Merry Christmas

One down, twenty three to go

No I'm not refering to days in December before Christmas, I am refering to knitting for a change.

I finished my Sirdar Peru Naturals cardi in Machu Pichu (photo asap), and have now got 23 more project ideas to go.
The sailors socks for Mike are nearly finished, and I have started work on the Griffindor house scarf for Charlie (I can only work on this after she goes to bed!), and I have started on a baby blanket for Emily's college tutor.

I bought loads of lovely sock yarn at the S&B













From the top they are:

Alpacca / silk from The Natural Dye Studio

Blue Faced Leicester also from The natural Dye Studio

Alpacca / merino from Fyberspates

Bluefaced Leicester / Nylon also from Fyberspates

Bluefaced Leister from Oxford Kitchen Yarns

and lastly 3 balls of Tofutsies for summer weight socks.

Photos,Photos and more Photos

Here are a few of the photos I took at the Stitch and Bitch yesterday.

Me and Amy Lame (and my PomPom)













Debbie Stoller & me













Betsan and me













Fireworks on the Thames to celebrate the Lord Mayors Parade















Now for some photos which I should have added before!



Stripy legwarmers and fingerless mittens knitted for a friend!













Molly in her halloween costumes!

WOW
That just about sums up the event.
I made the trip to London by myself (first time I've done that in about 3 years). I arrived early and there was no one queuing. I almost thought I had gone to the wrong place. I sat in the foyer of the hotel and waited for signs of other people going to the S&B. There were plenty of stall holders going in and out, but no ticket wielding public. By 9:10 there were two others and our little queue started. By 9:30 the queue stretched round the foyer twice and out the front door. It was at that moment that I was glad I had come early as the first 30 people in the queue got to go to the Debbie Stoller workshop.
Once inside I headed straight for the book stand to get my hands on the Debbie Stoller Son of Stitch and Bitch and was the first person to purchase a copy. Then I started to have a look round at the wonderful stalls and the amazing choice of yarn(more about that later)
The first activity I was drawn to was Pom POm making with Amy Lame. How relaxing is that! Although I have made pompoms recently with my rainbows, most of the people around the table hadn't made a pompom since primary school. I was sat next to Stephanie Mann (she writes the back page for knitting magazine)
Then I made a quick visit to the Stitchlinks stall where I met Betsan and Steve, after which I took my place in the Debbie Stoller workshop. Amazing, I learned the technique of Double Knitting which she uses in her latest book. I would never have attempted it from the book as the instructions were so complex, but being taught by a real pro was brilliant. We even got to keep the two balls of beautiful wool and the Brittany birch needles. I got my book signed at the end of the workshop, and my photo taken with Debbie Stoller.
Before Betsan's Stitchlinks presentation I just had time to make a scarf for SHELTER the homeless charity(Not a full sized scarf-I'm not that quick! a mini scarf for a bottle, a bit like the innocent hats!) Then clutching the wool and needles I went to listen to Betsan's presentation where |I listened with interes to what she had to say, all the while knitting more scarves for Shelter. Had a lovely chat with Charlotte and Betsan before heading out into what was now a much more crowded market place.
I was looking for the knit a pet workshop in the I-Knit lounge when I heard that it was in the workshop room. I headed there and was just in time to get one of the coveted places at the table. We were then shown some of the knits in the Pet Heaven book by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne. Then the fun began and we knitted a Hamster!!
I finished the day with some shopping and then headed home. Only when I got near to Charing Cross there were Fireworks on the Thames to celebrate the Lord Mayors Show, so I watched those before going home.
It was only when I got into the station that I realised I hadn't eaten all day so had to have a Burger at the station.
Photos of my day, and my purchases to follow asap.

Stitch & Bitch : London

I can't believe I am going tomorrow to the first Stitch and Bitch day in London. I have been looking forward to this for a long time and now am getting ready for the big day.

I have saved up for it and have got my ticket. My bag is packed, my comfortable shoes are ready and my last minute babysitting problems are solved, thanks to the weather! (My hubby can't go sailing due to the storm winds and so is staying at home to look after Charlie)

I have read the web-site info so many times that I almost know it off by heart.


Current knitting projects are going to take a back seat if I buy some new stuff. I have just finished a pair of stripy legwarmers and fingerless mitts for one of my patients in black and day-glo green. I will take a photo when my batteries have recharged. Also on the needles is a pair of socks for my hubby in green and red (one of each colour for sailing). And for a change I have something I am making for myself. I found some Sirdar Peru Naturals, colour way Machu Pichu.
I cast on Monday evening. I finished the back and have started the sleeves already. I am going away for a weekend in December and would like to have it finished by then.

The problem is I received my copy of Simply Knitting yesterday and it included a pattern for a Shaun the Sheep mobile which both daughters have fallen in love with. Plus a friend wants two mini hat and scarf sets for a gift she is making.

7 things about me

I have been tagged so here goes

1) I don't like winter as I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder.

2) I am a Rainbow Guider

3) I want to live on Arran and breed alpacca (but since their winter days are shorter I don't think this would be a good idea)

4) I have a stash of yarn which my husband knows nothing about

5) I love murder mystery books and have enough to keep me going for at least 2 years without needing to buy any more,(not that that will stop me!!!

6) I entered and won the missability knitted walking stick cover competition.

7) I found this really hard to do as I couldn't think of anything to put down at first.


Tomorrow my first born will be 18. I can hardly believe that my "baby" is old enough to vote!


We had a family party for her on Saturday and 42 people joined us to celebrate.


This was taken while she was on holiday in Snowdonia.

