Cotswold Leaves Shawl and Filigran Laceweight Yarn Kits Now in Stock!

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

As promised in my last post - and in double quick time - we've received a delivery of mixed colours of the wonderful Filigran Laceweight Pure Merino wool:

We've now kitted these up with the Cotswold Leaves Shawl pattern and - voila - the perfect summer project (or even present for a dear friend!):

You may remember that I knitted this shawl for my 2012 Ravellenic Games project and was very anxious at the beginning as to whether I'd get it done in time or not.  As it transpired, the pattern was very easy to follow, the wool is lovely to knit with and I got it finished in plenty of time.  Here is my shawl:

  

 

Most of the colours we now have in stock are plain but - as you can see from the purple one on the pattern - plain colours work just as well as mixed - if not better and a gold shawl (for instance) over a black dress would be simply stunning.

All in all, I think it's the perfect summer project!

New Yarns!!

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Ever since I got back from my jolly hols, I've been aware that all blogging relates to travelling and walking and absolutely nothing about knitting!  I am knitting - several things in fact - but most are secret forthcoming gifts so I'm beavering away quietly behind the scenes - all will be revealed in due course......

In the meantime we have a rather lovely new yarn in stock - King Cole Country Tweed:

It's a standard DK and looks a bit like their Riot DK with extra tweedy bits thrown in for good measure.  As ever with King Cole there are loads of patterns too.  This is my favourite:

and there are also long jackets:

a pattern for girls:

and even two patterns for men:

including this one, which I need to discuss with you:

Look at his left arm.  Clearly this jumper has been knitted in this colour:

and then half way up the left sleeve the knitter has run out of wool, grabbed whatever's in her wool bag (which she, presumably, thinks is the same colour) and knitted a section in this colour:

before (presumably) running out again and re-starting in blue.  What gets me is that I spotted it immediately (call me anal if you wish) but this pattern has been knitted, styled, photographed and then printed in its thousands seemingly without anyone else noticing.  Is it me?!!!

I've also "topped up" on a couple of new colours in various random yarns.  Three new colours in Life DK:

Two new colours in Merry Go Round:

with attendant patterns - here is a brief taster:

three new colours in Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace:

and, finally, one missing colour in Adriafil's Margarita:

Phew .... well that's all the new yarns for now - but I do have some laceweight wool and beautiful shawl pattern kits coming soon for summer .... watch this space!

Sundays Are For Walking ......

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Now that we are back home, our brains have returned to the same time zone as our bodies, the washing machine has re-discovered its purpose in life and I have caught up on 5 weeks of accounts, this weekend we returned to the "Sundays are for Walking" theme.  {Plus our next holiday is a walking holiday so, after months of cycle training prior to Cambodia, we now need to readjust our legs to walking.}

The weather couldn't have been more perfect - slightly too hot for some (possibly) but - slathered in high factor sun cream - we walked straight from our back door to the north coast:

I have photographed this view so many times - it's the first vista we see when we leave our hamlet - but it never ceases to make us stop and stare - perfect Mount's Bay with St Michael's Mount in the middle:

From there we head up towards the moors, with distant mine stacks to left and right:

This mine stack (Greenbarrow)

eventually becoming a distant blur behind us as we crossed over the moor towards the north:

Past the distinctive rocky outcrop of Carn Gulva:

and down to the North Coast Road by the Mountain Climbing Centre:

with its own amazing mine stack:

and thence down to the north coast path:

(although sometimes the view looking back is as good - or better - than the view ahead):

The sea was dead calm and slightly hazy (a sea mist rolled up the valley later in the evening) and I was quite hot!:

Gurnard's Head appeared in the distance:

but, as ever with the coast path, distances are deceptive and there were a few headlands and bays to traverse before we got there:

I don't think I've ever seen the sea this calm on the north coast:

And then it was back up to the moors to home:

It was the most perfect day and the most perfect walk and we met no more than a dozen people all day.  I know I'm lucky to do what I do and love doing it and I know I'm lucky to live in such an amazingly beautiful part of the world but on Sunday I felt truly blessed.

We Are Back!!

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

We actually arrived back in Cornwall a week ago but it's taken that long for my brain to reach the same time zone as my body.  We were cycling in Cambodia but had to go via Thailand first as it's still impossible to fly direct into any airport in Cambodia from London (who knew?).  I shall spare you the entire travelogue (although it was so amazing I could go on about it for hours and hours) but will simply give you edited photographic highlights (we took hundreds of photos, obviously).

Travelling by Long Tail Boat in Bangkok with Guy:

  

 Hellfire Pass (excavated by allied POW's during WWII):

The Bridge on The River Kwai: 

Sunrise at Angkor Wat:

Cycling round to the various temples (it was hot!):

The lovely town of Siem Reap:

Yummy - deep fried tarantulas (we didn't try them!!) - it's important to remember that Cambodians have, literally, starved in our life-time so they will (and do) eat everything!:

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh (the lovely pink blossom trees are, in fact, plastic!):

A magnificent monastary:

Ploughing a rice paddy:

Cycling through the rice paddies:

I fell in (I blame Tom - he stopped in front of me!):

One of our hotel "rooms":

It rained occasionally:

I cannot recommend Cambodia too highly - they have achieved an extraordinary amount in the 14 years since their 60 year civil war finally ended.  The people are wonderful, with a terrific sense of humour, the temples are extraordinary, 2 of the hotels we stayed in were among the best I've stayed in anywhere in the world and it was ludicrously cheap.  

Go now - and enjoy!  

(Cycling is optional but I would recommend it - we got totally off the beaten track to some pretty remote villages where all the children rushed out to say "Hello" - it was amazing.)