Happy, Sunny Days!

At last we have been having some Happy Sunny Days! I was getting very fed up with all the rain and wind, and although it’s still cold, the promise of sunny days is there in the daffodils and tulips in the garden, and the cheeky primulas in pots. (I love the dark purple ones.)

I have just finished knitting a pair of socks on the way home from a mini break in Barcelona where we had 4 happy, sunny days. I checked on the government website what is permitted in hand luggage and was pleased to see that knitting needles are now allowed. I like flying, but it’s dull without something to do, so knitting socks was a perfect project; small enough to carry, small needles not to poke my husband sat next to me( in a very cramped space) and easy to pick up and put down. So Tah! Dah! here they are! I love the graded colouring of the yarn, and I’m looking forward to starting another pair with the second ball of yarn I bought in a different colour way….well I couldn’t resist!

Talking of sunny days, do you have any spring/summer projects in mind? I find Ravelry an endless source of inspiration, have a look… Its free to join this online knitting and crochet community. If you find a pattern you like, what if you can’t find the right yarn? Or you have some Gorgeous Yarn and don’t know what to make with it? Have a look at this link which clearly describes how to substitute yarns, how to check tension and how to adjust to fit. I recently finished a cardigan from an Inside Crochet Pattern, Issue 73 which I have chatted about before. I had the slight problem of not being able to get the recommended yarns, but with some careful tension swatches, and a bit of “ad lib” I have made a lovely cardigan which fits me well and uses yarn that I already had. The dark blackberry colour is a Debbie Bliss yarn that I bought a while ago (with no idea what I was going to make with it), and the lighter and darker pink/plum shades are Eden Cottage yarns DK, currently on offer until the end of april with £1 off/100g skein. So, be a bit daring, get the yarn you love, when you see it, and find a pattern later, be an individual and make something unique!

Enjoy these happy, sunny days, hopefully we will be able to sit outside and knit and crochet before long!

Bye for now, Caroline