Year of projects - 30.09.12

Well....despite the fact for the past three (I know totally unrealistic) Sundays I've wanted to show you my finished jumper........it remains unfinished.......again!

 Plain and simple pullover

So I've done the button bands on the left shoulder, I have another three inches of neck to do, and then just a short cuff on the sleeves........I will be finished by next week right?  I'm still fairly nervous about the fit and decided against the waist-shaping that some ravellers have done, wanting it to go over other things.....I do hope I've not made a stripey tent though!

I have other projects burning on my mind, but I have been one-tracked in a desperate attempt to get this done........I am sooooo excited to move on.....I have a bundle of new stylecraft with a blanket in mind ;-)

I've just returned from a ruff and tumble party with littlest boy and the weather is just dreary and rainy.  We ran our oil out at the beginning of the year to rehouse the tank, and with work being done on the house at the moment, it is still empty.  It was such a lovely suprise to come home and find hubby had cleared the fireplace and lit a fire......no shivering under blankets tonight!

As I was otherwise occupied with bouncy castles, I wasn't quick enough for prime position.

Well....what with having my knit head on recently, I am totally behind with everyone......it will be rectified I promise.....but I must not have another half-baked jumper picture next week!

Hope it is warm and snugly where ever you are......speak soon.x

Birthday boy

On request, birthday breakfast was at MaccyD's .....I must admit, I didn't complain at the pancakes and syrup ;-)

Sustenance is all important when you have a full day ahead.

Here's the birthday boy....he was four this birthday.....he says he will be thirteen next birthday.....

Here they are the three amigos....horses at the ready!

Middle boy has an impressive ability to fit in tiny spaces........other visitors to the park looked on disapprovingly........but hubby, biggest boy of all, encouraged all the way and would have got in himself if he wasn't a little too big.

Giving you some perspective

Bigger brothers are always worth copying!

Biggest brothers haven't always got what it takes!

Relaxing in the sunshine.

Yet more relaxing!

Chocolate cake was on the menu.....Nigella's Quadruple Chocolate Loaf cake....and it didn't hang around for long!

Yes....it tasted that good.

It was of course, a day out at the wildlife park and apart from the monkeys shown above, we did see a few other animals too.

What a perfect way to spend your fourth birthday I think!

To dust or not to dust

I know I've told you before, that housework isn't really my forte.........

And despite suffering with a dust allergy.....I can often think of better things to be doing than dusting.

Well, I'm beginning to wonder if the entire dust stores of the whole world have been dumped on, in and around our house.

There is so much dust that the workmen are taking it away by the lorry load.

I've discovered a new method of torture sure to get the secrets out of any spy........the constant tap-tapping of the hammers knocking the render off, the drone of the powered chisels......

Can you see me?

One of our cats has always been a climber (not so good at the descent)  She is so enjoying the ladders to climb...the planks to walk along......looking in at us from the windows......sneering at her less-capable cat sister.

Is there any point in dusting?  I fancy a holiday for as long as it takes for everything to be sorted and sneeze-free again.

Tomorrow is littlest boy's birthday, he will be four and we will be celebrating with a family day at a local wildlife park....complete with picnic and chocolate birthday cake.

I have baking to do......I haven't lifted my head much from my knitting in the evenings recently so I am guilty of not visiting everyone as often as I usually do........normal service will resume when I put down the jumper.

Year of projects 16.09.12

Well, today is not a 'normal' Sunday as I'm going to be hitting the road soon for a day of driving, I thought I'd quickly update you all on my progress and hopefully get a chance this evening to catch up with everything.....gosh where has the week gone? 

The photos this week may seem a bit samey, but to be honest I am pressing forward with my Plain and Simple Sweater so everything else has gone on hold.

Round and round it goes....where it stops nobody knows..........

.....well, actually I do, as I have finished the knitting on circulars and have now started the arm area which I will stick to having in blue, I am very scared about stuffing up the stripes   I think the design will look better this way.

