'tis the season to be jolly...

Phew - where did the last two weeks go??? We delivered the shawl by hand to my mum and spent a weekend Christmas shopping. On our return home, the entire family was stricken by an awful tummy bug which put all of us out of action for an entire week - no pantomime trip, no school Christmas dinner, no nativity play. I feel strangely exhausted but not in a Christmassy way. All back to school though for the last few days of the term.

I received a Christmas card from one of my oldest friends last week with a little surprise in it - a new baby! He was born in September and his first life experience was the hurricane which swept over the Cayman Islands (where he and his parents live). Dramatic events followed which resulted in mother and child (sadly not Dad) being evacuated back to the UK where they have ended up with relations a mere 130 miles away from me. I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to see them without an eight hour flight, so into the car I went, complete with a (very quickly) handknitted baby garment. He was adorable - a beautiful little redhead. Let's hope that the most traumatic event of his life has already happened.

I used the Bob pattern from Rowan Babies. Not used All Seasons Cotton before - lovely stuff to knit up and perfect for a baby.

Also in the stay-up-late-until-you've-finished-it knitting projects was a Caryl's Kerchief for K's wonderful teaching assistant. She has many helpers at school, but this particular lady is just fantastic. She's learning Braille in addition to her job which means many extra hours studying at home and she helps K in the most consistently cheerful and inspiring way. We're so lucky to have such a great person taking care of our daughter and I feel sometimes that it's necessary to say a heartfelt 'thank-you' to someone and recognise their efforts. For me, the best thing I can do is to knit something pretty - here's hoping she thought it was too!

It came out much lacier than the last kerchief that I knitted - probably due to the length of blocking that it received. I pinned it out at half past midnight (!) on Saturday and unpinned late Monday evening. Longer than I usually would have given it but I was busy hammering up the motorway to see a little redhead...

Newsflash to all West Country Knitters

Are you aware that the wool department in Dingles in Plymouth is closing down at the end of January? Sad news as it's easily the most comprehensive stockist south of Bristol. I was taught how to fairisle by Brenda who worked in there some ten years ago and always made a point of going in whenever I was in Plymouth (not often enough, apparently). I'm sure that department store retailing must be a very difficult trade but why did they have to take the wool department? Close the ceramics department - who needs those ugly ornaments?

However, every cloud has a silver lining - they are selling the stock at a 50% discount. Did I take advantage? You betcha...pics soon.

Posted by Anita at December 22, 2004 10:12 PM