Friday Yarn

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Originally uploaded by loobles2002

I haven't had time to take yarn pictures yet so I thought I'd replay this lovely merino/silk mix. It was a joy to spin and still resides in my stash awaiting inspiration to strike me.

Navajo plied to about DK weight - approx 50g.

Jollification abounds.

Mainly due to this - isn't it beautiful? It is wonderful and I am loving spinning it. Yesterday I afternoon, whilst playing catch-up on 'The Belle of the Ball' podcast (which incidentally I love) I spun for over an hour and it was bliss. The quality of this BFL is so good, there is literally no waste and no slubs - love it! I have a quiet day today and intend to listen to more of Sherrill and get even more spinning done.
I know you get lots of sleepy Lottie shots - but this one really shows that she is more dog less puppy shaped now - she's 16 weeks old. And M thought it was funny that she had Chirpy the mouse (cat toy she stole from Conkers on her 1st day here) on her head. The toy is meant to squeak like a mouse but it chirps like a bird, hence the name. She has chewed it so much it kind of gurgles a bit now.

**********SPIDERS AHEAD - BEWARE - if you don't like them scroll no further***

Doris, who was Boris, normally webs up behind her log but for the 1st time ever has webbed above it. Here she is mistily enshrouded in her lair. She is an arboreal spider so her web is dense and tubular - reminds me of a hammock. It is so strong and dense it is like a fabric. She doesn't often feed in her web and she hunts her food so it's not used to trap prey, it is her home or retreat. She anchors it with what look like little webby feet, just at the front there are 12 anchor points - truly an amazing feat of build and design.
Tiny hasn't moulted for a while but is now probably the chunkiest spider (still an unsexed juvenile) - Humbug and Coleman's are longer legged and more spindly - this dude is one solid spider. He (for the ease of label until I'm sure they are all 'he') was washing his feet when I took this picture - quite a labour intensive task for spider.

Now my morning chores await me - J is ensconced with baking clay in the kitchen - all his other stuff is already done *gasp* amazing what he can do when he's in the mood - plus he offered to hoover for me (got to love him). He think if he looks busy I won't get him to help M clear out the garage later - yesterday they found mice in there - we often get them they love next doors aviaries - also he found a massive black spider and shrieked - weird for a boy who's family keep tarantulas! Then he dropped M's case of screws - and the organised 100's of them became disorganised and J became unpopular - maybe today I'll suggest M works alone ;-D

(I did sort out all the screws for M, only took a hour - I love jobs like that!)

Hide the knives.

When I was younger I used to suffer from the most awful PMT etc. The Doc's tried everything, I tried everything, suffice to say nothing worked. I had hoped that pregnancy and motherhood would calm the savage beast that rages within me once a month, but sadly, it hasn't, not really. It has lessened a bit but periodically (no pun intended) the evil one raises its head and gives me a corker. This month is one of those times.

What makes it worse is that I know it's happening, but it's like watching someone else in a movie, and inside my head I'm yelling at myself to stop but I can't. I hate feeling like this. I am of a naturally grumpy disposition anyway, this magnifies it a thousand fold. I take oil of Evening Primrose daily and up the dose as suggested by the quack a week before I'm due, I also take Flax Seed (Linseed oil) tablets as well - but sometimes they fail.

So the boys have put on their flack jackets, are keeping a good distance behind riot shields and have hidden the knives.

I will return to my blog when my disposition has sweetened back to a normal level of grump.

Whoosh, boing, zip and plop!

Inscrutable as ever, Conkers in repose after beating up on Lottie, which was the main recreation of his Easter. He loves it, he comes in looking for her and then gives her boxing. He's such a lovely gentle cat normally - he's just not too keen on Border Terriers right now.
The whoosh, boing, zip of the weekend belong solely to Lottie - here she is exhausted late last night (she was yipping and snoring). She has spent much of the weekend learning to be better friends with Loobles, general pigbatting around, getting used to her car harness and going for long walks with Loobles and cousin Ruby (sil's Border pup). Sadly she must have a day at home today as she cut her paw yesterday and then got salt from the pavement in the cut - so we need to let that heal a bit.
The plop belongs to Lou-Lou aka Loobles. Oh dear, the de-tox fortnight the vet set for her liver disease has had a disastrous effect on her bum and our bedroom carpet - 3 nights in a row - no wonder I'm so tired. The vet today has given her an antibiotic shot, she's on starvation for 24 hours and then we are to gradually introduce a new liver friendly, vet recommended, no doubt expensive food - but she's worth it. Poor girl, she's always been such a clean lass, she couldn't help it - but boy am I glad we hadn't yet started reflooring the bedroom.

