Knitting

I have finished my little bag for The Round Robin Giftbag Exchange; I knitted it in Fabel Sock Yarn, colour 159 on 2.5mm Brittney Spears dpns.



The bottom, for those who like to see these things;



"Brittney Spears” you say, “what are you talking about woman”. I will explain ... our knitting group went on a ‘fondle / shopping’ trip to Get Knitted, oh way back in the summer. I was driving, we were all chatting about our purchases and I spoke just as I was joining the M4 from the M32 slip way. I was saying how I liked my ‘Brittney Spears’, everybody cracked up ... I then realised what I had said, I meant to say “Brittany Needles”, but I think Brittney Spears sums them up brilliantly and in our home the needles will never be known as anything else. LOL

A progress picture of my third FCS knitted in Trekking – Color 4ply sock yarn in colour 185, this will hopefully be finished by the end of the month, so that I may enter the January part of the 2008 Sock Yarn challenge.



My Back

I am sad to say, that I have a very poorly back, it happened on Monday, I did the tiniest of slips on a wet floor, my left leg went out to the side by about 50cms, really nothing, but my back has got to the point, that I can’t turn over in bed or put my shoes on. I have not been like this for about 3 years. I had been putting it off but eventually this morning I went to see Dr Simon Clarke at the Wroughton Chiropractic Clinic, where I have been going for years.

What I have actually done is pull the muscles all around my right hip, which is only 2/3rds there and the ball joint has been sheared in half and put back together. No wonder it is hurting ... and why I have only 2 seconds warning that I need to go to the toilet, which always makes me giggle as I try and shuffle as quick as possible – I have yet to wet myself, thank goodness – sorry probably far to much information. LOL

I have to go back tomorrow morning at 8:00, ssssh, he said I should not be at work .... I am at the moment but will be going home soon and I am not coming back in tomorrow, which will give it an extra day of rest over the weekend.

So as you can see I am still laughing – just, but it is going to be a long haul to be mended, I feel very frustrated to the oomph degree.

My Blog

Yesterday I mentioned that I needed to still learn a few things for the blog, some how I got an evening to myself and what’s more I hogged the computer the whole time, I very rarely get a look in at home.

I cracked how to do a slide show on Photobucket, but my next step is to learn how to do a Flickr one. Something I need to do at home, on the main computer because that is where all our pictures are saved, which I need to up load, from.

I also managed to do some WIP bars, but not sure why I have a white line between the colour and the black outline. I also tried very hard to get terri’s knits WIP’s jumper code up and running but I kept getting code spreading down my sidebar, so I need to return to that task. It will be me and not the code!!

Last but not least, Noel helped me with the ‘clicking’ code on buttons (second attempt unlike my umpteenth try) however this was at 22:30 last night and for the life of me, can I do it this morning – grump, no – I sort of know which bit I am over writing but just not quite, very frustrating, so at the moment I have just two showing.

Generally I am now really pleased with the over all look and content, just a bit of tweaking here and there plus lots of blogging ...

Silversmith Course




On Monday, we sawed the ‘V’ out of our anvil and bench pins and then I had to cut and file my silver to size, I already had some 1mm thick Sterling Silver in ‘the’ box at home, however the rest of the class had to order theirs from the tutor and it therefore came cut and ready to use. I was more than happy to cut mine – being a fuss-pot! Having cut and filed the silver to the correct size of 66mm x 6mm, I then went on to anneal the silver.



I have picked Blue Paua Shell Cabochon but not sure if to use a 5mm square, an 8x6 oval or 5mm round on the top of the finished ring, as I get nearer this stage, I will play around, to see what jumps out at me.



More next week …


Quilt-a-Long



These are my chosen fabrics for the quilt block; Snowdrops, I am going to use Appliqué for this block, just not sure which technique to use: Freezer Paper or Bond-a-web?

Post - Costume

This came in the post today; Poppy is singing a song from Sound of Music and requires a Nun's habit and apostolnik, I thought that I had seen a sewing pattern during one of my many searches however on this occasion I could not track one down. But while searching the internet, I did find a nun’s outfit on EBay, the over all cost being less than £10.00 including P&P. I just could not make it for that price, if you took into account my time sewing etc. It’s not fantastic, which I do feel slightly embarrassed about but for a, one off, 2 minute exam costume, it will do.



