Happy Times

Hello all.

I hope your Christmas was a good as ours.

We had some really nice family time.

We had to wake the kids up at 8.30am this year! 

 The older they get the more they like lying in.

Mr Clicky Needles got me a book about Ivor Gurney. 

Ivor Gurney worked on a farm near to where I grew up and later went off to WW1 and served with the Glosters.  He also was a musician and composer. He wrote poetry whilst in the war some are really moving. 

 This one is particularly good.

The picture on the front of the book looks down from the school where I work and into the valley where our family farm was. 

I'm really looking forward to reading it in full.

I also got some felting books ~ aren't Amazon wish lists great?

Some lovely felted bags in this one.

I'm planning this one.

........this too.....

................. and I love this one.

Some lovely ones in this book too....

...nice!

So I'm now thinking of all the feltable yarn on my stash and which patterns to make.

The children did quite well for presents but we didn't go overboard this year.

 DD's best pressie were hair straighteners to tame her curly locks and DS' were new bearings to make his Ripstik faster (skateboard but more difficult) and a weather station.  It has a sensor outside so we know the temperature, humidity and forecast without even leaving the house.  We get all this information at least 10 times a day!

Just before Christmas DD's recount of her Ethiopia Trip was in our local paper. 

That's her in the right hand corner of the front cover ~ next to Prince Edward!

Inside was a whole page and the article that she wrote ~ she's in the middle of the group photo.

I finished the  Pimpelliese scarf.  

I bought the yarn by accident.  We happened to be in Abingdon a few years  whilst on a camping trip and I came across Masons.  Obviously it would have been rude not to pop in and I came out with some Araucania Multi.

 I wasn't sure that I was going to enjoy this pattern, knitting the border as it went along but it was great. I had a trusty post-it note to keep my place (thanks Romain!) and it all went well.

So what next?  

Still not sure what to go for next I'll keep looking at my new books for inspiration I think.

Have fun.

Bye for now..............Clicky Needles.

One Sleep to Go

Hello all!

Thanks for your birthday wishes.

Well, the candle is looking a little worse for wear but it's nearly all gone.

The shopping has all been done I've made the chocolate roulade and the fire is warm and cosy.

 I promised to show you some more of my decorations, so here they are.

The 'childrens' tree in the hall.  

This has decorations the children have made over the years.

The garland going up the stairs.

With the lights on.

This garland gives me chance use some beauties that don't fit with the living room colour scheme!

On the banisters I hang baubles.

The bookcase in the hall.

Bells on all the doors.

Dining room windowsill.

Snowflakes in the windows.

I've laid the table........

.........and the finishing touch, lots of glitter on the floor.

 The glitter on the floor came about by accident when me and DS were making Christmas cards one year.  He must have been about 8 at the time.  I walked out the room and came back in to find him pouring glitter straight on the floor, my initial crossness soon went because it looks sooooooooooo beautifully sparkly!   

So all in all, I go a bit wild with the decorating and woe betide anyone who tries to move anything.

It just remains to say, have a super Christmas and I hope you get what you wish for.

Don't forget to Track Santa with Norad.  As I write he's on Christmas Island off Australia.

Have a wonderful day........................Clicky Needles.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Hi Folks.

Me and Mr Clicky Needles had a super night out.  Thanks for all your lovely comments regarding our attire!  We have now both finished work for the Christmas break.

The tree is now up and decorated.

Pink and black again this year. 

 I'm so pleased with the tree.

It's very bushy which is how I like 'em.

We found this bird's nest hiding in the branches and lots of insects and ladybirds emerged as well.

I've discovered fireworks mode on the camera, so here it is at night!

It was my birthday yesterday, so we celebrated with a glass of pink (to match the colour scheme!) fizz.  I do love using all of the decorations we have, so spare baubles get piled into vases.

My Mum and Dad came to see us and she gave me this lovely pin and button from Textile Garden.

I'm going to use the button on my Woolfish Jacket.  The frog ~ incase you were wondering ~ is a tape measure.

