Sharon's Scatness Tam

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

I am a huge fan of Kate Davies - her patterns, her work and her general attitude to life - so when she printed her first book "Colours of Shetland" last year I told FB that it would be no bad thing if it was under the Christmas tree - and, lo, it was!

The front cover features her simply divine Scatness Tam:

which my wonderful sister-in-law, Sharon, immediately leaped upon and asked for for her birthday in May.

Now - I love Sharon and I love Kate's work but I am not a confident (or particularly happy) fairisle knitter but everyone else on Ravelry raved about the pattern, how easy it was to follow and I could see what great results they were getting.  So - I took the bull by the horns, ordered the wool (which kind of goes against the grain when you actually own a wool shop!), did loads and loads of research into different fairisle techniques - and jumped in.

And I have to say, I'm pretty chuffed with the result:

Even the inside is cool:

and even Mrs naughty chicken who escapes from the run (protected by an electric fence) every day seems to like it:

I love it so much that I've decided to knit one for me and, having weighed my remaining wool, I actually have enough to knit another one - yay!  This is a good thing as, having carefully wrapped it and sent it to Sharon a mere 3 months after her birthday, it turns out that Sharon's mop of glorious hair is too much for her tam and it's too small!!  It is now back with me and is MY tam and I shall shortly start knitting another on bigger needles ... for Sharon ... in time for winter.

I can feel a fairisle frenzie beckoning ...................

Our Silver Wedding Anniversary

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Yesterday was our Silver Wedding Anniversary - which we like to feel is some kind of achievement - even though neither of us feels old enough to have been married to anyone for that length of time!  Because we'd been on a fantastic holiday in June and because Tuesday is a work day we decided to celebrate on Sunday by walking to Marazion, staying there overnight and walking back on Monday morning in time for me to start work in the afternoon.  Bar a minor crisis on Monday morning the plan worked well and, thankfully, after pouring rain on Saturday (which I got caught in on the way home):

here's the close up!:

Sunday dawned hot and sunny.  We normally walk north to the moors and the coast so we walked on paths we'd never been on before - which was amazing - through lovely little valleys:

over some ancient bridges built from massive lumps of granite:

through some impressive gates going nowhere:

and down to the coast:

Our room had a lovely view of the bay and St Michael's Mount - and a visitor waiting for any possible scraps (we made sure there weren't any):

Shortly after we arrived champagne arrived from my parents (thanks Mum and Dad!):

Obviously, I had taken some knitting (!):

(Rico Superba Tweed for those who want to know!)

And we sat and watched as the rain poured at our house!:

and the sun set over Land's end peninsula

and a lonely fisherman fished from the beach:

Here's to the next 25 years, FB!!

Holey Socks

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

FB emailed me this photo of Guy's socks feet.  

Do you think he's trying to tell me that I need to get my dpn's out and start knitting socks?!

Out and About

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

It's been two weeks since my last blog and, as ever, we've been out and about on my precious days off.  Last week my brother came down with his family so we met at our usual, favourite spot - the National Trust owned Lanhydrock House.  I've lost count of how many times we've been there but I have NEVER seen it so busy - even the overlow car park was full.  Fortunately, we didn't plan to go into the house (we heard there was a 45 minute wait for that) but we managed to grab a table in the restaurant, eat lunch and then go for a lovely walk along the river.  Last year the boys stripped off and went for a swim; this year it was raining and the river was pretty full so they passed on that particular entertainment!

We were joined on our walk by some feathered friends:

The scene of last year's swimming adventure (mad fools - it was freezing!):

My family en masse (give Rowan a couple of years and I'll definitely be the shortest by almost a foot!) - Grace (on the far left) is only 13!!!!!!!

The "children" then lined up for the compulsory photos.  My Guy (in the middle) is 7 and 10 years older than his cousins - sorry Guy, you clearly haven't inherited the tall gene!:

Last year we met during the Olympics and they all did the "Usain Bolt".  This year the 3 of them did the Mobot (Tom is currently working in New Zealand so he's missing from this year's picture - height wise he would be between Guy and Rowan!):

This weekend I took an extra day off and we headed off for our traditional camping weekend with friends in Salcombe.  For various reasons we were a small group this year - just a cosy gathering of 8 - but it was good fun, the weather held, the wind dropped so the tents didn't get blown into Dorset and we even made it to the beach:

In an attempt to keep the packing to a minimum I had only taken the pair of sandals I was wearing.  They proved to wholly unsuitable for the path down to the beach!:

Notice how loving son tenderly waits and ensures that his Mum doesn't break her neck.  Hubby meanwhile films from above, desperately hoping - no doubt - for me to fall on my a**e.  I didn't.  Ha!

The beach was tiny and secret and glorious:

Guy had, inevitably, brought a rugby ball:

We then crossed to Salcombe for a fish and chip lunch for the ladies and "children" and liquid lunch for the men.  Salcombe was thriving and busy as ever and the water was full of boats having a wonderful time:

As ever, we came back tired, happy and every so slightly sun burnt tanned.