socks! are done!!

My 3rd pair of socks are done! Using Trekking XXL yarn, I'm only knitting a very basic pattern and determined to knit a few to get to grips with sock knitting on DPN's I'm now scouring the net in search of yummy sock patterns a bit more adventurous!!

My sideways wrap cardigan is coming along very well and the knitting is a real pleasure (so far!).

Today I managed to track a source of "boiled wool" fabric! hurrah! samples and prices are on their way to me and I plan to make up some jackets.

Last remaining days before start of new term in September for the lads, we plan a day out, possibly to the local garden show held annually this weekend, Sunday probably! (secretly I'm hoping for a craft hut there like I seem to remember there being from years ago!!).

New Look sewing patterns are reduced until Mid September and I've had my eye on a couple but need to sort out my plans which WILL include sensible sewing for a new wardrobe!

oops! I seem to have gone all varigated, like my yarn!

A Bank Holiday family get together

We all got together on the Bank Holiday Monday at my SIL's family home catching up with my 2nd SIL and her family who travelled down for a few days stay.
We enjoyed a tour of their newest venture which is a luxury styled log cabin accommodation aimed at the fishing and country type folk - tremendously posh! together with a popular restaurant all set in their lovely land.
We bbq'd in the early evening, sat outside in their garden playing with Eddie their new 7month old puppy! a big pawed bouncy bundle of Rottie fun! He is to be their "guard dog" and we expect he'll be a bit more fierce next time we visit when, no doubt, he'll have grown up!!! Matt enjoyed flinging toys for him to fetch and generally tired himself and Eddie out, while we sat and drank wine in the sunshine!
Lovely to catch up with the children too, although now "young men" and of course the grown up ones too! Nice to see Claire "home" after her terrible accident albeit sad to see her in a wheelchair, she has certainly been through an ordeal.

OTN: the sideways jacket!

OTN's as of this weekend IS the sideways jacket kit! Decided this will be lovely for the autumn and the wool is fabulous to knit with, I've not done much but its looking LOVELY and the colours are yummy too!
I'll post a picture when it looks a little more interesting!
about to go OTN's is the front band to be picked up and knitted to finish the Patons flower garden cardigan, should be able to wear that a little before the weather "turns"!
I'll post a picture when its finished!
Nearly finished is the sock! I have three balls of yarn sat in waiting! which to choose!? and shall I try another pattern? I've been warned that my Jitterbug may not stretch to a pair of full sized socks therefore I might try a lovely picot edged trainer sock and aim for that for the yummy scrummy Jitterbug yarn!
A couple of people have hinted about my making socks for them! I've managed to avoid a commitment! I don't generally sew (and definitely don't knit!) for others these days. I knitted a couple of scarves in funky eyelash yarn for my SIL-ONLOAN (if they were to marry she'd BE my sil!) but thats about it!
Waiting now for some library books to come in to my branch, mostly knitting books!

Day Trip out

On Saturday we had a day trip out to Curborough Antiques and Craft Centre which was a lovely drive out even though it was not easy to find and we had to stop at nearby garden centre for directions (the signposting is appalling!).

Of course I couldn't resist buying some sock yarn from The Knitting Corner! and Andrew picked up an old tennis racquet too! for £3.00. We had tea and cake in "Mabels Tea Room" and icecream from the farm shop to finish the trip before finding a lovely pub in nearby Lichfield. The weather was great! and surprisingly all the family enjoyed our day out!!

Its the Bank Holiday weekend and I am off work, hence the trips! and today we are having a bbq in the garden (Sunday) and tomorrow we're off to visit my SIL and her family together with my other SIL who is travelling down from Newcastle. We're planning to have lunch out, possibly at their restaurant, which we've not been to so far!

Last week or so of the school holidays, all the usual tasks like school uniforms and shoes are done! just enjoying the last of the summer mostly in the garden! My second sock is nearly complete and the Patons Flower Garden cardi only requires the front band knitting and THEN I shall choose my NEXT PROJECT!!

In Memory of: My Mum, Wendy

In memory of my Mum, Wendy, who died on this day just 4yrs ago on her 62nd birthday of cancer and whom I miss, still, most dreadfully: A collection of photo's from old albums

Knitting : projects progress and the show!

This is the book I forgot to upload before purchased on our wrong day out, I mean grand day out. Its quite nice and its a nice "read" but nothing in it inspires me to rush out and buy 47 different colours just to try it and prove that colour can be fun!

My Patons secret garden project is coming along nicely, now that I've written out the shaping for the fronts, its been a doddle to knit up, and the left front was knitted over the weekend and I'm just in the final stages of armhole shaping on the right front and have the ribbed section done on the first of the sleeves too.

Next I need to start thinking about what to work on - shall it be the wool sideways jacket? or shall it be the DB pure silk cardigan? (OR will it be something NEW from the latest Rowan collection) (OR will it be something completely NEW from the latest knitting and stitch show and exhibition at the NEC next month!?)

My long time sewing-pal (and now knitting-pal too as we've both "refound knitting" big time at the same time!) Ann and her daughter, Elizabeth, are also planning to go and as yet we're undecided to the day but as I'm only working on the Friday, it leaves thurs/sat/sun free.

I like going to the shows and my knitting pal, Sally, who is our local Rowan Consultant and therefore a "colleauge" too has suggested that next year we look further afield to go out to shows and exhibitions outside of our locality! We've decided we'll go together and will look forward to planning some rather more adventurous ones than just the NEC!

My (late) Mother had two sewing friends she made who lived locally and turned out to be two of Gill Arnold's students who would regularly travel together to attend classes and workshops on a variety of sewing and related needlecrafts without turning a hair! mind. its easier when you don't have a family to moan and groan at you! not that mine would. necessarily. in fact they'd probably be PLEASED I was out from under their feet and stopping them from doing "boys" things like watching sport on tv! All this will CHANGE from September! from SEPTEMBER I will be changing my working schedule to free up 3 out of every 4 weekends and work week DAYS instead! This ought to improve our "family life" by giving us free time together when we're all at home together at the same time!
it WILL mean, however, that 3 days a week we'll be eating later and we'll have to hope the lads get on top of their homework in a timely fashion or we'll all be up till midnight!

The Wrong Day Out!

oh dear. I think I've uploaded the wrong day out pictures of me! I'm certain I was wearing a pink skirt and blue bamboo top! the photo manager seems to have given up the will to live and is refusing to co-operate - perhaps later on when its recovered I'll have another go at editing the post.
Its just the ones with me wearing the brown skirt that are incorrect for this occasion, the others are the right ones.
(they all the same after a while, photos! we've got 2 folders of summer holiday ones which look identical on account of we went to the same Spanish destination two years running!! and its the same with the Christmas ones too - opening presents with the children).