I am going to be led astray, I just know it!

On Saturday my very best friend is going to lead me into temptation, she is going to take me to a great wool shop and I am going to be her yarn consultant... I am not going to buy, I am there merely to advise... (yeah, like that is going to happen)


As you will remember, I have known her since I was 11 and we had coat pegs next to each other, I am God mother to her boys... in fact I taught them to blow raspberries and I know my role is to lead them astray wherever and whenever possible... she really should have thought this through.  But on Saturday, she goes to buy wool and I will be there... not buying you understand, merely to temper her choices (only if someone steals your purse and chops off your hands will you not buy).


Her niece is expecting a little girl in May, I have been through my patterns... I know this one is perfect:

My friend Pat made it, Pat is knitting perfection, the only woman I know who knits a swatch for a swatch, and it was fabulous, soft to the touch and gorgeous to look at.


So why do I think this is the one, well Pierina is Italian as is her niece, her niece lives near Milan, fashion centre of the Universe... so this is the one.  It has an elegant simplicity, (matching booties, too) the bow details on the pocket lifts it above ordinary but the challenge is making a border which fits precisely and lies like a dream. This was made for Cashmerino, to be touched by relations and cooed over by friends, never to touch a child for fear you might have to wash it before the knitter sees it on the baby.  


Otherwise I may need to look at my mother's 1940s stash of patterns and we could be bringing the pixie hat to Italy for the first time:

And she is still my best friend... well at least till she sees this post.


P.S. She still thinks I am only going to advise, I have to be honest I reckon the least amount of damage will be socks, just to keep me busy on the train!

Happy New Year - New Additions

Happy New Year readers! Let's hope that 2011 is a much better year than last year.

I have a friend who is expecting her very first baby in February, I have already forced on her a couple of pairs of booties and now I have made her a cardigan and matching hat courtesy of Sublime and Ravelry.  Both in essence simple patterns but they look so effective and made in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino.

The flower border is knitted and I thought it might look good in a contrasting colour but the borders looked rather plain and unfinished so I added a double crochet around the cuffs, collar and front.

I made a rather lovely hat to go with the jacket, just hope the babe to be will be able to keep the hat on!

The cup and saucer in the background is my very first cup and saucer... so over 50 years old, I still have the egg cup but not sure what happened to the porringer, if you know where it is, please may I have it back?

Hope that Stacey will like them both