Advent Calendar

I was thinking about post advent pictures each day until Christmas, but the pressure of posting each day was too much, and I have not got enough pictures of doors ....



So here is one I made last year.

Each bed is a pocket.

And I must find a hanging rod and put it up ....


I've been doing lots of little knits, nearly finished a pink ballet cardi, just got to do the ties and front bands, all are 9 stitches wide and too long for my liking, but someone's niece wil love it (hopefully).
I've also finished knitting a blue sailor's jumper for a friend'd baby. Both need sewing up.., may be a job for tomorrow.... And then there will be photos..

In answer to Frankie, I'm not sure where you can buy crocs, I got my first pair in Ledbury (not that that helps you...) and as I didn't get a show catalogue I cant tell you who was selling them at Harrogate. They are available on Ebay but you need to try them before you buy as the sizes are slightly different to ordinary shoes...

Revenge is happy feet

Those who saw me at Ally Pally might have noticed that I was wearing these crocs on my feet






By the end of Harrogate show they were everywhere...
I got another pair without holes,
someone else got a pair, three pairs here, I lost count how many Ali from here got, and then Tracy from here got a pair, and not forgetting the three ladies from here
Nell from Scotland got several pairs, some more went here and not forgetting here but nearly forgetting here (sorry Sue)

So, Wibbo if you are reading this you need to get a pair as well :-)

Thanks Secret Pal

When I got home last night there were two parcels waiting for me...

Thanks to my secret pal for lovely packaging.

You must realise how often I keep loosing my needles :-)

Harrogate Adventures

After my farce of a birthday tea (one of the girls was in hospital with a bad reoccuring eye infection) I left Liverpool early and went to Coldspring Mills.

The large packet is Freedom Spirt unbanded, in brown, orange and green colours.

The cone on the right is a thin cotton and the other is an interesting mix with added sparkle.







First thing on Thursday morning, one of our first customers, being taught by Kathleen.

With Anne deep in thought reading Yarn Forward





One of the answers of what to do with finger knitting... my latest question was what to do with the large knitting..... depending on the time of day it was make it into a ball, other sensible suggestions were wall hangings and rugs...








And a view of the stand showing Jan & Mav at work.

Next year we are going to knit a screen to stop the cold from the back door. Sorry if I frightened anyone when I shouted ;-)





Some of my purchases - I managed to get the jacket pattern from House of Hemp (they were selling it in kit form, I convinced them that I was going to do it in hemp and got just the pattern !)

Pixie felt and two hanks of lace weight from the Swedish stand (sorry cant remember the name)

Two button braclet kits for the Liverpool girls.

And some goodies from Viking Loom.



And these aren't mine....(honest!!)

And they are going to be sent home a few balls at a time...

How long will it take for a woman to be reunited with her wool, and then how much longer will it take for her to knit it ??






These ones are mine.....

Two kits, one for the Autumn leaves bag, the other for the Glen Ellen Jacket, both patterns in Simply Shetland book 2.


So I had to get the book as well, and then it would be silly not to have book one in my collection, wouldn't it ?








And I found this mug in the Cancer Research Wishes shop.... they have some amazing things, if you see a shop go and look







And do I have to say anything about the answer ?????

Saturday Sky

Not much of a surprise - Harrogate in the drizzle.
And boy was it cold today, sitting/standing near the back door and there were a lot of smokers in the hall and they left the door open. We did tell them a few times to close it .....

Not taken many pictures and so far have been relatively good spending wise, but tomorrow is another day and Jamiesons stand will be calling me.....

Is it cold up North ?

I hope not !
I'm off for a belated birthday tea tomorrow night in Liverpool, the river is going to be in town as well, but I wont be able to go to that :-(

And then the last show of the season. Four days (and nights) in Harrogate.

Then back to Liverpool and maybe a slight detour on the way back...That roundabout at Shrewsbury the car just want to go West (see I have a problem with wanting to go west at any opportunity !!)

If anyone sees me trying to buy any yarn, will they just remind me how much yarn is in my house and how long it will take me to use a fraction of it... and we wont even mention the amount of material there is (mainly as you cant get into the room that houses it...)

My plan when I get home is to try and sort and orgainise - might even be able to find some floors to hoover for a bit of a novelty :-)

Have a fun week while I'm gone...

Directions

I live on the West of the country.
When I go to Wales I need to travel EAST to get home and not the usual West....

There are usually roundabouts at most exits of the M4, and there is a 'nice' industrial estate to turn round if required....

It is a very windy wet night out there, not good for driving....

I'm glad to be home, but is not for long ....

Guess where I'm going this week... yes just as it is getting colder, Yorkshire - better find my thermals.....

Saturday Sky

A sky from home, this afternoon...












And for Rosie the view of Westons Cider - notice the lorry and the barrels ....




And my buys from yesterday.....













And look a working toilet :-)


I'm so happy .....


Especially as it is fitted with one of these....