... and finally, being very English and therefore mentioning the weather - what a beautiful day, it is not raining, makes such a difference to doing - stuff ... make the most of it (if it is fine where you are of course) and enjoy your day.

Growing Fleece

My goodness, just how long does it take to make a blog? Well I have been using my posting time, to format the side bar; I do hope you feel it is of interest, feel free to comment! I just need to learn how to show buttons, WIPS bars and slide shows and then I think I will have achieved. It now shows a lot more about what I am interested in. It has been primarily made for me – places that I visit; either to learn or to buy from and what I get up to in my spare time LOL.

In the meantime, I thought you might like to see my summer fleece – at present it is growing on these beautiful Jacobs Sheep kept by my boss, Paul, who very kindly sent me these photographs.





For the last two seasons, Paul and I have shared the cost of shearing his sheep. He gets, nine nicely clipped sheep and I get any number of sheep fleeces, 9 being the maximum. Paul very kindly gets rid of any fleece that has been infected with flies etc and then they are bagged up and put into my garage.

I have yet to learn what to do with it all, however, hopefully after a couple of postponements, I will be learning to spin on the 1st March 2008, I really can’t wait.

The colours; ranging from cream, through rust to nearly black is just beautiful, just the thought of spinning and then knitting this yarn, is just so exciting.

Paul also has two donkeys which have been rescued / adopted from the Donkey Sanctuary.

The Hunt

At this time of year the farm hosts the 'New Year Hunt'. What ever your views, and I am pro-hunting as long as the animal is shot first before being given to the dogs. Living in the countryside you really do see the damage that wild animals can course, if left to multiply without intervention i.e. culling. I appreciate that the pictures of half eaten foxes is awful, however the activists never show pictures of what foxes do to new born lambs and calf’s as they are being delivered by their respective mums, especially if it happens in the field without the shepherd / farmer’s guidance.

Please enjoy these photographs of the beautifully dressed horses and their riders. Sorry about the quality today it is blowing a gale and very gloomy I therefore had to support the camera against the gate post.

The drinks



Nikky and Scooby



They are off



The dogs whizzed by me and I wasn’t able to take a clear picture, they were all very excited and the hunt masters looked wonderful in their red uniform. I do hope nobody falls off as the conditions are awful today, still they are warmed up !!

Winter Solstice

Actually it was 17 days ago, on the 22 December 2007, the day that Toby and I walked along the Ridgeway. On our walk we met a very nice young man who had wonderful long dreadlocks and carrying a rucksack and sleeping bag, he explained that he had just started out on a 3 day trek along the trail. As we finished talking he wished Toby and I “A Happy Winter Solstice Day”. Toby gave me ‘one of those looks’ and I smiled, and explained that he had probably just come from the celebrations at Avebury, a heritage site, similar in age and meaning as Stonehenge.

However what ‘Winter Solstice’ means to most of us, is the days will start to gradually get longer, some thing that I can safely say most of us look forward to and even more so if you suffer from SAD.

Now, if you happen to leave work at 5pm and you also happen to work in a rural area, just I like I do. I work in a 100 year old converted drying barn, on a farm, where the nearest urban lighting is approximately 2 miles away. You may have noticed that, it is no longer pitch black when you leave, the sky is now actually dark blue and that you can just make out the colours on buildings in the near distance. I travel east to go home, so the setting sun is behind me, and yesterday I noticed the very last of the setting suns rays on the horizon. Enough to say to you all, it won’t be long and it will soon be light at home time. I do pray that this thought makes you smile. The BBC weather site is a good source of sunrise and sunset times plus the weather of course.

2008 Targets

Silver Jewellery Making at New College, Swindon

When I lived in Southampton I started a Silver Jewellery course however after just two weeks I had another accident with my back, which meant I could not drive to the college, in fact I would not have even been able to stand or sit at college.

Then life moved on and I relocated to Swindon ... when looking through one of the college’s prospectus I was really pleased to see that they also ran a similar course – jump 4 years – I have just managed to get on the 10 week beginners course, it is an extremely popular course, with a waiting list – now I am jumping with excitement.

