good timing

i couldn't finish these socks quick enough - i've been 'right down to my bones' cold today, so cold that after i'd finished off a few tasks which couldn't be avoided, i made a cuppa, a hot water bottle & snuggled up on the sofa with the dog, the socks & a film i'd recorded a while back, what a treat eh - it really was lovely, the socks got finished & put straight on, where they still are, not sure i'm going to want to take them off any time soon, it's still so cold

these socks make me very happy, they are knitted up in some regia 'world college' yarn {which was on special at kemps but think they have now sold out} in the library colour way, i used my usual 'go to' sock pattern, but took the textured pattern from these socks, they turned out a treat!

ravelry details here

one week in

gosh that went quick! this week has been a shock to the system & getting back to work/school was the hardest for us all, poor Barney got so used to having us all around, all the time it's been rather a shock for him too i think, still only five weeks till half term, evenings getter lighter & the signs of spring will hopefully be on their way, we kept up the new years day tradition of watching the morris dancing {despite the dismal weather} although we've continued to have more power cuts the past week  {i had to despatch the hubs out for more candles & wood for the burner just to keep us going} i've cast on for a new pair of socks - to keep my feet warm too!

more christmas knitting

lots of knitting, has been keeping my fingers busy, think i'm all done (but do have some fireside knitting lined up for myself over the next few days) all the project details can be found over on my Ravelry page,

getting a little sick of sick

what a week, we took a family trip over to Italy, but about half an hour before leaving for the airport last week the sick bug struck little O, we went on our merry way, convinced at first it would only be a 24 hour bug, but that little bug had other ideas & my poor little O was sick every day of our holiday, it only stopped the day we flew home! so whilst i should have lots of lovely photos & tales of what we have been up to, i have very little to report, as little O has been a little limpet for the last 6 days & i barely left the house, 

luckily my in laws came with us (& we were staying at my folks place) so with two sets of grandparents around to help, at least i didn't have to worry about anything other than taking care of her & at least they got to go out & enjoy the lake a little, 

this also meant i have spent 6 days with absolutely no crafting, thinking life would start to get back to normal now we are home, i was rather disheartened to find myself looking after big G, who went down with the bug this morning! not much fun i tell you, 

so i will just have to share some pics of yarn i recently acquired from kemps, 

some of this Rowan bamboo tape, for which i have a little project in mind (also providing the first of my stash destined to become a Christmas present, see how organised i am, hehe)

next up some more sock yarn (i just can't enough)

oops & some more sock yarn, i've started on this one already & am almost halfway through a pair for myself, 

i'm just hoping i will be able to get on with them soon, as i'm really suffering from knitting withdrawal!

we spent a lovely weekend with my family, & a day trip into Brighton (including a visit to the sea life centre), despite the cold we ate our lunch on the beach, 

i have such a soft spot for Brighton, it holds so many many memories for me, 

but sadly i will be back there tomorrow for my grandma's funeral, trying not to dwell on the sadness but remembering the happier times (she was 94!), 

i also made the most of the time i had whilst the little ones were getting to play with their grandparents, & i got the socks finished, (about time you might say)

& i have to say my man seems very happy with them (well who wouldn't be)

details of socks can be found here if you're interested, i haven't dared  look at the lace scarf yet, & shall be busy baking this afternoon, & making this for tea with the little folk, then i may just sit under the wonderland quilt whilst i work on the binding, back soon

busy doing nothing

well not really nothing, but nothing much really, both the little ones are getting over colds & so we've generally been pottering along, getting January out the way & moving into February, i feel i've been a little fuzzy lately, for example, today i have a very strong feeling that i've forgotten to be somewhere, or do something, most strange, & i've also very frustratingly misplaced the recipe i was planning to cook for tonight's dinner (a rather delicious looking goats cheese & spinach tart) no doubt i'll have to turn the kitchen upside to look for it this afternoon, 

anyways, enough of my mutterings, i cast on for the adventures in lace KAL, which Kate has organised, & very pleased i am so far, i'm going to try & knit a pattern repeat a day (have yet to start today's though!)

I'm knitting the lace leaf shawl, in the lovely Alpaca yarn i brought way back here, the socks are also coming along nicely, although having had a change of heart, they will now be for the mister (the next ones will have to be for me) it was just lucky enough i hadn't knit too far, so i could make them a little bigger

during my other potterings, i made a trip to my nearest hobbycraft, to stock up on crafty bits for the littlies (oh how i miss woolworths), aside from the usual card & paper supplies, we came home with some of these Hama beads!

mostly because i was rather keen to give these a go myself, will let you know how i (oops i mean G) gets on!

