Friday, March 30, 2007

Camouflage and Pyjamas

Yesterday I did a little sewing, I did have to do it with two tissues stuffed up my nostrils, which does make drinking tea kind of hard, today I felt much better as did Jake, so he went to school and I went shopping and out for lunch.


This is a skirt for the princess, which the boys reckon she will love, I hope she does.


These jammies are for me as my very favourite ones, came apart recently and I was very sad, so these are nice cosy flannel and I am off to wear them now. Have a good weekend and I hope the sun shines, its peeing down right now!!!
p.s I am kind of worried about what yarn my colour challenged husband will bring back, so will keep you posted.......sshhh!

Thursday, March 29, 2007

It is a little miracle!





This plant currently lives in my house, it is a miracle, as the words, plant and lives, don't very often go side by side in this house. In other words I am completely useless at keeping growing things alive, except boys, but they tend to let it known when they want fed and watered!


This pretty little orchid arrived as a present a couple of months ago and as much as I loved how pretty she looked, I did groan when I received her and asked if it wasn't a huge joke, I was sure all my friends were taking bets on how quickly I would kill her.
Well, if they were they have all lost by now as this has to be the longest I have ever kept a plant alive. Now I just cursed it and she will die tomorrow.
One of my friends, who knows me well did ask if it wasn't a fake plastic plant, cheek!






Its very spring like today and the sun is shining, to celebrate I am full of the cold and have a very sore,red nose, so I am off to knit and watch a movie.....

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Lone Parenting




My Dh's work in their wisdom are trying out a new shift system, which means that the team, there are 6 or 8 of them I think, work a month of each shift. Jim is the only married guy with kids on the team, the two female engineers on the team were allowed to opt out as organising childcare was too difficult. So for the past 4 weeks he has been working from 12noon till 10pm. So for the past month I have been the only parent around in the morning and evening during the week...I am so tired, maybe its just their age but do they have to argue about everything, I need a whistle and a red card or a cattle prod! Is it wrong to want to run away from home when you are the parent?

On the knitting front the back and a bit of one front of Wispy are done, one blue sock needs the toe ripped back and re-done and the second is on the needle. I love this yarn from here (thank you Heather) and some more arrived in the post this week.




I still have not managed to get a new set of dpns in 2.5mm which sucks as the ones I have, 2 are not usable as they are splitting, this I found out after having to go to A+E with one of the boys and a suspected broken finger. I arrived with yarn and the needles I had were a pain so 2 hours of hanging around, wasted knitting time!

Matilda Jane is done except I bought the wrong amount of buttons and the ribbon I bought is too wide and I don't like it, so more shopping tomorrow and hopefully some sunshine so I can take some decent pictures.

Bloom is done except the sewing up so maybe later today if I can find a calm hour or so.

The spring clothes for my niece are coming along in the planning, I just need to find time to cut patterns and fabric, I need up to date measurements too, must ask for those.

So Jim has left for Japan and my programme for this week is to stay as sane as possible, wish me luck!

Monday, March 19, 2007

Can someone please tell the weatherman it's spring!

This is today's weather, I was just thinking I might get a photo of the blossom tree when this happened, so I don't know how it will look tomorrow.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Late Birthday socks


I actually think that Late Birthday socks are the norm around here, I have only managed to give 2 pairs on time, ever!


These are Jordan's and he loves them so that is good, I will just have to make sure that they don't go in the washing machine by mistake as he recently felted his favourite jumper. It will now make a very cool handbag I think!
Forgot to add a certain someone is off to Japan on Saturday any fantastic ideas as to what he can bring me back??

Friday, March 16, 2007

People say the funniest things

Our recent visitors on being offered some chocolate chip banana cake with a cup of tea asked " Is banana cake the same as carrot cake?"
It took me a minute to process this information, I am just glad I wasn't drinking tea, as someone else might of ended up wearing some of it,I know I stood with my mouth open for a second, just thinking of the answer.
" Well, em that would be a no, you see carrots are orange and a vegetable and bananas are yellow and a fruit!"
"Yeah apart from that is it the same?"
" Well, em I suppose they are both CAKE!"

The same visitor asked at what point you know to drive on the other side of the road, when you disembark from the ferry in France???? We did ask that she never try to drive over to visit.


The other day Norma wrote this post that reminded me of something that happened recently.

Jake had an assignment to do for english, he asked me for some help,
"Sure, whats the question?"
"What was it like when there was rationing during the war?"
I know I turned 40 but please......
"Em, I don't actually know but I can help you search the internet if you like"
"No our teacher doesn't want that, she wants us to talk to people who remember"
"Well that's kind of hard as even your Granny wasn't born till 1947!"
Anyway Granny did come up with some information and Jake and I had a little chat to make sure he did know when the second world war actually ended. He did but for some reason thought it was something I would remember, must do a little work on his maths skills I think!

