Knitting: a baby blanket

A very special baby is due next month.

Not knitting! Emily Peacock Cross Stitch kit

When I was little, I loved counted cross stitch. I loved carefully following a diagram, and turning a blank sheet of fabric into a picture. I loved how complex shapes could be made from lots of tiny squares, and how the texture of the fabric could be completely changed as each square was replaced with a stitch. And I loved the calming effect of carefully putting the needle through the fabric, again, and again, and again.

Knitting: a finished snowdrop shawl

When I was in London in June I saw  Caroline, and could finally hand over her shawl. I've blogged about it before here and here, and actually finished it back in late May, but couldn't block it at the time because the spare room was such a mess I couldn't get the bed open. And also, I didn't want to blog about it before I gave it to her.

But when I eventually tidied up the spare room and did block it before travelling down, I forgot to take pictures. So Caroline very kindly took this one of the finished project for me:

I was really happy with the way it turned out, and the pattern was fun. I probably won't do another with a knitted-on edging, though, because picking up stitches for it was a complete nightmare, and when I got to the point, after several day's work, I wasn't at the point in the pattern repeat I should have been at. I had a choice of losing a great deal of work or... fudging it slightly. I'm afraid I went for the latter! At least with a edging that's knitted with the rest of the shawl you can read your pattern to see if you've gone wrong - that wasn't really possible with this one.

The pattern was Yarn Harlot's Snowdrop Shawl. There's a link to the pattern, and all the other details here. 

I'm now taking a mini rest from knitting, partly because it's summer, partly because I've finished a bunch of things I've promised people, and largely because I got not one, but three Emily Peacock tapestry kits for my birthday and I'm really enjoying making them. But that's a whole different post! However, there's enough beautiful yarn in my drawer, and fab patterns in my queue, to ensure I'll be back knitting again soon.

A thousand paper cranes and thoughts for Japan

Last week we went my best friend's wedding. It was a lovely laid-back affair. She and her husband had been together 10 years and when they decided to get married they went from newly engaged to a wedding in just three months, skipping much of the traditional stress along the way.

When they first got engaged her soon-to-be in-laws suggested making 1000 paper cranes for the wedding. Apparently it's a Japanese tradition that if you fold 1000 or are given a thousand paper cranes you'll get your heart's desire. It is also said that it brings happiness and world peace. Certainly worth a small amount of effort, and a lovely thought for a wedding.

At first no one really expected to get to 1000. It was a nice idea, but more a way to decorate the venue than anything else. The husband and I decided to join in to help out and I bought enough paper to make 175.
But the morning before the wedding my friend's soon to be mother-in-law counted up. We had 1300 paper cranes. And on the day of the wedding they brightened up every room with their different jewel-like colours, strung on garlands, perched on tables, even serving as sort of wedding favours as people took them away at the end of the night. It was a charming idea and I hope it brings them a happy marriage and world peace - it couldn't happen to a nicer couple.

The husband and I sat down to make our share of the cranes together on the sofa in front of the television the week before the wedding. When we decided to help out we never imagined that we would be sat trying our inexperienced hands at the ancient Japanese art of origami while watching pictures of parts of Japan laid waste by earthquakes, tsunami and the threat of radiation.

We clearly weren't the only ones deeply affected by the pictures, nor the only people who were reminded of the tradition and wished the people of Japan could indeed get their most heartfelt wish. Someone out there has created a website with 1000 virtual paper cranes. Anyone can create one and send messages of hope. And if you want to give more practical help there are links to donate to the Red Cross. Click here to visit it.