Hands up, who wants to live here?

Here?
Here?
or here?

There is a house for sale in spinners drive if anyone is interested!

I discovered these roads when I took my Fiesta to a friend of a friend to look over prior to the MOT. Unfortunately my car failed so it needs quite a bit of welding doing which is only to be expected on an 11 yr old car!

This week has been awful health wise. It is the wrong time of the month and my ME/fybro is always worse then. So luckily work let me take Friday off as holiday as I really needed the rest. Tomorrow is my Dad's 60th birthday and I'd already booked it off. So in effect I've got nearly a week off. My sis, Mum, Grandad and I are going to take my Dad out for lunch tomorrow...he's not a party person. I've still got to decorate his cake!!!

Below is a pic I forgot to put on my last post of the yarn that I've spun.

Starting bottom left is the red/purple/blue BFL I'd dyed, it's a sock weight. Then above that is the green/blue/yellow BFL again I'd dyed and that is aran/chunky weight. Next to that is 2 skeins of Wensleydale in Heathery and blue self stripes(again I dyed), this is a DK/aran weight.

Under that is the green tweedy mix, a DK weight and then next is 2 skeins of pastel wool/nylon mix again in a DK weight.

This week I've started the 2nd Denmark sock and got to the gusset on those. I may even finish those tonight. I've also spun and plied the first lot of curry roving. It's just sitting on the bobbin until I have the energy to skein it up.

Here is the start of the Mystical waters shawl. I tried it in the lace weight I'd dyed. I loved the colour but had probs as it was extremely fine and difficult to see what I was knitting and to frog. So I bit the bullet and bought some slightly heavier lace weight (more to the weight of the original done by the designer). My only prob is I'm only going to have 1200yds not 1200m like the pattern requires but I'm sure I'll be able to do something to sort it out. Just waiting on the post for that now as well as some undyed lace weight, foot lasts(for my felted slippers) and also a parcel from my SP. I just can't understand our post as it comes via Crewe not Liverpool(where there are still backlogs). So I think I'm just going to have to be patient!

Photos at last!!!

J was a darling and found the camera software and installed it for me so I could give you these photos as promised!

This is my first parcel from my SP...minus the Green and Blacks choc which has long gone! I think with the weather becoming increasingly colder(hovering around the minus figures)...which we need after the summer that never was.....I'm going to have to knit a scarf with the squishy alpaca. Thank you again SP.

This is my sisters cat Yogi. He is George's brother from the same litter. He's such a cuddle man and I had to physically move him each night, while I looked after them, so I could get into bed! He did curl up in my back to help when i was in a lot of pain. He's a sweetie. He also lives up to his name as he 'yogles'(yodles) a lot when talking to you!
This is Button, Yogis sister(same father different mother... I own both their mothers). She is a very pretty girly girl that loves having her tummy tickled! She's such a cutie.....and a pig as she never stops eating!!!!
Saturday Chris and I went to the Friendship day at the Frodsham branch of the spinners and weavers guild. We had a lovely day(if not very tiring) and this was my haul. 2x100g blue rainbow merino(something for J I think) and 2x100 'curry'(as Chris called it) rainbow merino ...only one in the pic as I've started spinning the other(see pic below)...all for me! There's also some alpaca/silk and merino/silk as well as some 4.5mm bamboo(at last!) circulars to knit my Mystic waters shawl.....I had to cut my horrible metals as my sts wouldn't budge on them!

Talking of the shawl, this is the lace weight I have dyed for it. I also threw in some Shetland fibre that I picked up on Sat in the dye pot too. I didn't stir the mixture as I wanted a semi ish solid variation...(it is slightly darker than the pic) I'm still in 2 minds as to add some blue or green over the lighter parts...I don't know really?
I'll leave you with the cutie pics I promised ages ago just before the kitts went to their new home. George(notice the similarity to Yogi?...he's just a black version of George) with his baby sister Lily in Poppy's bed.
And here's Squeeze looking gorgeous cuddled on Lily's blanket!

I've killed Chris?!

This weekend has been taken up knitting for sockwars. Unfortunately for Chris she was my target. So after knitting solidly on Saturday then blocking the socks J and myself drove over to the Wirral and 'killed' her. I knitted the socks from some pure wool in blue/purple random that I thought she would like. To soften the blow I did give her some chocolate ands fresh cream choccy eclairs(well you wouldn't be able to put those in the post would you!?). Sorry Chris!
She had already completed her 1st sock for her target so I have now made its mate. They should be in the post today(when they are dry).
In the meantime Donna is my assassin! she has knitted me a gorgeous pair of socks(I've only seen pics of them). The post has been and gone so it'll be tomorrow when I die!!!!!!
I've now just got to complete my secret knitting for my SP and then I can look to doing something else....namely the Mystic waters mystery shawl....I've got the yarn and just need to dye it up in appropriate colours, teals/blues/greens I think.
Oh talking of my SP she got her 1st parcel and loves it!!!! I'm so pleased esp as she wanted to learn to spin so I put 'rare breeds' roving and a spindle in for her...she is really happy with it!
Thanks to everyone for adding me on Ravelry. I've still not had energy and photo to start building my notebook up!

It's October already!!!

