Knitting, spinning, bookcrossing.............

So here is yet another pair of fluffy knitted slippers! This time in black for my mum. They were supposed to be a birthday present for February but she has decided she wants them now so I'll have to think of something else for her birthday. She is also getting a fluffy white scarf. I made one for her before Christmas to give to her friend and now she wants one too. It is already made so they can all go in the post tomorrow.

I decided I wanted to have a go at spinning, so I went on ebay and got this drop spindle and some raw fleece. It has been washed but that is all. I've never done this before, but I have got a book so I'll give it a go! Watch this space.

This arrived on Friday morning from Scandinavian Knitting Design It is pure 100% alpaca, 4 ply weight and I am making gloves for my father-in-law. The yarn is really soft and I think they are going to be very warm. It is a new pattern challenge for me as I have not made gloves with fingers in before. As you can see it is a WIP with only the little finger done so far. I think it gets a bit fiddly from here on. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed I have enough yarn for 2 gloves!

I also have to get back to the competition socks, I only have 7 weeks to get them in and I am starting from scratch after my tension disaster. Hope it works this time.

Onto other things.............New Years Eve was good. We had our nextdoor-but-one neighbours Paul & Kate round with their daughters who are 7 & 5. Colin cooked a big sea trout with new potatoes and veg which went down really well. Then we played Jenga and Bratz top trumps, watched Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jool's Hootenanny, and ran outside to watch the local fireworks at midnight. Forgot to get the camera out tho' so no pics, sorry! On Monday (tomorrow) I have been entrusted with the job of picking the girls up from school, as Kate is at college, so that should be fun. Hope I get them both back in one piece!

I received a Bookcrossing book last week called Beyond Black by Hilary Mantell. It's about a medium who can't switch off the voices when she comes off stage. Quite good so far but I'm only about 50 pages in. I am meeting another bookcrosser on Tuesday lunchtime to get We Need to Talk about Kevin. Not sure if I'm going to enjoy that one though. It will be nice to see Viv though and catch up with the goings on, because I haven't been very active on the bookcrossing lately, and haven't been to any meet-ups. I have a pile of registered books here that need to be "released".

We are getting rid of some shelving through Freecycle today. Someone is coming round to pick it all up. They are getting a great deal, it is all IKEA stuff and nothing wrong with it. Not bad for a freebie.

Well, back to the gloves, they won't knit themselves...........ah, if only!!