Happy Birthdays and winter knitting projects

Well no.2.son had his birthday at the end of July and we enjoyed a lovely meal out in town after an afternoon in the new library and cake and coffee in nearby Brindley Place.  It was my birthday this week and we had another meal to celebrate so thats all our family occasions finished with now!  next one is dh in January!!

I have my knitting projects for the winter all sorted, the yarns are sitting nicely in carrier bags and I just need to sort needles, prepare project pages on Ravelry and get started!  In the meantime I am working on my truesilk cardigan as I've let my knitting slip a bit this summer I'm getting behind.  I have knitted the heel flap on sock.2 of no.2.son's pair and finished the leg on mine (or it might be the other way around!  in other words I'm progressing if a little slowly).

We are looking forward to a holiday soon, we are going by ourselves and it will be the first time since we've had the children that this has happened so it should be an experience.  DH keeps trying to persuade no.1.son to come out with us, but he is being sensible and saving his money;  he will need it - he plans to return to Uni to take his Masters. 

The weather has been lovely lately and I have spent many hours outside catching the sun, what with my side effect from meds as being sensitive to sunlight I've managed to get a TAN!  at last!  I'm now not "white" like I normally am - people keep commenting on it and asking if I've been away yet.

No.2.son and I are watching Great British Bake Off and enjoying it and the whole family are watching Fringe from the beginning from a box set we bought no.1.son last Christmas - we've watched it but our no.2.son hadn't and we are all enjoying it and hoping to finish before they all scatter to return to uni!

Today I am going out on a grand day out with my knit-night pals - we are visiting a couple of local yarn shops and then having a celebratory meal for the occasion of our "anniversary" of getting together and becoming friends.  I love my weekly knit nights - its so nice to have non-football conversations!

We will find it strange this year.  no.1.son returns to Colchester Uni and no.2.son is moving out to a house share nearer to his Uni so it will be just the two of us (plus the cats of course!) - should be cheaper too!!  no more biscuits, crisps and pop!!

I will try and take some photographs of my winter knitting projects and upload them to ravelry and blog them as I progress in the coming weeks.

no.1.son's graduation - congratulations and a proud mum!

A very proud moment as we saw our no.1.son collect his degree and enjoy the ceremony marking his Graduation - the weather was fantastic almost too hot especially for Andrew wearing a heavy gown and cap!
We went down the night before and enjoyed a meal in a local hotel and had to be up early as our son had to collect tickets and gown by 9.30am and the ceremony was the first one of the day at 10.00am.
I don't know why the photo's of myself and my husband have turned sideways - apologies for that! I tried to fix it but somehow they insist on coming out anyway!!
It was a long day and very tiring with the 4hr drive home and we ended the night with a curry at the local Indian restaurant and I was up and in work the next day so I plan an easy week to recover!

Our son has had the good news that he has been accepted to return to Uni and take his Masters which we are also proud for and he is currently enjoying the summer off studying at home in readiness for the next year of hard work.
Not forgetting no.2.son of course - he came with us and it was good to see how the day went in preparation for his graduation - there is an awful lot of standing around and queuing to be done so comfy shoes next time!!

Staying Positive

The lovely Windsor is coming along nicely and I've reached the point where I'm finishing the left front side and as its only got short sleeves I can feel it finishing very nearly soon!
Today I am starting a diet in readiness for the summer holiday and I am determined to keep positive thoughts and feelings in order to stick to the diet and enjoy my knitting.
I've been feeling in a very low mood recently and this is the first time that I've started to feel more motivated and I hope to channel this to good use - if anyone has any tips on how to stay positive and be more productive please do comment!!

We are nervously awaiting our no.1.son's final exam result and also looking forward to his graduation next month - we can hardly believe he's been away for three years it feels like only last week when we took him for the first time!  he's grown up so much since then and has turned into a lovely young man (well I would say that wouldn't I? but so too do other people so its not just that I'm biased).
No.2.son has his final exam of his first year this week and we are anxiously waiting to hear how he has done as his first year draws to a close.

On the work front I've had my hours cut by nearly half and its going to be a struggle but I expect we'll manage we usually do and of course one never knows whats around the corner - right?

Knitting Update

It has been a while since I blogged my knitting progress but there has been SOME knitting in between lots of sitting outside enjoying lovely G&T's in the sunny weather.
My main project at the moment is Windsor - a lovely short sleeved top that is coming along nicely but I have too many other projects on the go to feel completely satisfied with my knitting progress.

When talking to a knit-pal recently we identified a common problem we have with feeling "stress" from having so much on the go and on the needles in particular and I'm sure that there are lots of heads nodding too!  With this in mind I am going to try really hard to stick to just one project and get it done and I have done a really brave thing - pulled OFF the needles several items - phew! - I feel loads better not having them sat there "looking at me".  I don't want to feel stress or guilt about my projects so am working hard at resolving this.
if anyone has any tips please do share!

