Bank holiday blitz

I've been taking advantage of the Bank Holiday to press on with the Gray Ghost shrug, and can now proudly report that it is finished! I used the lilac Rowan Soft Tweed in the end to do the bodice, and am pretty pleased with the colour. There were anxious moments towards the end as I was running short of yarn (again!), and even though I cut out 3 rows of the border, I ended up cutting the yarn tail from the start and using it to finish the cast off. I literally used every last inch of the Soft Tweed!

I'm down to a shortlist of four designs for the tote exchange bag, and will probably attempt two and see which looks like a better match for my pal's tastes when made up.

I've made it through a month of stashbusters, and have learned the following:
Only buy yarn for a specific purpose. Resist the impulse buys, even if they are a bargain!

• Stay away from ebay; it's too tempting to buy oodles of non-descript yarn


• Buy the best ; Rowan, Noro and special hand dyed yarns will always get used and are fun to knit with


• Four simultaneous projects is about right for me. I have a short attention span, and get bored if I'm working on the same thing for too long. Having different projects on the needles allows me to switch according to mood, concentration level and required portability. However, more than four means I lose focus and don't finish anything.


• Avoid items with complex making up. I really don't like making up, and try to knit in the round when I can.