dolly dimple knits

Why, I do believe ..

it's a sock !

All hail Big Chief Hunter Al - blessed shall be his name for Yay, he is the protector of the camera who delivered me from insanity last night when he found the flippin ' thing !

So what do you think ?? It's a sock isn't it ? Or almost a sock.

Technically it's a tube of ribbing with a heel, a bit of foot and no toe at the moment but I don't care if I'm a bit premature - unless of course this jinxes it and it disappears in a puff of smoke only to re-surface months later Behind the Couch. (you'd be amazed how often this happens in my experience - but don't worry Ben, I'll save it somehow !)

More holiday planning today. One of the places we're going is Here - not actually in the Hotel but in a lovely cottage just an 800 metre stagger from the bar ! Anyway, look what I found nearby. Now it doesn't specifically mention knitting but there is quite a lot of mention of what they use the various fleeces for so I'm ever hopeful.

Last time we holidayed in this country we went to Mull - the third largest of the Hebridean islands. Fantastic holiday but a distressing lack of wool I found. The best I could do was this

- a couple of small balls of angora from flopsy bunny, resident of the Rabbit Farm at Bunessan.

It's actually lovely yarn - immensely soft and very fine, one ball of black and one of cream - but I've no idea what to do with it. It's probably just about enough for a child's scarf or mitts but I'm not sure. Still we're going back to Mull later this year so if flopsy is still in production I could increase the stash !

Super-slob

I am a slob. I am a slob in just about every way you could imagine. But this week I am a particular slob because I have managed to lose the digital camera in the great towering morass of children's flotsam and jetsam that passes for our house .... I am fairly certain it is somewhere in the house - just don't ask me where.

This is causing me extreme frustration because on the knitting front I have NOT been a slob.

I have turned my first heel ! And now it even looks like a sock and I CAN'T show you !!.

I have to say though, I do suspect turning the heel is about as exciting as sock knitting gets for me ..... still I'm willing to try anything once.

I have also just about finished the second sleeve of Valerie's cardigan which means I can no longer hum and haw over the front finish ...... which I think is definitely, almost, maybe, possibly going to be a frill. Or a picot edge. Not a lace border - probably. AAGH !

And tonight I'm going to cast on for the other birthday gift for Val - an almost Booga Bag.

It's Shade 91 in Noro Kureyon which will mean it looks almost like this

I say almost because she really likes the one I knitted for Kirsty (my neice, Val's eldest) but isn't keen on the knitted i-cord handles. She wants proper handles so I'm going to order a pair of these and attempt to dye them blue or maybe dark red.

Not entirely sure how I will attach them yet but hey, let's cross that bridge when we come to it.

Other news Chez DollyDimple is all about holiday planning. We're not going abroad this year as we don't want to be too far from Alan's mum so we're planning some short breaks in Scotland. Holidays in Scotland in my experience can be the most magical exploration of stunning, truly awesome scenery, ancient and fascinating culture - and a real reminder of why I love living here.

Of course they can also be depressingly dreich, midgie ridden, expensive opportunities for the kids to spend days being booooored but this will not happen to us ! At least until half-way through.

Never mind, if it does pour for a fortnight I can look on it as more knitting time !

Through Thick & Thin

The ebay yarn arrived this week and by the magic of PhotoSuite 4 I can tell you that it actually looks more like this

Not quite as vivid as the ebay image but still pretty. No ?

So I've started the socks and so far ..... so good ...... so slooooow. What I'd forgotten about dpns was that feeling of needing about 40 fingers and 8 hands. But it gets better once you find the rhythm after, say, 50 rounds or so.

I've not done 50 yet.

Here's my progress so far (please don't be alarmed, do not adjust your set - the ooky colours are the result of late night lamp-lit photography with the cheapest digital camera available at the time)

after about 4 hours work in total - I've not had much knitting time again this week. Bleat ! Bleat !

For a simple tube of ribbing it's okay..... I haven't reached the hard bits yet. How about legwarmers instead Ben ? They're very trendy at the moment !

Failing that I may need to take you up on your offer Emma - you must be what, a 3 hour drive from Glasgow ?

I've decided I need an antidote to skinny knitting with porcupine quills so I've picked up this again. (It's really this colour !)

This was my very first attempt with Biggy Print - abandoned after a few rows as I wasn't sure I liked the effect. After years of struggling to produce fine, smooth, precision neatness (who am I kidding ?!) it felt a bit - BIG.

But I have to tell you it's looking more attractive by the minute at the moment !