Friday, March 30, 2007

New project #2

Because, you know, I can't stand to have less than 4 or 5 (or more...) things on the go at any one time, I have started another major project. I'm pretty excited about this one actually.
Since I've been knitting again, I kept asking Husby if he'd like me to knit him a jumper. He was never particularly enthusiastic (on reflection, potential grounds for divorce there!!). But late last year, completely out of the blue, he asked me to make him a jumper (hallelulah! praise be to the knitting goddess!). So after looking through all my patterns carefully (he's very fussy), we picked Beau by Kim Hargreaves, from Rowan's Vintage Knits. And I found the yarn on eBay (it had just been discontinued) for a good price and so snapped it up.

(heh - hopefully when Husby puts it on he'll magically turn into this guy!!) (check out Elliphantom's Beau for gratuituous Rowan style Beau shots!)

And it sat in the small yarn cupboard all through summer, because you know there's no way I'm knitting with tweedy aran yarn when it is 30+ degrees outside (what's that in F, about 90?). Until last weekend.

I swatched! I even swatched with two different sized sticks (not at the same time, clearly, that would just be wrong!) . And then I washed and blocked it. I am the gun knitter!!

Somewhat surprisingly, my stitch gauge didn't change that much with the different sticks although the row gauge did a bit, so I ended up going with the larger sticks (my usual one size up from recommended). So now I'm about a third of the way up the back (sorry no pics - since daylight savings has finished it's dark by the time I get home from work). Good thing about the aran yarn - knits up soooo quick! Husby just might be able to wear it this winter (although clearly I don't want to get ahead of myself, so touch wood/throw salt over my left shoulder/ pat my head with my left hand while rubbing my tummy with my right and so on).

Thursday, March 29, 2007

New projects galore

Having finished my most recent "large" project (in more ways than one! Heh!) I've had a rash of startitis, and have 3 new projects on the sticks.

The first is Trellis from Knitty. I bought the yarn for this one a while back, intending to knit it for my nephew who has very sensitive skin and so can only wear cotton. I realised a couple of weeks ago that if I don't get knitting, he'll be too big for this pattern, so I've cast on, using the next size sticks and hoping it will be big enough. Problem is, I think I might run out of yarn. Woops...Hope I can still get some in the same dyelot...I do love the colour of this yarn - it is a bit more of a smoky blue/purple than the picture shows.

Here's my progress on the sleeve - my first experience of twisted cables. I'm not liking them a lot, although I don't mind the moss (seed) stitch as much as I thought I would. But it will definitely be bigger than the pattern indicates (the largest sleeve size should be 12 inches and it will exceed that, even without blocking). I just hope my gauge isn't too loose. Nice to have a detailed pattern knit which is still relatively small (not sure I could cope with an adult sized aran style garment!)

re comments from yesterday - Kgirl - you are right - I do need to make a tea cosy for my little teapot - I've got one for my big pot - I'll have to do a search for a little-pot-pattern!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Rose Red: Domestic Goddess - Granny Boyd's biscuits

So, here's the deal: I've resolved to make at least one new item (ie never before made by me from this recipe) from How to Be a Domestic Goddess, at least once a week. I haven't counted, but there's probably about 200 recipes in the book. Some I won't make, most I will. That's it.

25 March 2007 - Granny Boyd's biscuits (p204)
Nigella describes these as "dark, smoky and melting". Heh! She does have a way with words... What they are is the easiest biscuits you could possibly make - just butter (a whole stick!), castor sugar, self-raising flour and a little bit of cocoa - it is amazing how dark the mix goes with a just a little cocoa.

Here they are pre-squished:
And squished (with the back of a fork - my mother used to make butter snaps, which I suspect are the non-chocolate version of these, and squash lightly with the back ofa fork - well, that used to be my job - that and making the dents in the jam drops for the jam).
And finally baked, for a lovely afternoon tea out on the deck with husby.
Nigella warns that it is hard to tell when they are ready, as they don't really change colour when cooking like most biscuits - and she's right! I extended the cooking time by about 5 minutes and I think I overdid it just a little - they weren't burned, but they were a bit more crumbly than I expected. But very nice with a cup of tea! Nigella recommends having them with ice-cream as a dessert - that could be quite good too! I also think they might be good with a touch of peppermint essence - mmm choc minty goodness.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Perspectives

This post from Knit and Tonic, about bloggers and commenters, really struck a chord with me. From what I can gather, it's been a hot topic in blogland, although apart from K&T, I haven't seen anything else about it. While I haven't had personal experience of rudeness in any comments (I don't count the weird email from a foot fetishest after this post), I have read some comments on other blogs which made me squirm - in particular, on the Knit a Square for Grandma Purl blog.

