Wednesday 24 December 2008

Happy Christmas wishes (and reads)


Well I've got my Christmas Eve reading all planned out nicely!
Comfy seat with a cup of tea and mince pie later this morning and a copy of Yarn Forward, picked up at WHSmiths two days ago and my subscribers copy of Simply Knitting arrived in the post this morning.
In it, a special subscription offer for new knitting magazine, The Knitter. Wondering whether to subscribe? I've been thinking about dropping my subscription for Sewing World magazine for some time now (and usually give in and write my cheque at the annual Sewing for Pleasure show where they have a main stand each year!) but really I've not found much of interest within its covers for a few years and I'm thinking of dropping this one.
My subscription to Threads is also due. Not sure what to do about this one? I enjoy it the most of all sewing magazines, but I can pick it up easily now its available in Borders. hmm .. shall have to think about that one!

There is nothing to do today! except enjoy Christmas Eve! the lads are getting restless and I need to find something to do or rather something for THEM to do! (I'm sorting of thinking: tidy their bedroom! do you think this will go down well as a suggestion?) DH will be home early today, we hope! In past years they've usually left around lunch time but they have a new site Manager and he's not letting on whether this will continue.

We've caught up with family and wished everyone a Happy Christmas. We don't generally do anything over the festive period (mostly because we're usually working and only "off" on the bank holidays, this year is different for me, I'm off "on the sick" so Christmas has been an extended time at home, in fact I'm not due back until Feb at least) except stay home and enjoy watching the lads with their presents. As they get older this changes, and dh is muttering about going "away", perhaps, one year - who knows! maybe we will! SIL and her family are off on Boxing Day to Tenerife for a week - that would be nice!

Craft wise, not a lot happening, my alpaca glove is still OTN's and I'm deciding which sock pattern for my next project and I've got two lavender lace bra's cut out and just waiting for the opportunity to buy underwires. Meanwhile I'm looking at patterns and thinking "cables" - I fancy "cables"! just the right project for over Christmas to keep my mind off all things sweet and generally bad for the dodgy gallbladder that I hope NOT to annoy!

Which leaves me just to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas! and hope its a peaceful one and a happy time. My thoughts are also with those that are not with us any longer, MIL who died on Christmas Day '92 and my parents too.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! XXX

Saturday 20 December 2008

Embroidered towels and finished socks!

For my brother (and his partner) a set of towels simply embroidered with their names.
Nice and quick project, I managed this easily yesterday evening.
These are wrapped and ready to deliver when we visit tomorrow afternoon.

I finished my Jaywalker socks a day or so ago, quite pleased with them as it happens! not my favourite pattern but it definitely suits the super yarn and I'm just about to update my ravelry projects page and flickr account in an attempt to be super organised!

This afternoon my youngest brother and my stepfather came round for a pre Christmas get together, we're starting to feel a bit more festive now, although being off work and out of the usual run up to Christmas with colleagues and the meal/drinks out and general rushing about to get everything done, it feels quite different! I'm going to try and get in on Monday to deliver cards and see my colleagues.

My shoulder is giving me masses of bother this last day or two, I think I may have overdone it with the PT and it might have been a mistake in persuading no.2.son to "force" my arm upwards and outwards and backwards in an attempt to "work it in" as I was up this morning around 4am with terrible pains again. To make matters worse, my stomach has been giving me bother with sharpER pains to the left under my ribs than of late, so I didn't dare risk taking any pain killers. Instead I've opened a lovely bottle of red wine and am feeling quite mellow and nearly don't mind about the aches and pains!

All the Christmas gifts are wrapped and with just one bag left to distribute, tomorrow, plus all the groceries and meats are bought, am feeling quite relaxed about it all. The lads broke up on Thursday and dh hopes to finish early afternoon on Christmas Eve. I hope everyone else is enjoying a stressfree time too.

