WIP Wednesday

Just a quick post from me today, lots to do.....

This is Lucy from Patons Nursery Days - knitted in King Cole Big Value DK

Back completed on Shades of Grey and ribbing started for the front

and from the garden, today's pickings........

Runner beans, courgette, french beans, last of the board beans

I packed my suitcase

and in it I put........

crochet hooks

crochet books

yarn from stash and my WIPs -

Weekend roundup

Friday............ the boys

Saturday........... baking for a baby shower, picking veggies and odd jobs

Sunday ........ route planning, town for coffee and a bit of shopping, knitting and caterpillars!!!

Hump day

Wednesday again, where do the weeks go?  I have progressed well this week with my WIPs, the car seat blanket is completed.

The long top for Rachel which I am now calling shades of grey is just being decreased for armholes, the end of the back is insight.  I hope she likes it after all these boring rows of stocking stitch.  It was actually a delight to get to the middle ribbing!

The next WIP is what I call my, "when I have a spare minute" hat, its more or less done so not really a WIP

Now the following WIP is actually my husband's. This year he is trying to beat the squirrels to his walnuts, so decided to have a go at pickling some.  You have to judge them right before the shell begins to form inside. They have been soaking in brine for the last 2 weeks, and have been drying off since Sunday, this is the stage they are at now.  Tonight they get put in jars and pickled.  He says they are nice, I'll let you know when they are at the stage to eat.

and because the garden looked lovely this morning.......

Going dotty

No, I'm not going mad, though sometimes I think I possibly could be!

I designed and knitted a car seat/buggy blanket, which I am happy to share with you now. Do you like my model? Meet Bob, he's been with me for some time.

This is a very simple, quick knit, using Aran weight yarn and 5mm needles.  I used Carons Simply Soft Solids which I bought on my recent trip to the USA as the main yarn and just oddments for the spots.

Cast on 96 stitches

Work 6 rows garter stitch (all knit)  for top border

Work 68 rows in your chosen pattern working the first and last 6 stitches in garter stitch on every row to create the side borders

Work 10 rows in garter stitch

Next row K41, cast/bind off 14 stitches, K41

Next row K41, cast on 14 stitches, K41 - this creates the opening for the buckle

Work another 8 rows in garter stitch making 20 rows in all

Work a further 68 rows in your chosen pattern working the first and last 6 stitches in garter stitch as before

Then finally another 6 rows in garter stitch for your bottom border

As I said, you can use any stitch/pattern you want for the main part - 84 stitches.  I chose spots which I made thus - working in stocking stitch - so all Knit on front and Purl on reverse, keeping the borders in garter stitch

Stocking stitch 2 rows after top border

K7 in main yarn, K3 in contrast repeat to end of row.
Repeat  row again (purl)
K5 (main), K5 (contrast), repeat to end of row
Repeat row again (purl)
K7 (main), (K3 contrast)
Repeat row again (purl)

Stocking stitch 2 rows

K2 (main), * K3 (contrast) K7, * repeat to end
Repeat row again (purl)
K1 (main), *K5 (contrast) K4, * repeat to end
Repeat row again (purl)
K2 (main), * K3 (contrast) K7, * repeat to end
Repeat row again (purl)

These 16 rows complete the spot pattern

I chose to line my blanket for extra stability.

NB: If you choose to make this pattern, I take no responsibility for any errors contained there in.

Just us 2

For the first time in what seems like ages we had a weekend just to ourselves, nothing planned, nothing major to do in the garden.  We decided to head off out on the Harley.  My first trip out on it this year.  We started off riding up to Sheringham on the north Norfolk coast and then riding round the coast road, stopping off in Ely for afternoon tea on the way home.

Sheringham has a lovely old station, which they run steam trains from

a brilliant hardware shop which is a real Aladdin's cave ........

 A town crier......

An information wall ........

Wind farm ......

handsome husband

Cley Mill

 Picked up some smoked fish from the Smokery in Cley, then lunched at the Jolly Sailor in Brancaster Staithe.

Then on to Ely

Ely Cathedral

And when we got home this was waiting......

the end to the perfect day