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

Change of season

Well, the boys' school holidays are drawing to an end and it's not with anticipation that I look forward to school runs and rushing about.

The past week or so has felt a little odd, and honestly, I've felt a little 'flat'.  We've done a spot of entertaining, which I always enjoy, but these occasions have been 'goodbye' meals and they've made me feel a bit heavy-hearted. 

My sister and her family have moved to pastures new and our friends have returned to Kuwait for a few more months until hopefully they come home permanently......I know neither of these things are reason to feel glum, but coupled with a feeling of.....well.... I'm not quite sure.....I'm feeling a bit unsettled.

My knitting and crochet have lacked 'buzz' and I'm suffering from need for a change of scenery....oh, dear....I do sound like a whinger!

So what am I doing to kick myself into gear? 

Trying to get some long-awaited jobs ticked off the list.....look.... my bunting from last year's swap finally sewn up and labelled with the places it came from. Very cheery it is too, around our bed.

Starting new projects.....mainly a new sweater, which being for me, I've indulged in some stripes (more of that on my YOP post on Sunday).

Doing a little sewing.

This was a house-warming gift for my sister, which I really enjoyed doing, but does remind me to invest in one of those free-style foot thingies.......working with the foot up is not the way!

Planning for the next few months.

I'm sure six weeks of next to no routine is one of the factors of my bleeauuuggghh-temperament.  I'm not looking forward to the return to school, but I think it will be the positive 'shove' I need.

So I'm going to make like a student on my first day back at school, with newly sharpened pencils, starting the first page in a new book....

I hate to write-off the summer, but it seems to me that I am starting a new season, and I'm going to jump in feet first!  Care to join me?

Silver linings

This year, the boys' school holidays have been markedly different from other years....with the introduction of Chester our beagle puppy to our home, we have got out of the house everyday for a good walk, come rain or shine.

This particular day was one which was drab and rainy and didn't seem to hold much promise of a nice walk.

We jumped in the car, suited and booted and headed to a beach about ten minutes away.

We were to discover untrodden sand, crashing waves and space to run.

There were definitely silver linings in those clouds!