Doing my duty

Meow meow everyone, Florence here. It's been a long while since I last chatted with you but I thought I'd report in as Mum's a bit tired. I've been giving her lots of TLC this week (it's one of my specialities) as she's been feeling a bit out of sorts. So there have been lots of cuddles on the sofa. I like it when she wears her onesie because it's really snuggly!

I've also made it my mission to give her a breakfast smooch too. I have to make sure that I keep my tail out of the porridge. She wasn't impressed when I accidentally dipped it in! And nor was I for that matter. Porridge is not a food that appeals to cats! It doesn't taste of fish or mice!!!

I do give Mum a little prang with my paw (claws in, naturally) just to make sure that she carries on stroking me while she's eating. She says that my big black eyes spell trouble! I don't know what she means! 

While Mum's at work, I've been showing my appreciation for the lovely blankets that she's made especially for me! Who else would they be for? They are draped over the back of the sofa after all and I don't see her laying there! This one is a particular favourite - it's the Attic24 Cosy Stripe blanket and I think it shows off my velvety black fur rather nicely, don't you?

I've offered support when Mum has been sewing in ends on my next blanket too. I did suggest that she would have found it easier if she had sewn the ends in as she went but that comment didn't go down too well! I can't imagine why. 

And I've been there to rub around her ankles every step of the way. She's wearing a pair of Dad's socks here. I miss him - we both do. Meow meow meow xxx

KnitPro Royale Interchangeable Needles - a review

Do you remember your first ever pair of knitting needles? I still have mine, somewhat chewed at the ends and with no apparent size to be seen anywhere on them! But I am pleased that I have them, they're part of my life's knitting journey. Somewhere I have the wonky-edged garter stitch scarf that I knit for one of my teddies too, probably with much concentration and tongue sticking out!

I also have the set of knitting needles that I bought with birthday money when I was about 13. I can remember the excitement of going to Argos (yes, Argos!) to buy them and my word, they were well used right through my teens and twenties. 

I have a couple of drawers full of metal knitting needles too that I've inherited from my Mum, Nannie and Aunties as well as friends of friends who've passed them onto me 'because you knit'! I bet I'm not the only one who has a stash of needles that generally sit around redundant, or occasionally used for an 'arty' photo shoot! 

Until a couple of years ago, when I was diagnosed with tendinitis in my wrist and thumb, straight knitting needles were pretty much my needles of choice. Yes, I'd moved away from metal and plastic to the warmth of wood, but I didn't own any circular needles at all. When the pain in my wrist made it nigh on impossible to knit, I did a little online research and discovered that circular knitting needles were recommended for people with arthritis as they put less pressure on the joints. So I treated myself to my first pair and now I rarely use anything else. 

KnitPro sent me a midi set of Interchangeable Royale needles to test. It's a fabulous little set, which comes in a very neat and pretty case...

The set comprises 4 pairs of interchangeable needles in some of the most used sizes - 3.00, 3.50, 4.00 and 4.50mm. The needles are made from laminated birch wood which means that they are warm and light to the touch. What I really like about them is that each size is a different colour, so it's a lot easier to differentiate between the needle sizes if you don't have a needle gauge to hand. OK, I know that means that you need to know what colour is what size, but the clever folk at KnitPro have gone one step further to help you with this. Not only are the needle sizes printed on the needles, but when this rubs off (because we all know that's a knitting fact of life), the needle size is also etched onto the metal on the needle too. Ingenious!

Another thing that I like about the needles is that the tips are metal. Sometimes I find that the wooden tips are almost too sharp and pointy and I end up with a really sore finger. But these tips I find pointy enough for the kind of knitting that I generally do to make it easy and fluid. You might want something a little pointier if you knit a lot of lace, but it's all down to personal preference. 

There are also three cables, each a different colour and length which is another clever idea from KnitPro to help you easily find the cable length that you need. How many times have you scrabbled about in your store of cables to pull out the wrong length? The cables are flexible and connect smoothly to the needles without any obvious join to snag against your knitting. The red cable gives a 100cm length, the orange an 80cm length and the yellowy/green a 60cm length when attached to the needles. There are also (according to the description) 6 end caps and 3 cable keys although my set had 8 and 4 respectively as well as a set of cable connectors. 