Friday 12 December 2008

Our Christmas Gift


DH decided to splash out and buy one of these!
We set it up last night and had it on slideshow which was fun. It comes with a remote control too and can be wall mounted. We've not decided where to site it - yet - but we thought its such a shame we have all these lovely yummy photo's of my yarny crafty things I mean we have lots of family photo's just sitting on the PC and not being properly appreciated and this would be a way to enjoy them.
I'll let you know!

My foot section on sock.2 is coming along nicely after a 15min wait for my physio appointment yesterday morning which reveals I now have a "frozen shoulder"! There doesn't appear to be much in the way of resolving this, but I've come home with a sheet of several exercises to do each day and next week I return for some "mechanical manipulation" (what ever that is! they didn't say!)

My gallbladder, apparently, is filled with "sludge" and small gallstones, what with the pain in the shoulder and the pain in my stomach about the only good thing to come out of this awful unhealthy and painful period is that I've lost 22lbs in weight! I should, of course, be pleased with this! and indeed I am, but considering I've not actually done anything its rather hard to explain how I feel it might all be a mistake, somehow, or at least only temporary and I might possibly find in a fortnight the pain has all gone and I'm fat again! ..

Craft wise, due in most part to the above painful conditions, things have been very slow - I decided that I wouldn't make any cards as I felt the pressure to do so was too much on top of everything else and I'm reading more books now from the library instead!

Currently reading = The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant
Waiting to be read = Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Waiting to be picked up = Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I looked to see what knitty-bookclubs were currently reading and found one on Ravelry which I've joined for the January book (must check which of the three I'm SUPPOSED to be reading!!) and picked the remaining two from IKnit.
(yes. I'm right. the book I'm SUPPOSED to be reading is the one I've yet to pick up from the library. oh well. three books isn't that much when I've got all day and it might be a bit more effective at ignoring the pain than the somewhat useless painkilling tablets I'm not now actually taking due to lack of usefulness!)

Yesterday the cats went off to the vets for their annual check up and injections. Lilly is lying about the shelf on the radiator looking all sorry for herself and making us feel guilty with "poorly cat" eyes following us and much sucking in of her skinny ribs to look all pitiful, while Bertie just got his revenge by LEAPING onto my painful middle and thrashing about on top of me last night while I attempted to unfreeze my shoulder sufficiently to move to release the other arm to knock him off all while sucking in my own ribs to avoid screeching with pain and waking up dh who is still suffering with his bad cold and had only just got to sleep!

cough/cold wise, no.2.son is getting better and is back to school as of yesterday, no.1.son doesn't appear to be coming down with it yet and with only one week left of his mock exams and school end of term I'm certain he's going to be the one to ruin Christmas with a bout of seasonal sickness! (my cough/cold is just nothing compared to the shoulder/stomach I'm almost glad to have the additional inconvenience just by way of a relief from the tedium of PAIN through the coughing and sneezing!).

Hoping that 2009 is a better year health wise! already I'm starting to think of exciting New Year Resolutions!

Tuesday 9 December 2008

its Christmas!!

Well it certainly "feels like Christmas" in our house now!
First off we managed to buy all the kids' gifts bar one last Saturday with the technical assistance of my brother, Martin, who also managed to get his bought too - which - he said - was a first! for us! (not to mention a break with usual tradition ie many large gins in the pub!!)



Next we get the tree and decorations down from the loft. Lilly, above, sits inside the bin liner that housed the tree and watches us carefully.



Not a terribly inspiring photograph, I know, OF the tree! but I promise you it looks a lot more exciting, glittery and not as gappy in real life! (especially in the dark). We wake each morning to find baubles and glittery stuff on the floor - we suspect Bertie!

And then! today! my works' Christmas gift hamper arrived this morning! hurrah! traditionally we receive a hamper as thanks for our commitment to work each year and though steadily each year they have become smaller it is STILL a welcome and gratefully received GIFT to us.

