The Beret and the socks

Here is a finished picture of the beret I made for daughter no.2 on a combination of 7mm and 20mm needles using Rowan big wool. She phoned me to say she had received it in the post and loved it so I was very pleased.

I have wanted to knit some socks for daughter no.4 and last weekend I found a knitting shop unexpectedly while hubby and I were checking out cars in a Vauxhall garage. The lady was so kind and when I told her I was interested in sock knitting she asked if I had time for a quick demo (which I did, of course!) and there and then she went through the basics. She sent me off with "the easiest sock pattern she has come across" and some wool, dpns and even some free stitch markers. Back home I was excited to have a go asap and managed a few rows of the ribbing. However it didn't look quite right. So lo and behold we had to go back to the garage to test drive another car so I took the opportunity to pop into the wool shop. Sure enough I hadn't done it quite right so we took it down and started again and this time I do believe I am on track. Guess what? This sock is coming with me on the train tomorrow and will be around for my solo evenings in a travel lodge!!

New Slippers and Change!

I bought a new pair of slippers well before Christmas but they stayed in the bag until this week. When they first arrived I opened them up and tried them on for fit (they were very similar to ones I had had before from Lands End) and although they fitted fine, they felt strange and not so comfortable so I put them back in the bag and carried on wearing my worn out ones!! Until last week when I thought this was rather silly really, looking at the state of the ones I was wearing and having spent the money on new ones, I should be wearing those. So I got them out of the bag and put them on again. Same feeling, not as comfy as my old ones, kept slipping off, just not the same etc etc. But I decided to persevere and carried on wearing them all morning. During the late afternoon I realised that they no longer felt strange, uncomfortable or were slipping off - they had moulded to my feet more by now I guess and I saw an analogy with change! So often we put off doing something different or in a different way because it feels uncomfortable, strange, awkward, not like it usually does etc and change more often than not feels like this initially. We have to go through the discomfort and awkwardness to get to the more comfortable in time. We mustn't be put off by these feelings as they too will pass. So often we resist at this point and run back to the familiar (in my case the old slippers!) It was interesting to ponder and to be reminded of all the change-management stuff I have done in the past, particularly as tomorrow begins a change of occupation for me!

The Trip to Fabric-Land and Lens Mills

I have promised to let you see my stash from Fabric Land in Toronto! The shop was closing down so had a 50 - 70% sale on and I bought some Christmas fabric which is soooooo expensive here in the UK. I had a look in John Lewis just before Christmas and it was £14 a metre.

My friend and I are making a quilt together, that is we are both making the same quilt using 12inch blocks and she is doing one set of colours and I am doing another set. So far I have done two blocks of green and my other colours are red and purple so we shopped for some fabric that would do just nicely for our quilts - on sale at 50% off of course!

This photo doesn't really do the colours justice - they are gorgeous.

And as I love hearts so much and saw this fabric - well - I just had to make a small purchase!

So I am a lucky gal and now all I have to do is decide how I am going to use all this wonderful fabric. If you have any ideas do let me know.

Burnt offerings and distraction!

Over the last couple of days I have burnt dinner and a set of muffins because I was completely distracted with the internet!!! A dangerous sign don't you think at the beginning of the year! I have now promised myself that I will look out my timer and use it!

However progress has been made these last few days and I have begun lists of things that need attention this year - house, garden, crafting projects (knitting, crochet and quilting initially) plus I have put all the necessary dates and anniversaries, birthdays etc into my new diary. Only a week to go before I start a new day job taking me far away from home three days a week and at least one night!!! Must have a knitting or crochet project for the journeys - public transport you understand not driving!! Hubby and I have also sat down and looked at the schedule of people staying, weekends away for work or other purposes, conferences and the like and these are all now in the diary.

So how about some more Canada photos. Let's see if I can get this working.....

The house we stayed at just outside of Toronto.

The weaver at Blackcreek Pioneer Village
The Cheese Boutique!!! Every conceivable cheese from everywhere in the world. How about cheese made with (top layer) morning goat's milk, (bottom layer) evening Goat's milk with a layer of mountain ash inside? Actually it was very tasty!
Another picture of Niagra on the Lake Village at dusk.
The falls at night.
And because blogger is taking sooooooo long to load photos just now I will have to leave it at that for today I think. More from fabric land coming soon.

Back in time to miss minus 17 degrees!

Yes, we are back safe and sound and have had a wonderful trip to our friends in Toronto. It was a very busy 10 days in all with 9 of around the table most of the time but a few days when there were 13. So lots of time in the kitchen helping my friend to cook meals and to clear up but also some fun trips. Somehow my camera didn't want to come out all that much - maybe because it was soooo cold and I need my glasses to take the photos so that means a bit of a carry-on getting them out of the bag etc. Hubby took about 400 photos and they are really good ones but I don' t have them on this computer yet. So I'll have to keep you in suspense!



