Oh No He Isn’t!

Just trying to catch up a little with news.

I picked up these gorgeous buttons from Textile Garden at the East Sussex Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers Exhibition. I am a bit of a Magpie where colour is concerned so bought these with absolutely no projects in mind, but you can never have too many buttons.

Needless to say I have cast on a Cardigan from the Noro Mini Knits book which requires 2 buttons and none of these match colour wise. So that means I have to buy more.

Shame.

Apart form the buttons link to this post title, the best pantomime in my opinion is here.

The title changes every year but it’s basically the same slapstick and they give out Newcastle Brown Ale and Wagon Wheels.

Tradition, you can’t beat it.

Enjoy your weekend.

Pizza anyone?

The Base.

The toppings.

Sunday Tea.

Was Yummy.

AND

Finally I have figured how to get pictures off my phone.

Hello

I was going to show you a couple of pictures of WIP’s today, unfortunately someone has pinched the camera to take pictures of trains!

So I have found one of my favourite pictures to add a bit of colour to this post.

As you can see it was taken a while ago, on our trip to Sissinghurst in May.

Will try and get back later in the week with the WIP’s but I am currently churning our Fingerless mitts of this variety, Scrunchie Handwarmers.  A very quick and effective knit which we are hoping the teenagers will appreciate! The spinning has come to a halt again, I can’t believe how 8 extra travelling hours a week has made such a difference but hopefully that will change after Christmas.

 This weekend I had a hair cut booked in York,that was until the hairdresser sold up. With hair as fine as mine I am nervous of trying new hairdressers, especially of the expensive variety so I cancelled the appointment and instead used the trip to transport the Christmas shopping North. I wouldn’t even dare to try and count how many times I have travelled up and down the East Coast Mainline but Friday saw the demise of yet another Franchisee, National Express East Coast and my journey home yesterday the appearance of East Coast directly run by the Government. I sadly have an interest because I come from a Railway family and did in fact work for Intercity East Coast. Hope thats vague enough for you not to judge me too harshly.

Back to the cleaning.

Enjoy whats left of your weekend.

 

Ooops

Bedtime already and I haven’t been here to tell you about yesterday. Nor have I taken any photos, so that’ll be next Saturday when I next see daylight. Not sure work would like me carrying sock blockers, Fibre and Yarn to photograph, but then they do know I’m strange.

Anyway, had a fabulous time yesterday very inspiring. Chatting with lots of like-minded people and enablers(Jo!).  Linda dropped by, it’s always nice to meet people who take time to read my ramblings. I may have required an extra seat on the train for my purchases AND it definitely was me that won one of the lovely hand-woven Silk Scarves in the Raffle.

The Little Gem(Spinning Wheel for the uninitiated!) has been released from captivity and I have practised on some yummy Merino so watch this space for progress.

Night, Night. x

Just Passing

 Thought I’d better let you know I’m still here!

I have been reading blogs and Ravelry but just haven’t got round to writing here.

The new jobs much more interesting than the one I’ve done for the last 5 years, it is also taking alot of learning.

I haven’t even got photo’s to show you, they aren’t on this Laptop, Doh.

If you are in Lewes on Saturday, I’m the one helping Jo (and looking very vacant). Come and say hello.

Then I get to spin on Sunday, the wheel has been packed away for a couple of months. Yippeeee.

See you all soon.

 

The Yarn Yard

There seems to be a theme to my knitting currently, as you may have guessed from the title of this post.

Here are three pairs of socks I can show you but there have been another 2 that I can’t, done in YY yarn aswell. All part of the Christmas sockathon.

Pattern: Aquaphobia

Yarn: Bonny

Shade: “Tiger Feet” (Sockclub)

This pattern makes a lovely thick sock.

I also think it helps with bright yarns by blending the colours. Personally I love the effect.

  These next socks would be mine, were I a bedsock wearer. I just love the colour mix and the yarn is so soft.

 Although today is a bit cool so you never know! 

Pattern: Om Shanti Bedsocks. 

This pattern is from a Socktopus Sockclub kit and may or may not be available at some point. It is such a quick effective Toe-Up knit, on this pair I have adapted the top to be K1tbl, P1 Rib.

