Well, finally!

I finished spinning Jo's wonderful fibre - what took me so long? I have no idea, really, it's so lovely and soft, I just misplaced my spinning mojo for a while. This is superwash BFL Navajo plied to a slightly heavier sock weight - maybe closer to 4 ply. The colours look like the strawberry smoothie M made for breakfast today - they are subtle and gorgeous.
Jo's stuff can be found here - http://freestylefibre.blogspot.com/ where there is a link to esty shop.

Am now spinning some natural coloured baby camel and silk - lovely but oh so very fluffy- it gets everywhere!

On the specials board today......

we have a liberal dash of Conkers McBonkers looking composed and regal. Actually J woke him up with the flash and that's his 'WTF!' expression.
We have a medley of buttons purchased form Woolly Workshop for projects already on the needles. They are ceramic and so pretty. Link here http://www.woollyworkshop.co.uk/acatalog/Debbie_Abrahams.html
A dozen balls, lightly caressed by my hands, of Sublime Cashmerino Silk Aran in a coffee-ish colour. This is a project in waiting which I am NOT casting on for until other stuff is off the needles.
Also on the board today a kind of bogey coloured Sublime Soya Cotton, which is a current crochet project....yes I said the 'c' word.

And for dessert........

A surfeit of birthday cake, leftover from yesterday, SuperMario, Nintendo DS, birthday cake no less! Yep, yesterday my little soldier (he hates being called that) turned 11. He suffered the indignity of many presents, lots of money, cards, spoiling, treats and topped it all off with a mega curry (his choice) and Dr Who - what more could he ask for??

On the knitting front - not much has been achieved as I've been spinning and finally sewing up my dress (Suemoon gifted me the fabric over a year go and it's been cut out almost as long) - it's made up well but no piccies as I hate being photographed and it looks cak on the hanger.

On Friday we took Lottie on her first urban walkies along one of the main streets in Hove, J wanted to visit a new shop called Sweet Boutique - it's amazing, no website yet, it's like an old fashioned sweet shop, lined with jars and bits-n-bobs that are all pocket money prices, J bought cola cubes and coconut mushrooms, M bought cinder toffee and foam strawberries and I bought sweet coconut tobacco, Lottie didn't buy anything but she was a very good girl and didn't flinch at all the noise and the buses.

A favourite place.

I am lucky to live between the South Downs http://www.southdownsonline.org/ and the sea. We have some amazing scenery and walks around here. One of my favourites is virtually on my doorstep. It's the walk from Ovingdean to Rottingdean Windmill http://www.roughwood.net/PhotoAlbum/2004%20Album/RottingdeanMill2004.htm (this is a great picture of the area). You walk behind St Dunstans and the views across are amazing - you can see all the way to Worthing - right out to sea - then round to Peacehaven way - and it is so open - all sky.

We walk the dogs there quite often - as it is open you can see other dogs approaching - this is important as Loobles loves a trot off the lead, but being so elderly gets nervous if other dogs approach and Lottie is a nutter so we can rein her in! The last couple of days when we've walked up there all we could hear was the wind and the skylarks - and we were lucky enough for a couple to fly up and try and lead us away from their nests, singing loudly to us the whole time. We never walk in the long grass or let the dogs run through it. It is wonderful to have the Skylarks back in such abundance. We also saw Swifts, a Kestrel and of course Seagulls.

It felt so wonderful to blow away the cobwebs that have been clogging my brain so much lately. I am still walking my black dog, I am overwhelmed at times by a dragging, suffocating sadness but the fact that I can still find little pockets of peace and happiness means that I must be slowly swimming back to the surface (fingers crossed).

Sockity-doo-dah,

sockity-day! Three single socks have I finished today. Cast on for partners - hip, hip hurray. Sockity-doo-dah, sockity day!
No-purl-Monkey socks in the yarn Yorkie sent me - KnitPicks Felice in the Mixed Berry colourway. Plain ole vanilla socks in Regia (centre) and Waving Lace socks (from Favourite Socks) in Tofutsies, that I am knitting for a friend.
It's been a sockish kind of a day.

