Tomorrow I will be wearing....

I had some friends to stay over the weekend and they *made* me go on a walk with them... 18km in the rain... we went past Wheelbarrow Castle and saw a lot of naked polytunnels. These are part of S & A Group the largest strawberry growers in Europe and had 500 hectares under plastic in 2004 - no wonder locals get annoyed with the disappearing countryside...










We then managed to find somewhere for a meal - and yes I did walk through a crowded restaurant wearing these trousers... but we left the boots in the car. Walking along the banks of rivers when raining is good for your soul but not for your boots ;-)











And this is my other finished article - jumper in Colinette Giotto with Silky Chic round the neck and borders...


And now I'm going to do some stash busting and sort out unwanted wool to take up to Liverpool at the weekend... that means I wont feel so bad buying more at NEC...

One down, one to go...

Sorry only a quick post - photos to follow...

Finished sewing up Gorgeous and she is :-)

Nearly finished sewing up the other jumper.

Off to Liverpool again at weekend for another funeral, and to deliver some unbought birthday presents...

Decorator nearly finished. (yippee !!!)

Off to NEC on Thursday for a bit of Knit and Natter or should that be Natter and Knit ?

Going to try and post some photos tomorrow....... honest.......

It's not often....

You get a cheque from your favourite wool supplier ! But I did this morning for my knitting for Colinette, so how I have Colinette's signature :-)

Not done much knitting in last week. Decorator has started putting paper on walls, cant see him finishing getting it all up today, so paint wont happen this week...
And I've been doing my latest assignment for OU, took ages to get it done, but handed in last night and the last one for the course is due in May, so a bit of a break. Now got to decided what to do next year, think I will sign up for a degree in Health Studies as I have enjoyed most of the course.

Have been clearing up and found a UFO that is nearly finished... so tonight my challenge is to finish it, or finish gorgeous which is nearly done as well... can I finish two jumpers that quickly ??

On the Third Day....

He managed to get all the paper off the walls !

I should realise that anything to do with this house takes a lot longer than it should. When the builders were here at the end of last year it said it would be a week - at the time I thought that was not enough time to build conservatory, fit kitchen and bathrooms and do some odd bits - just over two months and they were finished. I was so fed up with the whole mess of it that I didn't start decorating and trying to put away until recently.

The decorator said that it would take a day to get the paper off - lots of language later he finished late on Friday afternoon. He said that he has never had so much problems removing paper before, think the two coats of gloss between the layers of paper didn't help !

Hopefully some more paper will go up tomorrow followed by the paint. I was hoping that it would be done sooner, I'm trying to have a proper clear out and organisation before friends come and stay next weekend. They haven't seen the 'improvements' I've done to the house, and I was going to shock with a tidy house - will be a first !!

Better get on and do some more clearing and then I can knit ;-)

What lies beneath...

The painter is due soon, he is going to sort out my house for me(hopefully!!)
I moved here nearly two years ago and most things have gone wrong:

Stupidly didn't realise woman who lived here previously smoked for England and was worse at cleaning then me (and that is really saying something - I don't begin to describe some of the things I found - nose is curling just at the thought...)

doors falling off their hinges (onto my head - twice, if I include the shed whose door fell off in my hands...)

pidgeon coming down living room chimney and making an interesting marble affect on the ceiling..

Toilet workings exploding (slight exaggration there...) and squirting me in the face when I lifted the lid... then my stops cock was behind my dishwasher, so in the midnight hour I had to pull the full dishwasher out of the way and turn off the water until friendly plumber came and replaced the broken plastic thingy (why is it always a plastic thingy that breaks)...

A metal bath with holes in the bottom, several sinks who plugs dont fit - cant understand that, do plastic bungs shrink ?

And the best yet, saw there was some mold in the hall in the summer, cut the paper to dry it out and realised that the side of the bath must have been leaking for years.... Only thing for it was to start removing the paper, and then I found...

And yes it is as bad as it looks, we have 1950's floral paper, orange paint above hand rail and purple below, then paper and then magnolia paint... in some places the orange paint was painted white and then papered over...
Must admit I did remove most of the orange paint, couldn't ignore that for this long, but I have been living with plaster since the summer...
Hopefully by the end of the week it will look half decent and I can put my pictures back on the walls !! Yippee !!!




