'Be very careful with that....

it's concentrated evil.'

Distraction

Do you ever go and look for something, find something else and get distracted by it?

I do. And today I did.

Remember the above and the below - from 'Subversive Cross Stitch' by Julie Jackson. I did these a couple of years back.

As well as looking for some patchwork stuff today (I did some of that as well). I got side tracked by......

this.

I am now covered in lint, bits of floss and managed to stick a needle into my left index finger.

I like it though. It is very me.

Fiery the angels fell.......

deep thunder rolled around their shores......burning with fires of orc.

Oh where, oh where has my little dog gone?

 He's all grown up and turned into a grumpy great lump of a Scottie dog type thing.

September 09. We had Bog-bog about two months so he was about 16 weeks old.

 Taken last week.

The week we got him.

Happy 1st birthday Fergus aka Bogeyman aka Bog-bog.

(top photo courtesy of Mrs Z. Percy)

In case you hadn't noticed

I'm continuing with themes - we had photo's of a local park, poetry and this week-ish is movie quotes.

Tomorrow will be the exception - as it's Bog-bogs 1st birthday.

So here's an extra one for today....can you guess what film - who knows there might be a prize -oooooooo!


'To love oneself is the beginning of a life long romance.'

'It's an animal thing.'

'There is no spoon'

Which is a right bugger - cos I've got soup for lunch!

Ongoing Orenburg

Today I finally finished the bottom lace edging of the Pine Tree Palatine Scarf from the 'Gossamer Webs Design Collection' by Galina Khmeleva for Interweave.

The edging calls for 23 repeats - leading to 23 teeth (points). I have taken my time with this because I so did NOT want to mess up.

Unblocked, so a little crumpled, but you can see the pattern. I love the fact that the whole thing is garter stitch based - though a couple of times on the wrong side, as you slip the 1st stitch purlwise, I went off purling merrily away and then thought *^*&%&^^! as I tinked it back - no too many stitches, an average of 15.

I was feeling trepidation about the next stage, probably another factor on taking my time with the edging. Although I had knit up the sample in the beginning of the book, I knew after that much edging if I fuffed up it would be heartbreaking.

Today I bit the bullet.....

I turned  the 1st corner then picked up a 185 stitches....gulp.....knit back and turned the 2nd corner.....double gulp.

You can see the neatness of the way the stitches are picked up in Orenburg lace - so pretty.

I've got a few more plan garter stitch, centre panel, rows before the main body of the lace starts. I ordered a new magnifying ruler with a red marker line today, the charts are small and I have over 700 rows at 181 centre panel stitches to go.....I think I may need that ruler. Also will be placing a suicide line!!!

This may take me some time to finish but hey that's the bonus of lace weight it lasts forever.

Pinky-greens.

From this.......

to this.

100% BFL from here. Two ply pinky-green or greeny-pink barber pole plied.

Needs a soak and a beating. But I think it is very pretty. It's about 4ply weight so destined to be socks. Maybe ploofy indoor slipper socks for next winter.

Last day of poetry.

Gifts

 You ask me what since we must part
You shall bring back to me.
Bring back a pure and faithful heart
As true as mine to thee.

You talk of gems from foreign lands,
Of treasures, spoil, and prize.
Ah love! I shall not search your hands
But look into your eyes.

Juliana Horartia Ewing (1841-85).

Those who love

Those who love the most,
Do not talk of their love,
Francesa, Guinevere,
Deirdrie, Iseult, Heloise,
In the fragrant gardens of heaven
Are silent, or speak if at all
Of fragile inconsequent things.

And a woman I used to know
Who loved one man from her youth,
Against the strength of the fates
Fighting in somber pride
Never spoke of this thing,
But hearing his name by chance,
A light would pass over her face.

Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)

Back to the poetry

Love me not for comely grace,
For my pleasing eye or face,
Nor for any outward part,
No, nor for a constant heart:
For these may fail or turn to ill,
So thou and I shall sever:
Keep, therefore, a true woman's eye,
And love me still but know not why -
So hast though the same reason still
To doat upon me ever!

Anon circa 1600.

And now for something completely different.

