A birthday season

My birthday season started on Monday morning when I opened my parcel from lyonesset and found that she had sent me an elegant teapot with a gorgeous custom made cosy and excellent tea.



But then my birthday celebrations were put on hold until the evening when friends took us out to the Bamboo House for Peking Duck. It was a taste sensation!

On Tuesday my season continued when I went to the post office to pick up three more parcels from my birthday swap partners.

Trishca sent me a beautiful reversible project bag, a bag of wool tops in Ice Pink (must get that spinningwheel going again), tea and a beautiful tea wallet and stationary (I can't get enough of it).



From shanbliss I received a beautiful lace caplet, more lusciouss tea and stationary and a skein of malabrigo (I've been wanting to get my hands on some of that for ages and now I have my own to pet!).



And finally fitknit spoiled me with Tofutsies, a cute mug, a lovely knitted lace bookmark, a book of Sudoku (my secret addiction) and darling little sheep stitchmarkers.



Aren't knitters just the greatest? I'm off to have another play with all my fabulous gifts.

Anticipation!

At the beginning of the year I signed up for a Birthday Swap on Ravelry. We were divided up into groups of 5 and throughout the year I have been sending birthday gifts to my four swap partners. Tomorrow it is my turn to receive gifts!

One parcel has already arrived and I have been showing great restraint in not opening it before my birthday.



I know there is already another parcel at the post office but because they do not open on Saturdays I was unable to pick it up. And I won't be able to do so tomorrow either - talk about deferred gratification. I have to go to the city all day tomorrow for boring business reasons. But in the evening friends are taking us out to a surprise venue for dinner to celebrate my birthday. I am really looking forward to that. And on Tuesday I will be able to pick up my parcel and extend my birthday. I rather like the idea.

I'm also involved with a Christmas swap on Ravelry and I have started knitting my partners gift.



It's taking a tad longer than I had anticipated so I'm going to have to work at it in order to get it done on time.

Sock time again

I find it hard to believe but I actually went a couple of months without any socks on the needles. Fortunately I managed to remedy the situation and I recently completed a pair of Bordhi's Veil of leaves.





These are knitted in Ripples Crafts Bluebells colourway. As usual Helen you have done a great job! The only modification I made was to knit a standard toe. I really don't like the Star toe - too much like a cat's bum to my liking.

I am now in that delicious position where I need to decide which pair of socks to knit and with which yarn. At the moment I think I am leaning towards a pair of Cookie A socks. Decisions, decisions!

Spring has sprung

One of the pleasures of moving to a new house is discovering the garden. As the days go by I keep finding new things popping up and bursting into flower. For the first time in many years we have had a wet spring and the garden is responding very well. Its a delight to be surrounded by so much colour.






On the knitting front I have finally managed to cast on a pair of socks. I'm knitting Cat Bordhi's Veil of leaves. The yarn is from Ripples Crafts in the colourway Bluebells - so appropriate for spring don't you think?



I have also managed to pick up all 600 stitches for my Dark Star stole and I've knitted 2 and a half rows. If only I could find a bit more time!

The joys of stocking stitch

For all of September I only managed miles and miles of lovely soothing stocking stitch. But it paid off because I ended up with an Eyelet cardi. I knitted this with some Utiku 8 ply wool in Orchard that has been lingering in my stash for quite a while.





This was a very satisfying knit because its top down with no seaming. My one problem is that I need to find an appropriate button to finish it off but I've not found one yet.

During the move I also started an Ishbel but I set it aside once I reached the lace pattern. Last week I felt ready to knit lace again so I finished it. I knitted the small version using some Cleckheaton Cocoon which I had swapped on the Karma swap group on Ravelry. Its lovely and soft and ideal for a scarf. This Ishbel is destined for the gift pile and I think I might make a few more in the not too distant future.





It was lovely to feel able to knit lace again. Now I just need the courage to pick up the over 500 stitches for the border of my Dark Star. Soon I hope!