Back to knitting ....



These were wonderful additions this week, especially as Yarn Harlot's was a pressie :-)
Nearly finished the beaded creation. Things I have learnt : it is easier to side beads in 40's than 100's on yarn, it takes three times as long to unknit as knit, row tension does not work out like I thought when decreasing in a circle.. the pattern works and does not look anywhere near as bad I a thought it would but I would *never* wear it (really dont 'do' hats ...)

Excitement

Much excitement, my first surprise parcel from Colinette arrived. Just before Skipnorth I was asked if I wanted to do some knitting for them and after not much thought (being paid for playing with their new yarns and seeing something I've knitted in one of their pattern books....mmmm let's see what shall I do....)

Not sure what I'm allowed to say about it. It is headwear, with beads. Pattern is very interesting, tension is strange so I'm playing with different wool to see if adaptations to pattern will work. Have a horrible feeling it might end up here

Woo Hooo

Just got OU assignment back and he liked my comment about knitting :-)
I'm sooo impressed and he wont have realised that I was in the middle of the knitting Olympics when I wrote it (must remember to put up my medal, when I've worked out how.....)

this is wot I wrote:

The reminiscence group works together and becomes a close knit group, understanding each other's part experiences.

And he put 'Good point'

Off to celebrate, would do a lap of honour round the village but it is raining too much and I'm not feeling that mad (at the moment!!)

What do women want ...

Thanks for all the comments from my last post. I'm feeling a lot better today, helped by being sent the following. Now I'm nearly 40 (gulp) and sort of looking so what age group should I consider ????

What I Want in a Man, Original List: (age 22)
1. Handsome
2. Charming
3. Financially successful
4. A caring listener
5. Witty
6. In good shape
7. Dresses with style
8. Appreciates finer thing
9. Full of thoughtful surprises
10. An imaginative, romantic lover

What I Want in a Man, Revised List (age 32)

1. Nice looking
2. Opens car doors, holds chairs
3.. Has enough money for a nice dinner
4. Listens more than talks
5. Laughs at my jokes
6. Carries bags of groceries with ease
7. Owns at least one tie
8. Appreciates a good home-cooked meal
9. Remembers birthdays and anniversaries
10. Seeks romance at least once a week

What I Want in a Man, Revised List (age 42)
1. Not too ugly
2. Doesn't drive off until I'm in the car
3. Works steady - splurges on dinner out occasionally
4. Nods head when I'm talking
5. Usually remembers punch lines of jokes
6. Is in good enough shape to rearrange the furniture
7. Wears a shirt that covers his stomach
8. Knows not to buy champagne with screw-top lids
9. Remembers to put the toilet seat down
10. Shaves on most weekends

What I Want in a Man, Revised List (age 52)
1. Keeps hair in nose and ears trimmed
2. Doesn't belch or scratch in public
3. Doesn't borrow money too often
4. Doesn't nod off to sleep when I'm venting
5. Doesn't retell the same joke too many times
6. Is in good enough shape to get off couch on weekends
7. Usually wears matching socks and fresh underwear
8. Appreciates a good TV dinner
9. Remembers your name on occasion
10. Shaves some weekends

What I Want in a Man, Revised List (age 62)
1. Doesn't scare small children
2. Remembers where bathroom is
3. Doesn't require much money for upkeep
4. Only snores lightly when asleep
5. Remembers why he's laughing
6. Is in good enough shape to stand up by himself
7. Usually wears some clothes
8. Likes soft foods
9. Remembers where he left his teeth
10. Remembers that it's the weekend

What I Want in a Man, Revised List (age 72)
1. Breathing
2. Doesn't miss the toilet.

The time of the year

Some days are better than others, some have 'history'. Today is one with history.
It would have been my father's birthday.
Like buses things always happen together - it would have been my uncle's birthday last week, it is nearly the anniversary of my Mum's death (19 years ago). Tomorrow is the anniversary of my cousin's death(13 years ago), throw in several other birthdays and my mood is not as it should be....

