Ginger Knits UK

I've had pesky RSI/Carpal tunnel/hurty left arm on and off for a few months now. I'd mostly been ignoring it as I'd had similar symptoms in my right had which cleared up when I went travelling back in June (eep, just realised I still haven't blogged about that trip), but ignoring the symptoms didn't work and my hand had become more and more sore. So I decided to take a self enforced break from knitting, which seems to have worked. Anyone who things abstinence is a bad thing is quite right. While on my break all I could think about was knitting. I'd plough through pages and pages of pattern searches looking at all the lovely things I couldn't make. And of course I wanted to make all of the things. Lots of friends have had babies over the last few months and my dark side kept on whispering "go on, just a pair of booties, it won't hurt, go on, do iiiiiit". Self control won over the lure of the knit, my symptoms have improved, and over the last...

Remember this ? Well it turns out I did win a prize. Not enough people finished the actual challenge so there were prizes left for runners up. Well look what came in the post today all the way from America. See that customs label? Ooh, and the nifty postcard and yarny sticker... and all together now, aaaaaaah! A big thank you to Jill Draper who donated my prize. Check out her etsy shop here . This yarn is so soft and squidgy. I wonder what it will turn into?

My lovely cousin Jane got married at the weekend. She's been with her partner husband Chris for ages so they have everything they need so requested charity donations instead of wedding presents, but it it nice to receive presents, and I was pretty sure they didn't have a cricket tea cosy . They are both ex-Navy so I made the cosy in Royal Navy colours. I also pointed out on the gift tag that this is not a cat jumper in case their ginger moggy ended up sporting knitwear. Jane is a Yorkshire lass so I used DK Wensleydale Longwool yarn , held double for the body and singly for the sleeves and collar. The pattern is fun and quick to knit and I will definitely make this again. And it is a p/hop pattern designed by my brilliant friend Ros. On the morning of the wedding we went into nearby Malborough with my parents to have a look around. Malborough was as lovely and as twee as I expected, the good side of which is it has loads of great charity shops so we picked up some...