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!

Thursday 13 November 2008

Back at the sewing machine

Yesterday I returned to my sewing machine and managed to find some energy and enthusiasm to finish my two grey skirts (for work) that I started a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I appear to have lost weight (did I SAY that!?) well its unfortunate in the sense that the skirts are hanging off me and I've had to adjust the fit which was a nuisance mostly because I dislike and avoid alterations at all costs and its annoying to have to alter a brand new garment - bah!
HAPPILY, however, it prompted me to try on a lovely denim skirt made years ago in a super purple colour where I'd reversed the lower hemmed patch and embroidered in toning purple thread a sort of "design" which I've not been able to get into for years and it FITS! hurrah!
Actually what this REALLY means is that if I can fit into IT I can fit into the PATTERN and to prove it I made up another "work" skirt which means I've found a pattern that FITS that matches the yardage I've got of the super faux suede I mentioned ages ago (also in purple! which should be trendy as its the "in" colour).

Possibly the time spent at sewing machine and on ironing/pressing has aggravated my shoulder? anyway I'm up - again - sigh with it feeling like a firework has gone off in my shoulder radiating down to elbow AND my stomach aches but I feel .. enthused! I daren't switch the machines ON at this early hour, it would surely wake the cats if not the husband!

Turned the heel and worked the gusset yesterday on sock.2, hope to crack on today with it further! the library tells me another book I've reserved has arrived! and I've picked up a copy of Knitting mag and my sub. copy of Threads have arrived, "today" I shall sit and relax and READ I think while I wait for my body to behave itself and return to normal!

(couple of patterns in Knitting mag that look quite nice and I've yarn in stash for, but I'm trying not to get sidetracked into more "new" projects at the moment)

Tesco had the copy of Sew Hip magazine on its shelves too! I had a quick look at it but didn't buy a copy (maybe I ought to?) it was a little too "crafty" and aimed at the more novice for my taste - I turned down a mag purchase opportunity??! but it certainly looked good and interesting from the quick glance through it! I shall, however, make a point of buying the next edition of Yarn Forward, I REALLY like this mag! (what I appreciated the most was the pattern's suggestions of yarn alternatives! I know I should work this out for myself, but I like to be TOLD what else might work as a substitute!).

Monday 10 November 2008

The Gloves are on!


Hurrah the gloves are finished!
I've Ravelled it too and am resolved to add new projects as and when I go as its a nightmare trying to do it retrospectively and have given up on some things! Pics too have been updated to Flickr which I'm also resolved to doing in timely fashion in future.

A nice quick knit perfectly suited to evening (or afternoon. come to think of it, morning too!) sat with the family watching tv type of project and I would knit these again but perhaps in a more stable yarn as I found the typically Noro-y thick/thin lumpy bits then skinny bits a bit annoying particularly as two or three assorted fingers over the pair of gloves have large lumpy bits making me look like I've got sausages for fingers! The fingers are slightly longer than I need for my hands but I stuck with the pattern and will amend for further gloves.

I fancy Design 30 from my Noro Designer Mini Knits book next, as they are proper fingerless gloves but need to check in stash for suitable yarn as I'm not buying ANYTHING thats not absolutely essential due to now being down to basic sick-pay only and at this side of Christmas I can't rush off to buy yumminess at the drop of a hat no MATTER how much I fancy Design 2. I'm not a hat person, generally, but with the weather turning cold just lately I've started thinking perhaps a hat for out walking would be good.

You can see extracts of the designs here, and I quite fancy the mittens too - have noticed, generally, across a lot of knitty-blogs that mittens are terribly popular at the moment - perhaps I'll have a go?

Anyway, this is a super book and I would recommend it and the yarn is nice and suitably yummy enough to justify the total expense of the some £23 I couldn't really afford but just HAD to spend and its given me something to think about other than my blasted shoulder and gallbladder!

Sunday 9 November 2008

Back on track and general domestics

I'm back on track with the gloves and still hopeful I'll stretch the remaining yarn to complete it, my fingerless gloves in same yarn are just so WARM I think it will be worth the hope I can finish them!

Generally a busy day yesterday, our no.1.son is in his final year at secondary school and we spent the day between two 6th form colleges for their open days - a bit tedious but apparently is essential nowadays. In my day you just left and got a job! I left school 3months shy of 16 and was packed off to a stable yard as a "working pupil" (which meant I worked damned hard - usually 7am to 7pm 7days a week for 3 weeks with 1 weekend off in 4 only in 6months I only ACTUALLY achieved 1 weekend off! My LateMother and StepFather "fetched" me home shortly after! it certainly put me off and I was never so glad to be stuck in a boring office thereafter! at least it had closing times!!) along with 4 others where we "worked" in the yard in return for the tutoring in horse management and qual. in teaching riding. Great fun - at the time! marvellous to be away from home and learned all sorts of things, mostly to do with getting into pubs and drinking, mind! and I didn't actually GET to a college until I was about 22yrs!

Anyway, no.1.son wants to join the RAF and he's being as stubborn about it as I was about my choices with my parents at the same age, and, determined not to make the same mistakes as my LateMum, I've been persuaded to go along with him and find out a bit more!