(I'm still using the last two year's worth of hampers to house various things in and actually being a nice small size and useful shape with a lid, THIS one will, I'm sure, be very useful in a crafty storage sort of way!)


Above is the hamper as it arrived and upon opening, below is Bertie inspecting it ..


And finally - the contents!
Happy Christmas to me!!

School has just telephoned to advise that no.2.son is really not feeling at all well and they don't want him in school! (well. I don't want him at home, either!) joke! so I suppose it really IS getting close to Christmas - one sure sign is all the sickness we traditionally get here in our household! Oh well. dh has just the remains of his streaming cold and my nose is a bit prickly and throat a little tickly, perhaps we've time to be ill and then better for Christmas?

No.1.son is in the midst of mock GCSE's and I hope that he can keep fit and healthy for the duration and then we can all collapse as a family and chew on paracetamol!

Is it too early for a festive sherry, do you think? sigh ..

Thursday 4 December 2008

Knitting Update

Staying OTN's as it is for the time being, my sock.2.Jaywalker.
I've got three hospital/Dr's appointments next week and the "foot" will be a nice easy to knit project to take along with me just in case I have to do any waiting around!
The last appointment at the Cardiology clinic was terribly efficient (as usual) and they get you IN and OUT very quickly indeed (possibly because they don't actually TALK to you, or rather they don't let ME talk to them!!. the last one was particularly terrifying and I didn't actually want to talk to him, which was just as well, really!!)



Newly OTN's is a left over from my Rowan baby alpaca (tunic, Viv knitted recently) and I'm knitting another pair of gloves from the lovely Noro Designer Mini Knits book as I just love the original pair using the Secret Garden Lite.

Shopping Treats (non knitty/crafty)

M&S had one of their seasonal 20% sale days today and as one can never have too many M&S undies I decided to trot into town to stock up on the families requirements! Spent far too much on usual things for the lads, dh and myself including a pair of comfy flat shoes .. which led me to visit Clarks .. for MORE shoes! and a pair of little boots!




I'm not sure HOW it happened, but pretty soon I was adding a selection of Clinique facial washes and free gift pack followed swiftly by a gift box set of Estee Lauder's Private Collection perfume and body creme set which is my all time ever ever FAVE perfume of ALL time since about .. ohhhh .. I don't know? 20yrs I suppose. I've tried others, but I just seem to like this one the most. No.2.son commented that its a bit "overwhelming" as a fragrance and muttered "oh no! not THAT one again .."

Well. thats me all spent out!

Sunday 30 November 2008

Out and About : German Market

On Friday we met up with my brothers for a festive evening here.
Bitterly cold we managed to stay for a couple of hours enjoying huge german sausage hotdogs, even huger beers! before heading home - to warmth!
We'd not been before, aside from the cold and the crowds it was pretty good and we'd visit again for sure! I managed to glance at the craft stalls but, being as I'm with a crowd of blokes, not MUCH chance for gazing at the stalls of felted goodies and beaded yummies!
Highlights included the large sausage/hotdogs for no.1.son! the chocolate covered fruits for Pete and no.2.son! the beers for dh and brothers! carousel for no.1.son and Martin! and the mulled wine for me was pretty warming and good!!






