Three is company

No, not preggers. But I did win a special award for being the youngest to learn to knit in my Secret Pal group which I feel rather happy about. Strangely like I've achieved something....hmmmm. Or not.

So here is the little baby cardi I did in the james c brett marble chunky last weekend. Cast on sat am, cast off sun pm. I love marble. Marble, marble, marble. And as Anne pointed out over on the podcast page my favourite store is stocking marble chunky although only in packs. I have emailed them to ask if they'll do it by the ball and they said they'd think about it. That's what I like about them - there's real people in there that respond to one-to-one stuff with proper answers and everything.

I also, finally, finished my first magic loop socks which are destined for sianybo's poor clodhoppers. We have EB running through my dad's family. I don't have it at all although I suppose I could be a carrier. Means sianybo needs to be careful about her socks so I'm hoping these will be ok.

Staying on the subject of socks I've started these from Interweave Knits from winter 05. They are called embossed leaves socks but I'm thinking of them as my cherry blossom socks. This is the first of the sockyarns my lovely SP gave me and they're coming together very nicely indeedy!

And EVEN MORE SOCKS! This rather pathetic little thing is a sample I did of a sideways sock. I actually did it some time ago but only sewed it up today. I can see the shaping went a bit wrong but the idea is sound.

And EVEN MOOOOOOORE SOCK!

OK, finally. I've been doing what I've been thinking of as log cabin squares with a view to making them into a blanket for charity. But looking at them I realised they weren't really log cabin. Anyway, they keep me busy when I feel like a bit of mindless crochet.

Parcel number two!

Knit-wise I had a pretty damn awesome week. Parcel number two has arrived already from my secret pal and boy oh boy am I being spoilt. It actually got here on Thursday but I have been rather remiss in not blogging until now. Here are some ickle pictures for you....

This is what I came across when I opened it. So much stuff!

A few highlights...some divine sock wool. This time from an australian source.

Some smellies, tied up with this amazing wire and bead stuff that was also around a CD containing tonnes of hip hop lovelyness.

A beautiful couple of magazines. My pal also included some of those page marker post-its (in red, so thoughtful) to mark my favourite patterns with and I have used every last one. Will try to scan some of them for my next post.

And then there was this.... I left it til last as I had an inkling what it might be from questions she'd asked me.

Now I have a video of my newly sock-clad feet doing a little dance but it hasn't yet made it onto the computer so these pictures just don't do them justice but - finally - I understand why people like getting handmade socks so much. And these are such an amazing pair!

Bit more detail:

Plus a lovely strawberry candle, lip balms and all done up in such a lovely way. Here's the complete haul!

Went round portobello road with sian yesterday. Found a little bakery that specialised in cupcakes and cakes. Queue coming out the door! We had to stop and try one. I had a chocolate bling (with those little silver balls fairy cakes always used to have in my yoof) and sian got a red velvet in the cute little take away box.

You'll notice my cupcake didn't make it whole to the picture. Well, you don't buy them to look at, do you?

There have been many replies to my appeals to help curb stash enhancement in my last podcast which promise to make the episode 5 even better than the others. And many thanks to those people who have left a review on itunes!

Now must go and answer the latest rsvp's for Nickerjac's baby shower which promises to be excellent and quite possibly cupcaketastic. But before I do, I have this strange urge to get going on a feather and fan something or other. Yarnstorm has one going on. Nickerjac has one as her page header and A Mingled Yarn has just done a very lovely scarf and there are more. I'm not sure whether to give in and just do it or stay strong. I've never had much luck with them before. I always get my repeats and increases mixed up.