Cookies n' knit

The winter school holiday is over. We are back to our normal routine but with less stress. Our clever older daughter has gotten a earned herself a place at a good private school. We still have to wait one more week to hear from the state schools.
But it means she can relax a little and have less homework.
Yesterday she wanted to make cookies. We made our favorite: Chocolate Chip.
Years ago when we lived in the US I got Mrs. Field cookery book. The blue ribbon recipe has been made lots of times.
It was the first time that she got all the ingredients out and started. She did a good job, and yes I was left with the cleaning.
Miss T has been up to her usual tricks, emptying out draws.
There has been some knitting as well.
I finished the body on the Adam&Eve baby jacket.
Fontaine has nearly got two sleeves. Hopefully I will be wearing her next week!

Baby blue

Knitting with 2.5mm needles and 4ply yarn was getting to me. I was very worried to have run out of yarn. My LYS had none left, but lucky a trip to John Lewis solved my problem. I got another ball of yarn in the same dye lot as well.
I finished the first sleeve and started on the second. Sadly I left it in the car and my family went out.
What to do with all the peace? Start another project of course.
I started the Adam and Eve unisex jacket (ravelry link) and I am using stash yarn. It is Wendy Merino yarn.
The pattern involves no sewing of any seams.
A few friends have had baby boys and one boy is on its way. I may knit this more than once. I also have the same yarn in Orange. I got the yarn from my friend Johanne when she was having a clear out a few years ago.

Bushfire Appeal

I am sure you have all heard about the terrible bushfires in Australia.
Jacqueline is running an appeal on her blog, there are knitterly prizes.
Instead of giving each other cards on Valentines Day we have given a donation.
On one side of the world there are bushfires and here in the UK we are having the coldest winter since we moved here in 2000. I leave you with a photo from last week.
Hope you all like my new layout.

Knitting with 4ply

Knitting with 4ply is slow doing. It has taken me days or rather evenings to knit the collar. It doesn't look like there are over 50 rows of garter stitch with over 200 stitches in every row.
I am glad it is out of the way and done. I wanted to knit both sleeves at the same time and use the magic loop to do it.
I tried it, I managed to cast on but somehow I did not get the hang and figure out how to knit the first row.
Maybe it being late in the evening had something to do with it.
Here is the first sleeve, I am using a short circular needle, I did use a set of double pointed until I had enough stitches to switch.


After the little Miss has gone to bed, I knit for about 2 hours unless I am to tired.
I think last night I knit three blocks while we watched an old James Bond movie.

School is out...

not for summer but for today, because of snow.
I love how the UK can't cope with any snow.
All the kids are out and about playing in the street.
I grew up in Switzerland and we never missed a day of school because of snow. We did have a skiing day - a day trip to the slopes. It was always great fun. Sometimes we had bad weather and were the only idiots on skis.
My kids are well kited out besides the foot wear. Finding shoes for Miss T tiny feet is still a problem. She was outside until her feet got to cold. Big sister is outside wearing wellington boots with handknit socks.
It is a day to wear hand knits.
So far most of this winter has seen me wear almost all my woolen hand knits.
I have made some good progress on Fontaine. The back, two fronts, pocket tops and the button band are finished. I want to knit the button hole band and the collar next. I may then knit the sleeves in the round. I am thinking if I should try the magic sock loop and knit both sleeves at the same time.
Weather update: It is still snowing and it has started heavy again at 11am.