'The best-laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.' Robert Burns

Basket Number 1 was full, choc-a-bloce, brimming over, bursting at the seams, over-flowing, packed and stuffed with work started, abandoned or dismissed until another time. The 'time has come' (the Walrus said) to sort it out.

Knitted blanket started but abandoned probably because I could see that it would become unwieldy. I probably thought I'd make blocks instead of going round and round but boredom must have set in. I will unravel and the yarn will see another project instead of this one.

These were a disaster from the start. I only wanted to get rid of the very thick yarn. I'll think about incorporating these into another blanket (maybe).

Little bits of Christmas left over plus Father Christmas with one eye. What on earth shall I do with these?

Little bits of Valentine's Day left over. Must do something with them this year.

Experiments or leftovers of granny squares. I'll make this a start of an odd bod collection.

More squares started. These are Granny Rose squares.

This block was left over from one of my blankets.

I haven't the faintest idea about these 2. I shall unravel them and put the yarn back into stash.

Leftovers from making phone and iPod cases.

This is the start of a bobble hat which was crocheted sideways. It obviously was not working and so got abandoned. Unravel.

More leftovers from crocheting up thin cone yarn. Unfortuneately I only have bright orange left. I'll keep a look out at carboot sales for thinner yarn cones. 

So- the basket is empty and projects unravelled or left out while I tackle the other baskets. The best-laid plans of mum often go awry.

xx

PS Happy Burns Night for tomorrow.

Eylash crocheted Christmas tree

Finished. It was really easy. I used 4mm needles as they were already lying around and some fuzzy yarn. 

Cast on 3 stitches and knit one row.

Increase 1 stitch at the beginning of each row until the desired length is reached.

My cone was the inside of a machine knitting cone. I have a few left that I kept as 'they would probably come in handy sometime'. They have now as ...

I have a few other fancy balls of yarn left. These came from the CS. I've started on the white and this time I'm using 5mm needles to knit it up even faster.

xx

PS The triangle knitted is an equilateral triangle. I shall have to experiment to see if I can do an isosceles triangle. Maybe I shouldn't increase every row for this.

xx

On my needles and hook

I've started knitting squares from spare yarn. Here's a 20cm square and a 10cm square. The 10cm was way more satisfying to knit. A colleague at the CS wanted to get back into knitting again so we decided to knit squares for Charity projects. This one being for a pets' charity that needs blankets for the animals. We know that our hard work will be going to a good cause and we may recruit more knitters and crocheters along the way. My task was to sort out the pattern - number of stitches and size of needle and then to sew or crochet the squares together. Hope the project blossoms.

This next pic is of my blanket in progress. The ripple blanket is so satisfying to crochet and I'm using up my DK stash. It will take me some time to finish but I'm in no rush.

I've also been crocheting 'scrubbies' which are for washing up. They are crocheted from yarn that is actually strips of netting. The scrubbies don't work as well as ordinary scourers but look quite good around the sink. I'll post pics another time.

I've been thinking of names to call our knit and crochet for animal charities group and have come up with Knitty Nutters and Crochet Hookers. Any other names would be appreciated as we would like to recruit others to help us in our quest.

xx

Car Bootyful

Do I need more wool? Yes, of course.

Do I need another basket? Oh yes - I can store things in it and the whole look will be streamlined.

Do I need more paper? Certainly do - this little book contains lots of different coloured papers that are ideal for card making.

It's a lovely little book, which also could be a present for someone.

Do I need more files? Well if I'm to get myself organised then yes and they hide a multitude of cr** things.

Was it a good haul today?

Oh yes - I'm off to knit a twirly scarf now. My stash of presents will grow.

xx

Collections

I think I'm making a another collection. Is there a name for people who do this? Is it one of my hobbies? Could I be a collectoholic? A look at the Collections label shows the makings of an addiction.

I seem to be collecting blogs at the moment - my own. My Filofax blog is a record for me and I'm quite enjoying my Filofax adventures but here's another blog - hot off the press - and, again it's for me but it may be of interest to others. (If it's not to you then read no further than its title and certainly don't click anything!)

Grandma's Crazy Crocheted Cat Couture

:)

xx

PS Welcome to my new followers - I'm not too sure about one follower so I've not visited their link, having read somewhere that it's not a good idea. Beware.

