fluffyknitting

Still here!

2010-08-31T08:03:00.002+01:00

Wow, long time since I last blogged!
Let me think, have I finished Silver Belle....of course not. She is nearly there, I am on the button bands, but while it's the summer, I feel I won't wear her, so I am fully intending to finish her for the winter. THIS WINTER!!!!!
I have restarted my Babette. We had our kitchen walls knocked down to make a really open plan space and the kitchen is all refitted. We have purple glass splashbacks and I decided we needed a purple velvet small sofa for the kitchen space. And every sofa needs a blankie. So I decided to start a new Babette in purpley colours. It's using Special Stylecraft DK which is ahem, totally acrylic, but lovely to crochet with and feels soft.
Other than that, not much knitty news. The ripple afghan is ongoing, and so are about 5 other project.
Lily is off to Warwick University in October, so I need to get it finished for her to take!
I am off to the South of France tomorrow and of course Babette will be coming with me.
Hopefully I will be back soon with some finished pictures!

Happy Easter and Silver Belle progress report

2010-04-04T09:01:00.003+01:00

I'm still ploughing on with my silver belle, although I have had a small yarn disaster. I thought I had bought enough for the whole thing, but ran out. Sod's law, it has been discontinued and so I bought some from a kind bod on Ravelry and am now waiting for an order to come from the States, expensive delivery :(
It seems huge, maybe I ordered for small and knitted large, who knows.
But here it is so far, the peplum at the bottom is s-l-o-w-l-y growing and getting longer, but man, is it SLOW.
Persevering.
Happy Easter.
Having given all things delish up, I am eating only desserts today!

Hellooooo Out There!

2010-03-17T20:21:00.002+01:00

OMG where does the time go? I cannot believe we're already into March and nearly April, and before we know it, it will be the summer again! I can't wait.
Lily has turned 18, and I finally finished Breezy, all but for the beads, and I am cracking on again with Silver Belle! I finally worked out the part of the pattern that really had me foxed, but we're off again. The only thing is, I don't know that my yarn will reach the end, and it's such a long time since I started it, will anyone still stock it?????
I'll go til it's finished and then see what my options are.
I hope you're all ok out there in Blogland.
I do come by and read your news when I get thee chance, but I need to be better at prioritising my time. Resolution number 294758554585859595!!!!
xxxx

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T17:29:00.002+01:00

So, it's here! 2010.
I worked out I've been through 6 different decades at the age of 44- the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and now the tenties! How funny!
Our Christmas was lovely, and full of noise, mess and family. My house is still a total tip, but I am resigned to it staying that way until the tree goes out tomorrow.
Our New Year was spent with friends at the local pub where my knees are still in pain from dancing (as there was nowhere to sit) for 5 hours! And today we had the traditional New Year's Day walk followed by a drink in the pub and cheesy chips and hot nuts. Lovely!
I feel like 2010 sounds soooo lovely and balanced and happy. I hope your 2010 is filled with love and laughter and a whole lot of happiness.

Still here! (Somewhere!)

2009-12-15T01:23:00.002+01:00

Hi Everyone
Wow, it seems like an age since I was here, and every day I think I must come here and then the day goes and I lay in my bed thinking of all the things I wanted to do and didn't make the time for. So tonight, instead of going to bed, here I am, having just painted my radiators, which is another job keeping me awake at night!
What is it about Christmas coming that makes us want to get everything done, even if it hasn't been right all year? It's crazy, but I think we're all the same.
Please say we are, just so I don't feel like the men in the white coats are waiting around the corner for me!!!!

On the knitting front, I have been plodding on with Breezy, and on the crochet front, I have been very busy. Small Summer Squares Blanket is now finished and in use, and I have made some little birds as christmas gifts, which I will share with you after christmas, just in case any of my nosey friends are reading this!

On the Silver Belle front, all has gone to pot a bit, as I tried and tried to decipher the peplum pattern and failed miserably. I am intending to try again when I have more time but in the meantime it is relegated to the bag where it seems to have spent the majority of it's sorry life!

I have also started a tapestry, but OMG, that is SLOWGOING!!!!!! Very frustrating for me, I have to say.

Well, I hope you are all happy and ready for christmas and I shall check in, hopefully with some pictures, before the big day!

xxxx

Silver Belle back on!

2009-09-14T18:11:00.005+01:00

I said I had new found love for her, and here she is so far!
Both sleeves are now completed and the front of the top half, and just the peplum to go. I need to cast on 480 sts for it, so appreciate my procrastination!!!!! However, I intend to start tonight.

Other news, we're having a bit of an Indian summer here and so my tomatoes are finally going red. I've been blackberry picking and made some sorbet, with sweetener, so pretty much zero points which is a bonus!

I'll keep you posted on the progress of my Silver Belle!
.Stacey...be prepared to be amazed!!!!!

My August!

2009-09-01T10:39:00.003+01:00

Happy September to you all!
Just a few pictures of my fab August, spending time with my sisters, holidays in France, road trip to Cheshire, days on the beach and more!

Hex is finished and a new project is started!

2009-08-28T19:28:00.006+01:00

My beautiful Hex is finished. I love it. I edged it with 3 rounds of treble crochet and hoped for the best, doing ripples in and out on the sticky outy bits. It worked ok for a beginner like me!!!! It lives on the sofa in the study, like it was born to do it!

Here's what the balls of yarn turned into on my holiday.
It's inspired by Lucy's blanket (have a look at Attic24) and I love it because it's a bit quilty as well as crochety! 100 squares to do in all, and then some granny edging. There's my hand next to it so you can get some idea of scale.

France was, as always, fab. Laying by the pool in the morning, on the beach in the afternoon and some crochet before going out to eat in the evening. I do have some pictures which I will share soon.

I am off to Manchester tomorrow to meet up with some girlfriends I shared a house with some 16 years ago. We haven't seen each other for 2 years so I am sooooo excited about that!

Have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend.

Hex is Finished!!!

2009-08-06T17:26:00.013+01:00

Yes, my true love is finally complete!
I absolutely adore this project.
Thanks to Ruth from Rooknits, I have edged it and laid underneath it with my dog.......

Now for a few photos showing the agony of sewing in ends, the can't-wait-til-I-finish pain of making half hexes to neaten the sides up, and then the ecsasy of the edging. Unfortunately it is so wet and grey here at the moment that I can't take a photo that will do proper justice, so you'll just have to make do with a few teasing pics!!!

I went to Cambridge last week with my sisters and we had a lovely afternoon

I'm off to France tomorrow for a week and here's a sneak preview of what I'm taking with me!

Have a good week....photos of holiday project and full pics of Hex when I come back in a week!

I Heart Crochet!!!

2009-07-21T10:13:00.010+01:00

Please don't think I've turned my back on knitting forever, but at the moment I am sooo loving crochet!

June and July have been a bit manic for me so instead of going on and on, I thought I'd share with you a collection of photos that describe the last few weeks!

Hope you're all enjoying the summer. If you're in the Uk, hope you haven't either drowned or contracted swine flu!!!!

Here we go.......

Update

2009-06-21T09:13:00.005+01:00

I'm not sure if it's the time of year, or just me, but my posts are a little few and far between at the moment, so sorry for that.

I have been busy, both work wise and also craft wise and this weekend I went back to sewing. This is something that I have been half heartedly thinking about and playing with for a while now, but yesterday I got a little serious with it and today I am going to actually half finish it, or finish it. Rob wants me to make him a meditation cushion, but that will be the only interruption I have. Oh, that and a bike ride we have planned for later on!

Other news. Last weekend we went to a wedding in Oxfordshire. It was the most beautiful and most English wedding I have ever been to, in a National Trust derelict barn, with pale pink peonies and blue delphiniums, with Morris dancers and a welly wanging competition, and letting off night lanterns in the dark. This was a view from where I was sitting in the barn.

Yesterday I went to a work bbq. The theme was Abba. Here's me and my lovely friend Lorraine before we went

check out Flossie getting in that picture!!!!
ok, I know I look like a shire horse in that outfit, (it didn't hide anything....)but we had a fab time, singing along to Mamma Mia!!!

Father's Day in the UK today, so I shall leave Rob and Lily to bond and get on with some sewing and being outside.

Have a great weekend.
xx

Totally in love...

2009-06-07T20:44:00.002+01:00

with hexagons.

Holiday Hexagons

2009-06-06T20:45:00.013+01:00

I'm back!!!
We had an amazing time in France and I did loads of my hexagon blanket...pictures in a mo!
It was lovely just to sunbathe, read, eat and relax and be with my sisters and family.

I did, of course, make some great purchases....
firstly, a beautiful bag from a shop in Eymet

Front and back views.
I love it, and if you like it, have a look on their website here
They had so many beautiful bags, it was really hard to choose one.

So I bought two!!!

Here's the other one.

I found a FAB use for it....

Ta da!!!! My Babette is perfect for it!

Also in Eymet, I saw an older man sitting there in the market knitting!!!! Not just plain kitting, but cable. So I made Lily stand behind him so I could take a photo. If you are the man, and you're reading this, I hope you don't mind being on my blog!!!!

ok, here's one of me in action with the hexagon

And here it is so far..

On other fronts, I am surprised to tell you that all my holiday washing and ironing is done and put away! While we were on holiday, there was a tennis court at the Chateau and we all decided we wanted to be better at playing. I for one play with my eyes closed and I am totally hopeless.
So we found a tennis coach here, Ben (very handsome and young) and today Rob and I had our first lesson. I don't think Ben believed me when I told him how rubbish I was, but by the end of the lesson, he knew!!!!!! I'll be at Wimbledon before you know it, though at this rate!!!!!! (What's the age limit???)
This afternoon we went to Strawberry Fair in Cambridge to have a wander round and it was great!!! Just a mass of stuff to see. And a chocolate crepe. Well, rude not to.
Tomorrow, having knackered my arms today playing tennis, I am off back to spinning to knacker my legs.
At least I will be symmetrically in pain!!
Have a good weekend.
x

Competition Winner

2009-05-22T00:21:00.002+01:00

OK I have drawn the winner tonight and..........
drumroll..........
the winner is..........

christine from cpurl17!!!!!

Congratulations you!!!
If you let me have your address I shall have a little delve in my stash and also bring you something home from my French hols.

I'm still not packed and we leave in 9 hours. Oh well. Always better under pressure!!!

I am taking only crochet with me this time. I want to finish Babette and also my hexagon blanket, so it's a good opportunity for that. The Debbie Abrahams mystery blanket that I don't like has caused me to lose my knitting mojo a bit, so I'll make the most of it and get some crochet done!!!!

See you in a week when I shall hopefully be rested and fulfilled. (Hopefully not with camembert!!)

I'm older....I'm back (and a little prizedraw!!)

2009-05-13T14:58:00.002+01:00

Sorry for my absence. I have been so snowed under with life in general, everything else has gone to pot. I haven't even done much knitting, sewing or crocheting,just breathing sleeping eating and working really.

I did, however, go on a 2 day NLP course, and that led me to a little reassessment of my life. Instead of thinking I have too little time to do what I love, I need to make time for what I love. So I am doing.

If you want to know more, click here. I would definitely recommend it. Those of you who know NLP, I know would concur. Amazing stuff for both business and personal life.

Yesterday, I turned 44!!!!! I cannot believe it, as inside I am still 20! Still, my gift to myself is to do more of what I love and also take more pictures as Rob gave me a beautiful little blue camera. So watch this space!!

In celebration of my birthday, I am having a little competition. Well, I didn't have a blogoversary one, so this is it....

I loved being 11 as I was living in South Africa, happy and settled in school, with great memories of that time. I didn't much like 22 or 33, but I think that 44 will be my best year ever.

What I would like you to do is leave a comment telling me your best age ever and why.

I shall have a search in my ever expanding stash for the prize and also visit the sweet shop!

So what are you waiting for??? Get commenting!

Deadline for entry is Tuesday 19th May at 12 midnight GMT. I shall draw prizes by the Thursday before I go to France.

Belated Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T16:23:00.002+01:00

Sorry for my absence recently. Lily went off to America and Rob and I decided to decorate. We have jiggled the downstairs of our house so that it is more open plan and painted anything there was and had new carpets laid! It's like being in a new house! Well, we've been here nearly 10 years from new, so it was about time really. I can now see my garden at the back of the house while sitting in my lounge at the front of the house, so of course, I has to do the garden as well!

With all of that, as you can imagine, I have had little time for anything creative, so last night was my first time crocheting for a while. It felt nice to be back doing it though.

We had a lovely Easter, with my sisters and their families here, and Rob's parents as well. We all ate too much as usual! I seem to have lost a bit more weight though, although it will probably find me again this week!

Nothing else much to report. I am off on my hols in 6 weeks time, and we are all very excited...can't wait to lie in some sun and read some books, and hopefully work on the Mystery Blanket that I have gone off!

I hope you all had a lovely Easter with those you love. Back with some proper knitting and crocheting soon!

Teresa's Scrappy Flappy Hat

2009-03-27T12:30:00.007+01:00

Teresa is a wild American friend of mine who is sadly moving back to the US next Wednesday.

She is the loveliest person, absolutely full of life and laughter and my sort of person, the sort who opens mouth and then engages brain some time later. She has a cabin in Quebec and I thought she'd like this hat to remind her of me and how much I love her. We will all really miss her here when she goes back.

Lily went to New Jersey at 4.30 am this morning. She was sooo excited. It is really odd here without her, but I know she will have an amazing time.

Other news, I met up with the Cambridge knitters last weekend, and that was nice. Introducing myself as Liz meant nothing, but when I said Fluffyknitting, they all knew who I was!!!! It was a most surreal experience, and I felt a little as if I had gone through the Looking Glass, but it was nice and I shall meet them again, except that someone accidentally took my 10 balls of DB cashmerino aran, and I haven't got it back yet, but that's a whole other story......

As promised that front and the back of the plate I bought Rob for his birthday. How cool is this? Check out the website, she makes some lovely stuff and sells it all over and you can buy off the site too.

Right, I am a lady of leisure today, lunching with a friend and then afternoon tea and scones with another....perfect day!!! Having been up since 3am to get Lily sorted, I am expecting to crash and burn at about 8pm tonight, so I shall make the most of the day!

