Thursday 12 February 2009




Your Word is "Think"



You see life as an amazing mix of possibilities, ideas, and fascinations.

And sometimes you feel like you don't have enough time to take it all in.



You love learning. Whether you're in school or not, you're probably immersed in several subjects right now.

When you're not learning, you're busy reflecting. You think a lot about the people you know and the things you've experienced.

Saturday 7 February 2009

My first sock on 2xcircs finished

I finished my first sock knitted on 2xcircular needles last night. Rushed it a bit and think I should have knitted another inch before commencing toe - BUT it fits! (just!). I have smallish feet for my height (size 5 - 5.5 UK) and I can always scrunch my toes! (actually I usually scrunch my toes!!!) and as this was largely an exercise to see if I could knit socks this way, well I don't mind.

Not sure, yet, whether I prefer it. To knitting socks with DPN's. I've certainly enjoyed it and will definitely buy a decent set and try it again, perhaps next time on a more exciting pattern, but I do like in a strange way, my DPN's. The biggest bother for me at the moment, is the gap between the two halves which is quite pronounced, I feel, and running right in the centre is quite noticeable. Of course once they've been worn and washed a few times no doubt this will settle. Plus my technique will no doubt improve over time to reduce this.

Anyway, its a result! and I'm pleased to have done this and might look again at the idea of knitting TWO socks at the same time with renewed confidence.

"Martha" is progressing nicely, I've got to the armhole section having decreased successfully and am approaching the final part of the back and its all looking rather good and the yarn is holding out - I did have fears that I'd be short, but I have more confidence now and thus am relaxing and ENJOYING this knit!

I'd like to look for a more challenging cable project next time.



This is the last snow picture, I promise! (hopefully its also the last of the snow - although more is forecast for tomorrow and beg. of next week). Our garden around 9am on Friday after another snowfall overnight and first thing. School was closed, again, and lads were home once more. They were very good and both worked hard to tidy their room and clear all their homework which leaves us with a weekend to relax in.

I've had a development with my ongoing shoulder problem and initial x-ray shows a funny-placed bone and I have to book an appointment on Monday to have a further scan and am hoping that MAYBE I'll be closer to getting an answer to WHY my shoulder is hurting me so much! and more importantly how can I stop the pain!!

My digestive problems continue to grumble and I'm feeling somewhat fed up of it all now. On Monday, also, I shall chase up an appointment with the Hospital to progress this as they must have had all results by now. It seems to take such a long time to get things moving! and meanwhile I'm in pain & discomfort.

Thursday 5 February 2009

The Knitter! issue 2

Picked up issue 2 of The Knitter! (new monthly UK knitty mag for the discerning knitter) last night from Tesco and plan to read this over a cup of coffee after my bowl of porridge and blueberries!
Decided I will take advantage of their new subscriber's offer of 3 issues for £1, direct debit thereafter with saving of 30% cover price - sigh - I knew I would! just a matter of time! got to support these mags, though? don't you think?



Latest photo from our back garden - snow continues too to fall.

snow! more snow!


Well the heavy snowfall that was predicted yesterday did in fact fall! over night and this morning dh woke early to a blanket of snow and left around 5.45am for work.
Took the pics above around 6am ish - this is the most snow we've had for years!

Decided to keep no.2.son home today as I expected them to close school although it wasn't officially on the list of confirmed closures, the neighbouring borough had a blanket closure and most of the local schools and college were also individually closed. No.1.son insisted, however, on attending (which I think is actually very good of him and I did tell him this!) as he had an important project to hand in for his GCSE's but I was cross with him for heading out WITHOUT A COAT! (for some reason teenagers seem to think is most uncool to wear a coat! or a jumper! they head off in freezing or wet conditions wearing just short sleeved shirt and blazer!).
Anyway, he arrived back home 5mins ago covered in snow and shivering with a red nose and blue fingers having got 3parts of the way TO school trudging through snow to be told by a pile of homeward bound school pals that school IS closed!