For the background - a blogger took it upon herself to organise a charity knit project for Crazy Aunt Purl's grandma, who was a little ill - send in a knitted/crocheted square, she and a few friends will sew them all together, and give to Grandma Purl. Well, for various personal reasons (illnesses and other quite serious events) there was a delay in getting the squares sewn into blankets. The blogger was apologetic in her update posts about this. I can understand people feeling a sense of frustration or perhaps disappointment that the original deadline for blanket delivery had passed, but it made me wonder about the state of the world and of people in it when quite rude comments were left on the blog.

I'm all for criticism and different views - we don't all think the same and that is something that can enrich our lives and our world - but there are ways of expressing criticism and/or different views that don't involve putting down the person you disagree with - particularly in a forum where it is somewhat hard to properly discuss the differences in your views or your criticism.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, expecting that the usual "rules" or norms of politeness, or more importantly, respect, should apply to new methods of communication such as blogs - perhaps a new set of norms will develop over time. I hope that respect for others, including their differences, will still be in there somewhere.

Ok, end of rant. Now to some goodies I received last week (representing some of the things I love about blogland):
Birthday brooch from BrownPants (given away to celebrate her birthday! how kind!):
Love the well-finished back and gift tag decorated with strips of fabric (great idea!)
Stitchmarkers from Donni's etsy shop Yarn Cakes - ohhh red. Now I can start some lace!!

Friday, March 23, 2007

Potato sack, v.2

After a couple of days R&R after the first frogging, I got back on the horse and cast on for version 2 of my v-neck singlet. First time took me 11 days to knit, second time around 18 days - I had my Mason-Dixon spree towards the end plus a couple of my cable squares.


Looked pretty good this time when I first tried it on - it does have great waist shaping and the v-neck starts in just the right place. Then I washed it. Hmmmm. Bit sack-y again. (But thank goodness I frogged the first one, as it would have been even huger once washed). I'm wondering whether to try putting it in the dryer for a little while...might knit a square with the leftovers and see how that goes! But I will wear it nonetheless. Looks alright as a vest but I can also wear it as a singlet top.

(do I look like the model on the cover??!! heh!)


Details:
Pattern: V-neck singlet from Jo Sharp Knit vol 2 - size C even though it should in theory be too small for me. The pattern is knit flat in two pieces with i-cord shoulder ties. I converted it to knit in the round (yay, no purling, much) and knit wider straps as the i-cord ties just don't work with bra-straps. I kitchenered the straps to the back.
Yarn: Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran (the recommended yarn) - a cotton/microfibre blend, colour 239 (Garnet) lot 17. Originally used 10 balls, second time around I think about 8.5 (hard to tell as had a few small balls left from the frogging, some due to knots in the yarn - which I HATE WITH A PASSION!). But the yarn frogs nicely, doesn't kink too much and knits up well. the microfibre makes it much softer to knit with than 100% cotton.
Sticks: 5.5mm (upsized from recommended 5mm, as usual) 80cm Addi Turbos
Time: 2-19 March 2007
What I learnt: Not to always trust swatching! (I know, heresy!!). And I think Jo Sharp patterns are sized a little big - this is my second Jo Sharp pattern and both have been on the larger side of large. But my biggest lesson - it is ok to frog something and put in the extra effort to re-knit if you want to make something that you will actually wear!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Mason-Dixoning along

After receiving my Good Yarn Karma Sugar'n'Cream last week, I've been merrily Mason-Dixoning along with the cotton goods. I now have two ballband dishcloths and one baby bib o'love (not sure for whom, I guess it will go in the gift cupboard).
I find the cotton a little harder on my hands than wool, but these are quick and satisfying knits. I like the idea of making simple household things that give you pleasure to use and remind you of the craft you love (sorry about the flash photos).
Details
Patterns: Ballband Dishcloth and Baby Bib o'Love from Mason-Dixon Knitting
Yarn: Lily Sugar'n'Cream - 1 ball violet veil ombre (one ball of this variegated cotton does two dishcloths, with, in my case, about 30 cm/12" to spare!); about 20-25 g each of hot purple and light blue, and for the bib, about 40g of grape and a small amount of red.
Sticks: 4.5mm metal straights. Probably a bit slippy for cotton but it worked out ok.
Time: Well, these are all quick little suckers! Two or three nights, less if you are a quicker knitter than me.
What I learnt: This is the first time I've used slipped stitches with two colours of yarn - it's pretty neat! You get the hang of the dishcloth pattern really quickly so even I could stop referring to the pattern, which is pretty rare for me.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

