Free at last!

Free, free, free. Done with the Clapotis. No offence, (to designer, "improving" knitters, over-sensitive souls or anyone else for that matter) but this is the most boring pattern I have knitted in a very long while. Serves me right for jumping on the bandwagon - which I just caught by the skin of my teeth, as it disappeared into the sunset.

The fact that it was finished at all is due to #1 daughter, her flute and the County Music Service, who insist on arranging concerts at the drop of a hat. Prime knitting time but you do need to choose your project with care. Clapotis was the perfect thing - simple enough to allow me to drop the needles and applaud enthusiastically every few minutes.

Here she is:



whirling round in the garden. And here again, more sedately:



Yarn is some unknown stuff from the "boutique" (aka Charity Shop) months ago. The pictures only give a vague idea of the slinky nature of the fabric, which is really rather nice. Many Clapotis rely on colour for their effect, this one relies on the fluidity of the fabric. It's also surprisingly warm but yet light at the same time. Many thanks to #1 son (at home with a bad cough/general lowness) for the "action" shots.

Work on the Kimono Jacket is stalled because I have taken up the Garden Shawl once again. It's a combination of a kick up the botticelli from Mary Ann in the US and the fact that the weather is brighter, so I can actually see what I am doing. There isn't all that far to go now, though I can see that the border is going to be a killer. Nothing could be quite so bad as the ruffle on "Flirty Ruffles" - 2,235 stitches or thereabouts.

Mother (she of the tattoo) wants to take me on holiday to Italy. I'm sure part of this is because she knows I speak Italian and will be able to translate and smooth any difficulties. It is not in my nature to complain, however. So, in docile fashion, I have arranged a trip to Sorrento at the end of April. I am attempting to find yarn shops in Naples (only half an hour away across the bay) but have so far drawn a blank. I have emailed Adriafil to see if they have a stockist there and await their reply with interest. If anyone has any good recommendations, please feel free to tip me off.

I thought I might pop down to Shipston Needlecraft this afternoon and peruse the new Rowan Mag (#39). Some reports describe it as boring, some as not quite so exciting as in the past. I like Sharon Miller's design, Carolina, but then I like most of Sharon's work. I don't know about paying £10.50 for the pattern, though. Especially not when I suspect that the application of a few grey cells and a flicking through of Sharon's excellent "Heirloom Knitting" would result in my being capable of winging it (or something very like it.) I should stop now, before my head swells up to such an extent that my hat will no longer fit.