Friday 28 November 2008

Christmas Cactus

Reading Val's post today and seeing her photo of Christmas Cactus reminded me of "ours".
Of my Late-Mother's, originally, and then mine.
Years ago LM tired of her old CC and being unable to *kill* anything off she decided to pass the death sentence on it by giving it to me! (famous for not being able to keep anything green for, well green for LONG!) It hadn't flowered in years, was over large and looking slightly peaky but showing no signs of fatal collapse, she couldn't bear to compost it as it had been in the family, so to speak, for years being originally her own Mother's.
I had it. (I can't remember why I agreed to have it.) (I suspect I didn't agree, I expect she just gave it to me and somehow I got the idea I wanted it!) (she was like that, LM).
And then forgot about it. Possibly put it outside the patio door, intending, maybe, to bring it inside when I found space? Anyway, I didn't find space and after remembering it I felt slightly guilty at having left it outside, neglected, all summer, and brought it in and HID it! in a darkened corner on the landing behind the wallpapering table and stepladders. Hoped that LM would have forgotten about it - perhaps because she half wanted it *finished off* she DID, apparently, forget to ask about it and then imagine our surprise when we DID find it!
hurrah! it was full of FLOWER!!
Which was what reminded me when I saw Val's photo! super little pinky-red flowers!
LM was green herself! I thought she might have wanted it back! she possibly did, but didn't say it and I had here for years and having read somewhere that this was in fact the BEST thing I could have done for the CC, I managed to have wonderful flowers all the time.
Eventually, however, I did manage to kill it off. Its been long since gone now. I don't know if its really true, or not, but LM reckoned it was 50yrs old or so, not sure if plants can live that long, maybe it was never the actual original that my Grandma had all those years ago? but I like to think it was the original.

Thursday 27 November 2008

Another one ..

Another one. This time using my KwikSew pattern (1018).

Pink powernet and deep pink lace for upper cups and T piece, I ran out of pink elastic and had to use white across the tops of the lace but as I also had to use a white bra-back too I decided this wasn't a disaster! The white straps, however, were too wide and too "white" so I used my last remaining pair of clear bra straps which, while not my favourite, are far more suitable - you can probably only just see them!
I used the last of my pink underwire casing however as I'd run out of underwires, they are empty. (luckily - ? - I don't NEED underwires although I do prefer them lately). Because of this and the softness of the pink powernet I didn't add any padding.

Wednesday 26 November 2008

More lingerie

Ezi Sew 101 is the pattern I used and have done sew many times before as you can see here, I generally enjoy sewing bras but for some strange reason I struggled with this one. Its all turned out fine in the end, though, and I might have another bash tomorrow although I shall have to use my Kwik Sew 1018 as I've used up all my underwires.

Most of my powernet, elastics, and rings and sliders bits and pieces came from English Couture and I see Michelle's website is updated since I last looked, I shall look forward to looking at it a little more closely! The shoulder strapping and possibly the lace, too, came from Pauline on one of her very early trips to UK and is absolutely the last of it which was why I was SEW cross with myself for mixing up my lefts and rights and putting the cups in UPSIDE down!

No.1.son is feeling fine today, thanks, Val! and I'm not feeling too brilliant but nothing I don't already know about and I'm making sure I rest up as I think my feelings of fatigue are more frequent this last day or so, probably because I'm not sleeping as well due to the blasted shoulder! Only another week and a bit and I have all my appointments - not that I'm expecting to be put right, but I'm mostly hopeful!!

Planning to turn the heel and work the gusset and then leave sock.2 OTN as my "hospital project" as I have three appointments in one week and might need something easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy to do without having to think, and the "foot" section will be just perfect.

Tuesday 25 November 2008

One or two creases shy of a perfect box or too!


Well. I think I've nearly creased it.
Sat down this afternoon with several sheets of paper and can at last assemble the wretched boxes but I'm still a little confused with the folding and marking, I expect its me, I'm a bit thick like that with following instructions no matter how straightforward, I think my brain melts when I have to think about lefts and rights, something to do with being seriously geographically challenged.
Still. I may be one or two creases shy OF a perfect box, but I have made two super little boxes out of Christmas cards which I think are rather fun!
If I could stand to do more, I expect I could use up all of my oddments of paper/card and I had to restrain myself from getting excited at the prospect of silver holographic card/box as thats really just too sad even for me!

