half term round up

The end of half term was a snowy one for us. We were walking back from this cupcake decorating workshop (mmm no photos of E and Miss K's cakes, well you see they were worried they would get squished in the bag, so they HAD to eat them straight away....) and could see the snow clouds in the distance as we were walking up the hill, and closer and closer they came, until the first flakes fell just as we reached the door. Very good timing, because then it snowed and snowed and snowed.........




Saturday morning there were bright blue skies and this much snow in the garden, but by lunchtime we were able to go and reclaim the car from the bottom of the hill, and drive to reclaim my sewing machine after it's service. Even though we were away and busy at half term it felt very strange it not being there, and I had to find other things to do, hence the knitting.....



oh and the snow photography....



Sunday we thought we'd go for a nice walk, but there was more of the white stuff............. not loads, just enough to make the thought of going out in the cold very unpopular with all concerned.



so a few craft kits were opened for the smaller people, Miss K is now to be seen at all times accompanied by a panda latch hook kit! and I spent quite some time on youtube before bravely casting on the ba tat sock wool that J bought me for Christmas, round and round and round I go.



btw - do you like the smaller picture size or the bigger one at the end? just wondered......

easy lacy knitted scarf

I'm trying to convince myself spring is coming, so I knitted myself a lacy scarf, and thought I would share the easiest lacy stitch in the world - ie. I can do it..........

cast on an even number of stitches, I used 30 and knit 2 rows knit/garter stitch.


on the next row knit into the first stitch



on the second stitch wrap the yarn round once, and then



wrap it round again.

as the stitch moves to the right needle you will see it is a double stitch

continue to the end of the row, but make a normal knit stitch in the last stitch.

next row knit the first stitch.

in the second stitch - the double stitch you just created, insert the needle into the first loop,

and then slide off BOTH stitches.

repeat to the end of the row, and then knit the last stitch.

this makes a really open lacy row, that makes your knitting grow really quick too.

alternate the lacy rows with one or two or three rows of knit/garter stitch depending on how lacy a look you want. and repeat until your scarf is as long as you want.

typically as soon as I start to think of spring we get more of the white stuff, there's a lot more since I took this photo, hubby couldn't get the car up the hill and had to walk the rest of the way home...........

365 - a week of daffs

last week I could no longer resist the sights of spring flowers in houses all around blogland and succumbed to a small bunch of daffodils....



which became the subject for my 365 photo challenge. a weeks of daffs I thought.



days 1 - 4 so far so good, fun to record the progress as they opened a little more each day, and it certainly made me pay attention to them more than just a casual smile as Iwalked past.



but at day 5 it all went wrong - for 2 reasons - first we went to my parents, leaving the daffodils behind.
not so bad you might think, but in my will to travel light (we were returning on the train) I left the camera behind too...



so my year already has a whole in, but at least the daffs are still looking lovely, which is just as well, as the snow outside is not springlike at all...............................

a week of treats

I feel a little embarrassed to be writing this post, for this has been quite the week of treats and I feel very spoilt.

first I had the most delicious parcel from the lovely Sheila of tea and toast. Sheila is doing a fantastic creative challenge, and is quite the most talented lady, as well as a great blog friend. and her Friday quotes are always the perfect end to the week. go visit. you won't regret it.

a gorgeous little covered notebook, the sweetest of cards, and a gift bag that is a much of a delight as the gift. thank you Sheila, love it all.

then there was a divine parcel of goodies from Lynn, including a felted heart, home crafted cards, some chocolate! and a gorgeous mag. this will be my lifesaver for the upcoming half term week........ thank you xox

last but definitely not least is my parcel of delights from Ali's 7 days of specialness swap, my partner was Linaloo and she sent me the most wonderful package with beautiful stitched envelopes, I'm upto day 4 and am the most spoilt swap partner, these valentine hearts are now hanging in the window making me smile. thank you . xxx

there have been parcels and treats for other people too this week, my mum and dad have come to visit for the weekend, dad's birthday has been well celebrated with plenty of cake, and more cake, and Miss K needed extra chocolate to deal with the delights of the mock SATS that school inflicted on year 6 last week................



even my sewing machine is having a treat, she's gone for a service! I'm heading back with my parents for a few days of half term to catch up on some friends, with luck there'll be plenty of tea and cake. see you all in a few days, enjoy half term for those whom it concerns xoxo

friday again already.......

Friday again already, how did that happen? I think having several days of the week being ill has left me a bit confused as to what day it is. thank you for all the kind get well wishes, the honey and lemon and get well wishes seemed to have worked their magic, and the children even went to school today with no fuss, so everyone seems to be recovered xxx

of course when it's grey and wet outside, and a bit chilly then the best thing to do on a Friday is to take a nap.

but where to choose, comfy beds, soft sofa, nice quilt?



no thanks, I think I'll sleep on the notice board says Freddie. - (I really need to hang that up.....)



because Shaggy got to the ironing board first.

anyone else's cats have bed identify crisises?



talking of identity crisis - I'd like to introduce you to my new beret, well that was the plan, it has come out rather LARGE, and I'm thinking I could dress as a bank robber? guess it's getting unpicked again.............
I already tried to knit it up once already in the pattern I used for J's Christmas hat,



and it came out too big in that too, guess the wool is chunkier than I am allowing for.............

so that's my weekend sorted out, hat version 3. what are your plans? hope you have fun.

want to be in a bee?

today has been a lazy day, lying on the sofa with the laptop, drinking a potion made from these




with Miss K for company because she is home from school ill too..........

a whole day of online browsing as I don't have the energy for anything else, leaving me time to look, ponder, and plan, and clearly that honey has got to because the plan is -

is anyone up for joining in with a virtual quilting bee?

Oh Franson just wrote a post about them, and I've been browsing flickr groups endlessly wondering about joining.

but then I decided, why join? why not start?

so I'll open it up here, and if there's enough interest great, and if not then I'll post about it on flickr to find some extra people.

so how does it work? well I'm no expert (having never even been in one...) but usually there are 12 people per bee, each person has a month where they decide what kind of block they want, they send out fabric to the other participants who receive the fabric, make the block and post it back to you, so you can make up your quilt. so for 11 months you make one block for someone else, and one month you make one for yourself, and so does everyone else, and at the end of the year there are 12 quilts all made in part by 12 different people.

what does anyone think? are you in?