Knitting with Miss Whiplash

2009-03-20T11:48:00.003+01:00

Lily and I were in an accident last week. We were shunted really hard from behind by a car who had been hit by a big van. We thought we were ok, just shocked, but throughout that day, and subsequent days, we have suffered with very odd symptoms which have now been diagnosed as whiplash, and Lily has a trapped nerve in her shoulder.

Apparently I also have whiplash of the ankle.

You knew I'd have something odd!!!!!

Anyway, the good news is, I need to keep moving, so jazzercise and walking are good, and I'VE STARTED SPINNING!!!!! Have you been? It's amazing. Hard, but rewarding when it's over. And it uses 700 cals in the 40 minute session!! (2 Mars bars if it wasn't chocolateless Lent!)

The bad news is that knitting and crochet for more than 10 mins at a time make my neck worse, so I haven't achieved much these last couple of weeks on that front. And so does sitting on the computer, so that explains my recent quietness!

I did buy something beautiful for Rob as it's his birthday soon, from Cambridge market, which I shall try to photograph later for you.

And exciting news...this weekend, I am aiming to go to Cambridge to meet up with the Knit2Tog group for the first time. Can't wait. I shall take my sad and neglected Babette, and also the Scrappy Flappy Hat I'm supposed to be finishing for a friend moving back to the US on Wednesday. (And starting it!)

Lily goes off to New Jersey next Friday. I am sending her with room in her suitcase, so any local yarn shops in that area, let me know and I can send her with a list too!!!!

My Beautiful Babette

2009-03-09T17:07:00.004+01:00

I am in love with the new colours and doing this makes me so happy!

No more words really needed! I have done sections 1-4.

March is Meat Free Month..and that includes FISH and CHICKEN

2009-03-02T09:21:00.003+01:00

This month is meat free month, so I wanted to take a couple of minutes just to be a little evangelical about something close to my heart.

As you know, I am a lifelong vegetarian. Whilst I am all for live and let live, I cannot understand even a little bit, how people can bear to eat the body of something once so beautiful.

What makes me really angry, is the people who feel that their conscience is spared by calling themselves vegetarian but eating fish or even sometimes chicken!! Why would you say you don't eat flesh if you blatantly do? Why even say you're vegetarian? It's so silly. Even if you only eat it once a year...HELLOOOOOOO, sorry to disappoint you, but you're not a vegetarian. You can have a name thought. If you eat fish and no other flesh, you are a pescatarian. If you eat chicken, you're a demiveg. There you are, you can have a name! But please don't call yourself a vegetarian, you'll give us real ones a bad reputation!

There are so many good reasons, both health wise and planet wise to become vegetarian. Even if you're a confirmed meat eater and you cut down to only eating it once or twice a week, it's got to be a good thing. And if you really have to buy it, make sure that it has had a happy life and as decent a slaughter as it can be, by buying freedom foods and free range eggs.

Lastly if you would like to know more about the benefits, read here. No gory pictures, just information.

Thank you for listening! Now, go and cook that aubergine bake!!!!

Pinch, punch, first day of the month....

2009-03-01T17:44:00.003+01:00

Happy, happy March to you all. We here in the Northern hemisphere, are rolling further towards Summer and I for one, can't wait!!! The bulbs are springing up and the sun is getting warmer, but apparently we are forecast snow for next week, so I won't get my bikini out just yet!

I am doing more sewing than knitting at the moment, but the Mystery Blanket rolls along. I'm not that enamoured with it at the moment, so having a little rest and hoping to get some mojo for it back soon. I thought I might have a bash at my Babette again tonight, new month and all, but I'll let you now how it goes!

Enjoy what's left of the weekend!

PS I completely forgot to celebrate my 3rd blogoversary back on the 12th February, so I shall be belatedly celebrating it this month when I can think of a good way to do it!

Hooray! Some knitting pics at long last!

2009-02-19T23:42:00.014+01:00

As you know, I have been knitting the Debbie Abrahams mystery blanket, of that I am hoping to take some pics tomorrow, but for now, here are my 2 knitting companions..

As you can see, it's a relaxed environment!!

So, over the last few weeks, I have knitted 2 neck warmers. Firstly, for me, the Caera Cowl which I found over on Zebraknits. I knitted it in some lovely Malabrigo silky which Stacey kindly sent me, and I put it on as soon as it was off the needles, without even sewing in the ends...ssshhhhhh! (which I have now done!)

Then I knitted Lily one in worsted weight malabrigo, from Exercise Before Knitting design pages here.
It's Ridged Lace Cowl. I am naming mine Purple Haze. The yarn, again, was a gift from Stacey, and praise indeed that Lily will wear it as she is sooo sensitive to anything even REMOTELY related to itchy, but she loves this. The first picture show the pattern better and the second picture shows a truer colour.

It has even gone to Paris with her!

I have also knitted Tiennie's Scrappy Flap Hat, but mine is called Scrappy Flappy Hat.
What a cool design...go over to Tiennie Knits to check out the variations!
Here's mine blocking

Let me first impress you with the neat inside...

Then after sewing on the bobbles, which Lily made

And finally, being modelled by it's owner (it's also gone to Paris!)

Excuse the teenage bedroom scenery!

We love it! Thank you, Tiennie for the pattern.
Rob already has an order in for his!

Finally, I'll leave you with a photo of me and my 17 year old baby on her birthday. Can I just say in my defence, I had had a minor op that morning and it was snowing heavily, but we still made it out 20 miles away to the best Chinese restaurant around.
Where there's a will, there's a way!!!!

Fearless Knitting

2009-02-15T19:06:00.003+01:00

Although I have been a rubbish blogger, I can at least try to impress you and excuse my absence with my knitting news!

I have finished something, a hat I found over at Tiennie's blog, and which she has kindly made a free download and I love it.

Here's the one she made

Lily is off to Paris for a few days on Wednesday and she wants to take it with her. We are in the process of making pom poms for it and I shall show it off when it's truly finished. I don't have a pom pom maker (unlike some, Stacey!!) and so we have had to revert to the cereal box method, of olden days!!

I also joined the Debbie Abraham's Mystery Blanket in January and am now on the second set of squares. At first I wasn't too impressed, but I am starting to love them, and am on number 6. They are a good way of stretching my knitting ability, rather than staying in a safe zone, as I have done cabling, swiss darning and beading, to name but a few techniques. I promise to show you soon.

My Babette is horrible, I don't like the colours in the way they are in the pattern, and so have decided to restart that, and make the colours work as I go along. I trust my eye for it more that the pattern I think, so I am hoping it will work.

Lily was 17 last week, and sadly for her it has been so snowy that she hasn't been able to get out driving, but hopefully she will be able to when she comes back from France.

Valentine's Day was yesterday and we had a lovely day and then tried to go and see Slumdog Millionaire, but it was full :( So we rented In Bruges instead and had a cosy night in with some popcorn.......!

No much else to report, really. I am also making a quilt which I am loving. I will try to take some photos this week so you can see my efforts!

Hope you are all managing to stay warm!

Still here, still knitting!

2009-01-24T20:16:00.002+01:00

OMG, January is just flying past! I can't believe it will be February this time next week, and my little baby will soon be 17, and out on the roads driving!! WATCH OUT!!!!!

As I was warned, January working for Weight Watchers is truly manic, and it certainly has been. Running three groups a week has meant kiss goodbye to three days a week, as all the paperwork is doubled and the preparation time is trebled!! I still love it, though, but I'll be glad when it calms down again!

Of course my house has gone to rack and ruin, we are all wearing unironed clothes and I have managed but a speck of knitting. I joined the Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket Club and have done 4 of the 5 squares for this month. I'm not LOVING them yet, and they are in Roman cotton glace, which isn't in my top 10 yarns, but I'm giving it a chance.

I also finished my neckwarmer. I literally loved it so much I cast off and put it around my neck, loose ends and all. It is beautiful and the Malabrigo Silky is just heaven, thank you Stacey!!!

I have also done a little sewing. I had a cool idea for a quilt, and have cut some of the pieces out today.

I'll try and take some photos of all my projects so at least you can all know what I'm talking about!

Lily is at a party tonight, so Rob and I plan to go over to Cambridge and have a wander til we find somewhere nice to eat.

Have a great weekend!

Have You Ever..........

2009-01-09T02:20:00.003+01:00

I saw this over on Robin's blog and thought it looked like a fun thing to play along with!

The things I've done are in bold.

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (well guitar hero with Rob and Lily in my lounge)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (indoor)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

How funny! There are some I'd like to do....save someone's life, publish a book, and some I just wouldn't....kill and eat an animal, visit a concentration camp.

Do it...you'll be surprised!!

Dreaming of Sylvi....

2009-01-03T11:55:00.003+01:00

I accidentally found this on Ravelry, and now I'm smitten. Isn't it beautiful? It's knitted in chunky, so if anyone has a suggestion of how to make it on the cheap, I'd love to hear. I'm on an economy drive this year as I'm off to look at new kitchens this afternoon and I will need to cut back on the knitting front in order to pay for it. Having said that, I have joined the Debbie Abrahams Mystery Blanket club 2009. You get the yarn and the pattern sent to you each month and, I think, about 4 squares to knit per month. Well,I thought, I love Debbie Abrahams and I love knitting blankets, so it's a good combination for me. Expensive, though, but I'm ignoring that bit.

I have started on a cowl in the lovely Malabrigo silky that Stacey sent me last year, and am hoping to have a FO this weekend!!!!!

I'll leave you with a picture of our new year's day walk. That's my baby in the red jumper........

Pinch, punch, first day of the month....

2009-01-01T23:19:00.003+01:00

My mum always said this to us on the 1st day, and did give us a big pinch too!!!

Happy 2009 to you all. I hope that everything you wish for and want to achieve this year will happen for you and that it will be a happy and healthy year too.

I am planning to review last year's resolutions and make some more, so watch this space. So far 2009 has not been a great year for activity within my brain, but I'm hoping that will improve with time.....let's certainly hope so!!

We had a great night last night with my sister and brother in law and went on a lovely walk with a load of friends today, ending up in the village pub for cheesy chips (fries to you lot across the sea!) and tonight we lit a fire and I have at long last found some time to do some knitting!!!!

2009 is pretty perfect for me so far. Long may it last for us all! x

Belated Christmas Greetings and a Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T15:23:00.002+01:00

Oh my goodness, the time over Christmas just flew by and now it is the last day of 2008, and I can't believe it!

I had the hideous cold/flu thing over the holidays, which has really knocked me for six and I still don't feel 100%. We had a lot of family around at Christmas and while it was lovely, I am craving getting back to normal a bit now, eating normal food (God knows how much weight I've put on!) and just being in my own space. I had Lily work out how many weeks until our holiday in May, and it's 22. I can't wait!!!! Just laying by a pool in the sun reading books sounds like a dream to me right now!!!

Sorry to moan. I know plenty of people spend Christmas alone, and I wouldn't swap mine for the world.

New Year's Eve tonight. As a non alcohol drinker, it's not that big a deal to me. I'd happily don my pjs and sit and eat a take away in front of the fire. But Rob is a drinker and so we compromise. Each year some old friends of ours come over for dinner and we play games and eat delish food. My sister and brother in law are coming too, with their girls, so it should be a great evening.

Before I go, let me show you my Babette progress.

The reason I've been slow at doing this, you'll see, is because the colours just aren't doing it for me. I don't like the beige one, or the mulberry one and I'm not too keen on the orange, although it might look nice without the other 2. They're just too 60s for me. Too murky and dull. I want bright and fresh, and so I have decided to start again and design my own colour scheme a bit. The little squares I like, but not the big one. That's going.

I'm in a timewarp

2008-12-03T22:40:00.002+01:00

OMG the time is just flying by now and I can't believe 3 weeks today will be Christmas Eve. I can't wait.

However, I just find the days so short and the nights even shorter!

Is it age?????

My Babette is coming along, and oh, for some time to take some pictures to show you. I'll try tomorrow. My hexagon is coming along more, as I SO LOVE IT!!!!!

It's frosty in the mornings here now, proper wintery, none of that in betweeny weather I hate, and we're hoping for snow tomorrow.

Sitting by the fire, crocheting, watching I'm a Celebrity with a cup of hot choc....what more could I want?

I'm all wound up......

2008-11-21T10:22:00.003+01:00

I've got a day to myself today, so I shall hopefully have something resembling a Babette square to show you later on.......!

Crochet Crazy!

2008-11-16T16:08:00.004+01:00

Thank you for your kind comments regarding Basil. We still miss him like mad, but every day is easier, although I still expect to see him coming very slowly around the corner whenever I am sitting here in the study!

As promised, some crochet updates. For you pure knitters, apologies for my going over to the dark side, but I am telling you, it is much quicker that knitting, although you can't concentrate on the tv quite as much!

OK, firstly, I am getting along with the hexagon blanket well. I can see quite a lot of mistakes, but am choosing to ignore them!

Secondly, my Babette colours.

I am winding them all into balls at the moment and then I need to sort the colours into numbers and then I'm off!

I went to a training day yesterday where there were 45 or so of us leaders in a hotel conference room. It so reminded me of the film "The Witches"!!!!! So lucky a small ginger boy didn't come wandering into the room............

Goodbye My Old Gentleman

2008-11-10T13:34:00.002+01:00

Basil
September 1989-November 2008

Very sad news. Basil died yesterday morning. He was 19 years and 2 months old.
We had been together a long time, since he was 12 weeks old and I was 24.

He was with me through chemo, and with me before even I met Rob and before Lily was born.
He was the most calm and easy going cat (as long as his dinner was on time) and I will miss him so very much.

It is so strange getting up in the morning and not seeing him there, or having him come around the corner.

I know he will be more comfortable now and I hope he becomes a beautiful panther in his next life, but I am happy to have known him and loved him, and had him love me,for so long.

It's coming!!!!!!!

2008-11-07T14:18:00.002+01:00

Lisa from First4Yarns emailed yesterday to say the cascade for my Babette has arrived. I ran through the colours with her this morning and she was sooooo helpful, and we changed and added a couple and she's posting it to me today, I should have it by tomorrow!!!!!!!!

I can't wait!!