Home again, home again...

jiggity, jig.

Lottie came home yesterday afternoon and if it wasn't for the dressing on her tummy and the shaved patch on her leg I would never know she's had surgery. She was quieter last night but her appetite was healthy (chicken and rice for the next day or so) but this morning trying to keep her quiet and calm is like trying to get J not to talk - nigh on impossible!! It is 10.35am and I am exhausted, Lottie is full of beans and wants to chase and play - she's missing her walks and charging around in the garden. Once she's had her check-up tomorrow then we can (fingers crossed) get back to tiring her out.

Here's a question for you....do you get fugs? You know blue fugs that are really for no reason, you know they are for no reason and you can't get out of them? It's almost like I get 'post' menstrual tension - 'tis very strange - it always passes in a couple of days, but I hate feeling such a grump at these times.

So it's a quiet day at home with Lottie for J and I - he's cool with that - we should go swimming today but he's still has some pox spots so we didn't want to risk it. He's disappeared into the bowels of his pit with my classical mythology book to find out about Prometheus - he's fascinated by the link to this character and Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' - which is a favourite extract in his Puffin ' Treasury of Classics'. I've promised to get a pack of CD's and record my audio book version of 'Frankenstein' for him - it's most likely too boring for him but if he wants to try it out, I've no problem.

Once the laundry is finished the day is my own (Lottie permitting) I sense some serious knitting time (fingers crossed).

O so smug!

But why? Cos today the house is a Lottie free zone. Conkers is so enjoying puppy free peace and quiet. She was dropped off at the vets at 8.30am I can phone to check on her at lunch time. The house is so very quiet. I hoovered without having the Dyson constantly attacked, my fluffy duster is not soggy and chewed from being ripped out of my hand at every given opportunity. J is not yelling at the puppy to stop jumping on him whilst he's trying to read and Loobles is a-kip - but that's normal anyway.

I am missing the little monkey faced pigbat - silly - it's only a couple of hours - but she's always with me.

J is downstairs working hard (or so I am told) as he is virtually over the pox we are back to our normal routine. I think he's missed it as he was truly head down when I went downstairs to see how he was coping. We have loads of great stuff planned for the summer and both of us are excited by what is in store - I do love learning with him. He has so much going on right now, his social life is way better than mine!!! Plus he is way, way excited about his forthcoming birthday - we have a list of stuff he wants to fit in. It's funny that some people think I chain him to a desk all day and never 'sees' anyone or gets to 'do' stuff - home-ed is exhausting - quiet days are rarity........perhaps I should chain him to a desk *joke*.

Finally......

yarn photo's and on a Friday - go me! M forgot the batteries shopping so I robbed these temporarily from something else. I have 3 balls of Rowan KSH in this funky green that I bought at Shoreham a few weeks back - it is kind of lurid - but I love it and it will become something light and lacy in the not too distant future. The Fig on which the yarn is resting is now over 15 years old and is called.......original name and all that......Figgy.
Not a brilliant photo but it shows Lotsie in her most favourite spot when we are indoors. Sitting on the back of the sofa looking out at the world, she likes to yip at the peeps next door and the guy one place down in his allotment....he's not growing them beans right, according to Mistress Yipyap and needs to be told. I wonder how she will react when I order the new furniture we're planning to get? There will be nowhere to sit on by the window, perhaps we'll have to rig something up - she'll miss her daily pigeon watch.
Sitting on the sofa waiting for puppy kibble which is being waved under her nose to make her sit still - 25 weeks old. Naughty, cute, adorable and spoilt rotten.
"Fluffy Owlets, Batman!" One the the CP owls - it's the biggest type of owl there is - and can I remember its name? Can I fuff! It's a Siberian ----------(fill in the blanks). It was 7 weeks old and huge - called Bumble (I think) - isn't it gorgeous?***

No jabs for Conkers till next week - he has a slight infection in one eye and a blocked sinus - the vet thinks it could be linked to increased moulting due to a change in the weather, and didn't want to risk inoculations just in case - so a stay of execution for Bonko. What with Lotties op, Conkers eye and jabs and Loobles jabs due next month - I think it may be an expensive month on the animal care budget - all stuff that the insurance doesn't cover!!! Never mind - if I wasn't prepared to pay out I wouldn't have animals.

