Charity Bike Ride and Some Crochet

Well what a fantastic day it's been today. Met up on the carpark at Giggleswick and then joined in the ride back to Burnley. Hundreds of bikers out. Check out my pics taken whilst riding on the back (getting some practice in for the hols)

Bikes and trikes arriving at the finish in Burnley. What fantastic weather. Blooming cloudy and cold at the start of the ride but glorious here.


Who says it's grim up North??


I couldn't believe it bikes and knitwear all in the same place! Just check out the fabulous Wazoo Wacky jumpers!!

There was a police escort due to the large number of bikes. Plus there was an organised road closure to allow us to ride together on the last stretch. Loads of kids were posing for pics on their bikes and I just couldn't help myself...



DH much cooler than me in his Union Jack open face helmet!



The kids had a fab time at the grandparents and we were all back home by 2.00pm. Even managed to do some crochet! Here's the beginning of a Seraphina Shawl



Well that's the Easter holidays done with back to stinky work and school tomorrow. It's been a fantastic fortnight and an excellent break from the usual routine.

The Joys of Spring

Sigh... this is the last day of the Easter Holidays. Back to stinky work tomorrow. It's been so lovely this past fortnight. The weather has been great for once too. It's my favourite time of year when all the trees and plants are bursting back to life and it's light for long enough to do stuff after 4 o'clock.

Off on a charity bike ride today. Should be great. Lots of bikers riding in from Giggleswick to Burnley. Will post some pics later.

All's Well!

Long time no blog .... again!

Been a bit preoccupied of late really. Had a bit of a funny turn a few weeks ago. Chest pain. Not nice. Thought it was a heart issue. Have family history of this and let's face it I'm 40, carrying a few extra pounds and a smoker too. Got in a bit of a state so went to see the doc. He was great and I have been fully MOT-ed and given a clean bill of health. Hooray!! Feeling so much better about things.

Went to the cardio clinic this morning for a stress test. It's all a bit undignified for us ladies though as they have to have access to your chest to attach all the necessary probes and stuff. This means you are wired up, topless and using a treadmill. Not a pretty sight. I asked them to stop when it got to running speed (no way was I going to do that with my bosoms bouncing around all over the place! Got to draw the line somewhere!!!) Anyhow, all is well. No heart issues, blood pressure normal, cholesterol low. Left with the number of the smoking cessation team.

So what else is new? Well I am now term-time at work. This is fantastic and relieves a lot of the stress and military-style planning that has to go on to sort out childcare during the school hols. There's a pay cut of course but it's worth it I think. Just had a lovely fortnight pottering about at home with the girls and getting out and about.

We've been to Hardcastle Craggs

What a glorious day it was too! Lovely spot with the mill and the craggs to walk around.

We went up to the Lake District to visit my parents who were caravanning near Kendal. The girls had great fun building a den just behind the caravan


We left them with my parents and went for a drive round. Another glorious spring day that really blew us away



We also went for some walks locally including the Coppice - a hill that overlooks the neighbouring town of Accrington. Bit of a blustery day but still good fun. Unfortunately, you can't see the annoyed gothic couple who were rudely interrupted in their canoodling by our arrival!! They are sulking at the other side of the stonework!



My mum took the girls out for the day so we nipped out on the bike for a run out. This was an excellent opportunity to visit the Wensleydale Longwool Sheepshop and have a bit of a splurge! Also managed to track down some of the sheep in a field across the road. Gorgeous chocolate coloured ones too. According to the woolshop lady the white ones are indoors at the moment as they are about to lamb. Ahhh....


Aren't they cute!

In between all of this I've also done some knitting!

Socks


And a jumper for me

Busy Busy Busy

Well long time no blog.....

Well quite a lot has been going on. The run up to the end of term is always a bit hectic and chaotic. Plus there has been one or more birthday parties every week since the beginning of the school year! Honestly, the social lives of the primary kids is such a whirl.

It was also Natty's birthday at the beginning of February - 6 years old - I can't believe how fast it has gone!! Anyhow we had her party at the school hall with an entertainer who was just brilliant! There was balloon modelling, corny magic tricks, punch and judy and party games. Really old fashioned but great fun.

