Knitting in...the rain, the park and Tsumugi silk

It's end of what feels like a really long week, it's our dear Queen's (official) birthday and it's thunderstorms a-go-go. Hope she doesn't get wet. I'll admit to feeling just a little lethargic after last night's knitting night for blokes spilled over into The Wheatsheaf on South Lambeth Road and went on til almost 2am. And why is it that after such-and-such an amount of beer/wine the only thing you really want is cheese and chips? We were joined in our manly knitting last night by the divine Miss Elly who we assured could watch BB on our big screen. Alas it was not to be - the knitting has saved us this year from the death of summer that is Big Brother and I am grateful for it!

It's been a full week and I'm looking forward to our Sunday off, although will surely spend most of that in front of this screen, tweaking the website and our new newsletter. Wednesday IKL night in the pub was one of the most relaxing for ages, in a really gorgeous spot by the lake in St James' Park. Inn the Park has a premium position, and it's a bit annoying that they've filled it with the most expensive drinks I've ever seen. It's nice and all, but really you're taking advantage when you start charging over a fiver for a small bottle of red wine! Staff were quite bolshie too. We spotted the owner, Oliver Peyton, outside and considered having a word but our British reserve meant we just put up with and enjoyed the view! Until the rain came...you can always rely on that. But we split up into two knitting packs and found some space both inside and outside, all cosy-like under the trees.

Looking forward to Duckie in July (we have an arty knitting project planned for Saturday nights), I was knitting the Abbey Road pedestrian crossing! Of course, Sue outdid me by a mile and knocked up a Belisha beacon in a matter of minutes, complete with crocheted beacon and propped up with a coffee stirrer. But at least I finished mine, which officially meenas I've finished two things in as many weeks - the first was this scarf-thing which I started in Brighton on the 3rd. On Thursday, much to Gerard's surprise I picked up my baby cardigan and started that again...I'd thrown it aside in a strop the other night after mistake #1762 sent me over the edge of sanity. But in the clear light of day (and with Starship Troopers as accompaniment) I began again, with determination renewed!

Now, someone was a bit disparaging recently about my choice of films for our Thursday night film night and I was most put out. I'm of the opinion that knitters come in all shapes and sizes, and you can't (usually) recognise one in the street without having an Attenborough-like eye for the giveaway signs. I'll agree, Starship Troopers is not, perhaps, the most relaxing evening's entertainment, but we were happy in it's presence and the knitting didn't suffer! We did have M&S chocolate biscuits and sultana cookies to help us along. But, the point is, the films we show aren't determined by a blinkered generalisation of what a knitter should be, but more by our own random choices. I've liked them all so far...but apparently I'm "odd"! You can see what we have coming up over the next few weeks here - and suggest your own if you like. Leave a comment.

Gerard's Victorian Lace Today obsession still refuses to lose it's grip! And why not, the stuff he's made so far is beautiful - and makes me jealous as hell. We've just ordered a mountain of Tsumugi cones from Habu to replenish after his first lacy scarf sent the 'buy what you see' knitters rushing for the cones we had...they've just added 6 new colours too so we're slavering with anticipation for those to arrive.

Not that today's downpour fills me with any hope for a long hot summer, we've agreed to take part next week in the Vauxhall Summer Fair in Vauxhall Park. I'm determined to have a good day there, so I'll have my cart of yarn, big needles, loads of brightly coloured acrylic, Innocent Big Knit hat patterns and other bit and pieces for folks to play with. It's Sunday 24th and it would be great to see any knitters there - they'll have loads of stalls, games, entertainment etc, plus Joanna Lumley is opening it! Also, Jon Easy Knits will be rocking up with a fleece and his spinning wheel to demonstrate the lost art to a bemused Vauxhall crowd. I'm looking forward to it, and I promise not to go on about how I should be at Glastonbury watching the Dame instead.


Craig