2022

Dear Anne

I smiled when I read the Child Care letter from Denise in the December issue. When granny is in charge, my 2-year old grand-daughter paints patterns (mostly splodges!) on empty cones and we use them for a game of skittles. She’s also allowed to play with empty plastic cones in the bath. Whilst I’m distracted for half a second, she ends up in charge and I miss her hurling a part-used cone of yarn into the tub, along with the empty cones. I have to fish out the soggy yarn from the bath, once it comes into view as the water drains away and the bubbles subside. All I can think to do is roll the dripping cone in a towel and leave it to dry, but methinks Joan (Lafferty) would smack my wrists and have the answer if she was still with us! Happy memories and she lived not far from me before she moved to Cornwall. Maureen in Horsham

Dear Anne

Would you like to pass on my non-knitting tip, which may prove useful to any readers who still have a holiday to come? To prevent the frustrating search through your luggage for appropriate earrings, cut a small length from a punchcard roll. Insert earring shanks and fasten butterfly clips on the reverse side. Hey presto! Neat storage and no bulk. Happy knitting, Iris in Kingston

Dear Anne

As we now have some nice chunky patterns in the magazine, you don’t seem to have mentioned something you told us donkey’s years ago about getting a quick but nice cast on edge on a chunky machine. It was to e-wrap all the needles you need on the main bed. Using the tightest possible tension knit one row very carefully, to take the needles back to non-working position. Transfer every alternate stitch to the ribber, insert the ribber comb then carry on in rib. It’s always worked for me. All the best, Irene in Stafford