dolly dimple knits

I'm dreaming of a ...

green Christmas ......

Largely Christmas knitting going on here this week. This is the Froth scarf that's the current Rowan International membership gift. Not done in my free KSh but in the Jelly shade instead (Not in the "Snotters" shade as my delightful husband suggested - Boys ! They're so immature.) Anyway, snotters or not, I think my friend will love it.

I nicked the beadie ring idea from the River pattern too (tho' mine isn't exactly the same) so she has an optional thingie to hold it together.

I'm also finishing a blue / green Wool Cotton scarf in Clear and Citron - with beads and pompons. Another nicked idea but this time from this book - it's similar to project 7 but I decided it was easy enough that I didn't actually need the pattern ! Photos next time :0)

And after that, I'm saying a big fat b*g off to any more Christmas knitting ! I'm already planning my Christmas holiday knitting tho' ....

One of the best things my employer does I reckon is close over the week between Christmas and New Year. Some folks don't like being forced to take the 3 days that aren't public holidays or weekends off but I love it. Especially as given that I work part-time it means that I finish up on Wednesday 22nd December and by adding one days leave at the other end of the break I won't be back until Monday 9th January ! A whole lot of knitting time :0)

At the moment I'm toying between finishing off some WIPS like these

or going for broke on the Mommy Chicalong hosted by the lovely Lis and making a start on my decided at long last entry which is this ......

or, of course, I could just wait and see what Santa brings me - Hint ! Hint !

Some of you may be thinking I have a cheek to be asking for more yarn after flashing my stash at you last week but in my defence, I should point out that mine is a very mature stash.

I have been knitting and stashing for about 22 years now AND I inherited my mother's stash when she died AND the untouched cupboard is not all wool - lots of it is fabric from my dressmaking days AND ...... not convinced ? No. Me neither. I have decided to do a spot of destashing and shall be offloading on eBay (hopefully!) some of the stuff I'm unlikely to use - some discontinued Chamonix and Rowan Chunky Soft are likely to be the first contenders :0) Then of course I'll have room for more !!!!

When I've not been knitting on snotters (as we fondly call it) I have been cruising the ether and saying Hi to new blogging friends (new to blogging not new to friendship that is) India and Nancy. And finding this at Tracey's ........

Your Monster Profile

Lethal Troll You Feast On: M&Ms You Lurk Around In: Flocks of Freshmen You Especially Like to Torment: Lawyers

Be afraid DH and legal eagle pals .... be very afraid ..............

I LOVE ......

IKEA ! I do not, it has to be said, love the IKEA experience - epsecially when experienced with 3 children in tow. But I love that they make things like this

which is the perfect place to display this

and an even more perfect place to store this

which turns it into this

Stash organisation. Almost as good as knitting. Don't ya just love it ??

PS. You didn't think that was the lot did you ? Ha ! Ha! Ha! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!HA! HA!HA!HA!

"Eh, darling ! I think we're going to have to go back to Ikea ........."

Cough, cough .... hack !!

I have been sick. I am better but still sick. I am not good at being sick. Bad chests run in my family but as I had no problems in my younger days I had myself convinced that I was the lucky one. Yeah.

After picking up a grotty chest infection in my mid-20's my GP decided I was asthmatic. No way. Not having that I thought. So I carried on and refused to acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, she could be right.

Ten years on, in my mid-30's I got a really grotty chest infection and finally had to admit, okay, she had a point. Dammit. Every year for the last few years now, without fail, I have picked up some horrible chesty thing in autumn/winter. Last year's effort was pneumonia - this year I've decided to try bronchitis on for size. And you know, I'm really working this husky voiced siren thing .........

The upside, the only upside of this, is that I had to take 2 days off work last week (yes I know I should have taken longer but hey, I'm indispensable you know ? !) and see what I did

This is Chill from Rowan Magazine 32 - another Kay enabled project. She started it, it didn't work out and I fell heir to the yarn ! Yippee !

This only took a WEEK so falls firmly into "excellent Christmas knitting project category" if anyone is looking for one - though Cork is discontinued, I'm sure you could sub. Still needs a zip but other than that, she's done :0)

Mine is for Hazel, my 7 year old ....... fondly known to us as The Bride of Dracula. (Actually, I think the wallpaper behind her is more horrifying - and yes, it is ours. No, we did not put it up. Yes, we will paint over it but as our hall has 15ft high ceilings and a LOT of wall, I ain't promising when.)

I've also been moving on my baby knitting for the January arrivals amongst friends and colleagues. I'm working on a little kimono style cardigan in Rowan Soft Baby and I'm pretty pleased so far. The fronts and back have all been done together so it knits up really quickly.

I especially like the reverse stocking stitch hearts in the contrast band and one day, I may even get round to writing up and posting the pattern - when I do, I promise I won't forget the armholes like I did with this one ........ DOH ! Did you notice ?

Decision time now - to frog or steek ????? What do you think ?