Happy New Year

Just a quickie to wish everyone a happy, healthy new year.

And if you are wondering how I will be celebrating, I'll be getting up early and driving two hours to help a friend clear out her Dad's house... wish us luck, there is no heating and no running water ... I'm hoping that I should be back in a few days.....

And the winner is......

Thanks to everyone who entered my anniversary competition.

And as the winner said ".... tell everyone that they were way off the mark " and her guess of 9.3kg was the nearest....

The actual weight of my spinning and felting stash is (drum roll...) 8kg.

There was about 1kg in the original photo ....


So well done to Ruth she really does know me well !!

I will be sending her a suitable prize.....




And here is some Christmas socks made for me ! Made from Cherry Tree Hill Super Glitz with a sparkle running through them....

I've worked out that of the 32 things I've finished this year only 9 of them were for me - something I'm going to try and reverse next year....

Saturday Sky

I knew I should have got out of bed early this morning - there was blue sky, honest....

And now the rain has started and it doesn't look like it is going to stop this year.....

6 weird things about me

I've been tagged by Gill and have had a few problems trying to limit this to just 6 but here goes...

1. I have never smoked or taken illegal drugs - I dont think this is weird but sensible.....

2. I have been told I'm taller on the phone - what can I say....

3. One of the courses I'm doing with the OU is 'Death and Dying' . I went to my first funeral when I was 18 and since then I have been to 23, that averages at more than one a year, but in some years I manage not to go to any - This is just life (or rather death) and as a result I'm not afraid of dying...

4. The first embroidery I sold was of a lady wearing a red hat I sold it whilst standing on a ladder in a churchyard painting the outside of my house.....

5. I grind my teeth and talk in my sleep....

6. Until last night I had a decorated Christmas tree planted in a toilet outside my house. (I now have a tree laying beside a toilet outside my house, it was very windy yesterday evening...)

I could have included the amount of cat food I have in the house, the weight of my 4 ply stash (but kniters would not find that too weird !)


I've decided not to tag anyone, but if you think you are have weird tendencies feel free to share...


And now I'm off to try and take photos of my spinning & felting stash because I do have a winner...

I think today is going to be a day of multiple posts ......

Happy Days

Sorry but this is the best I can do with a photo of the cake...
And the reason it is blurred isn't to do with the amount of alcohol I've had - due to standing on step ladders I haven't had any yet today !

And it does taste good, it has been fed regularly, and there is now one less sheep ....


and the first present I opened yesterday had a knitters tote in it.....

Very apt and it still is amusing me....

Thank you so much to the great knitter who got it for me....



And the other side ....

I've managed to get enough of the painting done so that I can play with a screwdriver and put the stash wardrobe together, I have a strange feeling that it wont all fit, so I might have to resort to the bathroom storage area...

And now I must finish picking up stitches for nextdoor's cardi and then I've finished my Christmas knitting, not bad only a day late !

Seasons Greetings

It is getting colder here... this is from a few years ago...

I was going to share my cake with you, but it's sheep are not behaving and they are blending into the icing... And yes I do have sheeps on my Christmas cake - thanks to Sue

I have put a tree up inside, I've planted one outside in a white recycled container (ok, it's an old loo...) I've even managed to deliver all my cards, sing carols, and not get burnt by Christingle candles.
I've had a slight time miscalculation with a cardi for nextdoor, so that will be a new year present.... A part from that all is ready for tomorrow, and I'm not doing the 'usual' Christmas family thing having visited them on Thursday - thank goodness the fog had cleared for most of the journey...

So, I'm hoping to have a quiet day tomorrow, going to make a start on decorating the spare room and I'm going to have faggots for lunch.... This is causing a problem for other people, they think firstly that I shouldn't be by myself, even though I've lived by myself for nearly 10 years, and it is the one day of the year when I need to be with other people... and I should eat turkey.

I'm also going to cast on something for myself - with all the knitting I've done this year hardly any has been for me, think I need to remedy that for next year !

I wish everyone a peaceful holiday whatever you may be doing and eating.

Saturday Sky

As you can see the sky is behind the fog.... this is more or less the same view as last week, but just not as much of it !

Getting there...slowly

The cards are in the post.

The local ones are yet to be written but as I plan to deliver them at the weekend there is plenty of time ....

Some of the presents are wrapped, others are going to be done today for santa to deliver on Thursday - I do so love visiting Liverpool at Christmas.... Not.....

For those that are interested the lights came from Countrywide in Ledbury - they also do cow ones... Just shown them to the lady nextdoor and she has gone away amused thinking I've completely lost what little plot I had....

There is still time for guesses on the weight of my spinning/felting stash. I dont know what the answer is but I will try and find it all over Christmas when I try and do some decorating and orgainising upstairs... Might manage to be slightly more together next year... imagine how much more things I can produce when I can find the raw materials.....



And a semi seasonal photo of some geese a laying (ok one of them is sitting down... the others are trying to attack me....)

I've seen the light(s)

I think the sheep challenge has gone a bit too far !!!


Look at my lights !!

Dundee likes my lights, do you ?

And when I done some clearing up I might actually put them up, they can go outside but I think the neighbours would not appreciate them....








And in it's finished glory, the aran jumper... and it is as long as it looks - 30 inches, all I can say is I hope she likes it and waits until I cant see her to put her knees in it (best not to ask!)



Thanks to my Secret Santa from KCG forum for these (I did try taking their photo but it ended up too blurred...)




And yesterday I went to my fourth funeral of the year. This is one of the reading I wanted to share for those who are missing people at this time of year.

All is Well.