Oh......just thought, I'll be winding it into balls for about a month, and now I wonder if I can remember how to crochet.......

Oh well, nothing can spoil my joy today!

Still waiting.......

2008-11-05T14:03:00.004+01:00

for my cascade to start my Babette. But I have discovered something to keep me going in the meantime. Check it out here on Ravelry or look at Ruth's beautiful version here. I have loads of odds and sods of DB cashmerino left and so it'll be a good use of them. Ruth has helpfully written instructions too, for the crocheting novices among us (me) so I am planning to give it a try this afternoon when I have an hour.

Emily, out exchange student arrived on Saturday from New Jersey. She is a lovely girl and fits in nicely. We hadn't bargained on the differences in language though, there are so many!!!! Chocolate, thankfully, is universal!

Great news on the Weight Watchers front. My area manager is really pleased with my figures and has said I can open a new meeting earlier than we had planned. Originally she had said after Christmas, but I am opening it on the 19th November!!!!!! I'm very excited.

I am also very excited that Obama was elected last night. What a great choice America made. I'm interested to see what changes he makes, but so pleaaed that McCain didn't win. (sorry to any Republicans out there!!)

Fireworks night here tonight. We had to explain it to Emily. Strange how something so normal for us sounds so ridiculous when you try to explain it out loud.....

Enjoy!!!!!

Chocolate and Presents

2008-10-27T09:45:00.006+01:00

I have been meaning to redecorate the hall and landing for some time now, and we have been living with tester pot patches all over the walls, but just couldn't decide on one we liked.

This weekend, Lily is in Iceland for 4 days on a school trip (having an amazing time) and so we decided to go for it and make a decision and decorate on Sunday. We stared at the patches for ages and still couldn't decide. Then we thought. Fuck it.....let's just decide on one and paint it and if we don't like it, we'll paint over it.

Well, as you know, chocolate is important in my life. How apt, then, when the colour we decided on is called Malt Chocolate!!!!!! It's a good omen. We painted the first wall. I loved it and Rob wasn't sure, so we kept going. We fell in and out of love with it a million times throughout the 6 hours it took to do 2 coats and now we are LOVING it!!!! Rob thinks it looks sophisticated. I think it looks clean...

See for yourself.

Funnily enough, it kind of goes with Breezy, which is really growing now.

I am loving this too. The pattern is a feather like effect

It's knitted from both sides and then joined in the middle. I shall stand next to my new walls in it and be co ordinating!!!

I haven''t showed you yet the lovely final package that I received from my SP.

How cool is all of that? Debbie Bliss is my most favourite, and that other yarn I have never seen before It is Araucania yarn, hand dyed in Chile. Isn't it beautiful? I think, just asking to be made into a neck warmer. She also sent me some knit picks tips and cords, my first ever!!!! Thank you so much, Pretty In Purple!!! And I love your purple theme for this package.

We have our exchange student, Emily, coming from New Jersey next Saturday for 2 weeks. Great excitement in our house about that at the moment!!!! I should clear up the house really! Lisa from First4Yarns tells me they are hoping my cascade 220 will come in this week, so I'm hoping to get started on my Babette (ravelry link) imminently!!!

Tomorrow I am making chocolate brownies for my Halloween themed weight watchers meetings this week!!!! They are delicious and only 2 points a square. I'll take a picture of them, let me know if you want the recipe!!!!

Hopefully I am a little more back to normal now and shall be back sooner rather than later as has become the norm!!

Knitting and Stitching Show

2008-10-21T14:28:00.008+01:00

Well we went....and we were a bit disappointed.

In the foyer, was a Hyperbolic Coral Reef. It was stunning. Ever changing, and beautiful.

My favourite bit of it was this green bit..

And an explanation

The graduate exhibitions were amazing but the shopping was rubbish. I went to get the cascade 220 for the Babette blanket, but there was about 5 skeins of dull colours. The lady on the Fun2Knit stand was downright rude and there were a load of crappy stands selling shoes, bags and wash cloths for cars. Don't even get me started on how many bead stalls there were there.

We managed to get some Colinette Jitterbug, an also some reels of chenille to make a Sophie Digson style scarf.

Oh well, I doubt I'll go again. I think we'll try Woolfest in Cumbria next June. Lily was wowed by the exhibitions and got alot of inspiration for her art work.

Here we are outside the show....notice the Ravelry bag!!!!

I have abandoned Mystery Stole 4. I don't like it and can't be bothered to put in the effort. I am waiting for yarn to arrive from First4Yarns to start the Babette, and in the meantime I'm ploughing on with Breezy. It's good mindless tv knitting!

Not much else to report. Lily is off to Iceland on Friday, and I am planning to redecorate the hallway and landing.

I'm starting to think about knitting for christmas, but also not sure I can take the pressure of it this year!!!!!

Sorry for the temporary loss of service

2008-10-11T19:54:00.002+01:00

I have lost the last few weeks of my life to weight watchers.

You know when you first start a new job, and you want to be the best you can be at it. Well, that's where I've been. I am having an absolute ball, I have to say. I love it.

It's working with people....which I love
It's about losing weight...which I know
It's about being creative....which I love
It's about not being stuck in an office
It's about doing it how I want to do it

What more could I want? It is the most perfect job for me!!!

Knitting wise, I have done some knitting. Clue 6 has just come out for MS4 and I am slogging away with clue 3. I've seen a couple of finished ones and I'm not sure I like it, which makes me wonder if I really want to carry on with it.

In the meantime, Breezy is coming along but is a bit of a monotonous knit.

I am off to the Knitting and Stitching show tomorrow and can't wait. I am planning to buy the cascade I need to knit Babette and anything else I can find!

My SP12 sent me my final package this week, and included, amongst many other fab things, some knit picks options. How cool is that? I shall photograph duly so you can all admire!

That's it for now. I shall take some pics tomorrow and show you the show.

My (red and green again) weekend!

2008-09-21T16:49:00.008+01:00

My tomato plants are cropping nicely now and so I decided to make some tomato soup for lunch yesterday with them.

It was lovely, just some olive oil, garlic from France and tomatoes from the garden. Add some vegetable stock and some basil, boil and then blend. None left!

That's low fat cheese on the top in case you were wondering!

My Mystery Stole is going ok. It's slow going as it's my first lace/beaded knit. Clue 3 came out last Friday and I have just finished Clue 1. I am proud of my progress, albeit slow, as I can only knit it in the day at the back of my house in the study where the light is great, but it's next to Basil's bed and I just have too hope he doesn't take too much of an interest.

Some pictures of my progress up to the end of the first clue....

please click on the picture above to get some idea of the pain I am feeling knitting this!

It's a nice design, by Georgina Bowman (look on Ravelry) but I'm not sure I would knit lace again in a hurry.

In the evenings I have been knitting Breezy, which I shall take a picture of this week. Gorgeous cashcotton. Makes a change from bloody 2 ply fragile lace!

This weekend we've been busy clearing out the garage ready for my WW stock to arrive, and I have given the garden an Autumn spring clean. That should've used up a few calories at least! Maybe I've burned off the popcorn I ate last night-we went to the flicks to see Tropic Thunder. Hmmmm.....I love Jack Black and Ben Stiller but, put it this way, I looked at my watch a fair few times through it.....

Thank you for your lovely comments on my last post. I really do appreciate them. I shall take a picture of my new ring when my hands are a little cleaner!!

It's Official!!

2008-09-17T17:03:00.004+01:00

I have finally passed all my assessments and am now a fully fledged Weight Watcher leader! I have been given 2 groups a week to take over and start next week. I can't wait. I did feel a bit daunted, but it's my own business to run as successfully as I want it and now I'm really excited about it. Having trodden the path myself, I just want anyone who is unhappy with their weight to come and know that there is another way, you don't have to put up with anything. I just think, if I did it, anyone can!

Rob and I had a great weekend last weekend while Lily was away. Although I love her dearly, it's nice to have some time to be 2 people again and not have any other role that that of a friend, lover and eating companion!!! And we did!! We ate out twice a day, but I still managed to stay the same on the scales this week! (Minor miracle!)

My old wedding ring, which I did love, was so big, it kept falling off since I lost weight. So Rob promised me a new one. I could have had the old one made smaller, but my fingers are so much smaller now, it would have looked too thick, so we decided to go for a completely new look one. I am now sporting the most beautiful 9 diamonds, channel set in a square cut gold band. It is so sparkly, I can't stop looking at it, it's like being newly married all over again!!!

So, my body has gone down by 3 sizes and my fingers have gone down 4 sizes. Not bad in less than a year!!!!

What with planning my assessment meetings and buying diamond rings, knitting has taken a back seat a bit. But I have started the Breezy Wrap from the RYC book I was kindly gifted recently, and also I am on my second attempt of Mystery Stole 4. I am knitting on 2 ply lace, and on row 2 there is a bead on every other of the 113 sts. Now, do you feel a little knitting pain for me????????

Well done Christine!

2008-09-17T17:03:00.003+01:00

Christine from dillydallyknitter recently did a great thing. With a group of friends, she walked 60 miles over 3 days for breast cancer. They stayed in tents and they knitted beautiful bunting to drape around the tents. On each triangle of the bunting, they knitted the initials of women who had fought or who were fighting breast cancer. She so kindly did one for my mum, who died from the disease, CH, and also one for Mary, MP, who had the best news last week, that the tissue they removed in the mastectomies was completely clear from malignancy. HOORAY!!!! What a relief.

Go on over to Christine's blog and check out her pictures of the whole thing...especially the ones of her poor feet!!!

Well done, go you!!!!!!

Lemonylicious

2008-09-12T08:07:00.002+01:00

Cupcakes.
So delicious.
Lily is off for the weekend on an art course.
We are off ring shopping as my wedding ring is silly big now I have lost so much weight.
Have a lovely Friday.

2008-09-11T16:30:00.002+01:00

Look at that! I got an award from blog blethers!!! Thank you so much for that.

Now, I need to 'pass on the honours' to some bloggers who I love to read.

The Rules:
The rules for award acceptance are as follows:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her webshttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifite/blog.
2. Add a link to the person who gave you this award.
3. Nominate at least 7 other websites/blogs.
4. Provide links of the nominated websites/blogs.
5. Leave a message at each website owner that you´ve nominated.

My nominees, in no particular order, are:

Crimson Purl
Gilraen's Knits
Tiennie Knits
Yarn Crawl
Queen of the Froggers
Pheelya
Zebra Knits

You all are the most awesome knitters and so entertaining to read. You deserve this award.

Red and Green should never be Seen

2008-09-10T18:07:00.003+01:00

My mum always said that, and I say it to Lily. Not sure why though! Anyway they are seen together in this post!

First crop from my tomato plants!

There are loads on the plants still green, so I may be making green tomato chutney if they don't hurry up and ripen, as it's so wintery there could well be a frost soon!

They were lovely in a salad last night, together with some runner beans from my normal neighbour's dog walker's garden, with roasted vegetable lasagne! YUM! The aubergines are the size of tennis balls now, so I shall pick them soon.

On the green front, I have finally received the yarn for my Mystery Stole 4 and decided on the bead choice.

The yarn is Lane Borgosesia merino laceweight in olive and the beads are 3 different colours. I don't do things the easy way.

Now to decide, do I swatch, or just go for it?????

H is for Happiness

2008-09-09T15:17:00.005+01:00

After my last post, I must have jogged some higher spirit's conscience, as this week, my life has become near perfect!

Mary is out of hospital and on the mend and sounding so well and cheerful. We are just waiting for results next week and then she will be able to move on properly.

I had my 3rd (out of 4) assessments this week to be a weight watchers leader, and it went brilliantly. I love doing it now, it gives me such a buzz to stand up in front of people and make them laugh and motivate them to be what they want to be. I have my final one next Tuesday, which my Area Manager will be at and I will find out if I have passed or not.

Lily is settling into the 6th Form and is off on an art weekend this weekend, doing stuff like sculpture, felting, printing and photography. Wish I could go too!

I still haven't started my Mystery Stole as the yarn I ordered is out of stock and so I reordered it in green, so I think purple was not meant to be. And I can use the mega expensive beads I bought (and love) too!!

Rob is being a dream husband at the moment! Not that he normally isn't, just more so at the moment!

I had an order for a baby quilt yesterday which I sent out. (that's the relevance of the picture...the H stands for Henry really!)

I can finally crochet and am looking forward to making the Babette blanket when I can get some cascade 22o for it!

I am feeling extremely content in my life and my skin at the moment. I am very grateful for it and hope that everyone else is as happy.

Sending you all a golden glow..........xxxxxx

One Disaster After Another......

2008-09-06T10:41:00.005+01:00

you know when it all goes wrong at the same time? Check this out. It's not serious, I know, but bloody irritating though...

First, I dyed the yarn.

I soooo wish I hadn't put the red in. When I wound it into a cake, it looks horrible. I call it Yukilicious. Sweet but awful.

Then, having joined the Mystery Stole 4 group on Yahoo and Ravelry, I decided, after spending a small fortune on green beads, to go for purple and dye my own yarn up for it. I spent ages winding balls back into hanks and then dissolved the grape Kool Aid crystals into the water. I added the 4 skeins I had wound one at a time. Well, by the time I added the last one (and I wasn't that slow) the dye had all gone, so I have 2 purple, one lilac and one a bit white and blotchy.

BUGGER!!!!! In the end, I thought, fuck it, and have ordered some laceweight on line, with a begging note to the vendor to send soon. Bloody hell!!!

Then, I am knitting the Waving Lace sock and look at this...

The pattern said 50g, which is what I started with, and I'm not even round on to the bottom of the foot yet! Help!! I was considering knitting the rest of this in another colour, but I think it'll look silly, so I am considering unravelling quickly. :(

No time...

2008-09-04T12:33:00.002+01:00

for anything at the moment, hence the lack of blogging.I am in the midst of training now as a weight watchers leader and have taken 2 of the 4 meetings I need to to pass my assessments. The final one will be the week after next. I have to say, I love it!!! After getting over my nerves, I am really much more comfortable than I ever thought I could be, standing up in front of total strangers and running a meeting for half an hour! Hope I haven't jinxed it now!!!

On the knitting front, I am having a disaster with Waving Lace socks as the yarn is running out halfway along the foot.

