm not knitting, I do like to keep up with the blog world). It's an important thing for all of us who knit - whether designing or 'consuming' patterns. When I buy food I like to buy things which I know (because of the fair trade marque) have been produced within a system which pays a fair price and which supports workers rights (it isnt perfect, but it's the best thing we've got at the moment). It seems to me that as grown ups we should also be prepared to suppport knit publishers and knit publications which also operate on a fair trade basis. I have written to Vogue Knitting to tell them so (email below) and I urge you to do the same.

Hello

Did you know that the blog world is talking about you and the way that you treat designers? (see: Ysolda Teague's blog, and Anne Modesitt's blog). I'm joining my fellow knitters and knit designers and walking away from your patterns and magazines until you begin to treat your designers more fairly. Why would I support Vogue Knitting over the Twist Collective or Ravelry or IK?

You know, the fair trade movement has been pretty powerful in relation to food staples (coffee, tea, sugar, bananas) and is now starting to shape the fashion industry. How about a bit of fair trade in the knitting world?