My crochet square stack is growing. And as planned it is using up sock yarm remnants. But yesterday I got distracted by........

by crocheted hexagons! I love them. Made these just in a couple of hours.

Coat

Sometimes I have wanted
to throw you off
like a heavy coat.

Sometimes I have said
you would not let me
breathe or move.

But now that I am free
to choose light clothes
or none at all

I feel the cold
and all the time I think
how warm it used to be.

Vicki Feaver (1943-)

Could have called that poem - the grass is always greener or you never know what you have till it's gone.

For Batty

Dead Love

Oh never weep for love that's dead
Since love is seldom true
But changes his fashion from blue to red,
From brightest red to blue,
And love was born to an early death
And is so seldom true.

Then harbour no smile on your bonny face
To win the deepest sigh.
The fairest words on truest lips
Pass on and surely die,
And you will stand alone, my dear
When wintry winds draw nigh.

Sweet, never weep for what cannot be,
For this God has not given.
If the merest dream of love were true
Then, sweet we should be in heaven,
And this is only earth, my dear,
Where true love is not given.

Elizabeth Siddal (1834-62).

or my personal favourite with the theme of love and death.....

Remember

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Christina Rossetti (1830-94).

Loving you

soft as old silk
I tread in this room
wary of space
that between us flows
you know me
as fish knows fish in tide -
no more you know
I could mark you through to the bone -
no touch
you'd own
so gently I walk
around the space
enclosing you
soft as silk
loving you

Frances Horovitz (1938-83).

Sea Love

Tide be runnin' the great world over:
'Twas only last June month I mind that we
Was thinkin' the toss and the call in the breast of the lover
So everlastin' as the sea.

Heer's the same little fishes that sputter and swim,
Wi' the moon's old glim on the grey, wet sand;
An' him no more to me nor me to him
Than the wind goin' over my hand.

Charlotte Mew (1869-1928)

This week has mostly been about...

spinning. This is about 50g of single ply BFL dyed by Marianne of picperfic. The other 50g is under way, I had to move some half spun stuff about to free up some bobbins, but when it is done I'll ply the two together.

The result of moving stuff about. The back yarn is baby camel and silk - navajo plied. I still have about 100g to spin which should bring it to about 400g in total. The other is the merino with sparkly bits, also from Marianne that I showed in a previous post, again Navajo plied. I love it but the sparkly bits play havoc with my sensitive hands - absolute killer. I will spin the rest but not until my hands are in a better state.

The other main part of this week has been all outdoors stuff - very boring and not worth posting apart from the knackering effect it has had on these two. They have been so busy. Fergus has been digging (so what's new?),chasing Conkers McBonkers - who chases him back, which he loves, trying to ingest tadpoles and also he's been making an indepth study of the two toads who live under the bird bath. Lottie just charges about with various toys in her maw, including her blue fing, trying to help by nipping the back of your legs and getting under your feet - sometimes literally.

Such a sleepy little face. Looks so angelic - it isn't! And look at Bog-bog zonked out and using her as a pillow. Thirty minutes later, they were up and raring for round two. M took them for another walk whilst I caught up with other stuff, when they got in, they ate and then zonked out again...they must have been tired cos Lottie let us both oversleep this morning by 30 minutes which is unheard of.

I also spent a two hour chunk of yesterday tinking back 1028 sts of a lace stole because I dropped, in a millisecond of distraction, one, yes one, yo which ran back about 8 rows and couldn't be recovered other than by tinking or ripping. I managed it but that will teach to fly without a suicide line won't it? I haven't knit on it again yet because after that I just needed to walk away from it, but today I'll make back the 8.5 rows I lost and will hopefully finish chart A.

A final Preston Park post.

Overloaded with the sweetest blossom.

Preston Park clock....always looks to me like it belongs in Trumpton or a Disney movie....shame about rubbish. Brighton is not good for litter picking. It is the downside of the park, being central it is great to see it well used and full of families and there are loads of bins which people are just too lazy to use. The sensory garden is in a disappointingly disgusting state. It used to have strong scents all year round with wonderful braille signs, which we used to try and decipher, now it smells of human piss, stale beer and the pagodas have loads of rubbish graffiti (tags) on.

