Come on Darlin' yer doing fine!

Alas, no photos' today, the battery in the camera needs recharged and I need to dig out the card reader (and can't be bothered!).

Was at the Tramway knitters group on Sunday and spend a pleasant afternoon chatting eating and doing very little knitting - just a bit of alteration on the fyberspates cardi and a few rows of my alpaca socks.

Just before I got into the Tramway I was trying to park the car in what I thought was a very tight space. I opened the car door a little to try and see how far I could go when a youth from a White Van shouted "Come on Darlin', ye've got loads a room, keep goin' darlin" ! Its been umpteen years since anyone shouted Darlin' at me, so I giggled like a fourteen year old school girl (come to think of it , that probably WAS the last time someone shouted Darlin' at me).

There is a slight knitting slow down just now - the raspberry mohair sweater is back in the UFO basket, and although I have now finished the cropped cardi, I haven't sewn in ends,or the buttons yet . And instead of starting the baby blanket for my cousins' baby to be, I have started a one-skein wonder shawl in Colinette Parisienne. Its post blanket blues!

Thank You all for your kind comments on the blanket - Kimberly made it even more special by saying that she understood and appreciated all the work that went in to making it (tear to a glass eye....)

Well after perusing the foodie blogs, I printed off some of the recipes and on Monday I made the Fresh Trout and Taragon pie from Cherrysenglishkitchen it was divine. Even my six year old son scoffed it down and said that we should have it at least once a week ! I made some slight alterations, mainly , using puff pastry as I couldn't get hold of the filo at the local supermarket.

And even more good news on the foodie front - the Deli in Gourocks Kempock Street is opening again - hurray!

Read an interesting article in the Times the other day about the (Craft) Village of West Kilbride. Had a wee giggle, as according to the Panopticon crafting is all about popsicle sticks (thats ice lolly sticks) and sticking and gluing things, and now I have a vision now of a village made entirely out of Ice lolly sticks and fluffy pom-poms! Obviously he has never heard of the Arts and Crafts movement, anyway I digress . Apparently the village had a high rate of unemployment, the shops had closed down due to the big supermarket moving in and things were bad . A group of crafters (no popsicle sticks in sight!) got together and started Scotlands very first craft village, and have created employment for twenty two people! My friend Karen, visited the village once, but the crafters were at a craft fair that day!

Well I'm off to look at internet sites for NY Yarn stores, and work out how quickly I can get round them all!

A Few photos'

My flowering rosemary - this is the most generous rosemary bush ever .

Cherry blossom not completely blown away by blustery May.

Bouncing Bean!

Brownies in the Wood!

Food Glorious Food!

Was visiting a lovely German Knitters blog and came across some gorgeous foodie blogs.This is not the first time I've ventured over to the foodies - my pal India is a bit of a foodie and has a fantastic listing over at her blog. Now,I'm no Delia Smith or Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall but I do like to potter about the kitchen.

The Cherrys' Kitchen caught my eye as she is doing recipes using seasonal ingredients, and they look divine! I now have all the ingredients for the Creamy Trout and Taragon pie - its a definite for Mondays dinner . There is also a lovely crafty shop linked into this blog too , with lovely eco-friendly bags (Anya Hindmarsh eat your heart out!).

Another lovely blog is Vintage Pretty - there is a lot about organic food/eco living which lead to me a site about handmade shoes - gorgeous. There was a very interesting article on British Farming and the difficult issues it faces today. Having grown up eating local produce, I still like to choose it over foreign even in the Supermarket (although meat is better from a butchers!) And don't get me started on eggs - my local Tesco can't keep up with the demand for the rare breed ones, I've got quite a few people, including myself, addicted to them now .

I spent a lovely evening (ahem! about four hours!) online just flitting from blog to blog, taking note of recipes I'd like to use , other sites to visit.

Tomorrow is Tramway Knitting group, haven't been for a while so it'll be good to meet up with the group again and see who's knitting what for whom. And what will I be knitting ?? I'll wait to see what I pull out the bag.

Blanket Coverage!

Apologies to Karen for pinching her quote, but today the secret project is revealed! It is the Sudoku blanket from Simply Knitting , and it was made for Kimberly and Lewis who are getting married next Thursday in Mull. Apologies now for the gratuitous photos of the Blanket !

The five knitters look on to their masterpiece !

Marians bed is missing the blanket already !

Kimberly being presented the blanket (Lewis had to work late or he would have joined us).

Karen knitted two extra squares (assisted by a couple of glasses of wine no doubt), and made a bag for the odd bits of wool in case any darning is required .

Marian mentioned that her daughter is getting married soon, but we asked that she present a grandchild before getting married as a shawl is a much smaller undertaking! (or to put it pointedly - NOT LIKELY!)

