Monday 31st May Eurovision Sock Ta-Dah!!

Goodness my sock mojo is back!!!!!!!

Started Saturday morning and finished Sunday morning, sock no 2 of my Eurovision Socks with loads being done whilst watching the madness that is Eurovision.

DD set up a spreadsheet and the four of us voted for everyone. Iceland came out best for us but unfortunately the rest of Europe didn't agree.

Hey ho.

I particularly enjoyed these because of the colours ~ finishing 'just one more stripe' before putting it down.

They are definitely my current favourites. :-)

Today DD was dancing with Stroud Ladies Morris at South Cerney Fete.

South Cerney is a lovely Cotswold village with the honey coloured houses you would imagine, and is lucky enough to have a river running through the middle of it, so they had a duck race.

Here is a piccy of the start of the race ~ you can see the ducks hanging in the net, but I wanted to show you the wonderful Health and Safety sign.

It certainly made us laugh.

You may have noticed I've changed my quote to the wonderful poem from William Henry Davies.

If you can.

Stop.

Look at the world around you.

Wonder.

Now I'm off to do my Mobius Wrap ~ I was going to pop it on the back burner but JosieKitten's comment is making me do it now!

Thanks JK.

Byeeee Clicky Needles.

Saturday 29th May Half Term!!!!!!!

Phew we've made it! Half Term has finally arrived.

We've had World Cup Week at school which has meant splitting the school into their houses and each house learning about about a different country every day. The countries were Australia, Denmark, South Africa and Brazil, the children got to cook, made a flag and make various things like didgeridoos, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House from K-Nex and of course, have fun with Lego in Denmark. In the afternoons they had inter-house games and the winning house won their very own replica World Cup. It has been huge fun but very, very tiring for staff and children alike.

The weather today is rubbish, rain coming down like stair-rods but it is making the Alchemella Mollis look lovely.

The other lovely thing is this. Now, I've gone through lots of gardening books but I can't for the life of me find the name of it, if anybody knows it please tell me. The rain sits in it making a little pond.

Other pretty things - the Clematis Montana which brightens up a dull corner and will need a jolly good chop after it's flowered.

Progress on my socks is good. I've finished one and have just cast on for the other. I was hoping to get some done whilst DS and others from school were playing Kwik Cricket Wednesday afternoon this week, but instead I found myself umpiring!!!!!! which was a bit different. I will get some done whilst watching Eurovision tonight. The colours are really rich - the pink and dark blue are fab.

Off to relax a bit, still tired despite going to bed early!

Byeeee Clicky Needles.

Sunday 23rd May Phew, What a Scorcher!!!

Hello

Couldn't resist the title - sorry about that. I hope it was been a lovely weekend wherever you are - maybe a bit too hot???? I lay idly on my beloved steamer chair half dozing, half awake listening to the blackbirds having their daily 'Who can sing the loudest competition' I'm not sure who won but it was very relaxing.

Things to show you from the garden.

I am soooooo proud of this picture - a stunning allium with it's starry flowers.

I'm even more proud because it and it's mates here are all grown from seed. All I did was to chuck a seed head from another plant in the hosta/ferny area a few years ago and they have just gone mad. These are just a few.

Talking of hostas, here is a bluey coloured one, BS (before snails.) I'm sure in a few weeks it won't look like this so we have to enjoy while we can.

I'm also liking very much this fern that is unfurling. It reminds me of an octopus (with a few extra tentacles.)

And last (but not least) knitting things.

I went to my knitting group on Saturday which was great.

Some of the lovely ladies had clearouts of yarn they didn't want or need and others (me) bought. I ended up with a nice little haul and in total we raised £117 for The Butterfly Garden which is where we meet. A big 'well done' everyone.

Progress on things.

The Mobius Wrap thingy. I'm not sure it will sit nicely on the shoulders, might just be a scarfy type thing.

And a pair of socks which I cast on last week knowing DS had several Tag Rugby Matches through school - so the perfect project - I can watch the game and yell encouragement, but knit at the same time.

Yarn- Rico Santa Fe. I like.

Unfortunately though this breaks The Resolution.

Oh dear.

Today has been so blooming warm I really didn't feel like doing too much knitting - more dozing - have I mentioned that?!

Hope the weather stays nice wherever you are.

Byeee Clicky Needles.

Tuesday 18th May Socks Ta-Dah

Hello all.

The sock Ta-dah!

Yes I know only a pair of socks but it's something finished, a bit more stash used up and a happy son so I'm feeling pleased.

These socks were started on holiday whilst we in France at half-term. We went here - a beautiful place, which I would thoroughly recommend. It didn't look quite as sunny when we were there though, more like this. Strangely, and possibly due to the other wonderful friends that came with us, and large amounts of Crement (Champagne) I didn't knit as much as I had expected I would. Happy days.

I've decided on the next project!!!!

This is called Augusta and it's from May Let's Knit Magazine.

A Mobius type thingy with a twist in.

It uses sock yarn and is a feather and fan type pattern. I'm doing it in Regia Hand-Dye Effect yarn.

Another confession.

Something I need to show you.

This.

It is the front garden and boy o boy does it need attending to.

It is a weed infested mess. I show it to you in the hope that I am soooo embarrassed by it that I will get to it and sort it out.

Watch this space.

On a better note in the back garden, this perennial geranium has just come into flower. It produces huge mounds of beautiful flowers that make me stand still and go ooooooooo.

Fabby!

That's all for now.

Byeeee Clicky Needles.