The kids had a whale of a time. 32 of them, all between the age of 3 and 6, and no tears or tantrums.

Half term has arrived and have had a couple of days off work because Nick's brother came to visit with his two kids. Had a lovely day all together and nipped out to lovely Towneley park and then nipped up to look at the wind farm. Then back home to warm up in front of the fire with hot chocolate and biccies. A pleasant chilled out day together. Don't see all that much of them as they live in Norfolk.

Here we are having fun at Towneley. It's a great place all year round. There are proper paths so it doesn't matter if it's been raining. I like the mossy winter green-ness of it. There are lots of interesting nooks and crannies to explore and felled trees to clamber about on.



No-one can resist the urge to stand on those balls outside the visitor centre at the main Hall!


Brr... it was getting a bit chilly up on the moors. The wind farm is soooo big. One of the turbines was turning into the wind and the weird creaking and banging was like a sound effect from Jason and the Argonauts (which we had been watching the day before!)



I'm quite pleased to report that even with all the stuff going on around us there has still been some knitting! Couple of pairs of socks. Lovely Kaffe Fassett regia socks for Nick and some Hedera socks for me in a very bright green Opal Uni. Have cast on a jumper for me in some bargain Paton's Jet too. There you go very productive all things considered!

Hedera Socks for me!


Lovely Kaffe Fassett Colours!


Have also expanded the stash a bit.... ulp!

UK Swap parcel of loveliness

Huge thanks to Snailspace for a great swap parcel.



There is an awesome pair of Magic Mirror socks - I love them - a spinning kit, some lovely bath pearls, sumptuous chocolate, scrummy chilies, some invisible ink pens for the girls (they'd already eaten the sweeties when I took the photo!) and some bright ideas stickies for Nick.

Just gaze at the divine Magic Mirror socks... they are great



I have been truly spoiled!

The never ending size 12 socks

Blimey I really must stop offering to make socks for people before I've found out what size feet they have. I am knitting a pair of UK size 12s for a colleague at work and they are never ending! I feel like I've been knitting them since forever!!

On the second one now though so not long to go and then I can knit something a bit more petite!!

Might do a pair for my younger daughter as she has lovely little feet and it will be a nice quick job too.

Got my winter warmer item to make for the UK swap and then I am free to do whatever I please!

So for 2009 I would like to:

crochet a blanket (a la Bessies Blanket most likely)
Use the stash of Rowan Kid Classic and knit something for me!
Finish off all the sad and lonely bits and bobs that are lying around.
Conquer my fear of lace knitting

But no doubt I will get all enthused about something completely different and will be relating the same resolutions in 2010

A Bag of Nostalgia

My mum is finally redoing the front bedroom and brought over a bag of my stuff that's been there for almost 20 years. So I spent a couple of hours lost in the past going through it all.

There were letters from friends I still know and some I lost touch with long ago all concerned with stuff that was so all-encompassing then but seems somewhat shallow and meaningless now. There were photos, a few records and lots of bits and bobs that I hung onto for a whole plethora of significant at the time reasons. There were fanzines from the 80s and a really old copy of Viz. My favourite find though was the zippo lighter that I thought I'd lost a lifetime ago.

Feels like finding an old friend.

UK Swap - Warming Your Head

Ooh ooh... catching up now!

Hats are great fun and a lovely quick knit too! I've fought in Hat Attack twice now (got bumped off quite early on both times but got a couple of lovely hats for my demise which made up for it!)

What is your favourite style of hat?
I love hats! No particular favourite style really. If pushed then I'd have to say earflap hats are my favourites

Do you have a favourite yarn for making hats with?
Wool or other natural fibre works best for me I think. The Hat Attack hat this time was designed using SWTC's Therapi yarn which is lovely and has some sort of jade composite in it along with silk and wool. Having said that the most important thing about yarn for a hat is that it is soft, warm and not itchy so I wouldn't rule anything out.

What hat patterns are in your queue at the moment?
Just had a quick look. I've got a balaclava, an earflap hat and some berets in there at the moment! Anything goes really

Do you have a favourite handmade hat that you (or someone else) has made?
I made the We Call Them Pirates Hat for a little boy and it was brilliant but I forgot to take a photo but it did look like it should have!


