Woolly Almost-WIP Wednesday

OK. I’ve accepted, emotionally, that we’re having a Woolly Week, so I just wanted to show you a couple of things I’ve (gasp) recently managed to finish, before I get back to sewing again next week (although, if anyone is wanting a fabric fix in the meantime, do have a look at Mumma Troll’s blog and her beautiful, beautiful quilt). So thanks to Tami from Tami’s Amis for hosting WIP Wednesday again, which I think is a great idea, thanks Tami! I’m sorry my WIPs aren’t strictly speaking WIPs, one is an almost-WIP and the others are no longer In Progress But Finished, but they’re in the spirit. Indulge me a tiny bit?

First, one ray of sun pierced the dense clouds surrounding North Cambridge today and the rain stopped for at least 50 seconds, so I whipped round and took some photos. Here is my Malabrigo Lace, aka a WIP-Wannabee:

Soft as the government regulations which apply to supermarkets, but nicer

Isn’t it pretty? I might make it into a featherweight cardigan or I might just keep it and stroke it like a pet. And I took a photo of my finished Citron, which is finished apart from blocking (sorry it’s on the dummy but it’s just too difficult to take a photo of your own back).

If I had known I would spend so much of my life photographing this door I might have painted it. Probably wouldn't, to be honest

I did 5 repeats in the end. I would have done six but I thought one more might cause me to lose it, and possibly run naked through the streets of Cambridge gesturing with a Denise interchangeable needle shouting no more bloody ruffles, no more. And frankly, that wasn’t a risk I was prepared to take. Would you have been? So, 5 ruffles makes a little shoulder-cover, and I actually quite like the length, I think it works.

I think this is rather cool even though I do say so myself

I did want one big shawl though, for this winter when our heating will be, as ever, inadequate in the face of the icy gales which blow straight from the Urals, so I decided to extend the crochet one I did a few weeks ago – this ended up using about 2 3/4 balls of King Cole Riot so came in at under £10. There we are, that’s me for you, price of everything, value of nothing.

I think I pulled something getting into this position

And because I am finishing things up at the moment, here are some boring vanilla top-down socks. I knit the most boring socks in the world and then wear them to death. Handknitted socks are one of the things where you can’t believe how much better they are until you’ve tried them although they are also one of the things that take so long to knit that they cannot be bought by money. Then I whipped up a bun and ate it. Coffee and walnut.

This is a Local Bun for Local People. There's nothing for you here

Also, just quickly, I wanted to update you about Lush. You remember I queried the localness of their products (and yes, I know I sound like Tubbs. I can’t help it. Some things cast a long shadow). Well, they emailed me back a very nice, well-thought out email, and had obviously checked their facts in some detail – it wasn’t just a standard response. They source 3 ingredients near to their factory in Dorset, and they also have a policy of trying to source ingredients from near their other factories in other countries, to reduce travel. They also ship ingredients rather than air-freight them. No ingredients/ processing are local to the shop in London which had the advert I was objecting to. So, do I think their customer services people are very helpful and knowledgeable? Yes I do. Do I think they are making an effort to source ingredients in a reasonably ethical/ eco-friendly way? From the information I have, yes, I think they probably are making more of an effort than many companies. Do I still think the advert was disingenuous and misleading? Readers, I’m afraid I do. And do I think that's a problem? Well, yes, I'm afraid so, because of the reasons I gave before.

So when you see your local Lush advertising that if you buy its products you will be buying fresh and local, remember that actually, you won’t be, not unless you live in Dorset, although that doesn’t mean that buying their products is necessarily a bad idea. It’s just like if I told you I looked exactly like a supermodel but possibly even more attractive, and then you met me, you might be unable to appreciate my many undoubtedly fine qualities because of the insistent voice in your head saying ‘she looks as much like a supermodel as I look like a sausage roll’. That is how I feel about Lush’s advertising campaign.

So there we are, I have managed a metaphor involving Lush products and a sausage roll and I think that is quite enough for one evening. I shall go and make dinner (potato scones! All traditional British food involves either potatoes or flour. It is compulsory. Or dripping. Are you jealous, non-UK readers? Are you?).