Quick update

Thanks for the lovely comments on the boa :-) i wore it to work today, it's lovely and warm. I'm never sure if anyone will even notice a "new" knitted item, however today one of my team-mates ended up trying it on, she loved it! If I had enough time I'd certainly be able to sell another one to her! Then when I was putting on my coat to go home one of the blokes noticed the boa, he said his sister would love something like that, and seemed really impressed when told that I made it (he thought I'd bought it). Sadly I can't afford to go part time at work, at the moment anyway, or else I'd be setting up a teenytiny cottage industry :-D I forgot to mention the size of the boa yesterday, it ended up at approx. 54 inches. This was the point that the Jaeger Grace ran out again, and the mohair was just about to.

I cast on for a hat last night, this will either be a chemo cap or a hat for Dulaan. It all depends on how it turns out, as I'm using Sirdar Snowflake for the first time. It seems very soft and warm but I don't want to make a chemo cap that might be a bit too "bobbly". What I can say is that it's a royal pain to cast on with! Especially on a 12" circular needle :-) One day soon I'll pluck up the courage to use some DPNs, mine having only been used for i-cord so far. I reckon I'll use them on the later decreases on this hat. I'm using a simple roll-brimmed hat pattern (all stockinette).

I'm also on the lookout for suitable yarns for chemo caps, I'm thinking Rowan Calmer, Debbie Bliss Cathay or similar, and a super-soft DK baby yarn in acrylic. If anyone has any yarn suggestions (must be available in the UK) I'd be glad to hear them.

Erin, thanks for the comments regarding a shawl. You're quite right that a rectangular shape stole / shawl would be best. I've done a little more searching and have seen one or two promising patterns so far.

In non-knitting news, it looks like the dryer component of our washer/dryer has given up the ghost. I put some towels in last night, switched it off and opened the door this morning, then got them out tonight after work - and they were still very damp. Uh-oh. Put them in again and came back to check, no heat, and a strange plastic/electric smell. This one has lasted 6 years or so which isn't too bad. The dryer went on the last one too. The washing machine part has also done a few odd things of late too. We don't really have space for an indoor separate dryer more's the pity. Ah well, such is life :-)