Poncho!

As the days get longer and warmer, the planning for my trip is progressing slowly. There's always that anticlimax that occurs the moment after the massive rush of excitement that occurs when you press 'book' on the airline ticket when you realise that there are at least seven million boring administrative things that need to be done before stepping onto the plane. At the moment I am using up all the food from the fridge, freezer and pantry that needs to be eaten in the next month (boring), looking for sensible walking shoes (both boring and expensive) and trying to work out if I need 16 pairs of underwear for the 16 days or if I will have a chance to wash somewhere (urgh the most boring decision ever!). Amidst all the boringness, there is one preparation I am enjoying very much...

..I'm making a poncho! A poncho is basically a blanket with a hole in it. What better travel accessory could there be? I'm making up the pattern as I go along - so basically 50ish stitches of 2x2 ribbing until I felt the neck was long enough, then increasing by eight every second row with a yarn over until it is long enough to cover my arms. I'm using Cleckheaton Vintage Hues from my stash, which means this perfect travel accessory is effectively free (unlike just about every other thing that needs to be done to prepare for this holiday. So. Many. Fees. And. Charges!).

Words cannot describe how much Sam hates this poncho. He groans every time I pull it out of its knitting bag and threatens to not be seen with me in public while I'm wearing it. I know he's only joking - once he sees how warm and cuddly it is, I'm sure he'll want one for himself.

Well, maybe not...