Happiness is...

successfully making a (slightly wonky) crochet flower, after many failed attempts at crochet!

The guidance on Attic24's blog was brilliant! http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/teeny-tiny-flowers.html

Today I'm thinking of the simple pleasure of holding a new skein of wool and wondering what it wants to be...

Lots of knitty gifts!

My birthday brought me this fab sock book and a knitting magazine from my hubby and some lovely yarn earrings from my pal :-)

There are soooo many lovely socks to choose from in this book, that I think that I will be busy for the next decade at the speed I knit!

Obsessive knitter on the edge

This video shows how knitting is not for the faint-hearted and it can put your life in peril...

When knitting becomes an obsession. Directed by Laura Neuvonen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6ZjMWLqJvM

Christmas gift reactions

I spent lots of 2010 knitting presents for Christmas (samples of said gifts shown). These have now been distributed with reactions varying from amused indifference to clear delight. I was braced for less good reactions - I am satisfied that I made the gifts in a spirit of love, I enjoyed making them and I can't control how they were received. You win some you lose some! The delighted reactions made all my efforts worthwhile.

By the way, not everything that I knit is green!

My friend made me a gift - gorgeous bunting!! I was totally thrilled with it.

So much inspiration!

I've been watching series 1 of Kirstie's Homemade Home on Channel 4OD. Oh my goodness, I have got so many ideas buzzing around my head! I'm not sure that my local wool shop stocks enough wool for all the blankets, cushions and bunting that I'm going to make!

In the meantime, I'm knitting a cushion cover in Rowan DK which is taking me forever ... Perhaps that bunting will be a while yet.

Crafty people are the nicest people.

My friend and I had a lovely time at Ally Pally! I think I might have to book now for next year ... and start saving now!!

The journey there was so smooth that I would swear that we were in The Truman Show! Every train and bus was merely waiting for our arrival before they set off. The show began when we arrived (naturellement)!

I went there in the hopes of getting some inspiration for knitting, as well as for sewing, and I wasn't at all disappointed. There were so many lovely wools and so many gorgeous fabrics! I bought a couple of sewing magazines and got goody bags, which my daughter was thrilled with! I also bought some more sock wool (still working on my first pair of socks!), some recycled sari silk spun into a yarn and a couple of lengths of cotton fabric to play around with. I chatted to lots of very nice people who knew lots more about sewing and knitting than me, but were very patient with me.

Highlights of the day:

• Spending time with my bezzie mate was lovely!! (I have to say this, in case she reads this!).
• Rag rugging workshop was cool. I want a bodger!
• Touching lots of yummy wool.
• Getting home and showing off my haul to my excited daughter and endlessly patient hubby.

Low points:

• Man who got me to touch possum pelt before I remembered that 'pelt' means 'it died.'
• French knitting (so-called) teacher who made us feel very awkward when we arrived a little late, having got the start time wrong.
• Rude people on the train home who thought that very small children should have their own seats on a crowded train, and 'Ra girls' who gave fake apologies but didn't give me their seat.