wool! patterns! magazines! and life!

First off my bargain a recent purchase of some 19 balls of clearance Handknit Cotton.  I need to confess to buying more yarn (but I am so far resisting the urge to poke needles through it!  to that end I spent last night knitting two chevrons on my Killing III grey jumper and felt all the better for it.)

I have several patterns in mind for this lovely soft grey yarn and as its one I've knit before I'm open to suggestions!  Half price is always good don't you think? and with dh approaching retirement I need to get it while I can! (thats my excuse, I mean careful reasoning!!)

And a photo of me wearing the lovely Glencoe:

I am grimmacing a bit at dh, he took three photo's of me and this was the best of the bunch - anyway you get the idea, lots of fine tweed loveliness about my neck.
Last week I signed up after a good think about whether I ought or not, to the lovely Anniken Allis's Continental knitting course which starts on Monday - earlybird signing meant I could choose to the value of £10 any of her books or patterns and I chose this!
I can't wait to start the course, I have taught myself the basics of knitting in this style but I always end up going back to my usual "English" picking and although I am comfortable with this, it helps to knit with left hand for two handed fairisle and as THAT is my aim for this year, I felt it worth the money and effort to sign!  I will let you know how it goes.

This months copies of The Knitter and Simply Knitting have arrived together - good timing for nice weekend reading - not that our weekend will be that relaxing, I work Saturdays and on Sunday it is dh's Niece's daughter's 2nd birthday and we are invited to her tea-party! (I'm hoping she's not got squillions of friends!  the little-one I mean, not dh's Niece! its been a while since we've had a small toddler party and as she celebrates her daughter's 2nd, later on we will be celebrating our no.1.son's 20th!!  now how did THAT happen?  20yrs! I can't believe its been that long, can you?

Well. that aside. the Magazines.
Firstly, every turn of the page on issue 55 has me queuing or fave'ing every pattern BUT there are some that I have my eye on in seriousness.
"Winterbloom" a rollneck jumper with cables and lace by Martin Storey
"Jellyfish" a crescent shawl shaped using short rows by Anniken Allis
"Sugar Kelp" loose fitting jumper with cables by Emma Vining
"Whernside Cushion" slip stitch cushions by Sheepfold
"Henri" a trendy shawl collar cabled jacket (for no.2.son)
"Curlew" by Twilleys of Stamford a short sleeved, textured yoke cardigan
and "The Herring Girl Wrap"!  (unless of course I buy the Guernsey Triangle pattern I've been stalking for ages till it came up for sale).

Talking of stalking, I've been watching for some tv inspired knits and in particular the oversized plaited cowl/scarf thingie that Watson wore from Elementary and THIS according to the group I joined, is the closest pattern to it.
there is a KAL for it and I'm considering joining however it would mean compromising on my strict no-finish-no-start (same) projects rule for the New Year.  I have, though, finished Glencoe which as a scarf is sort of giving me a gap to slot something "new" in?  (but, then again, I've slotted in a pair of ribbed socks for no.1.son. bah.  too MANY projects and YARNS I wants to knit NOW I need to get a grip).

The Knitter and Simply Knitting both have pretty good small supplements of additional patterns this month too, its rare to get the magazines both with patterns I love and makes up for the weaker content in other issues, but I need to make a decision about which magazines to keep and drop.
its proving expensive to buy Knit Now and Yarnwise monthly as well as subscriptions to The Knitter and SK and at the moment dh is working, but presently he will be retiring and ££ will be tight.

Elsewhere we had an unproductive wasted and stressful visit down to our son's dentist and we have resolved now to accept that just "giving up" and him requesting extraction in place of root filling is the way to go.  I'm so cross about it I don't want to talk.  It was nice, however, to see our son midway through his term.  He has a birthday coming soon so we will travel down to take him out for a meal and then it won't be long before he breaks for Easter.
This year our youngest son will be applying to go to Uni and we face the prospect of NO children in the house (and dh IN the house full time!!) I don't know which I'm dreading the most!!

Knit-wise, my aim to be more organised is paying off, I picked up the chevron sleeve and with relative ease compared to my usual method of tracking, I found my place and it was stress-free to pick up and continue with the notebook system I put in place.