Back in the Land of Snow and Below Zero Temperatures

What is up with the Gatwick Airport? They would only allow one carry on item through security and that included your handbag. In previous flights a woman's handbag has not been considered carry on. Carry on is the bag you put in the overhead compartment. Your handbag, which just happens to contains all essentials during the flight, ie-cd player, cds. magazines, book, sweets etc, goes between your feet. What's worse is, that they told Frost his cd carrier which was attatched to his ONE item of carry on was considered two pieces of carry on and he'd have to get it into his already packed to compasity bag or else not be allowed through security. Thank goodness for his drizabone coat which has large pockets. And believe you me, it wasn't just us they were cracking down upon. It would have been very handy had they mentioned this huge significant fact on the gatwick airport website when we checked the status of our flight earlier in the day.

Now, in case you didn't know, I've never taken my knitting on the plane. Being way too scared that security would refuse me entry on a plane with knitting needles. Needless to say, without knitting, it makes an 7 hour plane journey just that much longer. Although Frost pointed out that I didn't exactly do much knitting during our trip, and I have to agree, only because there was so much to see and do. Plus it's just not the same knitting in the passenger seat of a plymouth while on the 401, as compared to going down country lanes, on the wrong side of the road I might add, when your significant other is driving a turbo charged volvo. I digress....To my amazement, I spotted another passanger, one who would be going on the same flight as me, as we were sitting in the lounge with our plane just outside the window, KNITTING. She ended up sitting in the row just behind and to our left. I was too shy to ask her anything expecially since she heard me saying to Frost like a five year old kid. "Look, look that's the lady who was knitting in the waiting lounge." My apologies to you Mam, I was just awe struck to see that you were knitting on the plane. I am sure however that it's because you had your knitting on a pair of wooden circular needles. I couldn't tell exactly what it was you were knitting but it was very pretty purple varigated yarn. I did not mean to offend you. Next time Frost gets the window seat and I'll make sure to have a knitting magazine with me to read so that we can bond.

I finally have photos-just a few to start us off.

The wool I accumulated on my travels.


From left to right: noro, twilleys spirit, debbie bliss tweed, blue sky alpaca, rooster (light blue yarn) lana grossa (pink yarn) and finally colinette at the top-graffiti and jitterbug.

This is the fleece artist shawl I completed just after arriving in the uk. The wool was sent to me as a RAK by Sadie,



And finally, the one skein clutch. I needs to sew the gusset before it can be felted. It was such an easy pattern that I am planning on knitting another one using some twilleys of stampford freedom wool I picked up at Romni back in October.



Last but not least, for Christmas this year, I gave my mom a pair of knitting needles, a couple balls of yarn, some simple dishcloth patterns and a book of knitting instructions, with the intentions of showing her how to knit when I go pick up the cats this coming weekend. While talking to her last night, she said she attempted many times to knit but has problems holding the needles and just found it frustrating. However by giving her a knitting kit for christmas it has inspired her to start crocheting again after a twenty year gap. Which is still great as far as I am concerned. This weekend may see me learning how to crochet instead of teaching my mom how to knit.