Malabrigo Rasta

I rarely buy chunky wool as I can get more 'knitting' from thin yarn so I was very pleased to get this fantastic malabrigo rasta from a knitting pal sometime ago. It makes the cutest colourful cowl and mittens, I'm sure you agree. !

The snow's back agian

and it's that time of year when us knitters are in our element!

Parcel from Twist Collective.

Winter isn't complele without making a cosy cream aran cable sweater and this is my offering for winter 2011 2012.

Knitting update

The lead up to Christmas was spent knitting furiously for long suffering friends but I finally got them all together to parade their pressies.

Thanks to all for a lovely evening

I normally avoid chunky wools, also because the finished article took just three days to make and, at 15 euros a ball, that's not a lot of knitting for your money. But mum had made a splendid example of this and, with Rowan finally available in Italy, she bought me the neccesities for this jacket when she visited before Christmas. Look finished off with a secret santa swap cowl from Paula in The States and a shawl pin from Mum.

Quick dash to Cesenatico with Lin

One happy girl at the seaside.
Lin and I had a longing to visit our Cesenatico and a rather complicated trip of two trains and a bus wasn't going to put us off.
We only went for one night but I found a cheap very warm hotel room. Much appreciated considering the bitter weather.

Just look at what the holidaymakers who flood there every summer miss out on.
By night, fishing boats setting out to sea











The local harbour with the famous old boats decked out with nativity scenes. What a sight looking out from the pizzeria.

And we caught the boats returning the following morning. Appearing out of the fog, drawn by the fog horn blaring out from the end of the harbour.



And this time we were tucked up in a superb cafe with the legendary local donuts for breakfast and strozzpreti (strgangled priest!) pasta for lunch.

Boxing Day walk

This Christmas I was more thankful than ever for tradition. One doesn't have to make any plans for the festive period just do what you've always done. In my case a Boxing Day walk. I set off past the cat town... they all looked very happy and stuffed for a pack of strays. Counted at least twenty.

Stiff walk uphill to the castle. Look at that sky!Temperature barely above zero and some dicy icy patches.


Instead of going in the restaurant for my usual coffee I sat in the field and had my festive turkey, stuffing and bread sauce sandwich.

Next made my way down the hill (I usually go in the other direction) The nature reserve covers a mass of red volcanic stone. There are rare plants and birds and the remains of a quarry which was worked for minerals until the 1960's.

From the bottom looking up. Then into Cerrezzola village where the locals had set up nativity scenes in their gardens, old stone barns and buildings.
























Which brought me to the river, and I shall pick up the rest in the next blog.

Blue and silver

Well they do say a change is as good as a rest and this Christmas is as good a time as any to test it out.

Starting off with a new blue and silver themed tree. Took a while to get used to the bright white LED lights, the last coloured ones lasted 25 years of marriage.

The baubles are from '55 Christmas Balls to knit? by Arne and Carlos and, I admit it, I only got round to making 5, promise to get my act in order for next year, wherever I may be !

Bologna with Pooh!

'The Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca is sited on Monte della Guardia, in a forested hill some 300 metres above the plain, just south-west of the historical centre of the city. While a road now leads up to the sanctuary, it is also possible to reach it by traversing a 3.5 km monumental roofed arcade consisting of 666 arches, built in 1674-1793 to protect the icon of the Virgin Mary, allegedly painted by Luke the Evangelist '.

We naturally did it the hard way.

Gilly and John both looking very dashing in two scarves knitted by their kind friend...me!