Woodland Festival (Again)

Yep, that time of year again - the woodland festival at Harcourt Arboretum. It was cool - a bit bigger than last year, more spinners & yarn dyers, and a lot more rain. We bought cake. It was fantastic (also, it was last weekend, but we didn't do anything interesting this weekend!).




I have been doing lots of knitting of small things (I feel a jumper or cardy building up somewhere...), so I will try to get some shots this week, if I get around to washing & blocking & taking pictures of them, and if it stops raining!

The inevitable

Yep. Baby knitting. While I got a good start with the First Coat, there was more to be done. There still is lots more to be done! What could be better than having a baby at the start of winter?!

Unfortunately, the next item off the needles was intended as baby knitting, but turned out to be toddler knitting. Friends came last weekend with their lovely daughter, who just turned one, and it would be big on her. But I love it, and I think it will be really useful - the Baby Surprise Jacket.

Knitted on 5.5mm needles with lovely Gedifra Fashion Colour in an excellent blue/brown combination. It is a wool/acrylic blend, but it looks nice still in garter stitch and should wash well I hope. I don't know how the leather buttons will hold up, but who could say no!!! I think they are so cute. Anyway, I'm now prepared for the future.

There have been a few other things on the needles which have escaped the camera for one reason or other, but I started this yesterday, and I think it is looking cool.

It is the Green Zebra Baby Sweater from Dove Knits (Ravelry link), knit in some fairly nasty Sirdar snuggly acrylic and some fairly gorgeous Colinette Cadenza in Slate. I think the Cadenza would pool alot if you were knitting it in broader blocks of colour, but its ok for this purpose. And kinda jazzes up the baby blue.It is good fun, despite all the stocking stitch, as I am trying to conquer my intarsia issues, as well as learn jogless striping (for the arms). And it is quick, because it is all knit in one piece (no seaming! Yay!) So, hopefully I'll have another (more appropriately sized) knit to show you soon.

And finally, a bump picture (26 weeks this one), in front of our so-far-so-good tomatoes:

Spain - the final episode (I promise)

Ok, last installment of Spanish pictures, as there is knitting & all sorts of other stuff to write about, and I am sure you are all sick of this. Today - Cordoba & Madrid.

Cordoba was very pretty & very very hot. The mesquite was spectacular. The newer Christian part was much less cool, but the Moorish part was incredible.

It was enormous and beautiful and well worth the visit.

We went to some palaces, which were also lovely, and had wicked gardens with them - not quite as beautiful as the Alhambra, but lovely on a hot day nonetheless.

If you ever thought those Spanish fans were an affectation, think again. They are a life saver. If you ever go to Spain in the summer, buy one as soon as you land - you'll love it. Also, you can learn to make a cool noise with them when you open and close them, and the local women in the towns give you a little nod when you use it. Mine was just a cheap one, but there are some gorgeous ones around - mostly in the hands of locals, rather than in the shops though.

Madrid was great - a proper city full of living & working & stuff. Not touristy at all. Not a whole lot to see, but still good. The Prado had some lovely stuff (excellent Heironymous Bosch paintings!) Somehow, we didn't take any pictures, except of this yarn shop. We stumbled across it, and I was allowed in if I didn't buy anything (oh!). It was unbelievable - so many colours & weights & colours! Apparently, you bought it by weight (you chucked your required hanks on the scale there & added it up - just like at the butchers!) Seemed to be very reasonably priced. If you ever want to go there, it was on one corner of the main square where all the Inquisition stuff happened (your travel book will tell you what it is called, I'm sure).

Anyway, I guess I have had to revise my view on Spain. Prior to this trip, I hadn't really enjoyed our Spanish travel. Now, I'd recommend it. Even the food. Especially gazpacho & Espanol tortilla. Mmmm.