Where I shout ‘by all that is holy, I need a swift’….

..but then remember that I only need it once in a blue moon and can't really justify the cost. More on that later.

Well, I have had a productive few days – 2 FOs, 2 new WIPs and 1 vicarious FO, get me! The Cropped Waistcoat is done, it took me about 5 days in the end I think and it's turned out quite nicely and will certainly see some wear. I initially decided not to put a button on it cos I preferred the way it looked open, but then I wore it to work and spent the whole day pulling it closed so I think I will put a button on after all! I managed to find only one button in my entire collection that even slightly matched, but luckily it is perfect so I'll try and do that tonight and take a picture as well. My Space Socks (left) are also finished after many months languishing as my project that I only did when I couldn't concentrate on anything complicated. I'm glad they are finished cos I needed another pair of socks and they are nice but I'm sort of regretting that they are not still there for when I need mindless knitting. My latest sock project (Flutterby Socks) is actually very easy but you do need to be counting and paying at least a little bit of attention, so they don't really work the same. I have also cast on for the Sloppy Joe now (but that is as far as I have got), I think it will be fairly simple but it is all ribbing so it will be important to keep half an eye on what I am doing. I think I have an old project hibernating somewhere which was cast aside as it was miles and miles of 4-ply stockinette, I guess I should probably dig that out to replace the Space Socks, hmm, good idea! So that is all of my projects summed up for the moment, but my sister has just finished her Star Crossed Beret that I gave her all the bits for. She has done a really good job on it, especially as it is her second ever project. I wish my second project had been that cool. All I had to do to help was send her a link to Knitting Help to show her how to do increases and then she came round last night so I could show her how to magic loop when the stitches got a bit tight round her circulars. The finished product looks great and should fit well (we'll wait til it's blocked before final judgement though – don't want to tempt fate) and the yarn is just lovely. I much prefer her hat to mine (made from Brown Sheep Lambs Pride) so I'm almost certainly going to have to purchase some of the Malabrigo to make another one for myself!

Now, with reference to the beginning of this post, before I cast on for the Flutterbys I was actually intending to make something with some Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn I bought at the Knitting and Stitching Show last year. However, whilst looking for the perfect pattern for it on Ravelry I saw the Flutterby pattern and knew it would be perfect for the 3^rd skein of cursed Violet Green Yarn and had to cast on immediately. I am now of the opinion that the 'third skein's a charm' and it was just the first 2 that were cursed, but will refrain from saying that out loud until both socks are finished and have been through the wash at least once. I know better than that! Unfortunately by the time I realised I wasn't going to be casting on with the Cherry Tree Hill I had already wound the skein into a ball and as usual it was a complete palaver and as usual I vowed to stop being such a tight wad and get a swift. This was my ingenious solution for not having one on this occasion…

and this.....

is what happened approximately 20 seconds later. Perhaps attaching the ball winder to the cat's scratching pad was just begging for trouble!

Preparations have now begun in earnest for out holiday next week. Chris has finally purchased some swimming shorts so will now be welcome in the swimming pool. I have booked us a restaurant for the last night and have also booked us a session of roller skating. I'm not proud of this, but it turns out Chris has never roller skated so I thought it would be well worth a few quid to see that in real life (does buying a ticket for someone to do something where they will almost certainly hurt themselves for my own entertainment count as ABH?). Hopefully I will be able to take photos! Just to vindicate myself I will point out that they do provide safety gear at the roller rink, so when he falls over he should be ok! We leave on Monday and come back Friday so I should be able to post all about it then.