Sewing wise, I spent a couple of hours making a new bra (and another hour cutting the cups and making major adjustments after I realised I'd inserted them upside down AND left to right but had topstitched and elasticated and inserted underwires by this stage and couldn't be bothered to start over and am short on supplies in "white" meaning as I WANT a white bra, I have to make this one fit! Fortunately it does/will! and no one will be able to tell as .. well no one will be LOOKING, will they?

Knitting wise, this morning I started the heel flap on Jaywalker sock.2 and tonight I may continue with this (unless I go all silly and start creasing that silver holographic card. no. I think I'm over that. for now).

No.1.son is not feeling too well. Announced after dinner he was feeling sick. (this happens a lot. but usually from no.2.son.) he must be feeling unwell as he switched off the PS3 and took himself off to bed before 9pm.
I'm not feeling too great myself! and now, of course, I'm wondering if we've got a bug too! which is all I need. My shoulder has particularly hurt this last two nights and this evening I took a couple of the painkillers and plan another two before bed, just hope no.1.son only FEELS sick and is not actually sick!


Monday 24 November 2008

Little Treasure Boxes

Thanks Val for posting the pics and instructions to make these super little treasure boxes!

I used a piece of cotton fabric some steam-a-seam-2 and plain copier paper to make my first attempt.


I had a little trouble with the folding (geographically challenged as I am it took me ages to work out what I was folding and to where! am still not entirely convinced its folded correctly!)

And either Val fibbed about needing to "cut" off bits that just wouldn't fold anywhere OR I got lost again with the folding of the creases, either way I snipped some triangles and voila! its done! it is a box!


Its a box! with a lid!
(its a wonky box with a lid that has to forced atop and is probably best not to hope to get inside it to retrieve any goodies/treasures, but it IS most certainly a lidded box and I made it all by myself!)

Thanks Val! I must practice a bit more, perhaps, to get it down from 90mins of folding, creasing and snipping to the more productive 10mins ..

Sunday 23 November 2008

Just looking after your KNITTING, mum!

"Just looking at your knitting, Mum!" ... (hmm. silly Mum has left her knitting!)

"Just checking for pattern errors!" (I'll just have a bit of a poke and a claw ..)

"hmm .. seems to be something needs a closer check here" (it might be a MOUSE!?)

"I'll .. just chew a bit on it, just to make sure .." (she'll never know! just one more bite?)


"Me .. ? chewing .. ? no! I was just looking AFTER your knitting, Mum!"
(oh dear! yikes! best I put on best cute-cat expression and she'll forgive me!)


Thanks. I think. To no.2.son
for finding my camera. And sitting patiently taking several shots of Bertie checking my knitting project. For blog purposes, he said ..
Can you tell the weather is poor? They are all bored! and waiting for "mum" to sort out and organise them all ..

Saturday 22 November 2008

Jaywalker sock.1 complete


Finished sock.1 yesterday and sock.2 is OTN's.
Love the yarn! and the colours and patterning!
Jaywalker pattern isn't my most favourite but it suits the yarn nicely, don't you think?
I might not want to rush and cast on for another pair straight off like I did my Monkey's but I'm enjoying knitting this simple pattern and can't wait to wear them!!

Tempted with these for my next project!

(VERY cold today! not planning on doing anything other than sitting down with the central heating on and KNITTING! Later we have to sort out no.1.son's applications for 6th form college.)

Super link for quick project

SEW pleased to see my cyber-sew-pal-Carol has blogged her eyeglass project!
This is an ideal gift to sew as well as being useful around the sewing room.
I have three of these made up to house my rotary cutter and scissors and the family have one each for their sunglasses. Ideal for using oddments of fabric and perfect for adding a bit of embroidery too.
You can see some of my projects here.
Now, go make your own!

(jaywalker sock.1 was completed yesterday, photo to follow)

Thursday 20 November 2008

Knit and Natter (and Jaywalker progress)


The whole point of going into town today was to visit the department store for their hour's "knit'n'natter"; only 5 of us but each doing something different. The ladies kindly agreed to my taking a photo of them for blog purposes!
The group meets twice a week and is ideal for popping in for an hours knittery company and next month we're going upstairs for coffee and mince pie which I hope to make although I have my Hospital appointment that morning too. (plus I'm expecting to be told I can't eat mince pies! bah!!)

