there's more!!

What a haul today!

500grams of the chunky red
640grams of the DK red
400grams of the fawn mix which looks like James Brett Marble chunky
1000grams of the purple mix - yes I know it looks blue - DK and has a mainly wool content by the feel of it.

And what did this little lot cost me........... £10.50

The reds will make the base of, yes you guessed it another ten stitch, in fact most of it will get turned into blankets.

I have to tell you I actually left yarn behind, well 2 bags, but they were mixed bags of oddments, never quite so appealing

all about sticks

collecting sticks in Burghley Park

feeding the ducks!!

where's that train? You promised trains......

I looked after Rufus yesterday, the first time in 3 weeks.  Its the longest time I have gone without seeing him.  My welcome was so lovely, I was worried he may have forgotten me.  We had a lovely day. I took him to Stamford train station in hopes of seeing a train, but the wait for the next one was too long for a 14 month little boy, so we went to Burghley Park and collected sticks. Everything is stick, including the tree trunks, he had a great time running round the Princess Diana Memorial garden, which is completely enclosed so I just sat on the bench and watched him. 

Feeding the ducks - apparently the bread was quite old, but it didn't seem to put Rufus off, as you can see the ducks weren't getting a look in.

WIP Wednesday #12 - two at a time

Another Wednesday rolls round, don't the weeks go fast? Just a short post as I've not much to say

On my needles this week is a baby cardigan, the first of 4 for my god-daughter's baby due in October.  This is a pattern I've used several times, but each time I've knitted it I've not been happy with the length of the raglan shaping - too long, so I have adjusted the pattern and we will see how it goes. I am knitting this in Cygnet Superwash Pure Merino DK yarn - cream, on 4mm needles.  It a Peter Pan pattern from book 280, I'm doing a combination of design 1a and 1b - 1b's pattern on 1a's neckline.

 

I have nearly completed the fronts of the cardigan for me, its knitting up really quickly, so aim to try and get this done before I go on holiday.


















Below is the yarn for my next ten stitch, I have done a few combinations of strands and worked out how I want the rounds to look.  I'm hoping that this one will be as successful as the blue/grey combo which turned out to be most people's favourite.

Relaxing weekend........not

My weekend was anything but relaxing.  On Friday I decided that I really must get started on some more decorating.  The front sitting room has stood empty since the garden room was completed, readers of this blog will know that we are planning to turn this room into a library.  I washed walls/paintwork, filled cracks, rubbed down, made myself sick and dizzy - I must be getting old, all that bending up and down plays havoc with my head!  Anyway the palette was prepared for painting on Saturday. 

I was home alone this Saturday as Rebecca took her Dad off to the cricket.  First coat on the ceiling and above the picture rails by 11am.  Whilst waiting for that to dry I went down the garden and picked some veggies.  Made another batch of spiced pickled bean relish, then on with the second coat, had a mishap with the paint tray and ladder which took me 15 minutes to clear up!  No harm done.  Once that was done I was able to get straight onto the walls.  As you will see I kept the same colour - the reason being I found a full tin of paint in the shed and it was still ok, plus it goes with the carpet. I finally got cleared up at around 5:30.

Hubby got home just after 6pm full of the joys of a win for England, and took me out for dinner, much appreciated as I hadn't even given dinner a thought. 

On surveying my handy work on Sunday, we decided that the woodwork looked good enough to leave, what a relief - I hate glossing.  I hung the curtains, and we placed in the sofa kindly donated by Rebecca and Tim - looks good doesn't it? (don't think you will get the other one back either, it looks great in the garden room)  The book shelves will go on the back wall and either side of the fireplace.  I plan to fill the wall above the sofa with pictures but will wait until the shelving work is complete.  Possibly another chair, side table?

Feet up now? - not a chance.  Helped weed the veg plot, dug 10lbs of new potatoes, re-arranged some furniture in the garden room, then made some apple juice with a load of wind-fall apples.  We prepared and cooked a Sunday roast together, stuffed leg of lamb, new potatoes, carrots, beets, and beans (all from the garden), quick soak in the bath whilst it was cooking.  Feet up now? - naw - 3 loads of washing done and hung out, then we weeded the flower beds round the garden room and swept leaves.........then we sat down.

Hope you had a relaxing one....... forgot to say in all of that I got stung by a wasp too

another bites the dust

WIP that is.  I decided that I wouldn't start anything else until the tea cosy was finished, it took me an hour, including making the pompom thats all!!

Thanks everyone that commented on my latest WIP Wednesday post - some of you asked for a link to the Ten Stitch pattern so here you go

WIP Wednesday # 11

This week I have completed the Ten Stitch, the tea cosy is still in the same position as last, and I have sampled some yarn for a cardigan for me. 

So first off that Ten Stitch - fairly pleased with it though I ran out of some of the yarns so wasn't able to keep up the complete rounds, but at least I managed to scrape up enough to get to the size I wanted. 

