Full of promise

Hello all!
I hope you have all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and you're all looking forward to New Year...

I love New Year.
Not the party side...we never do that. But the anticipation of things to come.
To me, New Year brings so much possibility and excitement; wonder, even.

Like my blooming Hyacinths (above),  there is so much promise of times to come.
Its a wonderful time to reflect on what has been and what you wish might occur in the future.

I've had an unbelievable year.
We bought our own home, for one thing. That was something I thought would never happen (or at least for another 10 years or so!). My sister has remarried, I have a new best friend whom I feel like I've known all my life, my health is still great and although we nearly lost my mum this year, she is getting much better now.

I love the concept of New Year Resolutions.
Last year, they were to Lose weight, get organised, Learn to knit socks, learn to cable knit and knit an adult item of clothing.
It does make me chuckle that only my knitting resolutions got fulfilled!

I have some more/new ones for 2015:

1. Take up Yoga (the idea of relaxation/lots of stretching/not sweating involved very much appeals to me!)

2. Be healthier (Not Losing weight, but just be healthier inside)

3. Try to be more organised (yep, that old chestnut again!)

4. Knit more socks/get more sock yarn

5. Make a left-over sock yarn blanket with left over sock yarn!

6. Keep a diary...of sorts. (I figured if I physically write stuff down on a daily/weekly basis that I might stick to things! - I will always have this blog, but there will be somethings you lot just wont want to know!)

7. Grow things. (Whether it be veg, flowers or even fruit; I want it to be home grown!)


....Blimey...that's a list and a half!
Well, here's to the New year and all its possibilities!

That's all for now. Until next time, you take care now x

A very Christmassey day!

Last Saturday was a day that I had been looking forward to for weeks  months.

When it finally arrived, I was far more excited than the children!

Please allow me to walk you though it!

First off, we went here...

With this lovely lot...

Then (with tummies full), we went to Frosts to do this...

But while we waited our turn, the kids did a little of this...

and the Hubs did a little of that...

But finally, we got to...

And then this was taken...

After that, we drove to place with these...

Armed with a saw, and two little helpers...

After being chopped, wrapped, strapped, hauled home and decorated, we had this....

Add some more decs around the house...

and with the rest of the house now all crimbo-fied, I am now thoroughly planted in the festive mood!
...Ok, one more of the tree...just coz!...

How are your festivities coming along?
That's all for now. Until next time, you take care now x

Leftovers Cowl: WIP Wednesday

Hello all!

I have been excited to show you my latest WIP...
Its called the Leftovers Cowl (just click the name to take you to the pattern link). It is by Wendy D. Johnson and is absolutely beautiful!

The pattern calls for 4ply/sock weight yarn, but after enquiring if DK would be alright, Wendy kindly informned me that it would be fine, but just to decrease the size of the circumferance of the cowl.
Its made in the round ( I'm using the Magic Loop method),and its basically a very clever 12 stitch repeat.

Photos from myself and Ravely: Wendy D. Johnson

The colours are completely up to the maker, but its suggested you pick 12 colours and alternate. I have chosen 14 colours of Stylecraft special DK, just so i have a couple more to play with. Im not sure about my latest choice of Yellow and white, as I dont think you will be able to see the intricate pattern clearly enough once its done.....maybe time for a little frogging whilst i think about it!

Thats all for now. Until next time, You take care now x

Top Secret

Shhhhhhhhhh....Its Top Secret.....

I can not say why, or for whom....but the When, should be middle of January.....!

Until next time, You take care now x

Thrice a WIP Wednesday!

I didn't think I had anything to blog about today, but then realised I actually had 3 things to show you!

I have to 'fess up here...I've been cheating on knitting with Gardening. I think ok though!

So here are the WIPs...


1) Stipey goodness....

One down, one to go!

2) Attic24 Cottage pack....

Slow one this, but nice to just pick up as a change.

3) Birthday hat (that's meant to be a Christmas hat!)

For my Nephew's Birthday next week...hoping it doesn't look tooooooooooooo Christmassey!

So there you go!! Busy all round!
How are your Christmas preps coming???! Yes, I can say the *C*- word now as we have made a small start!

That's all for noW. Until next time, you take care now x

Re-Loving my Lounge

Over the last couple of weeks, I have abandoned my needles and replaced them with paint brushes.

The hubs and I have worked very hard to make our empty and (quite frankly) soulless lounge into something that is a joy to be in and full of personality.

Without much more talking, here are the results...

The "befores" are on the left and the "afters" are on the right!

(Im sorry about the lack of quality of these photos, but you get the general idea!)

Its amazing how a bit of paint, some matching furniture, curtains and a few matching nik-naks can make such a difference to a room!

Its my new favourite room in the house! I cant wait to do more!

Ok, a couple more....although I'm very aware that the paint on the walls in the below left picture looks almost yellow! I promise its actually a Khaki green mix!

Thats all for now. Until next time, you take care now x

WIP and Want Wednesday

Hello!

Well, I'm back, and I'm very pleased to say, feeling and doing much better...Yay!

Mum is out of Hospital and doing okay...although all involved are keeping a close eye on her.

My "Knitters elbow" is much better -  considering I've been doing a fair amount of knitting this last week...it seems to have helped it...??!?! Go figure!

Right then...this week my WIP and Want are both Socks. I cant help it. Im hooked!
I was warned that sock knitting was addictive...and sure enough, it really is!