I took along my latest sock project and you can see I'm just working the gusset here on sock.1 and the colours are much better in real life but already you can see this is very bright!! You'll certainly see me coming wearing these!

Crafty Purchases

Current edition of Yarn Forward! yayy!! and it looks FAB too!!
Picked this up at WHSmiths on way to knit'n'natter hour at local House of Fraser store, can't wait to read it.
Managed to resist buying a copy of Burda Knits (Verena Knitting Magazine) which I didn't even know existed, but very tempted for a moment or three! I only resisted because much like the sewing mag, its mostly patterns and I like a mix of articles and "reads" as well as patterns in my magazines, but interesting, none the less, to know about it!
I shall try and keep going back to their website to see how it develops though.

Picked up a couple of seasonal card making packs too from WHSmiths at the same time, must start making some Christmas cards soon!!

Non crafty purchases


I saw these and had to have them! (thanks Mooncalf for sharing details!! - and for the better photo's too!!)

Wednesday 19 November 2008

Another *new* magazine!

This is all I need, another *new* magazine.
Remind me to look out for it early Jan.09.
(love love LOVE magazines!)

edit to add:
YIKES its £5.99 an issue! it had better be good!

Tuesday 18 November 2008

Jaywalker sock progress

Not quite as yummy as the Monkey sock pattern, but still a nice knit and the colours in this yarn are super! really bright! and totally NOT me at all! I love it!!

OTN : Jaywalker socks and dishcloth

Another dishcloth, this time on larger needles - 5mm. When I can remember where I found the source for this simple pattern I'll edit and link, this is much better suited to this cotton yarn that my previous first attempt.

I DID print off (and read thoroughly) the marvellous instructions for knitting two socks on 2x circulars and HAD resolved to try this out using this GORGEOUS sock yarn, but then my shoulder twinged. And my stomach ached. And I decided what I really needed was to just sit and not have to THINK!


I'm knitting up the easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy pattern Jaywalker socks which can be found on Ravelry as free download. I started this twice already with different colours before deciding on the green/blues but WISH I'd seen the red! never mind, I'm not starting again just for the leading colour!!

Regia Design Line by Kaffe Fassett, x2 shade 04259/Landscape Fire, 2.25dpns I'm cast on for 76st. The yarn was a bargain with 20% reduction and the colours are brilliant! my feet will draw lots of attention, which probably isn't wise given my feet are terrible!!

Heather and I are both "sad" as we admit to sitting on sofas surrounded by knitting books (and magazines!) and my sadness extends too, to the bedroom! my bedside cabinet is heaving under weight of more books and magazines and I often hear an "ouch! DAMN!" in the night as dh stubs a toe or knocks a shin on my BOXES of mags that sit outside on the landing! I'm not certain how this all started up again! I had, afterall, given up knitting! Anyone else as sad as us?

Monday 17 November 2008

Meme

Heather says:
Grab the nearest book.
Open the book to page 56.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
Don’t dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.

oh dear.
now I reveal myself to be a reader of trashy library books. gulp.

I said, "yes it is," and thought, what a nice woman, then pictured Bernice frolicking around the empty office with Clive, photocopying her bottom and doing unimaginable things with the stapler.

Blast. I knew I should have left it on the library shelf, but I was strangely attracted by the front cover.

Never mind, perhaps I could arrange for Val to spill some more coffee over this post and then no one need ever know?

Still. it was either that or a pile of knitty books which would be more sad as then you'd all think all I did read was knitty books. sigh.

Hold your breath! And Christmas winners announced!

yay! Jan announced her Christmas winner on her blog! and has made it THREE winners too!
Go and check, see if one is you!