More frogging fun

After my experience with the potato sack, I've developed a bit more of a taste for this frogging business.


This (5.5 balls) is the result of my decision to rid myself of a 2.5 year WIP, started not long after I started knitting again, and while my dad was in hospital after his stroke. A 150 stitch 3x2 rib shrug, with long sleeves. Urk. A very bad idea. I got up to about my shoulder done, and I couldn't face continuing on across the back and down the other arm.

I've decided to use the yarn (I have about 15 balls) to make cable squares from Vogue Stitchionary vol 2: Cables and sew them together to make a rug. Not sure how big it will end up but it's fun doing the different cables. I started with a nice easy one and then gave myself a little challenge with the second one, including a p5 tog which I cheated on by slipping 2, p3 tog and p2sso. Thank goodness the frogged yarn washes up well, it's a bit lumpy when knitted up (pre-blocking). If I aim to do a block a week, should only take me about another 2.5 years to finish this!!

edited to add: the p5tog is at the top of the diamond shape in the second square above - at the bottom of the diamond, you had to increase 4 st (by m1, kfbf, m1), so the p5tog at the top pulls it in. But it is very hard to p5tog on 4.5mm sticks with 8ply yarn. I just could not get the tip of the needle through the 4th and 5th purls!!

Monday, March 19, 2007

Happy Birthday Sydney Harbour Bridge

Yesterday, Husby and I, along with (well over) 200,000 of our neighbours, walked across the Harbour Bridge, to celebrate her 75th birthday (I'm pretty sure she's a she, not a he - something about the sensual curves??!).

Shame the weather was overcast, as the photos aren't as spectacular as they could have been. But it was relatively cool, and it didn't rain, so all was good. Except that we missed out on a hat. They were giving away these (actually quite horrible) lime green hats. They looked great en masse, and my brother, who collects caps, would have loved one. But not to be. On the up side, the public transport worked perfectly. It was a very well organised event.


I love the architecture of the bridge - such a beauty to look at, an icon of our harbour. It tickled me to see the same structure near the Statue of Liberty in New York (but we couldn't get close enough to it to get a good photo!). It is the heart of the city.
(Clearly we weren't the only ones to miss out on a hat!). From this grille, you can see the harbour underneath - not very well in this picture - but trust me it's there in it's green glory.

At the southern end about 50 windchimes were hung from one of the cross beams. It was beautiful. Almost made me cry, as my dad would have loved that. I felt quite emotional generally as I was walking across the bridge. Not sure why. I think it was just a lovely community feeling, and that is so rare to experience in a big city.

As is walking towards George Street, the main street in Sydney, down the middle of the road. The city is great when there's no traffic! Can't wait until the Bridge turns 100 (although as I just realised this morning when Husby and I were discussing it, I will be 60! Urk!)

Thanks to the organisers for a great event, and thanks JJ Bradfield for designing the bridge, and thanks to those who built it and maintain it, and in particular, those who lost their lives in doing so.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Rose Red: Domestic Goddess - Madeira Cake

So, here's the deal: I've resolved to make at least one new item (ie never before made by me from this recipe) from How to Be a Domestic Goddess, at least once a week. I haven't counted, but there's probably about 200 recipes in the book. Some I won't make, most I will. That's it.

March 9, 2007 - Madeira Cake, pp 2-3
I've been itching to try this recipe for a while. Slightly put off by the ingredients including almost a whole "stick" of butter (does anyone remember the cartoon on Sesame Street where a little girl was sent to the shop to buy a loaf of bread, a pint of milk, and a stick of butter? Can't remember the point of that cartoon...perhaps it was about remembering things...)

