All Fingers and Thumbs

This week back at work has been a bit of a shock to the system, I think the strategy of saving lots of things to do till after my holiday was possibly not the wisest! Still it's Friday evening and I can finally take some time to look back on the glories of the week before in Dorset. No-one at work asked me to write an essay on 'My Holiday' like they used to at school but there are a few words that sum up the essence of it wonderfully: sun, sand, sea air, tea shops and knitting. The evidence is here: I heartily recommend Dorset as a holiday destination for all and for knitters in particular - not just for the beach knitting opportunities but also as it seems to be well served by LYS - in particular of the traditional British 'The Wool Shop' variety - exhibit A from Portland: I got directed to Honora on the main street in Christchurch by a lovely lady. She was delighted to see me knitting outside a tea shop as she didn't see many people knitting these days but sh...

...make it to himself's feet. Pattern: Plain soothing stocking stitch with a deep 1x1 rib for the skinny ankled Yarn: Regia Nation Color - 5391, most of 2 balls Needles: 2.25mm Harmony DPNs Started: 2 July 2008 Finished: 12 September 2008 Notes: I had to rip back the first one around the heel to get the yarn pattern to fall nicely there - I originally went for an all black heel with a wider yellow stripe at the front but where the colour changes run in I ended up with about eight black stitches slap in the middle of my wide yellow band. I'm not really a fussy knitter when it comes to the placement of stripes and making matching pairs but it had to go! I don't mind the narrow black stripe but if I did them over I might be tempted to break the yarn so it started in pure yellow and get the wider yellow stripe. Still the recipient is happy and so I'm happy. Most often referred to as the bumblebee socks when people saw them being worked on they are in fact knit to be in the...

... the Queen of Knit Blogging that is. Yes that is her, I promise. She's wearing her Manon . Seems like these socks are going to be the best travelled socks before they even make it to the foot. They very much enjoyed being in the huge hall with soooo many other knitters listening to the Yarn Harlot. It's really no surprise is it that I Knit Day was fab: beautiful venue, lovely stalls, knitting fashion shows and of course a very entertaining talk to knit to. I totally failed to see any other bloggers , I think the yarn fumes may have made my vision a little blurry :o) I did however get a good eye in for knit identifying. I felt like I needed a score card and a pattern spotting book like a pro twitcher - Is that a Swallowtail ? Ooh there's a Hey Teach . Oh look a Clapotis . So much fun to see all that real live hand knitting being worn! I was well behaved on the yarn purchasing and only a skein of Malabrigo sock made it home with me after I squeezed my way to the fron...