Tee Hee

I was conned into buying Simply Knitting recently by a very misleading picture on the cover of a pattern I wanted to make, only to find it wasn't in the magazine, but only an advert for a kit. Damn plastic wrapping. As a small consolation there was a voucher inside for the Bumper Book of Knitting, which I then got for half price. While it's not the world's most amazing knitting book there are a few things in there that I wanted so it was worth it. Not to mention that it includes Alan Dart's Christmas Gnomes.
I'm not really a gnome fan, you know the tacky ugly little pottery or plastic fellows that people put in their gardens that I get the urge to kick over when I see them (I've gone grumpy in my old age), but I couldn't resist this little guy, especially as I was looking for something suitable to make for my tutor. She's Swedish and was throwing a traditional Swedish bash to celebrate the end of term before the crimbo holidays. He was perfect and she loved him. He even got to go with her on her trip to Japan the lucky little bugger. Huge thanks to Hazel for the leftover yarn from her little guy.

It's a pirate's life for me!

When I heard an old friend had had a baby last year I instantly set about knitting for her. Well, not quite instantly. What does one knit for a goth baby? Obviously pink and frills were out and I didn't feel the love for black and frills, that's a bit too ominous for my liking, so I went with black and cute. Hopefully Jules will forgive me for the little bit of pink on her gothlet.

It's the Pirate Sweater from Adorable Knits for Tiny Tots by Zoe Mellor (again). Same mods as with the red one - I missed out the contrast cast on/off because that would have meant even more ends to sew in and do I not like ends. Fortunately I like the sweater enough to have made it twice in a short space of time. Right, now where's the rum?