Finally, some knitting

It's been a long slog but I finally finished the petal shawl from elann.com. Here it is unblocked.

Now here is where we get to a funny story. I finished it and so I decided to block it. Ok so far? So, I pinned it out on our spare bed because it is too big for the table. So anyway, it covers most of the bed. Then I sit back and take it easy - watch babylon 5, drink water, paint my nails etc etc. Pooch phones and he's pretty drunk and incoherent but says he'll be home soon. Hah! I go to bed and then at about 1.15am arrives....the Pooch. Oh yes. And here we go....

P: BYRNE, Byrne, Byrne, Poor Pooch, Byrne.
A: Good grief. Come to bed.
P: Oooo noooooooo (nooooo, noooo, nooooo in voice of emperor paletine in star wars)
(Cue various stumblings etc)
A What are you up to?
P: Oh dear Byrne. I think.... poor Pooch. Think I shoud sleep in the other room.
A: No Pooch, you have to sleep in here because of the shawl I'm blocking.
P: Byyyyrrrrrnnnnnnneeeee.
Now this is where I should have got my camera out and recorded the performance because it was prime Pooch. He lay there on his back with his paws in the air making a mixture between groaning and wailing noises - the kind of sound casper would have made had he grown up into a ghosty adult and had a hard night on the diamond white. He was adament that he couldn't sleep in the same bed as me. By this time I am out of bed and stumbling around trying to get him to undress. Anyone ever tried to undress a drunken adult male who keeps slipping in and out of consciousness and who has done his belt up in such a secure manner that not even julian clary could get in there? I had to NEGOTIATE with this drunken nutter just so he could go to bed without his jeans on.

He's still determined to sleep in the spare room so I lay a single duvet over my precious (and damp) shawl and tell him to lie on top of that. I tunr my back for 2 seconds and a drunken pooch is now semi naked and lying right on top of my damp shawl with the single duvet over him. I got to admit I started laughing. Getting him off the shawl was complicated by the fact it was pinned out and he was (thank god really) wearing his underpants. Cue humourous scenes of Pooch with snagged pants. And me laughing some more.

Strangely the shawl survived the night and the morning found it in an awful lot better shape than the Pooch. Here it is wrapped round me in snuggly wonder.

It took a whopping 11 balls of rowan cashsoft aran so was an expensive project but it is pretty lovely and should keep me warm on the plane to....AMERICA. Oh yeah, I leave on tuesday morning. So I know what you're thinking, "What knitting is she going to take with her?".

Well.

Do you remember this bad boy?

It was going to be Rob's xmas present but this is the back so far so it's not exactly going quickly or to schedule. Anyway, this is what I'll be taking with me. Plus maybe some socks. Just for variety.

Yes, I have been doing much research into philadelphian wool shops and frankly it's good news. I am very excited! Plus I ordered a load of stuff from elann and am getting it delivered to the hotel so no crazy postage or customs charges - hoorah!

So just a couple more bits to catch up on before Dr Who kicks off.
1. Respect my t-shirt.... remember gangster knitting by tom and doug? Well this is the photo from it.

2. Respect my bed covers. I just can't get enough polka dots.


Ok, got to go as now Dr Who has actually begun. Will post again before I depart!