Bank Holiday Weekend.

Hello there!

We had lovely weekend camping in Oxfordshire with our friends B and S.

Just as we were about to leave on Friday we had a phone call.

B and S had got to the campsite and it was raining.

Hard.

B was drenched getting from the car to the office.

Luckily the site had a pod free, so we decided to take that for the night rather than get a tent up in the rain. It had lights and more importantly on a very damp and wet evening ~ a heater.

Next morning the boys got the tent up while B and me threw everything into the car for the trip to the next field. We were soon settled in.

We were next to a field of Suffolk Sheep.

We visited a National Trust property Upton House which was owned by Walter Samuel an heir to Shell Oil. The house was preserved in the 1930's and we decided a weekend house party would have been jolly nice there.

Most of the rest of our time was spent talking, playing cards and scrabble and having the odd tipple.

I got some more squares completed ~ although not that many.

It was a bit chilly in the evening but we were warmed by this lot ~ and a cracking little gas heater.

Monday morning breakfast consisted of all the uneaten food, so I finished off the scones!

A lovely relaxing time.

The kids had a great time too with their Aunt at Centre Parks. Lots of swimming, horse riding for DD and paint balling for DS. They came home exhausted!

Well, it's back to school tomorrow, but without the kids, they're back in on Monday. The pregnant colleague is nearly due so I made these little baby socks. I hope she likes them.

Holidays have come to an end :-(

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

August Mosaic

With August drawing to a close some of my favourite pictures.

ETA. The car load of garden rubbish isn't a nice picture, but gives me a huge sense of satisfaction!!!!

A Tale of a Jacket

Hello folks.

Another week gone by.

I've been dyeing some more yarn which is drying now.

The ipad cosy is coming along nicely, but I had to get another ball of yarn, this is as far as one would go. It's made in Adriafil Knitcol which I really like. I'm not sure I'd make a garment in it but for little projects like this it is just right.

Whilst trying to get things out of my wardrobe the other other day, a jacket fell on my head. (Yes my wardrobe is a mess) anyhoo with the jacket falling on me I took it as an omen and decided I needed to look at it.

Let me tell you the story.

I bought the yarn, Rowan Big Wool Fusion ~ along with lots of other people if Ravelry is anything to go by ~ in the Dunelm sale. It was £1.00 a ball.

It should have been about £6.00 a ball so I got some. It would have been rude not to. 10 balls of brown, 10 balls of blue, 10 balls of pink.

This pattern Anise from Rowan was in Simply Knitting at the time ~ January 2008 ~ so I cast on as soon as I got home. (I think I had less stash then!)

It only took a few days to make and I even made three sleeves not realising I already had two.

I excitedly sewed it together and put it on.

UGH.

I hated it. I wasn't happy with my sewing up and it felt bulky and horrible. The front in the pattern is crossed over the chest and I just felt swamped by it. It had only cost me £8.00 to make so I consoled myself with that and chucked in the top of the wardrobe.

When it fell on me the other day I really looked at it really well.

The sewing up wasn't soooo bad, the colour was better than I remembered and it is the squooshiest yarn. I sewed the poppers on the front to make it meet in the middle and not cross over and found some nice wooden buttons in the button jar and do you know? It's not so bad after all.

In fact I even quite like it. Just right for the Autumn.

I got my friendship blanket squares off. These first two are lime green not khaki....

and this yellow is mustard and not bright yellow. I'm really enjoying all the new cables and I even managed to do the mustard one without a cable needle.

We've had a few days of lovely sunshine so I've been in the garden.

Lying.

Gardening.

Drinking tea.

Gardening.

Lying.

and ~ ahem ~ dozing too.

It's not all been doing nothing though, I went to the tip ~ sorry recycling centre ~ with this little lot.

I hate going to the tip.

A job that is on the top 10 worst things to do along with cleaning the oven and sorting out the attic.

Anyway it's done now and that's all that matters.

We're off camping for the bank holiday weekend, WITHOUT the kids, they're off to Centre Parks with their aunt so Mr CN and me are camping with S and B. That should be fun, we won't have play cricket all day to keep DS happy.

Just a bit of scrabble and crosswords.

Hope your bank holiday weekend is a good one.

Bye...................Clicky Needles.

P.S. DD has got her GCSE results. 2 As, 4 Bs and 4Cs. A in Maths. :-)

This means she has got the college place she wants.

Very Proud.

Oh dear.

Hello folks.

