I haven't disappeared!!

Thank you for all your sweet comments and emails. I'm settling in well at my new job. Everyone is lovely, it's a great team. It's just so busy! The students haven't started yet and already there's mountains of paperwork! It's all very alien to me, and I'm making it up as I go along. I am getting homesick being away from James, the kitties, Monty, home and my friends (in no particular order!). But everyone keeps emailing with updates and pictures so I don't feel left out!

I expected to have oodles of time to knit, since I'm living with my aunty (an incredibly hardworking consultant at a Bristol hospital) who's quite often out in the evenings. Although, I don't get home until much later than I would do in Nottingham. And then I have to cook, which I'm not used to, it's usually James who cooks. So, my evenings seem to fly by. Especially since I'm still tying up bits of my thesis, and I have that to do in the evenings. So. Not much knitting has been done! Despite several bags of WIPs on the bedroom floor!

BUT. I have visited GetKnitted! In the first week I was here, naturally. Luckily, they're open late on a Thursday. And I was not disappointed! Its huge! So. Much. Beautiful. Stuff. I bought some secret items, and spent an age perusing.... Lots of Lorna's Shepherd Sock. Drool. My favourite! And, I was looking for a Sirdar pattern, that I swear I saw somewhere. I described it to them and they had no idea what I was talking about. But, they went and got out their computer so I could search the internet and try to find it. So, so kind and friendly. Needles to say I shall be going back. Incidently, first rule of shopping, when you see something you want to buy just buy it, don't wait until another day. Especially if it's a paper pattern at £2.50.

I'm also deciding whether to join Secret of the Stole. After reading about the Mystery Stole 3 I realy like the idea. However, I can;t find any pic of her previous patterns. I'd like to see some before I start ona complex secret patterns. Although 500+ people have joined the group already! Ummm, I don't know..

I shall be back on the radar from now on I promise!

Mirasol - A Fair Trade Project

Has anyone else seen this in their local John Lewis? Apparently its an exclusive. I just love it! Poor Julia in Nottingham's yarn department didn't know what to say as I gushed at her yesterday! The books and yarns are destributed by Designer Yarns, those behind Noro, DB and Louisa Harding.

I bought the accompanying book, which is full of Jane Ellison's patterns. She does a lot of work with Noro, and I've never really been interested in her designs. Maybe it's that I'm not a big Noro fan. This book is gorgeous. It was £10, but if crammed full of all sorts of stuff. Cardies, jumpers, tanks, hats, some interesting sideways knit gloves, scarves. Lots of patterns. I want to show you some, but the scanner is packed away. I have my heart set on a cotton blend (following your advice Pat!) fairisle cardy. Really simple, shown in blues and pinks. The yarns include 'Miski' an aran baby llama; 'Sulka', a merino, silk and alpaca blend and 'Cotanani', a cotton and merino blend DK. There is also this beautiul variagated dk merino, called Hacho. In gorgeous shades. I bought some!

The idea is to support the children looking after alpacas in peru. A percentage (although no-where seems to say exactly what that is...) of each sale goes to building a school, amongst other things.

I think this book is great. This kind of project has a tendancy to be a bit 'earthy' in terms of design, for my taste. But this is great. Some real classic designs with a bit of interesting fair isle thrown in. And good for JL for scoring something new and interesting...

SP Goodness

Well, today I feel totally spoilt, again! Thank you so much Chocolate Gerbera. Once again you are spot on with your choices. This is a great package, full of really interesting textures. This really cheered me up after I spent yesterday at work saying goodbye to all my colleagues. Strangly it was my supervisor saying 'I'll just say bye for now, I know you'll be back' that got me started!! I walked out of his office and burst into tears. His secretary Sheila just handed me chocolate. Good girl!

A little package of desk-y items, a stapler (my colleague and I have a joke about me needing to buy one of these - perfect), paper clips, sellotape and a rubber. Awesome. Already packed in my box of desk items to take tomorrow..

A great shoe shaped keyring. Perfect. I love me some shoes. Somehow this got missed of the pic.

A box of great fruity teas, one of my faves. That too is packed for my new office already..

DB Alpaca silk in choclate - this is truely one of my favourite yarns, but I've not tried the DK yet. It seems even softer then the aran.

Sirdar bamboo in a creamy colour. My first go with Bamboo! I have lots friends about to have babies, so this will come in very useful. I feel a hat or booties coming on. It's so soft!

A great selection of brown ribbons. Velvet and satin. Just gorgeous. I love interesting trims.

Thanks so much CG, you really have my colours worked out! And I think I may have worked you out.......