I really like these needles - the warmth and lightness of the wood makes them comfortable to handle, and the needles 'grip' your knitting just enough. The colour-coded cables and the needle size etching are a super added bonus. Definitely recommended if you're looking for a set to start off your needle collection, or looking to try something new. KnitPro have very generously donated a set of these needles as a prize in my Great Yarn Giveaway so if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning them, click here and make a donation to the British Heart Foundation in memory of my lovely Mr JK and help me in my fight against heart disease. xxx

The Great Yarn Giveaway update 3

Good morning to you. I hope you are nice and cosy inside in the warm. If you're in the UK, you're probably fed up with all the snow we've been experiencing over the past few days. I know the excitement of a snow day has worn thin and I am desperate for a bit of human company after 3 days with only Flo to talk to. This was her first real taste of snow and she was not impressed, not in the slightest. I had to force her outside by putting her out of the front door in the hope that she'd have done all she needed to by the time she reached the cat flap in the back door!!! 

You want me to go out in that?

Anyhow, I digress! I want to share with you some of the wonderful patterns that you might win if you enter/have entered my Great Yarn Giveaway. Not only have I been donated lots of yarn, but there are also a plethora of patterns that you could win, thanks to some very generous designers.

Hat designer extraordinaire Woolly Wormhead has donated two prizes - a copy of her e-Book Elemental and a copy of the e-Book Circled. Both of these have some fabulous hat designs in, as you can see from the photos. Woolly is such a lovely person, I hope our paths cross at a UK fibre festival again this year.

 

Last year I was lucky enough to take a couple of shawl design classes with Melanie Berg and Melanie has given a 20 Euro voucher for one person to spend in her Ravelry store. I don't know which patterns I'd pick. The winner will definitely be spoilt for choice. Here are just a few of my current favourites...

The Stylecraft Blogstars have been so supportive and as well as donating woolly prizes and books, have donated lots of pattern vouchers. Juliet Bernard, who does the PR for Stylecraft, is a colourwork expert and two people get to choose one of her patterns...

Angela Armstrong is one of the overseas bloggers and is a crochet fiend! Six lucky winners get to pick one of Angela's patterns...

Sarah blogs under the name Annaboo's House and I think she must crochet in her sleep because her output is so prolific!  Two winners get to pick a pattern of their choice...

Justina blogs as Polly Plum over at Every Trick on the Hook and two people will be able to win a copy of her Stardust Melodies pattern, which has 24 beautifully textured blocks for you to crochet an heirloom blanket.

Two of you are going to be able to choose a pattern each from Sandra Cherryheart's patterns and there are lots of gorgeous designs there for you to pick from. So many to choose from! I love the vintage look of so many of Sandra's designs, don't you?

Michelle who is half of the blogging duo Crochet Between Worlds has also donated two pattern vouchers for her Ravelry store ...

 

Zelna is another of our overseas bloggers and one lucky person will get to receive a copy of all her patterns - that's going to be a bumper pack! Here are just a few for you to see ...

Two designers contacted me via Instagram wanting to donate patterns. Vicky from Vera and Bess very generously donated money from her pattern sales in February too. Five lucky winners each get to pick a pattern from Vicky's designs...

Bronagh Miskelly also wanted to donate some patterns and two winners will get to pick two patterns each. Bronagh tells me she is going to be adding to her patterns very soon so by the time the winners get to pick, there will be even more choice!

Finally, for today, the wonderful Jen Arnall-Culliford has donated two prizes - one person will win an e-Book of the Year of Techniques and another will win an e-Book of the very newly published Something New to Learn about Cables. Both really fantastic prizes. Go to Jen's website to read more about each publication.

Thank you so, so much to each person who has so generously given patterns for my Great Yarn Giveaway. I have over 100 prizes now listed on my JustGiving page, with more to come! To be in with a chance of winning, make a donation to the British Heart Foundation on my JustGiving page and you could be a winner. The giveaway is open, worldwide, until the end of April, so please tell all your yarn-loving friends and help me to do something amazing to fight heart disease. Thank you xxx