*** it's a Siberian Eagle Owl*** yay Google!

Ramblin on a bit.

Still no new batteries (shopping today) so no yarn pics yet.

Life is rollin on and juddering a bit at the mo.

J is still spotty and they are starting to scab over, but last night, he must of ate a dodgy piece of Scampi or something cos he was sooooooo sick, poor little blighter. I've not been at him to 'do' stuff whilst he's ill and today I've told him to get plenty of fluids and to take it easy....not a normal concept in the 'J Book of Life'.

Lottie goes for her spaying op on Monday. I know it needs to be done, but I always hate taking a healthy animal in for anything major-ish. She will also be micro-chipped at the same time - very little change out of £200! She's worth it and so is our peace of mind....no puppies thank you very much.

As for the rest of the beasties, Conkers has the sneezles - one of the other cats used to get allergies in warmer weather and I think Conkers may have the same problem - he's fine, healthy etc - just sneezing. He's off the the vets for his annual boosters tomorrow so I'll get the vet just to check him over too. Loobles has bad wind - but for that's totally normal. Colemans (tarantula) who is male and aging rapidly has broken a leg - there is nothing we can do and he's still clambering about OK.

I have raging PMT. I am a little down in the dumps. My OCD is bad, my agoraphobia is better than it's been in quite a while but as we start to approach the anniversary of M loosing his Mum (and the estate is STILL NOT settled - useless solicitor) the loss of his Mum is quite a strong feeling, maybe stronger now for me then when she actually died. It's way she died and what we've discovered consequently about her health and what she hid from us all, that's frying my noodle a tad. I know this is normal and will pass - been through it (sadly) so many times, but today I have the miseries - so thought I depress anyone else who is reading this.....does anyone read this? Good question!

I also hate Fathers Day......it's not easy for either of us, J always makes M's day special but tis always tinged with a little wistful sadness. M is off to a guitar show with his mates in London so hopefully that will fill him full to the brim with jollification. I may go to the local KIP - don't know - I am not the best company right now....I'll see how I feel on the day.

Right now the laundry calls to me ......"come and put us on the line.....it's windy.... we will dry ... and make a lovely fresh smell when you iron us!"

BFF's for June.

My last pair of socks for SAM5 are CookieA's BFF socks. Knitted in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Huron on 2.75 dpns.
Lucky to get these pictures as the battery monster has struck again and not a single AA battery is to be had, so I squeezed the last bit of juice out of the ones left in the camera from our holiday.

The rose in the pictures is outside our conservatory and is so large it also lights up our bedroom window in the mornings, it is glorious and such a pretty pale pink. It does however attack unwary passersby as a regular occurrence and all of us quite often bear the mark of its thorns.

I've decided not to sign up for SAM6 - I think it's a great idea and was well run, but I didn't enjoy my sock knitting as much as usual - very strange - but there you go.;

I have 2 other pairs on the needles and need to cast on for a 3rd pair that I've been asked to knit am looking at 'Waving Lace Socks' from 'Favourite Socks' from Interweave.....they are tempting.

