Kindles have really become so popular haven't they! So many of my friends and family seem to have got them lately and are really enjoying them. But of course, like all beloved belongings, they need a stylish home to live in....so right now I'm in the process of designing a knitted kindle case which I've been asked to make in a striped pattern.

It's going to be in a envelope style, so it will have a flap closing over the top, probably with a press stud or other kind of fastening as I've been told it's really easy for the kindle to slip out of its current case. I'm going to use a heavy interfacing in the lining for protection, line it in a cheery cotton fabric and maybe do a crochet edging on the flap and perhaps decorate it with a button or something on the flap. I'll put up pictures when it is done, and once it has been tested out properly I'll be making some for the shop in various colours, but for now here is a picture of it in progress so you can see the stripes appearing.

This yarn for this design is 100% pure new wool, one I've worked with a lot, so I know it will fuzz just a little bit when it is blocked before making up, which looks nice.

I've also been needle shopping online. Lately I'm a bit fed up with my 4.5 mm straight pins which I use to knit the reindeer legwarmers in my shop, they are rather old metal ones I picked up in a job lot from ebay some years ago, they are sturdy and knit really smoothly like most metal pins, but they are quite long so they do get a bit heavy on the hands, and I find the ends can clank into things while I'm knitting. Plus metal is so cold feeling sometimes!

So to replace them I've ordered some KnitPro symfonie wood needles

http://www.knitpro.eu/Symfonie_Wood.aspx?ch=NEEDLE&left=WO

These should arrive next week, I've heard great things about their interchangeable circulars, which I know are popular, but these are the straight ones. They have the same look as the circulars as they are made out of of the same multicoloured layered wood . I'll put a review and some pictures up on the blog when I get them and have road-tested them. I think I am mostly attracted to the beautiful colour though, I do love knitting with nice looking needles, don't you?!