a few bits and pieces

Canada was a great place to find bits and pieces like these pompom makers, since at more than 2 Canadian dollars to a pound, the prices are incredible. Good bead shop found too, so brought a few cubes and hexes back, probably to share with my friend and extraordinarily talented beader Fanny.

Book posts were from the Paper Source, which we knew from our Californian trips, but which we were delighted to find in Boston. I think - know - I have some other papery treasures from Toronto in some pile or other, which will come to light in the next few days. The Paper Place was rather similar in feel to the Paper Source, but with a more Japanese edge to it - and that's exactly the edge I love! 

And then....

A bit of felting. I've admired the Noni bags for ages and wanted to get a pattern, particularly for the fabulous felted flowers. Selected my bag pattern whilst at Webs and was checking inside to find out how much Cascade 220 yarn was required, only to find the bag pattern didn't include the instructions for the flowers. So, decided to just go for the felted rose pattern; though the camellia was great too, it will have to wait.

Since arriving home I have discovered that Get Knitted have the Cascade 220 yarn too and at £4.99 a skein, just a bit more than the $5.75 I paid for mine. Still, when I want more roses, I'll know where to shop. 

After the socks

At some point I will be bored with knitting socks, and then I can have a go at Ene, a lace scarf I have admired on so many blogs and which is in my Scarf Style book. That will be in the Schaefer Anne yarn here, in a blue/green hand dye. The Mountain Colors Mountain Goat yarn in the centre has a less certain purpose - perhaps a mobius scarf? And finally, the Sireno, another Great Adirondack Yarn company product is to become a Clapotis, because the knitted model in Webs store was just so silky and light, I knew I just had to make one myself. I shall be turning to Liz of Dreaming Spirals for advice before long, I'm sure. 

Confession #1

Some socks will be knitted.

My little haul of sock yarn should be warming our tootsies soon. Clockwise, starting with two balls (colours 66 and 76) of Trekking XXL for Mark, "Soxie" Adirondack sock yarn in Bahama colour, my favourite pink and green "rhubarb" ArtYarn (Colour 105), and finally, some more Koigu for another pair of Stranded socks. This last one is rather brighter in real life than it appears here - the sunshine through the roof of the garden room did funny things to that one in particular. 

several hours later....

Well, the two or three hour delay to our flight soon became more serious as, although the plane was there, nothing appeared to be happening. All other flights had left and there were just the London passengers left. We began to suspect that something was amiss and would have made enquiries, had there been anyone around to answer them. When a uniformed member of Virgin staff appeared, she was mobbed and as the crowd began to move out of the departure lounge and back towards the check in area, we knew something was up and joined the stampede.

It seemed that, although our plane was there and ready, there was no-one available to fly it.

This is where we found ourselves somewhere around midnight - the airport hotel!

This was the reassuring view from our window - one solitary Virgin 747 remaining.









We eventually took off some 15 hours late and were thankful for a smooth and uneventful flight, arriving home just after 1am this morning.

Shopping confessions follow later.