New skill learnt, tagging on new stitches at the end of a row using a ridiculously simple method which looked like it would unravel, but seems to have worked.......youtube yet again to the rescue!


I am sooooo hoping to get this finished, although I think looking at the week it may be wishful thinking.....we will see!



Just to round up, as I knew I wouldn't get my Sunday wood walk in this week, we did a Saturday wood walk instead.

I can see Autumn creeping in on the colours.....I must do a mosaic of the wood walks as it would be interesting to see the subtle changes.

'He aint heavy.....he's my brother'

Well.....I'm hoping that you've all had good crafting weeks.....so looking forward to sitting down a lot later today to do a huge blog reading session......its long overdue!

Thank you for all your advice and words of encouragement....what a lovely lot you are.x

Year of projects - 9.9.12

Another week, another update on my Year of Projects work!

I've been plodding on again with my Plain and Simple Pullover, it's a slow process round and round and I have to keep reminding myself that at least I won't have to repeat the process as I am doing the back and front all at once....can't be bad!

I must start measuring carefully now, I think I will probably take the sizing off a jumper that fits me well.

There has been no other knitting this week as my evenings have  been busy, which is the only time I sit to play.

Although not strictly a YOP piece, I am happily whizzing along with my Little Woollie stripe blanket.....it feels so nice to pick up the pace with a bit of crochet between the slow-plod sessions on my four-ply sweater.

The coming week is already shaping up to be a busy one, littlest starts back to school on Tuesday which will mean some car time for easily-put-downable-pick-upable knitting or crochet....maybe I'll start to think one-a-day again.

The weekend has been wonderful, with an impromptu meal out on Friday....what a surprise... I was just about to start cooking, and then my hubby says 'fancy going out instead?'  I didn't need asking twice!

We had a lovely meal, a game of pool while we were waiting (I don't think I've played for over fifteen years) and a sit on the sea wall watching people going by afterwards.  The kids were positively sparkling with excitement!  Well....so was I to be honest!

Look at the setting sun picking out the rowing boat.

Yesterday was football (Big's team lost), sheep moving and sorting and then crabbing off the pontoon in our village (no pictures as I was too busy fielding children teetering on the edge and stopping Chester from eating the bacon-bait)

Today, a walk on a different path through our my favourite woods.

It was a slow one, as there were plenty of blackberries to be foraged......the boys weren't the only ones hunting.

Have you ever seen a dog like it.....he's picky too, he carefully takes the black ones and leaves the red ones behind.

Anyway, hope that you have all had  a good week whatever you've been up to....looking forward to reading all about it soon. Faithx

Wise words

Today's lesson is brought to you by my three-year boy.........

'This is the way for horses Mummy'

'And this is the way for...............'

'.......peanuts'

(I can think of at least one blog writer that this will be of great importance to)

Year of projects - 02.09.12

Wow...we're in the ninth month....when did that happen....

This week I've been working on two new projects.

This is the beginnings of a new pullover for me......it's fulfilling the need in me to make a Veera Valimaki top....I love so many of the things that she has designed, but I am starting with something simple (hopefully!) her Plain and Simple Pullover......I am doing stripes, as I love me some stripes!  I am little concerned that I may end up looking like a Cornishware biscuit barrel....I'm going more for nautical.....fingers crossed then!

This has taught me  a new skill with changing colours in the round without showing where they start....youtube to the rescue for jogless stripes!

The second new project is a scarf that I've been pattern testing for Marie from Undergroundcrafter....great pattern, very easy to learn and flexible to make a scarf as long or wide as you like.  I tried this in King Cole Riot and have really enjoyed watching the colours unfurl....its not far off done in just a few days, just needs a couple more rows and a bit of blocking and it will be a done deal.

Well, the weekend has flown by again, and next week marks the return to school for two boys with little starting back the following week.

They have had a fun-filled holidays, lots of outdoor adventures despite the constant rain, so lots to tell their friends in the playground!

I will leave you with two photographs from yesterday's walk.

Sometime later when all has quietened down, I will look forward to reading about your progress too....until next week.x