I can't believe it's October already...where has this year gone??
I managed to get back to work this week. Thank you to everyone who sent good wishes regarding my health. I really feel that 'something' is doing the rounds and I managed to catch it early on. I went to Occy health at work this week and was told they should have flu jabs in next week so I'm going to be first in line I think!
On the crafting front, big thanks go to Chris. We are both creating the same item for our SPs and I got rather stuck as the pattern didn't 'add' up! So luckily Chris sorted it out(she's done lots of this type of pattern so understands the construction better than I do) and I'm now on the home straight......I'm hoping to get as much as poss done before the weekend when SOCKWARS starts. Talking of which I still haven't checked my gauge. Yarn Monkey states it's 25stx34rows or something like that so I'll either dig in my DK stash or maybe some hand spun????
I actually did some spinning this week. I've spun up some Wensleydale that I'd dyed in blue/pink/heather and that's come out a heavy DK weight and also self striping...my first attempt at dyeing to knit it up that way! I also spun some green and brown of unknown type of wool fibre that I bought just before or as I got Audrey off Ebay. It looks horrible carded but it has spun up lovely. A kind of tweedy effect!!! Another pair of socks I think and if that doesn't work out it can be used on my mitred square camping blanket. Again a DK weight.
Oh, I'm now on Ravelry! My name on there is 'woolydoodles' naturally!!!

Not much of a week

I've been off work all week. It's a throat infection that has been the culprit. Unlike most people that work thro' such illnesses I can't :(
I'm now feeling less shivery and achy thank goodness, and I've been able to get on with my secret knitting(when I've felt upto it), so I'm hopefully on the home straight with that now.
I think Audrey and myself need to do some spinning this afternoon as we have neglected each other a bit recently.
It's been so cold this week. Def a week of wearing knitted socks, gloves and scarves. We have even had the heating on!
Acupuncture went well. My right leg started while I was there and the acupuncturist positioned her needles to give me some relief. So got another appt with her on Tuesday, ready to go back to work on Wednesday.

I'm here, honest! (no pics as still need to sort camera out)

Omg it's been over two weeks since I last posted!!! What a two weeks, it's def had it's share of ups and downs.
First of all Bella has now been spayed, so no more kittens for us as she was the last to be neutered.
I also received my first SP11 package. I'd been waiting for some yarn in the post so you can imagine my surprise to get this parcel.
Inside was 2x50g Frog Tree alpaca chunky...very warm and squishy!
Geranium and orange soap from Neal's Yard..smells gorgeous.
2 beautiful little note cards.
A long tube of Belgian hot chocolate...the tin will be used for my DPN's once I've drank the hot choc!
AND 2 bars of my fave Green and Blacks choc!!!
Thank you so much SP I love it all!

Last weekend J took me to my sisters house...I was unable to drive myself as my back had decided to play up in a big way. Sitting for the hour and a half drive was pretty sore.
So I spent the first half of the week knitting and relaxing as I was unable to do much else :(
Wednesday I was brave and drove my sisters car(my back had eased) and went to visit Bev (http://www.knitting4fun.com/). I had a lovely day there and even stayed for tea...which was especially nice as I hate cooking for myself and so just forget about eating. It turned out that she had a stall a the Craft 4 Crafters show at Newark at the weekend, so I offered to help set up. Bev agreed but only if I didn't do too much. That's exactly what I did(help out that is) and I even went over on Friday to help a bit on the stall...I mainly spent the day needle felting and giving bits of advice about spinning and fibres. To top it all Karen (the girl that helps Bev on the stall) and Bev have asked me to visit their knitting group as well as help them learn to spin! How fab is that?!
Unfortunately I didn't sew up the baby clothes but I did make a bit of a dint into some knitting for my SP, as well as picking up a few bits for her last 2 parcels....I think they're more or less done now!
I came home on Saturday and naturally I felt tired.
Today I got up for work and ended up ringing in sick as I'm ear achy, head achy and neck achy. Sorry for whinging but I'm in a 'don't know what to do with myself ' mood! To add insult to injury my back has decided to start again.
So I've been dosing up on hot orange squash and having my beanie(wheat bag) attached to my neck for relief of my sore glands.
I've finally been banded(wages at work) only 2 1/2 yrs after I started! So that money starts in October and I'm just hoping my back pay is pretty quick after that as I want to buy a memory foam mattress. Then fingers crossed that will help with the old bodily pain. I've also booked an acupuncture session in the hope that that helps in the ways that conventional medicine doesn't!

They're going :(

Today is our last day with the kittens. Lily has already gone to her new home and Squeeze is going tonight when his new mum has finished work. It's really sad to see them go but at least we know they have fantastic homes. Their new families have already said they will stay in touch and let us know their progress. Each kitten has been told that they can come back to us if there's any problems!!!
I would post some really cute photos that I took last night but I'm still having problems uploading them.
This is def our last litter of kitts as Bella is getting spayed on Tuesday...no lie in for me on my day off!!
On the knitting front, I've finished the cheeky chino cardi but I'm leaving it until I'm at my sisters to sew it up. I've started knitting Denmark from Knitting on the Road in my hand spun and dyed red yarn. I've only done the cuff on the first as I've been doing some secret knitting for my SP...I can't say what until she gets the parcel(once I find a box big enough!) as I'm not sure if she's sussed me out yet!
A told J the other day that I must suffer from OKD...obsessive knitting disorder!!!! I have corrected him since and added an S to it...obsessive knitting and spinning disorder!!!...I think I could name at least few people suffering from this!!!
Just got 1 week left at work. It's going to be strange this week as C is off for a week, and as we car share we usually have a good rant about the day on the way home. So poor J will be listening to me going on instead!
My sis is def going away. So I'll be going to Nottingham with Audrey at the weekend. I may not be able to use her computer as she's been having problems with it, unless I can sort it out for her. I'm thinking of starting another item for my SP while I'm there....Chris do you think it's going to take long to do???
Oh, while I think on, there is another SOCK WARS! Yarn monkey has a different blog address, here it is http://yarnivation.blogspot.com/ . I did sock wars last year and met Jen thro' it. It was fun...have a go!
I must go and put tea in the oven......