My trusty red KitchenAid creaming the butter and sugar.
The mixture was really thick, I don't think I've ever made a cake that was so "solid" before it was cooked. Ready to bake - hope it turns out like the picture behind! I was surprised that you sprinkled caster sugar on top before baking.
Mmmmm, smell that warm cake. All that butter makes it slip right out of the (well-buttered and floured and lined, after last week's stickiness) tin with no troubles at all! And the lovely caster sugar crust. Mmmm just the right amount of sweetness to contrast with the lemony buttery flavour. And it looks just like the picture!
Just perfect with a cup of coffee (trust me, there was coffee in that cup - I just couldn't wait any longer for my afternoon coffee so started before the cake was quite cool enough.)
Nigella's suggested variations include lemon poppyseed, seed cake and strawberry madeira. Mmmm.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Woot Woot WOOOT!

That's the sound of the nerd alert going off after I bought this today:

I love Buffy and I don't care who knows it! If I can't watch it on telly anymore, at least I can read the comic book version. Thanks to Kris for the heads-up!

Turtleneck jumper

My friend J is planning on knitting a turtleneck/roll neck jumper, preferably in a thicker yarn (8ply/DK or greater, probably 10ply/aran would be best), that is not too fitted and doesn't have ribbing at the bottom. She can knit but is not looking for something with lots of patterning (although she'd quite like a cable or two). A nice casual jumper to wear with jeans on the weekend.

You'd think there would be lots of patterns for something this simple. After scouring all my knitting books and magazines, I have only a few options, which surprised me a bit. Lots of turtleneck jumpers have huge, almost comic, roll necks or are knitted in superbulky yarn which isn't so good for the Australian climate.

There is this one from Erika Knight's Classic Knits. Knit in 8ply/DK with a folded, knitted on hem (J, it's not hard!!). It's not the best picture for viewing the pattern, but trust me, it's a simple roll/turtle neck jumper.

Or these two from Jo Sharp Knit vol 1. Both also in 8ply/DK. Neck is a bit more cowl like, particularly on the second one, but we could probably adjust a bit to make it a bit more turtle-like. And could lengthen the sleeves if you didn't want 3/4 length.

Can anyone suggest any more patterns?

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Spirit fingers!

Now that this gift has been received (by a friend in New York who is a sometime reader of the blog) I can post a couple of pictures of my version of the recent craze of Fetching.

Details:
Pattern: "Fetching" from Knitty (Summer 2006) - I like how the cables twist the opposite way for each hand. If I was making these again I'd probably make them a little longer at the finger end, to cover the knuckles a bit more.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran col 300617 (plum), 1x50g ball (I bought too many balls for my log cabin socks and a bandwagon came by so I thought I may as well jump on it!)
Sticks: 4mm bamboo dpns. I probably should have gone up a stick size but didn't want to knit them too loose - they ended up fairly snug.
Time: first mitt - 2 days, second mitt - 1 and bit days.
What I learnt: Oh the thumb bit - that scared me - pulling out the waste yarn and picking up the stitches for the thumb. The first one was not so good but the second one was much better. Picot cast off method was new too.

The obligatory spirit fingers photo! My nephew T (who is 11) was fascinated with them - he kept putting them on - except for "that funny patterny bit there [the cabled cuff] and there [the cast off end]". Heh!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Karma

Thanks to the lovely ladies behind Good Yarn Karma, and the generous donor Melanie, I now have me some of this:
I have to say, I never imagined, before I became a full-on knitter again and discovered blogland, that I'd be knitting some of the things I'm knitting now. Socks, hats on circular sticks, lace shawls (well, once I get my knitpicks options) and dishcloths.
Yes, dishcloths! My first Mason-Dixon ballband dishcloth! Thanks Melanie! Thanks Good Yarn Karma! Thanks to all bloggers who share their creations and their inspiration with all of us!

Monday, March 12, 2007

Good afternoon, class

On Saturday I spent a very pleasant afternoon teaching a couple of friends, Snoozen and Miss F, to crochet. Or at least, a pleasant afternoon, punctuated regularly with the "f" word, trying to teach them how to crochet (I don't think I'm a very good teacher - not particularly patient!).
After a whole afternoon (interspersed with various cakes and other sweeties and several cups of tea), this is our progress:
Snoozen
Miss F
What it is supposed to look like (just for comparison's sake!) - a couple of rows of double crochet (single crochet for our US friends). Just the basics. Miss F (the owner of most, if not all, of the "f" words) has even done some at home since - determined to get it!