 As I have 2 bed sock wearers in the family this will be revisited many times.

Yarn: Hug

Shade: Lime Pickle

 

  Pattern: Fiori Di Zucca (Sorry, this is another Socktopus Sock Club Pattern)

Yarn: Bonny

Shade: “Primavera” (Sockclub) – Christmassy I think.

Our Lounge decorating is finished, Dining Room reclaimed, lights fitted, Carpet laid, Furniture seized by a Dutch Bank….Thanks for that!

Thankfully we hadn’t been very quick at getting rid of the old stuff.

Short and Sweet

My head hurts.

Its been a busy week.

New Job.

5 days commuting, I am only used to 3. Thats 8 more hours in transit.

Dorian Gray is a strange film, even with Colin Firth.

How do Pizza Express explain running out of Rocket and therefore not being able to serve up my favourite pizza? (Soho)

In York this weekend, going to see Julie and Julia.

Back soon with some Tiger Feet!!

Enjoy your weekend.

 xx

Handbags and Gladrags

Fridays here already and that can only mean one thing.

Strictly, yippee.

 The last time I had Glad rags was when I was a teenager.

Did anyone else got to parties in long dresses?

Don’t think I was ever allowed sparkly shoes, thank goodness someone had sense.

My preparation for this seasons sequin fest has started.

I have cast on 460 stitches using a provisional cast on. That means counting 920 stitches or not as I had 3 times. With my nerves in tatters I thought it wise to knit a few rows so I have done 4 in each colour. I finally opted for the Blue Vesuvius Lucy Neatby and the Pink Koigu, the effect isn’t too obvious yet.

Here it is hanging out of my lovely new bag.

Now Handbags I have many of, they fit no matter what size and you never have to try them on, perfect.

 

The inside has a row of three pockets on either side, could be deeper but thats the pattern.

This is the prototype, there will be more but I only had 2 pieces of patterned fabric big enough.

Enjoy your weekend and remember….you know whats coming.

Keeeeep Dancing!

 (Hope the catchphrase hasn’t changed.)

P.S. Monday I start a new job, the Grey Matter will be working for the first time in 5 years! Nervous, you bet I am.

 

Strictly 2009

You may have gathered over the years that I am rather addicted to Strictly Come Dancing. Sad but true. It’s a family thing and this will be the second year we have had a sweepstake, we have yet to get excited about a few names that we haven’t heard before.

So these are my contenders:

Linda Bellingham

Ali Bastain (who?)

Natalie Cassidy

Joe Calzaghe

I see an early exit among these four.

 Every year I try to have a simple non sock project to knit while watching and this year I have decided on a Scrappy Lengthwise scarf. Despite its name and the huge supply of sock scraps I have I am using full skeins to try and get a bit of co-ordination. I have a few in stock.

 Here is the shortlist, I am actually thinking of the blue,  middle or even the big blue (Lucy Neatby) with the Koigu pink, small skeins bottom left. Watch this space. AND I have a new bag for the project, my mum is clever!

Sorry I’m not sure why WordPress won’t let you enlarge photos all of a sudden. Maybe I need to read more!

Short and Sweet

I won’t bore you with ALL the details but we have returned from our Northumberland adventure. A lovely area which didn’t fail us despite the crowds of Bank Holiday weekend.

Here we have a small selection of pictures, some of the wildlife were very accommodating.

Gateshead Millenium Bridge, Docile Butterfly, Blade of grass!, Ross Sands Beach, Cragside, The Sage Gateshead, Dunstanburgh Castle,  Baltic Gateshead,  finally the usual shot of a Dahlia at Cragside.  Himself has a slight aversion to buzzy flying thing’s, none of his pictures look like this.

I think I took 20 skeins, only managed to finish 3 socks but started a few others. The 10 pairs for Christmas has gone up in my mind but thankfully I’ve remembered a few pairs secreted for such an occasion.

I-Knit, on Friday was very good especially the Yarnissima and Speed Knitting workshops. I did feel Natalie was brave sitting next to me speed knitting, there could have been casualties! Something that needs a bit of practice.