On all other fronts, Lily has gone into the 6th Form and looks sooooo smart in her suit, my house is a total tip as there is no time to tidy up and I have decided my dad is a cock and I'm not wasting any more of my (too short) time on him again! You can give a person so many chances...!!!!

On the Mary front, she had her op this week, and after a really rocky time, today is feeling better and off for physio, and hopefully home soon.

Tomorrow I have some time so am hoping to get some photos on here as well as rambling!!!!! Lily and I are hoping to make Lemonylicious cupcakes tonight so I shall tempt you all ff any diets you may be on with them!!!

One Giant Babette Square

2008-08-30T17:01:00.007+01:00

(details of yarn etc here on ravelry)

Love it! It has been sent to and received by Mary to wrap her in love for when she has her big op next week and afterwards while she's convalescing.

Lily's is growing and I shall show you hers soon.

I have joined Mystery Stole 4 this year!!! I have swatched and bought mega expensive beads that I'm now not sure about, so am in the process of winding balls into skeins and dyeing them (I've got the bug!!) grape colour. Will keep you posted.

Have a good weekend. Apparently this is the last of our summer.

WHAT summer?????

Dyeing to show you..........

2008-08-28T15:21:00.009+01:00

...what I received from my SP12 pal.......a Kool Aid dyeing kit!! I've always wanted to have a go at this and today decided, while it was sunny, to go for it.

First you soak the hank of yarn..

Then you put the dyes you want to use into small bottles
Then you squirt them onto the drained yarn....

Then cook it in the microwave....

Hmmm, not sure about the red, but I love the blue and green and it might look better when dry and wound into a ball.

I now just need to rinse it and dry it. Then ball it.

OK, at long last, here is a glimpse of what I have been doing over the last few days... I finally got the solid granny square (I can't tell you how many times I watched the bloody tutorial on You Tube) and I can do it! And it looks like the Babette squares on Ravelry!!!!! I am trying to make myself wait until the Knitting and Stitching Show in October until I buy the cascade I need for Babette, but in my head, there's a little voice telling me I might have forgotten how to do it by then and I should get it NOW!!!!!!!!

I'll show you the thing in its entire glory tomorrow before sending it to it's recipient tomorrow. SP, you were so right to have faith in me. I really doubted that I could do it, but I can and I'll show you how well tomorrow!

I have also taught Lily how to crochet the solid granny and she is creating a blanket as I type. Only stopping to eat and wee.

SP parcel arrived

2008-08-26T10:03:00.007+01:00

I went out and when I came back, my UKSP had been to my house!!!!! How weird is that? I wish I had been in a I wanted to meet her in person, but I think she comes from Cambridge, so I am hoping I will meet her at a K2TOG meet soon.

She left a box in my porch!!

Check out what was in it... I took the photo in the garden as the theme for my swap was my garden!

Wow, she sent me some lovely things. She made that gorgeous bag at a Debbie Abrahams workshop!!!! Sweeties too, cool yarn, soap, and amongst other things, a Rowan Classic pattern book. I love Rowan designs and have my eye on these 2 so far....

The yarn is to make this sweet bag

I have also had another parcel, from my SP12 but I'll take a pic later, when I take one of my GIANT BABETTE SQUARE

Oh yeah....prepare to be amazed......

Lily's Results

2008-08-26T09:58:00.003+01:00

I just wanted to be proud mum for a sec, and tell you all what Lily got in her GCSE exams. She got 4 A*s and 5 As. A straight A student. I always wanted to say that!!!!!
It won't mean much to some of you, but it's an amazing result. Brains AND beauty. And I made her.
I'm puffed up with pride!!!

WIPs Update (Knitting and Growing)

2008-08-14T17:56:00.011+01:00

All of my wips are coming along now. The felted bag needs some tlc..

but I think it redeemable.

I am knitting the Debbie Abrahams Flower Power blanket too, my first go at beading in knitting!

And the Waving Lace sock is coming along now that I have the right needles!

All are being stored in my new aquisition....

Cool, hey?

On the vegetable front, things are getting bigger,
tomatoes

aubergines (eggplant)

and French beans (look hard!)

Tomorrow I am off early on a 3 day training weekend with WW, so looking forward to that! I am taking the socks and also the Babette squares which I have nearly mastered! Have a great weekend!

Last Weekend

2008-08-14T17:40:00.008+01:00

We spent the day on Saturday with Mary and Mark at the Brailes village show. True to tradition, it poured all day, but we had fun. I didn't enter my bag as it didn't come out as I wanted and will require alot of fiddling with, which I didn't have the time for so never mind. If you'd seen the shit that won, I'd never have stood a chance, but don't get me started on that subject. The judging was done by a mentally challenged person who lived in another continent and didn't bother coming to the show, but I'm not bitter. My dog didn't win prettiest bitch and is now coming out of an ugly depression with the help of therapy.

Elegant, hey?.........

As promised for some time,pictures of Mary's amazing mosaics on her table and chairs outside. The chairs all represent a season. I think they're amazing.

UK Swap question 7

2008-08-11T08:32:00.003+01:00

Films is the topic this week:

Do you prefer to watch films at home or at the cinema?
I prefer to watch them at the cinema. Only because I am a bugger for falling asleep if I'm home! Also, much nicer popcorn at the cinema (salty of course) and sorbet!

What is the last film you saw?
X Files (such a disappointment)

Have you seen any films more than 10 times? If so which ones and why.
No. For the same reason I ever really read books more than once...I like the end to be a surprise and I can't understand why you'd read/watch it if you knew what was going to happen?

What film do you recommend that people should see?
Saw 1, K-Pax, Philadelphia, Devil Wears Prada, Man Who Fell to Earth, probably my most favourite ones!

If you could be any character from a film who would it be?
Difficult! I'll get back to you on that one!

On the knitting front, I have a load to report in from this weekend, downloading the photos now, so I'm hoping to post all that later. Also pics of Mary's mosaicing...finally!

Also....WAIT FOR IT......I may have a Babette square. Don't get too excited. I have joined the Babette & Hexagon Blanket Crochet Anonymous Group on Ravelry and there is loads of help for novice crocheters like me and also loads of links to tutorial videos, so I am going to attempt it!!!!!! Look out SP, I may be able to do it after all!!!!

Check out some Babette colour inspirations here WOW!!!!!!! 3 pages of beauty.....

Hearts and Bags

2008-08-07T08:11:00.005+01:00

A friend of mine is leaving the UK to go and work in Saudi on a 2 year contract, teaching in the international school. We have her leaving lunch today and so I made a her a little gift to go with the pile of jazzercise goodies we got her to remember us by! She loves lavender, so I made her these

they are filled with lavender from my garden and smell lovely (even though it's not my favourite smell.)

I have finished patchwork squares bag (at about 1am this morning!) and it is in the machine felting as I type! I hope it comes out ok. It's my own pattern and I got a little bit carried away knitting the band that goes around the whole thing to form the bag bottom, sides and handle, and when I put it over my shoulder, it reaches down past my knees! I've never hoped to shrink something quite so much!

I put a cd next to it to give you some idea of the scale

The bag brings me on to question 9 of SP12.
Have you ever entered your knitting (or anything else) in the fair?

Would you ever consider it?
Ths weekend, funnily enough, we are going to visit Mary in the Cotswolds. Her village has a fair every year, have a look here
We have entered Floss before in the horse and hound competition. Let's just say she had a small nervous breakdown, obviously unsuited to a modelling career, and the Jack Russell who sat on the lap of the girl riding the horse that won was obviously cheating. Not that I'm bitter. NO!

I am hopefully entering this year the "I knitted it" class with this patchwork squares bag. I say hopefully because it needs to dry, be lined and decorated before Saturday EARLY. We shall see. So. I'll let you know the answer to that SP question after the weekend!

A Taste of Summer!

2008-08-04T15:26:00.003+01:00

Blackberry Sorbet
No pips
Delicious

Boobs and Blackberry Sorbet

2008-08-03T19:42:00.007+01:00

Told you I would let you know what I was knitting today....

..and there you go!

There was a request on Ravelry on one of the forums from a health visitor. Apparently, knitted breasts are the best way to teach new mums how to breastfeed, and she asked if people would knit one. There has been a great response from the sound of it! If you fancy getting involved, check out this Ravelry link
Basil liked it

and here's some idea of the size. Pretty boob size, maybe not the same shape! It's the shape I'd love to have!

We've had a lovely weekend. Yesterday, I went for coffee and cake with Rob and then made some delish meringues filled with strawberries from a local farm, on vanilla cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce! They were for a barbeque we went to yesterday afternoon which went late into the night in the end and I had a lovely time eating some of them!

I also did some knitting yesterday

It's te Waving Lace sock, knitted in Blue Sky Alpaca. My favourite yarn. On too big needles....and this is what happened next...

Bugger. It wasn't going to happen on those size needles, so tomorrow when I order some stuff for my SPs, I shall get the right size ones.

Today we're all tired, so we went for a long dog walk. We picked loads of blackberries and tonight we're making blackberry sorbet. It's such a simple recipe.

Soften with sugar, then pass through a sieve, then mix with a glucose syrup then churn in the ice cream maker. Then eat!

I'll see if I can get a picture when it's made. I think I'll have to be quick!

Re: Spooky...All is Revealed

2008-08-03T09:28:00.004+01:00

OK, I know I'm blonde, but sometimes I can kid myself it doesn't affect me.

When I received the swap parcel, I saw the UK postmark and just assumed UK Swap. What I didn't remember, was that my SP12 upstream is also in the UK and I am thinking, thanks to Rosie's comment on my Spooky post (no, I didn't think of it myself!), that it was from my SP12 pal! Makes sense, right?

Anyway I have emailed her to thank her, and unless she/he emails back "WTF are you on about" then the mystery is solved!!

Thank you, SP, I love the package, and so sorry for the delay in thanking you. UKSP, sorry for panicking you!

BTW, Secret Pal, can you give me a clue who you are? Just one little one? Pleeeeaaaase?

OK, all is sorted, and now relax.

Wait til you see what I'm knitting today! You'll love it!

SP 12 Question 8

2008-08-02T07:42:00.002+01:00

What is your favorite supper for a hot summer evening?

Hmmm, difficult. As a food lover, I of course, have more than one answer.

1. Grilled halloumi cheese with a big salad, followed by a meringue with strawberries and cream on top.
2. Baked camembert (my downfall) with garlic stuffed in the top, with some crusty bread and crudites to dip in, followed by tarte au citron.
3. A big garlicky salad with french beans, grilled halloumi, asparagus, broad beans, rocket and tomatoes from my garden, with a jacket potato, followed by Ben and Jerry's chocolate fudge brownie frozen yoghurt(low fat of course!).
4. Aubergine moussaka with a green salad , followed by baked nectarines and some sweetened marscapone cheese.

Get some kind of idea of why I am a weight watcher? This is all stuff I love to eat and cook!!!!!

I love to eat any of this stuff as long as it's outside in my garden, my favourite place to eat during the summer.

Spooky......

2008-08-01T14:07:00.002+01:00

In my last post, I told you I had received a package from my UK swap pal.

Yesterday, I received an email from Ruth, the swap co ordinator.

She had been contacted by the person who is my swap upstream to say she hadn't sent a parcel to me yet.

So who is it from?

Good Times:
A) I love it
B) I'll get double goodies at this rate!!

Bad Times:
A) Does it mean someone is without an upstream? Surely they would know by now?

Hmmmmmmmmm...............intriguing.............

Hemlocks and Festivals

2008-07-30T13:58:00.020+01:00

Well, Hemlock is finally finished and blocked and, I have to say, a bit of a disappointment. Considering how much I loved knitting this, it hasn't come out as amazingly as I had hoped. It may be to do with the fact that I used cheap yarn, so it may serve me right. I blocked it, then read a comment from Lin which said don't be scared, stretch it out big time, so I re wet it and did that.

Anyway, thank you so much to Stacey, who sent me the pattern in easy to understand format. I loved knitting it. And sometimes the process is better than the result, and that's fine.

This last weekend, we lost 4 days at a festival. An absolutely fantastic time, with the most friendly and fun crowd of people (well, 9000 of them) and the most amazing music from The Hoosiers, Morcheeba, and GRACE JONES!!!!!!

I was at the front for that, I could have touched her leg I was so close! What an awesome woman. Considering she is 60 this year, she has legs I would die for and a body of an 18 year old. She was as controversial as I remember her, laying on the front of the stage with her legs waving in the air, late to start and then finished really abruptly when she's had enough. Lots of people moaned about that, but I was just blown away by seeing such an icon in the flesh. I spent many a night in my teens, in a darkened room, listening to Nightclubbing, with the bass turned right up!!!!!!

It was a really relaxed weekend, with great food, amazing music, a lot of laughs and plenty to look at. And hot sunny weather as well. What more could a person ask for?

There was a guy on a bike he'd built a frame round, so could do a forward roll on it!

The lights at night were beautiful

Haybales to sit on and watch the world go by

Check out those amazing dreads! She had a beautiful tattoo on her arm, too, and I not generally a fan, but that one could convert me. Their dog and Flossie liked each other!

A bubble slide down the hill into the stream

My posse!

How cool is this? A sand sculpture, ready made for sitting and knitting on!

Me and Floss chilling out

Rob in a tricycle downhill onto a ramp at the bottom (which he still has the grazes from!)

Main stage

Aaaah!

I received a parcel this weekend, from my UK swap pal. Thank you so much! I was rubbing one of the skeins against me cheek, when I read the cards, which said, "I hope these goodies survive the cheek test!" Well, they did! Beautiful colours, and the Mirasol baby alpaca is my MOST favourite, I could sleep on a bed of that stuff. Thank you so much!

Mary is now a lot better and home. She has finished some absolutely amazing mosaicing on her garden furniture, and if I can only work out how to import the photos she sent me into iPhoto, I shall wow you with them. Her work is truly stunning.

