A bit of a whirlwind

In a good way

I love a hotel that gives you free chocolates

Whew! It’s been a week. I feel as though I have been tumbled around in a wind tunnel and come out of the other side. Somewhat windswept - but in a good way.

I am torn between wanting to plaster all of my Paris photos all over social media - and my goodness there are a lot of them - but also don’t want to bore people rigid. As a compromise (and so that I could play around in Canva) I made a little collage of some of the best bits just so that I could admire the colours and remember the atmosphere a little bit more.

I’m pleased to report that my fears about travelling solo were absolutely unfounded. Everything went smoothly - the travel apps worked and I successfully navigated the Paris Metro system without a hitch.

No one batted an eyelid at my knitting going through airport security I’m pleased to say. Although they did instead direct attention to my knee-high zip up boots 🤣

Happily I was able to style it out with hand-knit stripey socks to pad up and down the security line in while my boots went for some special X-ray attention. It’s always gratifying to be able to say ‘thanks, I made them’ when someone asks where you got your snazzy socks from.

One things that really struck me about Parisian women - and I did an awful lot of people watching from cafes over the course of my weekend - is how stylish and accessorised they are. I started by wondering why they always seemed to wear a lot of layers - outfit, then coat, then scarf, then often a woollen shawl (sometimes tucked into their handbag).

Then I realised the endless possibilities that such layers added. Sitting outside at a pavement café in November requires a certain dedication to the cause that I was unprepared for. These chic Parisian ladies on the other hand seamlessly transitioned their outfit into something more suitable with the swish of a shawl.

And when a faint drizzle descended I succumbed to the classic caught-in-the-rain frizzy haired look in minutes, while they just draped a scarf over their head and shoulders and carried on regardless.

Talk about style goals!

With this in mind I have been reviewing my shawl/scarf wardrobe options this week and I came up with a few beauties I thought you might enjoy.

☕ Jules Hogan Knitwear does the most amazing knitted shawls and wraps - her whole Instagram account is beautiful and she has some wonderful knitted pieces in stock right now.

☕Purl Soho have some beautiful (and free) wrap patterns in a variety of weights here. I particularly like the look of the Featherdown Wrap.

☕Oaken is a fabulous shawl and/or blanket pattern from TinCan Knits that has been in my queue for ever.

☕My Hebridean Hap shawl pattern uses 2 skeins of rustic DK-weight yarn and I have long been thinking about knitting a larger, more generous version. Maybe this is the prod I need.

☕If you are in the UK and in need of yarn for all of this knitting there is a woolly event going on in Welwyn Garden City this week - culminating in a yarn festival on Sunday 19 Nov. I am planning to pop along so if you are going do let me know and maybe we could meet up?

Wishing you a very warm, woolly and stylish weekend