Had finished my fyberspates cropped cardi - but frogged it back to make minor alterations and should have it finished by the weekend. I'll need some material to back the button border as the buttons are very heavy, and I'm also reducing the number to three instead of four . I have a pattern for a one skein shrug, and I think that may be the next project. I haven't decided what yarn to use, but I still haven't used my New Lanark yarn, so its a contender!

MY friend who lives in New York was over just now due to family circumstances, so it was nice to catch up before I visit her in a fortnight! And she has the address of a very good yarn shop (I'm sure they are several in NY, but time is short).

Nan, over at Stitching Time is having a Fifth Anniversary Party for her Shop, most annoyed don't have time to pop over . She is also got May specials (10% of this that and the next thing) - how much temptation can a girl stand! MUST BE STRONG (oh forget that, where's the email address ?? )

Sshhh....can you keep a secret ..

Its done, sewn up ,finished etc. etc. - the secret project. Can't publish the photo just now, just in case you know, someone sees before they are meant to, but there WILL be one on Thursday. And I just know they are going to love it.

Have finished the fyberspates cropped cardi - I like it a lot however I think I need to adjust the collar (i.e. remove completely as superfluous), add a little more to the sleeves (sleeves ?? what sleeves) and find a way to affix the ceramic buttons more securely. The buttons look great but they are a little heavy for the yarn, however I wore it to Afternoon Tea at Turnberrys' (a little Christmas gift from parents & Sister). Still, I feel after adjusting it , it will fit and wear much better.

I've also been doing a bit of frogging rippit rippit - enigma sweater from last summer is now about 2 big balls and 3 smaller ones! I plan to use it but I'll be knitting in the round as this is one yarn you do NOT want to be sewing...at all.

Last Thursday seems a long time ago, but Flavaknits night was great - Kimberley even managed to tear herself away from her Wedding preparations to join us, and Marion and Moira managed to join us again after a short break.

Kimberley knitting her Scottish Tweed Bag

Gale and Karen clicking away .

Val, Marian and Moira concentrating hard .

And the photographer finally gets captured herself! Thats the fyberspates cardi half done.

For those of you who can - take a look at the Glasgow Knit'nStitch website, not long to Thursday now!

Secret Project - not quite there yet.....

Well last evening a few of us gathered to see the secret project to its final phase.... however a few cups of tea/glasses of wine/sudoku/hours later it still wasn't completed. Karen took a photo of the unfinished item !

We finally came to realise it may be a few more days before we see it in its completed form, but it WILL be done!

Tonight is Flavaknits night - some secret project work may be done , then again, not much is ever achieved on Flavaknits night! Much oohing and ahhing over projects/magazines/books etc. etc. etc. I've got my cropped cardi to do now, and the slouch socks, its nice to get back to them . I think I may use some stash for another wee cropped cardi pattern I've seen, need to get my wardrobe all sorted for my NY trip!

As usual it was a beautiful 22degrees celsius today, always bright and breezy on election day . I bought all the (Scottish) papers to read up a bit more before making my final decision and thought I saw a misprint.... why was there a picture of a farmer with 4 different coloured sheep ? Outside Bathgate 4 woolly sheep were dyed the colours of the main political parties - wonder if the fleeces will get shorn to be spun into political wool ?

And in my local paper (God Bless her and all who sail in her !), there was an article on an eighteen year old first time voter, and a Granny who was the oldest voter at One hundred and three years old. When that Granny was born women didn't even have the vote, now thats a thought! It was good that both gave their reasons about what would influence their voting instead of the usual "they all tell lies, no point voting for any of them (politicians) vox pop thats being going around of late.

Will try and get some photo's this evening - Morag was knitting a doll last week and I think we may be near the finished item!

Normal Service will be resumed .....

My word, its the 28th April, nine days since last post. Its the secret projects' fault, the yarn is getting easier to knit with, but the patterns are a wee bit awkward at times.

Next week, it should all be finished, done deal, sewn up etc. etc. etc. Then there'll be a party.

Had a lovely evening at Cafe Flava on Thursday! We had a new member, Morag from Castle Douglas (or CD to locals) - I think she enjoyed herself, and hopefully will be back. As part of my secret project , there are a few Flava friends who are taking part too, but I think they were wanting to poke my eyes with the rosewood needles on Thursday! Still we had a great night, reading everyones magazines, ooohing and aahing over the different designs.

Ah well the sun is shining just now so better get out and do some knitting in the back garden (nb. must remind Bumble bees to stay away from Nans' house!!)

And this wee photo is for your benefit Nan - secret project in progress

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!