Mum's socks are coming along nicely, and I'm sure that they will be done in time for Christmas. I don't think I'll share any photos again until after I've given them to her, since I know that she reads the blog. *waves* Hi Mum!
In the meantime, I've been taken in by more pompom fever, and I cast on last night for a Hampstead Wreath. This is a lovely pattern by Belinda and Wendy at TrueBritKnits, and it's raising money for Citymeals, a charity who have been providing invaluable support to vulnerable people in New York for many years, but particularly post-Sandy there has been even more need for their services. We forget sometimes just how incredible it is to have such a reliable and thorough NHS and social services infrastructure here in the UK. This isn't the case in other parts of the world, and much of what we take for granted just isn't available unless you have the money or insurance to pay for it.
I am slightly nervous that the scale of my pompom may not work with the scale of my wreath... This is made using my EXTRA LARGE pompom maker, has a diameter of 4.5in and used a whole ball of Sirdar Big Softie! I think it will be the centre pompom, with smaller pompoms surrounding it. It's going to be a stunner, I feel sure of it!
I am also lusting after some of the other True Brit Knits designs, and I feel that it's my duty to make sure that you are properly familiar with Belinda & Wendy's work....
© TrueBritKnits
This is my current jumper obsession. It's called Pendleton, and is knitted in Artesano Aran (a lovely yarn!). Every knitter should have this somewhere in their Ravelry queue, surely?! At this time of year (and it's -6C out there today in Somerset) this kind of snuggly warm jumper is perfect! I've been yearning for some aran to magically appear in my stash overnight, but it's not happened so far. You can bet I'll be casting it straight on if I get my hands on some though! It would look fantastic with the Toast cord skirt that I bought in the sale last year...
What I do have yarn for is the Titfer Hat. And this is a great example of one of Belinda's brilliant qualities, and why EVERYONE should follow her on Twitter (she and Wendy are TrueBritKnits over there too). She's hilarious. Seriously funny, and if I'm in need of a giggle, she can be relied upon for a quick quip that just makes my side ache. The hat is lovely, and I have some John Arbon Knit by Numbers in my stash, but the blog post and pattern page talking about the design and naming of Titfer are very funny and well worth a read.
© TrueBritKnits
So, if you haven't already, add Belinda to your list of people to follow on Twitter, friend her on Ravelry (or in her own BelindaBoaden account), like her on Facebook and bookmark her blog (the Monday Mood posts by Wendy are super-inspiring!). And go and give those patterns some love on Ravelry as well. I have!
And now back to my frenzy of pre-Christmas knitting...
Disclaimer: Belinda has NOT paid me, or asked me to shower her with compliments this morning. She has gifted me the odd pattern from time to time, but I would also happily buy them. She's just a genuinely good-egg, and I love working with her too. :)
