Days 6 & 7 of the Blog Hub swap and a Lucky Win!

Hello again, one last quick update while I wait for the bleeding to stop before I get back to cutting out my quilt (rotary cutter) and to chasing Gary The Plumber about the new bathroom (home improvements. Do not do it) to show you my final swap parcel goodies (excuse the lack of light, there just isn't any):

Some handcream and a really nice cowl pattern. Well, my hands have now entered Dry Winter Mode so the handcream has already been in use, and I think this is a really lovely pattern, which is, in fact, going to make me say something you will never, ever hear me say again, so pay attention: I would really like to knit one in cream. In fact, I think this would be an absolutely perfect pattern for some rare-breed sheep wool, so I may have a bit of a poke round at some point to see if I can find something. So thanks again, Xtiand, this has been a great swap and I have loved everything you got for me. In fact, this has been my first ever swap (can you believe it, gosh), so, what a nice introduction to swapping. I only hope the parcel for my own swappee gets there soon.

And it has been a good weekend all around, because yesterday I woke up to the thrilling news that Gradschoolknitter had picked me as a winner in her lost mojo competition, and I had won a paid-for pattern from Ravelry! Now, the funny thing was that on Saturday I had been browsing Woolly Wormhead’s hat patterns and wondering whether to try one, and this decided me, so I picked the Ribba cap, and Gradschoolknitter bought it for me. Well, it is here, downloaded, printed, and cast on, and I will show you my progress on Wednesday. I am very pleased with it. I have already had sarcastic comments about knitting a hat with a pointy top but I have been wanting to knit a hat with a pointy top for a while, so, I do not listen to these things (the same person, whose identity you can probably guess because it was Partner, has also called my quilt ‘geeky’, because ‘all quilts are geeky’. They are not!). Also I have been admiring Woolly Wormhead for a while, so I am interested to see what it turns out like – so far it seems a nice, well-written pattern, not that that will necessarily stop me messing it up chiz chiz.

Well, that is the end of the blog hub swap, boo, and now I’m afraid from now on we’ll have to go back to my unfocused ramblings. I will warn you that I have had many, many thoughts on British wool, the practicalities of recreating a particular Alexander McQueen skirt, the prevalence of pastry and mashed potato in British cuisine, quilting, and the evils of Tesco. I can promise you no more tarantulas for the moment though (because I dreamed about one last night. They're getting to me).