woohoo! a prize!

I listen to a lot of podcasts and a couple of weeks ago I was thrilled to hear that I'd won the prize draw on Getting Loopy, Mary Beth Temple's show on Blogtalkradio.

It's a wonderful crochet book by Doris Chan called Crochet Lace Innovations and it came today. woohoo!!

It has got tutorials on broomstick lace, Tunisian crochet and hairpin lace too, and the projects are stunning.

My favourite is this jacket, Melisande, but it's a bit out of my range just yet*, so I think a scarf might be in order first!


I swatched and cast on today for my Landgirl's tanktop. The pattern is knit in one piece, though not on circs, and looks quite straightforward (famous last words!)

Instead of Rowan cotton, as used by Martin Storey the designer , I'm using some merino by Ornagi Filati which I got a bargain price in a wool shop in Windermere 2 summers ago.

It's more of a dark jade colour, rather than the forest green in the mag photo. I don't wear a lot of green, as I don't suit yellow tones, but this has quite a bluish hint to it, so I think it will work well with my skin tones. So far it feels very nice to work with.

I'd better download some podcasts to listen to while I'm getting on with it- a new one on my playlist is the Vote Now! show on Radio 4 by comedians Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, taking a satirical look at the excitement that is the UK general election. I look at the three main parties wanting our votes and I need to have to laugh! 

*out of my range? I've been struggling to make a small rectangle of dc crochet this week! Gah!!