As the day lengthens so the cold strengthens (1631)

First things first, I have still only completed one of Paul's Valentine's socks!
But really it's not my fault, honestly it's not. I had left Rowan 45 on my office desk, as you do, and Paul had picked it up and found Filey (see the picture on the left, and yes he is rather handsome, the model that is!). Other than socks, Paul isn't a great fan of knitwear, hats are a definite no go and the only jumper I ever knit him is to be frogged, never worn. But he rather fancied Filey, (the top that is not the model!). So in a fit of extravagance I bought the yarn, the actual Rowan Summer Tweed yarn (70%silk, 30% cotton), in the actual colour, Reef, to knit the actual top. (Lana Pura, excellent value for money and ultra quick delivery if you really want to know). The back is now complete and looking very good, even if I say so myself, but the yarn, despite the price tag is quite horrible to knit with, it's sticky on the needles and feels papery and rough, but it does actually knit up beautifully. So there's my, rather long-winded, excuse for not yet finishing the valentine's socks, maybe by next year eh?

Still on socks, I received Socks a La Carte in the post. I really like the concept of this book, featuring flip pages you can mix and match the cuff, leg and heel and toe combination. Where the book lets itself down is in the photography and the poor choice of yarn. The socks are all featured in the same yarn a dark variegated pink colourway that does nothing to show the stitch definition/patterns. The socks are all photographed flat, not on blockers or even on a real leg so again the stitch definition/pattern is totally lost. It seems a pretty basic error to me and I am disappointed, I think had I seen the book in the flesh so to speak, before buying, I would not have gone ahead and bought it. So no recommendation from me on this one I'm afraid.

Funny old weather for the time of year! It's been really mild some days, the daffodils are coming out already, and then freezing the next few days. I have been able to get out into the greenhouse though and got the tomatoes, cucumbers, rocket, radish, onions, coriander, parsley, basil and chives all going! It was so good just to be out in the garden even if I was still indoors! It may snow tonight so I made sure the propagator was on and the little heater too. I really need to get the raspberries moved before it's too late and I have found a little cranberry bush to plant which I'm quite pleased about.

Finally if any of you are readers of the Greenock Telegraph, please vote for my daughter Rhona who will be appearing in the Teen Idol competition! She (and I) would be awfully grateful.

A short horse is soon curried (1350)

As I haven't posted much recently I though better a short post than none at all. So here we go:

• At last my Anna socks are finished, I love them in the Kramer Sterling so pretty when they catch the light, the photo can't do them justice.
• I knit some of my New Lanark handspun into a Doorstop, stuffed with uncarded fibre and loads of rice. It looks good and works well, not bad for a design made up as I went along. Think I may do some more as all our doors are sprung (fire prevention idea but a danger to little fingers!)
• I had conceived a great idea to knit Paul some lovely red socks (Rowan 4ply oft in Honk) for Valentine's day. Well it seemed like a great idea at the time but after frogging 4 designs, I settled on knitting a self made design. Sadly that come out big enough for an elephant, and I was left only enough time to knit one as the love of my life was working from home for 2 weeks so no covert knitting was possible. He did however appreciate the sentiment and all the witticisms of my SnB group, mainly relating to his having only one leg, or only having one sockful of love etc. I frogged the sock again and am re-knitting an entirely different pattern!
  
• As I couldn't knit the aforementioned socks at home I had to cast on something else to avoid suspicion from himself. So I began the Spring Leaves top in Simply Kitting 51, in Jaeger Mohair Art. It's coming on fine, so far I'm liking it, the mohair doesn't seem scratchy at all. It's knit in the round so, whilst it seems that little progress is being made, it is growing the front and back at the same time. I like knitting in the round....no seams!
  
• My lovely friend Gale has her computer set up at last in South Africa and has signed up on Facebook. If anyone else is on she is here oh and I'm here!
• I have also signed up on Twitter which is quite absorbing once you understand what on earth it's all about. I signed up really to follow Stephen Fry but have found other lovely people (fellow knitters) too. Here I am on Twitter.
• Did I show you my washcloths? Trying to use up some cotton that was lying around, if I already have, sorry but here they are again!
• I sorted through my entire stash! Some I passed on to mum (I'm an indian giver I hope she'll knit for MJ with it!). Some went to the charity shop, Ardgowan Hospice, who are happy to take ball ends and odd balls for charity knitting. Two lots are to go on ebay and the rest is for projects. It was oddly exciting to do as I found all sorts of yarn I had forgottem about and had lots of fun trying to work out what on earth I had bought it for.
• I had some lovely comments from MJ's ballet teacher today. I had knit her a Garter stitch Loop Through scarf for Christmas. She said she wore it constantly through the recent snowy weather and she and her friends had nicknamed it "Maisy's mummy's marvellous muffler", how nice does that sound?
  

Well for a short post that wasn't bad was it?