Hallooooooo

I'm back! Had a lovely time. Picture above was our main view. We saw so many birds - Finches, Tits, Thrush including Black Birds, Robins, Moorhens and of course Duckies! We were also visited by bunnies, Squirrels and a rather tiny Vole. M and I spent many happy hours chillin in front of a log fire (yes I know it's June - but it has to be done) watching the wildlife. The Squirrel got the nut bag down in less than 20 minutes of it being hung in the tree - I know they are considered vermin etc - but I adore them.
J made friends with this family of of eight ducklings - they visited us 3 or 4 times a day and J fed them........
as you can see they got pretty bold! They were completely cute. We also had a Drake and a Moorhen come into our villa and the squirrel use dthe tap on the patio doors - no fear of humans here.

The boys spent a lot of time, and I mean a lot, on the white water rapids, playing air hockey, doing archery and going on pedalos! I spent time having lots and lots of saunas, meditating, having massages and my first ever manicure.

As a family we did the 'Outing with Owls' experience - amazing - the guy who does this is soooo knowledgeable and suits his patter to all ages without being patronizing. The boys flew an Rock Eagle Owl (formerly a Bengal Eagle Owl), J also handled an African Grey Faced Scopes owl (above picture) and I got to fly another type of Eagle Owl (type escapes me - but his name was Eddie).

I did very little knitting, some reading but a lot of relaxing and way too much eating - I see a 'diet' in my future ;-)

What did we bring home with us from this holiday? .......Well, J bought home Chicken Pox - poor little blighter - he's OK - itchy but OK.

I promise - yarn photos will follow - once I recover etc.

We're off for a wee mini break holiday.....will blog properly on my return - including the not yet taken yarn photo's.

A quick and a big 'Ta' to all those local knitters who came and knitted in Preston Park on Friday - it was so nice to see you all.

Back next weekend - have a lovely week.....I shall :-D

A small soapbox moment....sorry...

plus some other stuff too.

I haven't ranted on here for a while - all the negativity made me shut down for a bit - but what the f**k - 'tis my blog and I will say what's on my mind etc.

So, if you a offended easily, please miss the next paragraph - thank you.

I know this is non-pc but what gives with peeps who are religious? Why because of the way I appear do they automatically assume that I am a Christian? Why is it OK for them to say 'God bless' to me - they wouldn't say it to someone who they might assume was Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist would they? No. Because they would judge that person beliefs by their outward appearance - saffron robes are a give away! And then another why - why do they get knickery when I ask them to refrain from this practice as to me it is offensive? Why is OK for them to ram their beliefs down my throat (metaphorically)? I wouldn't dream of telling them that it's a load of old bunkum and to stop being so gullible! I am 'not' tarring all Christan's with the same brush - but I have been accosted on the street more than once week by God squaders - if it's OK for them to shout out and God bother me in public then it should OK for me to stand next to them and tell them A) to piss off and get a life or B) that they are all demented for believing such utter tosh! Lucky for them I am a Humanist and would never dream of doing either because I respect their right to believe what they choose - why can't they show me the same respect I wonder?

*gets off soapbox*......OK it's safe from here on down.

Lottie went to the vet, her 'vulva' is still too immature to be spayed - so she goes back for another check in 2 weeks. I'd rather err on the side of caution here than run into health problems in later life. She weighs a whopping 7.20kg - the vet said "She's doing fine and is a well put together little dog." Actually she's a right guinea pig bothering cow bag at the moment - but we luvs her.

Cake is in the oven for tomorrow - keeping all crossed >. .< for good weather!

Oooo bought some lovely yarn - one lot of which I am *whispers* crocheting.

Lists are being complied for packing/laundry marathon - yay for holiers!!!

J is over excited about going away. I am worried about the animals (Ma is critter sitting) - she's great with them - but I always worry - I am sooooo going to miss Lotsie.

Ooo did you (if local) hear that storm the other night? - Massive! Loobles laid down beside my side of the bed and parped in fear - I ate shitcake! Lottie was a bit bemused, her first storm, she wasn't frightened but she didn't like it. It must have been bad cos Conkers jumped on the bed - he never bothers about storms normally.

That's it for now - yarn pR0n tomorrow if I get a chance to take photo's - if not ...sorry.

It's.......