I also had fun knitting the Loopy Flapper hat recently. I too love the Woolly Wormhead hat designs

The Fibonacci Sequence Hat that killed me in Hat Attack is a favourite in this household my DH loves it too... it's just soooo cosy! Here's a pic of the Fibonacci hat and a nice red beret that I knitted recently for Natty. We were up Pendle Hill on New Year's Day and it was rather bracing and windswept!

UK Swap - Warming Your Knees

Oops falling a little behind on these at the moment. It's the whole end of Christmas sloth and getting back into being back at work syndrome I reckon. Feeble I know but oh so true!

What has been your favourite finished blanket/lapghan?

Do you have a favourite pattern that you'd like to make in the future?

Do you have a favourite type of yarn for making blankets/lapghans?

I have never knitted a blanket or afghan to my shame. This is because it's such a big project and I have such a small attention span. I do have some lovely old crochet blankets that my Great Aunt Lizzie made and gave me - bless her she was the one who taught me how to knit and crochet many, many years ago. I love them. They are made of acrylic yarn but I've had them forever and they wash and are all saggy and funny shaped and I wouldn't be without them.

There were also lots of lovely little knitted blankets in the NICU when my youngest was there which we all tried to grab first after they had been watched... much nicer than the utilitarian NHS cellular blankets! There weren't enough to have one to keep though which was a shame. Note to self - must pull finger out and do some knitting for the baby unit to rectify the situation!

There are lots of stunning blankets and afghans around but my favorites are:

Color Me - a crochet blanket that's really original

Love the bright colours and the crayola crayon vibe. It's great!

I also really like the Natural Dye Studio's range of Bessie's Blankets too. There is just something so cosy about crocheted blankets. These blankets are so timeless and are made from the fabulous Dye Studio yarn so really sumptuous and touchable too! Love 'em!


I'm also really like the Lizard Ridge throw. It's just beautiful.

UK Swap - Warming Your Feet

Just in case you didn't already know. I LOVE SOCKS. I almost always have a pair on the go and they are my favourite protable project.

What is your favourite way of keeping your feet warm?
Socks without doubt.

Do you have a favourite pair of socks you reach for to keep your toes toasty?
My favourite socks are the ones knitted for me by Channon for the last sockapalooza. The photo (which I pinched from Channon's Flickr) doesn't do them justice and the colours are much deeper. They are still going strong 18 months and many washes later.



Is there a pair of socks/slippers you have been wanting to make for ages but haven't got around to?

Oh there are soooo many. I mean to do the Hedera socks sometime. Did start them but foolishly used black yarn and gave up in frustration as I couldn't see what I was doing. I'm always adding patterns to my Ravelry queue.

What is your favourite finished object that warms your feet?
My favourite FO is the very first pair of socks I ever knitted just over 2 years ago. They are a bright stretch Regia yarn and again are still going strong. I'm modelling them here at my sister-in-law's wedding. The M6 motorway was shut due to a really bad accident that day so it's a good job we went down on the bike or we wouldn't have made it. We just about got there in time to hear them pronounced man and wife!! Hence the bike gear - no time to get changed!



What is your favourite yarn to use for socks/slippers?

One of the best things about sock knitting, if not THE best thing, is the chance to indulge in a little luxury. You can splurge on wonderful yarn at a relatively low cost as you only need one or two skeins to make a fabulous pair of socks. I'm especially fond of the Natural Dye Studio sock yarn as it is sooooo gorgeous but also like Violet Green, The Knitting Goddess, Fyberspates and Laal Bear. Indie dyers yarn is always a real treat. But for everyday wear you can't beat good old Regia and Opal for longevity and value!

Christmas

Well it's been a busy one with Nativities, pressies lots of eating and all that jazz. Ended up downloading the Ting Tings album as a treat to myself as DH failed to pick up on my hints ("I really like the Ting Tings, wouldn't mind their album!" being a typical example!!) Oh well. He did redeem himself by getting me a nice digital radio/ipod docking station so I can enjoy my new Ting Tings album at work!! As well as listen to the Togmeister as well

The girls ended up doing 3 performances of their "Wriggly Nativity" because the school hall is just too small to accommodate all of the audience and all of the children. Every single child was in the concert. The infants did the nativity and the juniors did some fabulous singing including Bohemian Rhapsody which wasn't half bad!