As for the rest of us Easter was busy, cousins playing and meeting us for walks, jobs getting completed, lovely meals - we both cooked this weekend, M giving me time to rest (re shingle recovery) and also I managed to spin quite a bit and knit a little. Twas good on the whole.

Yarn and Knitting

Yeah I know original title - but it 'does exactly what is says on the tin' (UK advert reference). Anyhoo, I digress, here is some more Lorna's Laces Shepherd and Sock this time in Georgetown (blue/green) and Wisteria (blue/pink). I ordered some more yesterday *wheee* pictures will follow in due course.
This is Wendy Barnard's Quick Purled Beret - can be found on Ravelry and at www.knitandtonic.typepad.com it's one of her free patterns and is a lovely, quick and east knit. I love berets and this one is a corker. Knit from my homespun silk blend on 5mm - perfect!
Here again is the aforementioned beret of desire, slumbering with its stable mate. Another free pattern this time from the Yarn Harlot - available at her blog http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/ the pattern is somewhere in the archive posts for a reversible rib scarf - google it - it comes up. Another lovely rhythmic knit - easy to remember and total chill out knitting. I am about half through the scarf - it's great for knitting whilst watching films/tv. If I have enough hand spun left then I shall make mittens to go with them.
Another WIP called Modern Lace Henley by Pam Allen found at www.knitty.com I have progressed further - this picture is fairly old, but this is a slow burn project for me as with lace and shaping I need quiet time to knit it - a rare old commodity at the moment. The lovely skull stitchmarkers sent by glittrgirl http://www.glittyknittykitty.co.uk are coming in handy. It's being knit with Sublime Extra Fine Merino - colourway Seafarer.

To those of you who celebrate it......Happy Easter. I'm looking forward to 4 days with M at home - we are going to get a few jobs around the house done, take long dog walks and whizz around in the new motor - plus as I have been ill (recurring shingles....again!) and totally run off my feet this week - I hope to find some quiet time to rest and recover, spin some more of Jo's lovely fibre (see previous post) which is spinning up beautifully both in colour and texture and maybe some knitting too.

Spinning mojo rebooted

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Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Ok I couldn't wait to Easter to spin this - it spins divinely - colours blend perfectly. Nice and even too.

It's 100g BFL superwash - forgot to mention that bit earlier.

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Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Squooshy and pretty

In February I won a blog contest *wheeee* at http://freestylefibre.blogspot.com/. The wonderful and talented Jo offered me a choice of her wonderful hand dyed fibre. They were all so pretty, I couldn't choose so I told her which ones I favoured and left the final choice to her. Today they arrived - the top one reminds me of apples in autumn and suits my recent switch to an autumnal colour palette. The prize was for one skein of loveliness but Jo in her infinite generosity sent me two *double wheeeee*.
This is the 2nd one - full of red wine, claret and port tones - perfect choice for me. The fibre is so soft and has given me the boot rear I need to spin - I am going to clear the decks for Easter and hopefully get in an afternoons spinning.

Finally - hair today, gone tomorrow. I can't get a good picture of my barnet raid - below is the best of a very bad bunch. The electric light and flash has made it far redder than it is. The colour is a short term transition as I don't mind growing out hair and having dark roots with blonde whereas I hate having red tones (my normal colour) with dark/grey roots, so I got a bleach job so I could (attempt) to grow out all the colour and to see just how bad the grey is now. I've not seen my natural hair colour since I was around 12/13. The short cut also will enable the colour to come out quick as I will get it cut back every 4 weeks or so till all the colour is gone.

The disguise is because I 'do' really hate my photograph being taken and I 'do' photograph terribly - plus I thought it was funny.

Lottie's blog post

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Originally uploaded by loobles2002

Look there's birdies on this here roof, big birdies - where's that cat? he likes birdies perhaps he'll be my friend if I shares these birdies with him! Come see the birdies..........oooo is that my food bowl I hear rattling....is it brekkie time?

I think I may have a cold....

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Originally uploaded by loobles2002

or Rudolph Disease!