& as a little weekend treat, we found time for one of these

there is always time for a cream tea in my book, 

right, i'm off now to search for this blinking recipe!

a formal apology

to my nearest & dearest husband, as i found out yesterday, he does in fact read my blog from time to time & he was not impressed by the previous sock post (oops!)  it seems we had a little mis-communication, whereby he has no recollection of telling me he didn't want a pair of hand knitted socks, well as luck would have it, i had just ordered some more sock wool (thanks to periwinkle for pointing me in the direction of Kemps wool shop) so i was quickly able to resolve any ill feeling (& also felt far less guilty for buying yet more wool)

it arrived this morning, & at £1.20 a ball i felt i was very restrained (or possibly crazy some might say) at only buying four of the little beauties

i have also been getting on with my 'granny a day' you can see more of them over on my flickr page

although now i have started to crochet enough of the cirles for a row, & then i'll join them all together when i do the final round on them.

eye of the storm socks

i have cast on for a pair of socks, (using this pattern again), the wool had been ear marked for a pair of socks for my dearest husband, he however has shown little interest in owning a pair of hand knitted socks, he even went so far as to indicate that he might find them ever so slightly itchy on his 'oh so' very delicate feet (what a fool i hear you cry, he clearly knows nothing!)

well  i would agree, & wasting little time trying to persuade him otherwise, these socks shall be all mine!!!

the yarn is regia design line by Kaffe Fassett, in the 'storm' colour way, it's my first attempt at knitting both socks at the same time (no second sock syndrome for me!) & i'm finding it surprisingly easy so far, it was just rather lucky i made two of these little patchwork bags, which have proved rather useful at stopping my yarn getting in a tangle.

like mama, like little O

it's not something i would ever do, put myself & little O in matching outfits, but matching socks, well that's just about okay, it is Sunday, where we have nothing more important to do other than settle down for a little 'hairy Maclary'

last week we made a rather impulsive trip to IKEA, as we were in desperate need of some storage, well we came home with a new expedit unit, why had we never got one of these things before, it's great & stores so much stuff,

and means i have found a very happy new home for all my craft books,

plodding on

i had hoped to be sharing some pictures of my recent sewing projects, i just needed to take some photos, we did get a glimpse of the sun this morning, but then about 10 minutes before the little one went down for her nap, the rain set in, i really hope it's not here to stay today.

so i'll just have to share some other things i've been up to,
socks i've started for little O, using the left over tofutsies yarn from these socks i made for myself, in fact i'm even doing the same pattern, but with a rib all the way up after knitting the heel - so hopefully they'll stay on her feet!

some wool i ordered from here (great sale prices - i'm tempted to go back for some more)
this is for a little crochet project i'm planning, & will probably be what i will be picking up when i get the chance over Christmas.it's Debbie Bliss - pure cotton

& i've found time to start the advent calendar for the little folks, although think i'm just as excited about this as G is.

A little lost

that's how i felt this morning, as big G had his first day at school, he was ready for it & to be honest so was i, but it still felt strange, & little O has certainly seemed a little lost without him around today.

I have promised myself that i won't start any new knitting projects until i have completed my current ones, well big G's socks are done, I have knitted this pattern before & will knit it again, but somehow managed to make this pair a little too big, but that's worked out fine as they will become a stocking present, as i'm sure they'll fit him come Christmas. I'm still working on my brompton cardigan, feels like i've been knitting it for ages, but just finished the body, so now only the sleeves left to do.
however i have this waiting to tempt me & urge me on to the finish the brompton quickly, this is some of the wool that came home with me from Italy, they had some of it knitted up and i knew it was the one i wanted (despite there being lots of other lovely colour ways).

i've also had a little luck lately, i won not one but two giveaways, one from the fantastic Julia at primrose cornernot quite sure when i'll find the time to make this, but i'm really looking forward to giving it a go. Having also just checked her website, i'm so very tempted to order some more fabric from her!

i also won a little wool giveaway from the lovely green pixey, lot's of odds & ends of wool which will be great to knit/crochet up lots of little lovelies

crab stick socks

the socks are finished!
knitted up in TOFUtsies yarn (which i won in a giveaway from Linda)
following this pattern - (which was great & i will be using it again)
& i have enough left over to knit a mini matching pair for little O