We had a Knitting Parlour staff outing to Royal Ascot for Ladies Day on Thursday. We equipped ourselves with fascinators, loads of food, umbrellas and pretty frocks and obviously our knitting!

We had a picnic in the coach park when we arrived which sounds really naff but it was quite a nice grassy field and the coach was useful shelter when it started chucking it down. Then we had to queue for maybe 45 minutes to get into the ring. It was because you have to cross the racecourse and they put down a tiny board so you don’t ruin the grass but it does create a bottleneck and it was touch and go whether we’d get across before they have to close it for the Queen.

This is us when we arrived.

Pat and Mary waiting for the Queen.

Mary and me waiting for the Queen. That brown is my shawl completely covering up my pretty frock but it was chilly and most likely about to rain.

There were 6 races and we bet on all of them but only won twice out of about 20 bets between us! We were getting tips by text from Mary’s husband but ignored them (we knew best) until it turned out they were pretty good.

The Queen and the Duke. The Queen was in Oatmeal.

We did LOADS of knitting on the coach. Pat was knitting a summer top with some yarn she got in America and which I can’t remember the name of, Mary is making a Mission Falls scarf for the shop and I was knitting the baby surprise jacket with Colinette Jitterbug.

Our next trip to the races will be closer to home. We’ve decided to have the shop’s 2nd anniversary do at Worcester races sometime in July.

In other knitting news I had a bit of a hiccup with my Louisa Harding Coquette shrug so the pattern won’t be on the website anytime soon until I knit it again in something else. The Surfer cardigan which is in this week’s shop window was quite a success. I have to come up with a red white and blue theme for the next window for Malvern in Bloom. I’m thinking of making a union jack out of balls of yarn but that may prove to be too ambitious.

Have just returned from two weeks in Cornwall,with the family. Had a really good time and the weather although mixed didn’t stop us doing anything. It was really great spending time with Jess our grandaughter who at 19 months changes all the time. She was great fun , loved the sea and didn’t seem to feel the cold. I have to say there wasn’t a lot of time for Knitting but I finished my Fleece Artist Tumbling Block socks and started knitting a Sirdar Luxury Cotton jumper for Jess. It is a really nice simple pattern (2182) and has sizes from birth to 10 years so will be a good investment.
Jess also loves the Log Cabin Blanket I knitted, inspired by the Mason Dixon book and I think I will knit her one of her own in shades of pink. I used the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and I think she likes it because it is so nice and soft.

This week in the window we have a gorgeous summer cardi in Sirdar Surfer.
It is a raglan pattern with a wide neck and 3/4 length sleeves.
It’s great to knit with and pretty quick. We haven’t got the pattern on our website,
but please e-mail if you want to knit it. Instead of a press stud fastener we
have used a Rowan kilt pin.

Pat has knitted a great hat from Tracey Ullman’s Knit 2 Together book.
Yes, I know it’s not woolly hat weather but it’s a nice small project for knitting
over the summer. It’s knitted in Noro Iro which is a typical Noro yarn which
self-stripes. You can just about do it with 1 ball but will go into a 2nd
to do the small band.

We’ve been trying out the new Clover felting needle on some bits of felting we
had lying around the shop. I had knitted and felted some Colinette Skye into a bag.
Just 2 squares for a front and back and then a long strap. It took 200g.
I’ve jazzed it up by cutting out a flower and some small hearts from a piece of
felted Noro Kureyon and using the felting tool and mat to attach it.
It looks pretty good and was a lot of fun to do.

We have reduced our back issues of Simply Knitting. The price for back issues
if ordered from Simply Knitting is £5.99 but we are offering them for £3.50.
Please e-mail if there is a specific issue you are looking for.

I’m working in the shop today because Pat usually does Saturdays but she’s gone to a spa day. It is so hot so fairly quiet although I have sold 2 Debbie Bliss Rialto books. Everyone is after the cardigan with the beautiful cable detail on the back.
I am having a finishing off day. I’ve just finished the Surfer cardigan. I’ll post a pic next week because it needs blocking. My next job is a shrug cardi type thing which I’m making with Louisa Harding Coquette. It’s almost done and then the pattern will be available on the website. It has knitted up a bit slanty which is odd but I checked with the Louisa people and they haven’t had any reported issues so I’m sure once it’s blocked it’ll be fine. I have faith.
We went to some friends for dinner last night which was great. I drove though because I had to get up for work which is never easy at the best of times! So tonight I am going to hog the TV to watch the Joseph final with a nice glass of red. Bliss.

It was half term last week so we went off to Surrey to stay with our friends who live conveniently close to London. The main reason for going was that we had a voucher for the Rainforest Cafe to use up before October and we wanted to avoid the horrendous summer holidays in London.
We started off at the Science Museum because they have a special interactive Bob the Builder show on aimed at 3 to 5 year olds. Perfect for us as we have one each of those. They loved it, we got to have a rest and watch while they played with Bob, Wendy and Spud.
Then we were off to the Rainforest Cafe where we had a great lunch and indulged in a Margarita which was either almost alcohol free or else my tolerence level is too high…
Hamleys was the next stop and our very restrained children only spent a tenner each! I spent more than that on an Etch-a-Sketch which has already broken.
Anyway, knitting wise not much has happened except that we went to Borders on Oxford Street and I bought Knit 1 magazine by the people at Vogue Knitting and it’s brilliant. Full of great patterns and articles so I am going to subscribe.
I am hoping to finish my Rowan 4ply cotton summer crochet top from the current Rowan magazine tonight. It’s suddenly summer and although I started it in February so I’d be well ahead of myself, it still isn’t finished.