TAKING A BREAK!

Although the baby blanket is not far off from completion, I fancied a change and as spring is in the air, I thought I would knit myself a bright scarf.

I popped into my local wool shop "Pins & Needles" and found this yarn which is double knit so not as fine as I wanted BUT I liked the mixture of colours and after all you never know whether we're going to have cold evenings or not, regardless of which season we're in.

The yarn is " Knitcol" and I found the pattern on Ravelry. It was a very easy pattern to follow and knitted up really quickly.

With the leftovers I crocheted myself an iPhone case. Not brilliant, usable but a prototype, more could follow.

I hope you've had a great weekend and you've managed to enjoy some sunshine!

A PERFECT WEEKEND!

It's incredible to believe that in the past two weeks we've experienced it all, snow, frost, chilly winds, rain and spring/summer sunshine with even some warmth coming from that sun!

We've just had a busy weekend which also  included a little DIY around the house by my husband. 

On Saturday we headed off up to London to spend the evening at the Royal Albert Hall. We left home when it was sunny and arrived at our destination over 3 hours later in the rain. (Yet another weather change and an abundance of traffic problems!! We do live in Essex, so it's not a great distance to travel.) 

Our friend was 60 yesterday and he had always wanted to go to the Royal Albert Hall so, we were in London to celebrate and after a pre theatre meal went to The Mountbatten Festival of Music which featured the Massed Bands of her Majesty's Royal Marines. We really enjoyed the evening, the band played such a variety of music, they were brilliant!

Yesterday, we were again with our friends as our family joined up with their family and their friends for a surprise birthday buffet lunch. The sun shone brightly as we spent a very relaxing afternoon nattering the hours away.

When we got home it was still such a lovely evening that we decided to finish our perfect weekend with a walk around the sea wall. Over the weekend I had read a post on a blog I follow and really enjoy I live, I love, I craft, I am me and she had taken some brilliant photos of shadows. Well, after the dreariest winter weather ever I had genuinely forgotten all about making shadows.

 So on our walk last night when these two very long legged people shone out at me, I had to take a photo. Mind you I did nearly fall of the wall trying to take it!

The "Keep off the Wall" sign is obviously there for a reason!

As for my knitting exploits, nothing accomplished over the weekend. I am making progress with the baby blanket but sometimes when I pick up the needles that song about 1 step forward, 2 steps back springs to mind. The yarn is so soft, Drops Alpaca and I have to be careful not to wear black when I'm knitting as I tend to look more like the alpaca after I've completed a few rows. When its finished it'll be fine once it's had a good shake out in the garden.

Have a good week!

EASTER

This Easter brought snow flurries, chilly winds and bright sunny spells.

We spent our four days at home doing some DIY plus a little gardening, tidying the garage and washing the cars.

We caught up with our family and  they surprised us with some lovely homemade gifts!

Kate decorated an egg box and filled it with chocolate.

Charlotte and Jessica with their mummy's help made  hot cross buns and baby lamb cakes.

Our Easter was perfect.

I hope yours was too!

JUST A TINIEST FLICKER OF SPRING!

Looking like an advert for all of my home made knitted creations I stood in the kitchen this morning donned in woolly hat, scarf, fingerless mittens and socks waiting for the snow flurries to abate. 

Yes, there I was, the crazy woman, intent on doing some gardening. I had another coffee and waited, until eventually the snow flurries diminished and the sun popped out ever so briefly. Out I went and was surprised that for about an hour it was quite pleasant. Plants do appear to be very slowly on the move and these little daffodils, sheltered by the garage wall give a welcome show of colour.

The forsythia, normally the first plant to bloom in my garden is slow to get going this year and has just this flower and a handful of buds.

 After a while the clouds loomed heavy and grey again, once more there was a chill in the air and along came another spell of snow flurries. I headed back indoors for lunch, gardening - finito!

This baby blanket knitted in Drops Alpaca is, or should I say was, coming along nicely.

