Sitting, knitting

A fair amount of knitting has been done over the last few weeks. 

A second attempt at the EZ surprise jacket came out quite nicely - still needs buttons, but the neck seems a little small.  I can always donate it to a deserving teddy bear, but I just wanted to get my head around the pattern again before I forgot how it went.

Going back to a conventional pattern,  I've been meaning to try this little jacket and I got the yarn - Sublime Cotton Kapok - in a sale at about half price, so the perfect opportunity.  It was actually quite a fast knit but, although I did do a tension square, it came out a bit bigger than I expected - I'm sure it'll find a good home though.

Waiting to get the cream yarn to finish the other squares, I started another of these mitred blankets.  I could get addicted to these, as it's so quick to knit a row of 10 blocks when you never have more than  23 stitches, max, on the needles.

I like the raised, pleated finish and it makes it very warm and snuggly.  This time I experimented with a striped border using all the colours from the main part, instead of using just one of the yarns as I did with this one - still haven't finished the blue/grey one with the complicated bobble border that I mentioned here- the worst part was sewing in all the ends!

The yarn is mainly Paton's Diploma Gold double knit which is a wool, acrylic and nylon mix and easily machine washable.  The colours aren't totally true in the photo but it reminds me of sugar almonds and  the  pistachio and neapolitan icecream we used to get at children's birthday parties in the 50's and 60's.  

Now it's back to the squares as I've bought some more cream - this weather makes one long to have something new to keep the feet warm on the sofa!

Can't believe we're almost in May, magazines in the shops are dated June (why do they do that?) and talking of Wimbledon and strawberries and, of course, the Jubilee.  Doesn't seem 10 years since the Golden one.  Hope the weather's going to improve - not that we'll be doing anything but others will.  Remember the Royal Wedding last year?  We spent it in panic over the horrendous water leak that we discovered a year ago today - feel I ought to check the basement rooms thoroughly!

Hope you're all having a pleasant, warm weekend.    Thank you, Gina, for your lovely comment on the last post.  I appreciate the support.

This is just to say......*

Julie over at Little Cotton Rabbits is undertaking a sponsored walk - accompanied by her daughter Amy, to raise funds for CHIPS , an organisation that provides play opportunities for children with various disablilities. A valuable resource for families like Julie's as it gives time to the rest of the family whilst their child is happy, safe and occupied.   Anyone who reads Julie's blog will know how vital this is.  If you've never read Julie's blog, please go and have a look - and admire her little cotton rabbits.  She manages to portray her difficult day-to-day life with her autistic son, Toby, with courage and humour but never self-pity and I, for one, find her an inspiration.  Her problems as a carer make mine fade into insignificance.  If you're a knitter, you'll be charmed by her lovely little toys.  I was lucky to have the opportunity to buy one (named Harper), and he is quite delightful.

Julie is looking for donations for this very good cause and is running a competition, for those who donate, to win a sweet bunny.  Harper and I hope you'll want to be involved, even a very small amount would help.

*Title of a poem by William Carlos Williams

This is just to say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving

for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Don't seem to have been here for a while- life suddenly got very busy.  Lots of things have been done - at last took my wedding ring in to be repaired, the gardener came and chopped back the bushes that were getting out of hand (a mixed blessing as we can now see what needs to be done with the fence which has been knocked about by neighbours' out of control laurel hedge which is going to cost!), H & I had a day out on Easter Monday - and got very cold and wet,  daughter and I have done various things including a day out in Gloucester and we've arranged to have some more decorating done including getting rid of the 80's fitted furniture in the spare room, so I haven't been idle. 
A couple of months ago I had to have a new mobile, so I bought a smart phone.  This has the advantage of being able to check my email and browse the net without a computer so I tend to read blogs but not comment unless I'm sitting in front of the laptop.  It has a reasonable camera so I haven't been carting my camera around - ironically this means I forget to take photos!
Hopefully, life has quietened down a bit again now so I might get back into a better routine - we won't mention M in all this, you don't want to know, believe me!   I've got some knitting to show you sometime soon, I hope....