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...

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!