Happy interuptions

I was in the shower when the bell rang - I rushed downstairs and was dripping wrapped in a towel to greet the postman - I grabbed the package out of his hands, ripped it open to find.... Wormhead's book.

I thought it would be brill and she has not disappointed, Anne's photos are great and the models really do the hats justice (for those that were at the campsite at Woolfest I didn't, did I ?) But having said that I am going to try again, there must be one in there that I can wear without frightening young children !!

So tomorrow I'm going to be mainly knitting hats and frivolous monkey socks.... I would show you a picture of the yarn (which is from Chewy Spaghetti) but my camera (or the operator, more likely) seems to have taken blurred photos of all my sock stash ... I have collated all of it and found that I have enough to make one pair of socks a week for one year...
I did have a look at the lace stash last night and that doesn't seem too bad - having said that I dont know what I've got on cones (or I do but I'm just in denial...)

The wip challenge is nearly complete, I frightened myself with how much I managed to finish (ok I've got a couple of things to sew up but they will be done by midnight..) I was so keen to start/finish that I didn't take any before photos, so you will have to trust me on progress.... And now I'm going to read Woolly's book again and plan for tomorrow (and take lots of photos of yarn, again, sigh.... and maybe do some frogging, yippee... and sewing up, yuk... )

Have a good New Year, may it be filled with health, much happiness and lots of finished projects..

Happy Christmas

During the night there must have been a riot at the top of my tree... this little fellow won !!

I fell in love with his friend at Harrogate and the lovely Pat sent me the pattern, he is an interesting knit (I'm sure he had a safety pin in one ear but it seems to have fallen out..)

I've been busy knitting, but I'm not going to say how well (or badly I've done...) If I could remember where my crochet hooks were that would help my quest... and if I cast on the right size that would have also helped...

There is still time to enter my competition below, just leave a comment on how many wips I had and how many you think I will finish before midnight on New Year's Eve...

I hope everyone has a peaceful holiday and that Santa brings you all that you want, and now I'm off to find a 3.5mm hook, I might be gone a long while !!

How did that happen ?

Last night when I came back from a mini adventure in Wales there were a few puzzling things that had happened...

I was told it was so cold that the cat flap had frozen - cats were on the outside and the cat feeder was on the inside... she was confused, they were even more confused, but worked it out eventually, and they enjoyed their pheasant she brought round for their breakfast..

The other even more confusing this is that I managed to get 67 for my last exam - I really dont know how that happened. It was more than I got for any of my assignments, I must have got the hang of doing exams ! It might have been something to do with the conversations that happened before the exam, or the calming knitting I did whilst eating my lunch preparing for the worst.. I was expecting to just scrape through with a pass of 40...

I really must catch up on my latest course, human biology, I've fallen behind recently...

And I did mean to write the rest of my cards this afternoon, but there was this knitting that I found... and you all know the rest ;-)

Sorry for no photos again, I forgot to take my camera with me yesterday so missed taking some Welsh Winter scenes..

And thanks for all the support about the pattern, I will email Women's Weekly over the weekend ...

I've just realised that I cant do any knitting posts for the next few weeks ... oh well I'll have to think of something else to talk about... sewing chickens, homemade bags, maybe Morris might be in action... If I had been more organised this week I would have taken pictures of the knitting that I gave as presents before I wrapped them up ...

And now those cards... at least their recipients know me well and realise how bad I am getting them in the post !!

Have a good weekend and do enter my competition...

Competition Time

It's that time of year again..

Question one is 'How many projects did I have on the needles at 10am this morning ?'

Question two is 'How many of them will I have finished by midnight on New Year's Eve ? '

The prizes will be enough Giotto to make a garment. (I've got four colours in stash waiting new homes)

Clues :

I have three projects listed on Ravelry.

I was showing different ways of knitting in the round at recent shows.

I'm supposedly knitting my brother an aran jumper for Christmas...

I'd forgotten about some things I found...

I may 'have' to cast on something else during the holidays if I get the urge.... but wont finish it in the time scale or count in the list of wips...


I'm willing to send the prizes anywhere in the world.

One guess per person, for both questions, closing date is midnight on New Year's Eve, UK time.

Good luck, tell your friends, everyone welcome to take part.

And now I really must finish writing my cards... and there will be another post later today...

Dont believe all you read...

In magazines...
This is from Women's Weekly dated 11 December.
You will have to click on it to read the details...

Now as far as I am concerned I was asked to design and knit this in June when the 'lady' mentioned was not even in the country...

I can tell you which patterns were used as inspiration for the shaping, show you the file stored on my desktop from 18 June...

Now if her surname had not been used but the company name I would not have minded - I know that it not the magazine's fault as they will have only printed what they were told to. I also know that there is no point in me phoning up and saying something...

I dont even want to see my name in print, it is just the principle of someone else taking credit for something they did not do or even know about - and by the look of it no one has reknitted the garment (if they had they would have realised that it takes about a week for the dye to wash off their hands !!)

So I'm not a happy bunny. Friends that used to work there are even less happy.
I have decided never to go to the Mill Shop again - I will meet up with people outside if asked (and that includes going to their 'close out' sale whenever that happens)
I know that in the last year there has been a lot of staff leave, most have not been replaced. If anyone has any knitting queries there is no one left that can answer them.

And now I feel better for sharing, all I ask is for people to think before they buy - do you really want to do business with a company that treats people in such a way ?

And if I were you Knitwitches and Silkwood have a lot nicer yarns (and the colour doesn't come out while you are knitting)

My flu did take a long time to leave me, thanks for all the messages.

I'm now having problems finding my knitting mojo - I only have one present left to knit, problem is that it is an aran jumper for my brother - but speaking to him last night he said that he is not in a hurry for it, which is good as it is knitted in not nice to knit with yarn (20% wool in 400g balls) I will try and be good and finish it sometime soon otherwise it will lurk and hang over me in that annoying way - I knew at the time I shouldn't have knitted the one for his girlfriend last year.. (she was wearing it when I was up in Liverpool a few weeks ago, and it did look as though she had been putting her knees in it as she said she would...)

And the next post will be an anniversary competition, I cant believe that it has been two years since I started blogging ...

I'm ill

I have spend most of the last three days in bed asleep.
I have not had any coffee since Saturday afternoon.
And not a stitch has been knitted for 5 days (sorry Lucy)

It started with a cough, that went to a cold and then at some point on Sunday/Monday night developed into flu...

I think I'm getting better, I've been awake for nearly 4 hours and managed to eat and might be thinking of finding my knitting....