Death is nothing at all I have only slipped away into the next room I am I and you are you: Whatever we were to each other, that we still are. Call me by my old familiar name, Speak to me the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone: wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of a shadow on it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was: there is absolutely unbroken continuity. Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight ? I am but waiting for you, For an interval. Somewhere very near, Just around the corner, All is well.



And now I really must write some cards.....

Saturday Sky

Cold mornings give good pictures....

Mist on the river (not overflowing anymore..)






Aran jumper update, knitting finished, just got to sew it together .... choice of sewing up or writing cards... think I might just knit something else ;-)

Blog Anniversary Competition

Little did I realise when I started this blog nearly a year ago where it would lead...

I've met so many people, taught too many people how to finger knit (as well as knitting with sticks).. ..

I talked garden knitting, had my hands knitting on local telly (thank goodness no one knew they were mine !!)

I knitted a very photogenic Mole and his hill. I've heard today that a group called Friends of the Mole Hashers are interested in Mr Mole hats - I think it is probably best not to ask, but I will find out !!

So I should apologize for the timing of this competition, if you want a break from Christmas preparations and removing cats from trees , please join in.....

I did think about asking the weight of my 4ply stash but that is too heavy to weigh and someone has seen the bags ....

So the question is...... what is the weight in grams (or kilograms) of my spinning and felting stash ?

The answer will not include any partly spun or felted, or the alpaca and raw fleece that are in the shed...
And I promise I wont use any between now and then !

Answers by 26 December in the comments please... I will have an independent weigher to verify the answer. I'm not organized enough to know what the prize is at the moment for the closest answer, but will get there before the closing date, or maybe just after.....







And just to make it fair, there are a few bags in here.....










And a few bits in the bags here....

(this lot came with my wheel)






And best news of the day ....... I've finished the front on the aran, only got the neck and sewing up to do.. photos of it in a finished state tomorrow.

I'm Bored...

Of knitting with natural coloured yarn....



Finished both sleeves...

And cast on the front earlier, only got 148 rows to the shoulders..





So I started a throw on Friday night, and now it is half done.

And as well as being coloured I only have to count to four for the patterned row (and I can just about manage that !!)

For those that think we have had nice sunny weather, it was only the one day, and the rain has been pouring ever since... floodwatch has a flood warning at the moment( but the status will change ....)

And we really didn't buy any yarn on Saturday, only things we got were cranberries, a glass jug and a lampshade....

Saturday Skies

Malvern is on a hill, and when the sun shines there is a good view....





And there are some hills in the distance...




And some hills nearby.

There were some people climbing to the top to get a better view.

And some hard to believe news - the two Sues went to a wool shop and came out empty handed !!
And the travelling Jamieson's was nearly kidnapped.... but I managed to prise it out of Sue's and her Mum's hands... and now it is 'safely' in my hall...Think I will have to send it back to it's Mum ball by ball to stop any further kidnap attempts !!

Water, water everywhere....

See I wasn't lying about the rain....

They think the water levels will be at their most over night but this part of the river was on Floodwatch last night....






And I did get a bit of wool yesterday ...

Just a sample of some Cadenza (on the left) and enough Jitterbug for a jumper...


Total wool count fitted in two large bags....



And some yarn ....

Brown giotto - there is a lot more than the two hanks shown, I've no idea what it wants to be but there was no room on the shelf..

And some purple for some purple girls - one of whom was my 500'th commenter
And again there was more than the two hanks...

There were a few more purchases but as they are presents you dont get to see them !!




And then there was this box...

The one that I was playing with most of the afternoon was in a bright green box, so I did get a shock when I opened the outer box and saw this.....








And now I have to finish the aran before I can play...

So it has gone back into it's box (that not even I can loose!!).

So how much stash can I use up over Christmas ???

Just half a sleeve and a front to go.... Maybe if I knit faster I can play sooner....

(Maylin, if you want to email me I can let you know the pattern details)

Empty Boxes

I've had fun today helping restock sale room shelves..... There is now Cadenza and lots more Giotto, including a lovely bluey green (could be velvet damson or a strange neptune).

The boxes should have come with a health warning, I'm not going to share all that came home with me, but I will try and take photos tomorrow if there is any daylight ;-)
And a fair bit is going to be rehomed elsewhere.....

We have not had any power cuts for over 48 hours, a record for the last week. And contray to popular belief my having power cuts shouldn't affect anyone web sites, as far as I'm aware I dont have a web server in the house....

And the rain is still pouring and we wont even talk about the wind !! If it is drier tomorrow I will venture out in my waterproofs and take photos, might manage to take one of some of the remains of the trees that fell on Saturday night, most of the lanes were blocked....

I've managed to finish one of the sleeves of the aran, hoping to finish the other tomorrow and then it's just the front and the finishing off, no pressure then !!



And a seasonal photo.

Mistletoe growing in someone's front garden

Broken the back

At last I've finished the back of the aran - the thread is where I was up to on Saturday morning... and yes I have just sat and knitted for most of the weekend, thank goodness for ITV3...
There are several design features in it, but as a total non-knitter is going to wear it I didn't have the will frog and correct. The side cables are meant to twist the same way but I've managed to get them alternating without trying to !!

And the pink is for a little girl with long arms, and Auntie is going to sew it up (cant believe she actually likes sewing up..)

And now I'm off to see how much water is on the fields...And I hope the electric can stay on while my fruit cakes are in the oven, it was off for about 4 hours Saturday night due to the storms... I love overhead cables in the countryside !!

Saturday Sky

Guess what... yup, it rained again today.

The river levels had dropped from near overflowing mid week, think it might burst it's banks this week ....

Good job I have to stay inside and knit the huge jumper - currently 18 inches long only 74 more rows to go on the back... that's 9990 stitches... wish me luck...

And dont ask how the sewing up has gone... it hasn't....