creative writing

Wow. We have had more snow here. Fat heavy snowflakes fell for three hours and I was quite excited. Unfortunately it all seems to be melting today, I had high hopes for more school closures and days sledging but don't think that will happen again this winter.

My year long crochet blanket is getting nearer and nearer to completion but am finding the square joining rather tedious.

There are two hundred and twenty four squares altogether and although I have thoroughly enjoyed making it I am anxious now to get it finished, why is it that the last leg of a project is always the longest?

Other WIP's include the 'shruggy thing' I mentioned the other day;

I will wear it as in the last picture below;

Cowls seem to be a favorite of mine at the moment, quick and easy projects, I completed Maggi Knits Triangle Cowl a while ago and it is so lovely and cosy for winter but rather bulky!

Must dash, see you soon.

x

baby bunnies and getting the snip

Another week has passed. January has ended and February begins. I feel like the weeks are trundling along in a blur of grey. The weather is so dull and does not do much to inspire me into blog writing.

I have a new camera, did I tell you? It was a present from my husband for Christmas, a total surprise and shows that he actually does read AND pay attention to my ramblings.

So, today I decided to put it to good use, use it for what it is intended and take some pictures. Of course, I couldnt have picked a worse drab day (bring on the snow tomorrow I say, at least it is pretty).

But here goes. . . . . .

My latest craze for Ebay shows no signs of abating. It is very addictive, getting down to the last few minutes, cursing the person who trys to outbid you and clapping with glee when you beat them by 50p! With birthday money from my Gran I decided I would bid on an eiderdown. In actual fact I bid on two, well you never know, one or the other might be won.

I won both! The first by the skin of my teeth;

the second was a happy surprise, and a lot cheaper!

Both are completely beautiful and a welcome addition to my new bed.

Of course, since then have been bidding like craaaaaazy, and fortunately most items have been outbid. In some way my mind seems to short circuit when I see PLACE BID and I forget that I actually will need to pay for it if I win it.

Speaking of my latest craze it made me take a good look at what else I seem to crave (of course this is aside from the usuals that you know about, the vintage sheets, pillowcases and tablecloths, the lovely old china and the blankets and eiderdowns). My immediate answer, just looking around my house, is tin.

Now I know that seems rather odd but just wait. . .

Is it just me or are they just beautiful? I would love to run through the history of them all because they all have a tale as to how they got here but fear I would bore you too much (oooh, can't resist a few, 1950's tin, actually quite hidden in these photos was my Grans, Emma B square tins were a present on our 10th wedding anniversary, Cath K sewing tin was an Xmas pressie from my brother and sister in law and the Coronation vintage tin at the front was spotted in a charity shop by a friend for me). sorry!

Which reminds me, thrifting and charity shops, you have to be very lucky these days but I have been very lucky over the past few weeks.

I found two vintage Witney blankets in one shop for 99p each. YES, 99p each, I really couldnt contain my excitement (how sad is that).

The above said on the tag 'dog blanket', pardon, DOG BLANKET???, how posh are their dogs, these go for a lot more than 99p on Ebay and are too much of a treasure to shove under my dogs bottom (excuse the language).

the top pink cellular, also 99p is a lovely colour and has yet found no home.

On the 'making' front I am still busy with my year long crochet blanket but I am getting there and have started a shruggy sort of cowly scarf, no other way to describe it. I will show you very soon.

In the meantime, Happy February!

New Year

(this post was from about a week ago, apologise, and will try to get more up to date soon!)

It has been so long since I have been able to write.

I have however been catching up with the usuals (in blogland) this weekend, trying to bring myself back to the real world. I feel like I have been away for so long from not only blogland but also real life. The children have been to school for the grand total of four days this year, due to snow and holidays, and tomorrow is the first 'proper' day back.

The snow is clearing and I am finally welcoming the New Year.

New Years Eve was not a night I was looking forward to (for reasons too boring to disclose).

We were meant to be going on holiday to Scotland. In a caravan. It was never going to be warm. But minus 17 was the decider.

A friend had invited me previously to her party and faced with early bed or party I thought that we should all wrap up and spend an hour or two in the company of friends.

HA. Many hours later we left, worse for wear but I for one was very glad I went, it was so different to last New Years Eve and hopefully is a sign of the year to come.

Dont really want to mention resolutions because I dont believe in them but have decided to have achievable ones this year;

Reading the classics (not my usual trash), must say here though that at 5am wracked with period pain under a blanket on the sofa I did wish I had the latest 'Shopoholic ' book with me not the current book I am reading, Pride and Prejudice.

Feeding my family their five a day

Starting to get a bit healthier. Not by giving up anything. By adding to it. I am going to start running. Round the block to start off with!