AND. can you hold your breath for a few days?
I'm not certain I can!
Come on Val! hurry up with the pictures!!!

Monkey Socks are finished


I finished these lovely socks yesterday and just kept LOOKING at them!!
(the family are used to this. they don't understand it. but they are used to it!)
I love them! I love the pattern! I love the yarn! I love the SOCKS!

I've Rav'd it all here.

Sunday 16 November 2008

Cinema (James Bond)

Well we went to the cinema to see the James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, and generally we enjoyed it although the lads seemed a bit bored with it and we missed the usual "humour" (and the gadgets!). It was okay for a family trip to the cinema, we caught the 4pm showing and it broke up the weekend nicely but none of us would particularly enthuse about the film.

Knit a few more rounds of my sock, another 1.5 repeats of the 11row pattern and I complete the toe and finish. Need to decide about next sock project - shall I try the two socks x 2 circulars?

Starting to feel a strong inclination toward something cabley too! trying to resist temptation to cast on the stashed cocoon as I am still resoved to finish the blasted sideways jackets which in any case is too big a project for my shoulder to handle and so, too, would the cocoon! .. sigh .. everywhere I look there are these cabley things calling to me too .. (maybe I ought to knit when I get up this early? perhaps I'd work my way through all stash and solve all my problems!)

Friday 14 November 2008

Trio of skirts (and library book)

Finished the third of my grey (work) skirts, didn't proceed with the pics as basically in this dim evening light they just looked like a bunch of grey fabric!

Usual pattern, Simplicity 5914, a length somewhere inbetween the two views which I thought would give me a bit of extra warmth in the winter - assuming, of course, I get to return to work IN the winter! Love this pattern! would make this over and over!

New pattern, Burda 8213, view B - LOVE this pattern too! think View A, the longer would be super too and ideal for my height (5'6") but not best suited to this weight and drape of fabric.
Annoyingly I had to take the waistband off and readjust the panels to fit as I lost significant weight/inches inbetween cutting and finishing and I shall have to remember to adjust my pattern for next time! (unless. of course. I get better and put said weight back on!).

Finally, my FAVE all time pattern New Look 6843 - so old now I've lost the instructions and all the tissue paper save the two versions I used a few years ago and a recent one for view C with a bit of added length (to just below the knee as opposed to just above it).
I was pleased to find that I fit back, now, into my former pattern size and before committing to my preferred project fabric I tested it by making another in the grey and this will be good as it gives me a choice now of some 5 skirts to rotate with my 4 jackets, 4 skirts are completely different pattern/shapes and each of the jackets are different pattern/shapes too so that ought to completely fool everyone at work into wondering IF I'm wearing the SAME suit or not every day!!



Lots of weekend reading material! one of the library books I'd reserved arrived at my branch today and I ventured out to collect it!
Today my subscriber's copy of Sewing World magazine arrived (looks a bit basic and uninspiring to me but I've not properly sat down with it and, of course, it has arrived same time as Threads which is far superior, in my opinion, as a sewists read anyway!).
Enjoyed reading the article on Yarn Harlot in current copy of Knitting magazine - hope no one minds me saying it made me fall asleep half way through! BUT I had taken two of my extra strong pain killers an hour earlier! I woke up after the magazine dropped with a clatter to the floor and managed to flick the light switch off BEFORE remembering I was reading an interesting article! blast! WIDE AWAKE! I got back UP and flicked light back on and continued reading ..

(interesting post she wrote here! and I found myself nodding in agreement - thats mee! tooo! and I love that we're all, apparently, knitting in Noro yumminess too!! I LOVE my gloves, they are my FAVOURITE project so far!!).

Knitting the foot, now, on Monkey sock.2 and enjoying this project too.

Tomorrow we're taking the lads to see the new James Bond film, we're hoping the initial rush of excitement is finished and it won't be too busy.

Have a super weekend!