G's Birthday

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Today is G's 17th birthday and last night was the School Prom so he celebrated in style and, apparently, got to sleep at 5.30 this morning - oh, to be young again! 17 years ago he looked like this:


















Obviously, as my first born, I thought he was the most beautiful baby in the world.

Last night he looked like this:


















I think it would be fair to say that he's grown, blossomed and matured into a young man that FB and I can be very proud of indeed. And we are.

Now, of course, he wants to learn to drive - heaven help us all!!

Happy Birthday G.

Quiet Day

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

FB was just asking if I was going to blog today and I was saying that I didn't have too much to say and - then - the phone rang and youngest son (T) was on the phone letting us know what time he'd be back as he'd been up to the Independent Schools Athletics competition for the south-west today in Exeter. Wasn't expecting to do well as he's in the under 17 age group and he's only 15 and, well, he's only gone and won the triple jump competition and qualified for the nationals in Birmingham.

Two boys in two national finals in one year - I'm not sure I can take the excitement. Well done, T - you never cease to amaze us!

Summer Knitting!

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Well, the good news is that - between us - we've appeased the weather gods and the sun has been shining down here in Pz for the entire weekend. Today there are some very, very pink people wandering around town. As a word of warning - if you ever come down to glorious Cornwall on holiday and you're lucky enough to see some sun, be aware that the sun is incredibly strong down here. My friend Hannah was out in the sun yesterday for 3 hours with factor 35 on and she's like a tomato today (her description, not mine!) and this is the same factor 35 that she used in Egypt and it was so strong she didn't tan at all. Also be aware that, even if the sun isn't shining brightly down here you can get burned - as my brother-in-law will testify - he burns every time he comes down here - even if it's cloudy!

We did 4 hours gardening yesterday and I slapped the cream on us all and I'm fine - boys all went cycling on Saturday so are, obviously, all pink - what is it with men hating sun tan cream?!!

So - having angered the weather gods for several days, I thought you'd like to see what I'm knitting. My strappy, little summer top is this one:


















taken from Debbie Bliss's Spring/Summer 2010 magazine - which you can find - here. I'm knitting it in King Cole Bamboo Cotton, which I am loving. Knitting it in this colour:


















Yup - good old bright, zingy, fuchsia pink! We've had a couple of customers who haven't liked the Bamboo Cotton so much - had problems with it twisting and splitting - but I'm knitting from the middle of the ball (as is my usual practice) and I've had no problems at all with either twisting or splitting. It's wonderfully soft yet crisp enough to show up the cables beautifully and I absolutely love it. In fact, I love it so much I can see me knitting something else in it straight away, which is unusual for me as I - partly - knit for customers to see different yarns so very, very rarely knit with the same yarn twice. This one is definitely going to be an exception though. The only question is going to be what to knit next with this gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous yarn (and, no, King Cole haven't paid me to say that).

Tonight I'll balance the weather-karma and knit pure wool socks.

Summer - what Summer?

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

The weather gods are not yet appeased. I knit on a sock last night at home to see if that would work but we're still under thick cloud - no rain today and it's pretty muggy but no sunshine splitting the paving I regret to say.

Last night FB asked me if I could design a sock in Cornish Organic and I said I reckoned I probably could - so I've wound off a ball of 4ply in Sennen and will start that tonight. I think it could do the trick. I've also just sneaked in a few rows of strappy summer top though so I might have blown it!

Summer in Cornwall

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

I've heard that the whole of the UK is currently bathed in warm sunshine. Cornwall is lying under a cloud of gloom and drizzle and occasional downpours. I blame myself entirely and would, hereby, like to apologise to all the occupants of this fine county. I cast off the socks and cast on a summer, strappy top. And - lo - the cloud and rain came down. It's all my fault and I apologise. I promise that as soon as said summer top is finished I'll revert to warm, winter socks. OK?

Finishing Socks

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

Yesterday was my sister-in-law's birthday. She received one sock in the post. I'm gathering from the feedback I'm getting - both in the blog and the shop - that sock knitting is a disease from which you never recover. That being so - is sending one sock for presents a symptom of the disease? I finished Sharon's second sock yesterday which was appropriate as it was her birthday and if we didn't live 400 miles from each other she could have, feasibly, received it on her birthday. As it is, it's in the post tonight and before I parcelled it up FB photographed it:












It's Araucania in a shade we don't have in stock at the moment but at least it gives you an idea of how it knits up - I think "gorgeous" is the word.

I've also finished Dad's socks - a good two weeks before his birthday, which must be some kind of record for me. They're done in Zig Zag, in colour Rhapsody which we're currently out of stock of as everyone's seen me knitting them and has then bought the wool:












This is how T would wear them:


















He rarely, if ever, wears matching socks. We even bought him ones with the days of the week on to try and help but it doesn't - today I believe we're wearing Monday & Thursday. It's either called creativity or laziness - take your pick.

And in answer to your question, tine - no, fortunately there was no need for the RNLI as the engine seized before they'd left Penzance harbour. It's turned out to be terminal so the hunt is on for a new engine. Is anyone out there aware of the cost of small boat engines? You could buy a car for the cost of them - seriously, £4,000 for a new one - it's giving me palpitations at 3am so I've had to cast on another sock to keep me calm. Fortunately a friend came over on Saturday night and brought 3 crabs with him so all is well in that department.

Today is G's last day at School before study leave for the dreaded GCSE's. 12 more exams to go - 14 years education boiled down to 12 exams - my heart goes out to all Year 11's and, even more so, to their parents.

Still Knitting Socks

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

After all the excitement of last weekend, all is calm and quiet chez Hopson (when I say "quiet" the term is, of course, relative) the washing is nearly done (ha!), T has Boxing Club tonight (if any of you feel the need to get really, really fit I can strongly recommend joining a Boxing Club - they're so fit it's scary) but we have no expedition rucksacks to pack, no rugby matches this weekend and no fishing expeditions as the boat engine has seized. (That last one is not good news, by the way, as it makes all the men in the house slightly edgy and very grumpy and means, of course, no fresh crab.)

And I am still knitting socks. Dad's pair are finished (photo to follow soon) and on time as well - amazing. Have started to knit another pair for a present and mystery project is still ongoing. I think tinebeest's comment about socks is about right - apparently, FB won't mind me knitting socks if they're for him ............... hmmm. Can feel some stocking fillers coming on - but if I knit for one I guess I'll have to knit for all 3.

Can someone tell me - once you start this sock knitting thing, does it ever stop?