If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen (1952)

If only I could have done so this weekend. I seemed to spend the whole time there. Firstly remodelling the kitchen units to accommodate the biggest ice maker on earth (see previous post!) and secondly using up the last of the greenhouse tomatoes to make a big batch of chutney, then baking a no-fat tea loaf (mmm) finally making up several jars of Cranberry sauce ready for Christmas.

You would think there has been no time for knitting, not so! I seem to have managed to slot in a couple of wee projects whilst waiting for things to be hammered, sawn, stewed, baked and boiled.

The Polar scarf is complete. I love how soft this is but the yarn is quite splitty and slubby so the finished texture isn't as smooth as I would have hoped. I think I'll give it a gentle wash to see if it evens out a little.

The Frankenstein hat is also complete. Despite my reservations, I think it's turned out ok. I'm not sure Rhona will wear it, it may not be quite what she expected, but I like it and Maisy will definitely wear it!

Talking of Maisy, as usual she wants what everyone else has so I also completed a Me-Too scarf for her. Essentially it is the Garter Stitch Loop-Through Scarf from Designer One Skein Wonders, but modified to fit a 4 year old. Thank you to Mhairi/Kirsty for the yarn, unbelievably I had no pink yarn in stash and I am on a strict yarn diet.


And using yarn from stash, I have knit the Blanket Buddy from Designer One Skein Wonders in Rowan Denim Cotton, held double. A friend from Maisy's dancing class has just had a baby boy, Jonathon, on Halloween and I hope this will be the perfect little gift for him. Photo to follow once he's stuffed (the blanket buddy that is, not the baby!)

Lest We Forget

As an army child whose grandfathers both served their country in WW2 and whose father served in the Aden conflict and was in service during the Falklands war I feel strongly that as a nation we should support our servicemen and women irrespective of our views on war/politics or religion.

The British Legion supports servicemen/women who have served and are currently serving in the Armed Forces, with financial, social and emotional support.

Please download a Poppy Pattern from HERE and donate now.

Union is strength (1527)

And so now that there is a new President in the White House, America must unite behind Barack Obama and work together to put right some of the wrongs perpetrated by the previous holder of the title. Let's hope that the large turnout and renewed passion for "politics" in America will be reflected here in Britain where we may see some new, young blood begin to challenge the old school rhetoric that is so depressingly familiar.

Off the political soap box now (I'm sure I said only this morning that my blog was no place for politics or religion!)

What a week. My fridge freezer, after 12 years of long service and good conduct, quite unexpectedly packed up and went to the fridge freezer graveyard. I hadn't noticed over the past 12 years how expensive they had become, mind you Paul and the children have rather set their hearts on an American style one. I'm sure it will be the most expensive ice maker ever! This rather enormous ice maker will require a remodelling of the kitchen units and therefore the flooring too. I'm sure all this money could be much better spent on some rather nice cashmere or alpaca!

On Saturday morning I got up early to attend a Spinning meeting of the West of Scotland Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers. This necessitated a trip to Milngavie, (the start of the West Highland Way) which is home to the Guild. After first going to the wrong venue and walking for miles to find the Library we discovered that we had been misinformed and that there was no meeting after all. What a disappointment and a rather wasted morning.

I nearly had a new laptop last weekend too, after spotting a rather good deal on an Acer Aspire both myself and my mum bought one. We spent hours installing software and getting everything set up just right only to have both machines black screen on us repeatedly. They were returned and replaced by new ones which we spent another few hours setting up only to have them fail too! Now I'm no statistician but 4 identical laptops failing over two days, even I can see a pattern there! So no laptop for now, no blogging from the bedroom or skyping from the sitting room, I shall content myself to sitting here in my office looking out over the autumnal trees to the Clyde.

Amongst all the appliance angst was a lighter moment or too at Halloween. The Trick or Treaters were out in force this year, no doubt down to the lovely crisp, dry weather. This little witch was particularly successful and will be living off chocolate until next Halloween.

In between times very little knitting or spinning has been done. The Garter Stitch scarf is only a little over half finished though the cotton Cardigan for Ruby just needs the sleeves sown in. (Post edited to show completed cardigan).














I have however knit my first Teddy for Tragedies which took only one evening. I shall be sending it along with others knit by my knitting friends in "flat-pack" form to my sister in law, who though not a knitter is happy to stuff and sew them up.
















And finally on the theme of Union, Amy on Knittyblog posted a link to Cat Bordhi's Moebius scarf tutorial and her thoughts on how the Moebius embodies the unity we need to show during difficult times. Interesting, and if nothing else a rather good tutorial!