What a week

Another late yarn Pr0N entry - more lovely Colinette Jitterbug this time in Raphael. Drift wood was fished out of the Kennet Avon Canal about 7/8 years ago in the spot where our long boat hit a submerged tree branch and almost capsized - very scary. M broke off the wood, bought it home and treated it - a beautiful souvenir of a very shit holiday!
Lottie - M says her eyes look like elephant eyes - so one of her nicknames (she has many - the favourite being 'Pigbat Monkey Dog') is Nellie. She and Conkers are still at war - Loobles is directing the conflict from afar - I know they will all find their own level and settle down but not until Lottie is calmer - when she is calmer then the house is calm.

As for everything else - busy, busy, busy! New shower walkin ordered, new basin ordered, measuring all done to get flooring and new gate bought and being assembled as I type.

New hair do....check! Very radical - no photo's as I hate having my picture taken, but it is very (and I mean very) short and very blonde!

New car purchased.......check! Yay - should be delivered by Wednesday - so just in time for Easter Break. Our ole jalopy needed to go - we love it dearly and it's been a totally fantastic car but it really was getting over the hill - big time.

J has a new hair cut too - he looks so grown up. He has reached his home-ed target that we agreed in October and is due a big reward, just need to decide what. He has been working so hard and well - I am a proud Mum.

Have another really busy week ahead - it's good, my agoraphobia is lessened at the moment so I am making hay whilst the sun shines. No knitting to speak of and still no spinning :( but I will have some quieter time soon so maybe then.

Missing pictures from last post.

Conkers had just boxed Lottie's ears - hence the head shaking. Lottie is getting to the stage where she won't let up and yesterday for the 1st time in the 2 yrs he's lived with us, I heard Conkers not only spit but growl! I am sure Lottie will learn her place soon.

Conkers McBonkers aka The Dark Destroyer - he'd just chased the puppy under the sofa. Pretty! Colinette Jitterbug in Gaugin - I forgot to do yarn pR0N last week.

Tis a tad draughty.

No pictures today as blogger has a brain fart.

It was really windy here early this morning, around 5.00am it woke me up. Now part of that is the downside of an attic bedroom, but that said, it was one of fiercest winds I have heard in a long time. I have still have nightmares about the storm in 1987, not just because we lived on the seafront part of town then, but also from working in the insurance industry at the time. It was horrific seeing/hearing the losses people suffered. All we lost this morning was a fairly ancient greenhouse, the bird table flew to the top part of the garden, a large rose that grows up though a tree collapsed and the conservatory leaked......again! All pretty minor stuff. We now have a lull until the winds are meant to pick up again later.

Apart from the winds, I had a wonderful weekend. We got up early on Saturday and went to Shoreham Farmers Market - spent too much as usual - venison and red wine sausages, a pheasant for Sunday dinner, organic white bread, goats cheese, Woody's Mango and Cranberry Chutney, a massive carrier bag of local grown curly kale, local crystallised ginger for J and some wonderful local lavender oil.

The pheasant was lovely, M cooked it to perfection with game chips, the chutney and loads of the kale just lightly steamed - beautiful.

The rest of weekend was spent with doing family stuff, a bit more shopping - boring stuff like shoes and slippers for J, lovely walks with the dogs and just being together. J and I enjoyed watching Crufts, it is so nice to see all the unusual breeds and we looked out for Dalmatians and Border Terriers.

Speaking of which Lottie went to the vet for a check up today (4 wks since her final jabs) she is fine and the vet is happy with her progress. He didn't comment on the scabs on her head from all the rough and tumble with Conkers - the cat appears to relish beating her up (he is fairly gentle) she thinks it is a great game. Sadly though Loobles is not too well - she's been poorly on and off for a bit and had a blood test last week - it's not serious, mostly down to her advanced years - but she has liver disease and is now on a two week de-tox, then she'll be reassessed and the vet will decide what to do from there - probably meds for the rest of her life - I don't mind I just want her to be well and happy.

Now I must get on with my day - I have a really busy couple of weeks ahead of me - so sorry it posts are a bit few and far between for a while. I'll try and get those pictures up later :-)

Last few posts deleted, as I felt they were a waste of my energy - but thanks to Turtle, Annie and Jo for your support.

Peacock party clog socks

Finally got my bum into gear and finished these babies this afternoon.
Knitted in CTH Supersock Merino in colourway Peacock (hence the name - borrowed from a Gordon Giltrap album). The yarn was some I swapped with my sister. The pattern is my own - using adaptions from a stitch dictionary. The lace extends down the length of the heel flap so they are ideal to wear with clogs etc.
Close up of upper pattern which comprises of a wild flower knot stitch.

