dolly dimple knits

And lo ! They beheld a Star (more) !

The management would like to announce that normal blogging service has resumed. Or at least as normal as it gets round here.

The Rowanettes night out in Edinburgh was indeed some night. By the following afternoon my chest infection had returned with a vengance, so back I trotted to the GP to be told ....... it was pneumonia ! Holy crap ! A real disease with a name and everything !

Cue me : "Collapsing onto the couch for the next 2 weeks - coughing." So no blogging, not much knitting (pneumonia makes you really tired) and bog-all partying. Bah, humbug !

(Apologies now to all those out there who didn't even get a Christmas card this year -I'm so sorry !! But I couldn't breathe, honest. I'll make it up to you :0) )

I did start to feel a wee bit better again a couple of days before Christmas so as every convalescent knitter would, decided to finish this.

This is the Persian Tiles cushion by Jade Starmore which I started, er, last Christmas.

I decided I couldn't be bothered with my Softly cushion at the moment. I do like it but it's quite irritating to knit. I had to use a cable needle to pick up from the rows below which was disturbing my knitting flow so I thought I'd go for something less challenging to work on ;0)

Result all round - Karin, my sister-in-law loved it, I loved it ... in fact I may even do another for me this time.

Of course, I didn't actually finish it until 4am on Christmas morning ( the photo was taken the day before - spot the pins ?) but that's the joy of Christmas traditions .....

Christmas was not a total plague infested wash-out though.

For starters, Lis and Jamie's homecoming cheered me up no end :0))))

And just look what I got !! Santa listened to my heartfelt plea and I got a fabbo new digital camera wich is a gazillion times better than my old one.

Emma, just when I was feeling my lowest, sent me this lovely surprise

Two balls in each shade of this soft, pink fluffy GGH Gracia silliness. So kind, so sweet, so ME ! I feel a fluffy pink scarf coming on .... :0)

Just before Christmas, I also received 2 flower pins, a washcloth and gorgeous smelling soap from Amy my Flower Swap partner.

Aren't they cute ??

And (yes, there's more - I am that spoiled !) I also received a very generous wodge of the ever-welcome CASH to spend at will on essential items like YARN and BOOKS ( someone did suggest I use it to pay the Christmas credit card bill - hah ! Yeah, Right ! As if ! )

I'm not entirely sure what I'll be going for yet but it will definitely include 25 Bags to Knit (Emma King) and Scarf Style (Pam Allen)

These were suggested by personal recommendation from

Jill and Yvette !

A small but select Rowanette gathering took place on Tuesday in John Lewis. It was lovely to meet Yvette who came all the way from Grenoble ....... well, okay Irvine and not just to meet us but she lives in Grenoble usually. Honest.

It was especially lovely as she came bearing yarny gifts which was so kind.

I feel so chic now. So very French - and I'm glad I didn't have to brave the scary lady shop to get this - Thanks Yvette !

Anyway, we're gearing up slowly for tomorrow now. In case anyone's not aware, Hogmanay in Scotland is big. No. Really. I mean it. BIG. Add in the wedding of a good friend in the afternoon before the New Year festivities begin and I'm expecting a major party :0)))

So call me. In the New Year. Just not too early ......

Oh What A Night !

Congenial company, copious quantities of wine, comfortable surroundings, off-colour jokes (India - we blame you for that ;0) ) and SECRET SANTA YARN - what more could a girl need for a good night out ??

The First Inaugural Scottish & Honorary Scottish Rowanettes Christmas Night Out has been and gone. Oh boy. Fun. Fun. Fun. Don't you just wish you were there with these guys ?

Julie, Nancy, Kathleen, Emma, Jill, India - I would love to give you a line-up of the Secret Santa Yarn they're all gloating over but I was too, er, tired and emotional, to retain that level of detail.

Here's what I got tho' .....

3 (note to self : Must ask Santa for better digital camera) scrummy, soft, cuddly balls of DB Merino DK in a gorgeous deep blue. I'm thinking scarf ...felted bag .... gloves maybe .....

We really had a good time. No dancing on the table but plenty of laughs. As Kathleen would say "The whole is more important than the sum of the parts" - eh, Kathleen ? Enough said.

Merry Christmas everyone !

It's not so bad really ...

I'm still not feeling great. But, I am feeling better. Better enough to knit. And frankly sitting on the couch knitting and watching TV is about it at the moment ;0) So how have I been spending my time ?

Well, there's this

.

Yay ! I finished the woven effect scarf I was knitting in DB Maya (shade no. 7)and I adore it.

Look, you can see the stitch effect and fabulous range of colours in this yarn better in this photo. Isn't it great ? I really enjoyed working with this yarn and the scarf stitch is so simple but I think very effective.

But I'm not keeping it.

Yes, I know what I said. But the friend who is getting this for Christmas is a very, very, very good friend. Over the years she has shown me so many kindnesses. She really cares for me and mine - and dammit, she's fun to be with ! She deserves this scarf.

Besides these are more my colours :0) Reds and pinks - Hot ! Hot ! Hot ! (that's a reference to the credit card as well as the yarn ....)

I've also been working on my Pinku Flower Swap 2004 item which was a lot of fun - and QUICK !

Here it is.

Or at least the (somewhat out of focus) box it's in. Amy, if you want a surprise, don't look HERE. All I'm saying is it involves a hat pin and 2 diamante hair pins.

Cute, huh ? I used the simple rose pattern that Jillian Moreno included as the trim for her design Folly for Knitty last winter.

Quick and simple.

Very dolly dimple. ;0)

Sick Note

I've got a chest infection - cough, hack !

But I've been signed off work by the Doctor for a week - yay !

But I feel too crappy to do much - bah :0(

...... why do you never get signed off when you're feeling great and could make the most of it ????? Sigh.