 I received my squares for December which was great, but I'm having a bit of a knitting impasse at the moment.

 I'm really not sure what to do next.  To fill the gap I've cast on a Pimpelliese ~ a triangular scarf with a border.  I'm using some Araucania Ranco Multi, a lovely sock yarn which is kettle dyed in Chile.  It is more purply than the picture shows. 

 Despite Mr CN telling me 'less is more' with the decorations, I have gone totally wild so I'll try and get some photos so you can see unfortunately the light has gone for the day now.

A few tidying up jobs to do and a bit of cleaning, but I think we're there! 

 Now, where's the sherry?

Bye for now ....................Clicky Needles.

School's Out!

Phew.

We've broken up for Christmas.

The panto in Cheltenham was great fun, (oh no it wasn't) although trying to weave the children through Christmas shoppers is always a bit stressful.

Our Christmas lunch was excellent with everything locally sourced ~ the turkey was particularly good.

The children all went a bit wild at their class parties and quite a few over ate and turned green but luckily none threw up.

Mr Clicky Needles and me had his work's Christmas 'Do' last night which had a James Bond theme.

Now, I wouldn't usually show our faces on my blog but I think we scrubbed up fairly well.

 I spent a good few hours being coiffured in the hair dressers, so my usual curls were forced straight!

The real revelation was having my nails done!

This was the first time I've ever had them done.  No washing up/cleaning or anything that will make them chip now.  I love them and might make this a monthly thing. Hehe.

We had a nice meal, and then got to play roulette and backgammon with chips ( no real money) and I got to meet Mr CN's new colleagues. 


We got this lovely hamper from Mr Clicky Needles' employer, it's been quite a few years since we've been spoiled at Christmas.  DS has already munched the candy canes.

Right I'm off now, in the middle of doing the tree so pictures tomorrow.

Have a nice evening.......Clicky Needles.

Not long to go.

Hi there!

I thought you might want to see the school's tree. 

 Despite telling the children they could add any decorations they wanted, not much has been added!

I knitted red and white stripy 'bauble' in the middle. 

 Next week we'll be making pom-poms, cards and decorations and we have the pantomime trip, Christmas Lunch, Carol Concert and class parties.

 I'll be chopping a tree down for home from the school field on Thursday which will be my last day before the holidays.  Hoorah!

Last week I was bemoaning the fact that I hadn't found an advent candle, so I was very happy when I found this in the Laura Ashley Home sale. It's now in pride of place on the mantlepiece.

I've taken part in an Christmas Decoration Swap on the Phoenix Forum, and I received a lovely little knitted tree.  Isn't it sweet?

 On the knitting front I made this hat, which is a pattern from Ravelry,  Jacques Cousteau Hat.  3167 have been made so far!  It's a Christmas pressie (yes I know Christmas Knitting AGAIN) for my brother.  I used some Sweet Briar Double Knit which is hanging around in my stash.  It's fairly soft,  I wasn't going to use any sort of 'luxury' yarn as there is a fairly strong possibility that it will end up in cow muck or being eaten by a sheep.

Hope you have a great week.

Bye for now ........Clicky Needles.

Sparkly Things

Hello All.

Christmas excitement is arriving at school.

Following our building work we had earlier in the year, we actually have space to put up a proper Christmas tree, something we have not been able to do before.

I went onto the school field with the Head and we chopped down a Christmas Tree, there is a good selection, which were planted by the children in the Millennium.  It's now up and we've asked the children to bring in a decoration for it, so I'll get a picture when it's fully decorated!

I asked the lovely ladies at Butterfly Knitters for oddments we could make into pom-poms for the tree last week and they didn't disappoint.  I was given a great selection and we'll now set the children to work!

I got some other yarn in the clearout which I didn't show you.

3 balls of this hot red colourway of Freedom Spirit...

...and 7 balls of Wensleydale Longwool, in a lovely soft green.  Although it is called double knit I think it's more of a 4 ply, sooooo very soft.