I am feeling a whole lot better and more confident about becoming a weight watchers leader. From speaking to a couple of social worker friends, they said it's like being a social worker to people who have a food problem, instead of drug and alcohol problems! Which is what I did in a previous existence. And they're right. It's the same skill base that I will be using. And I have really missed social work since I gave it up. I don't miss the politics, but I do miss working with people, so I am feeling that this really is the right path for me to be taking! And I shall meet some interesting people too, and I am hoping it will lead to a lot of other things too. What, I don't know yet! My mm used to say life was a corridor with a lot of doors off it and I feel like I am in a corridor now. And it's a nice feeling. A change is what I need and it has come at a great time for me. I just need to summon up the nerve now to stand up in front of a room full of people!!

If nothing else, it will help me stay at my goal weight!!

I am waiting for a pattern to arrive in English from Phildar. I can speak pretty good French, but not knitting pattern French! In the meantime, I am knitting Portia, which is boring as it is all st st, and trying to finish my patchwork bag. I have a good idea for a blanket, too, wich came to me on the way home from France and was inspired by the journey!!

I hope it's warm and lovely wherever you are!

Swap Questions Catch Up

2008-07-25T11:54:00.003+01:00

UK Swap first..

Question 4
What is your favourite thing that you have knit?
My first Debbie Bliss bag, I just loved that it knitted and felted and came out so well.

What is the worst thing you've ever knit?
My malabrigo lace scarf that I am still dreading picking back up.

What are your favourite knitblogs?
Look down my side bar. I love them all!

What is the most amazing knitted thing you have seen
The knitted wedding

What is your favourite knitted item to wear? Post a picture if you can.
My Phildar swing jacket

Question 5
1. Stop or go? Go
2. Going out or Staying in? Going Out
3. Small town or big city? Small town
4. Happy or sad? Happy
5. Straights or Circulars? Circs
6. Red or Blue? Blue
7. Seaside or countryside? Seaside
8. Fish or chips? Mushy peas
9. Surprises or plans? Plans
10. Wine or beer? Diet coke
11. Sweaters or cardigans? Sweaters
12. Pizza or Pasta? Pizza
13. Chopsticks or fork? Chopsticks
14. Early Bird or Night Owl? Both
15. Knitting or crochet? Knitting
16. Hot or cold? Hot

Question 6
Of all the bands/artists in your cd/record collection, which one do you own the most albums by?What was the last song you listened to?
Massive Attack
Listening at the moment to Morcheeba

What’s your favorite local band?
Don't know of any

What’s the worst CD/record/etc. you’ve ever bought?
There's always something even about the crappiest cd that I can love! But panpipes christmas was a challenge!

What was the first single/album you ever bought?
Siouxie and the Banshees Staircase Mystery with 20th Century Boy on the B side! Still love it!

OK now, Secret Pal 12 questions.

SP question 4
1) What yarn (that you don’t have/haven’t used) would make your stash “complete”?
I would love to try Habu

2) What yarn do you never want to be without?

Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran or dk. I know it's boring, but it's beautiful.

SP question 5

1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday?
Anywhere that is hot, calm, with a pool and a good book!

2) Where is one place you’d like to go?
I think I did this one...the Cook Islands!

SP question 6

What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation?

Having just come back with it knitted, I have to say the Hemlock Ring blankie. A joy to knit. Some hard bits, some easy bits and watch that baby grow in front of your eyes. And hope the madame who owns the villa doesn't ask YOU if it is going to be a lampshade.......

SP question 7

What is(are) your favorite place(s) to knit?
I love to knit early in the morning before anyone else gets up and knit either in the study at the back of my house which is south facing and so warmed by sunshine all day, or in the garden.

What supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting?
Comfy chair, peace and quiet, a drink and somewhere to put my feet up!

Holiday Post! Warning-lots of pictures..(and a Hemlock!)

2008-07-24T15:34:00.025+01:00

Hello all, I am home!

We had an amazing time in France. I am glad to report that, thanks to the help of a bored 16 year old, all the holiday washing is washed and ironed and put away even!!

I took Hemlock Ring blankie with me and cast on on about day 2. It grows really fast and is a real joy to knit. Rob and Lily soon realised I had rows where I couldn't talk (every 5th for those of you who have knit it!) and rows where I could. I knit it on magic loop on 2 circs and as it grew I had to restrain it with elastic bands! The only thing with it, I found, was that, as my needles were a little short, I could never see what is was going to look like. I knitted the whole thing to row 121 and am nearly finished the bind off row, which is taking forever. Some pics of me in knitting progress!

Now, I know that second picture looks like I am NAKED KNITTING, but please be assured, I am wearing a bikini!!! I never thought, pre weight watchers, that something I was knitting would be bigger than me!

You'll have to wait until the end of the post to check out the blankie!

We had a really lazy time, reading books

just a few! My absolute favourite was one my sister Rozi bought e for my birthday

Such a good book, it made me want to open a yarn shop on the coast!!! I would definitely recommend reading it. It is, at the moment, winging its way to the Cotswolds to Mary, who is back in hospital with an infection. Get better soon, Mary x

I bought some yarn
from the tiniest little shop, which also sold Triumph bras. Yes, work that one out!!!
And some buttons from the market

which turned out to be a bit expensive but I didn't realise until I came to pay. I'm too much of a wimp to barter, so I'm just glad Rob wasn't standing within earshot!!!

The first place we stayed in was near Montpellier, and was a rambling old place in the middle of nowhere and down a track that caught the underneath of the car every time we went down or up it. It was good for me, as I couldn't bear it and so would walk to the proper road with Floss and meet the car there. A small amount of exercise being better than none, you understand!!!

As you can see, it is a truly amazing place, with vaulted ceilings and stone floors and a real rustic French feel to it. It was open plan downstairs, with French doors all around the kitchen and dining area, and outside, really bohemian with hammocks and chairs and so on. Beautiful.

The second place we stayed was near Beziers, and much more modern and smaller. But a proper flat road to it. It was in a hamlet in the hills near a small town which served the best Camembert Au Four. That's baked camembert with a load of cream, tomatoes and bread to you and me and obviously very slimming.Especially when followed by a dessert you can hardly see over the top of due to the whipped cream and sauce chocolat. Deeeelish!

Look where the doors from our bedroom opened onto...

Sigh...I could cope with that view from my bed every day. Rob of course, had to spring from the bed into the pool to wake up! It's the fastest I've seen him move within 30 minutes of waking up!!

Flossie had a great time too..

Beziers, where Lily bought a great bag and I resisted extortionately priced shoes..

And this is Olargues, one of the prettiest towns in France (apparently) but not a shoe shop in sight, which lessened its attraction for me. Although nice ice cream!!

There was a great river there too, which Flossie thought was amazing. We all had a paddle...well, some of us had a swim!

And now the grande finale!! My hemlock ring blankie so far...

I have about 120 left of the 600 sts to bind off and then it will need a really good blocking. I am hoping to do that tomorrow.

Other news, we are off to the Secret Garden Party Festival this weekend. Grace Jones and Morcheeba are playing, amongst others, so we're really looking forward to that. I am off out tonight for a leaving do as a friend of mine is off to work in Saudi for 2 years. Me and a few other pigs are going for a chinese meal so my holiday eating is going out with a bang tonight!! Speaking of diets, I had my second and formal interview yesterday for the Weight Watchers leaders programme and they called me this afternoon to say they want me to come and work with them!!!! I even had to do a psychometric test, but even that didn't put them off!!!!!! I am booked to go to a swanky hotel in August for 3 days for the training workshops, so it is looking like I will be doing it!! Help!! Well, with Lily getting older, and probably being able to drive early next year, I will be in less demand as a taxi and so I get a bit of freedom back in terms of not having to be so flexible. So it will be nice to be back in the job market again, but this time on my own terms and as my own boss.

Plus, I'm thinking I will have to keep a load of Weight Watchers sweets and biscuits as stock so I'll never run out again!!!!

Off on my hols.....

2008-07-03T23:53:00.002+01:00

We are off tomorrow for two weeks in France. I can't wait, I am really ready for a break. I have decided to take Hemlock Ring with me. I tend to get up before everyone else, so I thought I would have the opportunity to concentrate on it even if it is difficult, for at least an hour early morning before the rabble get up and before it gets hot enough to lay in the blazing sun. For that time, I have Portia. See-perfect combination!

I am going to attempt Babette upon my return.....gulp!!!! Secret Pal, you had better be on hand!!!!!

See you all in a couple of weeks!

Happy and productive knitting in the meantime, I am expecting FOs!!!!!!

Can't Decide...

2008-07-02T10:13:00.002+01:00

What to take with me on my hols on Friday. We are off to lay in the sun (hopefully) for 2 weeks and I need to take knitting with me. I will take and hopefully finish Portia, as she is nearly done now, but I need something else too. I was thinking Hemlock Ring Blankie. It looks a bit complicated, and I need something I can do while playing Rummikub in the evenings. Yes, I said that...Rob takes about an hour to decide where to go with his tiles and so you tend to need another interest or else the game is extremely boring!!!!! So knitting is good, but I need something I can pick up and put down when it's my turn, and I'm quick!

I just had a look in some afghan books I have. I thought it might be nice to knit a balnket or the winter that started by a pool in the summer. I found Floor Coverings and Denim Hearts in the Debbie Abrahams book, but then when I did a pattern search, I found Flower Power Afghan. Check it out, it's beautiful. A lot of yarn in those things though, and will I get it in time? Will I have enough in my stash for Hemlock? Will I get stuck on the pattern in the south of France and have no computer to get help from you guys?

Maybe I should just knit a st st scarf...........

28thirty...finished

2008-06-30T17:15:00.006+01:00

By some miracle of modern science, the camera now works and I can show you what I finished at the weekend!

Ta da!!!!!!

No pictures of me wearing it yet, come on, let's not get too carried away! There's no telling when the camera will pack up again, so I did quick photos while the going was good!!

I made a few modifications.

1. I knitted the S size, but just before you cast off the sleeves, I left a few more on for the body than the pattern said. 260 instead of 244. This meant the sleeves were 55 sts each and the body was 150 not 142.

2. I knitted the body 4" long, not 3.5"

3. I wanted the sleeves billowy, so on ridge 14 (from the shoulder, not the neck), I increased 2 in the round (I knitted magic loop method on 2 circs) by K1P1 into 1 st twice after each ridge row (so it wasn't so obvious) until there were 71 sts. Then I did the K2P2 rows 4 times so the ends of the sleeves weren't so cuff like.

I used Cascade 220 in the Heathers with 5mm circs.

I'll try and get some of it in action tomorrow. In the meantime, the race is on for me to finish Portia before I go on holiday on Friday!

UK Swap Question 3

2008-06-30T14:24:00.002+01:00

Is there a TV programme you watch religiously?
Desperate Housewives
Spooks
Big Brother at the moment!

What TV programme(s) do you avoid like the plague?
Those f***ing awful singing dancing performing programmes like the nancy one and so on. I hate them, they make me cringe. I don't watch a massive amount of tv, but I could watch most things to relax.

Is there a TV programme that you find works particularly well for knitting along to?
I can knit to anything except the singing dancing shit.

What was/is your favourite kids TV programme?
When I was growing up in South Africa there was no tv network so as a young kid we had no tv, but when we got back to the UK I watched Take Hart, the art programme, I loved it!!

Tagged!

2008-06-29T19:16:00.002+01:00

Angie has tagged me in this meme that is going around at the moment.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was working for social services as a youth justice social worker. I had just finished my training at Leicester Uni and Lily was 6. Rob had just come back from working in the Antarctic.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

Only 5??????? I have a perpetual list that moves between being next to my bed and on the desk downstairs! I'll pick 5 random things from it.

Sort out the irrigation system before I go away.
Deadhead the pots front and back.
Sort out the mountain of clothes on the spare bed that don't fit anymore.
Go over to my sisters to walk the dogs together (as she has my other sister's dog for the week)
Take photos of my finished 28thirty.

4)Things I would do if I was a billionaire

Give a lot to my family and friends so that they could all live somewhere they wanted and not worry about money again.
Give a lot to charities such as Cancer Research and also animal welfare organisations.
Buy a vegetarian restaurant.
Invest some.

5)Places I have lived

Surrey UK
Yorkshire UK
Cambridgeshire UK
Amanzimtoti, South Africa
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa
Badford UK

6) Jobs I have had

Waitress
Babysitter
Receptionist
Playscheme Leader
Bar Person
Drug Counsellor
Probation Assistant
Social Worker
I think there are some more, I just can't think of them!

I think most people have done this meme now, but if you haven't, consider yourself tagged and come and leave me a comment telling me how I can look at your answers!

Race For Life (I RAN 5k!!!)

2008-06-28T07:41:00.006+01:00

We did it!!!! This Wednesday night a crowd of us (well there were thousands there altogether) ran and walked 5k for Cancer Research. It was the perfect weather and we raised a lot of money running along together in beautiful parkland. It made me laugh to myself, as it was all women. If you wanted to run through a crowd of slower movers, everyone was so polite..."excuse me, thank you, so sorry, are you alright", how funny! If it had been men, they would just have barged on through without even a grunt! Every time I felt like stopping, I would think of my mum and it would make me have a little sprint! It was so inspiring, reading the signs on people's backs. There was even a lady running for "my father in law who passed away yesterday". How brave was she? I had a tissue tucked in my waistband as I knew there would be some really sad stories, and sure enough there were. But it made us all run harder and faster for those that we remembered or who were going through treatment.

We had a big picnic afterwards, which was maybe the best bit!!! Nothing like a crowd of primary school teachers to organise a good spread!!!!!

The next day I was a little achey, but managed a jazzercise class ok, and ran yesterday. I think my legs have given up complaining now and decided to suffer in silence. I have got the bug for it now and we are running a local 3k in August and then hoping to do a 10k for Cancer Research in the Autumn.

I'm of to the gym now to run some more and then I'm finishing 28thrirty, only 4 rows to go!

Resolutions Revisited

2008-06-27T11:20:00.003+01:00

As it's about half way through the year, I thought I would go back to this post I made back in January and see how I was getting on.

1. Read more books
I only seem to read alot on holiday whilst lazing by the pool. But I plan to read at home too. Probably not in bed, as it has a sleeping pill effect on me, but when I am fully awake and functioning.

Well, I am reading alot more books. That's not to say I have finished any of the ones I was reading when I wrote this in January!!! And I am still reading in bed. I feel like if I'm awake and upright and I get a spare hour (ha ha) I should be using it more wisely....for knitting!

