Thursday 24 January 2008

Parcel for Maryannlucy......

from Lulu

LOOK!!!! My favourites. They remain unopened, for now!



A lovely card, and a book that I think is probably very cute, but DD has run off with it. I also got some little arabian cushions that smell of cloves. They are buried in the knitting basket to protect my Noro from the moths, making things smell luverly :)

And now for the important part of the parcel: the knitted bits for Christophers Angels. Hasn't she done a great job - I am sorry that these photos are crappy, but we haven't had any natural light for about 4 months, so these were taken in the kitchen at 6.30pm under the light of the cooker hood filter - go David Bailey!

I love this cardigan, and the bootees are so cute.

These are baby pink. I took 3 photos, with flash, without flash, hanging from the ceiling, and still got a crappy shot! Sorry Lulu!


And I love these, they are so fab....

Sorry again Lulu for the crappy photos :( One day we will have sunshine and warmth here, one day!
Check out her blog to see MUCH better pics! link above

Wednesday 23 January 2008

WIPs and some other bits...


This is my Argosy knitted with my beautiful Noro Silg Garden Lite from Crafty Cottage. I love the colours....though I have seen green and yellow in the middle, maybe I should have delved a little deeper into the ball before I bought it - it'll be interesting to see how the colours go...




Next, a cardigan from a Premmie set for Christopher. And a couple of FOs too.



A burial gown - it never occured to me that these things would be needed. I suppose it has never touched my life before. Very sad, and very humbling to knit. And a hat too.......




My amazon order arrived today - I hope this book sorts out my "aarrgghhh" with my Ipod, I must be of a "certain" generation, as the bloody thing makes me so frustrated as I can't make it do what I want it to do, and Apple don't provide very clear instructions IMHO - it MUST be my age, as DD is fine with her!

A book that sounds very interesting, and may the answer to my Ipod woes!

These 2 books are beautiful, and I can't wait to get started on them. I saw these recommended on this site. I love this site, her photos are lovely, and I love her dog - so cute!


And finally, look what DD bought for me! I went to have 3 cysts removed yesterday, nothing important but DH came and held my hand, and afterwards DH and I had a lovely afternoon wandering around the Bullring in B'ham.
About 4.30pm DD phoned to say she was home, and that she had bought me a pressie to make me happy, and would only say that "it would make me cry". I immediately knew what it was. This book was very special to me when I was little, and we hired it over christmas, and as the credits started to roll at the beginning!!!! I started to cry, and continued to sob throughout!! DD sat and laughed at me, but it was a nice afternoon anyway.

Saturday 19 January 2008

Just found the cable so I can show you what.....









I spent money on today...so much for the yarn diet - lol!
I found a new LYS today...OMG, I have died and gone to heaven. I read about it on Knit the Knits blog so had to go and have a look - I had a quick look on t'internet before going; here, and even found a group on Ravelry...so I had to go didn't I?

Well if I had to picture a perfect place to buy yarn, this is it.......it is like Ravelry come to life. Lots of very friendly people who completely understand it when I ask to pet their Knitpicks Options - yes, I have seen some in reality - sigh! and ask to pet their Argosy too ;) There were all sorts of yarns I only dream about; Malabrigo, Noro, Handmaiden, and yes you know me and my thing for dischcloths..........Peaches n Creme :) and loads of others that have now escaped me as I am on yarn overload.......

What did I buy? What didn't I buy?????? So much for the yarn diet - tut!
Here goes:
4 x Peaches n Creme
4 x Noro Kureyon
2 x Noro Silk Garden Lite,

AND a skein of Malabrigo, worsted weight.....which Jo very kindly would for me in the shop - yes, I will repeat that for anyone from the UK that might be reading this.....SHE WOUND IT FOR ME IN THE SHOP - for anyone who may be from other parts, this doesn't generally happen in this country (though I am happy to be wrong if anyone knows of anywhere else)
DH and I got a cuppa, and a share on a plate of jaffa cakes too. People were popping in being taught to knit by a very knowledge Raveller/Ravelryer (is that the right term???), others were coming in checking on the Knit and Natter nights, others to say hello - it was fab!
If you are anywhere near Warwick, even as close as a few hundred miles, please call in.....

did I mention that there are currently discounts on the yarn i.e. "25% here, 15% there.....