I have just realised that my last post was a total mystery as the words disappeared!

The trainer socks (which look like kids socks, but do actually fit my size 5 feet) were knitted in Patons splash cotton 4ply. I started knitting them in Arran and I love the colours.

The other pair are Opal flamingo.

I've been busy lately getting back into the normal routine of School, Brownies, Dance classes, College and all other kids stuff!

This weekend we went to Hastings for Ella's 1st birthday. I can't believe that a whole year has passed since I put Ellas 1st photo on my blog.

Other things happening in the Mad-house have included entering the missability knitted walking stick cover competition which I was overjoyed to discover I won in the real life category.

Now I'm busy thinking up plans for Emily's 18th birthday party.

Socks

More holiday snaps

Charlotte and Mike splash in the waterfall



Charlotte sitting on a concrete SHEEP!


Charlotte and Molly in the tent


Sock knitting in the afternoon sun

Views of Arran

Glenashdale Falls



View towards the sea



Lockranza Castle

Holiday 2007

Charlie outside our new tent. Lockranza campsite, Isle of Arran, Scotland.




One of the campsite residents.


Following a traumatic journey to Scotland, we had a fantastic holiday on Arran. We broke down an hour from home on the M25, spent 1 1/2 hours trying to contact the rescue service, then having been rescued went to the home of the recovery vehicle driver as his son had collapsed at home. We administered first-aid while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Once they had taken him to hospital, we had to wait for a second recovery vehicle to take us home. We broke down at 9.30pm and eventually got home at 3am!

After spending the night in our own bed, instead of in the car on our way to Scotland, we spent the morning looking for a hire vehicle and ended up with a Ford Transit for a fortnight. We successfully changed our ferry booking and campsite booking and even managed to find an overnight stop at the Travelodge at Glasgow airport.

Once we finally arrived we had a relaxing holiday on Arran. (more details and photos in my next post)

Half term should have been spent on the boat in the Solent. However the weather decided to conspire against Mike and I spending time alone. The Bank holiday weekend, when we were childfree for the first time in nearly 18 years, proved to be the wettest for months! Add to that a few gale force winds and a long weekend on a 31ft boat in the DSolent did not sound so appealing. Thus we stayed at home.
The second weekend of Half-term was much more fun as we were looking after Mikes Grandchildren. Ella is now nearly 8 months old and almost crawling. She is a very contented baby and was a joy to look after. Especially as Emily had the cot in her bedroom and so covered the night shift! What fun it is to be a Grandma.(pictures to follow)

Currently knitting a lilac 4ply cardigan for Ella's 1st birthday. It's the Rosebud Lace cardigan by Sirdar which is featured inthe June edition of Knitting. I have finished the back and fronts and am part way up the sleeves.

This weekend I am marshalling for the Skimmington Castle Bike ride in aid of the Sutton and Croydon MS Centre and Marie Curie Cancer care. It is a sponsored fun ride. I have ridden it before but am much happier marshalling as it is much easier on the saddle!
On Sunday the Rainbows are having an afternoon of activities at a local primary school, so I will be busy.

Chickens update: All seven birds seem to have started laying and we are currently collecting about four eggs per day. I am facinated with the antics of the girls. If I go up to the run they all start clucking at me and waiting for some goodies. The favorite is dandelion leaves followed by grass cuttings! I love watching them when I throw in some grass clippings as they scratch around for the bugs first and then eat the grass.

Meet the girls

Feeding time in the chicken house.

The names from the top are
Lilly
Willow
Midnight
Daffodil
Daisy
Snowball
Goldie

They are now laying about four eggs per day, as Willow and Goldie are not yet ready to lay.

Making Waves

I have just completed my first crochet blanket from a pattern.
It is Soft Waves from Jan Eatons book 200 Ripple Stitch Patterns.
I made it for my step-nephew Baby Jack who was born on Sunday 20 May.

Not a lot of knitting at the moment. My Father-in -Law has been really poorly so we have been visiting him in Hospital every day. It wouldn't be too bad if the hospital was a bit closer, but we have to do a round trip of 45mins each way.
We are also looking after his aged Sheltie who is very distressed by the arrangement as they have never been separated before.
Add to that the moving of a 12ft x 5ft chicken run from his house to ours we have been a bit busy! The chickens seem to have settled in well and are laying about six eggs a week each! The run is a bit tricky to assemble as our garden is on a slope of approx 1:6. We have had to dig out one end and raise the other end by almost 2".

I could be the only one

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Lots of pink

It started with a pink fluffy concoction which I made for my friends daughter (age 1 1/2)

This was fun to make and knitted up really quickly. The colour is a bit more fuschia than in the photo.

Then I made this fun cardi for my neice Abbie who was really delighted with it. I got quite a few comments about it while I was making it as itis a very strange colour mix. Pink, yellow, orange and dark pink. It is a bobbly cotton mix which I bought at Ally Pally last year.

Christmas was a manic time of travelling, eating, travelling, drinking

and more travelling.

It started with a visit to my Father-in-Law in Maidstone on the Saturday before xmas, where hubby and I gave the house an early spring clean and then cooked a full roast dinner.

We then travelled to Hastings on Christmas eve.

Christmas day was mad in Hastings.

Here is Ella wearing Emilys scarf! The kids thought it made a great Buzby!

My favourite Christmas photo of Ella.

New Years Resolution : Knit a pair of socks.

DONE IT!

I completed my first ever pair of socks last week. They are knitted using Fyberspates yarn. They are soooo comfortable and I have already decided on colours for the next pair.

I need to thank my friends at Stitchlinks for their advice and support while I made them.