The Opposite of Scorchio

We've had snow!

This basically means that everything has shut down. Flights cancelled, tubes on go slow, events cancelled. London doesn't do cold weather very well. Which is unfortunate considering...

It does mean perfect crafting weather - just right for snuggling up with your knitting or your sewing machine. Knit-wise I've not much to report. Progress has been made on the baby blanket and I've cast on for my cloud jumper but there's nothing worth showing so far. With sewing though - the first hexagon for my Nancy Drew blanket is done.

I've also got a bit furtrher with my dresden cushion cover.

I don't like it. I am going to redo the middle as that thick blue line is not working. I wish now I'd invisible applique'd both the centre (which I can fix) and the whole to the backing (which I think will damage it too much to be worthwhile).

My parents are en route for the rest of the weekend so I've made Challah which is rising on the radiator. We're hopefully going to venture out for an Indian tonight with the Pooch, who has been on good form recently. He's discovered scandinavian murder mysteries and is longing for his own The Killing jumper. Which led me to find a whole website dedicated to that one jumper. Now that's dedication.

Thou Sweet and Lovely Wall

There is an opera (also a flute concerto) by JF Lampe which tells the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, as referenced in Midsummer Night's Dream. The opera includes an Air entitled "And Thou, Oh Wall" which itself contains the lyric I've used as a title and the following:

"Oh show me thy chink, that I may blink..."

I saw it at the Peacock Theatre very shortly after being released from the funny farm many years ago.If it ever comes to a town near you I would recommend it. The version I saw was hilarious with the show entirely stolen by the wall (shown above with Thisbe). And I mean that quite honestly. But this has nothing to do with blogging other than I am listening to it while typing.

I have managed to take a picture of one of the cardies I've made my niece-in-progress.

This one is going to have poppers since the mothering world seems divided on buttons vs poppers. Then there is a hat to match the first cardi.

Pom poms are going to feature more in my future baby creations. But I'll have to make them better than those scraggy looking ones. Beyond that, I have made progress on the baby blanket and finished my latest socks.

The pattern was Zig Zag Socks, free on Ravelry and very easy to do. I essentially used just the stitch count and stitch pattern, changing them to cuff down and adding my preferred heel and toe. And I had to rip back after the first came out too tight and add 2 repeats.

I am very pleased with them though and wearing them while typing (as well as listening to opera - kind of how I roll). There's no doubt colour changing yarn makes an all over pattern like this much more interesting. I'm always pushed to see how the next colour will look with the main colour - much like Jane with her blanket.

Work has been manic this week with the biggest event I'd organised to date on Thursday. 250 people all together, 26 sessions, 21 Speakers, breakfast, 4 coffee/cake breaks, lunch, evening wine buffet and a total of 375 cupcakes. I tried to get a photo of what that many cupcakes looked like but could only manage to get 8 dozen in frame.

The event went perfectly and I was delighted to see one of the Speakers ending his session with a lolcat.

Well it was about planning law - hard to make it entertaining but from the feedback he managed it.

There has also been a tiny amount of sewing. I made this Dresden for the blog hop and have this afternoon decided what to do with it.

The back is rather neat. I clipped the seams nearest the centre and when pressed all one way you get a 'nap' effect, like with velvet. Maybe.

I was actually pretty disappointed with it at first. I'd bought a jelly roll (see previous post for explanation) of polka dot fabric at the last year's Festival of Quilts and it looked *fanfrickingtastic* in the pack but then laid out they all looked a bit wishy washy. I am pairing it with a dark rosy grey though which brings out the colour and I think it will be ok. I've also been thinking more about my Nancy Drew quilt.

I'm thinking framed hexagons is the way to go. A hexagon with a 5" side is about 10" across, which is the size of my layer cake. Using this hexagon calculator I'll need 29 hex's for a single bed size quilt - or rather blanket. Anyone know where I can get 100% cotton flannel? I want to use that to back it and make it snuggly.

I leave you with some more lyrics, this time sung by a lion. The brackets denote that he is singing this sotto voce and there is a tendency for the audience to join in, also sotto voce and with much embarrassed exchanging of smiles.

Ladies don't fright you

(rah, rah rah)

I will delight you

(rah, rah, rah)

I will delight you

With gentle roar