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

A Jumper fit for a Dog

I have been steaming away on my Happy Ripple over the last 10 days or so.
I was thinking I had nothing to show you in the mean time, but was wrong!

About a two weeks ago, my sister asked me to re-produce a jumper I had knitted for her dog, Teddy. The last one I made him, he loved, but started to out-grow and when my sister washed it, she decided (in all her "wisdom") to dry it....in the microwave.....

So, the jumper was no more. I had two days to kill whilst I waited for two news balls of Stylecraft to be delivered as I ran out for my blanket (they were two colours I added to the colours Hubs bought me and I only had a bit left to start with). And as the colder months are now fast approaching, I figured now as good a time as any!

Therefore I made her, or rather him, a new jumper!..

The pattern is from an old leaflet I ordered years ago...not sure why I ordered it to be honest! But he loves it so that's all that matters! It might look a little snug, but its fine...he is just very fluffy!

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

Turning Leaves Cardigan...Tah-da!

I actually finished this about two weeks ago, but it was a few days before I got the buttons for it and another week until I got around to sewing them on!!

But after nearly a year (!), this cardigan is FINALLY finished! I first wrote about this cardigan in January this year and you can read it here. It was a real slow burner; spits and spats were done at a time and then left for weeks.

It got to a point where I just couldn't justify getting more yarn for a new project, knowing full well that I still had this to finish.... But I am so pleased with it!

The pattern info and link can be found  here on Ravelry , and the style is that oh-so-cool "boyfriend cardi" look. I don't do cool, so I will just plump for "slouch"!

I will, however, go as far as to say it is SUPER comfy and I'm really looking forward to using it to wrap up warm in this autumn/winter time! Good old Stylecraft Special DK comes through again!

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

Happy Ripple....WIP

I wont write much to go along side this post, but just to say that my Happy Ripple, is indeed a very happy ripple!
Im just over 2 repeats in and loving the flow and the up and downs of the waves of this blanket....I will let the photos speak for themselves....

The colours are:
Stylecraft Special DK:

cream: 1005 

apricot: 1026 

candyfloss: 1130 

fondant:1241 

raspberry: 1023 

lipstick: 1246 

citron:1268 

lemon: 1020 

meadow:1065 

aspen:1422 

turquoise: 1068 

sherbet: 1034

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