Here are my two stage stars. One's a slightly grumpy looking pig and the other a very serious angel (in the middle) sporting a new short hairdo - had to dash to the hairdressers for a rescue job after little sister decided to test her hairdressing skills on big sister. Not a pretty sight! Found the locks of hair shoved into DH's motorbike boots a day later!!!



I do hope Father Christmas brought all of you the things you wanted this year. I got the usual array of nice smellies, choccies etc. All nice but this year I did get a knitterly pressie from my lovely UK Sock Knitters swap pal Misselle. Thanks again!



Christmas day was lovely. There was the 4 of us plus my parents, sister in law, auntie Isobel and my friend Tracy. We ate well and chilled. Here's Tracy with the girls and Sally the dog - you just got to wear a tiara at christmas don'tcha!!

UK Swap - Warming Your Neck

What is your favourite neck warming pattern?

Do you have a favourite FO?

Is there a style of neck warmer you particularly like?

Hmm... favourite way of warming my neck.

There is no doubt about it, you cannot beat a lovely scarf for banishing the shivers on a chilly day. And it is impossible to pin down a favourite one. As long as it is soft and long (I like to wrap scarves around more than once if possible!) Then I am a fan!

I got a copy of Victorian Lace Today recently to conquer my fear of lace knitting and because there is something very cosy about wrapping yourself up in a shawl I reckon. I'm still a bit scared though!! I have the Ice Queen cowl in my queue and the yarn to do it. Just need to pluck up the courage to give it a go!



I've only got one FO on Ravelry which is this Hat and Scarf that I made for my stepson's girlfriend. I have promised to make some scarfs for my girls though and have got some very nice girly wool for that just need to find a nice pattern/some inspiration! They will probably have pom poms or tassels at the ends and I think they will probably be ribbed (keep the shape better when used as tug of war ropes which is bound to happen!)

Also quite like crocheted scarves and have made this one skein scarf a few times for people. I also sometimes make an easy swirly crochet scarf too but can't remember which pattern it was from. It's a row of treble crochet and then 2 in each one on the second row, and 2 in each one again on the third row. It goes all twisty and swirly and looks nice.

Warming Your Hands

So, what is your favourite winter warmer for your hands?

Gloves and mittens... don't they just shout out winter cosiness!! Love 'em all. Have a preference for the fingerless variety on account of having quite small hands and tend to find that the fingers flap about a bit at the tops of full gloves.

I was once a bridesmaid at a relatives wedding that was either early spring or autumn/early winter and we wore red velvet dresses and had lovely cream muffs. Maybe we should resurrect the muff!!

If lacking mitts or a muff then it's a case of dragging down the sleeve ends of your jumper to cosy up your hands or shoving them up the opposing sleeve (bit of a straitjacket look though and not so good if you slip on some ice as your hands are all tied up!!)

Do you have a favourite pattern or finished object?

I enjoyed making the Mitt Envy mitts. Used some leftover Lorna's Laces to make them and they were cute. Other mitts I want to have a go at include: Cafe au Lait , Porphyria, Fetching and would like to have a go at some Norwegian or stranded ones too.

What is your favourite yarn for gloves/mittens/handwarmers?

Wool and wool blends. Something soft and not too itchy and not too thick.

Are there any patterns out there you would love to own?

Not especially as there are soooo many fine free possibilities on Ravelry to go at!

Or do you already have a winter warmer and you would like some mittens/gloves/handwarmers to match?

I'm not especially co-ordinated at the best of times! So no need to match up anything in particular!!

Hussars, Goodby Mr Chips and fabulous cardigan

Wow! What a week it's been. Firstly there was the weather. Well I am British and it's in my job description to waffle on about the weather!! There was snow, and ice and sadly lots of rain to wash it all away. Chaos ensued - who knows what it would have been like if the forecasts had actually come to pass.