And if I dont achieve any of this I am not going to be angry with myself, in fact thats my main resolution. I think that that should be everyones resolution, everyone who is hard on themselves. Enjoy your time now and like yourself. You never know how long you will be around so enjoy your time now.

Pah, but enough of that. My family hibernation time over the past weeks has included much knitting, a little crochet and . . . . a few pictures!

Mr and Masters hats

Attic 24 wristwarmers

50's inspired cardigan

My Entrelac from Ravelry (first picture not mine, picture of the pattern!)

and theres more.

Last week we were on holiday. In my most favorite place ever. I am hoping that visiting Crispin Cottage in Underbarrow will become a family tradition on my birthday. We went last year for a weekend, we went this year for a week am hoping that next year husband gets the hint and I get the keys!

Anyway, nearby is Kendal. Kendal is a blast from the past for me. It feels like my second home, we owned a caravan near there (in Grange over Sands to be precise) when I was aged 4 - 30 and I have such happy memories of it. I would hope that my own children will feel the same but dont believe I can recreate it for them.

Sorry, stay with me, I am leading onto more knitty treats.

Williams Wools is a new shop in Kendal. I looked it up online before we went and it does not disappoint! I don't think that she is online yet but the shop is soooooo gorgeous and cosy and yummy that I couldnt resist buying pattern books and yarn and more yarn.

It really satisfied my wool snob tendencies!

So. I have since made a snood, a hat and nearly completed my crochet blanket, photos will follow!!!!!!

christmas card love

Sorry. sorry, sorry. Another photoless blog.

Just wanted to write something. I find if I don't it gets harder and harder to.

Cannot believe that it is a week since I last did this.

Anyway, just to keep you posted. Son's hat was finished ready for him to wear to football on Sunday and I am now knitting someting for myself. A lovely shrug.

Have still not begun on Christmas shopping. The longer I leave it the more people around me are horrified. And its quite funny because, well, it's not the end of the world is it, I mean at least Father Christmas will deliver the goods on Christmas Eve.

tea cosies and trumps

Can you tell that I am a night owl?

I only write my blogs in the evening. Not because I can't make time in the day but because I can not bring myself to blog in daylight hours. I don't know why.

Unfortunately this makes for a photoless blog. A rather drab blog.

Every night I promise myself that I will take some photos the following day, search out the item in the loft that I need for my Christmas blog header, make my blog more beautiful.

Ha, ha, ha. It's just not happening is it?

Blogs that inspire me seem to be written by early birds. Take Lucy from Attic 24 for example. Look at her lovely sunrise pictures. How I wish I too could find such inspiration at 3 or 7am. Unfortunately, I am barely awake at this hour. I could sleep until 1oam every day (please don't be alarmed, I have children so of course this is an impossibility!).

At this hour however (9pm) I could talk and talk and talk. In fact I would love to continue to write but I know from my own blog reading experience that text alone is not attractive so I will love you and leave you for now.

And I promise that very soon I will have some eye candy of my very own.

Phnar, phnar.

that's biblical

Was in a bit of a bother this afternoon. It was the local knit and natter, havn't been for a couple of weeks so was quite looking forward to it. However, it was really quite odd because I was in the situation of wondering what to cast on for my next project, wondering what to take with me.

I was in a quandry. Do I start on one of the lovely new patterns I have just been lent by a friend, do I do something more practical and knit a few dishcloths that I am in need of or. . . . do I begin on a hat for my little man. Now that doesn't sound too bad does it? However, I knew it would have to be the hat.

I don't want to knit the hat. Sorry, sorry, sorry, that sounds really awful but the hat has to be like his dads and I hate the pattern, find it really boring and tedious (even though it looks good in the end). Knit 4, purl 4, knit 4, purl 4 blah, blah, blah, you get the drift.

So, knowing that it has to be the hat, knowing that the majority of 'stuff' I have recently made has been for delicious daughter I gritted my teeth and went to seek out the right two colours for the stripy hat. It took me about half an hour to decide on the right two blue colours. By that time my darn tea had gone cold as well.

Anyway, hubbys hat only took 48hrs to knit so if I crack on little man should be wearing it by the weekend.

And no, have still not even thought about Christmas yet.

And yes, keep forgetting to take pictures in the daylight.

And no, still no one reading this

And yes, will try to carry on

xxxx

Grow up

Cannot believe that the advent calendars are one door open already. Where does the time go?

Last Christmas we spent time on our own, just the four of us. This Christmas we are having all my family over. Am sure that this is the way things should be.

Anyway, I also cannot believe that opposite have their Christmas tree up!!!!!! That is rather early isn't it?

Tonight I have finished two things, husbands hat and Last Christmas book. It seems rather weird that the book that I was meant to start today I have finished today. Does that mean anything I wonder?