What a nice weekend!

First of all I'd like to thank everyone for your lovely comments about my spinning. Unfortunately I've not been able to spin this week as my darling cats have been playing with my wheel and so sprung my brake spring!!!!!!! I was not happy as you can imagine. Luckily Janet from the Threshing Barn got my order for two new ones to me on Saturday morning(I only ordered them on Friday mid morning!).... with fab customer service as always!

So I took the time to get cracking on my 'Conwy' socks. I've took a different aproach to these socks than normal by knitting them both at the same time...I've just got another 8 rounds to do on the one on the left to match the right one and then its onto the heel flaps. I've only knitted them to 6in in length as I tend to wear short socks.

We went to B&Q yesterday and bought some bedding plants to put in the front garden. So while J was busy putting them in I planted some tomato, pepper, courgette and dwarf green beans in the greenhouse. I've stuck to just 4 veg this year as it means I can still look after them even if I have a bad day!

I did it! I did it! I did it!

This is it....my very first yarn that I have spun on my new wheel!!!!!!!!!

I havent a clue as to the type of fibre it is except that its wool....its something I bought on ebay ages ago that was dyed in ocean colours. I managed to get about 92 yards(not sure about the weight Im afraid)Im so chuffed...ok I know its a bit thick and thin but that will even out with practice.

I find spinning much easier with a wheel and my legs and arms haven't been as sore as I thought they might be....so fingers crossed it may help with the pain in the long run.

Iv got to say tho'......I love plying!!!!!!!!!

My new toy.....

After all the waiting...here she is...my new(to me) spinning wheel.

She's about 15 years old and did belong to a lady that treasured her until she got Altziemers and so was unable to spin. So I'm now the proud owner of one Ashford traditional spinning wheel ..plus...a pair of curved carders, a large niddy noddy, a lazy kate and the Ashford book of spinning and Janet has also given me a big bag of fleece to get stuck into(I cant remember the breed of sheep it came from tho!). We went to pick her up from the Threshing Barn today where Dave had given her a 'service' and while i was there i got some purpley dyed texel and a pressie for my sp10. J got stuck in and bought some beads and also some free range eggs from the farm.

On the pic you can just see Maisie on the front left, Bella on the right and Zippy in the back ground.

finished at last!

They are done at last........the long awaited 'jaywalkers'.

I don't know whether I'm more of a frogger or a tinker with the amount iv done with these!

J proudly wore them to work on Thursday and apparently had a lot of approving comments!!!!

Iv also completed a washcloth pattern for Betsan from stitchlinks. I had originally designed it to be about 6in square but she then asked me to make it 10in square. So I spent Thursday test knitting my pattern (as well as lots of washing as the weather was so nice)before emailing that off...I don't know which took longer... the knitting or the typing..(my typing isn't very fast).

Iv now started using the yarn that Ali dyed for me from my sock yarn swap. I'm knitting 'Conwy' from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. I would have had a photo by now but had forgot to decrease for the calf(I'm used to knitting shorter socks!). So then I had to frog back all the rows Id managed to do at work today (whilst suffering with a migraine)...typical!

Looking forward to Sunday as we are off to Staffordshire to hopefully get my new toy!!!!

Another hot day!

Here is a pic of Poppy enjoying the hot sun with her 'blue bone'...you cant see it on this but she has the most striking blue eyes Iv ever seen on a dog. Shes beautiful but then I am biased!!!
This is Maddy my mischief maker! Every day she visits the neighbours houses. If she doesn't go there we have people asking if shes OK! She was hiding amongst some garden rubbish and I wanted to take a photo of her there to play 'spot Maddy' but she moved before I could get the camera!
This is the result of J's hard work over the last 2 weekends. All the bricks n stuff are things either we have recycled or are reclaimed.
Here is the other side of the front garden. we did this last year so this time it was just a case of tidying up. I'm a person that hunts through the half dead plants in b&q and garden centres. last year i got a rhododendron plant for a couple of quid and now it has buds on it!!!

Yesterday I had my birthday day out with my mum. We went to see 'Tuppence to cross the Mersey' at the Liverpool Empire. It was one of the first books I read when I was younger so it was really touching. The musical was really good the only thing was it did finish abruptly which was a shame. We then went to mums and had tea. It was a really lovely day...I even managed to knit some 'jaywalker' on the train!!!!

OMG!!

omg i cant believe it....
i rang my first choice of campsite (for woolfest) on tuesday and explained we would like two nights with electric.....
1. they have the space
2. i told her we are 2 females(in case they have a problem with it) and she said that was fine!!!!!

its VERY hard to find a campsite that will allow us to camp being 2 females. so im still in shock!
iv even met a straight couple that was turned away from 1 site because they didnt have children!...the sad thing being is that they couldnt have any.

saw E yesterday at work and her brother loves his new socks! and C loved the gloves i knitted her as a pressie. shes seen my debbie bliss shrug/cardi from simply soft and wants me to knit it for her......
meanwhile im ploughing on with my second jaywalker...why is it im finding it so easy to mess up such an easy pattern??..iv had to frog it twice already!

Easter sock swap..THANK YOU ALI !

i received this amazing package on saturday from my swap partner Ali...who happens to be a mate from http://www.stitchlinks.com/

she was also the host for this swap.

she went well beyond requirements...i received:-

a bunny biscuit receipe

thorntons easter chocolate

hand dyed (by Ali) matchmaker 4ply

and a copy of 'knitting on the road'

thank you so much Ali x

i think she must be a mind reader as iv been umming and ahhing over this book for the last week! the yarn is gorgeous..not quite as bright as in the photo but as can be seen iv already wound it into centre pull balls to use asap! its going to knit beautifully as its variegated dark pinky thro to pale pink. just got to get my second jaywalker done now.....

J spent saturday laying our new living room floor..which is nearly 4mx6m! the cats did lots of 'helping' ! but it is now down and we have a cat and dog proof floor...no scratches in it after 24hrs! it is also waterproof(its cushioned lino) which was a big requirement...laminate is not so we discovered(even the stuff you can get for kitchens and bathrooms)!!! we are really pleased with it and the animals like it too!

just got to get some skirting board on now and then the whole downstairs is done!

Fingerless Gloves

these are the fingerless gloves iv done for my sisters friend. they probably dont look very exciting in the picture but in 'real' life they are so nice! theyr done using knitpicks ambrosia in mint knitted using my own pattern. im really pleased with them i just hope she like them.

as i sewed in the ends at work, my colleagues saw them and iv already got an order!

my mate E loved the socks so we just have to see if they help her brother...fingers crossed they do as it will be great to have helped him.

J has been very busy in the garden...shes 'built' a pavedish area down the side of the drive. its a difficult area to do anything with as its more of a slanting hill. so shes covered it with reclaimed bricks and broken flags so hopefully that will sort it out so we dont have to worry about it.(ill take a pic when shes done)

on the new toy front...i will be getting it in a week or so......watch this space!

THANK YOU SECRET PAL!

Received a parcel this morning from my secret pal containing 'One Skein' by Leigh Radford. Im so pleased. It was the only knitting book I actually wanted and now I own it....good job Iv finished the socks for E's brother(top left) and the fingerless mitts(pic another time) for my sisters mate as Im dying to start something from it, nothing too big as i want to leave this weekend free for other things.....Thank you so much Keylime Ply xx

middle pic is of 1st jaywalker as modelled by J...still got the other to do!

the pic on the right is Captain(my main man) not looking too happy due to the flash...