Bogs

I was going to try and post an amusing tale about getting quiet fills fitted to two new toilets but as the sorry story has been carrying on since Tuesday it is no longer amusing... I've had water dripping through my kitchen ceiling, parts reordered and now I'm expecting the plumber again tomorrow. Hopefully I should have two new flushing and no dripping loos by then...

And to take my mind off all things plumbing I went to my local Creative Stitches Show today. It is the nearest one to me but in a different country - yes I went to Cardiff. It was a relatively small show, I thought I was doing really well to start with, only buying 'orders' for a friend, then the Knitting & Crochet guild had some books for sale.... and then a dangle dolly kit jumped out at me.

(Sorry I've too tired for photos, maybe tomorrow)

And tomorrow I'm meeting someone and kidnapping them and taking them to see a garden on Sunday - I'm sure there will be lots more photos then !!

Prototypes

After doing these little beauties in the summer I can now graft without looking at the instructions :-)

I should have put something in the picture to show the scale but forgot. They are 24 stitches in the round.

As usual I would love to tell you the colours but I dont know what they are they were taken off the cone from the first batch of dying - now available Jitterbug

The aran jumper is now over 11 inches long, hopefully will be longer by the end of tonight.

And I really must take my camera out everytime I go shopping. If anyone is in Monmouth there is a sheep chess set in the window of one of the shops opposite WHSmiths.. I will see if it is there the next time I go shopping....

Additions

Some more finished presents.

Two pairs of Fetching gloves for Liverpool girls.

Made from Colinette Skye, and as usual they didn't have labels on so I dont know the colours !


Mr Postman has been busy recently.

Sharron Miller's new book on Hap Shawls and her latest shawl pattern.

Only had a flick through the book, a proper read is going to be my reward for finishing 1,500 words....



And these arrived a while back - after seeing a Best Friend's Jacket at Ally Pally and having the books read to me while someone was on the bus home, I decided to by the set.

Now I've got further decision problems on what to make first !




And these also wanted to live here...

More decisions, thought the blocks would be a good way of using up some of my 4ply mountain...





And my major knitting of the moment.... for SIL
She wants a jumper she can put her knees in whilst sitting on the sofa, 30inches long ! And I just know that it will be unloved, hence the type of 'wool'

I'd forgotten what it was like to knit with, but this is the progress since yesterday afternoon...

Pattern is from Debbie Bliss Out of Town book.


And the orange blob at the bottom....




Chivi wanted his picture taken !!!


My cold is on it's way, I can nearly manage a row without having to blow (sorry too much information!!)

Saturday Sky

An 8am autumn morning.

Off to finish another ou assignment and another box of tissues.....dont you just love productive colds !

Sally's Sheep

On Saturday after our Get Knitted adventure we went back to Diane's friend Sally's house for a coffee....
After spending the day with her I had realised that she liked sheep, but not the extent of her addiction... here are some of her sheep (a few of the photos did not work...so there were more...)























































































And I forgot to say, Get Knitted are hoping to open their new shop in January, the plan is for either the second or third Saturday... Sue will update their web site nearer the time. And yes, I will try and be there with cake :-)

Saturday Sky

At 7 am this morning this was another wonderful sunrise...




And the reason for getting up too early on a Saturday morning,
An empty Get Knitted, the lovely Sue had offered to let us in at 9 am.




and I managed to get there before 9.30... considering the car said it was -2 when I got in it...






And for all those concerned readers out there, my stash is fine and only grew by this much - all of which was in the reduced area - the large cone of 4ply, and several socks.... The blue is for a mystery pattern that will be releaved once I've finished it...









And this is Diane's shopping...













And this was the view at Clevedon where we went for lunch....


Diane is now drooling over some of my books, better check I still have all of them when she leaves ;-)

Feeling Horny?

This the the first finished C present.

From Ruth's pattern a Hat of Horns.
I had to do two extra rounds as it was on the small side, but after blocking on kitchen bowls it now is about right.

Modelled by my washing line, made in Colinette Skye, (unknown colours) on a 4.25mm hook.

I'm quite pleased with it, even though one of the 'horns' is a bit twisted...

And now I have to see if my brother wants a jumper for his girlfriend - doesn't know the size, shape, colour or the design she wants, but probably wants it for C - Aran's were mentioned, but he doesn't really know what they are...

And I thought I was going to have enough time to do some knitting for me.....

Autumn Mists

It was cold last night.
And this was the result this morning - mist over the river.






And hanging further out of the window this was the sun rise - or rather what was left of it at 8am !





And what size is yours ?
(Click to make larger)

This was a pumpkin sizer at Over farm shop.
Their web site said there are 10,000 of pumpkins to choose from and they weren't wrong - I managed to get some good bargains, soup is in the pan...

I think mine would have cost 50p if the scale went down that small !!


And tomorrow there might even be a post with a finished thing... And on Saturday I'm off here really must try and be good - but when has that ever stopped me in a wool warehouse......