A Belated Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a lovely festive season as well as new year. We certainly did. J and A spoiled me rotten with loads of yummy pressies, Mum and Dad bought me a lamp alarm clock thing....basically wakes you up (and sends you to sleep) with 'natural' light, so should help with SAD(along with my self help of having a 20min or so 'hobble' in daylight every day). My sis bought me a lovely fleecy throw that zips and buttons into a sleeping bag! As she said I can use it for when I feel like curling up on the sofa....which I've been doing a lot of recently as I've had THE cold that's affecting everyone at work and it's left me with laryngitis and no voice at all!!!! I got lots of lovely cards and pressies from my mates too! Thank you all very much.
New year was fun as J and I went to see St Trinians at the cinema which was great.

On the knitting front:-
I've still not blocked MW
I've finished MS6 and that needs blocking too!
Finished knitting the polka dot gloves, they took ages as I'm not used to colour work, just need to sew buttons and finger 'hats' on.
Started Spring Shawl Surprise in 1ply weight yarn and ended up restarting in a thicker yarn. So finished clue 2 today and hope to have clue 3 done before Tuesday and then I'm caught up.
Need to start SoSii which I'm using a alpaca/wool blend from Forsells (I've been very good and already swatched).
I ended ripping Branching Out completely. I loved the yarn and colour but the pattern was doing nothing for me. So the beautiful cash/silk is sitting in my cupboard waiting for just the right project.

My Knitting new years resolutions are(as required by UK swap)
1. Get over my mind block of fine laceweight/cobweb yarn.
I really don't know why I get this. I never seem to have trouble with instructions...give me any pattern and I'm away, but fine yarn er...no......any suggestions will be welcome regarding this matter! I've already thought about knitting a no-brainer shawl to give me a bit of confidence?
2. Finish any UFO's.....
I've only got 2 garments to finish, so I think I'll pick those up soon as I'm sure to get 'laced out' soon seeing as I've joined 5, yes 5! KAL's

I borrowed Chris' Drum Carder a few weeks ago. What a difference this has made! It still takes the same amount of time to card fleece but with much less effort! So I've asked my family for donations to the 'Mel would really like to buy an Ashford drum carder' fund for my birthday...which is only a week on Tuesday....sssqqquuuueeeeeeee!
(Photos when the light gets better)

Happy Christmas to you all!

Happy Christmas to everyone. I hope you all have a lovely festive season.
I will see you in the new year!

Marilyn Manson

Yes! we went to the gig on Wednesday. It was J's birthday present from me. It took about 3.5hrs(including a stop) to get to London. Then, what felt like hours, to find the hotel!!!! It was amazing...it really took me back to my teens.....I was a velvet and lace goth then(I was told back then that I looked like Patricia Morrison from Sisters of Mercy!). The atmosphere was fantastic and I even managed to 'dance'!!! Unlike some miserable people behind us that kept their arms crossed the whole time.
I even got to have a drink, which is something I don't do due to not wanting to and my meds.
I drove back on Thursday and it took 3.5hrs again but no getting lost! On the way down I managed to knit half a sock using my sugar almond hand spun...just a simple basket weave pattern off the top of my head.
I've completed clue 7 for MW and now waiting for no8 as then it will be finished.....photo when it's off the needles as it's too big to see properly. I started MS6 last Saturday. This is a top down triangular shawl. I've just got 12 rows left of clue 2....I'm doing it in a bluey/lilac 4ply Diploma gold.
I've had a good go at Branching Out but I don't think my sis will get it for her birthday so it'll be Christmas instead. I've also got a commission for some gloves. The person they're for wants a gray glove with multi coloured big polka dots. So I've got some Matchmaker that I think I'll dye random bright colours and strand it between the gray.
My Secret Pal (the one I spoiled) got her reveal package this week. Her name is Deb and she seems really pleased with what I sent her...I included a Print o the Wave stole I'd knitted especially for her. I feel very lucky to have found a lovely friend in both her and my spoiler. I still don't know who that is. I'm itching to find out!!!

I'm a lot better thanks

Thank you to everyone for all your good wishes. I am a lot better now thank you. Still feel a bit yuck tho' but that's life with ME for you. Got to try and go to work tomorrow.
While I've been off work I've managed to catch up on some knitting. I'm half way thro' clue 6 on MW woohoo! So just another 2 to go. I've also had a parcel thro' from Hipknits, containing the softest cash/silk lace in 'bluebell'....a lovely Eeyore blue...which is slowly getting knitted up into Branching Out from Knitty. Brill service and communications from Kerrie too!
Another parcel I received(today) was an order from Socktopus. Wow is all I can say! I ordered some addi lace needles(for MS6). The parcel was so well wrapped containing a Socktopus st marker, some sweeties and a sachet of wool wash....Alice's customer service and communications are amazing!
My stash now has a new space. J moved A into the little bedroom(at his request!) So my stash is now sitting in the larger bedroom with my ball winder and swift set up in a permanent home on the desk! I did spend some time separating my fibre from yarn stash...I didn't realise I had that much!!!! I've now got the spare bed and a tv in their for when I want a woolly hit!