All these things do not usually bother me, the one things that really upsets me is when I'm reminded how little support I get from my family. I have a brother who hardly ever contact me - no problem, I've got used to that and as we hardly ever got on when we were younger ...
An Aunt (my mum's sister) who only phones me when she wants something - I last spoke to her beginning of the year. Last year I emailed her when my dad's brother died and she didn't even reply (she was on holiday when I had to go up to Liverpool). I've spent years phoning her up and listening to how busy she is with my cousin (who didn't send me a birthday or Christmas card) and her grandson.
One of the reasons I moved here from Devon was to be nearer family - it is a good job I've make some good friends.

I was going to rant on - but I do feel better now and I remembered that I gave my blog address to one of my best friends and he will be worried...second angel is ok and now going to eat some more chocolate (please dont tell first angel) - it is a Lent thing for any confused readers out there....

For my Secret Pal

As requested some photos of my house and garden.


This is the back of my house with it's new conservatory !!
I'm planning on making it a woolly craft room - sewing machines have their own playroom :-)
Pond in the foreground has a hole in it, the fish and frogs still look happy though.


This is the pond last summer.
Hills in the far left are the Forest of Dean.
Garden doesn't look much like this at the moment, large pile of wood on the grass, weeds growing well, but there is the odd flower - crocus and iris...
Vegetable plot is at the bottom,garden ends at the large hedge...





And this is my Desktop, My boy at the pond having a drink :-)

Penny Lane

In penny lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he’s had the pleasure to know.
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello.


On the corner is a banker with a motorcar,
The little children laugh at him behind his back.
And the banker never wears a mack
In the pouring rain, very strange.


Penny lane is in my ears and in my eyes.
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back

In penny lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the queen.
He likes to keep his fire engine clean,
It’s a clean machine.

Penny lane is in my ears and in my eyes.
A four of fish and finger pies
In summer, meanwhile back

Behind the shelter in the middle of a roundabout
The pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And tho’ she feels as if she’s in a play
She is anyway.



In penny lane the barber shaves another customer,
We see the banker sitting waiting for a trim.
And then the fireman rushes in
From the pouring rain, very strange.

Penny lane is in my ears and in my eyes.
There beneath the blue suburban skies
I sit, and meanwhile back.
Penny lane is in my ears and in my eyes.
There beneath the blue suburban skies,
Penny lane.



This is where my doctors used to be when I was growing up - it is now a wine bar!
The Bank is now the doctors.... The Hairdressers is still there - Tony Slavin.
The Firestation mentioned is about a mile down the road near the school where John Lennon went to.

This is another view of the area, the shelter in the middle (mentioned) is another wine bar and I think was something to do with the bus station (but I might have got that wrong!!)
I took these at 8 am in the morning on the way back from Skipnorth just as it was beinging to snow ! Did get a few strange looks running across the roads as people were going to work....

Skipnorth

I've just got back from a really big adventure.
It was good fun meeting fellow knitters and seeing how to spin.



The shopping was amazing,
especially seeing how much one woman can buy in a day...

And mainly for 1p a gram !!



My shopping is all below,






I started and finished my yarn experience at Colinette. The large hanks are 4ply and were £3 each :-)


Got some (ok, rather a lot..) of green for a large throw.


Rest are mainly for thick socks.






Wingham wool stash.
Pretty colours are merino tops,some rainbow dyed..

spinning book,

magazine from Spinners, weavers and dyers guild,

shoe lasts and natural rovings to make felted clogs





Material and multicoloured 4 ply from the Skep.

Thick green from ColdSpring Mill






And before meeting everyone in Haworth I met Ruth and her mum in Texere....

Mainly tops and two cones for shawls.











And another cone for shawls from Knitting and Crochet Guild

Wonderful 'Poetry in Stitches' book,

Elisabeth Zimmerman Almanac, and Peacock Shawl pattern




Stopped with friends on the way back south and went to see The Osmonds on Monday night - couldn't speak on Tuesday morning - too much shouting (dont do singing that well!!)

Thank you to all the Skip crew for making a wonderful weekend, good company, food, wine, cake, knitting, drop spindles, and rather a lot of talking :-)