So this where I hang out on Wednesday evenings – lovely little cafe called “Temptation” in the heart of the North Laines area of Brighton. Knitting is not only welcomed, it’s positively encouraged as the owner is a knitter too. You gotta love a place that has such fab tea cozies!

Elephant cozy

mmm...loverly cuppa tea

So, pictures then…let’s see if I’ve understood this properly.

Trying to find out whether I’ve set this up properly – if so, this post has been sent from my phone. How cool is that?

As a general rule, I am pleased with the items I knit; I choose the yarn carefully, considering colours, textures, durability, suitability for purpose, etc,etc and will adapt patterns where necessary.On this occasion, my tried-and-tested methods have let me down: I have made a scarf and I just don’t like it…

I like the pattern (Baktus, if you’re interested), it was easy to knit, the pattern was well written and I like the idea of the scarf, just don’t like the scarf! I think the problem lies with the yarn, which is Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn. The colours looked great in the ball but as I knitted, they just didn’t seem to work with each other – some parts are lovely, the pink blending into purple and the turquoisey parts, but the peachy colour and the yukky green are just, well, yukky really. What also p****d me off is the knot about halfway through the skein which caused a very sudden, jolting colour-change between yukky peach and turquoise – this yarn is expensive and knots are NOT acceptable, especially not in a yarn which bases its whole reputation on long, slow, subtle shifts from one shade to the next. (Click on the last photo to see the detail)

So, I’m pretty disappointed with this scarf, and don’t know whether to frog it, give it away or burn it as sacrifice to the knitting goddesses in the hope that they will look on this poor mortal more favourably in the future.

Ideas, anyone?

…from yesterday’s outing to Alexandra Palace for the Knitting and Stitching show:

Meilenweit sock yarn

Wool tops from Colinette

2ply hemp, hand-dyed, colourway unknown

These were the main purchases but I also bought some lovely Japanese fabric in fat quarters (which I forgot to photograph), a secret birthday present-type thing (which I can’t photograph or it wouldn’t be secret), a couple of extra bits for my Knit-pro interchangeable needles and some little beads (which I couldn’t be bothered to photograph). Quite restrained, really, especially as there was so much yumminess on offer. The hemp will (eventually) become a rather swishy and swirly lightweight jacket constructed from mitred squares which I am looking forward to knitting almost as much as I am looking forward to swishing and swirling in the finished item.

The best part about yesterday though was going up to the show with my friend Sara and meeting up with Lucy in London.

Sara and I have been friends for a long time but for various reasons had drifted apart over the last few years, so it’s been really good to get reacquainted and find that we still have a lot in common. Sara had never been to the K & S show before and was pleasantly surprised by what was on offer, although she said she can’t afford to go anywhere like that with me again, as though I were a bad influence or something! As if!

My darling daughter Lucy is 21 today.

I’ve already sent her my love and birthday wishes so won’t be embarrassing her further on here, but I’d really like you all to join me in wishing her the happiest birthday ever.

Another long gap between posts – I just don’t know where the time goes.

Since last time, I have:

• Attended the second wedding in two weeks. Before this I hadn’t been to a wedding in years and then two come along at once, just like buses! Very different weddings, but both very lovely and I wish both couples a lifetime of love and happiness.
• Done some rather plain, though useful, knitting. One down, three to go, a couple may be sewn rather than knitted -pictures when complete (if I remember).
• Congratulated Bethany on her “A” level results – B for French, B for Photography, E for Philosophy.  She doesn’t want to go to university, so will be starting the rather daunting task of looking for work and deciding what to do with the rest of her life.
• Taken Lucy back to Oxford. Term doesn’t start until the end of September but as she and her housemates are already paying the rent, they thought they may as well move in. The house is fine and I got to see a bit more of the city this time, but leaving my first-born so far away does not get any easier Yes, I know Oxford is only 120 miles away, but it seems much further…
• Got used to my new cooker and made some really scrummy food. I have found cooking to be a real chore in recent years, but having a new kitchen and cooker seems to have reawakened my interest. Have also been watching “Economy Gastronomy” on BBC2 which has really made me think about the way I cook and use ingredients. I’ve tried out some of the ideas and recipes featured in the programme to great effect – yesterday, for example, I bought half a salmon from the local fishmongers, poached it in white wine for dinner and have made the leftovers into fishcakes. Twelve meals from a piece of fish that cost £10.50! Also tried the basic braised mince – 1kg of mince that has been turned into spaghetti bolognese for 3, chilli con carne for 5 plus enough left to make a shepherd’s pie for 3. It’s definitely saving me money and worry, as I can cook one main dish and turn it into three or four other meals for the freezer or whatever, but it does mean that I’ve spent a bit too much of my “spare” time in the kitchen recently.
• Wasted far too much time on the ‘puter. No change there, then.
• Suffered two migraines, having not had one for months
• Grown (and eaten) lots of tomatoes. The peppers that were planted at the same time very soon succumbed to the slugs, but the tomatoes have produced lots of fruit and are so much tastier than those bought in the supermarket.
• Spent far too much time (and money) at the vet. Mollie developed cystitis last week and was quite obviously in pain and distress so off we went. Two injections and a feline happy spray seem to have done the trick as she is now back to her old self, lazing around on the sofa and eating at every opportunity. She absolutely loathes going to the vet and makes me feel really wicked for subjecting her to such an ordeal, but sometimes you just have to be cruel to be kind.

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Another long gap between posts -what can I say? There are two excuses reasons really; this is the first one, long overdue, but worth the turmoil, although I am now unable to afford any food to cook on my gorgeous new cooker .

This is the second.

Am pretty much recovered now, though still have a cough. Needless to say, there has been very little in the way of knitting and even less spinning going on chez Creek, although there has been much drooling and coveting via da intawebz. Last week I received my annual performance-related bonus from work and am now desperately trying to justify purchasing a weaving loom – nothing fancy, just a foldable rigid-heddle loom – but there are so many other calls on my hard-earned dosh (the kitchen, an up-coming 21st birthday, car tax, bread, water, yada yada) that I may have to wait a while longer…not fair!  ‘Scuse me whilst I sulk.

Free screen cleaning here

Much to my complete astonishment, I won first and second prize in the “Fancy yarn” section of the handspun competition at the Rare & Traditional Breeds show at the Weald & Downland Open Air museum. Gobsmacked is an understatement.

Just to add to the happies, Kate won the “novice” class as she only learnt to spin in 2008 (not that you’d know, to look at her yarn)