1 Jack Russell pup x 1 ball of wool/knitting = DISASTER

The East West cardi very nearly came a cropper this morning when I was out doing errands. Juno took it out onto the lawn (she had to get onto the dining room table to do this) and shredded the ball of yarn. I could hardly bear to look as the trail of wool lead further into the garden. There, under the washing line was the little cardi, on its knitting needle, not a stitch dropped. It did look a bit mossy, but the wool.... Talk about tangled. After an hour of diligent unravelling I have three mini balls of wool and a long way to go. Juno spent some time reflecting on her actions in the cage....
Fortunately I am a few rows off finishing the first sleeve and will be able to get the second one done with what has been salvaged.
For some reason this afternoon, I have a very attentive little dog.

Here she is trying not to look as if she would rather be chewing the squares.

Festival of Quilts II - LOST FABRIC STASH - is it yours???

On the way home from the FofQ, in a coffee shop at the Birmingham International Station at about 6:30 pm, I picked up a bag of 12 fat quarters that some tired shopper obviously left behind, under the table. The cafe was closed so I brought them home.

I have contacted the shop the fabrics came from to tell them, have put it on Face Book - not that my page is widely read, and now here.

I hope that the six degrees of separation make it possible to track down the lady who lost her stash.

Please put the word out.

Thanks 

Festival of Quilts - I

The Festival of Quilts was really something, and the quilts that I liked most were upcycled/recycled ones like this lovely re-worked old wool blankets one: If you zoom in you can see some simple but great stitching which gives it texture.

Real life images like this one:

and this one:

Some were just sweet and appealed:

And one or two really made me think. About caring, proctection and being a woman.

east west cardigan by Ruth and Belinda

The Festival of Quilts was just brilliant, but did not ignite the sewing fire in me.....however this lit a big one

http://www.ruthandbelinda.co.uk/rutheastwestjacket.html

In the finest marino, it is heavenly soft and so nice to knit. I am about to divide for the second sleeve....

Mine will not be as neat, but for an Aussie baby about to be born in Australia, who will live in Hong Kong and whose Auntie Lizzie is in England, it is the perfect little garmnet.

I will post my own work when it is done as well as some of the quilts that moved me.

I've lost that quilting feeling.....

and in fact it has been astray for some time. However, Celia B and me (dreadful grammar but it rhymes) are going to the NEC in Birmingham on Saturday for the The Festival of Quilts . Just love textiles and looking but the days of cutting up fabric have gone.

Maybe there will be a lone yarn stall there and better still, one selling patterns for baby clothes. In the wee small hours when sleep was not to be had last night, I got all thingy about tiny little knitted baby clothes. This is what a granny must feel like.....

Crochet is going with me on the train to keep my hands busy. 

Crochet and chocolate muffins

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/muffinsquickbreads/r/Chocolate-Chocolate-Muffins.htm

Tonight I made a dozen gluten free chocolate muffins just because I felt like it. Not bad flavour-wise, but they could have come out of the oven a few minutes earlier. They would be less dry.

Celia B and I ate one while working on our crochet.

West Wittering

A lovely, sunny day with (sandy) Dog and Husband.

And a new blanket in peaceful, natural colours for the new baby Haslett on his way in Australia. I am doing it in Sirdar Crofter, Rico baby yarn, a German make which feels and works a bit like Debbie Bliss's Baby Cashmerino, only nowhere near as dear.... and a good old Double knitting acrylic... Note the new ergo handled crochet hook. Loving it.