What I made, by Sharon

 I finished The Traveller Cowl for Elise nearly two weeks ago, and I didn't get a chance to give it to her for what felt like ages, so last Sunday, when we were out beering , I presented it. I was pretty doubtful about it while I was knitting it, but now I think it would be a marvellous garment if we were somewhere cold. Pop it under a jacket and your neck, ears and chest would be very snug.  I made the large out of bulky handspun, and I would consider making this again for myself, slightly smaller and a little less bulky. I''ve also been insider to spin for the traveller hoodie.   In the past I've felt like I didn't love knitting with my handspun, but this was squishy a delicious and a lot of fun to spin and knit. 

 Did you know you can make rib in crotchet? Me neither, but now I do: Elise asked for a replacement hot water bottle cover, because she's worn through the bottom of the one I made her in 2014.  I know I could have offered to repair it, but the chance to get some crocheting  in was too great. I took the yarn I had unravelled and dyed and went looking for a pattern... And looking, and looking. In the end I made it up on the fly.  I'm really pleased with how it came out. I'm considering writing up the pattern, but I only speak crotchet as a second language. What do you think?

I had a plan for the weekend. I was going to to the Melbourne Yarn Festival and buy some yarn, and then I organised lunch nearby for a bunch of the Richmond Knitters. Fun, right? Instead, this happened -  on Friday night I went with Elise to see her mother who was in hospital. They had just decided she was in the "make her comfortable" stage. On Saturday morning she died. Today we buried her. And it's sad, and Elise is so, so, sad. Obviously, no yarn festival for me. But I was reminded, looking around at the funeral, how important our friends are. Elise's friends showed up in droves. She has friends from school, and university and a lot of friends from choir, which is to Elise what the Richmond Knitters are to me. There is no moral to this story, except pat your yarn and tell your friends you love them.

Elise got a dog! A very pretty, Silkie Jack Russel cross. Georgie is a lovely girl. Energetic, well behaved and adorable: I was over at Elise's place the other day when I saw a toy on her floor, that looked like half a sheep. George is not a violent dog, not the sort to rip up stuffed animals. But that's not at all what happened here. There is a range of pet toys that are just the back half of animals. Elise bought the sheep, because she thought of me. Umm, thanks? I am pretty excited about making doggie jumpers, both for George and for Digby. I feel the need to make a cabled one, and maybe a colourwork one. There are so many lovely patterns out there, and they should be as much fun to knit as  baby jumpers, and you know how I love to knit a baby jumper! I've got about 5 months until it will be cool enough for dog coats, but the planning starts now. Look at that FACE.

It was Elise's birthday on Friday, so I got to give her the mitts and cowl I knit her. I think she liked them. I'm still considering a matching hat, because i have the yarn left over, but it might be a little bit much. 

A couple of weeks ago I made myself a Sockhead hat .I didn't put any pictures up here, the process was so quick, and then I put it on my head and have barely taken it off since. When I was deciding what wool to use I really struggled. I had some pretty Opal which is one of the oldest wools in my stash. I bought it on impulse at Bendigo wool show two years ago. I had made what I thought were all my purchases and was just waiting for Sonia to come back from her last errand and the Opal called my name. I really haven't been drawn to knit light purple socks though. In my stash I was also drawn to some Socks-That-Rock-Silkie, which I knew would make a squishy, stunning hat. I went with the Opal, and really like the results. Two days after I finished knitting my sockhead Elise, my BFF who lives across the road, emailed and said she wanted a slouchy beanie. Well. I invited her over and said she could choose any wool in the stash. We narrowed it down to two - a dark Drea...