Shawls, hat and a wool fueled bender

Its yet again, been a while. Computer has been acting up.

I got some yarn from Puddleduck's in Cullen last weekend. Which is a lovely shop in a lovely little village on the Moray coast. Puddleduck's specialises in Quilting stuff, but it also does yarn, gifts and a nice selection of food. Its not a restaurant, more like a mini cafe with soups, toasties, baked potatoes, puddings. I'm sure there was more, I just saw as far as the Cullen Skink and that was me. Cullen Skin is a regional dish that I have taken to in a major way, I love it and eat it every chance I get. Bar one. And I made that. It was horrible. Recipe didn't work for me. It worked for the person who gave it to me, but me, nope. Ghastly. Anyway its smoked haddock and potato in a creamy sauce. Now it sounds horrible, but it tastes fantastic and is a firm favourite of mine.

Anyway (the prologue), the yarn room is sadly (for them) is in a room off the main room, so I couldn't be seen by the people who worked there. So I spent a merry few minutes stroking CGBF's cheek with some (face cheek).
Yea he found it a bit strange, it was just to test its softness to see if it was good for next to the skin, don't want their ear tips being rubbed raw. Around here the cold is bad enough without irritating the skin at the same time. Its not as bad as Canada, but when our Canadian came into work singing "Oh Canada" you know its heading that way. I spend a not quite fun but certainly amusing and crazy few hours several days ahem weeks in a row skiting and sliding around singing Oh Canada on an ice sheet. Espicially one day after being sent home early after a weather warning. It took 6 hours for the traffic to clear the center of town. I'm glad I wasn't driving. The weather was so bad this week I've just gone out and bought new boots. And went to Wool for Ewe (my local LYS) singing I got new booties and I cannot lie, and I cannot shy, out of puddles and lakes and splooshy things, cosy boots will keep me dry.

I stopped singing once they started to rub. There was an issue with my last boots. They weren't boots for a start and things degenerated from there, they were trainers/gutties/sneakers. They also had a mesh top which as it turned out were not waterproof. Unimpressive. A fan of wet toes I am not. Although coming home to a cuddle from a sympathetic CGBF was a good thing.

Anyway, the prologue, Puddleducks, its not as if I was using the yarn to hypnotise him in a "feel the fuzz, see only the fuzz, even though you'll only see it in one eye because your nose is in the way and I'm only stroking you with one ball of yarn, feel the fuzz, love the fuzzz, the fuzz is all there is, sink deep into the yarn, love the yarn". He, after a strange look ( not unexpected that, actually it is, he knows me well enough by now), decided it was nice yarn and should be good against the face. Just in case your worried, we bought the yarn tested that way. Onwards from a yarny prologue The shop was heaving, you would have though that it was the festive season and it was the only sanctuary from the cold/mayhem/greed. There was about three fairs, a coach trip and the locals were also seemingly out in force. Go them :) because it was a lovely day and the food was really nice. The shop is unusual because in the back where there is (from what I can tell) a really good selection of quilting stuff. And in that room was a collection of tables and sewing machines and lot of ladies, chatting away while working on their own projects and using the kit in what looked like a self propelled production line. These woman were not wasting time and they were buzzing away, almost running around with their projects. A quilter in the wild is a fast thing. Estimted land speed record, 50mph at normal. So I can only imagine that they knew something that I didn't. Or maybe quilting like time does not wait for any person. Perhaps unlike time it shouts, or that people are guessing that our mythological "Barbeque summer" is going to take any mild winter weather off outside for a smoke and it'll be Baltic. Maybe they wanted something to cuddle under with their loves this winter. Or as is traditionally mused over last November was a nasty one and there is a lot of people needing more bedding or birthday gifts (that's for you Rebecca)

But I got some Sirdar Tweedie and I must say that I was disappointed. Especially in comparison to the Donegal tweed (either from the making company or Debbie Bliss selling the same stuff probably at a much higher price). The little slubby bit which are a different colour come out easily unlike the Donegal tweed which has then welded in. Its also a bit rougher if only by a little. But it is 2 ply which is a major plus as this prevents it unravelling and leaving me with a . But it is a different composition. Donegal tweed is 85% wool and 15% Angora at £4.75 for 50g, the Sirdar Tweedie is £3.17, 45% acrylic, 40% wool and 15% Alpaca. So it did cost less and in the spirit of this being a Peru hat with Llama/Alpaca hats on, I think this is appropriate and hard enough wearing to keep this lot from doing something sob inducingly disastrous and horrible to it in what will be some sort of what will be seriously wierd accident. I've been using a pattern I got off Ravelry, the link to the pattern is here http://personal.smartt.com/~brianp/llamaHat.html. And it seems to be coming along nicely in red. The pattern is simple and excellent for a vegetation knit when you want something simple to knit because your focusing on something else.

