Cranberry

I finally got Cranberry sewn together this week. It took several evenings and most of last night watching "The Doomsday Code" (about the book of Revelation, the people who take it literally (anybody heard of historical context then?! There are some seriously ill-informed people out there) and the effect they're having on modern foreign policy), to get it finished. (was that just the most ungrammatical sentence ever?) But anyway, back to Cranberry. I'm very pleased to say that the Finishing Techniques course I went on back in June was very worthwhile as mattress stitch is now a piece of cake. Well, it was up the sides anyway, the sleeves were slightly more tricky.

An attempt at taking a photo in front of a mirror. Propped against a wall, cos I STILL haven't got any mirrors up.

And Cranberry recling on the bench outside (as neighbour looks over the fence with a "she [as in me] really is stark raving bonkers" expression on her face).

And one of the mattress stitched side seams!
Cranberry was my longest ever WIP. I bought some of the yarn (Jaegar Chamonix) in the John Lewis summer sale last July. I got back to my friend's house and realised I didn't have enough balls to make anything more than a scarf so decided to go back for more the next day. Which was July 7th. So I didn't get very far.
The rest of July and most of August was spent trying to track more Chamonix down. Finally, I got hold of some. Then, on Christmas Eve I photocopied the pattern to start making it over Christmas. Early in January I comment on what a quick knit this pattern is (having finished just the back). Then in February I got a bit distracted by the Knitting Olympics. But in March she grew and grew, and finally was finished and blocked. But then I decided to buy a house and the weather got really warm and nothing else happened to Cranberry until last week.
So:
Pattern: Cranberry from Jaeger handknits JB10
Yarn: Jaeger Chamonix (48% angora, 47% merino, 5% polyamide), 11 balls
Needles: 6.5 and 5.5mm

Thanks to Mary Anne for the link to a monkey clock for my sidebar. I know the time is wrong, but we've not got that much more of British Summer Time left so I've just put it on GMT to save having to change it later!

Books read most recently:
Minaret by Leila Aboulela, a Sudanese writer. I took this one on holiday with me and it's a fascinating read. It's about a westernised Sudanese girl who is forced into exile in London after the coup in her country. She gradually loses everything she has but finds friendship and faith at Regent's Park mosque, before falling in love with the son of her employer. I liked the different perspective on London she brings (very very different from Monica Ali's Brick Lane) and the way she feels about her faith and wearing a hijab etc. I found the femininity within Islam very surprising as it wasn't something I'd even thought of before.

and

Theodora's Wedding by Penny Culliford. Absolutely hilarious and a v. quick read (read it on the way to London on Friday!). The books are larger than life (in the same way as Bridget Jones!) and full of characters with impossible names (which is part of the hilarity) and I'm very glad my church is nothing like St Norbert's (although their new vicar sounds rather funky) but there is a vein of truth in the whole thing which makes it very definitely worth reading. Bit like Bridget Jones really, although I can't imagine this one being made into a film!

I've just re-volunteered as a Guider to work with a Guide company, and possibly a Ranger company too, here in the village. I asked around at church, as Guides is usually a great way to meet people and I haven't really met anyone around here at all yet (too much time spent away with work!). Possibly I'm being slightly crazy thinking I can fit Guides in too (considering how much moaning I've been doing recently about not having any time for anything!) but it should be doable. The meetings don't start until 7.30, and I usually get home from work between 6.30 and 7, so that's OK, and they only meet round the corner from my house... Am going along for a trial meeting on Tuesday night.

Oh, and at the careers doyoumewhatdoyoucallit on Friday putting "knitting" on my CV was a resounding success! Supposedly it shows that I'm well-rounded, intriguing and balanced! (well, of course, we all knew that didn't we?!). I suspect it's more the knitting group, than the knitting itself they were interested in though...