All Fingers and Thumbs

Time does something funny at the start of the year, January takes forever to slog through and then February and March are over in the blink of an eye. Somehow we're already at the end of the first element for Project Spectrum - so it's time to say farewell to fire and welcome to earth for April and May. I've enjoyed my PS project knits and the inspiration that focusing in on the colour has brought - most recently evidenced in my finishing of the cabled cardigan. The Spicy colourway could have been designed for this colour block. I've also managed one of the fronts of Moonlight and more work planned on that for April. The man socks from February were the designated PS fire knit and they have brought much welcome warmth in the past two months. Lovely as the shades of Jitterbug are though I feel there is a warning here for me to not focus solely on colour when choosing a yarn. I get swept away by the colourways Colinette offer but am disappointed by the washability of

The fingers and thumbs have been twinkling away over the Easter break and I have two great cabled FOs to show for it. This one has been a quickie and a goodie: Pattern: Simply Cables - March Sockamania Pattern Yarn: Knitting by Zen - 3ply Sock Wool - Stormy Skies - 1 skein Needles: 2.25mm Harmony Wood DPNs Started: 13 March 2008 Finished: 24 March 2008 Notes: These were a really enjoyable knit for multiple reasons - back to my comfort zone of top down heel flap socks, great simple but effective pattern from lovely Anni, thick squishy yarn and those Harmony DPNs - smooth, pointy, bendy but resilient - I see much more of these needles in my socky future. *** This one has been a slow goer and a baddie at times, triumphant in the end though: Pattern: Cabled Jacket Yarn: Rowan Plaid - Spicy - about 5 balls Needles: 6mm Plastic Straights Started: 1 November 2007 Finished: 27 March 2008 Notes: Oh. This. Pattern! That sweater in the picture on Ravelry looked just the ticket for my Mama but th

Enjoying a lovely break down with my Ma and Pa. Chomping on chocolate eggs and the odd real one too. Here are a goose, some blue/black duck and bantam chickens eggs. And here are some of the creators - these are a traditional, local breed kept by my Dad - Indian or Cornish Game. No snow down here (yet at least!), a little rain and plenty of sun shining on the blossoming garden. A strong, very biting North wind makes knitted items most welcome when venturing outside but it can create some fun as well. We got here this trip via this lovely vehicle; lent to us by the Mr's parents (thank you again Mrs Lurker). She travels a little slower than our car but that suited me just fine :o) Here's a Lenten Rose from the garden to finish on a pink PS note. Wishing you all a lovely Easter.

...the aptly named colourway of my latest socks in progress. Simple, effective pattern from Sockamania and knit from the top down. Ah the relief. There was a storm with those wretched LoveMeKnots last weekend so after a bit of a sulk I let myself cast on this new pair of socks as shelter. The LMKs are firmly in time out until I can bear to look at them again. I'm on the leg of the second one so felt that all pain should be behind me and that I had an easy cruise to the end. That was looking true until I made a pattern mistake, ripped back and now just don't have the will to get those darned stitches back on the needles. I'm calling it a victory that I didn't just keep on ripping right back to nothing. There is something sick about how good that feeling is. Watching those stitches pop pop pop away. One day I'm sure I'll look in my WIPs box see a nearly finished pair of socks and it will all be happy happy. Just don't mention them to me until then. On a more

These are the knitted things that have kept me going this week. In the wearing and even the washing - so much comfort In the creating - achievement in finally mastering a new technique Yes indeed, that is not just a small bit of knitting, that is a small bit of knitting with a small bit of crochet attached and yes, the crochet is UNZIPPING! My provisional cast on actually undoing like it should. It wouldn't unzip last sock because I knit into the wrong bit of the crochet loop. This time round I looked at many pictures but it was still mighty tricky to tell which bit was the bump on the back for this non-crocheter. In the end I would knit a few stitches in, try and unzip, crochet a bit more, repeat until I felt sure I knew I was aiming at the right bit. For the record I tried and failed at both Judy's Magic Cast On and a looped cast on. Many times. Watch out though cast ons I'll be back. One day. In the nearing completion - anticipation Here is a pile of of all the pieces

Pink buns forged with fire = perfect PS theme one food. Delightful any time food :o) I've been dreaming of Nigella's Rosebud Madeleines a la Mouthfuls of Heaven but am doing badly at finding a madeleine tin. Not wanting to deprive myself of elegantly flavoured food stuffs, I adapted my bun recipe at the weekend to get some rosy goodness in there. These are definitely more of your full bloom, blousy tea rose than a delicate rosebud. Rosy Buns 125gms Plain flour plus 2 tsp Baking Powder 125gms Spreadable Butter 2 Large Eggs 125gms Caster Sugar 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract 2 tbsp Rose Water Red Food Colouring Whisk flour, baking powder, butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together until smooth. Add enough rose water (about 2 tbsp) to make a mix that drops easily from the spoon and then add red food colouring to match your own pink quotient. Spoon into bun cases - this mix made 12 buns in a muffin tray. Bake for around 15 minutes at Gas Mark 6. Leave to cool and ice - I just mixed

I love you Mum, all days, all ways. Pattern: Tender from Let's Knit Yarn: Colinette Jittrebug - Tapis Needles: 2.75mm Metal Straights Started: 25 February 2008 Finished: 28 February 2008 Notes: This began life as the Heart Sachet from Interweave but linking those tiny mitred squares was no fun for me and with a deadline to meet I went for the simple heart from the latest issue of Let's Knit which has several patterns that appeal to me for the first time. PS - Glad to see the tulips in the shops; just the leaves peeping out in the garden at the moment - love the promise of spring in the bulbs coming up.