Zoë's Knitting Bag

Farm Yarn

I'm always looking for something different and exciting in the yarn line.  This link caught my eye over on Julie's lovely blog and my order arrived today.  I am threading the beads on the natural white 4 ply tonight "come what may" as I feel the need to make yet another pair of fingerless gloves.  Not sure what colour beads though - maybe burnished gold or perhaps something brighter?  This alpaca is a gorgeous ivory shade and organic, and is so, so soft.  Beautiful.  The people were very nice to deal with also which is always a bonus.

Catch Up

At the moment, there's so much to do and such little time.  Sophie is in the middle of her GCSE exams and Jamie is due home (more endless washing!), DH is busy at work and in the garden and it's the start of the tennis season in England.  Jasper's allergy has re emerged from last year and I spent a great deal of yesterday grooming him and bathing his sore eye with salt rinses.  At last the weather has changed and yesterday was glorious with endless sunshine and bright blue skies.  I managed to finish the "Prom Bracelet V2"  and watch Rogi's sad defeat at the French Open. DH was teasing me as he knows how much I like Roger. It really was a poor tennis match and Rafa won easily.  Without doubt, Roger will be victorious again at Wimbledon this year.  I will only be watching the Championships on the box this year as I was not lucky in the ballot this time (well three years running was great).  So what does a girl do?  Sit in the garden or watch the start of Queen's Stella Artois this afternoon.  A bit of both I think.



I didn't tell you about my trip to Richmond.  The drive down was good but the weather was overcast and a mixture of drizzly rain and heavy downpours.  I took the wrong exit from the M25 and ended up driving round Kingston Upon Thames, Richmond Hill and Teddington and finally got to Jamie's Uni with a 40 minute detour. With the seats down, we loaded up Pepper to the brim and then we drove back to Richmond and had lunch here and then spent the remainder of the afternoon by the river.  I really enjoyed walking along this part of the Thames.  There were so many people cycling and walking or just like us later; sitting, chatting and enjoying a nice cuppa.  It was overcast but warmish and so refreshing by the water' edge.  The shops were good and Jamie got a treat from here.  No evidence of knitting shops but Jamie said that Barnes has lots of my sort of shops.  So a visit is pencilled in for later this year.  He is home for the Summer this afternoon, so I am waiting for his call to taxi him back from the train station.

Sophie's show was fab and was a mixture of AmDram (lots of songs from Oliver and other musicals), fabulous costumes and great singing. It wa a fine tribute to Miss Wendy. Sophie was in a gangster style white pin striped suit.  As I well know, the tall girls always have to dance as "men", as there only about 3 male dancers as opposed to 200 girls.  Sorry no photos - not allowed.  Afterwards, we waited outside the stage door for her and an unexpected heavy mist had descended and it was freezing (remember the theatre is at the end of the pier).  Tea and toast were needed for a very late supper.

Prom Bracelet

I found a lovely pattern on Ravelry for a beaded bracelet for Sophie's Prom by Heather Murphy.  On our way to the ballet yesterday, I stopped in a fantastic embroidery/cross stitch shop in Norwich and bought some DMC 8 cotton thread and of course I couldn't resist the seed beads.  Sophie wanted Emerald beads and gold thread and I plan to make myself a bracelet later in Duck Egg blue with burnished gold beads.  This pattern is very easy to knit. As the smallest needles I own are 1.5 mm and I can't wait for an internet delivery (there's no chance of getting any 1.25 mm in Norfolk) I started to knit the little bracelet this afternoon.  I am pleased with my efforts so far.  Sophie also plans to wear a Roman snake bracelet and an upper arm Roman style bracelet.  The dress is still a closely guarded secret but the hair style will be Roman style and the makeup will be gold and aqua eye shadow (is anyone still reading)? LOL.  These Proms are serious business and the amount of planning involved is incredible.  Some girls are having spray on tans just for the Prom!

A Midsummer Night's Dream by The Northern Ballet was yesterday's trip to the theatre.  I booked these tickets in January and forgot that we had front row seats although I believe that ballet devotees do not rate the front row as you cannot supposedly see the dancers feet.  Well that's one advantage of being tall.  I had a perfect view of their feet. 

The dancers were all on stage limbering up before the show started and the ballet was set in the Forties with the dance company on a train journey to Edinburgh.  As the train entered the tunnel, we were spectators of the dancers' dreams and the Shakespeare play unfolded.  The costumes, sets, props and dancers were brilliant and I loved it all.  Oh, we could also see the musicians in the orchestra pit - it was such a delight.

April Showers (written yesterday, photos taken today finally outside)

STOP PRESS - SIGN UPS FINISHED FOR SWAP - THANKS THERE ARE 22 OF US NOW.

Not just rain showers but also lovely sunshine and then there's the hail, frosty mornings and as I speak it's thundering and lightning.  The weather is so changeable and there has been little chance to pop outside and take some photos of my knitting.  So I'm afraid the colours may not be quite true but here are a few photos of my many WIPS.  Please move your mouse to read the caption and there will be more over on Flickr.

Thank you for all your good wishes about my tooth extraction, the gum is healing nicely and I'm not sure if it's an after effect or not but I have a heavy cold and haven't sneezed so much in ages.  Pepper has finally gone in for her new bumper this morning so I hope to have her back and like new this week - perhaps I am being optimistic!!!! I have been given a Peugeot 307 HDI to drive which is very nice but, sorry if I offend anyone, it's just not the same.