This fine fellow is a water spout for the pond by the Rotunda Cafe near the rose garden. The pond has stepping stones or a path and at the moment is home to a large colony of breeding newts. M and I spent ages newt spotting. When I was a child, the stepping stones were a great favourite and the pond was clear and clean and full of goldfish.

An unused office building across the road from the rose garden. Love this use of space for art.

Magnolia in bud, almost in blossom.

I liked this because it put me in mind of  'The Secret Garden'.

Lovely, gnarly old tree. I love old trees. Contorted and damaged but still right there. Still living.

There is another old tree, just across from the one above, that is so hollow you can get inside it. This is its interior. Amazing.

All photo's have been taken by M Lainchbury and the copyright for them is his.

Other stuff.

It's been quiet. I was ill last week. Nothing specific like a cold just so many aches and pains - my rhinitus is really bad so my face was sore and all puffy under my eyes and I felt really down. Am a lot better this week but not still 100% more like 75% and climbing.

I've finished the clown barf socks but all other knitting has been the slow inching through lace - I love it but it is slow.

Lots of spinning - wheel and spindle.

Have read two Miss Read's 'Changes at Fairacre' and 'Farewell to Fairacre'. I have to be in the right mood for these books and when I am, I love them. I have one left to read - 'A Peaceful Retirement' but may also dig out some old ones of the Thrush Green series and read them again if my mood stays in the same place.

J and I are reading 'Red Dog' by Louis de Bernieres as we finished 'Through a Glass Darkly'. He seems to be enjoying but maybe that is because Tally-ho, the red dog, passes so much gas.......boy thing.

Don't have a lot planned - M will book his time off for our summer holiday later this week - hurrah. But the rest of this week is given over to pottering about, doing stuff in the garden, walking the dogs and just getting back to 100%.

Hope

St Peter's Church in Preston Park. I thought this was beautiful.

An original fresco painted when the church was built in the 13th century. It portrays the murder of Thomas Becket, according to the information in the church, he's the most faded figure.

Lovely reflections.

Wood rafters stretching high up.

Lovely peaceful little church - full of local history and interesting features. Well worth a visit. They ask for a voluntary donation to help them keep the place running. It is so lovely and well cared for we were more than happy to put our hands in our pockets.

A little more information can be found here St Peter's Church, Preston Park, Brighton. or here or even on the news page

Do you like......

cupcakes?

Chocolate butterfly cupcakes?

Or chocolate top-hat cupcakes?

We do! Thank you M for making them....scrummy!

Rainbow drops?

Do you remember them? http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/rainbow-drops-p-171.html Well these socks remind me of them. Though instead of such a cute, childhood memory, name they have actually become known as my 'clown barf' socks.

Reggia Sock Yarn. 2.75mm dpns. Plain ole vanilla socks with an afterthought heel. Long slow knit because plain socks are for knit night, car journeys and odd moments where I can't concentrate.

On your doorstep.

Preston Park in central Brighton has lots of secrets to explore.

One of my favourites is the church (which is now open thanks to a local conservation group and their hard work) and the graveyard. I have happy childhood memories of feeding the squirrels there with a friend and her Gran - in those days squirrels were still cute, not pesky vermin as they are seen now. I don't care, I like squirrels.

There are areas of neglect but nature is making them beautiful.

There are things of a more unpleasant nature from the past.

And there are glorious bursts of spring colour that show people still visit and care.

I've always liked graveyards and old churches - strange for an Atheist but it's to do with the age of the places and the peace and quiet.

We took some lovely pictures of the church and Manor gardens but I'll save them for another post.

Thank goodness for that.....

http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/update.php?show=single&ID=270
or if you prefer a condensed version....

The Children, Schools and Families Bill is set to complete its remaining stages in the Lords. The government has dropped several of the key measures from the bill owing to opposition demands, including: guarantees of one to one tuition for children who fall behind, mandatory sex education for those over 15 and a new registration system for home-educated children. Historically the government is forced to make concessions to opposition parties during the so-called "wash-up" period to ensure that its legislation is passed before Parliament breaks up for the general election. The provisions that remain in the bill are concerned with special education needs pupils, excluded pupils and allow greater access to the media in Family Court proceedings. "


I cannot tell you how much sleep I have lost over this issue. It feels like the last year has been one consultation/petition etc after another. I really feel like a massive weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
 
I also want to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have fought so hard and who have helped us - without people like them my despair at times would have been absolute.
 
