Madeira 2011

I had a lovely time in Madeira with my Mam this year. 

We saw an amazing collection of succulents at the Botanic gardens, went inside a volcano (inactive of course!), walked along a levada (the irrigation channel which take water down the terraced slopes) and visited the Art Deco exhibition at Casa de Mudas.

We ate some fabulous food (lots of fish and seafood and quite a bit of cake!) and I used the pools more this year. My knitting bag remained untouched though!
Madeira is a lovely place and I can see why my Mam loves it so much.

Now that I'm back I'll have to crack on with the cowl that I'm making for Jen and some wee UGG boots that I'm making for baby Briony. (Both projects travelled to Madeira but were ignored!) Last week I was enjoying sunshine and 22C, this week in Scotland it's chilly and 2C- perfect knitting weather though!

mad as a hatter!

two warm woolly toppers are winging their (separate) ways to two people at opposite ends of the age spectrum.

The first is off to a dedushka (grandad) in Belarus as part of the Christmas shoebox appeal. The volunteers who process the boxes gather hats, gloves, scarves, toiletries and of course sweeties, to make up boxes to go to babushkas and dedushkas who have as little as the children that they care for. When I found out about this I knitted a hat for a man (I bought some too, but they're just plain black acrylic knitted beanies) and I'll try to make a few more for next year's appeal. This is an easy pattern from issue 1 of Knit Now.

The second, much smaller beanie, is going to the third child of our former minister who is now at a church in Glasgow. Baby Ruth was born at the beginning of November.

I don't feel like the Mad Hatter at the moment though, I feel more like the White Rabbit, rushing around shouting "I'm Late!! I'm Late!!" as I try to get Christmas presents wrapped and posted and stock the fridge and freezer with a ton of food for David and Jen while I enjoy another jaunt to Madeira with my Mam. I'm looking forward to it, but this week has been a frenzy of activity as I try to cross everything off my very very long list of Things That I Must Do!!

Still, no doubt I'll be grinning like the Cheshire Cat when we get there!