If it is a good link I apologise but I'm not taking the risk.

Be prepared

I think this is going to be a Scarf year on the present collection front. I was given this yarn by a friend and I already had some in my stash. It's Stylecraft Ragtime and feels really soft and has neon bright bobbles every so often along its length. It knitted up in garter stitch on size 6mm needles and I used 3 x 50g balls. I have plenty left so I may make a matching hat which could be Christmas tree shaped with a glittery pom pom on top! Hmm!

I saw a version of this effect on a blog I read and decided to have a stained glass pattern on this scarf which was crocheted from side to side rather than bottom up. The colours were from my stash so are different kinds of yarn but all are DK crocheted with a 4mm hook. It's a really easy pattern and could lend itself to blanket making in jewel colours of course.

This yarn was from Liddle-iddle this year and was I think £3.99 for 4 x 50g balls. It was knitted on size 9mm needles and didn't take very long at all. It's an unusual way of knitting - not using it as yarn at all but putting just loops on the needles.

Totally different yet totally absorbing in the knitting and crocheting process.

There may be more to come. I feel a collection coming on!

xx

PS A warm welcome to my new follower and commenters.

I win!

Yes, I did just that. First it was a pattern for this superb afghan from Apple Blossom Dreams.  I had to answer a question and I was correct. Lucky me.

Astri, I hope you don't mind but I pinched a picture ofyour beautiful afghan.

And next I won a giveaway from the Vintage Knitter. It arrived today and I'm 'well pleased'. It will prove a very interesting read.

Thank you so much, my bloggy pals and thank you to all the new commenters. I will have a great time visiting your blogs.

xx

Alphabet Blogging - K

K is for Knitting

I'm still ploughing through the 'knitting of the socks'. I will finish a pair but it's slow going. The first sock I knitted up was very difficult to get on as the top didn't stretch and the sock itself was too small. Back to the drawing board and Youtube to learn elastic cast on. There are quite a few different ways of casting on, aren't there? I chose one and started a new sock, knitting it up in a different size. So far so good - the top seems stretchy and I've made it to the foot part but it's slow going. I'll probably have this sock number 2 finished next week and that will mean that I have 2 odd socks so I'll have to do a sock number 3 to match sock number 2 (Are you following me?) but -

I've forgotten which cast on method I used so I may end up with 3 odd socks!

It's a good job I've got a lot of the wool left.

Now for more Alphabet Blogging please follow the links below.

Dreamer

johnnyjumpsup

KC's Court

Cathy

Next week's letter is L.

Edit: Silly me - should be going backwards. Thanks, Julie.

Next week's letter is J.

xx

Sockywocky

Sockywocky

 (with apologies to Lewis Carroll)

‘Twas knittig and the slipsy needs
Did twid and twiggle for an abe,
All knotsy were the bally wools
And the mumsy nit outrabed.

“Beware the Sockywock, O Mum!
The stits that slip, the needs that clack!
Beware the counting pat with some
Mistakes - oh woe, alack!”

She took her clicky needs in hand:
Long time the slippy stits she thwart --
Then rested she by the bloggy tree,
To tell the world her thoughts.

And, as she tipped and tapped away
The Sockywock, and tugley woo - l
Called in tantilistic way
'Pick me up and keep your cool!'

Heely flappy turn and gurn
Gusset sorted click away
Slipsy, knitsy, is this furn?
K2tog and ssk ( :[ )

One, two! One, two! And three and four!
The clicky kneeds went knitty clack
She strove to do just more and more,
Moved onwards, broke its back.

“And hast thou slain the Sockywok?”
“Oh no, not yet but to be fair
One joyous day, I’ll blog away
And show the world the finished pair.”

xx

  

List 52 Week 5

I'm joining in with Dreamer's 52 list and am choosing small tasks that I've been avoiding and would like to do/finish. My list is written in my organiser and I hope this will give me a kick up the backside and spur me on. My fifth week task is:

5. Finish the jacket you started knitting. I know you only started it to help out Julie and I know you ran out of wool  and I also know that it was an awful pattern to follow and you kept having to pull the knitting back but it can't stay unfinished forever. It's getting in the way.

Right. First thing's first - look through the stash for some baby wool that is a similar shade. No, I didn't have any, nor did I have any of a different colour. I only had to complete the sleeve and neck edging - not much wool needed really. 

