FO: chevron blanket

Tis done, finally. Finished, washed and dried and ready for use. The second FO of 2012 - which is rather pathetic, but there we are. All I can say in my defence is: work.

As my first crocheted item, ever,  I'm really pleased. It took about 12 balls of cotton yarn, and has made a nice dent in the stash. There is no pink or purple left, only blue. So, I have started the blue blanket, cos that itch still needs to be scratched!

Birthday Bling

After 40 years on this earth, I seem (finally) to have got my dearest and nearest into the groove in terms of gifts. My husband gave me some splendid jewellery - pearls (my birthstone) and diamonds - from the rather nice Lime Blue in Edinburgh.

My mother and mother-in-law both gave me sock yarn. Mum gave me some more of Jenny Cook's yarn from Hay-on-Wye - this time a blue yarn with a silver sparkle; my mother-in-law gave me two differnet yarns - a hank of purpley blue Malabrigo, and a ball of pinky Berocco, also with a sparkle. My mother-in-law also gave me Jane Brocket's latest book - the Gentle Art of Knitting. I foresee several tea cosies in the near future.

There were other gifts too, notably, a copy of Ysolda Teague's 'little red in the city' (which hasn't quite arrived yet) and several bottles of wine... It's nice to be of an age where people give you lovely wine and good books.