But I've strayed (The Prologue). I've cast on a new shawl and slightly abandoned my shawl. I've cast on another. The Shawl and scarf duo pattern from Sirdar. I've made the scarf before in Wendy bamboo which I love (I've previously mentioned it) so now I have. This is being knit in really nice silver white now discontinued Blur and it is really really cosy. Which is unsurprising for a fuzzy acrylic and Kid Mohair blend. The pattern is easy to memorise (especially since I've already memorised it from the scarf) and it was coming along fast. Although I think I've made a mistake... right now its a few inches long and hearing fast towards being long enough to be a Ra Ra shirt. Which is inappropriate since its for CGBF's mum. Its a nice simple knit and when I want to be challenged I get out the Nightsongs shawl. Which is unlike the blur not slippery. Half the time I feel like I'm trying to hold a desperately squirming and possibly oily cat, if I'm not sliding away it is and the needles are helping. Fickle buggers flirting with either side at random intervals. Grrr.

But why am I knitting a shawl for CGBF's mum? See it kind of ballooned.

My lovely cousin is getting married next summer and since she's a ways been good to me (and my younger siblings and putting up with Ooooh bla and bla are here lets go hang out with them) I decided to knit a shawl. So how am I instead knitting one for CGBF's mum right now? I was thinking too much, I was making one for my cousin so I should make one for her mum who has always been really nice to me. Then I realised that my Granny who lives nearby might be upset that made something for them and not her. So I should make her one too. Then I realised the same applied to my mum, so she should get one too. So off and up to Wool for Ewe and got the Blur and pattern. But its more to CGBF's mum's liking and I think she'll like the colour. So now I have 5 shawls and none for the the two people I really need them for. But I have all winter to do them in so that's ok I delude myself. But I have picked out the Aeolian shawl (wow) for my Auntie and the Gibbie shawl from The Shetland Wool company for my cousin. Having had a mull over things granny isn't one for shawls. She'd think that i considered her an old woman and mum would think the same. A Mobius shawl for granny and something scarflike I haven't decided for mum.

I had a wool fueled bender as well this week.
The yarny goodness I got on one of two aforementioned trips within 3 days to Wool for Ewe I got a knitting bag as I keep loosing my DPN holders (little jumper shaped things from clover) in the bag or on the bus. I, my hinderquarters or my mutually attractive pants (the back of my trousers keep slipping down a bit on 2 pairs of my trousers so I can only conclude my trousers are scarily sentient and have decided my pants are that lovely that they should be appreciated my many people and thus slip down. Often and usually when I'm unable to busy to rescue them. It means I need to buy fancy knickers (Not granny pants, never granny pants) more often so those around me don't get bored. I'm sure they appreciate the thought) absolutely fascinating one bloke on the bus hunting for it for about 10 minutes. I got the Dolphin holder which is just the right size for socks and their DPNs. I also got a lovely burgendy red and gold bag from Blue moon. Which will not last long, I got home and CGBF's first comment was, that's a really nice bag, it looks perfect for a shaving bag. I have a temporary reprieve. I got more Blur for a matching scarf, more Debbie Bliss, last of the same dye lot to make CGBF a jumper and maybe a scarf, I also got some purple Twilley's of Stamford Gorgeous and off white Jarol Cool Aran to use as Weft (the long one that goes up and down the loom). Yes I am ready to try it... Later today. I'll use Twilley's freedom spirit (dark green and mainly purple) on the Twilley's gorgeous. The Jarol will be used for the blue hand spun for Rebecca. I'm due to start sorting the weft and from there making a scarf today. Eeeeek. Lord is Gul Dukat is hot if disturbing. Actually I left by youngest brother and he had a neck. As you'd expect him to. I came back to visit and he had none, he looked like this, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Guldukat.jpg without the ridge bits.. I. Was. Shocked. Absolutely shocked. Yes he maybe a rugby player but he's been one for years and for it to suddenly disappear was nothing short of shocking when he wandered in to say hi. Scary Mary. Right I'd better leave wool behind before I ramble much more.

I also had a trip to Lakeland and I got some Le Parfait jars, cake tins, chopsticks and a pudding steamer. No spatula :(. I have never made a steamed pudding. But I have a Kenwood to christen, some naivety, eggs, marmalade and a recipe from the saturday Kitchen "Shirley Spears' marmalade pudding with Drambuie custard". I am not making the custard. Woohooo :).

Anyway I have two thoughts.

1 is sponge puddings easy to make?
2 its a bad idea to get water on electrics, we all should know that. So how bad an idea is it to take a dripping wet umbrella (and self) up an escalator?