I've delved back into my love of socks this week and using up some old lovely yarn at the same time (as I don't have any more sock yarn at the mo)

I decided to use Rico baby classic DK in Turquoise Twist and Petrol. They are actually a very fine DK and more like 4py so are working up lovely.
Its my first try with an "after thought" heel. But the problem with the fist sock was that I became so worried they wouldn't fit, it became more like a "get half way though and make it to check it fits" heel!

Luckily it did! The problem with the second sock heel was that I was worried I didn't have enough yarn for the heel....again, phew! I was fine! Should have these finished in a couple of days!

The pattern can be found here.

My Want is for a very Autumnal themed sock....with a fantastic Halloween twist!...

(Pictures from Ravelry: Sabine Ruppert & LauraKnitsPA, Wool Warehouse and myself)

These amazing socks were posted on the MySistersKnitter group on Ravelry the other week and I have to say I am in awe of them!!!

The pattern calls for them to be top-down and DPNs...both of which are a no-no for me. But I'm sure I can convert to Circular needles and then manage doing them top-down, rather than my beloved toe-up!

You can find this FREE (!) pattern here.

I wont make them in time for this Halloween, but will definitely be on my list, ready for next!

That's all for now. Until next time, you take care now x

A tough two weeks

Hello all my Lovelies.

Flowers from my lovely sister for helping her out with a couple of things

The last two weeks have been a tough ride here.

It started, really, towards the end of my Happy Ripple. I started getting pains in my right elbow. The pains continued and I soon realised I was dealing with a case of Repetitive Strain Injury - Tennis Elbow, if you will....or, more like Crochet/Knitting Elbow.
After reading a bit about it, I took the horrible decision to take 2 weeks off from the yarn and needles and rest my arm.

Dahilas from my Aunt's garden

Then, in the middle of last week, incidents occurred that left me needing the therapy of crafting more than ever. Last Wednesday, I had my quarterly appointment at the Hospital.
I hate them.
With a passion.

Thankfully I'm still tickity-boo, but they leave me with a lots of pent up anxiety and fear and that, in turn, usually leads me to having an emotional breakdown.

Flowers from my lovely dad to cheer me up after my tears

Then the next day, when I was still feeling exhausted from the previous day, my lovely mum gets rushed into hospital.

She is still there now in fact, but they think they have her stable. She is completely compos-mentis. But they are keeping her there until she is "balanced" on a whole heap on new pills and her blood pressure is okay.

It is still a worrying time though, and she isn't completely out of the woods yet. Fingers crossed though that she is allowed home on Monday (which is the current plan).

In the mean time, hope you have enjoyed the pictures of the bouquets of love I have received over the last two weeks.

Nothing much beats flowers in my opinion.

That's all for now, Until next time, you take care now x

Happy Ripple...Ta-Dah!!!

I have loved every minute of this project.
Each wave, each colour were effortlessly and seamlessly therapeutic to my soul.

I was smart about it...I sorted out my ends every repeat of colours so I only had a few to contend with...

And in the evenings, I loved working, snuggled up under it as I moved through the rainbow of colours...

Then, finally when I was through, and it was time for a border, I knew just were to get help...

...the brilliant, generous and amazingly talented Lucy at Attic24....Thanks Lucy!

Ok...pics now???...


How about we start with outside?.....

Curled up on the sofa?...

Ok, How about stretched out over the sofa?...

Now how about the bed?? (That's a Super King size bed, just for reference!)...

How about looking chunky and gorgeous all neatly folded??....

Ahhhhh!

I love it so much! Love, love, love!!!

Such happy colours! A true Happy Ripple if ever there was one!

...........Whats that???!! You want a few more pictures???!............Oh, alright then......

Thats all for now. Until next time, you take care now x x

Let's go on a nature hunt!

Little Miss doesn't return to Nursery until this coming Monday, so I've been trying to balance my days between getting back into the school-run routine with Little man and completing house hold chores (and a little bit of knitting/crochet thrown in!) with playing and entertaining her.

She is a natural at self-play, and is a joy to watch as she makes up whole games for her toys and uses different voices for all of them.

This morning however, I needed to get out!
Across the road from us there is a stretch of woodland, which breaks up our estate. The children affectionately refer to is as "The Jungle".
With a small bag to collect any treasures found, a very excited Little Miss and I made our way up the hill towards the trees...

 and we found ourselves surrounded by glorious woodland...

Instantly there were things to find...berries and beautifully constructed webs...(I used to be scared of these as a child but appreciate their delicacy and technicality as an adult)...

and a solitary Comma butterfly, whom I'm sure was just posing!...

Blossoms on the black berry bushes and Hedge Bindweed

Little Miss was very happy to find a Dandelion flower and thrilled to discover two Magpie feathers. We have a Magpie that keeps coming to our bird table to steal all the mealworms - although I'm sure its not the same one all the time, the children recognise "him" and refer to him as "Mr Greedy"!

We followed several little trails to see where they led. It would appear there are others whoms homes back onto this lovely woodland who are keen to leave bits out for the wildlife, whether its a man-made home or some water...

I hoped these little trails, which looked like they may have been made by hedgehogs, might lead us to find one....

Unfortunately, the only one we found, once at the top of the woodland and in the clearing, were the remains of one poor soul...

Although it was very sweet when Little Miss declaired "Oh no Mummy! He is broken! He must be in Heaven now!" Bless.

So after a quick spot of hide-and-seek...

(Honestly, she couldn't understand why I was laughing so much!)

...We came back home and made a collage of all she had found...

Happy days! Now time for a spot of lunch!
Thank you for taking the time to get through all that!

Thats all for now. Until next time, you take care now x