Brambles and Bandanas

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A new month and lots of new projects!
That tantalising close-up shows the beginnings of an aran-weight shawl:  the Lonely Tree Shawl by Sylvia Bo Bilvia, which is a free pattern, also available in  a back issue of Knit Now magazine.

I am using  JC Rennie chunky aran in the colour Bramble, gifted to me by Christine in a fit of de-cluttering as she prepares to leave town (sob!).  She also gave me some AlbaYarn in Glade, which is snuggled up next to its buddies in my stash, awaiting a flash of inspiration.  And last but not least, I inherited a bag full of Teos Handspun wool from the Isale of Skye – oooooh!

In return for all this woolly goodness, I am knitting Christine a pair of socks – yay!

She chose the Willowherb pattern from CoopKnits Socks, using the Lioness Arts bfl sock I bought at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, in the colour Pan.  This is a luscious forest green with handpainted splashes of pinky-red.  It is going to really interesting to see how the colour comes through as I knit. 



Willowherb pattern – picture from CoopKnits Socks



Lioness Arts bfl sock in Pan

This weekend I made a start on both projects.
The Boy is home for a week before he heads off for a summer of festivals and fruit-picking.  Sewing is an anti-social, noisy activity, better reserved for days when I am home alone, so I stuck to knitting and gardening.
But as you might expect, I have lots of sewing plans bubbling away in my head.
Top of the list is a piece of 1970’s insanity involving broderie anglaise, bandana-print cotton and Betsey Johnson :D
Cowboy boots at the ready, girls!