I forgot....

WIP Wednesday yesterday, no excuses just plain forgot.  Anyhoo still plodding along with the Ten Stitch, getting to the end of some of the colours so am having to be a bit imaganative as I still need to do at least two more rounds.  It'ss now weighing in at 1740 grams so that's a goodly amount of stash used. I've not picked up the tea cosy, see I'm not really a multi-wip person!

Here's the latest picture of my progress -

This is a beautiful sunset that we had the other night which I forgot to post too, if you click on the picture to make bigger you can see the cloud formations - pretty

Up to town

We had a day in London on Sunday being tourists, it was fun, weather brilliant, got sun burnt!

Tower Bridge

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Big Ben and Houses of Parliment

Golden Hinde

Interesting!!

Dinner

I won!!

I can't remember the last time I won anything - on Saturday I won 1st prize in the Unity Community draw.  The tickets - some I which I sold, were in aid of the Medway Users Group and a local charity - decided on MAGPAS.  The single sized quilt and a wall hanging were made as prizes by the ladies of the Medway Craft Group, of which I am a knitting member - I will get round to trying out quilting at some point, honest!  The Mayor of Huntingdon did the draw so there was no fix. I picked up my prize this afternoon, and I hope you'll agree its beautiful, thanks ladies. I plan to use it as a topper over cream bedding as I don't have any single beds.

If you would like to learn how to make something similar then why don't you come along and join us, we are a friendly group who meet once a fortnight.  We are now on our summer break but meetings resume in September, revised dates below.  Any craft is fine - this afternoon we had ladies working on tapestry, embroidery, knitting, sewing, quilting, whatever floats your boat.

September: 8th, 22nd
October: 6th, 20th
November: 3rd, 17th
December: 1st, 15th

WIP Wednesday #9 - not much to show

Can you believe we are coming towards the end of another month, well its the 20th today, where is the year going.  My weekend was busy with my grandson so not too much knitting achieved.

once more round and a bit

this is my weekly progress since 22 June to last week, so you can see its growing, each side takes longer and longer.  I'm not sure - in fact I know I won't have enough yellow to keep the pattern going as planned, so I either have to buy more or change tack

a few rows on the 2nd side of the tea cosy

this room is awaiting my attention its been empty now for 5 weeks, the furniture went out into the garden room!  We tend to only use this room winter time, so we are thinking of turning it into a library. We have books all over the bedrooms and it would be good to have them all in one place.  The walls don't look too bad in the photo, but there are cracks to fill and I really don't feel like decorating at the moment, so I guess this qualifies as a work-in-progress

To see more WIP pop over to Tamis

Everything in the garden is rosy

Our veg garden is providing us with just the right quantities at the present time to cope with, its so good to pop down and pick a handful of beans for dinner.  Tonight its dwarf french beans.  However, I see a time in the not to distant future when we will be over run and I shall have to start being imaginative.

I planted a patch of sweet peas - I wish you could smell them, each day I go down and pick a bunch to scent the rooms, they are supposed to be mixed colours but all seem to be shade of lilac/purple.

The peacock butterflies are enjoying the buddlia as are the bees and the hover flies seem to like the dahlias, the bushes are fairly buzzing with life.

We just need sunshine now to ripen off some of the tomatoes; I think we've had enough rain to last us some considerable time!

If you're happy and you know it..........

that has been the theme for the weekend.  Rufus has been staying with us this weekend while his parents had a well earned rest; actually they went to a wedding in Cumbria and we had the pleasure of our young man. We had forgotten just how exhausting a 13 month old child can be, but so much fun too. 

The weekend started on Friday when it was my usual week for looking after him.  I picked him up and dropped his mum off at work.  We drove home, a new experience for me, as first time alone in the car, luckily he dropped off to sleep, so you tend to forget they are there.  First stop before home was to do the weekly shop in Tesco where he charmed all the assistants, he was very good, no fuss just sat happily in the shopping cart. We did the usual things when we got in, unpacked, went to the park, made lunch, sat and looked at some books, the day passed.  Aunty Rachel came for dinner and Pops was very pleased to be clapped in by Rufus - its his new trick, he claps at everything.

Bath time and bed went well and he slept until 6:15am on Saturday - we had been awake since 4:30!!

Watching Cbeebies on the laptop with Pops

The boys were reduced to my magazines - well you have to get them interested in crafts at an early age

It rained for most of Saturday. Aunty Rachel came to stay over so there was plenty of help amusing the small boy. The garden room came into its own, it makes being indoors so much more fun and not like being in the house. We did manage to get to the park for a while - the child is fearless, Pops is not used to this!!

Another bath and bedtime went fine, can you believe that 3 adults could feel so shattered! Nothing a large drink didn't put right.