Monday 14 January 2008

Bloody Cats.......

I have mislaid my camera which is a bugger as I can't show you any FOs - yes, I do have some! and my WIP (singular - the others have been hidden away ;)), or what DD and I came home to this afternoon.
Today was Dentist day - no fillings for me, yippee, and it meant that we got home about an hour earlier than normal! DD and I battled home in the wind and rain, let ourselves into the house, both of us with wet hair stuck to our faces and glasses, and then went through the "oh bugger I can't see a thing, my glasses have steamed up!" couple of minutes that I am sure many people are more than aware of, only to hear a strange noise coming from the kitchen. It sounded like something boiling over...I rushed in, still blind, and discovered the hot tap on full but by now very cold, and the plug almost glued into the plughole - thank god for overflow outlets!!!! I also had 2 terrified looking rumpies - Archie couldn't give a toss, he knew he was innocent.
On closer inspection it looks as though the girls had been playing on the work surface at some point today which they know is highly illegal, and had managed to turn the tap on (they are uppy down (very technical) lever type taps) and the plug is one of those strainer ones that sits in the plughole, and you push it down when you want to fill the sink - or in the rumpies case, accidentally knock it shut with your arse when you are fleeing in terror.....have I forgotten to mention that in the excitement they also managed to rip the door off the cat flap. This must have been in their rush to escape the chaos...DD found it half way across the garden! God knows what time all this happened, for all I know it could have been at 8am which means 9 hours of running water - thank god we are not metered!
They are both very tired, and looking very sheepish - amazing what sheer terror can do. I have ordered their next of worming and flea stuff, it is the least they deserve....

Lessons learnt:
1. Do not be silly enough to leave your plug in the plughole when you go to work, even if it is open!
2. Do not be silly enough to think that your taps are ever off - EVER!
3. Never wish that the cats could actually do housework and earn their keep instead of sitting on their arses all day whilst we are out at work earning Whiskas money. DD and I have discussed the usefulness of cats on many an occasion as we walk to work/school in the dark, wondering what the cats do all day - now we know - ha!
4. Thank all the gods for the bright person who invented overflow outlets
5. Thank Magnet that "touch wood" their fitter seemed to attach the overflow outlet correctly, all those years ago.



Imagine if the little buggers had opposable (sp?) thumbs!

Saturday 12 January 2008

This post started with me listing what had happened between the last post and today....and was going to end with me questioning why I feel so low, tired and out of sorts at the moment. But spending time thinking about what has been going on over the last 2 months explains why I feel like this........I am currently off work sick, I left earlyish on Thursday afternoon convinced I had the sickness bug that people are catching all round the world. Despite all initial appearances it didn't develop into that thank goodness, but left me with huge tender swollen glands in my neck, a very sore throat and the ability to feel like a washed out rag as well as being able to sleep for hours at a time - which I am very grateful for as I haven't been sleeping well recently. I feel like a fraud, I shouldn't really be ill, others go through a lot more than that and are able to go to work, and continue as normal. Me? I have a busy run up to Christmas, but no busier than anyone else, and yet I end up like this is January...I feel as though I am letting everyone down, yet I know that feeling like this is self defeating. I am making all efforts to change the thought processes - honest.

Anyway all "woe is me" shit to one side:
I have finished a few bits so far this year! Yes, get me! I do knit!
No piccies yest, but I have finished my Tubey (whilst watching Deck the Halls - good film), it makes me look huge. Not a look I was going for I hasten to add. It has been thrown into the bag in disgrace, and will only come out when I have a more positive outlook on things. A fat ass in a jumper that was sooooo boring to knit is not a good thing to help change your view on things.

I have finished a hat for Christopher and today I finished a gown for a baby born asleep.


If that doesn't put things into perspective nothing will.

Tuesday 1 January 2008