Last evening was my first class, my tutor, has moved to Swindon from ... Southampton, the lady I sat next to, is one of my closest friends colleagues at a local primary school, where they both teach. A lady across the other side of the class knows Hamble-le-Rice very well as she has done lots of sailing and finally a lady on the other side of me (but one), has the same first and last (maiden) names, as my close friend who is the teacher. What a small world.

The class seems to be very friendly, which is a good start ... nothing worse than a class that does not gel.

We all had to measure our finger that we would want to make the ring for, so that we could order some silver and a cabochon stone, an exercise in calculations and the forerunner of making our rings next week. The stones were very cheap and it seemed silly the 9 of us doing separate orders and each paying £2.95 P&P, so in typical Jacky style, I offered to make the order on behalf of everybody and then they can all pay me back next week – there is always one though, isn’t there, she could not make up her mind, so ordered over £20.00 – she did offer to pay there and then, (so no worries about getting the money) but it did make me giggle.

Just one problem, I put all my tools into a rucksack so that the weight was distributed evenly over my back, but it has still made it ache plus sitting in the college plastic chairs. So I think I am going to need a trolley tool box and remember to take a cushion to ease the pain in my hips/back for next week.

I have decided to join in many challenges for 2008.

Race for Life

On the forum I have pledged that I am going to try and jog this race.

This time last year, I was given the all clear, in October 2006, I found a lump, which the doctor wasn’t happy about and the consultant wasn’t sure of either. So after many tests and quite a long wait due to Christmas, I was given the fantastic news while in America. As a family we were all concerned as my Mum had had breast cancer at the age of 33, which I believe she has had to have quite a lot of surgery for. I was not mentally up for running the Swindon Race in 2007 and but I really hope I can over come asthma and the pain in my hips and back to manage this years local race.

I did my first run / jog / wobble round Wroughton on a cold Thursday morning (03/01/08), this is my bench mark:

Age: 45 1/12
Height: 5’ 5”
Weight: 13 st 0 lbs
Size: 16

5 km = 46 minutes

I had lots of support from Noel and the dogs. I made my route by using this run map maker, thought it might be helpful to other ‘bods’ wanting to do the same.

I got home with a face the colour of beetroot and huffing and puffing, not a pretty sight, but I did it.

The next day my ribs and tummy muscles hurt, so I couldn’t laugh – you know that feeling and all you say to people is “please don’t make me laugh”, so what do they do, they make you laugh, LOL.

Now I am being very very brave letting you all know what I weigh etc, but I need to be honest with myself so that a) I can lose weight b) drop two dress sizes and c) get fitter

All I need to do is improve …


The Sock Yarn Project 2008

To knit an item a month using sock yarn.

This follows on from the Sock-A-Month 2007 challenge; I managed to complete just 2 pairs of socks in the year; however I did also knit 3½ non matching socks!

However, I have made a start on my third FCS, using one of the purple coloured balls of Trekking that I purchased from Get Knitted.


Quilt-A-Long 2008

To produce a ‘quilt block’ a month, so that if I did manage to complete 12 blocks, I can make a bed throw.

Any body joining in this challenge can suggest a ‘subjects’, which will be picked randomly each month.

January is: Snowdrops

I did a search for images and chose this picture as my inspiration



I have got a couple of the correct colour fabrics in my stash, I just need to get fat quarters in two more green's, a white and a cream.


The Tiny Round Robin Bag Exchange

To make a small bag, to be filled with, little bits and bobs, anything from, a jar of jam to freebies from magazines, to a handful of nice sweets. All to be sent to a friend on the list with a little note book, showing that I made the bag and what I put in it, this will then be filled in by all other recipients of my knitted bag.

In January, I will send to the person ONE below me in the list.
In February, I will send to the person TWO below me
and in March I will send to the person THREE below me.

The original pattern is here.

Finished measurements of the original bag 4 inches/10cm high; 3.25 inches/8cm across at base, however you can make it 4"/10cm from the eyelets.

I have the yarn, just now need to knit the bag and purchase a small notebook as it will be my bag's Travel Journal. Filling the bag is more of an exercise in gathering and imagination than in making, the bag most not be over filled; nothing popping out the top of the closed bag and it should also be almost free, no more than £2.00 plus postage.


