'Time you old countryman'

Time this pass week has flown - I know not where! Above is a ball of Artesano Hummingbird 4ply in Peregrine, I bought some of this for Ma's birthday way back in February - is very squooshy and pretty.

We have been a busy family recently, lots of visitors, socialising and other stuff - time for blogging has been limited and it looks like the next few weeks will continue in that vein. Quite providential really, as the the future of this blog is under examination. I have had an awful lot of nasty anon comments (which I no longer publish) recently which include personal attacks on me (don't understand how this can be unless the person/people doing this know me irl). Anyway, I am undecided whether it is worth carrying on in the blogsphere if that is the general opinion of my feeble efforts. It's been nice not blogging this past week - kind of like the metaphor of banging your head on a brick wall - it's nice when you stop!

I'm going to take stock over the next couple of weeks - see what occurs.

Nah,nah - nah-n-nah nah!

Lick the egg

M and Lotties early morning ritual - Loobles likes to play lick the egg too.
Followed by nibble the toes. I don't know how he stands it. M has really ticklish feet and he can cope with the dog doing this, I have non-ticklish feet and I can't abide this - weird.
Yesterdays spinning of Jo's other fibre - kind of squashed strawberry.
My purty flowers from M - the roses have opened. I love the colour.

Knitting and Lottie

Original title, I know. But it does what it says on the tin! I couldn't wait to start knitting with Jo's fibre and the 1st two pictures are the result so far - it is so pretty and knits up a dream. M said it put him in mind of a forest floor - I can see that.
I'm using an adapted basket weave stylie pattern - I want something to show off the colours as well as the texture of the hand spun. I also decided to use 3mm dpns just to see how it would it knit - pretty good so far - it will take a smaller needle as well - so versatile enough to range from 2.5mm up.
Madame Pigbat Monkey dog is now 19 weeks old. On Saturday we went walking through our most favourite park to the woods, http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1001373 or now they've done the old house up (beautifully I might add) http://www.stanmerhouse.co.uk/, anyway it rained and hailed on us and Lottie got mighty muddy - Loobles being white you'd think would get filthy - no - twas the scruff bag who was caked in dirt, Sunday therefore heralded her 1st ever bath!!

Ooooo wet Pigbats! She was very good, had a massive pigbatting session after we towel dried her, she then found the sunniest spot in the house and kipped for a couple of hours. She dried all fluffy and was sweet smelling for about 12 hours, she smells of terrier again already, but I kind of like the smell. As I type she has just been charging around outside, watched the birdies (fornicating pigeons) through the lounge window and is now curled up on her cushion on the sofa preparing for her mid morning doze - ahhhh the life!

Loobles has been assisting my Mother unpacking her weekly grocery shopping - the bread needs inspecting, you have to watch her like a hawk as she will nibble it. And Conkers, well he is sploged (perfect descriptive word) on a downstairs window sill right by the bird table - he wants the Magpie that is visiting us, he wants it bad, he chatters to it and sings for it to come in and play.

J has finished his home school which included reading a fascinating essay by Richard Dawkins about that touchy subject (whispers......religion) much discussion ensued. He's building a Bionicle assault course in his room - the mind boggles at the chaos - I just won't look, it's easier. And me.....? Well streaming head cold aside - I'm going to start spinning Jo's other fibre :-D happy times.

Handspun set

abde 005
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Not the best picture in the world - but at least I finally remembered it. Complete beret, scarf and mittens - tres jolie!

SAM5 kal

abde 001
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Socks for april are Nutkins - pattern by Beth LaPensee for Knitzi.com. Knitted in a PoshYarn sock yarn (can't remember which) colourway is Court. Knit on 2.75 dpns to fit a UK size 5 tootsie.

What name to give this?

I love our new coffee machine that makes all the fancy-schmancy coffee's etc. I've had them decorated with hearts, stars and flowers - but M extended his artistic efforts today and made me a cock decorated cappuccino. He left it for me next to where I was sitting spinning so when I came back from the bathroom I couldn't miss it......ahh now that' s what you call love?

By the way - I laughed so hard I cried.

Echos to the sound of

silence. I have lost my voice! Those of you who know me IRL know I enjoy a bit of a chat ;-D - understatement - when in the right frame of mind I can talk for England, at other times I can be quiet. But I dislike enforced silence. However to cheer me up, I finished plying Jo's fibre (see previous posts for links to her site) this is 72g Navajo plied but when this was taken not yet washed or weighted - tis now and is lovely and even, soft and the right thickness for socks. I am spinning the balance of the yarn - as my bobbin ran out of space and I had to stop part way through, I am half way through the balance.
Yesterday we went to Shoreham Farmers Market - spent way too much as usual - which wasn't helped by a little foray into my LYS. Two balls of Regia Sock Yarn in a colourway I've not come across previously and a ball of KSH in colour 606 (?). The latter is being used in conjunction with another colour of KSH and is knitting up in a very interesting way - I'll post further on that at a later date.

Still no pictures of finished set of handspun knitted up into beret (has been posted), Yarn Harlot scarf and mittens - I will do it - but life has been a tad manic - just for a a change.

Enjoy your Sunday.

