turtleknits

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe what happened. On my last post, I invited ideas as to what I was knitting. Well it was to be a bag. This was started 3 times as I was not sure about felting. For the 1st time I did a swatch!!!!!!!!!!! Well I decided it needed to be knitted looser and bigger. I knitted it looser and bigger. It was 30 ins long and about 16 ins wide and I expected it to measure about 15ins high by 10ins wide.Well as you can see from the book in the picture, it is only 10ins high and the width of the book, and I cannot pull it apart, its so matted together. I used Rowan Tapestry in colour 'pot pourri'. The colours would have been lovely, pretty pinks and greys. As I was knitting it, it was very soft and beautiful. I only felted it at 60 degrees with a couple of towels and the finished bag was to be a gift. I will not use this yarn for felting again. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...

What could this be? Can you guess? Watch this space!! Could be a while though.

Some books I've read recently. One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn This was April/May's book club choice. I actually enjoyed it mostly. Although the theme is a depressing one the writer really makes you feel that you are part of this prisoner's life in a labour camp in Siberia. The humanity, caring, sympathetic and sharing nature of the prisoners really shines through despite the harsh conditions and treatment. This is also a story of the struggle for personal and spiritual well-being.Its no wonder that A Solzhenitsyn won the nobel prize for literature in 1970. The Illustrated Olive Farm by Carol Drinkwater A while back I read the 3 Olive Farm books by this author and I really enjoyed them. How this actress met Michel, a French film director, fell in love and bought an old dilapidated olive farm in Provence in Southern France. The books were thoroughly enjoyable, warm, amusing and very appealing. This is essentially a love story on many levels, ...

Yesterday spent a lovely afternoon in Powerscourt with my sister M of www.craftydogs.blogspot.com . It must be the most scenic cafe I have ever visited either in Ireland or other places I've been to abroad. These photos were taken from the outdoor section of the cafe. Unbelievable. We had yummy leek and potato soup with cheese bread and salad for lunch. Then after a lovely wander around the shops and garden centre we returned to the coffee shop for some tea and cakes( Strawberry custardy tartlet for me and baked raspberry cheesecake for M) Oh Yummy, Yummy, Yummy! That was Saturday. Today, Sunday, spent the morning in city. Had good coffee at Coffee society in Liffey Street and then on way home met my friend O at Avoca in Rathcoole, where I had a lovely lunch of Cauliflower Cheese soup which was delicious and creamy, followed by Baked Raspberry Cheesecake and Tea. Oh my God, how many miles will I need to walk this week after all this yummy eating?!!!!!!!!!!!

Isobel, this post is for you. I was in Powerscourt yesterday and could not resist taking a picture of this sign on sale there! Sadly, the cakes don't look as yummy as some of the one's posted on your own blog.

Our knitting cafe was closed for the weekend and so we knit in the park. It was a lovely day. We took some food from the Food market in Temple Bar and brought it to a garden nearby in Dublin Castle. I bought a bruschetta at a bakery stall and it was really tasty, with roast veg and cheese, and a takeaway coffee. Spent a really enjoyable few hours knitting and chatting and enjoying the surroundings. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so no photos to post. Still fininshing my Rowan cardi. Cuffs as well as the collar had to be knitted separately and then sewn on. I have one cuff finished and another started, so hope to get them finished and put together today. Then I have lots of little buttons to add as decoration, so it will be a few days yet before finishing. Then I want to start a small baby project and someting portable to take to knit cafe. Yesterday I was out to lunch in my brother's. I bought a carrot cake in Avoca on the way. I have not had this one before so was a little appr...