Back From The UK

I arrived back in Geneva on Tuesday night after a week in the UK. I meant to post while I was there but never got around to it. It was so nice spending time with my mum, catching up and drooling over everything in the shop!

I came back with some Debbie Bliss Prima, some Noro Kureyon Sock and some Araucania Ranco Multy. I have already cast on the Noro sock yarn (I did that while I was in the car waiting to get on the ferry!). I'm going to knit myself a pair of socks in a 1 row rib, 1 row purl stitch pattern. My mum is knitting a top using this stitch pattern and it looks really pretty, so I'll be interested to see how it turns out on the socks. Of course, I will post progress reports.

While I was in the UK I knit Mr H a pair of red and white striped socks for his birthday as he was saying that he's the only person I haven't knit a pair of socks for. I did finish the first in the pair of his green and white socks but didn't take the second ball of yarn with me as I didn't expect to finish the first one. Mr H like the socks although he hasn't worn them yet. He called them 'Happy socks'. They were knit in Regia's Nations Colours which are meant to be Olympic colours (although my mum says they've actually discontinued most of the colours, which doesn't really make sense since the Olympics are coming up), they were knit on 3mm dpns over 64 stitches - my generic sock pattern.

The twins arrived yesterday morning, a boy and a girl as predicted, born at 12:14 and 12:15 am by c-section. They actually went full term and a day, which I find amazing! I haven't spoken to the proud parents yet, which is why I lack any further information, you can't trust a man to get all the vital details! I am washing their Baby Yoda sweaters as I type so I can get them sent off to them. It's just typical that they were born the day after I got back from the UK, I really should have gone to visit the parents while I was over but I refused to drive anywhere! At least Mr H gets to share his birthday with the twins.

I have given up on my Wendy bolero, decided I don't actually like the pattern and I hate knitting in black. I was going to knit it in the Prima but I still decided that the pattern was a little old fashioned so I am going to use it to knit a shrug instead. I just need to get myself some 4.5mm circs to knit it on.

A Gift For My Mum

I knitted my mum a washcloth. She says no one ever knits her anything, except for the pair of socks that I knit her for Christmas, so I thought it was about time I gave her a little knitted something back to say a little thanks for all the knitty things that she's sent me over the past year and a half. I think I'm safe in posting this as I'll be back in the UK on Tuesday and I don't think she'll be looking at my blog by then.

I love this pattern and I really enjoyed knitting it. It only took me a few hours and I felt like it was similar to reading a good book as I couldn't put it down as I just wanted to see how it was progressing the whole time and wanted to see what happened next. It kind of makes me want to knit a mystery pattern so I might have to have a look out for a mystery KAL on Ravelry.

The pattern is available from www.knitsbyrachel.com and it is the One Piece Swim Suit Dishcloth. She has some really cute patterns and there are a few more that I have my eye on. I knit it using some handknit cotton from Manor in Geneva but it didn't have a name. They sell lots of it, it's wrapped in plastic and is 2.50CHF/50g (about £1.25) and the pattern took just under a skein, so not bad at all.

I'm driving back to the UK on Tuesday (provided we can get someone to change the tyres on the car tomorrow, we're still driving on winter tyres). I'm going it alone again so it's going to be pretty tiring but at least this time I will have a stereo to listen to. I decided to go Calais to Dover this time as Le Havre is only a little nearer but the boat trip is 4 hours longer and I can't face another 17 hour journey door to door. This time should only take 10-11 hours, I try to stop as little as possible.

Driving aside, I'm really looking forward to going back, it seems like ages since I went back. Last time was in January for my grandmother's funeral so it wasn't exactly a happy visit. This time is purely for pleasure (and to pick up our wedding presents, hence me driving) and I'm looking forward to spending time with my mum and raiding her shop! I will of course miss Mr H. It's his birthday the day after I get back (I get back next Wednesday) so I will have to find him some nice English goodies to bring back for him.

I'm still working on my Wendy Bolero, but after having to frog it due to bad tension and a lack of a gauge swatch, I have very little to report!