Holiday to Sydney Australia pics

Knitting update

Since getting my ipad at Christmas I have enjoyed the ease of taking photographs and uploading them straight to Ravelry and FaceBook, but I have it packed away now in readiness for our big adventure!
First on the needles is the lovely "Edith" which you can see here.    And here is "Underwater Garden Shawl" which is here.   And nicely finished is my second "Adore"  which you can see here. 

As well as being mad on hats I am now officially mad on scarves and shawls!
My socks are coming along nicely I just have to knit half of a second sock and cast on for another sock.2 and I'm done.
My cardigan, Peridot, is coming along - I've almost knit the back but its slow going as I'm easily distracted but I plan to get cracking on it shortly.

More news and photographs to follow .. ..

Weekend roundups

Thi

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Teaching the Mayor the basics of knitting ..  

I also knitted a second Adore scarf a pattern of Kim Hargreaves in kidsilkhaze my other knitting is coming along slowly for some reason.  As well as knitting, thus weekend we fetched our son home from uni digs, nice to have him home even if it does mean football on the TV! X

Me wearing fayer

Me wearing Fayer - lovely and warm all I need now is the snow!?  Or perhaps not!?

Fayer - alpaca cotton

Fayer knitted in Rowan alpaca cotton - lovely and warm!  I have updated my ravelry project page but still not worked out how to include a link on my new iPad - another lesson from tech minded brother I think!
It snowed this morning and looked like it was settling but as quick as it came it also went, pity I could snuggle up in my new warm jumper!

Peridot goes on the needles

I started Peridot in Rowan Truesilk last night, it's knitting up nicely but feels funny after using 6mm needles for my last jumper, Fayer, which is done and sewn up and worn even!  I will take a photo of it today and share later on!
After thinking this winter we'd get away with no snow what did we get up to this morning? - SNOW!
Hopefully it won't stick it's slowing up already.

Plane knitting - my sock

Well so much for my plane knitting!  I cast on yesterday and knitted the leg!  It's lovely yarn to knit and the colours are fabulous, this will look lovely with jeans don't you think?
I shall have to find another project I think.
Fayer is coming along I have just the neck to kin and then sew it up, I will post picture when it's finished.

Yarnie purchases

Some purchases I made, two balls of Wendy Roam half price and some lovely Rowan Truesilk for a cardigan.

Plane knitting

Some plain knitting for plane knitting on trip to Australia - socks for which ever son claims them, I bought three balls of this in half price sale last year and have knitted one grey pair already.
I can't work out how to link to my ravelry projects page on the iPad - have to ask my brother next time he is over!  I am just so pleased I can take a photo and upload to ravelry, FB and here.

Sunday afternoon knitting ..

My project, Fayer, is coming along nicely and I am knitting my second sleeve with just the making up and finishing to do next.   I have two projects on the go - a second sock and a scarf - and plans for another garment.  Our holiday plans to Australia are progressing nicely with a comprehensive list of things to do and see, I am sure everyone is right and it won't be long enough!  We are all super excited though!

On the knitting front I am trying hard to knit from stash and be more organised - I realise that much as I enjoy my knitting it can at the same time cause me to feel stressed (especially because as a process knitter I keep getting side tracked by all the new things to try!)
I had a mad spell and signed for three more half priced Craftsy classes including a finishing class and an improve your knitting and I enjoy all three and wish I had more time!
Time management is not my strong point!

This months "Knitter" magazine came yesterday and I am tempted yet more patterns!

Noro sock

I finished my first noro sock, the colours are lovely and I have plenty left for second sock.
My Fayer is knitting up nicely, I finished the front and started first sleeve over the weekend.

A New Year

A very happy New Year to everyone!  The start of a new year always promises to be a time to take stock of the old and plans for the new and I usually have lots of resolutions most of which fizzle out by February!! 
Last year I resolved to be more organised with my knitting and I am happy to say that overall I'm pleased with my resolve, managing to stick to it for MOST of the year.  The biggest change I made was being more organised with my knitting planning and writing out and marking progress in a notebook each project meant that when I put down a project, and then picked it up I could track my position - this has always been a problem for me.  In the first instance I am very VERY prone to casting on and starting squillions of new things and I "promise" myself that I will return to a current project just once I have the new one started - and yes! you guessed right!  it just ends up all lost and abandoned sitting in the corner.  well.  now they all sit neatly in a bag (I have lots of bags! I have LOTS of projects OTN's so much so that this year I've had to buy extra needles - how bad is that?)

ANYWAY.  This year I am resolved to

1. Finish what I start!
2. Only start one project at a time and not attempt two of the same eg garments
3. Continue to use the notebook and update Ravelry pages
4. Knit more garments this year

Outside of crafty resolutions is the usual and inevitable "I will lose weight/diet" and "I will read more" sigh .. I wish I could be one of those people that grabs it with both hands and attacks with gusto but I know its only a matter of weeks before I'm tucking into cake and flinging the kindle aside in favour of the ipad !

I wish everyone a Happy New Year and good luck with all resolutions and look forward to sharing them with you! x