Tuesday was a fun day at work. The King's Royal Hussars were exercising their Freedoms of the Borough and were marching through the town starting from the staff car park. Forgot to take my camera so please excuse the appalling quality of the photos taken on my phone

Here's a big tank

Well come on... how often do you see a large tank parked next to your offices!!

Here's the band leading the way on the march. They were really good and even did a version of Mika's "Grace Kelly" as well as the usual cheery marching music. Brought back memories of when I was in the Accrington Concert Band - just love band music!

Really like their long coats - wouldn't mind one myself! As you can see it's a bit soggy - in fact it hailed like mad when they were drilling and being inspected by the Mayor. Felt really sorry for them.

Here come the Hussars

And here they are again marching off around the borough


It was an enjoyable event which makes you proud to see. Some miserable buggers were wingeing about the cost/pointlessness/archaic value etc of it but they were still all crowding round the windows to watch! Mind you, you couldn't really shout your mouth off when they all had big guns and swords!! I thought it was fab.

One of my colleagues retired today after many years. Sad day will miss his cheery company. Lots of people turned up for his presentation and the leaving do last Friday has already become a legend in it's own stupor!! We all lined up on the stairs to clap him as he left for the last time and many a tear was wiped away. Felt like a scene from Mr Chips.

Finally got a photo of the legendary Elvis cardigan. This was done by a lady at the stitch and bitch and it is awesome. I'm only sorry it's such a crappy photo but nevertheless marvel at it's fabulousness!

Disappointed

Well it was all over the news and the papers, there were severe weather warnings aplenty and I was expecting to look out on a winter wonderland this morning. But alas all I saw was lashings of rain. No snow day for us. Boo Hoo!

Winter Warmers Swap

Handmade Item Swap

What kind of items are you interested in receiving?
Ooh I love, love, love socks. I only have dinky feet (UK3) too. Also adore fingerless mittens (have dinky hands too so the fingers are always a bit flippy flappy on gloves). You can never have too many scarves either but I like them long enough to wrap around a couple of times ( I blame exposure to the Tom Baker Dr Who at an impressionable age for this!). I take the dog out early in the morning so a cosy hat is always good too.

But quite honestly I am super easy to please and would be chuffed to bits to get anything at all made just for me!

Do you knit, crochet, or both?
Knit mostly but dabble in crochet now and again

What is your favourite colour?
I like purples, reds, greens and blues. Also partial to very bright combos as well esp rainbow colours.

What is your least favourite colour?
Not keen on white and yellow as am a bit of a muck magnet and can never keep things looking nice in these colours

What’s your style? (elegant, traditional, glamourous, girly, natural, sporty, outgoing, etc.)
Style? What's that??? Hmm... I suppose I would say I am casual with a penchant for the eccentric. An eclectic (in other words I just throw on any old combo!!). Love traditional and classic stuff too. Not particularly chic or fashionable really! Also as I am now in my 40s I cannot help myself and have to consider the 'comfort' of stuff these days. (Eek it will be elasticated waists and stay press pants next.... noooooooo!!!)

Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn?
I like natural fibres best. Love any wool or wool blends, alpaca, silk blends. Any sock yarn is great to me but am particularly fond of the Natural Dye Studio, most indie dyers and good old Regia. Also very fond of King Cole merino blend - such a great all round wool.

Do you have a least favourite type of yarn?
I'm really not fussy about these kind of things but am not keen on the fuzzy fizzy yarns.

Do you do any other crafts?
Not really too addicted to knitting

Are there any knitting accessories you are interested in receiving?
I quite like the idea of having a go a spinning so a spindle would be lovely. Also my addi turbo circulars are getting a bit past it so could do with some more of those (2.5mm 60 cm). Stitch markers are useful too. Also I do need a nice retractable tape measure too - keep losing my ordinary one and I'm sure my girls have been playing tug of war with it!!

What do you like to eat?
Oh I do like food. I like herbs and spices and yummy stuff to add to my cooking. And for treats I like the usual suspects. Chocolate, old fashioned sweeties, biccies.

Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?
I am blessed with the constitution of a dustbin and have no allergies to anything!

Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know?
Can't really think of anything. Like I said I'm easily pleased!!

Life Begins....

This is the big day! I am now 40!

Been a lovely day so far. DH got up with the girls and then woke me up with a nice cup of tea. I sauntered downstairs a bit later and opened my cards. He's got me a balloon ride! I am soooo excited about it. I've always fancied a go in a hot air balloon and now I can. Not until next year though as they only do it from March to September but something to look forward to for sure!

In fact 2009 is going to be a year of adventures I reckon. Got the balloon ride and the big bike trip. Padiham to Istanbul! Can hardly wait.

Girls got me the DVD of Mama Mia which is fabulous. We watched it this morning and they enjoyed it too. Although I think only because of the Abba songs and the dancing. It was a bit like question time - who;s that? What's happening now? Why is he/she/they sad/happy/ angry??? You know the kind of thing!!

Got a giant pepper pot, a Remoska (cult Czech cooking device), a yogurt maker, and some lovely Regia silk sock yarn and other knitterly goodies too. And it's only just past lunchtime.

Just dropped the girls off at my mum's and we are out for a meal tonight.

Having such a good day so far!!

Life is definitely beginning!!!!!

Padiham Lights Big Switch On

The title says it all really. Tonight was the switch on of the Padiham Christmas lights. For once, it was leafleted about in good time and very well attended. Some local schoolchildren sang carols on the Town Hall steps and there were loads of folk there. Pretty much everyone with children under 10 I'd say.

The girls saw lots of their pals from school and out of school club and we even spotted their teacher in the crowd.

Father Christmas was in attendance and was practically mobbed by hordes of excited kiddies.

The fireworks started when the lights went on and were spectacular this year. Even Natty enjoyed them this year. It's the first time for this as she usually gets very upset about all the noise so it was great to see her oohing and ahhing with the rest of us!

UK Swap 3

Yay! It's on again and I'm all signed up. Just doing my bit and pimping the swap a little bit. Sign ups close on 30th November.

It was a really enjoyable swap last time around. This time there is a theme of Winter Warmers which conjures up lots of thoughts of woolly hats and mittens, hot chocolate and wonderful spicy smells.... nice.

Just another manic Monday

Just look at my poor little LandRover! I was just strapping my youngest into her car seat when a passing car caught the door, bent it and ripped off the arch trim. I guess the lady just didn't see me. Not what you need right before Christmas though as insurance claims are always a royal pain in the bum. This was so not my fault though. The other driver was either trying to squeeze past or simply didn't see me.

Parking around the school is a problem. It's a narrow country lane and there aren't many spots. I think the other driver was looking further up the road to see if there was a spot closer to the building and didn't notice us. No excuse mind you. It's not as if it's not known that people are picking up children regularly until out of school club shuts at 6. Good job it was coming from behind though as I would have got squashed if it had been the other direction.

Bit of a shocker but there you go.


No one was hurt though which is the most important thing. And you should have seen the other car. Not as robust as the Land Rover so there is a long gouge running down the passenger side and it's minus a wing mirror as well.

Hello Postie

Big shout to Modern Knitting for super efficient delivery. Ordered some new sock yarn on Thursday night and it arrived on Saturday morning. DH a bit naffed off when the doorbell rang at about 8 this morning as the parcel he had was wool for me. I was still all cosy and warm in bed at the time!!

Anyway here's the lovely goodies that arrived

Some of the Opal Harry Potter themed sock wool


Some Opal Rainforest 'Tiger' sock wool



Some Regia Surprise Color sock wool


And some lovely hand dyed Silk Wood sock wool



Baby jacket almost complete. Also started a pair of socks for my brother in law for christmas which are coming on a treat. They are done in Sirdar Town and Country sock wool which has sadly been discontinued.



Other news. Lots of lurgy about at the moment. Youngest has had 2 days off school with it but doing ok now. Big sister bit naffed off about having to go to school and not stay home too... been lots of "it's just not fair" type moaning going on.

My big birthday is fast approaching too. Can't believe that I will be 40 in a week's time. Just don't know where the last 4 decades have gone so quickly! Oh well... they say that life begins so on the whole I'm not overly bothered about it.