Some trips we made:

Blackcreek Pioneer Village - a recreated village set up as it would have been in pioneer days with real workers e.g a Cooper making barrels, a Blacksmith making horsehoe irons, a lady sewing on a very old treadle sewing machine and lots more. Each building was decorated as it would have been back then, lots of dried fruit, pine, fir and red bows. We had some lunch in the restaurant there - corn chowder served in tin bowls and coffee in tin mugs with waitresses in long skirts and home baked corn bread - mmmmm delicious. No photo yet but soon.





Niagra on the lake - lovely village outside of the falls with wooden houses all lit up for Christmas with tasteful decorations and shops like the Rocky Road Chocolate Shop.
Now blogger seems to be unable to load my other photos...... so.... maybe this will just have to be text.
We got to the falls when it was dark so saw all the different coloured lights like blue, green and red being shone on them. But it was soooooooooo cold we had to dive into a restaurant for a hot chocolate.

Well maybe that is all for now - more in the next few days about my trip to Fabric-land - what a name! It says it all and boy did I have a good time there as it was 50-70% off all fabric because they were closing down!!! Now I do have some photos of this!

And I actually managed to make a scarf for daughter no. 2 while I was there using very nice Rowan chunky knit in a pale aqua and she wore it home on the plane!

I'll be back with more tales and hopefully some photos.

Leaving on a jet plane......

but I know when we will be back again (unlike the song!!). Yes, we are all (six of us) going to Canada to visit friends this Christmas. How wonderful is that! It is only the second time we have been abroad together as a whole family. Now Toronto where we will be staying already has 10 inches of snow so I have been out to get thermals for everyone!! We just aren't really kitted out here for very cold weather - there has been a chill factor of -19 over there in the last few days so my friend tells me!!

There has been much borrowing of friends' ski jackets and the like by the girls and last minute wellie boot and thermal sock shopping.

As I think about it, this is the first Christmas we will have been away from home too! In nearly 30 years - wow! It has made for a much simpler Christmas this year. Yes, the house does have some decorations but mainly twinkly lights and garlands - no tree. We agreed between us not to buy presents for each other so we could put the money towards the flights. This has made for much lighter shopping. And my friend with whom we are staying has done all the stockings!!! Lovely person that she is. I have only had to buy British magazines for her daughters and her - in fact I have bought three of the British patchwork magazines because she loves to quilt! Other than that the shopping has been for friends, some of which was done at the Country Living Christmas Fair. It has felt so much better not be in the frenzy of trying to decide what to buy for whom etc and whether they will really like it, and then being completely dazzled by choice in the shops. There are lessons to be learned here and I think simple and handmade is the way forward for next year!

So I can look forward to a visit or two to quilting shops, maybe a Michael's craft outlet, Niagra Falls, maybe a visit to a pioneer village and lots of time to chat with my friends and family. I consider myself to be a very lucky person indeed! So no photo today and a little 'intermission" coming up but when I get back..... that will be another story! Have a great Christmas everyone.

Christmas parcels

I love wrapping gifts and this year I am using just white tissue paper which I hand-stamp (these are with a snowflake stamp in cranberry) and then decorate with red tibbon or ric rac, topped with a red crochet flower and hand-stamped gift tag.
This is what I have been making for a friend who has just had major surgery for cancer. It is called a Sarabook and comes blank for you to decorate with papers, embellishments, tags and fibres, anything you like really. It is the first time I have done one of these and it is a lot of fun.


So now I am craving another knitting project! It is interesting really that I feel this way as I used to find knitting really stressful but somehow now it seems theraputic and soothing. So daughter no. 2 is off to John Lewis this weekend to pick out some wool for a scarf. It won't be long and those fingers will be flying again.... in the meantime I will have to go and crochet some more red flowers I think......

The Birthday

Daughter no. 4's birthday started off in style with breakfast in bed at around 9.30am. The croissants were in the oven at this point!
Then we headed off for the Millais Exhibition at the Tate as planned. It was WONDERFUL! So many paintings to look at by him. Millais went to the Royal Academy of Arts when he was 11! By the time he was 16 he was producing the most amazing work. He sense of realism and artistry in creating mood and expression was so engaging. We had a fabulous time.
After this we went on to lunch at Vitaorganic in Wardour Street. I had never been there before but while searching on the web for ideas I came across it and it had pretty good reviews. It is actually a vegan restaurant, quite rustic inside and small but the food is delicious and all homemade of course plus they had truly delicious smoothies. After a scrumptious main course we shared the lightest piece of carrot cake I have ever had, complete with soy custard - a first for us both. Neither of us are vegan or vegetarian but we do like healthy, well prepared food so it was a good choice.

