Time flies when you're having fun!

Phew! Where have the last 10 days gone?

This week we’ve had DH’s parents staying with us; they are planning to move down here as soon as their house has sold. We've had lots of beach outings and picnics, making the most of the brillliant Easter weather which has just broken.

I’m getting excited about the Beaded Jewellery course now – less than 2 weeks to go! I’m really looking forward to it.

I’ve had very little time to do much knitting, but I have nearly completed the Cropped Aran Lace Cardigan.

I just have to graft the small gaps under the arms and sew in the ends, then it’s all down to the beads.

I need 14 machine washable reasonable weight (but not heavy) beads with holes going side to side, so I can sew them on to the hemline points (shown here) to stop them flipping up. Time to find out the bead stash!

Oh yes, and as you can see from this close-up of the sleeve, it all needs a light blocking to open up those lovely lace patterns.

The first Hedera sock now has a heel flap and is progressing nicely along the foot. The Cherry Tree Hill yarn is lovely - soft and squishy with fab colours.

We'll see how they wash as I've heard sometimes there can be colour bleeding.

As soon as I’d finished knitting the cardigan, I started on the bargain cotton/viscose blend yarn from Lidl.

I’d found the perfect pattern for the yarn in an old copy of Rebecca knitting magazine – the issue with the Apricot cardigan in that I so adore (yes of course it’s on my To-Do list!). The top is knit in the round from the neck down and is pretty simple.

Unfortunately the German to English translation is not so brilliant, and 20-odd rounds into the design I found that I’ve been working too many increases in each alternate round – since round number 2. Ho hum. Into the frog pond – actually stuffed in a plastic bag in my storage pouffe in the lounge until I can face frogging it.

Better carry on with those socks!