Teaching others how to do something that, after 20 years, is second nature to you, is really quite hard. I found myself really watching exactly how I did each step and trying to explain it in a way that makes sense to people who have no idea what a treble is or a double crochet or a chain. But I do like sharing the crafting love (both are already crafty in various ways) - always satisfying to learn a new skill. We're going to do it again soon!

Friday, March 09, 2007

Women, men, work and family

The issue of work/life balance has been around for a while. Lately, the media have been banging on about it quite a bit and even our Prime Minister has called it a "BBQ stopper". A lot of the work I do in my job is related to this. Last Wednesday, I attended the launch of the Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) report It's About Time: Women, men, work and family. The report is the result of about 2 years of research and community consultation conducted by HREOC, and amongst the other recommendations, includes a recommendation for the government to make legislation which entitles people (women and men) to ask for flexible work to assist them to manage their work and family (eg caring for children or parents etc). The proposal only obliges employers to reasonably consider such requests (they are not obliged to provide flexible work if it is not possible). It's a new "social vision" for Australia.
So a report which took about 2 years to put together was rejected in one day by the current federal government. I think that is particularly sad (well, I'm sure they probably had an advance copy, but nevertheless).
But the real point of this post is to raise awareness. At the launch, one person asked the question "How we can get the government to accept these recommendations?" (or something along those lines). It isn't easy, as this is a topic that's been around for a while, along with things like a government funded paid maternity leave scheme (Australia and the US are the only first-world/developed nations without such a scheme). It was suggested that something that we can all do is to talk about it, and keep talking about it. Get our husbands, fathers, brothers, sons, partners and others to talk about it. The issue is not about women and women having to make a choice between work and family. The issue affects all of us, men as well as women - it's about time, and having enough time to work and to care for others (children, parents, spouse, partner, extended family etc), participate in the community, in our society. I was talking to a friend today and she mentioned her husband has only seen their young children for about 15 minutes this week, because he's been working very long hours. It's not good enough. So, without wanting to sound completely preachy, get talking about it! Whatever your politics, talk about it.
Oh, and (belated) Happy International Women's Day everyone!

*ribbons to decorate this overwise fairly serious post from LFN textiles - bought thanks to a lovely post from Yarnstorm - the reversible ones I especially like - I can't decide which side I like the best!!

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Classic bootees

One of husby's friends and his wife recently had a baby boy and they had an "open house" visit last Sunday. After the potato sack debacle, I felt the need to complete a small easy project and given the timing, bootees for the new baby were it!
Details
Pattern: Classic cashmere bootees (except I didn't use cashmere!!), from Erika Knight's Simple Knits for Cherished Babies (one of my favourites for easy, classic baby patterns)
Yarn: Rowan Wool Cotton, about half of one 50g ball, shade 948 (poster blue) (woo hoo, 25g down on Knit from your Stash!!)
Sticks: 3.75mm handmade blackwood sticks, purchased at a country market
Time: 2 nights and a bit (just the sewing up).
What I learnt: On this pattern, not really any new skills or experiences - except for a feeling of mild annoyance when the new father thanked us for the "funny little bootees". I know he didn't mean anything by it but "funny" is not the adjective I would have chosen!! But I guess I'm biased, since I made them. Maybe they are funny looking??!!

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Patience

Patience is not one of my strongest virtues. I am all about having it now. I've been thinking a lot about this aspect of my character since my over the top spree in New York, and reading something about the Compact, which is a movement which started in the US aimed at reducing the amount of consumption - the true Compacters buy only those things which are absolutely necessary to live (and which they can't get through other means) and barter or whatever for the rest.
I don't think I could ever go that far, but I am trying to cut down on my spending. Knit from your Stash is going to help me, but it's really the shoe and clothes shopping that will be a challenge. I need to force myself to think twice about every purchase - do I really need it, do I need it now, can I get it another time if I really do need it, that sort of thing. Husby and I have a lot of stuff and I do wonder if it really does make us happier. It's a challenge - so far I've managed to go this month, since we've returned from our trip, and have bought very little. I think it's a good thing.