And so to Sunday. An earlier start 5:20am - how tired do we look?  We took him home at lunchtime. I admit to feeling very sad as I packed his little bag.  We were pleased that we handed him back in one piece, the responsibility of someone elses child is immense and I don't think we would ever take that for granted. We enjoyed our time with Rufus, I think he enjoyed it too. 

We've had lots of cuddles and that little face just breaks your heart no matter how tired you are 

WIP Wednesday #8 - slowly slowly

I can't believe its Wednesday again, time flies and I've had alot on this past week. I managed to get half the tea cosy completed and I think I've been round the ten stitch once.  I'm pleased with how its progressing and it looks good against the dark sofa.

This book is one of the reasons that my knitting as been suffering, I spent Sunday afternoon and evening reading.  Usually I only manage a few pages at bedtime before falling asleep, so its taken me a while to get into it, but now I have I'm enjoying it.

I'm off to knit now - cancelled engagement, jobs done, what else would I do?

just couldn't leave it behind

my daily visit to the Care & Share Charity shop yielded more yarn.  I'm a hopeless case.  I've no idea what it is but it will come in handy for the ten stitch blankets that are on my to-do list.

there is 600 grams here

I got these last month, in fact I'm not even sure I confessed to them!!

295 grams

320 grams

In total they cost me £7.50 so not bad for 1200 grams of yarn

Happy Birthday Dad

My Dad 80 today.

May you continue with your current good health x

Surprise!!

Yesterday's party was for my fathers' 80th birthday, which is actually not until Tuesday, but as they live away from here we decided to do it a few days early.  My brother Andy managed to get my parent's down for the weekend, and over to ours on the pretence of seeing Rufus, and was completely unaware that we were having a party. My brother Bob and his family (Anne, Lauren & Jorden) came too, along with Dad's older brother Ken - we were pleased that he could make it as he's not been too well lately and we've not seen him in a while.  Also there was my mother in law Anne and her partner Pat; Mel, Andy's partner and their son Charlie along with the girls, Stuart, Tim and Rufus. 

The weather was kind, we had the odd spot of rain but managed with the garden umbrellas. Rachel made another lovely cake, top tier only showing above (they'd eaten the bottom before I got the camera to it), this time she made white chocolate frosting which we all actually preferred, and topped the cake with strawberries, cherries and blackcurrants. Mel kindly made the desserts - the tiramisu was to die for and very boozy!

It was good to see everyone, we don't get together that often, life gets in the way and weeks and months go by so fast.

I think everyone had a good time and plenty to eat.  Peter and I are wading our way through the leftovers, why do we always cook so much?

Today we've had a quiet day, nice walk to St Ives and a pint.  Another weekend nealy done and over

I love my Mummy

there's more

a pretty cake, and chocolate treats, all manner of nice things to eat.......

Joan you can guess if you want!

Whilst I'm blogging a VERY happy birthday to our good friend Judy who is 50 something today.  Hope you are having a great day, hope to see you soon. 

And no its not her party, in case you are wondering

sshhh its a secret

lots of preparations going on today - there's to be a party but its a secret, if I tell you then I will have to kill you.  Come back over the weekend for the details...............................

That man...........

so I may be late to the party but I have just discovered Caro Emerald. The hubby has bought me the album,  I was amazed how many songs I knew and I love the 40's feel to the songs.  This is my favourite though, hope you enjoy

WIP Wednesday #6 - oops should be #7

After surviving a week with two WIP's I decided it wasn't so bad, so have cast on another, plus when its particularly warm its small enough to cope with.  This time its a tea cosy - red for my re-decorated kitchen.  I'm using King Cole Haze and it is a simple twisted rib on a garter stitch base.

The autumn ten-stitch is coming along, not as much done this week as I had planned but I have been doing other things.

I have re-covered an old sewing box (I should have done a before photo) and made a matching cushion so it does duty as a foot stool too.  I'm very pleased with the box, though I am sporting a couple of blister burns on my finger from the hot glue gun!  I also made a couple of large scatter cushions for the sofa.  The material was a charity shop find for both projects, so the cost was negligible. Result.  Its amazing what you can find around the house that can have the 'make do and mend treatment'

Stashbusting its a joke!

June proved to be a naughty month - I achieved 1,240 grams out but added 1,320 grams!! 

July looks like being another negative unless I pull off some serious knitting and keep away from the shops.  Hubby went to Aldi on Saturday and came back with 500 grams of this, bless him. Its kind of him to encourage my habit, especially as I didn't know they were doing yarn this month.

Project Spectrum is Blue

Recent projects in blue - I was actually surprised how many

Blues from my garden

Looking after the boy....