We've narrowed his choice down to two colleges and he's sort of got an idea of what he wants to study too! DH got quite carried away and enthusiastic with one history teacher and we left them to it in the end and I think he nearly signed HIMSELF up for the course! I suggested to him that he look at going to nightschool himself if that interested! why not? he won't, of course! at 63yr he thinks he's too old!

Returned home to find that no.2.son 13yrs had really made HIS mind up that he was not going to local firework display and poor dh tried hard to be all threatening and insist he DID come but in the end I agreed he was old enough to make his own mind up and HE stayed home (to watch X-factor!) and we went out and got soaking wet and watched a few fireworks before retiring to the clubhouse for a few drinks and keep dry!

Thursday 6 November 2008

Frog the gloves and update

Well I've spent ages on Ravelry updating my pages and stash and am resolved to putting my projects up BEFORE I start them. I really should try harder! I'm certain I've missed some socks and stuff off but I've lost the will to continue due to pain in shoulder and stomach AND knee.

Unfortunately I knit loads last night to try and ignore the pain and realised this morning that I'd in fact knit a 2nd left hand glove! frogged back to the point at which I start the thumb and have decided to proceed even though I've got doubts about the yarn. Careful weighing of the left overs from project 1 in same yarn, diff. colourway indicates I could just do it if I don't mind two muddy brown fingers ..

Wishing now I'd not been a total ninny and selected the lower end of the painkillers on offer by my GP and gone, instead, for the upper end. Daren't phone and request a change, for fear of being struck off - I've been practically living in the Dr's this past month even I would ban me!

Wednesday 5 November 2008

First glove finished (2nd cast on)


Seriously concerned am not going to have enough yarn to complete the 2nd glove and not sure what to do as its quite a unique yarn (and rather expensive!) in the event I'm a finger or two short!
Regardless I am pressing on and will see how it looks after I start the fingers.
Not sewn it up, yet, but perhaps I could afford to lose a bit off each finger however am reluctant to unpick and reknit.
You can just make out the pretty picot edge that will be more obvious after I've sewn the hem edge to inside.
SUPER quick fun project, enough to keep you on your toes with keeping check of where you are, but not too taxing that can't keep up with Coronation Street!

Slightly more promising on the pain front! didn't, in fact, need to frighten the GP, he wrote a prescription for strong painkillers, booked me in to local Hospital AND had a quick feel of my knee which he insists is NOT arthritic but agrees is rather clicky! Hopefully my shoulder will be sorted with the Physio next month and now, apparently, I have to get my gallstones sorted!

Tonight we have no.1.son's parents evening at School and apparently they are to have their OFSTED inspection soon and are invited to comment, anonymously if we like. I have and I don't expect any notice to be taken, but I feel better for saying it.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

Design 27 : gloves

Design 27, gloves, from the Noro mini knits book using the 2nd of my recently purchased Noro Secret Garden Lite, shade 2013 which unfortunately is predominantly brown like the previous fingerless mittens. sigh .. (you can see a pic of the "short gloves" right at the bottom of this page).
Cast on last night after a particularly unsatisfactory Hospital appointment and reflects what I think to all the Dr's I've seen SEW far.

Monday 3 November 2008

Noro fingerless mittens

Monkey sock.2 is progressing nicely, about to start the heel flap and once complete I can start to think about the next project. Still thinking of knitting on two circulars and having read the lovely Terry Ross's free tutorial on two pairs of socks on two circulars I'm feeling inspired to have a go!



Here I am sporting my new pair of Noro fingerless mittens from the YUMMY mini knits book purchased recently! Do you see what I mean about the colours? it does rather look as though am randomly wearing an odd/mismatched pair! never mind, they are nice enough and a very QUICK project. easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!

Sunday 2 November 2008

Naughty cat and what happens to knitty stuff left lying about

If you've got a naughty cat then you know this sort of thing happens:
Finally got up after a grand total of zero hours of sleep after I gave in and tried to sleep this morning around the 5am mark and sat down with a bowl of porridge and tried to think positively about the painful shoulder.
BERTIE (who was cross with me for disturbing his sleep last night and always finds a way to get his revenge) decided to pounce! first on my remaining skein of Noro and attack it with teeth and claws and then, quick as a flash, he'd seized my fingerless glove and was attempting to kill it, toss & catch it AND bury it at all the same time.

I suppose you're wondering why I reached for the camera instead of the glove?
Would YOU approach those teeth and claws to retrieve a catch?
Besides, I need the evidence! my no.1.son who officially "owns" Bertie does not believe me that HIS cat is a naughty boy!
Besides. I've discovered with Bertie that the BEST approach is to let him have his prize for a few mins before removing and under NO circumstances to shriek hysterically or display any sign of hysteria about the attacked article due to fact that Bertie remembers this and returns again and again and attempts to increase the hysteria.
It took me months of missing pincushions, trailing "small samples" and reels of threads and lengths of ribbon/elastics about my sewing room before I realised it was in my better interests to NOT insist Bertie be permanently banned from entering.
Now that he's officially allowed in and has his own "pincushion" he behaves himself (mostly!) and apart from last week when a funny squeaky noise alerted me to some excitement happening in my sewing room and I discovered Bertie had flicked off the caps from top of overlocking threads and was trying to bury them in his "stash corner" which is rather trickily hidden around the bend of a set of wheeled drawers, he has generally been quite well behaved. (or at least when I've been present).