With me to add to the list there are 19 people signed up for the Words and Bookmark Swap.  Please note that sign up closing date will be this Friday 18 April 2008 and numbers are still limited to 30 maximum, so if you are interested please leave me a comment.  I will get the questions out Saturday morning with all the finer details and dates etc.  Once you return them, the matching can commence.   

Wool Travel Rug

I'm still waiting for a date for Pepper's repair job.  It looks like it won't be this side of Easter - oh well - c'est la vie!!!!!  In the meantime I'm knitting "her" a little wool travel rug.

After the blustery winds from the early part of the week the weather feels so quiet and calm and this afternoon seems nice and warm.  It looks like many of my favourite bloggers are taking a little blog break and I'm joining in too.  I will be back after the Easter holidays with hopefully more knitting to show and some other photos from the Easter break.  Don't eat too many Easter eggs everyone.

A Nice Cup of Rosy Lea

After the weekend's fiasco, I needed to relax and unwind with a nice cup of tea.  I love trying different types and am rather partial to Earl Grey.  I've just discovered Rose Pouchong and felt that this lovely tea deserved a matching rosy pink tea cosy.  The pattern is my own and I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in DK with scraps of angora and wool for the flowers etc.

On Monday I visited an old friend who I used to go on holiday with.  Inevitably the old photos had to have an airing and I borrowed some of hers (as mine still have to be found in the attic). Here I am in Paris and Mykonos from February and June 1984.  OMG that's nearly a quarter of a century ago.  Those carefree days seem like yesterday.  I bet Mykonos is full of high rise hotels now. We had to use torchlight to get down the rocky path to the nearest bus stop into  town.  I had no idea when I  first went there the previous year that the island was a gay mecca.  All those dishy males and they were all together (well you know what I mean).  We had such a laugh though and met some great people. Such fun - you know get up at mid day, sunbathe and swim all day (the days before we had any notion of just how harmful innocent sunbathing can be), out late at night, plenty of drink and dancing the night away until the small hours. Riding mopeds around the beautiful island, exploring the tiny winding streets, the pretty Greek churches and trying new food (Feta cheese and Greek salads and the freshly barbecued sword fish and red mullet).  Making new friends,flirting with the waiters and non stop laughing.  Taking hours getting ready for the nights out and enjoying our golden tans.  Swapping make up and clothes and drying our hair in the sunshine.  Quelching into wet swim suits and bikinis which hadn't quite dried from the previous day. LOL.

On a knitting note, the top left photo I am wearing a favourite knitted mohair jumper made by me and the bottom right I am wearing a pale grey cardi/jacket in cold but sunny Paris - another Aran made by me.  It's 1984!!!

Ribbed Cardigan

I'm knitting this from Debbie Bliss. OK not from my stash but I couldn't resist this pattern.

I couldn't get The DB Cashmerino at John Lewis in DK and was too impatient to wait for a delivery via the Internet.  So I substituted the wool for Rowan's Pure Wool DK in a bottle green colour (another very difficult shade to photograph - even in day light).  They did not have enough balls in my original choice of teal.  I love the pattern but the colour does put me in mind of the uniform worn by rather posh girls school in the city!

Sorry, I've not blogged much lately but I've been caught up in pre-Prom fever/madness.  Sophie is looking for a  dress for the Prom ball and it's not until June and believe me she has a certain style in mind and will not budge an inch.  We  have scoured the internet, department stores and boutiques and hire companies.  The hair and make up appointments have been made (if you don't book now - you will never get an appointment).  The whole village and town has gone crazy.  All the Hummers and Limos are fully booked (thank goodness - I hate these flashy vehicles).  I'm trying to persuade her to go vintage but if this fails then Pepper will have to do.  A nice cream bow on her front, Pepper I mean, and door handles and she will look the part. 

Does anyone know where I can get a replica Art Deco (think Keira in Atonement) bracelet for her to wear with fake Emeralds or Diamonds? Help.  I couldn't wait to leave school and get to college.  There were no Proms in my day!!!

Malabrigo

Two skeins of Malabrigo kettle dyed merino in Forest and this pair of gorgeous birds nest needles were my Bday gift from Jamie.  He got this lovely gift from Stash in Putney.  What fun I will have with this yarn.  I think I may make Foliage from Knitty and maybe another pair of Fetching fingerless mittens.

On the baking front, I made a fruit loaf cake yesterday and substituted the cherries for Chilean Flame raisins and cranberries and added the zest and juice of one lemon.  It was really not cool enough to slice for the photo.  It tasted delicious, if I say so myself.

Petal

We Brits love our tea and to me there's nothing like a good old cuppa any time of the day although there's something special about the first morning brew.  To make the perfect cup, a tea pot is essential and of course a tea cosy is a must to keep the pot warm for that second cup.  I made this Petal design over two nights and I'm sure it will brighten many a dark morning.  Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Woodland Shawl

I found this pattern by going from one blog to another, as you do.  It's one of the quickest and easiest to remember lace patterns that I've knitted for a while. The yarn is from my stash - Trekking XXL sock yarn.  I love the plum and mauve tones.  Apparently, it only takes one ball so it will be a dainty little shawl.  The pattern can be found here.  I'm sure after blocking it will grow a little and the lace will be more defined.