Agghhh

Well guess who's been diagnosed with 'flu?!
I spoke to my GP this morning and that's exactly what he told me...full blown influenza...typical!
I even had a 'flu jab booked for Thursday(which has now been cancelled as there's no point). I am relieved tho' that at least I'm going to recover from this awful pain and yuckiness that I've been feeling and that it's not my usual complaints relapsing!.
Anyway that's the whinge over. I have on the other hand, although I had to make myself as my hands are still very sore, done some knitting. I've made a 3 pointed hat from Woolywormhead's blog....I did knit a rib on it tho' ...in my bluey/greeny hand spun. I've also done about 15 rows of Viveka and finished spinning 'curry' which is ready wound up into centre pull balls for Forest Canopy shawl!
So fingers crossed(ouch that hurts!) I can catch up on the knitting I missed!

Apologies

First of all I apologise for taking so long to post. I think I can sum it up very easily...I've felt absolutely crap to say the least.
I think I've finally managed to catch up on my emails. So thank you to you all for contacting me and sending your best wishes it really means a lot.
Well, as you can imagine not much knitting has been taking place. I'm well and truly in a muddle with my MW......I tried frogging and still haven't got the correct st count so need to go back further aagghhh....brain fog has def got in the way!...so it's been put to one side for the time being.
I have started Viveka at a trip to my parents last Saturday(when I thought I was just going to sleep all afternoon), so the rib for the back has been done and not much else!
I have finished spinning 'curry' and just waiting for it to dry from setting the twist. I really want to do something to get my teeth into rather than reams of st st, so after an inspiring email from Chris I thought it would be perfect to use for Forest Canopy as the pattern has got a bit of umph to it.
While I'm on the subject of Chris, thank you so much for the lovely 'cheer me up' parcel I received today......beautiful turquoise/blue Collinette yarn(I love the colour so much), dark orange chocolate and some heat pads for the horrible pain I've been experiencing. I was soooooo touched, thank you again.
Fingers crossed 'curry' will be dry soon so I can wind it up and cast on....

I love my Secret Pal!

Look what my SP sent me this week!
There is 3 (yes 3!) bags of merino roving...oranges, greens and reds.
A cable sock pattern....very me!
2 notebooks and a diary,
some humbug sweets..yummy!...already eaten.
and some fab cat shaped highlighter pens....which arrived at exactly the right time as I've started the Mystic waters(MW) shawl this week!
My SP is fab, Thank you so much. I'm now looking forward to finding out exactly who you are !

This is the 1st clue for the MW shawl. My new yarn arrived early in the week and I got as far as this by Wed night. I'm about a quarter of my way thro' clue 2 now but pics of that when I've done it ! This yarn is much easier to see the pattern...and I get to use my lovely new bamboo circulars too! Donna.....notice the 'sheepies' are coming in very handy?

Last weekend was fab. I ended up staying at my parents house on Sun. My sister and I waited 'til my Dad went to bed(which wasn't as early as usual as they were still recovering from a flight back from the Caribbean which they made Friday). We then managed to decorate both his and Mum's cars, the house and the fence posts. Poppy woke me up next morning as she could hear him moving around(I was shattered as you can imagine). We went for lunch and took his cake. I really think he enjoyed his day.

I took my Fiesta('Feeps') in for her welding on Tuesday and a very sweet AA man took pity on me at the garage and drove me home so I wasn't struggling...walking and talking was very hard on Tuesday...but it was worth it for Dad to have a good birthday.

J has picked the car up and Feeps has now passed her MOT and has her tax disc for another 6 months. So I'm mobile again! ...watch out Chris, you will have a visitor when I'm up to it!

Oh nearly forgot, I managed to get some Sublime angora/merino at half price!!! I'm thinking of knitting Viveka from knitty with it, just got to make sure I've got tension with it first.

FO alert! the Denmarks are finished but J wouldn't let me block them as she wanted to wear them straight away for work!!! Pics as soon as I can.

Right I'm going to grab a cup of coffee and have a rest! Enjoy your weekend.