I also picked up a ball of bright pink, on the left here for Friendship squares for this month.  My swapee wanted 'hot pink, nothing pale' so I think it fits the bill perfectly. 

I received my squares for November.

The other rather fab-u-lous thing I got at the Butterfly swap was this pattern.

Somebody spotted it and threw it at me knowing of my tractor love.

A fine specimen of a man atop a Grey Fergie. 

 How wonderful.

I think I may frame it!

As I promised myself I did make the other crochet scarf ~ on the left ~ I'm so pleased with them both.

I've also made this hat.  

It is knitted in 'Luxury Knitting Yarn' which I bought at the local factory shop.  It's been sitting in my stash for a while and I came across it whilst stash diving the other day so I decided to use it.

I was in the staff room at lunch time making it ~ can't waste time doing nothing ~ and it was spotted by our Reception Teacher.  She should be called Miss Sparkle ~ she loves glitter, sequins and the like.

Anyhoo she was oo and aahhing over it so I said she could have it.

I've added a big flower, I hope she likes it.

She'll definitely be jealous of the top I 'ran into' whilst Christmas shopping the other day.  I'm going to wear it for our staff Christmas Meal.  

 It was a touch loose on the back, so I've had to undo a bit of the seam and pull the elastic tighter.  I got out my trusty (but not much used) sewing machine and got to work.  Mr Clicky Needles walked into the room and commented that he hadn't seen it lately.  (My main usage of my sewing machine is making curtains; just sewing in straight lines.)   He then said I "Should leave it out and set up so you can use it more."  "I'm waiting for the kids to leave home and then I'm have a room for crafting" I answered.  He gave me a look and then informed me that HE was having a bedroom for HIS stuff.

I had no idea he was coveting a room.

I'm not sure what he going to do with it.

I fear there may be fights.

Not that the kids are actually going anywhere at the moment.

I'm a bit annoyed that I've not managed to find an Advent Candle this year.  I left it a bit late and they all seem to have sold out. 

 Ho hum.

Righto I'm off to eat more stir-fried sprouts (they really are good.)

See you soon

Byeeeeeeeee............... Clicky Needles.


P.S.  It's wonderful to have so many comments.  I've just had a look on my stats and I've had 500 comments altogether.  Thanks so much!

November Mosaic

November, a bit of a pink theme going on here!

4 Weeks To Go!

Hello all!

Christmas seems to have crept up a bit on me this year.  

I think because the weather has been so mild I didn't really realise what the date is.

This time last year I was complaining about the frost and snow, but I think so far I've only had to scrape ice off the car twice!

Anyhoo in an effort to get myself feeling Christmassy I bought some magazines.

The first being a Mollie Makes.

It came with a free calendar which is always useful.

I really love this tree decoration make out of old bits of wood; window frames and the like.

They give ideas for making the decorations.....

and directions for making this wreath.  Now, I love this, but the cost of so many felt balls would be HUGE, so I'll just admire it.

 The other magazine I got was Prima Christmas Makes.

I got this last week but Lucy at Attic 24 beat me to it with the blog post!  I can only echo what she has said, there are some fabby ideas in it.

I like these cards/gift tags, simple but effective.

We shall be mainly pink again this year, so these caught my eye.

And if you are more traditional, red and white.

I popped down to B & Q today to check out their decorations.

I'm into felt at the moment.  The pink felt tree has a thread through the middle and the green tree might be an idea for school.  I only noticed it was missing a ball when I got home. :-(

All of this talk is getting me in the mood.

Right, back to other things, the crochet scarf for my teacher is finished.

It's so soft, I'm really pleased, and I've started another for me. Hehe.

On Teresa's suggestion I crocheted a flower for my jacket at Butterfly Knitters yesterday.

We had our annual clear out and sell of our yarn we didn't want.  £170 was raised for the charity which we were very pleased with.

Ok I need to go now and cook Sunday Lunch (tea).  Mr Clicky Needles tried stir frying the sprouts last week with some onion ~ fry first ~ and they were yum, so stir fried sprouts it is!

As always have a great week.

Byeeeee.................Clicky Needles.