Snow, snow, snow!

Snow is something we don't often get ... and this week we have been blessed with more than we know what to do with!
The school was closed for most of the week - much to the children's excitement.

Now then ... who's for a snowball fight??

It's been a while ...

I can't believe it's been 4 months since I last wrote on my blog!

I have spent the Christmas break using up some of my wool stash by making stripey jumpers for toddlers. They are knitted from sleeve to sleeve, creating vertical stripes.














I have found two new knitting charities for my jumpers:

Algerian Action
and
Project Peru

Forest walk

Today we wanted to make the most of the beautiful autumn weather, so we took a walk in Salcey Forest.
The sun was just starting to rise through the trees.




We found some mushrooms too.



This the the treetop walk ...



... which takes you right above the tree canope.

New sleeping socks - rainbow version

Do you remember my sleeping socks - made from a 1970's vintage pattern?
Well here is the latest version.
Knitted in navy in pure wool, with cheerful stripes in all the colours of the rainbow.

You can find them in my etsy shop here.

Etsy update

Here is my latest etsy relisting.

This waistcoat is handknitted from handspun pure wool and alpaca in their natural colours - wool-white and black.
It is wonderfully soft and warm!
Closed with three wooden toggle buttons.
Edges with noughts-and-crosses pattern.

Being made of pure wool the waistcoat requires special love and care.
Please only hand-wash and dry flat. Do not tumble-dry.

Fits chest 26"/66 cm. Approx. 3-4 years.

Kiva

Oh dear. It's a long time since I have written in my blog.

Kiva is a website I came across recently.
It presents a wonderful opportunity to lend money to entrepeneurs in developing countries, enabling them to setting up their enterprises and making a living.

Here is more information from the website:

Kiva's mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.

The people you see on Kiva's site are real individuals in need of funding - not marketing material. When you browse entrepreneurs' profiles on the site, choose someone to lend to, and then make a loan, you are helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates and track repayments. Then, when you get your loan money back, you can relend to someone else in need.

Interested? Then just follow this link!

Save the Children baby hat appeal

Save the Children have launched a new appeal for people to knit baby hats for children in developing countries.

Knitting a hat for a newborn baby can help save its life. Telling politicians to do their bit could save the lives of millions of newborns each year.

A newborn baby can't regulate its own body temperature. It loses lots of vital body heat through its head which make it more prone to pneumonia - a disease which still kills around 2 million children each year.

We want 10 million people to take action by 2010 for the 10 million children. Be one of them. Make sure the very poorest children aren't left to die.

You can download the knit kit and a sample pattern here.