2.Lose weight
In October I joined Weight Watchers and have lost 19.5 lbs. I need to lose another 11 lbs to be at my goal and am planning to do that before the end of February.

OK, I did this,and more, and have now lost 34.5 lbs to date. I have lowered my goal and now have another 7 to go.

3.Ironing
Now, I know this is a boring resolution, but I would rather poke my own eyes out with burning sticks than do the ironing.

My plan is to do the ironing as it gets dry. No more European mountains of the stuff lounging on my spare bed. NO! I'm doing it as I go along....AND....so far, so good. No ironing in my house at the moment!!!! (Watch this space)

This resolution I have sort of kept to. There aren't the piles of ironing there used to be. There are smaller piles, but they are getting done before people who live in this house run out of clothes. And I think that's good enough!

3. Vegetarianism
I have always been a vegetarian, since I can remember. My mum said I never liked the taste or texture of meat and I can't remember ever eating it. When Lily was born, although Rob isn't a vegetarian, we decided to raise her as one, because we worried about the sat fats, antibiotics, cruelty aspect ans so on of her eating meat. When she was 5 or so, and understood what meat was and how it came to be on the plate, we let her try it if we were somewhere it was for dinner, and, although she liked the taste, she decided not much later that she didn't want to eat it for her own reasons.

Now, I am getting on my soap box a bit about this one. Firstly..why oh why oh why do people who eat fish think they can call themselves vegetarian????????I mean, I know it's only a label, but it's like saying I'm a vegetarian but I do eat chicken now and then. WHY??????????? Why say you're one in the first place....unless it has some other special meaning to you, like it makes you a special person or something. I don't get it. Killing animals to eat, to me, is barbaric, whatever kind of animal it is.
I have never been an evangelical veggie, but this year, thanks to my very evangelical daughter, I have decided to become one. Don't panic, my knitting blog will not be the place I make you feel bad about what you eat, but in my day to day life, I plan to be voiciferous about the fact that in this country and many others, there are animals being kept in such cruel conditions and killed in inhumane ways and given all sorts of drugs and hormones to make them fit for your plates. And I'm talking fish, fowl and mammals. If you think what you are buying is ok, just because it sort of says it on the packet its dead remains have been crammed into, think again. It's been killed.
Sorry to rant on, but it makes me so sad, it really does. Rant over.

I have been more evangelical about this. Sometimes I feel a little scared by what I'm saying. My sister said it wasn't like me to comment on people's meat eating, so I have obviously been doing it. But I think, if you want to eat a dead animal, at least care about how it lived and how it was killed, and don't eat shrink wrapped shit from supermarkets. Go to a proper butcher where they will at least know this stuff. 2nd rant over.

4. Updating my blog
I am planning to blog more as I am planning to knit more!!

Oh yeah!!

5. Knit more garments

Check!! Back to School Vest, 28thirty, Juliet....need I go on??!

6. Finish Silver Belle

Whatever.

7. Finish clapotis
Oh, how I wish I'd never started that buggering thing. I will finish it though.

Maybe not

8. This year I am going along the lines of not suffering fools much if it is an effort or interferes with my own well being. I've never suffered them gladly, but this year I have decided not to suffer them much at all. Really, as long as I'm not rude, what's the point? Some people just want you to fulfill their own needs and insecurities and I'm not going there this year. I'm not mean about it, just aware of my own time being useful, I suppose.

I have managed to manage fools much better. And not suffer them. At all.

9. I have decided to set myself some fitness challenges this year. I do a fair amount of exercise, but don't have a specific target to train for. Well, now I have. I am going to do the Race for Life in the summer, in memory of my mum, and I am going to run it.

I ran a mile in January and did the 5k this week. Running!!!!! In 32 minutes. Phew. If someone had said to me this time last year I would do that, I'd have laughed so hard I'd have spat chocolate all over them.

Not bad, eh? I think I have kept to the more important ones and the others, well, does it really matter? I am slimmer, fitter, and healthier in mind and body than I was at the beginning of the year thanks to these resolutions, so I must be doing something right!

SP 12 Question of the Week 3

2008-06-26T12:54:00.002+01:00

What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?

This

Failing that, my perfect stash would be having all the colours and the yarns that I would ever love to knit in. Probably this would mean Debbie Bliss cotton cashmere, alpaca silk, well, most of her stuff really, in every colour it comes in, plus blue sky alpaca, again in every colour and also some rowan wool cotton for good measure, again, in every colour. Oh, and Malabrigo, in every weight and every colour. Not much to ask is it? I am working my way there, slowly but surely......

The 70s Ardvark

2008-06-25T15:22:00.005+01:00

28thirty is really coming along now. As you can probably tell from the photo, I made a lot of modifications. The sleeve is the main one, as I wanted it to be flared as I thought it would suit the style and the stitch well, and I am really pleased with how it's turned out. It looks a bit 70s inspired, don't you think? I am 3/4 of the way down the second sleeve and have got the buttons to sew on. Hopefully some FO pics to follow soon.

Tonight is my Race For Life . I am feeling nervous, but know I'll be glad to have run it when it's over. We're thinking about doing the 10k one in the Autumn (gulp!) We are having a picnic afterwards as there is a crowd of us and we all have something to bring. My thing is pizza. I have eaten what won't fit in the box and am now regretting it. Let's hope I don't see it again later......if you know what I mean!!!

Wish me luck!!!! I think I'll need it!

UK Swap Question of the Week 2

2008-06-23T07:59:00.002+01:00

Which three guests (alive or not) would you invite to a dinner party and why?

Well, this is difficult. I love having dinner parties and I love there to be about 8 people. But if I had to pick 3, first of all I'd chose my mum. She died in 1997 and I miss her so much. There's a lot that I would like to ask her. And a lot that I would like to tell and show her about me that she never knew. Second I'd invite Freddie Mercury. I don't really like Queen, but my mum absolutely loved him and we used to laugh that she would change her name to Chrissie Mercury. I think he would be a really entertaining dinner guest! Lastly, I'd invite Angela Carter. I love her books, especially the way she has rewritten fairy stories into sinister stories and I think she'd be an interesting guest.

If I had another dinner party, I'd invite Sid Vicious , David Bowie and Edie Sedgwick, just because I love them all.

SP 12 Question of the Week 2

2008-06-21T07:50:00.002+01:00

As a kid, what did you look forward to most about summer vacation/break/holiday?

When we came from South Africa to live in England, I found it really difficult to adjust. I came from a big family of 4 children, and never felt as if I was heard or seen. I was just Number 1 child as the eldest, and I should accept my lot and get on with it. My parents had extremely high expectations of me and I felt as if I was always singing someone else's song and never my own.

My step grandmother and grandfather lived in Hampton Court in a lovely house, opposite Bushey Park, near the Queen's stables and the palace and backing on to the river. Mary, my grandfather's wife, wass the most unusual and exotic person I had ever met. She spoke in a deep voice, with lots of "daaaaaahling" s in her speech and she suffered with insomnia, so never slept. She spent the nights painting, drawing, writing and reading. She made milky coffee, always with a saucer, and put toast, in triangles, in a toast holder, with small bowls of marmalade and jam. She was wonderful.

I was sent, every school holidays, to stay with them. I would go, on the train to London and then get the overland train, one of the old fashioned ones with the push down windows and the leather seats (like on Harry Potter) to Hampton Court, where Mary would pick me up in an old white Morris Traveller with wooden panelling.

My bedroom in their house overlooked the park and was mine. I could leave things there and they would still be there when I went back, which is something you couldn't do in my house.

Mary came from a theatrical background and had been married before to a playwright. Her daughters were grown up dancers with the Royal Ballet. We did fantastical things like wander round art galleries, eat lunch with theatrical people in pokey back street places and went to the theatre and ballet late at night and then for supper.We walked her dog, Mooshey, in Bushey park and got really close to the deer. We had deep conversations about vegetarianism (she was one too) and politics and art and other things I couldn't talk about at home.

Mary went, twice a day, to feed colonies of stray cats who lived in wasteland. When I went with her, she would talk to these ferrals as if they were her own pets, like she loved and knew them all. There were about 100 of them!

I lived to spend the holidays with this wonderful woman. When I went to college, she would send me letters and subscriptions to amazing magazines and perfume and silk underwear.

She died when Lily was 2, in 1994. She was suffering with dementia and had moved into an old fashioned nursing home. I went with my mum and Lily to see her. In her confusion she suddenly had a moment of lucidity and looked at us and said "Hello dahlings", and a tear fell out of the corner of her eye.

She died shortly after that visit. I will never forget her for making my teenage years so much more bearable and my holidays so wonderful. She was what I looked forward to most about the holiday break.

28Thirty aka The Ardvark Jacket

2008-06-18T14:21:00.007+01:00

I like knitting this, it's a good tv knit. Pretty straightforward and not much concentration required. Apart from the fact that I seem to have ended up with more stitches that required when I lost the sleeves. Oh well, I don't think it'll matter much. I have also decided that the sleeves would look better to be flared at the ends and so will increase as I go down them. I love the ridging, I feel it makes it look kind of ardvarky!

Other news...we are going away soon, so have employed a company to come and feed the cats. Basil is so old now (19) and on such a lot of medication that he needs to be in his own surroundings as he does get confused and I need to know he will be given the medication properly. Kate, the lady who will be doing the job came to meet us and basil yesterday. She is lovely, and has said she will massage his feet every day, because he likes that! She will also water the plants that don't get watered by the irrigation system and tend to the tomatoes, aubergines and french beans I am growing. I feel a whole lot better about going now! Plus, she used to be a psychiatric nurse, so she will fit in down this road very well!!!!!

Lily found out today that she has been accepted onto the American Exchange with her school. They are only taking 25 students and there were about 60 applications, so she is really pleased!!! Emily, who she has been paired with, will come here to stay with us for 2 weeks in November, and Lily will go there for 2 weeks in April next year. I'm sure there will be a lot of emailing going on in the meantime! The school they exchange with is in New Jersey. I am busy writing a list of various yarns and needles that she can bring back with her. Nothing like being organised!

I have been asked if I would be interested in training as a Weight Watchers leader. My leader, Jo, thought I would be good and asked her training coordinater to come to the meeting the other week and see what she thought. I have had a chat with her and Jo and am attending an information evening at the end of the month before I make a decision. I would love to do it, and I am very flattered, but not sure if I have the confidence to stand up in front of a lot of strangers. And what if my group put on every week and were rubbish at losing weight? Not sure I am ready for the responsibility!!!!!

We are hooked on Big Brother already here. Rob is pretending he's not, but I can see him watching! What I want to know is this. Where do they find such a bunch of wierdos from??? Mario has to go this week. He's just scary. Especially with Lisa's lipstick on. It was scary enough on her.

So sweet, maybe mad!

2008-06-16T16:58:00.002+01:00

I had my first gift from my UK Swap pal! She saw that I would love to be able to crochet, but that I could only make granny squares. She noticed that the Babette blanket is listed in my Ravelry queue and she sent me the pdf!!!!

She thinks that I can make it!!!! She said if I can make a granny square, I have all the skills I need to make the BB. Now, is she right or deluded?? (Sorry Swappal!) I am now filled with a new love of crochet as I am going with her confidence in me and I shall be studying this pattern and making it click in my brain. I so love the blanket, and if she thinks I can make it, she might be right.

Wish me luck. It may be finished in time for Christmas. Who knows which year! But what a lovely thought!

Thank you Secret Swap Pal!
x

Drops Cable Bag is a FO!

2008-06-15T20:37:00.006+01:00

Hooray, I found the time to finish it and to get Rob to take some photos as well!

I like it! By a small accident, the handle is the exact right length, and the colour is gorgeous. It is a really useable size too!

The lining was a bit of a pain to do as the top is so much narrower than the bottom. Let's just say it wouldn't win any neatness competitions and let's hope I never need to find anything small in it in a hurry.

The eskimo wool is really heavy, which enables the bag to stand up on its own.

I made a couple of mods
A deeper garter st edge at the top to enable me to use the big button, and I only knitted one handle instead of two.

Pattern: Drops Cable Bag (free download)
7 skeins eskimo colour 30
5mm circs
Heather Bailey Freschcut fabric for lining
Total cost approx £18

We had a great walk this afternoon, and I took some pictures, I'll post them tomorrow if I can. We walked through some beautiful countryside. Funny how something can be on your doorstep and you don't even know it's there!

Look at that!! No blogging from me for a few days and then 5 in one day!!!!

SP 12 Question of the Week

2008-06-15T19:11:00.001+01:00

What is your favorite summertime drink??
That's difficult. I love diet cherry coke, with loads of ice in it. I'd like to think I like cold Pimms, but alcohol has a funny effect on me and makes me feel sick. I love the odd sip of ice cold rose wine, but it has the alcohol effect also. If calories were no object, I would have pineapple and coconut juice, or a coke float. Or a blue slushy, or a McD's banana milkshake. Or a mango frescati. Anything but water! Yuk!

UK Swap Question of the Week

2008-06-15T19:08:00.003+01:00

What are you doing to participate in WWKIP day on Saturday?
Not much to be honest. I shall be knitting in a small public gathering of Rob, Lily and Flossie.
What is the strangest place you have ever knit?
Next to the pool on holiday. I would like to lie and say something really exotic, like on top of Mount Everest. But I haven't. Yet. There's always time!

Drops cable bag...progress at last!

2008-06-15T13:50:00.005+01:00

Since sewing together the bottom of the bag, it has changed shape and I am really liking it. The big hole in the picture is the buttonhole and I have a ginormous ruby coloured button to sew on. I love the colour of the bag too. Sewing it up was a bit tricky as the yarn is like candyfloss. One too tight pull and it just separates.

I have decided to line the handle too, in the same Freshcut fabric, as in my experience, knitted handles just get longer and longer and you don't dare put too much in the bag after a whil, so I thought this would give it some support. You need it if you're my bag!

I am hoping to finish it tonight. Mind you, it's Father's Day here today, and we are off on a 10 mile walk in a while, and then off out for dinner, so it might be tomorrow now. At least you don't need the use of your legs to make bags! There's a blessing!