My boys think it is totally bizarre that Jim and I grew up without video, for a few of my teenage years we had no phone, when I was small we only had a black and white television, shock horror!
Jim's take on it is, if we wanted to meet our friend we walked to the park to see if they were hanging out there, if not we walked to their houses to see who was home. If we wanted to meet up after school we made arrangements, at school.
It is completely alien for them to be without phone or computer access ALL the time!
I have to admit to limiting their computer time, their phones have a limited amount of money but still, it would be so easy for them to NEVER do anything else, nothing practical, nothing creative, nothing physical. Its kinda scary that if we wanted to we actually never have to leave the house......


There has only been a little knitting going on here, a week or so ago I cut my left index finger,(my knitting finger), it needed a plaster(band aid) but was okay, then it started to feel a little sore, then I started sock knitting with a small circular as I couldn't buy new sock needles in Scotland and the ones I ordered are out of stock!
So when I was complaining of having a sore knitting finger, someone actually had the audacity to suggest that, wait for it, yep, that I STOP knitting. I think I might have looked at him strangely as he then said that I should just stop breathing instead!

I was certainly glad I had my sock knitting with me today as I waited 30mins to have a piece of fabric cut then another 20mins to pay, I did suggest that their waiting/queueing system needed a revision as we all know that the french don't know how to wait and queue!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Whirlwind weekend

Well the weekend started off with breakfast in Grenoble on Friday, then a quick flight to Prestwick, where I did spy a crowd of kilt wearing Rugby players, someone had requested I bring them a tall, dark Scot back with me but honestly none of them were worth having, I did look for you though!



Lunch at this hotel, I had a haggis and cheese panini and it was deeelicious, I brought haggi and cheddar home so the boys could try it.
Hit a few shops including a quick trip here, then it was back to my Mums for sausages and mash, yummy. My Mum who is a fabulous cook was quite disgusted at my choice of menu but sausage and mash is one of my fav dinners and I miss British sausages, so I got my way, as usual!! Thanks Mum!!
Saturday was up early to catch a train to the SECC for the craft fair, where I met Yvonne, Heather and Minnxy, I have no photos though. I bought not a lot, a couple of pieces of fabric for skirts or pinafores for the princess as she has decided she can't wear trousers anymore!











Yarn, I bought Sublime Kid Mohair to knit this cardi, the silk aran was a pressie from Yvonne and the sock yarn was a pressie from Heather, both are gorgeous and for some reason all my yarn matches, must be my spring colour that I had no idea I had chosen.







This I bought on Friday, finally a ball of Trekking, it might be my brothers next socks, I think it is suitably mad colours for him.



A couple of books came home with me too, though unfortunately no addi's or sock needles to be found, so a little order from here is winging its way as we speak.
So Saturday was a fab day and I spent a lot of it with my friend Margaret which was very cool, I don't have pictures of her new yarn stash which is a pity, maybe she will take one and share with you.







Sunday saw me looking like this, not exactly elegant is it, freezing on the beach with these two girls, I am wearing ALL the woollies I had with me, my Mum's jacket and really needed some earmuffs, it was perishing, blowing a gale and I loved it, I miss the beach so much and love it in all weathers.





Visited family later and did some boy shopping, found all manner of different easter eggs, which I hid when I got home and will have to re-hide as they found them. Weighed and re-packed my bag umpteen times so that I was not over the weight limit, been caught out more times than I like to remember with excess bag charges! Left home at very early dark arrived at the airport and the lovely young man at the desk, never even properly weighed my bag just pushed it through, sheeeesh!!

So arrived home to a lovely tidy, sparkly clean house, and all the shopping done, which was a joy.....

you do know I am joking don't you, oh good, the dog was sulking and hadn't eaten all weekend and the fridge had something REALLY stinky in it and the kitchen floor was REALLY sticky but they were all alive and weren't too bothered that they had eaten leftover pizza for Sunday lunch, I wonder why I bother cooking then!

I posted in the comments in case I don't get round to, or can't answer your comments, I am going to be busy finding space to put my new stash! And I have finished a couple of things too, yey!

What's new



This arrived yesterday morning just before I got back from my trip,






isn't it lovely all wrapped and pretty,






Its my kit from Kim Hargreaves, so now I have to finish up Matilda Jane so that I can get started, I also have to steal the needle out of my poor shawl that has been languishing for the longest time. I had a fabulously relaxing weekend and spent time with some great people and gorgeous dogs. I did buy a few things so more tomorrow with pictures.....

Thursday, March 08, 2007

I'm leaving soon..

.. well tomorrow, only problem is the big list of things to do that are not checked off, so this is what I have to finish today.
Matilda Jane is minus a sleeve and so far the button search has been fruitless, though I do have ribbon for the back. All the sewing of hems might be a long job though! AND I am kinda worried she might be a bit on the neat side, AND do I have time to wash and block her, not really! Just a little problem there!
Skirt to match MJ, finished apart from a little hand-sewing and cutting all the loose threads off.
Jacket, currently still in 2 layers, lining and wool have to be sewn together and one buttonhole done. I have a choice of buttons as I couldn't make up my mind when I button shopped for the jacket so have 5 to choose from!




I also have to food shop/cook for today and tomorrow as Jim will be at work, not that I think my boys are capable of starving themselves to death, it just might keep the arguing down to a quiet roar.
See you when I get back, have a good weekend...tchao