Yet another obsession of mine

Can you believe that I've got a rotten, stinking cold? I never get ill. The children get the odd cold and I never catch it off them but this time ..... I'm sneezing like mad and my nose is sore and runny and my head weighs a ton.

It started yesterday morning and I spent most of the evening on the sofa in front of the fire trying to get into The Time Traveller's Wife (which I am finding a bit hard going ladies?!). It's times like this that you wish you had a telly. So instead I decided to do some timely darning on one of my favourite jumpers.

It all looked pretty awful but I managed to save this:

with this:

and then there was a big hole on the back:

which I had to do a bit of knitting for:

In the bad light I went for the most similar colour but this morning I see that it's actually more pink than red! Never mind. I just need to find some black now to sort out that animal shape.

I guess this is my opportunity to confess my addiction to Amano hand knits. If you don't know already the company import knitwear from Bolivia and it's big, loud and colourful. I bought my first jumper about ten years ago and I remember being alarmed at the cost (nearly ninety quid if I remember rightly). At that sort of price I've tended to wear them all the time to get my money's worth I guess and then I discovered the Amano shop near Camden Market which often had a sale and the addiction started. Over the years I've had about ...... oh my gosh - about ten of them (not all priced that highly I hasten to add). A few I've worn through and a couple I sold on eBay. These days I have six (I hope Tom's not reading this as he's been heard to say many times "how many jumpers does a woman need?").

My all time fave is this one. I just love the combination of green and blue (I have to confess that it's my second one in this colorway - the first one fell apart):

Probably joint fave is the red one (I used to have it in cream many years ago):

next up is this one - love the oranges and greens. This one always attracts a few comments when I wear it:

Then I like this cotton one which looks great with jeans:

My next fave is this one which is not Amano actually but Pachamama. I just had to include it though cos it's so nice and eye catching although I do feel a bit disloyal having it:

I just love the detail:

I think someone gave me this blue one:

and I bought the red version of the green one but I don't wear it much and maybe I should put it up on eBay:

Looking at the Amano website last night I noticed that my collection is their earlier stuff which tended to be more chunky. The newer stuff is more floaty and feminine. Maybe I should get rid of the last two and buy two of the newer ones, though Tom is right "how many Amano jumpers does a woman need?".

I think a little paring down of jumpers is in order don't you?

Well, I'm off for a lie down and to wallow a bit before I have to pull myself together for end of term and goodbyes tomorrow, Raj's birthday party on Saturday and the Ceilidh on Sunday. Ooh, I'm coming over all faint ..........

Comments

[liz]

true - how many do we need? - but it's not a need its more of a wan.......oops!! Anyway my reason for writing is The Time Traveler's Wife - please stick with it - it's a very bizarre book but essentially for me it is a love story - I read it a year past when I was on holiday and I was sobbing at the end of it - my husband thought something terrible had happened - I still remember the feeling when it ended and that's over a year ago - It got a big thumbs up by Richard and Judy which is enough to put me off but I stuck with it and loved it.
Cold recommendations - lots of honey and lemon juice in hot water with a wee dram for comfort - works every time! Get well soon!

Lizzi

[Rose]

The sweaters are beautiful. No wonder you're hooked. Not a bad addiction though. As for the book, stick with it. I loved it; read it a couple of summers ago and thought it was really intriguing. Let me know when you finish if you agree.

[Simone]

No wonder you need a lie down with all that you have on your plate at the moment! Have a good snooze and have a lovely time tomorrow and at the weekend. Go curl up and sleep under a jumper or two or three or............!

[Kathy]

I also wanted to say to keep trying with the Time Travelers Wife. I greatly enjoyed reading it several years ago.

[louise]

oh they are all gorgeous! wonder if tom will leave a comment. get rid of that cold, and great darning skills! x

[dottycookie]

Lovely jumpers, yum.

Feel better soon, Simmy - it sounds like you need your strength for the weekend!

[Angela]

Do you have any zinc losenges to suck on? That really helps the throat and nose for me.

[Jamsandwich]

You poor thing - stress ruins our immune systems everytime! I too go with the hot water with honey and lemon and the odd dram of whiskey cure together with lots of sleep.
I hope you feel better enough to party on Sunday.
Do keep going with the book before you know it you will be hooked and staying up far too late just to read a bit more!
Great jumpers by the way.

[TACE]

The Amano7 photo....that is so gorgeous. That's a nice lookin' sweater right there, I never saw one with a scalloped or decorative edge like that before, it's really eye catching!
As for the cold, sorrry, that sucks.
Ginger tea is good etc etc....I had to stop myself from rattling off a list of things that help a cold. Information overload is the last thing ya want when you're already feeling under the weather!

[Rada]

I enjoy so much reading new lingo,(to me). I did not know you were talking about sweaters when you mentioned jumpers. They are gorgeous by the way. I also love reading everyone's advice on what to do for a cold. I want to have a dram of something too. What is a dram? I feel so ignorant. I know they are referring to alcohol, but is that the same thing as a "shot" of whiskey?
So sorry you feel poorly. Hope you are well enough to enjoy Raj's birthday and the Ceilidh.
I am with you! I can't believe it is already happening. You have been a busy woman. No wonder you came down with a cold.

[Marie]

Beautiful sweaters Simmy! I am so sorry you have such a bad cold and at such an inconvenient time as well. Hope you feel better more sooner than later! I am with you on the Time Travellers Wife. I have had a really difficult time getting in to it and am still struggling. I keep putting it aside to read something else. HOpefully one of these days it will catch me and I can run with it! fingers crossed!
Happy Day! XXOO
Marie
http://journals.aol.co.uk/mariealicejoan/MariesMuses/

[Lizz]

Owh, the Pachamama one is especially lovley.

[stella]

Hi Simmy,

Aren't colds annoying! I to go with honey and lemon (u can also add orange juice). The jumpers are gorgeous!!! How can you have to many of them. I wish I could knit, but alas i can not get guidance. :-p Also i'm going to a fancy dress party as a greek goddess, Artemis. Any suggestions for the costume?

Get better soon, S

PS Cupcakes go down well at parties especially mini one. :-)

[Georgia]

I love that you love them so much. Isn't that all you need. And you wear them and you darn them to mend them! Well done. They are stunning though. I shall check out the website when I get a moment's spare time. Hope you feel better soon. It sucks being sick...take it from someone who knows!!!

[carol]

A woman can never have too many jumpers in my opinion! I have not heard of Amano, they look lovely and so colourful - I will have to check them out when I am home.
Hope that you get well soon Simmy - and enjoy your weekend.

[Barbara]

Lovely jumpers. I certainly don't have enough jumpers. I have one fairisle type one which I love but now makes me look like a pudding (can't think why, it must have shrunk!)
I never finished the time travellers wife but obviously I should have because everyone says how fab it is. I can't even remember why but I think I got a new book and wasn't sufficiently committed to ttw so I flitted!
Sorry about the cold Bx