Yarn Along: Edinburgh anticipation

In the past couple of weeks since I wrote my last Yarn Along post, we have had a lot of snow. We don't normally get all that much snow; some winters we get none, but this winter has been an excpetion. The first snow fell in November, and we've had at least a couple of days of snow every month since then. But the snow we had in late February was the heaviest. I lost count of how many days of snow we had, but there was almost a foot at its peak. Our local schools were shut for 3 days, and I had a lovely (if rather tiring) time, entertaining the kids, both in the snow and indoors. I got almost no knitting done, but it was lovely to spend a few extra days with them.

This time next week I will be in Edinburgh for the day for Edinburgh Yarn Festival. If you're also going, say hello to me if you see me. I really need to look through the vendor list and decide what I most want to look at (I already know I will be making a beeline for the Toft stall as I really want one of their highland cow kits; it is too cute). The festival has been extended to three days this year (from two in previous years), so I'm hoping it's a little less busy that it was last year. I'm also looking forward to a few hours uninterupted knitting time on the train, an added bonus!

I am currently working on two downtime projects: Flora the Bunny and a rainbow crochet blanket. I should have finished the bunny last weekend, as I've done all the knitting, and only have the seaming and finishing to go, but I totally forgot to order the safety eyes, and had to ask a local friend if I could borrow a small pom pom maker (yes, I could have made a pom pom without a maker, but it's a lot quicker with a pom pom maker!). I now have both safety eyes and a pom pom maker, so this will be an FO by the end of the weekend, much to my daughter's delight. The crochet blanket is progressing really well; I'm enjoying the somewhat mindless nature of it, and the colours are so cheery. I am a little over half way, but know that I am going to run out of cream yarn before I get to the end of the border (and will have to wait until I have some other things to order, or make it to a local yarn shop, rather than ordering a single ball). It's also a terrible project to take out and about as it requires 8 balls of yarn and a very large bag! I might have to cast on something else and reserve this for sofa crochet.

World Book Day happened during the snow, so the school events were rescheduled to this week, and I sent two happy children off as George from George's Marvellous Medicine and Princess Pearl from  Zog and the Flying Doctors (that happened to coincide with International Women's Day and it made me pretty proud that my daughter chose to go as a princess who is also a doctor, rather than a generic frilly princess; if you have young girls, go out and find a copy!). I am reading Pax by Sara Pennypacker at the minute. It's a children's book about a boy who saved a fox's life when the fox was a baby, and has to give up the fox when his circumstances change. The chapters alternate being written from the perspective of the fox and the boy, and the writing style is perfect. It's turning out to be an interesting and thought-provoking read.

Marvellous medicine! Or chocolate...

What are you reading and crafting on at the minute?

Linking up with Ginny for Yarn Along.