P.S - do you like my elephants? I kind of collect them in a small way. These are pretty old and my Grandad who was a Royal Marine bought them home from abroad (he died when I was 3 and I don't remember him much) when I lost my Nana I rescued them and since them others have come my way. If you have elephant ornaments - always make sure they face an entrance or exit - be it window or door - it is bad luck if you don't. Strange I don't normally buy into stuff like that - but this is an exception to the rule.

Skulls - I have more.

I don't know why people think I like skulls???? Look what Big Sis got me - a skully duckie for bathy time and skull snot catchers.....wicked. I'm made up with them.
The pigbat sleeps.....even through M's bass practice! He picked up his new Warwick Corvette Double Buck 4 string bass on Friday and was getting on down with his sound thang and Lottie.....snored the whole while zzzzzzzz.

Hol's now over and knackered - need severe dose of p & q for some knitting and spinning - maybe tomorrow, after catching up with all my neglected chores.

A tale of 2 snowman and Glittr's titfer-tat.

One of these snowman had M in charge of design, the other was a solo effort by J - can you guess which is which?

glittrgirl of the fantabulous http://www.glittyknittykitty.co.uk/ fame made M a titfer. The pattern is Dulcie from the wonderful hat book by Woolly Wormhead
http://woollywormhead.com/page43.htm knitted I think in Artesano Alpaca. M adores hats and has a large collection of them - he was made up with this lovely giftie. I like it to - but I think it is unlikely I can pilfer this one.

This is ......

what we went and saw last night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZO47QxV-iY they were totally amazing. J was completely enthralled!

Seriously if you get a chance to see them - GO! Great music, great audience participation and good humour too - what more does a great night out need?

And there's more...

You see all that white background/sky? Well that should show you the South Downs leading down to the sea. Someone stole my view.

Snow?!

We don't often get snow (we used to - I think). At the moment it is snowing hard enough I can't see the sea or the South Downs and it is laying. J is estatic.

As for me - well I can think of better weather for a holiday! But what better excuse for a day at home knitting.

Thank Crunchie....

it's Friday! Yarn pR0n time - wheeeeee! So today for your delectation we have some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in a new colourway for the UK called - Pilsen. Modelled in a delightful and elegant fashion by M's Ibanez BTB 5 string bass.
Mmmmm reminds me of a berry fruit salad, drizzled over with melted chocolate.
Lottie says "Please can I have that little piece of puppy kibble in your hand. I've been posing for pictures for all of 20 seconds and I am exhausted and need sustenance to keep me going. Look I'm holding up my paw and everything!"
M's obsession with sleeping-dog-with-tongue-sticking-out photographs continues unabated.

From today we are all on holiday (hooray) not going away but having days out, picnics, weather permitting (makes mental note to go to Met Office site in a minute) and lots of dog walking. Loobles is loving having a walking companion, she likes Lottie outside the house, it is giving her a new lease of life. So see you all in about a week - hopefully with some knitting/spinning progress - looks around for flying pigs and ducks farting in thunder storms.

***edited to say - weather pah humbug - may have to rethink our plans - getting colder, wetter, windier plus frost and wintry showers!! Today is hot and sunny I have all the windows and doors open - am wearing a vest, summer weight troos and flip-flops - talk about Murphys!

Of stuff

They moved! But seconds before this Lottie was washing Lou-Lou's ears and Loobles was leaning in with her eyes shut, loving it. It is slow progress but they are becoming more friendly and when Lottie is calm they rub along happy as anything - oh except for when she jumps in Loobles bed -which is a 'no-go' area for puppys!
Jo's fibre http://freestylefibre.blogspot.com/ mid plying - it has progressed a bit more - but is still on the bobbin as life has interrupted.
I'm Navajo plying and the thickness is about a medium sock weight (yay) which is exactly where I want it to be. The photo's do not do the colours justice, they are rich and autumnal and will make beautiful socks.

I also finished my scarf from the pattern on Yarn Harlots blog http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/
in my hand spun to match my beret (see a previous post) I now also have 1 completed matching mitten and have started the 2nd.

Socks - 1 Nutkin complete, 2nd one under way. Also have a new design of my own on the needles. Apart from that all other knitting including the Modern Henley is languishing - we are on holiday for a few days from Friday - I hope to find some knitting time then - though M's present to me of a Nintendo DS Lite my hamper this :-D

Finally, here's J (gosh he's growing so fast -11 in 3 months!) He adores using bakey clay and has inherited his Da's talent for modelling - this is Dennis the Menace from the Beano (he loves the Beano) he made other models but they are posted on his blog http://www.mark3travelmachine.blogspot.com/

I think he's a talented lad - if only that talent ran to keeping his shit pit under control *sigh*.

Time passes to you

Things and people change. Tastes and preferences do too. Strange how these patterns shift and it's only when you stop and think that you can see them. A small distance stretches away and grows and suddenly there is a massive chasm and you never even knew it was there before that moment. Life gets weirder by the second.

When you get a quiet five minutes - you sit and relax, maybe close your eyes - what image(s) pop into your head? Or can you quiet your mind totally and just see black? Do you see/follow the pulsing colours left on your retina by light and its sudden cessation? Do you see loved ones or desired ones? Personally I chase the colours - it soothes my mind.

I like change, change is good - I like the person I am now and don't mourn the person I was then. The chasm doesn't overwhelm me or scare me, it intrigues me that I bear so little resemblance to the me of 21 years ago - I wonder where that me went - I hope she's OK.

OK weirding over.