And I crocheted chain mail.

Somewhere in me, the cool parent still exists and needs to be brought out to play.

First of all I had to buy some dpns (double pointed needles) the local charity shop came through there, with three different sets for £2.40. Bargain.

So I tried with some handy acrylic yarn.

But really I wanted to use something special – like this recycled silk yarn.



It didn’t have quite the effect I was looking for. The yarn search began again.



Hm, just a thought. We used some like this to make friendship bracelets – could be worth a try.



Like how it’s starting.



And the finished cord. Without fastenings, as the ones I’d got are a dark silver if that makes any sense, and I don’t think they’ll go. I bought them to go with the sari yarn, but it really didn’t work.



I’m quite pleased with the cord though.

Love to see what you all got up to – linky below. For my next challenge, I think I’m going to try icord with some different materials – I’m wondering how it would work with jewellery wire. Please feel free to link up any planned challenges you have, and I’ll be back in a bit with the results from mine…

The children spent a long time running in and out of the sea. Small, whose trunks are MIA again, was wearing shorts which I thought would be fine, but he quickly soaked them through and ended up stripping them off, which was my mistake of the day – I didn’t think to recream his legs at that stage, mainly as he was in the water most of the time. Not all of the time it would appear, as he now has nice pink thighs Definite bad mummy moment – he’s never really been burnt before, so he had no idea about it and it wasn’t til he was ready for bed that he complained that his legs hurt. Bleargh.

Kirsty and I fitted in a trip or two to the remnant shop – I forgot that I wanted to look for stitch counters and just sat and watched her spend money instead Tim and James took the kids back home and cleaned them while we did this, meaning we had time to browse the charity shops on our way back as well. Good haul for me – a short skirt for Big to put over her swimming costume instead of her walking back through town with dripping legs, and some books: Science School and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for Small and Travellers by Night and Truckers for Big (although I did point out that Small might like to read the latter too).

Oh, and I forgot the live music. While we were on the beach a group of strolling musicians came along and took up residence in the shelter behind us, playing acoustic Bob Marley type music. It was very pleasant, and went well with the weather

Back at home, and Tim and James cleared off to the club again (are you spotting a theme?) while Kirsty and I crocheted and discussed food. Turned out that the local indian takeaway is collection only at the weekend, so I collected. We found it rather disappointing though – I think that we’ve been spoiled by our previous proximity to Bradford

Not quite as late a night for anyone as we were all rather tired – it’s exhausting sitting in the sun you know!

The shrug is by me, for Big.

It’s based on the bamboozled shrug I linked to a week or so back, and I got it out of the Crochet pattern-a-day calendar.

I’m quite chuffed with it – I used the king cole pure baby dk I bought before Christmas. It only used one ball, so I’ve several left over (hm, wonder if there are any other little girls with birthdays approaching who would like one….)

And now I’ve started on a one hour baby sweater, as we still haven’t met RJ and I’ve nothing to give him or his mother yet. I think the pattern should be renamed several hour baby sweater though – maybe it’s that I’m not familiar with basic afghan stitch yet, but I’m well over an hour in, and I haven’t quite finished one front piece yet. Probably means I’m somewhere between a quarter and a third of the way through, so guess it’ll be nearer 5 hours by the time I’m done.

Oh well.

If you’re looking for non crochet related stuff, like life or education or some such, you’ll have to wait til tomorrow.

Finished the never-ending shawl Only a week late, as Big is already fond of pointing out.

Ah well. Got other things to do tonight, like eat and sleep, so I’ll wish you all a very happy new year, and sign off til 2007

eta piccie taken by Small