Will I succeed? No worries if I don’t but it is really exciting to set myself these challenges.

Holidays

Firstly, I would like to wish every one of you a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

I have had two weeks off work over the Christmas and New Year period. The longest holiday I have had since visiting my in-laws in Florida this time last year.

Now my only problem was; should I sit on my backside and knit and sew the holidays away, which is what is what I thought I wanted to do or follow the little bit in the back of my head that kept saying, “you will regret doing nothing” ……..

So ... it began; my holidays started on the Friday afternoon before Christmas, shopping! I don’t go bananas, buying lots of extra food as this will just go to waste but we do have extra treats like different sorts of cream and some sweeties for the table.

Toby had got off work straight after his early morning parade, so he turned up at my work very early, so he was put to work, stuffing envelopes as I was doing the wages. Then when I finished at 1pm, he had the wonderful experience of escorting me round the supermarket. Noel had finished work at 12 noon and gone down the bar for a Christmas drink (coke, due to his long drive home) and then he came and met Toby and me. This way we could share the packing, loading and unloading and putting away. Now that's what I call family team work.

During Saturday and Sunday, I started cooking; I made lots of leek and potato soup ready to take back to work and some fresh bread.



A take away plastic container takes 400g of soup, which is the same as a standard bought tin of soup.

I also made homemade mince pies, with the mincemeat I had made in October. Now, I am not that keen on pastry but I had forgotten just how nice homemade pastry is. I have not made any for years and had lost confidence but with the extra time I had because, Noel was walking in the Brecon Beacons. I took my time and what a successful outcome. I would hope to never buy another shop pie or sausage rolls again.

Saturday was a lovely sunny day, cold but bright so Toby and I went for a 4 mile walk along the Ridgeway between Hackpen and (nearly to Avebury) with the dogs.





Sunday and a few of the other lovely days we had during the holiday period was spent digging the allotment. These pictures were taking on Sunday which had started as a frosty morning but when the sun came out, it was just lovely and the soil was not hard at all. We had a really constructive hour on this particular day.





Monday: up early and straight down to our local butchers BV Berrys to pick up the turkey, except it felt like the rest of Wroughton had the same idea. So I just got chatting, can’t think of anything better than chatting while waiting for my turkey and sausage meat, I felt like I was back in the 1940’s. I wanted to take a picture of the long queue outside the shop with the dark grey (looked like snow clouds) and how old fashion and Christmassy it all looked, but I was just a little embarrassed, so I hope you can imagine the scene.

Noel and I went up to the coal merchants to get enough coal and firelighters to last us over the Christmas period. We have a wood stove in our conservatory, which means we can use this large room all year. On the way back home we picked up our milk which is locally produced, and the local residents can buy at Covington Farm Newsagents in the village. It was now time to return home and I made a start on the sausage meat ready to stuff the turkey and some sausage rolls.

Here is a picture of Noel and I after taking turns grating the onions for the sausage meat mixture.



The onions were so strong LOL

I cook our turkey on Christmas Eve, mostly because our oven is to small to cook everything on Christmas Day but also because I would hate it if I over slept and didn’t get the turkey cooking on time.

We all then went to friends for dinner to kick start our Christmas off. We had a lovely evening and some very nice food.

Christmas Day

Noel and I wanted to start our day by walking around Avebury but it was throwing it down – so we looked at each other and decided to have another cup of tea in bed, the walk could wait.

The day itself was lovely and quiet, just the four of us. Which I am sure will be the last one, as Toby and Louise will be in thier new house for Christmas 2008.



Poppy and I made the crackers, we filled them with wooden 'executive toys', a great buy as they have been keeping friends and family entertained (read as frustrated) ever since.

Toby left mid afternoon to travel up to Louise in Hull, after we had opened our presents, we were all chuffed with what Santa had brought.

Noel’s main present was a GPS watch so that he doesn’t get lost in Wales! Poppy had a new mobile, which I have to say, I really didn’t want her to have but it is all she really wanted. I had tried for weeks and weeks to get her to give me other ideas but all she kept saying was “I would really like a new phone, please”. I had already had my present, which was Buddy, shared over my birthday and Christmas, however I did receive a lovely signet ring with my initial; hand-engraved on the surface. However, just look at this presentation, Noel sewed the balls of yarn through the big box which also included my ring, so that I would never guess what this present would be. How clever and thoughtful, just one of the reasons why I love this man.