Anybody got any crafty-minded cat tips for me to try and attempt to restrain Bertie from playing with my crafty stuff?

Noro Mini Knit - book, knit & day out

Being as its been half term this week and the lads have had a quiet (and boring, quite possibly) week due mainly to my not being inclined to do much other than drape about the place all chronically fatigued and alternately snarling with pain from shoulder with my three ailments AND the fact that dh was busy at work and unable to take time off we, or rather I, decided upon a "day out" today! and lunch!
In typical fashion we spent the entire morning travelling by car to somewhere that ended up not being quite as good as it promised, passing several super looking country pubs on the way that ended up either not being open, not serving food at 4pm OR dh missed the turning opportunity and drove straight past. Lads were not keen to go out and had to persuaded, I mean forced, and dh wasn't much keener either. Come to think of it! I wasn't that keen on the idea (too many grand days out along similar lines!) BUT I had a fancy to visit this patchwork shop that I'd read a review in this months Patchwork & Quilting magazine.
(one of the perks of doing a magazine swap with cyber pals is that you need to buy mags in order to swap out! and of course one HAS to first read the mag to ensure its suitability - cough! this will go out next week when I've finished it I mean when I've got the time to find a post office within walking distance. BLAST! I didn't realise I'd miss my local PO until it really did close down!)
ANYWAY. the article read like it was a shop worth visiting and I managed to persuade dh that it was worth the drive and promised him a nice lunch at the same time and hinted that the lads could have what ever they wanted (as long as it cost under a tenner!)
Unfortunately I cannot upload the photo of me stood outside the shop!
Neither can I upload the photos dh took of the super steam trains at the nearby station where we ended up parking and walking into the town as I apparently have made a mess of transferring the pics from my camera to the pc and being as my routine is to immediately delete pics from the camera this means I'm going to be in trouble tomorrow when dh finds out! gulp!
Anyway, the shop was a lot smaller than I thought it would be but it was nice enough inside and I spent rather too much time looking at the yarn and beading stuff and didn't have time to fully appreciate the patchwork section (which looked far less than my local quilty shop anyway) before I had three noses pressed up at the window and several gestures through the window suggesting that the family were tired, bored and freezing cold and I was to come OUT!

HERE'S WHAT I BOUGHT:



I've wanted to buy this book ever since I saw a review of it and I've also wanted to knit with some Noro yarn too and a quick flick through seemed to indicate several promising projects!
It cost me £7.50 and I put it back on the shelf twice thinking I could buy a ball of Noro yarn instead and find a pattern! but decided that I was worth the cost even though I'm not, apparently, earning any salary due to being "sick" since before beg. of October ..
(I am SEW going to frighten my GP on Wed if he doesn't DO something to make me better and it had BETTER involve strong tablets that ensure I get a night's sleep too!)

Sadly you can't see the yumminess of the yarn above to appreciate quite why I decided to buy it! Noro Silk Garden Lite, shade 2011, £7.95 as I can't access the pic I took BEFORE I knit it! but you can see from the single fingerless glove next to it the yummy autumn colours that it originally was? But its the 2nd one down here. (doesn't it look yummy? wouldn't you have been tempted?)

And this is the 2nd ball I purchased, shade 2013.


I plan to knit Design 30 on page 47 for the 2nd ball, and really wanted to buy the Noro Cashmere Island for Design 8, page 14, but the shop didn't stock this type hence purchasing two of the same yarn! I hadn't realised how it would knit up - although, I suppose, the clue IS on page 48 where the model is apparently wearing two different colourways of fingerless gloves. (I thought she WAS wearing two different colourways!) It looks like the 2nd of my short ribbed fingerless gloves, below, is going to be shades of muddy brown! (bah!). Never mind, the yarn is rather super even if its going to be a rather odd pair of gloves.


A quick knit! I cast on as soon as we got back! (are you impressed? bet you thought I'd stash it all!) (at this amount I couldn't afford to NOT immediately cast on, being as dh managed to find my pay slip that he thought was a "mistake" due to not much money being inserted into the net pay box this week. I think I got a bit of tax back and they probably had a whip round to round it up to whole pounds .. its not cheap being "sick" not to mention being somewhat PAINFUL!)

I should, I suppose, cast on for 2nd glove. However I'm not sure my shoulder would appreciate further stress of movement, its protesting slightly at the typing as it is so I shall leave that as a project for tomorrow as I can't see me being fit for much other than more chronically fatigued sitting on my chair enjoying yummy YARN!).

LUNCH, btw, ended up being dinner at the local!
We didn't, true to form, find anywhere to eat on the way home and as one of my son's pointed out we could have saved ourselves a lot of money and time wasted by staying home and popping out to the local AT lunch time. I tried saying at least we all got a bit of fresh air and stretched our legs and enjoyed a town we'd not visited, but they'd all scattered and started up various PS2's and tv's by then.