I know some overseas folk must think we're slightly weird for how our country just closes down and everyone stays home with a bit of snow, but I'm quite glad the lads are home today! and I'm very pleased that I went for my X-ray yesterday AND that we did the grocery shopping and filled up with petrol last night too. DH also can't understand why we all grind to a halt, and he headed off around 5.45am for work and I expect he'll stay until the evening too. Some might say he's a little foolish (including me!) but as he said, it IS, afterall, just a bit of SNOW!

We're to run out of grit too, apparently, and the roads are hit and miss with more heavy snow predicted in our region today and tomorrow, it could be a long weekend!

Wednesday 4 February 2009

Shoulder update and snow report

A little more snow fell overnight but all local schools were open today (to the lads' disgust!) They left early, rather reluctantly, with somewhat treacherous conditions underfoot and have arrived home this afternoon with the news that school MAY be closed tomorrow and Friday IF the promised heavy snow does in fact fall.

At the moment its quite sunny and is beginning to melt in a lot of places and our road is now quite clear but it could all change.

This morning I decided to head for local hospital for my X-ray on shoulder while the weather isn't too bad - mine was just a walk in arrangement with a letter from GP advising I could pop in at my convenience. Slightly worried they'd be busy I took my plain sock on 2xcircs and only had change to knit 1.5rounds before I was whisked in and several mins later was heading back for home! thats got to be the quickest I've ever been in and out of a hospital.

Seduction Sock no.1. is finished


Finished the first sock yesterday and despite my fears it wouldn't fit - it does! the yarn is strange, but it does stretch and recovers well too.
Love this pattern - easy peasy! went a bit wrong a few times and forgot to change pattern from leg to foot but you'd not notice and I'm planning on casting on 2nd sock soon!
You can still download the set of sock patterns here.

Tuesday 3 February 2009

Fun in the Snow!


Bertie couldn't understand what all the fuss was about - the lads decided today that perhaps they weren't, afterall, too old for fun in the snow and ventured out into the garden for snowball fights. He preferred to sit on the shelf over radiator and watch ..


No.1.son gathered up a huge mound of snow with which to hurl at his brother (IF he can find him!)

However. No.2.son is sneaking up behind him with his own snowball and aims to get there first!


The satisfied smile of getting there first and dunking huge amounts of snow down his brother's neck is evident!


Finally Bertie can't resist and decides to go out to see what is going on!

It wasn't long before they were all back inside, mind!
Snow really is only fully appreciate by the under-tens I feel!

Hope everyone is having fun with the snow and not suffering too badly from it - keep warm and keep upright/safe!

Monday 2 February 2009

Knitting progress

Quick update on knitting progress:

Seduction Sock on DPN's progressing nicely to the foot section, minor hiccup when I failed to switch from "leg" pattern to "foot" pattern but I think I fudged it okay! and besides, WHO will be looking that closely at my feet?

Plain Sock on 2XCircs also progressing well with foot section approaching the toe decrease but this is on hold now as I have 1 hospital and 2 surgery appts this week and its a handy project for the waiting rooms.

"Martha" is going really well! I'm 2cm's shy of the armhole decreasing section on the back and the cable pattern is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy and knitting up nicely! Of course its not terribly obvious in the shade I'm knitting, but never mind - it will be a useful garment at least!

SNOW!!

We woke this morning to SNOW! proper snow! real snow!


Great excitement from the cats, Lilly above skipping about playfully IN the snow, and Bertie below, tucked safely behind the curtains inside looking at his sister and probably wondering WHY on earth she was skipping about


Time was, of course, when the lads would be eager to get outside and skip about in the snow, but these days they just want to listen to the radio to find out if they have a snow day and is their school closed!


Well it wasn't, initially, on the list of local school closures so I packed them off to school this am and settled down for a nice peaceful day! By midday, however, school had decided to close and send home all pupils due to the dangerously slippery conditions underfoot.

Having already had a huge row with no.1.son about his refusal to wear a coat, I wasn't unhappy at them being sent home before more of the promised snow falls this afternoon!

Hopefully dh arrived at his place of work safely and hopefully he'll be sensible and leave in good time to return.

I ventured out to drop my repeat prescription in and pick up some fresh fruit from the local supermarket and the weather is certainly colder today than its been for a long time! Plenty of snow underfoot it wasn't too bad walking, but I can see that as it freezes over night tomorrow and the next few days will be rather tricky.