im still here....

iv managed to work this week and not a lot else!
my mate C (i car share with) has driven all this week to work...thank goodness! i have had a TENS machine strapped to each leg most of the time. it seems to have more of an effect than on my back. i thank my friends so much for suggesting i give a TENS a try, it really has helped.
im hoping to get my 2nd sock done for my mate E and then i can start on the gloves for my sisters mate and get them finished before Easter.
fingers crossed this time next week i may have a new toy...............

and theres more.......

ok....i know i promised some pics of the fleece and merino id spun so here it is at last!

the top 2 are the greeny fleece i got from the threshing barn....i managed 60+metres but it is going to need plying. i have some merino n other bluey fleece coming from ebay so ill just have to see what is suitable.

the bottom skein is the very first proper atempt at spinning using my drop spindle...its a purple/blue/white mix of merino, and i was so pleased with myself as i managed to spin 17+metres out of bits i carded together at my spinning lesson!

iv got some gorgeous chocolate brown as well as mixed colours of alpaca to spin as well as some merino and also merino and mulberry silk but iv been too tired by the time the cats have gone to bed.

work was great today...i was back in the lab but i did give my TENS machine a good bashing!

i think, as i have 2 of those machines, that i may have to hook one up to each leg n see how i get on. my problem is that the pain moves around to different places so its just gonna be trial and error.

as for my arms luckily knitting still seems to do the trick...so im just hoping......that when....and only when.........i get my back pay and so get my double treadle spinning wheel that it may help my legs in the same way!

some piccies at last!

hurrah iv been able to use the camera! 1st up is a 'crash ur stash' swap from lizandjuan. she sent me some knitpicks ambrosia...80%alpaca 20%cashmere..mmmmmmmmm..the colours are perfect thank u so much x
next is what iv pinched from my mums stash! she loved her bag(plus flowers) and her lunch that me and my sis treated her and dad to. this yarn is all 100% wool(i hope!) so iv a few designs in my head for felting that this will be used for!
after we went for lunch on tuesday we went as hoped to voirrey embroideries and i picked up 2 skeins of debbie bliss maya (which is discontinued) for half price! iv always loved this colour way n just had to have it..its oranges,lemon n pink...yes pink! i know, but i like it if its in with other things.
talking of pink im getting to like raspberry too! i think its just the pastel n neon versions that im not very good with...
heres a pic of Twiggy just to break up the yarn pics...shes still tiny but putting weight on steadily. i dont think it helps that we keep comparing her size to Maisie..the one with the stumpy front right leg and she is 10 days older than Twiggs..and a lot bigger!

this is what arrived in the post yesterday and was a lovely surprise after yet another very tiring day at work...its a half finished jumper done in superwash wool...its such a gorgeous colour and the pattern in fab(like a basket weave)...the only prob is i dont think it will fit me. so im gonna have to frog it which i dont want to do as the work gone in to it is amazing.

this was from my mate gardenfairy...shes more of a cross stitcher and so sent me this to finish for myself, along with a gorgeous kitten card and some really cute cat stickers.

thanx gardenfairy its gorgeous x

whew im done...well apart from my fyberspates sock club yarn which i dont want to post on here yet incase any1 hasnt received theirs....ill just say its really squishy n yummy!

oh also my secret pal 10 has been in touch..she sounds fab...hiya Keylime_ply!

right off to have a rest to get some energy(its in very short supply at the mo) to go to work tomorrow....

skein winder(s)!

well iv gone from not having a skein winder to now having 2!!!
i went to the post office on tuesday to pick up the one id bought off ebay on sunday n there was also another parcel there for me.....the winder that had got lost in the post in feb!!!!!!!
so im now the proud owner of a brand spanking new one that clamps to the table or door and an older version that has a weighted base that just sits on the table or floor.
so i had great fun winding 4 skeins of yarn last night from an order id received from Bev...2 skeins of 100% tiedyed wool in lilacy purples and also 2 skeins(1 i already had before) of banana yarn. im busy knitting this into a bag to be felted for my mum for mothers day.....
luckily i have a few days grace as im only seeing her on tuesday as my sis and i are taking her out for a suprise lunch and then a trip to voirrey.....mmmmmmm lots of stitching things!
health wise things have been pretty crap. if my boss hadnt changed my duties i dont think i would have been able to go in this week. iv been very tired and my 'electric' pain is coming back pretty strong...so rather than dwell on it im just trying to knit thro' it!
oh also iv had 2 orders this week...1 for a pair of fingerless gloves(my own pattern) for my sisters mate and 1 for some 100% wool socks for my mate at works brother...he has cerebral palsy and has poor circulation so some wool socks should help a bit.
so better get back to my knitting....