I then thought of a colleague who loves to knit and sent out an S.O.S. asking if she had any suitable wool. Result! Back came a ball of wool which was almost the exact same shade. Now the jacket is complete.

I know, Julie, my button holes aren't quite correct but I got there in the end!

xx

This and that

This is the last collection of runner beans which I will dry out and save for seed.

That is the end result of ...

this - a pumpkin cake recipe from schooldays.

This is a Hanukkah card I made for a friend and ...

that's the way I hold my right needle when I'm knitting.

Kitchen Window - November 2013 plus extra!

Nearly the end of November - time flies by.

I thought I'd treat myself to a bunch of seasonal flowers. The bit of trailing plant going across to the cooker died but the rest of it is still going strong. My conkers seem to be multiplying. At the left hand side is a device that shows you how much you are spending on electricity. Oo - er!

DD had a birthday and her work colleagues sent her flowers. It's pretty floral in this kitchen.

Mince pies here I come.

While the cooker was on I roasted the pumpkin.

Right - recipe at the ready ...

and the mincemeat was made the other day.

Looks like the pumpkin's ready.

It was a lot of messing around taking off the skin but it came away quite easily.

The seeds were duly washed - good job we're not on a meter - and then roasted with butter and salt. The pulp was mushed and will be stored in the freezer.

I'm now 'resting' from all the work in the kitchen and have started a new project, the result of trying to help KC's Court. I'm quite enjoying knitting again.

Soon be Christmas!

Sherry time is sooner, though!

xx

Keep fit, take exercise

I looked on the Net and found out that '... there are four basic elements of physical fitness: 


1. cardiovascular endurance
2. muscular strength
3. muscular endurance
4.  flexibility. 


Each can be measurably improved with regular exercise. To be truly fit, you should develop all four elements, not just one or two.'


Who needs a gym? (I made a list of activities that give me a good workout. I'm sure there are more.)

Sweeping floors or paths - 1, 2

Mopping floor - on hands and knees - 1, 4

Polishing brass - 1 (benefits depend on how hard you polish) 

Kneading bread - 2, 3

Climbing stairs - 1

Hanging out clothes - 4

Ironing clothes - meditation - 3

Folding clothes - meditation - 4

Wiping worksurfaces and sinks - 1

Hoovering - 1, 2, 3.

Dusting - 4

Tidying cupboards - 4

Walking to the shops - 1

Making beds - 1,

Weeding - 4

Hoeing - 1

Digging - 1, 2, 3.

Shoveling manure - 1, 2,  3.

I found some simple ways to practice mental fitness as well. Again I looked on the Net which recommended the following. I've noted what I do in brackets.

Daydream - (Won't it be wonderful when I finish this blanket, tea cozy, shawl, other blanket, Christmas prezzy bags .....)

Collect positive emotional moments - (Last one was - DH "Just say where you want to go for a walk and I'll take you." Ahh!! It rained of course so we didn't go!)

Learn ways to cope with negative thoughts - (Never mind we'll have a day in instead.)

Do one thing at a time - (Now that I've retired this one is dead easy. I can always do 'whatever' 'tomorrow.)

Exercise - (See above.)

Enjoy hobbies - (See blog.)

Set personal goals - (Enjoy life each day.)

Keep a journal - (See blog.)

Share humour - (Have you had a chuckle yet?)

Volunteer - (Charity Shop here I come.)

Treat yourself well - I'm sitting here in my hideaway having eaten a good meal. I'm nice and warm, have my family around and cats snuggling. My knitting, crochet and novel are within arm's distance and there's a bottle of wine and a good programme to watch on the tele when I go downstairs. Friends came round last night to make music and I'm going out with one friend tomorrow and another friend the day after. 

I make even have a walk with DH before the week ends. (Maybe, if it doesn't rain.)

I'll tell you what's brewin'

Remember this?

The teapot was from the Charity Shop. (I wonder why the spout is on upside down?)

It's probably why it was taken to the Charity Shop in the first place! The wool was from either the Charity Shop, junk shop or car boot - can't remember, but it was rescued by me. (Aren't I kind?)

Hey presto one kitsch Christmas present in the bag.

I can hear a cup of tea on its way.

One lump or two Mrs. T.? Who's a clever girl then!

PS Hello to Christine Rose and Helen. Enjoy your stay!

xx