Lottie

So very sleepy .....is it bedtime?
Ooooooo Ashes to Ashes is on! I love DCI Gene Hunt.

Ahhhhh that was a good episode....now it's bedtime.

Whoops....

I almost forgot to mention that I had a lovely Mother's Day. J spoilt me with lots of thoughtful little gifts, a bag of vanilla fudge from Roly's http://www.rolysfudge.co.uk/ the fudge had been made fresh that day, a C penny whistle, some skull stickers and a skull bandanna ;-) I think, he thinks, I like skulls? Where did he get that idea from?

We went for a lovely dog walk/play with cousins and their Border Terrier, Ruby, in Hove Park, I got some knitting done and M cooked me a delicious roast dinner followed by homemade apple tartlets for pudding - delicious!

It was a very nice day. I felt spoilt.

Karumba.....knitting!!

My SAM5 socks for March - 3 months in, 3 pairs of Cookie based socks.
These are No-Purl Monkey socks worked in CTH Louet Gems in Foxy Lady on 2.75mm dpns - due to yardage worries I used a short row heel to save on time and yarn, even though my feet are fairly small I found the Louet Gems a tight squeeze on yarn. The socks are great and I'm wearing them today.

I bought some new yarn on Friday at my LYS to make a top - have cast on - but my cold has seriously interfered with my knitting progress this weekend, so didn't get very far.
Lottie as per yesterday - her beard and eyebrows are getting very bushy and she is less puppy more wee doggy in looks now.

Ahhhh Conkers resting after a busy of evening of tormenting the puppy and smacking her around, which he does with relish and gusto!

Yeehaa - it's a Friday round-up!

Mmmmmm Lorna's Laces Shepherd and Sock in Vera and Lakeview. I adore this sock yarn above and beyond any other I've tried. Sadly GetKnitted only have very limited colours available at the moment - I do hope they are still going to keep on stocking it. I have a small LL stash which I would like to add to.
Lottie got a parcel in the post from Auntie T (other SIL) and inside was a pink rope/tugger mouse type thing. Lottie was happy - because the toy like this that we bought her (2 weeks ago) is now just a disembodied head.
I think the mouse type thing may be winning here.
Oh no it's the Border Terrier death grip of doom......bye-bye pink mouse type thingy! Seriously, though she loves this toy, she played with it all evening. She is thriving - driving me bald. She is a Jekyll and Hyde at the moment, one minute so sweet and friendly the next fly-by terrier nipping all over the shop.

I tidied my WIP pile yesterday, a few things got frogged, you know, those good idea at the time projects that get 50 rows done and the abandoned. I am trying to keep some semblance of order to what I have on the needles this year and feel happier now with what I have left to work on. Some sock progress - still no spinning - terrier puppy has put spinning on hiatus until she learns not to bite my feet as I treadle.

Went out to dinner the other night - J loves walking through Brighton in the dark and seeing the pier and Pavilion all lit up. Lots of music this week - he is doing really well and I am loving being able to play again. I read loads of Neil Gaiman's 'Neverwhere' - oooooo do I love that book? It's brilliant.

M has had a cold which he has kindly passed on to me *pooey* so apart from a dog walk this arvo I'm in for a quiet day.

Just a quickie

The Mistress of all that is Glittry, groomed and delicious (found here http://www.glittyknittykitty.co.uk/) sent me a birthday present - skull stitch markers made from bone! I love them.
I may end up putting them onto small sleeper earrings and wearing them - the red crystal beads really catch the light and are so pretty. Thank Glittrgirl ((hugs)).

M bought me a new clarinet. My existing one, is beautiful but old and in need of repair, which would cost soooooo much £ (it is an antique and is real ebony) the extent of work it needs means that it has been beyond playing for a long time and I've missed it. I started to learn when I was 10, played seriously for 6 years, messed about with it on and off for 4 years then abandoned it when I got married - around 20+ years ago. So after mentioning to M how I missed playing music he decided to buy me a replacement and guess what?? I can still play quite well - am a bit rusty remembering all the fingering and my sight reading needs a bit of work - but I am loving it.

Today J had his first music reading lesson (it's helping me to remember) he then asked could he play the clarinet, so I gave him a lesson - he did really well and has asked for another tomorrow - move over Squidward!

Am still very busy, don't know where the days go. Have hardly touched my new laptop - let alone install the software I've got for it, no spinning, little knitting and a smidge of reading - time is whizzing by - I'm loving it all.