my poor skein winder

today at approx 5pm my skein winder died......
j tried unsuccesfully to revive it with the addition of hinges(it was 3 armed) but itmade no difference.
so my darling skein winder died peacefully.
it wound many a gorgeous skein of yarn and will be sadly missed.............

aaagggghhhhhhhhh what am i gonna do now?????
j wants me to buy one off ebay but last time i did that it got lost in the post...so i just dont know.

this week has been weird. iv been back at work and so consequently very tired. iv been zombified due to the fatigue and also the drugs for pain(its been pretty bad this weekend).
iv casted on and knitted to the heel for a pair of jaywalkers in regia multi ringel. its really bright colours...the zig zagging looks fab! i still dont know how i managed to knit so much!!!...j has already decided that this pair are for her and they will be her 'pride' socks...theyr almost rainbow coloured.
im really looking forward to this months yarn from fyberspates sock club. last months was a reddy/pinky merino n i love it(even though im not keen on pink) i stroke it when i go into my yarn box under the coffee table...and thats just part of the stash!
j has been a superstar laying cushioned lino in the dining room part of the kitchen...the bit where the animals eat and sleep.
im knackered now so im off for a hot bath........

suprise!!!

my darling j turned up a day early n knocked on my sisters door on saturday instead of sunday. it was lovely i had missed her sooooooo much.

my sis got back sat night, she had had a fantastic time. we decided to go out for lunch on sunday and introduced j to a carvery...still cant believe she had never had one!!!!

we got back early sun evening after an awful drive home in the belting rain.

last night i decided to spin some of my hand dyed fleece id bought....i now have 20+ metres of greeny grey yarn!!! and still got the other half of it left to do!

went back to work today, it was good but very busy....

so im absolutly shattered!

above is a pic of the things i bought while i was in notts...the greeny fleece is in the top right hand corner.....

an amazing few days!

amazing is how i describe the last few days!
wednesday i went to 'knit n chat' at Yarn in notts......www.yarn-in-notts.co.uk
it was lovely just sitting round with like minded people having a coffee and of course knitting! i love going to things like that(just wish we had something at home...i would organise something but i dont think id have the energy long term) meeting like minded people, seeing what projects theyr doing etc...it was from going to the same session in sept last year that i saw the shaped edged jacket some1 was knitting n i thought iv gotta do it 4 me!..i hadnt even seen debbie bliss yarn b4 then let alone knitted with it.this time i ended up buying the rialto pattern book some yarn 1 for sewing up my jacket n 1 to knit a design thats in my head with beads(i also bought!)i didnt realise how easy beading is!!!
then after going back for some lunch i went over to visit bev from www.knitting4fun.com
her house is amazing, she has one room just dedicated to yarn and crafts...iv even took pics on my phone to show j as i dont think she will believe me! well i was there most of the afternoon...bev does a lot of felting and her handbags are out of this world! so of course i just had to buy some of her felting yarn(of which iv already done my bag it just needs felting now) some circulars some alpaca spinning fibre and of course the thing that drew me to her in the 1st place...banana silk yarn...yes banana! its gorgeous.
yesterday bev picked me up in the morning n along with her mum n friend we went to
www.threshingbarn.com
and visited janet there. words cant describe how u feel walking into her 'shop'
its FULL of all kinds of craft items that people and janet have made!(janet has a farm n the shop is next door)...u dont know what to look at first, put it this way u could be there a week n still find something new. and then u go upstairs.......along with the beads and soap ingredients there is a vast amount of yarn from the fancy to hand spun n dyed!
there are 3 spinning wheels ....and janets work experience girl(lydia) gave me a quick lesson on n ashford traditional...i found it difficult to move my foot at the right time so this fuels my desire for a traveller as its double treadle....i made some yarn!!!!! AND the best bit is janet is a supplier of ashford and louet wheels and bits!!! so iv told her as soon as my back pay comes in ill be down(shes only an hour away from me) for my ashford traveller!!!!!
i ended up coming away with 2 dyed bats of carded wool in greeny colours(my fave), 2 x100g of bluefaced leicester..1 natural n 1 black/grey...im intending to spin these gorgeous colours together and some ceramic fairtrade cat buttons to put on my next felted bag..as well as a pressie for a friend but cant mention what as she reads my blog!!!
i feel so lucky to have had such a fantastic time these last few days..being at yarn n then meeting bev n then janet...i feel iv met some amazing people that are so enthusiastic and passionate about their crafts.so rand j and mum and told them we are gonna have to start doing crafty things together....
today, im having a rest!!!!