Then we went on to an art shop not far from the station where there was a sale and we purchased one or two small items as birthday gifts. We came home and rock buns were the order of the day requested by daughter herself - much better than a cake Mum!

But I forgot to say that she LOVED the scarf I made. What a do I had to get it finished the night before. It was black and white hand-dyed wool (Colinette prism) and the dye had been coming off on my hands the whole time I was knitting with it so I knew I would have to wash it before I packaged it up. So there I was washing and drying at midnight but I think I got all the excess wool out. However in the morning light it looked a little more midnight blue than black so be warned about this particular wool!!

Cards, cakes and Christmas

Where did the week go? Here are the cards I have made this year with a fun stamp from Paperartsy, stamped in Cranberry with a dotty stamp as background and finished off with some stickles glitter glue in red with gold bits. Inside it says Happy Christmas again in Cranberry. I always wonder whether I will go the whole hog and make 80 or so cards or just do some special ones. For the last 4 years I have chosen a simple design and made them all! It gets a little tedious towards the end but I do it in stages and it is fun to choose a different design each year.


This was the advent wreath I made last weekend. I started this tradition many years ago when the girls were small and they used to take it turns to light the candle(s) at dinner time. It always marked the beginning of the Christmas season for us, when we would get out the boxes with all the books, music, Christmas tree ornaments and special things to put around the house. Now there is only one 'girl' at home plus a lodger it feels very different but it is fun to do it just the same.
Apart from some work based things this week I managed to also visit a good friend with two little girls - the ones I made the totes for. So I decided that it was time to make some fairy cakes both for them and for us. The icing is a little too 'Barbie pink' for me so I must try the colour paste that Jane Brocket talks about in her book. I fancy lavender fairy cakes with lavender icing at some point soon although that sounds less Christmas and more Spring perhaps.

It is daughter no.4's birthday tomorrow and she will be 20!! She doesn't want to be 20 so the celebrations are to be kept to a minimum!! Breakfast in bed (freshly made fruit juice, croissants and maybe some coffee on a pretty tray with a simple Lily in a vase perhaps?) followed by a small gift and then off to London to see the Millais exhibition at Tate Britain. We will then have lunch (not sure where yet but she wants to go somewhere different!) and then home for me and I think she is staying on to meet one of her sisters. The partying with friends happens this evening when she gets back from work with another trip into London. Now shall I make a cake or not? Doesn't seem like she will be around much to eat it at this rate and I have a scarf to finish yet which I want to wash, dry and package for her for tomorrow. Maybe the cake will wait for a day or so?

The Holiday Tradition Exchange

Here is what I have sent to my swap partner in the US. It is made out of hardboard and could be a little book but I decided to make into a tree decoration instead.

I also stamped tissue paper for wrapping with a new heart stamp I acquired recently at a bargain price!

So what else have I been up to then? Well, I had this craving to do some knitting. I haven't knitted anything for absolutely ages so I wanted to do something that would come up quick. I had some wool that I bought in the US three years ago which is very soft and multicoloured so I decided a scarf would be a good option. Here it is.

It's not the best photo in the world but it gives you an idea of what the scarf is like.

I have also started a ripple afghan using Jane Eaton's book on ripple afghans and choosing an easy pattern. I am not yet sure I have got it absolutely right but will need to do a few rows to see it.

I also managed a visit to Loop this week. I have been on the website a few times to have a look and I was in the area so just thought I would make a 'creative excursion' to see it in the raw. A lovely calm atmosphere greets you as you walk into the shop and the range of colours is truly delightful. I pored my way through all the magazines and a lot of the books just looking at this and that. I had gone with the intention of buying one skein of wool for a thin scarf for daughter no.4. Unfortunately she wanted only black and white!! so that it had to be and I ended up with some Colinette Prism. Although I know it is hand-dyed I have been a little alarmed with the black that comes off on my hands as I knit with it and wonder if I should have washed it first? But I couldn't leave without buying just one other skein of gorgeous colour - blues and greens so off I trotted with my goodies. Can you believe I got so excited and wanted to start knitting with it that I did so without winding it into a ball!!!! Never, never again. In the end, dearest hubby had to come to my rescue and unravel the total mess I had got into - he has the most amazing patience for things like this. So while we were watching a dvd episode of Frasier, there he was busy unravelling this tangled mess of wool!!! I must be the luckiest wife out there. So I had to just go and make some rather nice fairy cakes. A picture of which I may share next time! Just off to watch Cranford on the BBC which his utterly delightful and a treat for the eyes and ears. I hope you are having a good weekend!

Can you see George?

If you read the previous post you will know that we lost a precious teddy called George when daughter no. 4 was about 4 years old as she is in this photo. Can you spot him here in the photo? He was always this close! This is a cute memory of my youngest who will be 20 years old in two weeks time!! I can hardly believe it!