Meanwhile back at the ranch

After talking about these bags with a friend, I stumbled across them on etsy and I just had to have one. If the bag itself wasn't cute enough, check out the adorable swing tag! I can't bring myself to take it off, it's so sweet. It is from JennieGee on Etsy.

On the knitting front I've cast aside the almost-completed jumper and started some new projects.

In October, we're taking a little trip overseas to visit Alan's family in Ireland. I saw this spectacular yarn at my local yarn shop and thought it would make a great shawl for my mother in law for the winter months ahead.

Partially inspired by the lovely Japanese shawl in this book here (the pink one on the right) , I decided to do a triangular shawl with a simple black centre, a nice wide border of good old feather and fan (which sets off the long colour repeats of the yarn so well) - it's coming along fine so far.



When the bright yarn runs out, I'm going to add a simple but very open second border in black laceweight - like the edging in the pictured shawl. I'm in the process of deciphering the Japanese instructions, luckily they're in chart form or I'd have no hope whatsoever.


I also managed to acquire a yarnissima la digitessa kit, after years of hit and miss site stalking, so I'm pretty pleased with myself.

And on that fine and optimistic note, I shall leave you with a picture from our family life today - oh frabjous day! - it's the Book Week Parade.



(As my daughter ran up the path to the bus she said 'I'm late!' and I said 'no, you're not' and she said 'I'm Alice! I'm always late!' and away she went. It's her tenth birthday today and it feels to her that the whole school is dressing up just for her birthday.)