holidays

Next week we're off on our holidays. Nowhere foreign, just plain old England, and the furthest away bit of England from Scotland that you can find.

We are going to the Isles of Scilly. This will involve 2 days of driving, a trip on the infamous Scillonian from Penzance to St Marys, then a short boat hop from St Marys (the main island) on the Firethorn to Bryher, and then along the track to Bryher campsite where we are staying.

This will be the fourth time we have been to Scilly in recent years. Last time we took the bean who was a jolly 8 months or so and not yet walking or talking. Now he's 2 and 4 months, and it's a whole different ball game! But Scilly is a magical place for children - no cars to speak of, lots of beaches, rock pools, tracks, footpaths, places to scramble and explore, and lots and lots and lots and lots of boats.

As we are camping and have to pack all our kit ready to be manhandled from boat to boat to tractor and campsite, knitting isnt high on the list of Things Which Absolutely Must be Packed. However, I'm hoping to squeeze in a wee bit of sock yarn and to finish a sock or two while I'm there. Keep your fingers crossed for fine weather!

We normally take our summer holidays at the end of August and beginning of September, but this year decided that the impending arrival of bean no. 2 sometime in August made that just a teensy bit tricky. So we're going now instead. Who knows whether its a good idea to go camping for 2 weeks when you're 6 months pregnant, but we'll soon find out! Fortunately I carry my babies neatly, and the bump isnt very large just yet (I can still ride my bike without too much difficulty), but I'm not sure how I'll cope sleeping in a sleeping bag with a snoring toddler only inches away and no mountain of pillows to keep me comfy...

Knits in action...

Here's a quick snap of the bobble cardigan in action. We were at a friends house enjoying the spring sunshine and the first lolly of the season, and it seemed to do a good job of keeping the bean warm in the bracing Scottish wind.

Since then I've also finished another of those totty tank tops for the bean. This time in blue with black stripes. I still love this pattern, although I'm coming to the conclusion that the sizings are a bit small. The bean is a perfectly average sized 2 yrs and 3 months, looking quite comfortable in this age 3-4 tank. It's a good stashbuster though, and used up just about 2 balls of the main colour. 2 down, rather a lot to go....(!).

Pattern: Child's striped tank (Rowan Family Collection)

Yarn: Jeager Matchmaker DK (2 x 50g balls, plus oddment of unknown black yarn from stash)

Mods: none, knitted as written - but worked flat on DPNs in order to effect one-row stripes without cutting yarn

Comments: next time may try out the round neck version

Given the number of babies due in and around these parts this year (bump now approaching 6 month mark!) I thought I would cast on for something small and pink just to replenish the stash of baby knits. There's bound to be at least one girl among the babies that come along, so I cast on a bubble gum pink Dolly (Martin Storey for Jaeger's baby book). Two-at-a-time sleeves are almost done -being mostly knit on trains to and from London over the last couple of weeks.

FO: Bobble Cardigan

What happened to March? It's such a long month, but this year it's stolen away without me really noticing. Anyway, news to report: the bobble cardigan is finished (hurrah), has been worn (several times) and washed (once).

Pattern: Bobble cardigan by Zoe Mellor
Yarn: unknown 100% wool bought in a charity shop

Buttons: vintage from the button box

Mods: no bobbles (clearly)
If I made this again, I would: add a bit of length to the arms
Time taken: inordinate for something so small (September 2009-March 2009)

It's great; it looks good on, and the bean seems to like it most of the time. Late afternoon has become a time of ripping off cardigans, and this one is no exception. "Cardigan off mummy" he says and pulls the buttons and buttonholes much too hard for comfort. Toddlers dont really know about handknits, do they? But it looks cute... I'm not sure it will last till he's 3 (this is the age 2-3 size) but no matter, there's plenty of yarn left in the stash.

Another FO sprang off the needles this week: a baby beanie - as always knitted in the round using a grumperina stripe (alternate rounds of colour with no jogs). This one is destined for the head of a newly arrived baby boy (probably called James) who was born at home, in water on Monday evening a year and a day after his parents were married. Many congratulations to you Tim, Tee and baby James (probably).

FO: Lottie (Kim Hargreaves: Rowan Junior)

At last there is something to show for 2009. Here is little Lottie, knit for a sweet 1 yr-olds birthday and now on its way to her in the post....

Knit as written except for the flash of pink at the cast on edge. I had an urge to make it a little bit girly (although I didnt knit the optional flower) and thought the pink would perk up the beige/coffee colour a little. I wasn't completely happy with the neckband though, but time was pressing and it I'm not sure that reknitting would have improved things very greatly. I cant decide if it was me or the pattern.

Here's another much older FO, which I dont think I've ever posted here. This is my delightful 2 year old son, snapped yesterday trying to pinch Lottie for himself. 'Scuse the wild hair - we'd just woken up from a 2 hour nap and had earlier been swimming - never a recipe for ruly locks in my experience!

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?