Broken

When I was very very small my mother dropped me on my head I fell over (no really) and smashed up my face pretty badly. The hospital did the obvious and stitched up the gash across the bridge of my nose and left it at that. Unfortunately there was more damage internally and I have never been able to breathe through my nose properly. It's never really been a major problem but more recently it's been causing me a lot of grief so my doc suggested we get it checked out a little more in depth. I had surgery on it last week and am now the proud owner of a brand new nose - well the old one broken down and used for parts in an upgrade. I'm yet to tell if I can breathe through it, but I'm assured all went well and it will be worth it. I didn't anticipate it would be as painful as it is or quite how ill I'd feel after it, so rather than knitting I've been clutching my head in despair all week.

Before I went in to have it done I did get some knitting finished. I've been wanting to knit with Wendy Fusion from when I first saw it. It's divine. It's a chunky single plied 50/50 wool/acrylic that comes in the most gorgeous colourways. It was Juniper Berries that caught my eye, but shock horror I couldn't think of anything to knit in it. I didn't need any more purple accessories and I couldn't budget in a sweater from it at this time of year. Then my mother came to the rescue. She's just bought a purple coat (don't tempt me on the red hat!) and needed a scarf or something to go with it. We decided on a cowl and I set to work. She wasn't bothered what it looked like and I wanted to do something that would show off the yarn to it's best advantage which meant something plain-ish. I decided to go for alternating cables with no purl breaks. I've had something similar in mind for something else and wanted to use this project to see how things would turn out.

I wasn't overjoyed with how it looks but the Ma is happy as long as it keeps her warm. I'm so delighted with the yarn I'll be making myself a scarf from the Cinnamon colourway as soon as I can get out for the yarn. As well as a broken nose I've also broken a toe so it could be some time...

Psst - I have a lot of emails and blogs to catch up on which I'll try to get done over the next week or so.

Drumroll please...

...and the winner is

Congratulations! If you drop me an email with your address to froginknots at gmail dot com I'll get these babies into the post for you.

A huge thanks to everyone else who left comments.

Knitting Pixies at it again

It's a conspiracy. The Knitting Pixies are picking on me. I've been planning to make Viveka ever since it that issue of Knitty came out. I chose the yarn a few weeks ago, I had enough left over from Starsky for another sweater and as I'm into brown at the moment it seemed an excellent choice to compliment my other clothes. I knew I have enough for the whole sweater and went to retrieve it. I had a full 400g ball and a half kept together in a bag, but I saw the whole ball on it's own, grabbed it and got on with the project. When I've come to make the sleeves the half ball is missing. Over the past three days I have turned the house upside down, gone through my stash twice, looked under, in, on and around every last item in the house and it's gone. There's only one explanation. The Pixies have been to visit. I know I've been naughty and my stash is a mess, but they didn't have to punish me. I was in the middle of a reorganise involving a new storage system. I was trying to be good. I should be able to get another ball of the same dye lot but it still makes me grumpy.

I've finished the body, but I want to rip back and put in another inch or so onto the armhole before I shape the shoulders, it's not too tight but there's not a lot of space there at all, the 6" given in the pattern doesn't seem enough even though it drops over the shoulders. The V is also a lot lower than I anticipated, it doesn't look that deep in the modelled picture so I'm tempted to knit a rib neck for a few rows before doing the crochet edging. I will be wearing something underneath it anyway, but I still think I'd prefer the neck to come a little higher. I was also added in shaping to the sides to get the fit I wanted. I worked in the round to the neck and then worked back and forth to the armholes, where I split the work and knitted each of the fronts and back simultaneously. I don't know if that makes things go any quicker, but it always feels like it does. I'm pleased with it so far, but I'd be even more pleased if it had sleeves. Are you reading this Pixies? Give it up.

I also wanted to show you some of the wonderful knitting related gifts that I was very fortunate to receive for my birthday.

I was showered with froggy cuteness by Dreamcatcher and Nanatoo. I'm already plotting uses for the buttons and pins. Coincidentally the frog stitch markers from Dreamcatcher are the same as the ones for my bloggiversary draw. We must have the same excellent taste ;) They have incredibly pretty hand painted beads on them.

Nanatoo also sent some gorgeous stitch markers that were made by Mary-Lou who runs an online store - MLQ Knits, selling these plus other beautiful designs. Carrie Anne carved a fantastic stamp for me so I can print up little cards to go with knitted gifts - the blasted Pixies have also done a runner with my ink pad so I can't show you it in action yet. The adorable sheep needles are from Hazel which she made herself - these plus other designs are now available at Knits & Glitz. Warning - they seriously impede your knitting speed because you have to keep stopping to admire how cute they are.

I was blown away by your kindness. Thank you all very much. Thanks also to everyone who left birthday wishes and bloggiversary congratulations. I'll do the draw for the stitch markers tomorrow night so watch this space.

A Good Year

I've been upstaged by the blog. It's jumped in with an anniversary the day before my birthday - the nerve! It feels like just last month that I wrote my first post and I can't believe it's been a year already.

Check out the video for details of a fab prize draw as a way of saying thank you to all you wonderful people that visit, you really make blogging worthwhile - even you shy lot that don't say anything!