It seems like ages since I last updated, but of course that is because it is ages since I last updated here!  The 5th May to be precise.  I am so ashamed of myself.

However the time hasn’t been wasted, I’ve been very, very busy!

First up I finished a hairpin lace tunic as a class examplar for the hairpin course in November,

hairpin lace tunic

I really enjoyed the process of making this tunic, though, I’ll be honest, I’m still undecided about the final result. I also finished one of the baby blankets that I needed to get done (the other is still in ‘kit’ form, and as the baby is due next week I really need to crack on with that).  I’m really pleased with how this came out – I love the colours together, and the stitch is a really pretty stitch and works really well in this context.

1970’s colourway baby blanket

I also taught the Tunisian Beginners course to a full house, and there are some outstanding ‘luxury spa cloths’ appearing on the Glamourous Knitters  forum on Ravelry as people post their finished projects!  There is already demand for a follow up course to look in more detail at some further stitches and advanced techniques, so I shall start work on that soon I promise.

However, my focus the last few weeks has been France. Pourqoui? I hear you ask.

Well just after my last post, I had the ever lovely V (whom I met at KnitNation 2011) come visit with his partner G, and we spent a few great sunshiny days in London.  A promise had been made last year to go visit them in Lille, so a date was set for the last weekend in June – and a challenge of learning French by then!  That’s all for another post.

Having set myself that challenge, Channel 4 started showingThe Returned, a drama in French!  handy.  And I’m loving it.  A clever, intelligent drama that doesn’t talk down to it’s audience and isn’t afraid to ask questions and leave them unanswered.

Finally the weekend saw the start of the Tour de France, one of the two sporting events I actually sit down and make time to watch (the other being the Six Nations).  I also take part in a sort of mass knit along on Ravelry with other Tour fans – setting our own challenge for our own pick of the jerseys.  It’s lots of fun, and at least I don’t have to spin miles and miles of yarn for the famous Tour de Fleece!  I’ve put myself down for a King of the Mountains (that’s the spotty one) to challenge myself to finish the Jan sweater  – afterall I have just one (cap) sleeve and the sewing up to do. This week I’ve managed to get the cuff done – so go me!

Jan Sweater – almost two sleeves!

I’ve also set myself the yellow jersey for completing the Tunisian pattern Love is a Prism in just 3 weeks.  I’m twenty rows in and really enjoying it. The yarn was picked up in France, so more about that in the next post.

Love is a Prism starts..