When I need reminding, I look at this plant, in our front yard. When we first moved into our house (in 2000), I planted a Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) in our back yard. It was a small one, and I knew then that they can sometimes take a few years before they flower. We had to replant it in our front yard about two years ago, and we supplemented it with a larger more mature strelitzia as well. The little one still hasn't flowered but a couple of weeks ago I discovered the bigger one finally has flower spikes. And they opened up over the course of this last week.

Patience really does pay off with something beautiful at the end, something worth waiting for.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Mum's crochet bag

Mum was staying with us recently, so I finally had the opportunity to photograph her Christmas present, this crochet bag (which I finished on Boxing Day). She really liked mine and asked for one for herself, with a few size modifications.

(I love red and purple together! Strangely, both of these colours are quite true - amazing considering my extremely limited photography skills!)

She wanted it a little wider but the same length from top to bottom. I thought I'd have enough of the cotton but realised pretty quickly once I started that I wouldn't. Thanks to Kris at Tapestry Craft (as well as a very kind offer from a very busy Donni) I found enough yarn to finish, using the scraps I had left another from another project as well - whew!

The photo below shows the difference in size - the length difference is due to mine stretching (I still haven't lined it). For all the technical details, see this post.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Addictions

My name is Rose Red and I'm addicted to buying yarn.


I really only started knitting properly again about 2.5 years ago, after not having done any since I was a teenager. A work colleague asked me how to cast off a scarf she was making and I could actually remember how to do it. And that inspired me to make a scarf. And then my best friend fell pregnant with twins and so I decided to make a jumper for each of them. And so it went on from there.


In that period, I have managed, somehow, I don't know how and don't even want to contemplate how, to purchase a large amount of yarn. A VERY large amount of yarn. Almost 23 kilos (or 50lb) of yarn. Looking at how much I knit last year, I'd say that's probably enough to last me 10 years. Oh my.


Inspired by others out there in blogland, I am joining in Knit from your Stash 2007. Here's my version of the rules:


Rose Red: Knit from your Stash 2007

  1. Sock yarn doesn't count (see, I'm making exceptions already) - but only if it is the most superfantastic sock yarn that I'll never be able to get again.

  2. I can buy yarn for knitted gifts (or yarn-y gifts) but only if I don't already have something suitable in the stash (no intentional picking of projects for which I know I have no stash!)

  3. I am allowed to buy a particular discontinued yarn if it ever becomes available (eg on eBay)

  4. I can buy sticks, books and other knitting accessories

  5. I can buy yarn to complete a project using stash yarn, if absolutely necessary

  6. I can buy yarn for my birthday

  7. I can receive yarn as a gift (a genuine gift!)

  8. I can fall off the wagon twice (not counting my birthday or sock yarn!)

  9. Knit from your Stash commences 1 February 2007 through to 31 December 2007.

To help, I am also going to do more of this:

(it's going to be hard. I am a hoarder). And there'll be a little yarn giveaway on my blog sometime this year. It'll be good stuff, I promise!

Thursday, March 01, 2007

New books

Mmmm I love the smell of new books. So crisp and fresh and full of promise. Especially new knitting books. I can't remember the last time I bought a new novel but I remember the last few (well ok, quite a few) knitting books I've bought. And the ones I haven't yet bought...


This is my haul from New York - mostly Barnes & Noble or yarn stores. They were, I suspect, the main reason why our suitcases were so close to being overweight on the return trip (because we all know that shoes and yarn are light, right!)

Yarn Harlot - always so funny. Gets it right every time, a constant funny inspiration.

Nancy Bush - what a sock genius. Can't wait to cast on almost every pair in Knitting on the Road. One day I may even try a colourwork sock from Folk Socks.

Victorian Lace Today is just a beautiful beautiful book - some lovely photography in grand English gardens - I really do like a nice topiary with statuary!

Mason-Dixon - also hilarious and some really good patterns. I never thought I'd knit a dishcloth but now I'm itching too. I also was this close to buying some Louet linen to make the slllllinky nightie. One day...

Folk Shawls - perhaps not as many must make patterns as I thought would be but a good history of shawls and various traditions in making them.

And finally, the winter 06/07 Vogue Knitting with the (in)famous capecho on the cover (which I'd still like to make notwithstanding the apparent difficulties others have in getting the pattern to actually look like the cover shot) and some other lovely patterns too; and the Summer 2004 Interweave Knits, which is "sold out" on Interweave's website but which contains the pattern for Madli's shawl which I've been dying to make ever since I saw it here.