One gift finished - another one started

Not much blogging but I am still knitting and crocheting. I have finished the gauntlet mittens for my daughter in law. They are from Sirdar Country Style 4ply with a little fair isle made from a ball of Opal Sock yarn. The pattern is from Boutique Knits by Laura Irwin. I changed the pattern slightly by adding some double crochet to make a thumb. The pattern just has a slit left in the side seam but I thought that would not be warm enough so added a thumb.

Last night I went to the Kings Arms knitting club with Charlie. Hopefully she is feeling a bit better now and just in time for Christmas It was lovely to be back there. We had such a laugh with Rachael and Sarah making pretend beards with some white tinsel. It doesn't sound funny but I promise you that you had to be there and it was really funny.

I have started a hooded jacket for baby Charlie for his Christmas present and have done a few more rows on the red Cinnabar jacket.

Yesterday I went up to Bury to see the BEATS exercise guy and so should be starting back at water aerobics in the New Year. I did a bit more Christmas shopping and I think I only have 2 presents left to buy now. Still got plenty more knitting and crochet to do but thankfully I have left all the hats, mitts, gloves and possibly scarves until the last.

My old car has finally gone from my driveway. My son came with a couple of friends and took it away tonight. It has been parked up since the end of April but it started first time with a set of jump leads. It looked very battered but it was a really reliable car. I hope that the new owner has many more years from it. It will feel funny having an unrestricted view out of my front room window. One of my neighbours who has been here longer than me moved away today. Another of the older ones gone. This street has changed greatly over the last couple of years. The residents are all getting younger and we are having a new generation of babies in the street.

Woken from a lovely dream

I was having a lovely dream last night. It involved my last ex M who I love dearly (no it wasn't one of "those" kind of dreams) and so I was a bit aggrieved to be woken abruptly by a banging on my door. Could it be that the old wives tale Friday's dream on Saturday told will come true before it is old? Alas no it wasn't M at the door but the postman with my books from Amazon. In case you are wondering if I am lucky enough to have a postman who calls early I should explain that I had snoozed in and it was after 10am!

Even though I would rather have stayed in my dream I did forgive the postman when I saw my new books. Wrapped in Crochet by Kristin Omdahl (designer of the Belize wrap that I made for Vicky's birthday) and Boutique Knits by Laura Irwin. I have not perused them in depth yet as I don't want to be tempted into starting something before I have finished my Christmas knitting. I have posted a few photos from each book. Ambermoggie will love the crochet circular wrap jacket that is featured on the back cover of the book. There are some wonderful shawls in there but some I will admire but never make. I don't know why but I have an absolute hatred of making circular motifs that have to be joined together as I go along. I also make a hash of very spidery crochet flower motifs involving copious amounts of chains as I always get them twisted and get really annoyed. The scarf I have featured is made up from 3 long curly strips fastened together at intervals with chain.

The knitting book has some weird and wonderful things in it. Mostly I would not make any of them for myself but I can see my daughter in law in the gauntlet fingerless mittens if I make them in black or dark purple. There are some unusual hats in the book and I wish I looked OK in a knitted hat but I just know that if I make any of these for myself they will end up on the donation or gift pile. There are a couple of felted bags that my knitting club members might like. I am old school and it breaks my heart to buy expensive wool and felt it. Felted brings back to me too many memories of lovely sweaters accidentally put in the washer and rendered unwearable. Why does it always have to be one of your best designs that gets ruined?

Yesterday I met up with Sylvia and Bill in Bury market. We browsed the wool stall, got a few balls of wool and then had a bit of lunch in Othello's cafe. On the way home I picked up my prescription from the doctors and then the chemist said it would be 20 mins to wait. I decided to pop into Iceland then met up with a friend who has recently lost her husband so after a half hour of sympathy I walked home. I had, of course, completely forgotten to go back to the chemist so I had to get dressed and quickly dash up there this morning before they closed at 12 to rescue my presription. I didn't fancy a banging headache and fat(ter) ankles this weekend through not having my blood pressure tablets.

I have just started the second sleeve of my niece's jacket so the end is in sight.