Rip Van Lottie.
'Oh she's tired!'

Yesterday

I wore my new shoes.
We took J and Lottie to Singleton http://www.wealddown.co.uk/ Open Air museum. J was in charge of photos.
We saw lambs with waggly tails.
Lottie discovered geese and she wants one!
She quite fancies a chuck or two as well. She also saw horses, ducks, crows (again) and Carp. She met another Border and we met some other Border mad peeps - she was much admired.

It was hot, sunny and windy. We had a picnic, walked for miles, explored lots of history and bought a membership because we all love it there so much.

In evening we took Lottie to Ruby's house to play (J and the cousins played too - so did the grown-ups) but the two pups played for 3+ hours solid without respite! So today Lottie is 'tired', so many adventures for such a little girl. She's in the kitchen helping M cook Sunday lunch - hoping just maybe a little piece of beef may come her way.

I got tagged.

Steph from http://crochetknittykitty.blogspot.com/ tagged me for this meme......

Rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

J was approaching his first birthday and was teething and I was wondering if I'd ever get the hang of this mothering malarkey! I found coming to terms with being a 'Mum' the hardest thing ever and it didn't come naturally, so I was quite depressed and often despairing. I remember feeling very trapped and worried.
I had also taken up patchwork and was going to classes to get 'out' of the house and had applied to start my degree so there were some +'s too.

2) 5 things on my 'to-do' list today?

1) As little as possible!!!
2) Phone my sister (done).
3) Drink red wine - roll on Sunday lunch time.
4) Knit.
5) Can't say *wink-wink*

3) Snacks I enjoy?

Anything with Marmite - toast, ricecakes, breadsticks. I adore savoury foods more than sweet and have a weakness for crisps, nuts and savoury cheese biscuits. I also enjoy dark, bitter chocolate.

4) Things I'd do if I were a billionaire?

All the normal stuff - stuff for my family etc. Move to the country have a 2nd home in Cyprus. But most important to me would be to give more to the charities I support and are important to me. I'd also like to fund research into finding out more about the chronic disease M has so he wouldn't have to pop so many pills everyday just to stay healthy!!! Oh and pay for J to have a maid service for his 'pit' - I hate his mess!

5) Place I have lived?

Oh wow - this is a hard one....where to start? Mmmmmm Brighton, then Brighton, followed by Brighton and currently.....you guessed it Brighton!

I can't think of 6 peeps to tag who haven't done this or one similar....so if you read this and you'd like to do it - fill yer boots - let me know though so I can come and be nosy on your blog. Ta.

Before and after!!!

Starting the day with that wind blown, carefree, scruffy look (she zonked out after her walk this morning - chasing crows is very tiring!).
This is Lottie before her first trip to the doggy hairdressers - she was excited to have someone to tell of her holiday plans and to discuss last nights episodes of 'The Dog Whisper' and 'Dog Borstal' with. *joke*

Enjoying a post hair cut biscuit - checking the groomer (Lucy - who is brilliant) had left her nose in tact! Look at the neat and tidy Border-marauder! She looks so grown up, sleek with neat toenails - even her curly monkey-bum has been trimmed. Lucy said she was very good, except for trying to gnash the hair dryer. I'm really pleased with her and it will be so much cooler for the summer than all that shaggy, wiry wildness of yesterday, wet shaggy, wiry, wildness of yesterday, Lottie loves water and spent most of the afternoon (after her walk) in her own version of a paddling pool killing the hose!

Half way house

I finally found the time and the mojo to finish spinning the first half of the second batch of Jo's fibre http://freestylefibre.blogspot.com/. This is 50g, Navajo plied same thickness as previous forest floor batch - so sock weight.
It has a lovely sheen and a wonderful hue of squashed berries - almost Summer Pudding coloured. The pictures are before the twist was set - but I'm very pleased with it. Now just need to spin the next 50g.

I do like me some purty!

