Study break and a cup of tea.

Life has been busy - fun, sad, up, down, in and out. Not much down time in the past few months but I feel good about most of it. Now I have a load of clothes in the washing machine and a cup of tea by my side and a blog entry to write.

I've had a day at the beach - it was lovely as usual. Everyone has a day at the beach and everyone has a great time (except the windy rainy days, of course, but even then there is knitting and reading). But my day was gorgeous and sunny and warm.
There has been some (not much - and I am slow) knitting in the past couple of months. A pair of socks knit in acrylic yarn! Not like me at all but I got this yarn on the advise of my mother on my last trip to the US and it was a good choice. It wasn't 'squeeky', it is soft and lovely.

Now, the proof will be in the wearing which I have done once. I will get this yarn again next time I am over there.

I also knit a straight garter stitch shoulder shawl. An old boyfriend's mother (Helen) who taught me to knit continental style and on a knitting machine, had a little shawl like this that just sat on her shoulders with the points just resting over her bosoms that she wore all the time, and I always wanted one. (I think I knit one when I was in my early 20's) It isn't big enough to keep your whole upper body warm but it is wonderful for my neck and shoulders (again with the shoulders!) cozy in these semi-cold nights at home. And it stays on all by itself with no pins or constant tossing over the arms and no trailing in the water in the sink when washing hands - bonus! Again acrylic (no there's not a pattern emerging - I am still a wool snob) from Lincraft.

I will make another or two for winter - especially nice for bed with a hot water bottle on the small of my back and a book in my lap.

There was another kooky scarf for Rachel (oldest son's girlfriend).

I won't say it - but again not natural fibre (I don't have anything but wool, silk, angora and cashmere in my stash now so that's it for the plastic stuff - I promise)

My little cashmere mitts that I have worn twice - how cold was it over Easter?? The only problem is they shed on my black coat! It's a sacrifice I am willing to make.

And the big project started over Easter - Shirl's sweater (the next two are going to be for moi!) Eunny Jang's Tangled Yoke. I have some trepidation about knitting this with Bengdigo Rustic even tho the colour is exactly what she wanted. But I have decided that if the cables don't work properly I will just make it into a fair isle round collar - maybe Bohus style. The wool is very loosly spun - and I don't really have enough experience to know whether it will work or not. I'll hope for the best at any rate.
Cup of tea's been drunk, blog's been wrote, washing machine has stopped spinning and books are calling. Adios amigos!