SP 12 Questionnaire

2008-06-15T13:24:00.003+01:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love most Debbie Bliss yarns, especially anything with some cashmere or cotton in it. I love alpaca yarns as well. I am a real soft freak and so it has to pass the cheek test with me. (Face cheek, not the other one!) I'm not too keen on scratchy stuff, as some 100% wools are. Noro is a bit hit and miss for me as it does seem to retain its itchiness, even though it can be washed out. I need to love it to knit it!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

A shoe box...yes, I know. Oh, and a rolled up bit of pelmet. My circs hang on a hook. Sad but true!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I have been knitting since I was about 12. That's 31 years then (gulp) My mum taught me and I knitted garments for myself when I was at school and college, so I think pretty advanced. What I don't know I can pick up pretty easily from You Tube, thanks to Cat Bordhi!!!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Not really

5. What's your favorite scent?

A few! Mainly anything fresh, woody, lemony, not really flowery and not really lavendery.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I am 60% made up of Cadbury's milk chocolate. But now I am dieting, I love low cal cookies, or anything else not high in calories or fat.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I sew, quilt, felt, make stitch markers and cards. I haven't tried spinning, although my SP11 pal did send me a drop spindle, but I haven't tried it out yet.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

Who knows? I am a techno geek, so ask my daughter!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

Love muted colours, especially greens, pinks, blues and so on. I'm not keen on orange or yellow.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I live with a husband and a 16 year old daughter. We have 1 dog, a whippet lurcher, called Flossie who is my baby, 1 elderly cat, who is 19-Basil, who has been with me since he was 9 weeks old, through chemo and everything else, and a giant cat who we think is a dog trapped in a cat's body. That's Max. We inherited him from one of my youth justice kids when I was a social worker. He is not ours out of choice, but as been with us 11 years and we can't get rid of him. Our latest plan is to send him to uni with Lily when she goes!

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I do wear scarves and hats.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I love knitting bags. I do like knitting jackets as well, but they get boring for me. I love knitting scarves too.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Just finishing a bag. A pair of socks. A scarf. A jacket. A blanket. A jumper. Just a few things, you know!

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Depends what I'm knitting. If it's small, circs get irritatingly tangled for me. I love them all, not that keen on plastic, but I don't discriminate too much! Knitting is knitting, whatever there is available to do it on!

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Yes, thanks to my extremely unsubtle dropping of hints to my husband last christmas.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

OMG, I'm ashamed to say probably about 20 years old.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Laying on a beach or by a pool, reading books or knitting, and then good food and good company in the evening.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Apart from yarn???? Like what? Oh, actually, I do like buttons.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

Can't think of any off the top of my head.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I wish I could crochet. All I can make is granny squares. I have been shown, and I have bought books, but my brain just can't compute it. I need someone with a ton of patience to sit with me for a couple of days and help me!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I have knitted socks in the past and am knitting one now, but I wouldn't call myself a sock knitter. My feet are a UK size 6, normal width. And I'd love someone else to knit me a lovely soft pair!!

23. When is your birthday?

May 12

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

fluffyknitting of course!

Knitting in the Sun and other weekend delights

2008-06-08T18:00:00.007+01:00

This is my 28Thirty. Coming along now, I have got to the top of the sleeves and about to separate and do the body. It's a quick knit, which I like and I love knitting with Cascade 220. I have been enjoying the sun today and sitting on the patio getting on with it! Rob's been at work today and Lily is recovering from a big night last night, so me and my dog have been chilling!

Lily's big night last night......she, Rob and her friend Charlotte went down to Wembley to see Foo Fighters with this....

and they really think it!! We all helped in the making of it, and then they carried it, and the extremely long bamboo canes it was on all the way, only to be told when they got there that they couldn't take the canes in. So they had to hold it up instead and hope Dave noticed it. They did get their photo taken with it by Radio 1, though, as Zane Lowe was outside!

So exciting, though, was that 2 members of Led Zeppelin made a guest appearance, and so Rob was really chuffed as he blares them out of his car the whole time!!!!

I took Flossie on a long walk, as I am wearing a pedometer at the moment and I can earn extra points from it...which came in very handy as I needed them for popcorn as I went to see Sex and the City last night. It was sooo good. I was never a great fan of the series, but the film was really good!

Drops Cable Bag is finished, just waiting to be sewn up and lined, which I shall do this week. I am planning to reassess my New Year's Resolutions soon too, as we are reaching the halfway point in the year. I can't believe it!!!!!

UK Swap Questionnaire..the rest of it!

2008-06-05T08:47:00.005+01:00

Part Two: Your Favourites
What is your favourite colour?
Hmmm, difficult. I love greens, mainly lighter, brighter ones also pinks, more muted ones. I also love blues, soft ones and purples but not really lilac. I suppose I love mid tone gentle hues of most colours.

What is your least favourite colour?
I'm not keen on orange or wine/burgundy colours, or too strong colours. Not keen on yellow, although I do love a creamy yellow.

What scents/smells do you like? What don’t you like?
I love vanilla and cinnamony smells, warm cosy wintery smells. The smell of sweet baking. Also fresh citrusy smells. I'm not keen on flowery smells, although I do like rose.

How do you like to pamper yourself? (bubble bath, hand creams, massage, manicure)
Yea, any of those!!! I love to be stroked and pampered... the more cream the better! Especially my hands and feet!

What goodies to you like to eat? (chocolate, biscuits, sweets,crisps etc)
Yea, any of those too!!!!! I'm a Taurean, so pampering and eating and loving nice things are my core essence!!!! I love Cadburys the most, and cheese knik knax which you can only get in South African shops are my top faves! I don't like dark chocolate at all or Turkish delight, or wafery things.

Do you prefer tea or coffee while you knit? Any particular kind?
I don't really drink tea and coffee. Sometimes a nice skinny decaff cappuccino or a straight hot chocolate.

Do you listen to/watch anything while you knit? (TVshow-Along, movies, music, podcasts, audiobooks)
I normally watch tv or I knit in the garden.

Part Three: About you, Living & Past-times
If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be (and why)?
I would be alpaca. I'm soft and I love to be touched but if you stretch me too far I become nasty! I also come in a range of lovely colours!!! And in a variety of thicknesses!!!

Where do you live in the UK? (General idea not address)
Cambridgeshire

Have you always lived here, or did you grow up somewhere else?
I grew up in South Africa. In Amanzimtoti.

What is your favourite place in the UK?
Apart from my garden on a sunny day, I would say anywhere that involved the beach, hot sun, comfy sun beds and a good book.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I'd like to visit the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.

What other hobbies do you have?
Gardening, reading, cooking, writing, exercise, cars

Part Four: The Theme

I love this picture. It's my garden and I love the feeling of it, and the colours, greens, pinks and purples and the blue (that you can't see) that is shining above all of this and making it grow. I planted my garden too from a bare patch of earth and I love the feeling of knowing that everything growing in it is because I put it there. Apart from the bloody willow tree that self seeded itself and I can't get rid of!!

Final Part:
Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?
I am proper (!)vegetarian, so nothing edible wise made from animal or fish products. But I do knit with animal fibres.
Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know?
I'll let you know!!!

UK Swap Questionnaire Part 1

2008-05-29T17:45:00.005+01:00

Part One: Crafting

Do you knit, crochet, or both?
I knit. I try to crochet, with little success. I've read the instruction books, to no avail.

What do you like to make?
I like to make all sorts of things, mainly things I love. I have a hard time knitting things for people that I don't like myself. Same with colours. I don't like knitting scratchy things either. I knit scarves, hats, jumpers, I have knitted a toy, but actually I hate knitting gloves.

Do you have a favourite project?
I loved knitting the Phildar swing jacket. It had texture in the pattern to prevent boredom and was a pretty quick knit too, especially good for someone like me who has a limited attention span! I loved knitting the chevron scarf too. And the blankie. There's not much I finished that I didn't love knitting. In fact, if I finish something, it means I loved it. Alot.

Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn?
Love anything Debbie Bliss, alpaca yarn, Malabrigo, anything soft.

Do you have a least favourite type of yarn?
Noro. I love it but it smells funny to me and is itchy. Just anything itchy really! Oh, or novelty, eyelash, fun stuff...yuk.

Do you do any other crafts?
I sew and quilt and make cards. Also a bit of felting.

Do you knit in public? If so where do you like knitting and what is your "portable" project?
I can knit in public, but don't often have the chance! I like socks for portability, and scarves and anything stocking stitch that doesn't require keeping track of!

What do you carry your "portable" knitting in?
Ususally just a plastic ziplock bag or just thrown in my handbag (I know, I'm blushing)

Are there any knitting gifts (book, toy, yarn, item, tool) that you have been lusting over?
I would love a proper needle case, or circ needle holder. I would love a knitted toy! I would love any knit picks harmonys too! And sock blockers. I'll stop now, but I could go on...and on!

UK Swap

2008-05-29T17:36:00.002+01:00

I'm all signed up for this one and looking forward to it starting. If you want to get involved, hop on over to here and you can sign up until registration closes on Monday 2nd June.

The cable bag body is all finished now and I am knitting the handle. Hope I have something to show off before the end of the weekend.

Race for Life

2008-05-27T10:51:00.002+01:00

Did you notice the sponsor me button on the right? The terrible trio are running the race for life on 25th June. Hopefully it won't be quite as wet and cold as the run we did in January. My trainers have only just dried out!

Feel free to mosey on over to the site and sponsor me, it all helps in the fight against breast cancer. But please don't feel obliged.

On the knitting front, I have ad a small disaster with the cable bag. I ordered 7 balls for it in February, and only 5 came. I called them, but forgot that I never did receive them....until I finished the 5 balls last night and was looking for more, and it dawned on me. I rang them at Drops this morning and they were really helpful. BUT they only have 1 ball in the dyelot left and the colour difference is dramatic. Brian said he will send me 2 and hopefully I can finish the bag with the matching 1 and do the handle with the different 1. We shall see.

Today I am planning to put a load of clothes on ebay and cast on for 28thirty in the cascade 220 I have a lot of! Purple, I think.

Bad luck moths...

2008-05-26T19:08:00.012+01:00

..my yarn is all bagged up! I ordered some big bags from ebay in the end and was really pleased with the size of them when they came. This gives you some idea of the size

I got all my yarn out and sorted it out as best I could. I was a little alarmed by how large my collection has grown, but also it was nice to see some stuff that I had forgotten that I had.

The collection (addiction)

See? I feel so much better now that it is all safe. I just hope that I didn't bag up any moths or their eggs, but at least if I did, they are safely contained within a bag now.
I did realise just how much cascade I had

and also remembered that I love the silver belle colour I was knitting

But at least my Malabrigo gift from Stacey is now safe and sound until I decide what I want to knit with it!

I just need to do the same with my wips and then I can sleep easy!

This weekend has been another bank holiday for us.

On Friday, Lily and I went to meet Mary, originally to look round the gardens of Althorp House where Princess Diana is buried. (I had a mental image of her then, laying under a rose bush like someone's pet dog!!) But how strange, it is open from July til August, so instead, after we had roamed completely lost around Northampton for an hour, we met in a nearby village for lunch.

Rob's brother and family came down from Hull to stay as Hull City were playing at Wembley and managed to win the game, putting them in the Premiership league playing alongside the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal!!!!!

A picture of the hopeful football rabble in my garden on their way to winning!

I stayed at home and gardened in the last nice weather day of the week as it is now blowing a gale and pouring with rain for the rest of the week. Freezing too. Anyway, they all came home from London extremely victorious and excited and so we had a curry to celebrate. (oops, there goes my diet, again!!)

Yesterday was my youngest sister's 35th birthday (the one whose back is in my previous post!) and so we all went for lunch (oops there goes my diet again, although there was 1 vegetarian choice on the menu and it wasn't very nice)

I have been knitting the Drops cabled bag this weekend, although I have now run out of eskimo. Strange, as I ordered 7 balls, but have used 5 and can't find the other 2. They aren't anywhere I would have put them. Unless I have early dementia, I think I only received 5 in February when I ordered them. I'll call them tomorrow and check. I love the bag though, it is a prettier pink than the picture shows

I hope you are all having a great weekend too. I thought I'd leave you with a picture of total relaxation, that is, little and large!!!!

Moth and New CO Update

2008-05-18T17:54:00.006+01:00

Thank you for all your advice regarding my (unwelcome) house guests. I have taken action.....I have bought some sealable plastic bags and some cedar wood hearts and if they can get through that lot to my stash, good luck to them!!

I still haven't been able to bring myself to look and see if I have been infiltrated, I may as well save the surprise of that for when the bags come and I can sort it all out properly.

In the depression of it all, I have cast on Garter Toes which I found on Ravelry as a free download. I am using Mirasol Hacho in blue, which feels lovely and cottony.

This picture is a good representation of the colour too. Here they are in progress, although they are a little bit longer now as this was taken yesterday..

They do look a bit pointed on the end, but I am trying not to think about that.

Today, 2 of my sisters ran the Race for Life 5km for Breast Cancer Research. They ran it in memory of my mum, Chrissie, who went to live in heaven in 1997 and has been unable to get a flight back since she went! They both did so well, especially Rozi, who has also lost 2 stone in the process of her training, and she looked amazing today. Here she is, well, the back of her, looking demurely over her shoulder!!!

On the 25th of June, me and 2 sisters and some friends are running the same thing, and I will have my mum on my back too!

She would have said we were mad!

Moth Terror

2008-05-17T07:20:00.008+01:00

The other day I put on a top. Nothing strange there. Except that, during the day, I realised that the top had a small hole in the front of it. This is the hole

You can see the fraying of the edges, but here's a better picture..

Hmmph, I thought, how strange and irritating.

Approximately an hour later, a feeling of cold and clammy dread swept throughout my entire body as the realisation dawned that this was a MOTH HOLE!!!!!!! Some f**king little winged creature had spent it's lunch hour in my wardrobe. What I wondered was this
1. Did it have a big family?
and 2.Were they all living in my wardrobe
or 3. Even worse....had they realised I am a knitter?

Now this bit is not for the faint hearted knitter. I am going to show you were I store my yarn, and you may not have the high opinion of me that you did have when you see it.
Here:

Oh, and here too:

Ok, I know it's not the ideal way to store such preciousness, but I haven't ever got round to putting it into bags. That would involve sorting through it and realising the true extent of my "little" addiction.