Friday 14th May

Hello all.

It's been about a month now since I've started on this blogging lark and I have to say I'm enjoying it very much. I popped a counter on my page because I was curious to know how many people were having a look and it's more than I expected, so thank you very much!! I also have to say thank you to Mr Clicky Needles as he is the one who encouraged me to do it in the first place.

I have a confession to make.

I bought these lovely mugs in Tesco this week.

No we don't need any more mugs.

But aren't they so bright and colourful, just the thing to lift you with a zing for your morning cuppa.

I went to my lovely friend's house today, she gave me those eggs.

She is lucky enough to live at Coopers Hill (where they do the Cheese Rolling) and this is her view looking over Gloucestershire towards Cheltenham. What a great place to be.

We were going to do some gardening together but after about an hour we were being eaten alive by Head Eating Bugs. It was awful. We decided to have a cup of tea and a natter.

A natter and a cup of tea.

And another.

You get the picture.

Not much gardening.

This beautiful poppy is outside her front door. Now I'm not a yellow sort of a girl more darks and strong colours but this was fab.

DS socks are coming along well - nearly finished the second, so like every knitter I am now mentally casting on for the next project. It might be a Mobius Type Wrap or those socks for me. Not yet decided........

Off to get DS's socks done.

Bye for now Clicky.

Tuesday May 11th Waistcoat Ta-Dah!!!

Well here we go - the waistcoat Ta-Dah. I am very pleased with it. Despite it being Really Thick Yarn it doesn't feel bulky whilst on.

The Saga. Knitted once size 36/38" - pinned it up and tried it on - too BIG. Made it again in 32/34" looked just right. It is made in 3 pieces and then picked up across the cast off edges for the yoke and cast on for the arms at the same time. I did a backward loop cast on for the arm tops and merrily sewed it all up BEFORE trying it on. BIG MISTAKE. The backward loop arms were very loose and therefore the whole thing was slipping down my shoulders. I tried threading elastic through, sewing a pieces of gathering yarn through...........which just didn't work. I had no choice. I unravelled the yoke and did it again. And here we are. I think it was worth it.

Something else I'm doing at the moment as well. Socks for DS in Regia Galaxy which I got at a bargain price from a certain on-line shop called Kemps. (You may have heard of it!) I have made these once before also but as DS keeps growing and his feet too, guess what..........................they were too small and I HAD TO FROG THEM!!!!! This seems to be the story of knitting at the moment. Anyhoo I had quite forgotten how nice it is to knit socks - to sit in front of the TV with a lovely rhythm Clickyclickyclicky........maybe some for me next!

On to gardeny things.

These cowslips are seeding everywhere in the garden, and our trip to work/school in the morning also gives us the beautiful sight of cowslips and bluebells in all the hedgerows. It sets us up for the day and always cheers us up.

Other lovely things in the garden at the moment, apple blossom - you'll have to take my word for it - the smell is wonderful.

And the blood red Acer Palmatum which almost seems to be glowing as I look out of the window at it now.

Rightho I think I may be off to finish those socks now......

Byeee Clicky Needles.

Friday 7th May

I've finished my waistcoat! It's just blocking at the moment so I'll show you tomorrow. This project turned out to be a BIT OF A SAGA I'll tell you more when I post the pictures.

I've had a productive day today (don't work Fridays) taken 2 loads of garden rubbish to the tip, which must have been about 20 bags worth, so I can now start filling them again, it's a never ending cycle!

I saw a friend of mine last week and she gave me this bowl of lovelies so at the moment there is a Devonshire Honey Cake in the oven.

I stopped in the woods to take the bluebells as promised.

And some oil seed rape in bloom.

You know those green and red tights that DD wore with her Morris outfit? Apparently you have to wash each leg separately or they will run into each other. So guess what? I'm now off to handwash some tights, a leg at a time.

Bye for now Clicky Needles.

Sunday 2nd May

The day today started off with a bit of a lie-in and some Sunday morning knitting in bed with a cup of tea which is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me.

DD danced her tights off at Upton Upon Severn Folk Festival along with lots of other Morris groups from all around. Although she was nervous she did splendidly.

Another misty picture I took yesterday morning looking over towards the Malvern Hills with mist sitting on top of the River Severn.

Whilst at the festival yesterday I managed to find this little beauty on one of the stalls. It's lined and is huge.

I love the flower centres.

Just in case you were wondering how my waistcoat was going here it is! I finished this afternoon, pinned it together to try it on but it was too big. Hurumph. Nothing else for it - I've frogged and will make it in the next size down. Ah well.

I'll start again tonight.

See you soon, Clicky Needles.

Saturday 1st May

GOOD MORNING!!

Well what an exiting morning I've had already. DD has taken up Morris Dancing of late so we got up at 4.30am this morning to see in the summer on a lovely local spot - Painswick Beacon.

When we got there at 5.30am the mist was all over the valley - this view looks over to May Hill (with 99 trees on top) where apparently a bunch of like minded fools were doing the same thing.

As the dancing started the sun came up and looked lovely.

So sun up in the East and the moon still visible too. (Top right in the photo.)

Of course, there was a strange horse who kept winking.

This was DD's first dance out with Stroud Ladies Morris Group and as you can tell by the feet was dressed very brightly. I love those tights!

The madness was followed by a wonderful breakfast, so worth getting up for that alone. We have a few hours rest and then were off again to a festival to hear more bells tinkling. Will report later!

Bye for now Clicky Needles.