Late last night as I was watching tv my mind told me I was tired and I should really put my knitting away. Unfortunately I ignored the warning signs, carried on, dropped a stitch and as the saying goes, the rest is history. 

I've always said I'm not one for needlework mainly because I haven't the patience to unpick and put right my mistakes. Yet knitting has just the same faults. This morning I had to undo about 6 rows to rectify the problem and I did have the patience to do that. 

Perhaps I should give needlework  a go?

HAPPY EASTER!

KNITTING SOLO

I had a very proud Granny moment last night when Charlotte picked up her knitting and for the first time did two rows of garter stitch all on her own. She has been keen to learn for a long time and we have already made a couple of  tiny dolls' scarves as a joint effort. 

The only trouble is being a 6 year old school takes up a big part of her day, grabbing a few moments for a grandmother/grandchild knit and natter is a time to be cherished. We all hear time and time again that children grow up far too fast but the fact of the matter is, they do!
Only last night Charlotte bounded into the kitchen with the question "what's for dinner Granny?"
I'd chosen my dinner menu carefully, I had cooked something I knew was on their favourite list. Well, that's what  I thought!
"We've got chicken....." I went to continue my reply when her voice pleaded, "please, don't say casserole!"
I turned to see her chin drop to the floor while her eyes raised to the ceiling. For that mini second she could have been any age between 6 and 16. I correctly assumed dinner would not go down well. The threat of "no befores meant no afters" failed to  encourage her as I soon found that apple pie and ice cream had also been dropped from the favourite list.
Her sister on the other hand at 3 eat the whole lot however, no doubt that will all change by the time she gets to 6.
It was just moments after dinner that we snuggled up on the sofa and did some knitting. As I said earlier we must grab the magical best bits whenever we can.

FINGERLESS MITTENS

I feel I've been absent from blog land, probably due to a variety of ailments which seem to be queuing up to hit me as one gets better.  Today I'm soldiering on with a rotten cold which arrived yesterday after a virtually perfect Thursday. Last night drastic measures were called for, a cup of warm water with a slice of lemon and a good shaking of both ginger and turmeric. Mind blowing, is how I would describe that experience! Earlier in the day I had discussed the benefits of turmeric with a local shop keeper. We were both undecided how much you should actually take but both agreed that if we woke up the next day and had turned orange overnight, then we'd probably taken too much.  

Today I'm not orange, just pale and sniffly!

I did want to show you today the fingerless mittens that I've made for my daughter. I think these will be a definite necessity when she's walking in the Lake District at Easter. Brrrrrrr!!!!!!

I'm really quite put out that I've got a cold, we've started some major decorating this weekend, (re-phrase, my husband has started some major decorating this weekend), and I feel pretty useless on the helping front. I think we will have a few weeks of disruption to come but it will be worth it in the end. I'm just keeping up with supplies of tea and coffee and I really need to go now and make some lunch,

On Thursday (the good day!!) I went off to Yarntherapy and purchased some more Drops Yarn, Alpaca this time to make some baby things for a friend of my daughters. I will post some pictures once I've got started.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

A LITTLE SUNSHINE MAKES A CHEERFUL CHANGE

Dare we even think that Spring may have arrived? Well we probably shouldn't, we're only just in to March after all but the sunshine that we have had over the past few days has certainly done me good.

I feel fitter and have certainly got more energy, my sciatica has virtually disappeared and my head is full of plans for the garden, decorating and new things I want to knit. 

On Sunday it was great to be outside. I mowed the lawn for it's first cut of the year and tidied round in the garden. Later in the afternoon Michael and I went along to RHS Hyde Hall and took a slow but long walk around the gardens. Not too much colour there as yet so this border really stood out and caught my eye.

Two pairs of wellie socks are now finished and delivered and I have now found a pattern on Drops for a pair of wrist warmers which I am knitting for my daughter as a surprise. She will be off walking with her husband and friends somewhere in the lake district over Easter and I have a feeling the weather may not be as it is today. I think she'll appreciate my woolly wrist warmers.