Yorkie http://yorkshiregal.blogspot.com/ and I did a kind of mini swap and today I received this...KnitPicks Felici sock yarn in Mixed Berries. Now in recent years my colour taste has changed but deep down inside, no matter what, I have always loved pinks and mauve's - I am a closet pink girl! Strange my sister likes these colours too - sometimes I have to fight my pinkness urge when buying wool cos my true nature always gravitates to these colours -though apart from socks - I don't actually wear pink that much. So when I saw this on their web page I gave in to my inner pinkness and Yorkie - bless her voluptuous bosom - facilitated me.

She also sent a great card and a knitting keyring - cool! But Oooooooo pink squooshyness.

Life is still manic but good - all three of us are busy and have stuff on. We're off on hols in a couple of weeks too - we do need a break!

Lottie is growing, she has all her big dog nashers now - she looks like she's wearing a bigger dogs teeth - denture dog! She goes to have her coat stripped for the 1st time on Friday and then the following week off the vets for pre-op weigh in and check, she'll be spayed when we get back from our break. All the other furry and eight legged amnibiles are fine, healthy and doing good.

I need to go and pack J's swimming stuff, get the washing on the line, groom assorted critters and get busy with the duster and hoover - life is soooooo exciting some days.

Me and sock yarn

Just look at this colour....puts me in mind of the murkiness interspersed with brilliant brights that you see at the height of summer in a still pond. You know there are weeds and all kinds of life lurking under the soupy surface and like Tennyson's Lady of Shallot you are drawn to it and the coolness of the willows dipping into its surface.....ok I'll stop with the poetic waffling now.
The yarn is my all time favourite Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Huron. I have to date never completed a pair of cabled socks, I get bored with them so easily, however, with this hypnotising yarn I will attempt to break my duck and knit Cookie's BFF socks.

The face behind the yarn is a rescue from some very old stained glass that came M's way (he uses it in pottery) this is the face of Jesus and it was the only complete piece - although we are a non-religious household - the beauty and skill of the art stirred M and I so until we decide what to do with it, it will reside on the book shelf next to my Greek Icon that came from the monastery of St Neophytes in Cyprus.

('The Lady of Shallot' can be found here - )http://charon.sfsu.edu/TENNYSON/TENNLADY.HTML

St Neophytes - http://www.kypros.org/Sxetikos/Monastiria/NeophytosE-1.htm

Bliss

I don't do heat. Our house is hot and I mean hot! Rooms in the roof have that problem. So M bought me an air con unit - it is bliss. I get so grumpy when I overheat - worse than the worse ever PMT grumpy. I love it as much I love the Duet sock yarn I purchased from Socktopus - it's the skinny version.
Lovely autumnal colours - puts me in mind of CTH in its texture. The colours IRL are more muted.

I have spent happy hours this week reading 'Victorian Lace Today' by Jane Sowerby - not only amazing patterns but sooooo interesting. It's taken ages for Amazon to get it in stock again but is well worth the wait. I also started looking at Elizabeth Zimmerman's 'Knitters Almanac', another fascinating read.

We made a vet appointment for Lottie later this month as a pre-check for her to spayed and micro chipped. SIL has just had her Border done (Ruby is 4 weeks older than Lottie). We will delay it a couple of weeks because we are away on hols and I don't want to leave her post-operative. If she looks sad it's because she just got told off - she pooped in the house - she is 'meant' to clean now - but still throws a curve ball (a nice brown one) every now and then to keep me on my toes.
Not the best picture (I am a crap photographer) but when I drew back the bathroom curtains this morning (around 7.15am) the muslin's where covered with life! This green Lacewing for a start - isn't it pretty? I just read about them via Google - fascinating! There was also a yellow/ochre smaller Lacewing, a small beetle and two spiders. What made them all come indoors last night......insect vampires on the prowl? A need to use the loo? An urge to try out my new shower gel? We may never know the truth.

We have another busy weekend and week ahead - life is good but slightly manic (still). Have a lovely weekend.