January's stashbust total

As I mentioned earlier this month I plan to knit from stash and try not to add to it. So far, so good, this month I have used 3,467 yards of yarn and added nothing to it.

The 10 stitch blanket, bottom left is coming on well, but there is still lots to do before its complete. The pram blanket next to it was a project that one of the girls from group was knitting up but she was running low on yarn, so I have finished it off for her using a contrast of cream. I hope she will be happy with it. Everything else has been featured before. I've no on-going requests so will just continue with my blanket, its actually quite addictive. Happy knitting

Ok, so how's this open?

On, off, up, down, on the ground

Wednesday evening my youngest and her boyfriend were due to return from their trip to New York city.  If you have seen the news you will have seen that the east coast of USA has been battered by snowstorms!  They spent 6 hours sitting on the runway on Wednesday night to then be dug out and towed back to the terminal.  Thursday was spent at an hotel in and around the airport with a promise of a flight home at 9:30pm (local).  At 4:45am this morning I got a text to say they had taken off but had had to return to the airport due to fumes - not sure how far they had got before turning back.  They are now at another hotel but no flight home until 6:30pm tomorrow - I should imagine patience is wearing thin............. x

UPDATE - they have managed to get another flight home so hopefully be seeing them tonight

Haggis time again

Tonight is Burn’s Night. In our house it’s just an excuse to eat Haggis. Not to everyone’s taste I know but we love it. As usual we will spend the evening with mother-in-law Anne and partner Pat, who both enjoy the said Haggis. Also on the menu will be buttery mashed Potatoes and mashed Swede; and this year for a change, I thought I’d make a whisky cream sauce.

To follow will be Caledonian Cream a quick and easy dessert

 
Ingredients for the cream:

4oz cream cheese (about half a cup)
4 fluid ounces double cream (about half a cup)
1 tablespoon marmalade (thick, bitter marmalade is suggested but use what you have)
2 tablespoons brandy or rum
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Sugar to taste

Ingredients for base:
4 oranges, segmented and the pith removed

Method:
Blend all the ingredients for the cream in a liquidiser till smooth. Place the oranges in four long-stemmed glasses and, if you want, add a teaspoon of brandy (or rum) to these. Add the cream on top. Garnish with some orange zest (boil for a few minutes in water to reduce the bitterness). Serve chilled.

Rufus at 7 months.....on the move

Yes he is moving around, all be it backwards, under the sofa appears very interesting, he is such a heart breaker just look at that smile

Weekend away.................

Company - My wonderful Husband
Venue - Lifeboat Inn, Thornham
Weather - Windy but dry (sand blasted)
Food - Plentiful!!

Stashbusting in 2011

As you know I have a large stash of yarn and I aim to be good this year. I plan to log my progress through it; I will do a monthly blog entry with all the projects completed for that month, with a tally of amounts used.......... and also any additions. 

So far this month I have completed 4 projects and have a Ten Stitch Blanket on the go which will be a 'pick up and put done project', and I will chart its progress month by month.

Wish me luck and keep me away from the shops!!

The older us............

Smockie in blue

I love this little dress, I've knitted a few and they never fail to please.

34 not out

This weekend Peter and I celebrate our wedding anniversary. I can't believe how quickly the years have gone, and just how young we looked!!

Guest Blogger: Audrey (Poots) Speechley - Slimmer of the Year

Hello all, I just had to hijack this blog thing to tell you about my amazing weight loss.  I have gone from 6.10kg in December 2009 to 4.90kg today, pretty impressive don't you think.  Even the vet was pleased with Mum and wanted to know how she'd done it.  Well I can tell you, she starved me.  No not really, but when Siddalee went to cat heaven there was no extra food to steal so Mum and Dad put me on restricted rations.  I do however feel better for it, I'm too ashamed to post a 'before' picture of myself.

Whilst I'm in the writing frame of mind, I just have to tell you about this little person that keeps appearing at the house.  They tell me its a grandchild but I can tell you I hi-tail it out the flap whenever its around.  I've experienced a probing finger of a small child before and am not to keen to experience it again! Plus it seems to make alot of noise and comes with so much kit.  I understand it has cats of its own (one being my cousin/half brother or something like that, you may know him Jeremy Jones), not sure how they stand it.

I'll sign off now and go lick my paws or something, its such a hard life.  Or maybe I'll go and mess up Mum's wool or sit on her knitting chair that will get her going.........

Will we still be able to do this in 10 years time?

...... that's what the husband just asked me.

Clearing up the garden that is. We have just spent the morning raking up the leaves that fell just before winter arrived, its the first decent day when we have both felt like getting out and doing something and the garden has been in a condition to walk on.  A good mornings work, the green bin is full, we have bags of leaves to dispose of, the compost bins are full to over-flowing.  The borders still need to be tidied but thats for another day.  My right hip and elbow are paining me, a couple of pain killers should hopefully sort that though.

So in answer to his question I'm hoping that yes indeed we will still be able to do it, but that it will get done in smaller doses as we will have retired by then.  God that makes us sound old!!

What a struggle.........

but I have finally finished reading the Blueeyed Boy by Joanne Harris.  I hate to be defeated by a book, so will carry on regardless, but I can honestly say I did not enjoy reading it, so weird, I'm still not sure I actually understand how it ended.  Have discussed it with hubby and he agrees not her best book. 

The only book I can recall putting down without finishing was Double Fault by Lionel Shriver, now that was seriously strange.

Next on my reading list is Barbara Erskine's Time's Legacy, hoping thats a better read.

New year new look

yesterday was my 5 weekly cut and colour and as its a New Year I thought it was time for a bit of a change.

I've had my recent hair style for about 2.5 years now, this style was a complete change for me as for most of my life it has been short, in some cases very short.  Anyway, I sat there looking in the mirror, Barbara says "what are we doing today, just the usual roots and trim" and I utter the words "I fancy a change".  And a change is what I got, and now I'm not sure.  My husband is not sure, in fact won't say whether he likes it or not.  For years I kept it short as he said he always liked it like that and now he's not saying.  Time will tell if I can handle the style, it may prove to be more work than usual.  I know it will grow again, but it that painful growing out that I hate. Below are some of the hair styles I've had over the years.  My new one is sort of in between some of these.  See the 3rd pic on 2nd row - I was just 19 there!

Lets hope Rufus recognises his granny today, we are off swimming, that should sort the hairdo out!!

Diverted again...

instead of getting on with my work in progress, remember the something for me! I got side tracked into another project, a birthday present to be precise.  A scarf for my Mum, who has her birthday on Thursday.  I'd been wearing my scarf when visiting last week and she admired it so I decided to whip one up for her as part of her present, I also made a matching corsage to pin it with. Hope she likes it........

Its back to work tomorrow, can't believe 10 days has passed so quickly, such a shame, I'd really got into the routine of including knitting as part of my afternoon, feet up, cup of tea, oh well............