A little thankyou to Bruce at Scandinavian Knitting, who helped Noel with this Fabel Sock yarn.

Walking

Noel and I did manage to do some walking:

Silbury Hill


The first being a 5.5 mile and the second being a 4.8 mile route both lovely walks, which I highly recommend with or without dogs.

Avebury - early


Kennet Canal with Silbury Hill in the back ground


Knitting

I finished my second FCS, which I blocked on Toby’s bed, while he was in Hull and before Toby and Louise returned on New Year’s Day.

The finished shawl, which has been given to a very generous lady called Lorraine Goble:



A close up of the colours:



I also visited Fabricland to buy all the fabric to make Poppy’s new Song and Dance costume, she is singing ‘Wishing you were some how here again’, from Phantom of the Opera, (I have already bought some dark green velour to make a full length cloak to go over the dress),



and some corduroy fabric to make a dress and a skirt for me - perhaps, someday.



Then as a treat and for just 10 minutes before they shut I went to Get Knitted.



New Years Day

Noel and I were up early, to be at Gatwick Airport to meet Noel’s parents, who had flown in over night from Florida for three weeks. However the plane was delayed by two hours, a gentleman had had a heart attack – so my best wishes go to him and I hope he makes a swift recovery.

We then drove across country, making our way back to Southampton; unfortunately just in front of us near Pulborough, West Sussex, at approximately 1 pm; two cars had a head on collision - oh dear – Noel and I administered first aid and traffic control with other car drivers, until the ambulance and two fire engines arrived. Again, I wish these two people a very fast and full recovery. My heart goes out to you both, for this very unexpected accident on awful road conditions and on the first day of 2008.

By the time we had driven to Fareham, we were all getting rather hungry, so we stopped at the Harvester and had a very pleasant lunch before dropping the in-laws back at their UK home in Locks Health, before Noel and I travelled back to Wroughton.

Wednesday

A visiter outside our village pet shop - this is what puts a smile on my face.



After my earlier visit to Get Knitted I realised that I had forgotten to buy Knitting Lace Triangles by Evelyn Clark, (a book that had been highly rated). So when Toby and Louise wanted to visit Ikea in Bristol to buy a few things ready for their new house which is being built, I had an idea. Noel and I have only been to Ikea once before and we had an awful time. It was just so busy, so the thought of going again, we both found just a little stressful. However, I suggested that if we could all get up and get out early, it may just be slightly better. We all managed to do just that, we got to Ikea by 9:25 and there were already quite a few people waiting but the shop didn’t open till 10:00, groan! So the four of us decided to sit in the car but I then noticed that the queue was moving. The shop doors actually open at 9:30 but you have to wait till 10:00 before going through the tills. When we finally emerged into the outside world the car park was full to the brim, we had to laugh between us, we had managed to buy 2 trolleys of ‘stuff’ which we then had to squeeze into the car. A case of "we won't be visiting Ikea any when soon and it's so cheap". I have to say by being there so early the whole experience was far more pleasant and we now know to get there early for future visits. Noel and I will be returning because we have found some wooden blinds for our conservatory and they are very, very reasonable in price - far cheaper than we have seen any where else.

After leaving the over crowded car park at Ikea, I then managed to talk the others into taking me to Get Knitted, and while we were all there a few more balls of sock yarn just happen to fall into my basket with the book, which had literally just arrived and had to be found out back in a delivery box.



My only Sale Shopping - I actually dislike most sort of shopping!!

Now last Thursday, it just happen to be 10% Day at Homebase, and I had wanted for a long time to give the front of our house some colour. So I made several purchases of some plants, which were already on sale and some slightly chipped very cheap big pots, plus four bags of compost. I just needed a good day to plant everything up.

This is how the front of the house has looked for a long time:



So it brings me to my final day off, before returning to work tomorrow ohhhhhhh. Poppy was doing a sleep over and Noel had left early for a different Brecon hike. The weather was lovely, just what I needed, to do all the pots. I am very pleased with my efforts, what do you think?



The long stick by the front door is actually a cherry tree, it will be lovely watching it blossom.