Caveman and I spent a jolly afternoon at Willowpool recently.  It is technically a garden and antique centre but I feel that description is way short of reality. 

It is a sprawling mixture of all sorts curios spread around rambling grounds with everything from old bikes and typewriters to fairground rides and crumbling angel statues.  All of which you can buy and take home for your garden.  There are also plant of course, and old doors, plant pots, archways, pillars, benches…. I could go on!

But this pales into insignificance compared to one thing: The Tea Rooms.   And with the tea there was knitting, yes really!!  I’ll get to that in a minute.

The tea room is mainly outdoors in little huts and gazebos.  We were lucky enough to get one of the huts which was really cosy and had funny little tree trunk type seats!

As we were deciding what to choose from the menu there were all manner of huge plates and bowls of food passing by.  I expected these were to share and didn’t for a minute think one of these would be put in front of me. 

I ordered Willowpool Dream Delight – cream, strawberries, creme Anglaise and crushed meringue.  Wow it was massive!  I like my grub but there was no way I could have managed to eat all of it and even Caveman couldn’t finish it after his own cake.

They also used the most charming mismatched china with lovely teapots and tea cups.  I feel inspired to start a new collection!

Now, I’m sure you’ll be wondering where knitting comes into all this.  Well, I’d been sitting at the table for about 5 minutes before I even noticed the cute little knitted sugar bowl cover!!!  So it was only a little bit of knitting amongst all the intrigue at Willowpool, but even the tiniest piece of knitting is still knitting!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the Dr Who Tom Baker scarf I knitted for Caveman.  We met 2 years ago next month and I knitted it for our first Christmas together.  As you can imagine from the timescales of October to Christmas I started knitting it pretty soon after we met to get it finished in time!  In hindsight that was a pretty tall order and perhaps just a bit presumptuous in a new relationship!  But here we are still so I can tell the story with a smile!

Anyway, I wanted to share the pattern I developed for the scarf.  Caveman is a massive fan of Dr Who and Tom Baker was his favourite.  I did lots and lots of research, looking at pictures, colours, film etc and developed this pattern.  I used Sirdar Country Style yarn which I have found in the past to be a very standard double knit and stable and easy to knit with, using 4mm needles.  I also have a very standard and even tension, which does help.

Here are the colours and rows you will need to knit.  (Note that the inch / cm measurements vary slightly from each other just because of rounding)

Changing colour every few rows became a bit of a pain at times so I’d recommend you sew in ends as you go along.  Needless to say I didn’t!!

When all the knitting is done make tassels in each shade to finish about 6inches long each.

I have tried to find the ball bands from the yarn I used to give details of shades but just can’t track them down, although I am sure I kept them.  If they turn up I will blog details.  I’ve given the rough type of colour above and the pictures may help.

My final tip: if you are knitting this in secret for your beloved find a good excuse for the amount of time you will need to spend at home knitting.  They may become suspicious if you say you spent the evening knitting and have nothing to show for it until you present them with the fruits of your labour.

There’s no easy way to say this.  It’s over! Another has won my heart.  I know it’s only been 2 weeks but it’s the real deal with crochet.  Over the years you’ve tied me in knots and I never truly understood how you worked.  I’ve tried and I’ve given it a good shot, and many times I managed, but crochet makes sense to me, its logical and and I always know where I stand.

You are so demanding; long needles, a big bag to carry you in, patterns where I need to constantly write down where I’m up to.  It’s all just too much.  I need more freedom and crochet gives me it with one little needle it even fits in my pocket and is so flexible and forgiving.

There may be times when you tempt me back, but it will only be a fling.  Don’t beg or plead or try to win me back.  I may come willingly, I may even let you and crochet get together, wouldn’t that be fun.

Don’t be too sad, move on.  It was fun while it lasted.

I love reading knitting books, magazines and websites and have just read a brilliant tip!  Modern Knitting gives the following advice for using a Lifeline when knitting a complex pattern, such as lace or cable:

‘Lifeline

Having given up on some stitch patterns in the past, or even resorted to sending them to my mum to complete, I think this is the best knitting tip I’ve heard.  I’m about to start knitting a Debbie Bliss waistcoat which is all cable so I will use this technique until I get into the swing of it.

A few weeks ago, in the midst of a period of anxiety and depression, I started knitting again (see socks in previous entries)!  Having not done so for a while I found it quite a relief and it was that week I felt I turned a corner in how i was feeling.  I’ve read many times that knitting, and other crafts, are well known to be a relief from mental health problems and maybe it was working for me too.

Since then I have started a series of 6 sessions of counselling and in the first yesterday we spoke about the little things that I like to do that I could achieve on a day to day basis to start working back towards what is ‘normal’ for me, particularly the things which I have not felt up to doing recently.  Of course knitting came up and had to be on the list.  I do find it rather strange to have an action plan / workbook which includes knitting, walking and keeping in touch with friends, but I guess it’s all steps along a path. 

So if my action plan says I should knit daily, then knit I will!

Yay I have finished one whole sock! And very proud of it I am too.  Turning the heel was fine and actually much simpler and more logical than you might think, although there was a bit of picking up stitches after the heel which I hate.

It does look rather a funny shape as the foot is very long but then again I do have rather large feet (size 8).

Full detials of yarn, pattern etc can be found over on Ravelry

I did have to wonder to myself last week why I was knitting socks during the hottest week of the year.  Hmm, there wasn’t a sensible answer to that one…

Work is well underway on its twin, which is coming along nicely.