I cannot even bring myself to have a look and see if the Famille de Moth have discovered it yet. I have kept the door of my workroom well and truly shut since the awful hole moment though. Not sure if it will make the blindest bit of difference. There's an awful lot of fabric in that room too....gulp...let's hope they haven't found that.....

In my Moth Depression I have had to start a new project. I'll post it later.

Any moth advice gratefully received. :(

I am a year older since my last post! None the wiser, though!

2008-05-13T12:16:00.010+01:00

Kind of! It was my birthday yesterday and I turned 43. I am glad to be here, I sort of got here against the odds, and each birthday I have, the older I get, the more thankful I am for whatever reasons there are that I am still here, and pretty unscathed!! I'm proud to be 43!!!! Looking forward to one day being 103!!!!

Rob had the day off and we went to the gym first thing (yea I know I'm a little obsessed) and then we spent the day in Cambridge. Considering it's only 20 minutes away from us, we never really go there, but it was a beautiful sunny warm day (my dad said the same as the day I was born...ahh!), and we decided to go for an amble.

We had lunch at Browns, my (now ex) favourite restaurant. OMG how slow was the service??? I wouldn't have minded had they said, sorry we'll be slow, we're short staffed, but....NOTHING. Just slowness. And the wrong stuff came and then...slowness and so on. I could not even wait for a pudding, which, as you know, is the only reason I eat the main course. So it did my diet a favour at least.

We walked miles around the small back streets and I got some cool bits and a bag and some jeans. It's still a novelty for me to take small size stuff into the changing room and it fits! I can never quite believe it!

I got some really lovely presents too. Here you go with a small selection of loveliness:

The trowel is inscribed with the words: Liz My dear perennial friend, blessings be upon you and your garden love Mary. How lovely is that??

Last night a few of us went to an Italian place for pizza and Sergio the Latin Singer was there so we all had a singalong which was so funny!!!! My sister has the loudest voice and got completely carried away!! Everyone sang Happy Birthday which was a bit embarrassing, but we had a fab evening!

We bought cakes in Cambridge but didn't eat them as we were so full, so I have them to look forward to later....

Portia is coming along. The back is finished, and I am on the front. I can see a line, though, where I joined in a new skein. Same dye lot. Can you spot it? I'm trying hard not to look. It is at the back after all........

My my my Juliet

2008-05-07T16:06:00.011+01:00

how warm you are on this unusually hot day! But I finished her last night and couldn't wait to show you. I haven't even blocked her, as you will be able to tell from the curling edges!!!! Excuse the slight blurring, self timer again. It's my birthday next week and I think I may treat myself to a decent camera!

I do like her, I will wear her, the mods I made were worth making.

Mods: The lace part is worked on th XS size and the rest is worked in S. I used 6.5mm circs and acrylic mix chunky yarn. I had to undo 2 lace repeats as it ended up too long and I wanted a whole pattern repeat at the end. I used mother of pearl buttons which I love on it. My crocheted chains for the button holes are too long though, so I will have to take them off and shorten them. On the whole, a successful FO, I think!

The pictures from the wedding I went to a couple of weekends ago are finally ready. They took hundreds but have put a sample up, I thought I'd share a couple, one of me Rob and Lily and one of me and Michelle, the blushing bride!!! Such a great day!!!! I could go to a wedding every weekend, I love them so much!!

Bank Holiday Weekend

2008-05-06T10:15:00.003+01:00

This weekend was May Day, so a long bank holiday weekend for us. I had such a lovely weekend. On Friday night, I went back to the Turkish restaurant with some friends, don't think I live there! The staff were even VERY friendly, raising suspicions that I had been there more than the twice I really have! I would if my body could do it without putting on pounds as a result, believe me!!!!!

I managed the gym three times over the weekend as well, and Rob has fully joined now, so there is a small (elite) crowd of us now!!

We had untypically fantastic weather over this weekend. In the UK, you-over-the-pond-people, a bank holiday normally means torrential rain, but not this weekend. It was beautiful, in the 20s and sunny. I even had my bikini on yesterday in the garden, oh, yeah!!!! And yesterday afternoon, we had a bbq in our garden with some neighbours until late, which was the first one this year. Let's hope the weather stays for a few months!!!!

On the Juliet front, I have had another small disaster. I have decided this project has been sent to try me. I tried it on on Friday, to gauge the length, and decided another couple of pattern repeats was all that I needed to do. I don't want it too long or it will make me look mumsie. I did the repeats over the weekend, and luckily didn't cast off-because when I tried it on last night, just to double check, it's 2 repeats too bloody long now. GGGGGGGRRRRRRR. So I am undoing 12 rows. 5 done so far. Hopefully FO pics tomorrow.

I am in my bikini again today doing the EU mountain of ironing I have, in the garden, so I can catch some rays at the same time. Then ironing isn't such a waste of time as it seems when you're doing it.

Have a good day!!!

My Postman is called Brian

2008-04-30T14:38:00.004+01:00

..and we are on first name terms these days! Look at what he brought me this morning...

It's my blogoversary package from Stacey!!! Thank you so much, Stacey! You have sent me some gorgeous gifts. Malabrigo in 2 colours, some stickies and a notepad. Anyone who knits must always have a pretty notepad to keep a track or rows, I am using the sheet Juliet is printed on to keep track of that particular project (nearly finished now..), but now I have a posh pad. It makes me a better and more professional knitter, I am sure.

Close up of the yarn..

What gorgeous colours and the texture, well, you could eat that Malabrigoness.

I am off to have a look on Ravelry now to see what I can knit with it!!

Thank you Stacey! And thank you Brian. (He always gives Flossie a biscuit when he calls! I wish he'd give me one too, a chocolate one.....)

Portia

2008-04-25T20:03:00.003+01:00

A day later than promised, here is my other cast on this week. It's Rowan's Portia from the Studio Issue 4.

Although it is featured knitted up in kidsilk haze, I find that yarn really itchy, so decided to do it in Debbie Bliss 100% silk. It's a nightmare to knit with, really slippery, especially as I am on circs, but I am planning to change to straights. The silk is a dream, really soft and...silky!!!!

Here's the colour I am knitting in

Yeah, yeah, I know it's green, but I love green and green loves me!

I have a busy weekend ahead.....a wedding, a 70th birthday and a christening. See you on the other side, enjoy whatever you're doing!

Still Knitting!

2008-04-23T12:59:00.008+01:00

Sorry for the absence of any posting over the last couple of weeks. Lily only just went back to school and then it was Rob's birthweek. (week, not day, you understand!) He took a few days off and it was nice to spend some time with him, and we ate out a lot, not that I needed any excuse to do that! Over the weekend, we had a load of Northern people descend and I think there were people sleeping in every room in my house! We had a fantastic time on Saturday night, which all out friends and family came to, at a Turkish meze restaurant. When the belly dancer came out, she gave Rob a jingly scarf to wrap around him and dance with, and he did fantastically!!!!

Can I just point out, he undid his shirt to dance, he doesn't normally wear it like that!!! (Medallion man!!)
It was so funny. He did get a little carried away with a group of elderly people who were on a nearby table, there a video here if you want to check it out, but the lady he wrapped himself around said it had been a long time since she had had such young flesh next to her, and that he had made an old woman very happy!!!! I think she made him happy too, calling him young on his 40th!! A few people in our party looked a little horrified when he was dancing, but he is such a charming person, he can normally get out of sticky situations!!!! (Not that I'm biased!!)

I received my package from Louise at Dreamcatcher last week.

Wow, she sent me some cool stuff.

The yarn is such a beautiful colour and I love the bag, which will be great for travelling sock projects.

And as for the chocolate, well, I'll tell you how nice that was after my Weight Watchers meeting tomorrow!!!!

On the knitting front, my Juliet is coming along slowly but surely. In the end, after my dilemma,and thank you for all your advice, I took the whole lot off the needles, rewound and started again. I am doing the same size (s) but in 6.5mm instead of 6mm. It seems to have made the necessary difference. I haven't tried this one on yet. I don't dare. I went to bed at 5am on Saturday night, and I must be getting old, as I cannot keep my eyes open!! So knitting is limited to about 3 rows in an evening, but I am hoping to speed up.

I have bought some Debbie Bliss pure silk too, in lime green, which has been cast on for a jumper/wrap, but more of that tomorrrow.....

My Juliet Dilemna

2008-04-10T16:19:00.003+01:00

Hmmmm. I tried this on this afternoon to see where to start the lace. Now...I'm not sure if the front is wide enough to accommodate my boobs, if it will look ok gaping if not, or whether to stop now, and go back and start again with a bigger size. I know there's 5" negative ease in this pattern and I am making the S size because of that, but I'm not sure what to do.

I absolutely love love love the colour. And it is really soft. And surprisingly warm. Maybe I should stop it now as a shrug...

Oh, excuse the rubbishy dark photo, taken in haste by a revising daughter!

My Juliet, 1/3 done

2008-04-10T08:13:00.004+01:00

I love this. It knits up like magic. No sewing up, no picking up of stitches, it's definitely my kind of knitting! I like the colour, which isn't green, for a change! and the yarn isn't too bad to knit up either, remember it's partly sssshhhh..acrylic....but it is wrecking my fingers. It doesn't glide on the needle like a natural fibre, I have to keep pushing it on with my index fingers and I am going to have a permanent reminder of this knit, I think!

Lily tried it on for me last night after the sleeves had been finished and we both thought it would be nice as a little shrug without the bottom lace part. You could even make the fronts wider and put in button holes for a variation on a design. Just a thought! Quick to kit too, which is a bonus.

I'm waiting in this afternoon for Rob's birthday present and the shopping to be delivered. The house is tidy, the irning is done, I have nothing else to do but (hopefully) finish my Juliet!

Some Progress...

2008-04-07T11:28:00.006+01:00

I didn't realise it has been a week since my last post! What with it being the Easter hols for another week, time sort of stands still and all reality is suspended!

I did, this week, win Stacey's blogoversary competition and the prize is some Malabrigo...can't wait to get that! Then, I had an email from Louise at Dreamcatcher to say I had won a competition over at her place too!!!! How exciting is that! I love getting parcels too!

Knittingwise, I have been swatching for Juliet, trying desperately to be able to knit her in the Cascade 220 that I bought, but I had to admit that it just wasn't going to happen. So I went on a shopping spree for new clothes on Friday as I am now a completely different size to most of my old clothes (yay!) and of course incorporated a small yarn spree as well! Rude not to! I couldn't find anything that would let me knit on 6mm max needles (as anything larger makes me feel like I am knitting with wooden spoons), apart from this yarn. YARN SNOBS LOOK AWAY AT THIS POINT.

It is a nice colour, BUT, it is mainly acrylic. OK, there I said it. ACRYLIC. My name's Liz and I'm knitting in acrylic (with a bit of wool). I'll let you know how I get on and if I get friction burns........

I'm also knitting this

It's this pattern

but I have to say, the yarn I'm using, which is the Drops recommended Eskimo, is really unwieldy, and stiff, and each row is a battle between me, the needles and the yarn, and last night I realised that I had done the second cable row 3 rows too early. GRRRRRRRRRR! And it is NOT the easiest stuff to unpick. It meshes together like a fluffy hairdo and I am expecting trouble. Best not to do it when I'm tired I think!

Whilst on my shopping trip, I suddenly had an urge to knit some more socks, and, seeing as I have never knitted any for myself, I bought some gorgeous socky yarn

so I shall be looking for a nice toe up pattern to get on with. All suggestions gratefully received!

I hope the weather where you are hasn't been as unpredictable as here. We had summertime type weather last week and snow this weekend. Marvellous. As long as it's hot from June onwards, it can do what the hell it likes until then!!

Back later with a Juliet update.

Back to the Vest

2008-03-31T11:58:00.004+01:00

I forgot to mention in my excitement that was my previous post, that I did make another important modification. I know a lot of people who have knitted or who are knitting it, don't want the racer back that the pattern creates, and I didn't either. All I did really, was where the pattern told me to decrease down to 50 sts, I decreased down to 56. It meant that I had a slightly wider neck opening decrease to ensure that the straps stayed the 16 sts wide that the front straps were. So the neck, instead of casting off 10 sts, cast off 12 and then decreased for the straps to 16.

The back ended up like this..

Excuse the slightly weird pose, remember I took these on my own with the self timer!

My yarn arrived for Juliet and 28thirty this morning so I shall be winding into balls and getting going on those today!

I Present To You.......The Vest! (and not a tear in sight!)

2008-03-30T14:16:00.005+01:00

OK it's finished. And I love it. Excuuse the non smiley pictures, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather we have today and self timed it in the garden. I am wearing it in 3 different styles just in case you didn't notice that!, and it's not even a bit itchy next to my skin.

I knitted this in Cascade 220 Lime Heather, on 4mm and 3.75 circs.
Modifications:
I lengthened the body rib by 5 cm.
I didn't knit the extra 7 rows before the neck shaping as I wanted the neck slightly lower to flatter bigger boobs more.
I made the straps narrower, decreasing down to 15 sts.
I only did K3 row P3 rows for the neck edging instead of adding another 3 to keep the neck line lower and less bulky.
I only did P2 rows when edging the armholes to keep the straps thinner.

I think that's it. What would I do differently? I may have made the neckline even lower and the straps longer as the underbust line sits naturally just below my boobs instead of on my ribcage. I suppose that would have lowered the neck in itself, really.

I do love it, though, and I will wear it loads!!

The Vest

2008-03-29T09:00:00.003+01:00

Sorry for the delay in posting these promised pictures, but the cable guy who came to do the tv yesterday also had to update the modem. The modem is situated under this desk in spaghetti junction. And he was gorgeous, so I didn't want to put him off by sitting in his way. I was content to make him drinks and ask him if he could help with a maths question on my daughter's practice exam paper. I know, you're saying corny, but you gotta flirt where you can in this life, I find!!!

Anyway, here it is. I just need to finish around the neck and sleeves and I'm hoping to be posing in it this afternoon. So come back and see if it fits! OMG I hope it does or there will be pictures of me crying......