 

The yarn I'm using for the cardigan for me is Monte Carlo by Zettl which is a Bulky / 12 ply

74% Acrylic, 10% Wool, 10% Alpaca, 6% Rayon - it is lovely and soft but I really struggled to get the tension/gauge correct.  The cardigan is short sleeved, 3 button, v neck from the Elle Knitting Book published in 1984, it specifies an aran weight yarn but with a gauge of 15 stitches to 21 rows on 5mm needles which is actually more like a bulky gauge.  I finally achieved this gauge on 8mm!! So I'll have to see how it works out.

Thought I'd throw in a photo of my completed Ten Stitch Blankets - still think my favourite is the blue/grey



Project Spectrum - August is Pink

Pinks in my garden

The only thing I could find that was pink in my house - not really my colour.

In a pickle with glad tidings

I bring you glad tidings..........

First the safe arrival of Nils on 2 August to Adelle and Neil - enjoy your new son.

Two engagement annoucements - the first is my god daughter Chloe to her partner Liam and the second my niece Lauren to her partner Danny. Congratulations to you all.

And then to the pickle - the runner beans are starting to take over so I have produced the first batch of Delia's Spiced Pickled Runner Beans, this is such a firm favourite in our house that I have no hesitation in recommending it.

So how has your weekend been, we went to Ely yesterday, had a wander round the town, then down to the river and the antiques centre.  Tea and scones at a riverside tearoom, pleasant way to spend Saturday morning.  The afternoon was spent moving the internet connection downstairs, hanging pictures and clearing weeds and trimming back bushes in the front garden.

Today apart from pickle making, I have finished a book - Mister Pip - an enjoyable read, chatting to my mother.  We've not ventured down to see the new guided bus which is supposed to start today, will it improve our lives - I don't think so, just spoil our walk

Guest Blogger: Audrey - mines a Bud!

Collecting bottle tops on my door magnet! Not amused

bit of everything

today is WIP Wednesday - its all pretty much the same, the ten stitch gets bigger, I'm actually on the last go round so I'll save the picture until I finish.

The tea cosy is smaller than last week - went to Knit & Lit in Huntingdon today, forgot my glasses and pulled out the 6 rows I knitted, couldn't pick up them properly so pulled it all out and started again!! Never mind, it will teach me to make sure I have everything I need in future.

I increased my stash by 250grams yesterday, more charity shop finds, 100g of James Brett Top Value DK in white and 3 x 50g of Sirdar Denim DK in cream with a fleck all for £2.50.  My excuse? I have no excuse.

We have a WIP going on in our grapevine.  We have two juvenile pigeons who have made a 'nest' well I'd not call it a nest, their first one fell through the vine and the second is just a bundle of stick sat on a bar of the pergola, they take it in turns sitting on it but there is actually nothing in it.... bless them.

So thats it I'm afraid nothing particularly exciting for more WIP's head over to Tamis

they come and they go

No sooner here and they are gone.  This has been a good weekend.  Hard work at times, but fun.

Friday was spent with my little man - mummy was home with a cold so we spent the day trying to avoid her and her germs.  We shopped round the market, went to the park. Loaded the washing machine (him) and ironing (me), re-arranged a few drawers (him) and generally amused ourselves.  Our little man is walking now, albeit with his arms above his head, so funny, but he gets up a fair speed up and down the hallway.

why are boys never clean?



Saturday - we spent with our youngest and her friend Gemma who was visiting for the weekend.  A good walk into St Ives, lunch at the Oliver Cromwell, wander back. We finally saw the much promised sun around 2pm - after a week of grey clouds it was a welcome sight. It was good to see Gemma and catch up. I'm sure they never stopped talking from the minute they met her at the station!

Sunday found us back up to Stamford for a spot of gardening.  The Jones' & Swift's have acquired a garden down in the town from Burghley Estates. much neglected, lots of overgrown bushes and trees, which we attempted to cut  into shape. We have 3 massive piles of foliage dotted around the site, and the start of a wood pile, a bag full of rubbish, beer cans, sweet wrappers, dog poo bags - nice.  The boys built a compost bin, cleared a path way to the back of the site, found 2 plum and 3 apple trees. We met the neighbours, some friendlier than others!  One got a bit worked up about a small bonfire we attempted to have, but managed to calm him down, we put it out, and he did have the good grace to come back later and apologise!!! We cut back nettles, brambles, strimmed grass, got scratched, bitten, stung, hot, sweaty but a good time was had by all.  A day in the fresh air, lots of exercise, picnic lunch - thanks James. The little ones will soon have somewhere to play, there is lots of potential, but still lots of work but at least by the end of the day you could really see what had been done, a small amount of order in some areas, and an idea of where certain things will be

cut that bit granny - see we have matching t-shirts

umm cheese and ham sandwich

look granny I found a hole!!

aren't I cute - you love me really