It is so nice to know that we can continue to educate our child in a way that works for him.

Number 3 socks - done.

embossed leaves 001
Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Here they are the Embossed Leaves all done and dusted. Took 10 days in total and although I made a few adjustments to the pattern, mainly the toe, I like them alot.

I love the way Pie's yarn has knitted up, the colours work very well.

Now onto kit number 4.....wonder which one is next?

It is growing

But slowly. It's the kind of knitting, that for me, requires a lot of quiet, which is something of a rare commodity around here. I now have 13 out of 23 teeth completed. I'm enjoying the knitting and am quite inspired to get all the repeats done so I can move onto the body of the shawl.

Pattern: - Pine Tree Palantine Scarf  - The Gossamer Web Design Collection.
Yarn: - Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Peppermint.
Needle: - 2.5mm Addi Lace Circs.

The Bug Hunter - hits back!

Smug doesn't even come close - oh self proclaimed Queen Lottie. Who needs blue fings when they sneakily get away with sleeping in such luxury, on such plump cushions whilst you lay on the rug lost in your 'azure comtemplation'?

Anyway, enough of her trumpt-up-ness, on to more important matters. I have founded a clan, with the help of my colleague down under, the only decent Border I know...Alnwick Bog. We are now associates in the 'Bog-bog Digger Clan' and are jointly making a tunnel from England to Australia which should meet in the middle somewhere. I have heard that they have some of the best bugs in the world....far more interesting than this weeks sample which included more monkey-pees, an earwig and some sort of elusive flying thing that I sniffed up my hooter before I got a good look at it.

More news will follow, Clifford my pet worm is foreman of the works and I am hopeful that I can post pictures of the excavation so far very soon. Until next time - dig deep, dig faster and try not to snort too many bugs!

Morning minions

Yes it is I, Queen Lottie of the Blue Fingdom sending this address to my humble minions far and wide. I need to yap at you about the importance of 'fings that are blue' in daily life.

Border Terriers need blue fings to enable 'azure contemplation' and to experience the joys of the erratic bounce of fings of blueness. Our daily joy levels require it as much as our tummies need many biscuits. Blue fings to parade in front of our pink monkeys and to be held in our mouths while we trample them. Blue fings to zug them awake with in the mornings. Blue fings for all Border Terriers the world over. Blue fing followers rejoice and spread the word of the wondrous fing that is blue.

But none for nasty little Scottie-type dogs - oh no, not now, not never!

A healthy diet needs fibre.

Mike made a yarn bowl for Marianne of  http://www.etsy.com/shop/picperfic who dyes lovely fibre. They agreed to swap his bowl for her fibre which Mike gave to me. I haven't indulged in any fibre for ages so I really enjoyed musing over what to choose. Below is some lovely merino mixed with a nylon sparkly thread. It is very pretty. Unusual choice for me, I don't normally go for pastel shades but there was something about this mix I really liked.




I have already started to spin it up.

I haven't used my Ashford Traveller for so long that it needed a little TLC before I started to spin but an hour later I'd spun the above. Interesting how the colours work. I can't decide yet how I'll ply it, think I'll see how it all spins up.

I also chose this lovely merino plait. Very typical colours for me but as I've been playing with a lot of different colours outside of my comfort zone I decided to pick one that put me back in to that very same zone. This is destined to become sock yarn I think.

Finally below is some BFL. I still have a  thing for pink and green together. It's colour scheme I return to time and time again. This is also destined to be sock yarn.

I love all the colours and they arrived beautifully packaged with a little stitch marker too.

Marianne's shop is well worth a little peruse as she has lovely fibres and colours.

It's been another busy week so I enjoyed the opportunity to sit and spin for a while. Am looking forward to a long Easter weekend. Mike is on call so we can't go far afield so hopefully I'll get some more spinning time over the next four days.

For those of you who celebrate it......Happy Easter.