Memories

I didn't learn to knit until I was 17. I had always sewed, but something about wool appealed to me. Mum taught me - asked me to go out and find a pattern and some wool. I chose a grey raglan jumper with flecks of colour splashed among it, intarsia style, using about 50 skeins of tapestry wool. It was fabulous. I loved it. Mum freaked out. But she persevered, taught me and the rest as they say is history.

Two years later, I went to Leicester Poly to read pharmacy (I had always wanted to be a dentist but didn't quite make the grades, needing 3 B's at A level, I got 2 B's and a D). From the word go, I hated pharmacy, it was difficult, complicated and full of things that were way beyond my level of comprehension. So to help me concentrate while I read endless pharmacology books (yawn!) I knitted. I made squares. I also did a Kaffe Fasset cardigan, 2 jumpers and a scarf, but mostly I did squares.Mum did some too, and my grandma and aunt (the latter 2 both sadly now departed) and even some friends

I kidded myself that I was working really hard. I suppose I was, but not at the pharmawotsitthingy. The knitting took over.

This blanket is full of memories for me. I can remember where I bought most of the wool from, which square came first, who knitted them and so on. It is a very special blanket. It doesn't normally lay on the bed - too many squares with the curtains as they are - but I love it all the same.

It took 2 long years for me to realise that pharmacy just wasn't for me. So I went to learn how to become a cook instead. This I loved from day one and hardly did any knitting at all.

'How Much?'

Here's the first glove - finished. I'm so thrilled with it and it fits just like a glove. Surprising that really! I took it to school on Friday and was showing it around (only 2 fingers were done by then) One lady, who I felt should have known better, said it was lovely and if I had bought a pair like that in a shop, it would have cost me about £20. She really thought she was paying me a compliment. I tried to explain that it has actually cost me over £30 and that is without all the time involved. She was shocked - 'But why, you can buy gloves so cheaply?' I give up. I shall keep my woolly projects to myself from now on!

So have you seen the new Yarn Forward? It's great, loads of stuff in there that I want to knit as well as a very interesting article by Dee on how to Blog. You want to see where I'm knitting then do you Dee? Well so far today, I've knitted in the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, 2 of the bedrooms and the garden. The garden you've seen, but as for pictures of the rest, well you'll have to wait! (Unless of course you take me up on the Broadband and doughnuts offer!)

I'm now knitting flowers again. Yes, I know, I know, I should really be doing the other glove, but it's the whole casting on something different thing again. The WIP pile continues to grow. If only the family didn't need to eat or wear clothes (especially the ironed sort) I'd be fine...

Circus

So what do you think of this then? Last year in school I ran a patchwork club and at long last I've got round to finishing it off. No doubt all you quilters out there will be horrified by my talents, but hey, I tried! It's based on Kaffe Fasset's 'Circus Tents' and considering most of the children involved barely knew how to sew, I think they did a pretty good job. It will be hung on a wall somewhere along a corridor.

The glove is progressing well - we now have a finger! I've not done Fairisle or Intarsia for ages and am really loving the colour work. So much so that I'm already thinking of what to knit next. (A second glove would be an advantage I feel!) I keep seeing Alice Starmore mentioned on the internet and think I might like to do one of her designs. But do I really want to darn in all those ends? So how about cheat's fairisle using a variegated yarn. Anybody out there got any wonderful ideas?

Sadly no more glove knitting tonight, I've got to make a Spitfire out of icing. Ah the things I have to do just to feed my wooly obsession.

See you tomorrow?

Small World

Oh I so wish you were here at the moment to be able to smell these lily of the valley. They are wonderful and are filling up the whole room with their perfume. We have lots of them in the garden but they tend to hide, so I always try to pick a bunch. You can't tell where they came from in the garden.

And on the subject of you being here, I have been thrilled by the comments from people I've never even met. Yesterday, 'picperfic' (aka Marianne) (yes I did make the cake) joined us from a small village in Cambridgeshire. Hello! We could live in the same village and not even know it. I also heard from Linda in Australia. Let me calm down and say that again. Australia. No, I'm not any calmer. Wow! I've never known anyone from there (except a mad ship broker who I used to work with, he went back home to become a DJ - do you know him Linda? we called him Oz). And then there was a message from Clara in the US. Clara has become a friend since we joined the Colour Swap thingy. So 3 comments from people from as far apart as they come. It suddenly seems like a very small world.

As to the Man Utd score, yes they won 3 - 2, but will be playing the return match next week at Milan. No tears at bed time for us then! Well, at least until next week.

Manchester United

Bit of a trick photo this one. The only football cake I could find on the camera is of Arsenal. And I needed one of Man Utd, but they both have red shirts so this will have to do.

My children are both avid Man U supporters and apparently they're playing in some semi-final tonight against Milan. Tough opposition I understand. Anyway, come on Rooney and Ronaldo, my children are depending on you to win. Please don't make my life hell tonight. I need them to be good so I can carry on with the glove, and if you lose, I'll just spend the evening drying tears!

Gardening

This is a view of a bit of our garden. I don't do the garden. I knit. I bake. I wash up. I iron. I'll do pretty much anything else, but I really don't do the garden. This is my husband's place. I live in the kitchen, he lives in the garden. I tease him about some of the plants - they're not allowed to look like plants, but spheres, boxes, anything neat and tidy. That's another thing I don't do. Neat and tidy is not for me. But I do love the garden! It's all very blue and green at the moment, which I like best. I like the way the little hedges change colour, like the lawn meandering in curves, like the way the cherry blossom looks like snow... yes, today I like the garden.

In school, each class has a little plot and it was my very dubious pleasure to weed it today with some of the children. Some of whom had never even held a trowel. We planted some cornflowers once the bed was ready. Most of us got covered with mud. How inappropriate of me to wear a cream cardigan! Wish my husband didn't have to go work, I could have used his talents today!

I'm off to knit some glove now. Have I mentioned before how much I love my glove?