Take-away knitting

I'm packing for 7 blissful days away and have one more item to consider for my carry on bag.

I realise the choice of knitting to take to a Greek island is not everyone's priority.  Most people will decide on how much factor 8 to take and whether factor 30 should be used for the face, how many pairs of flip-flops and which bathing costumes (is this the year I finally ditch the bikini?) But for a holiday with a dear friend that you just do not see nearly enough of, knitting is perfect.  As long as I choose something without a complicated pattern, knitting and chatting (as every knitter knows) is the perfect combination.

So, its going to be hot, fine cotton is far better than wool, a simple sleeveless top could be finished in the week and short wooden needles do not upset the security system.

I chose to make Gretel by Julie Weisenberger  in charcoal Habu Cotton Gima - perfect!  The pattern is readily available on line, I found the yarn in exactly the colour I wanted and I have the right size Knit Pro interchangeables

But I don't have the yarn.  I ordered it last week, Thursday to be precise and paid extra to have it posted first class but it has not turned up and I am off to the airport long before the next post arrives.  I haven't received a reply to my two  polite e mails either.  Well the first was very polite, the second a little more complainey - I suggested they should refund the cost of postage at least (first class was £3, whereas second class was free)

I wonder if anyone else has had problems with on line orders?  I order quite a lot of yarn on line and this is the longest I have ever had to wait.

Of course I could (and probably should) have gone to my local yarn shop but they don't have Habu, few places do.  But they do have Noro and yesterday I fished these six balls of Sekku out of a bargain bin at half price.  But I don't want to knit Gretel with this, I want a cardigan and I have no time to trawl ravelry again, (this time for the perfect cardigan)

So I have swatched and cast on enough stitches for fronts and back in one will knit 3 inches of rib and stocking stitch up to the armholes.  I will find a pattern for all the shaping when I get home

I reckon what with all those other Greek island things to do apart from knitting and chatting (like swimming a bit, dozing a lot and eating at the beach pizzeria) this will be quite enough to do.

x

C

my colours 3KCBWDAY1

You may have noticed the panel (at the side of the blog) that I have had up for a few weeks and wondered what I was up to.  Well, knitting and crochet blog week has arrived.  I joined in this bit of fun last year when a total novice blogger and  had a lot of fun, so here I am joining in again and blogging every day for a week

Today it's all about colour.  It was my very talented cousin Sharon Verry who first remarked on my consistent choice of colours for clothes when she gave me this beautiful scarf.

She said - 'I have made it in your colours'.  My colours?  I didn't know I had my own colours, then when I looked at the dark reds, greens and blues I realised they were colours that made me happy and - yes - nearly all my clothes were in some variation of this colour combination

Then thinking about my yarn stash and about this post I realised how much yarn I have in similar shades

There's Noro double knitting

Sock yarn from Opal

Fabulous wool and silk Manos

Yet more Noro (laceweight this time)

Finally this, my first stash purchase, Gedifra, bought three years ago from John Lewis sale and where it all began.  Not where knitting began, I've clattered around on the pointed sticks for years but the beginning of a new way of buying yarn, simply for its self.

And believing that having no idea what to make with a few balls of beautifully coloured yarn is not sufficient reason to resist the purchase.

As I said at the beginning these ARE my colours.

xx

C