Yes, I've been a bad blogger.

This is due in some part to the ipad.

Last week has disappeared into the ether due to free apps that I've been downloading.

I've decided that I won't turn it on until this evening today.

(We'll see.)

So what been going on in the Clicky Needles' household?

My new Terramundi Pot came.

I went for some very nice stripes.

I went to Kit and Natter at Along Came Polly and bought a ball of Adriafil Knitcol to make an ipad cosy.

It was only when I got it home I realised it was the same sorts colours as the pot.

Kind of fitting.

I've not started the cosy yet, but my Drops Cardi is coming along well. I'm half way up the second sleeve although all that stocking stitch has been getting to me and I'm becoming a bit meh about it.

I pinned it together with the one sleeve to try it on and had a pleasant surprise.

I think I like it!

I'm now galvanised back into action!

I took DD riding on Saturday to local stables so sewed in some ends on the little granny squares. Blimey this is a bit tedious. Six ends for each square. I'm going to keep on top of them though, definitely not leave them all to the end.

Yesterday I drove some friends to Forest Fibres in the Forest of Dean. Four of us went. Although it is an on-line shop you can go for a visit if you phone ahead.

We have a jolly good poke around the lovely Ros' warehouse which was filled with all things fibre, spinning, yarn, dyes,

silk ......................

I bought this pack of merino tops named 'Autumn'.

We brought back in the car two spinning wheels (neither mine!) and assorted fibre.

I picked some of those purple french beans which have been eaten raw. Beans don't often make it into the pot in this house!

The blackberries were pretty good too.

And lastly some mixed flowers.

Well, its turned nasty today, chilly, drizzly and very grey.

I hope the weather is better for you wherever you are.

Somebody hide that ipad.......

Byeeeeee...................Clicky Needles.

My parcel arrived!!!!!!!!!!

Hello.

Before I tell you what it is, I need to tell you about my Terramundi Pot.

It was given to me by a lovely friend for my 40th Birthday.

A slot for putting money in, but nothing to get it out! When it was started I decided that I would spend the money on 'something for me' ~ something I wouldn't normally buy because I think it a bit extravagant.

I've been saving £2.00 coins in it ever since ~ well, to be perfectly honest Mr Clicky Needles puts quite a lot in too.

I've had a case of the Needies (more than the Wanties) for quite some time now.

We were discussing cost the other day and DD gave me a sideways look from her laptop.

"You haven't smashed the pot yet, have you Mum?"

Blimey! hadn't thought of that.

It wasn't full but as I said it was the Needies.

So the other day we held a ceremony.

....and all this gold came out.

There was about £600 in it. Apparently when they are full of £2 coins you can get over £1000!

So I ordered.

It came.

The UPS man grinned when he finally turned up at 4.00pm with it.

"I know what it is" he said.

"Just give it to me, I've been tracking you all day." I said, rugby tackling him as he came up the drive. "Where have you been?"

Have you guessed yet?

Yep, an ipad.

Oh my, oh my, oh my.

I think we'll be having burnt food, no washing done, no ironing...................

I am totally in love.

Of course the rest of the Clicky Needles gang like it too, DS playing Angry Birds.

So yes, the smart money was on a spinning wheel but the ipad came first!

We've got a family trip ~ joy ~ to the dentist tomorrow, so I'll see if I can find a replacement pot then. There was some money left over, so that can go back into the new pot for a flying start.

Oh, and I found a new Orla Kiely bag in Tesco, but it's paling into insignificance compared to other things.

I shall try to calm down now.

Have fun.

Bye.................................Clicky Needles.

A Cracking Weekend

Hello there!

We've had a quiet second week of Mr Clicky Needles' holiday bimbling around. The mountains of washing and ironing have been scaled, we've picked up the car and Mr CK has got rid of the 'stuff' from his old company.

On Saturday morning I went to my LYS Along Came Polly because Tickety Boo was minding it for the morning. She lives pretty close but we've never managed to meet up before. It was a bit of an odd experience for the both of us to start with, we felt like we knew each other, but having never met it made it a bit wierd. We soon got over that however, and spent a couple of hours nattering away. Lovely to meet you at last Tickety Boo!!!

On Sunday we went to Steam Extravaganza and Vintage Show at South Cerney Airfield near Cirencester.

Wow, did we have fun.

There were military vehicles.

We liked the miles per gallon on the self propelled gun. (Far right on the centre row on the mosaic.)

In case you're wondering the difference between a self propelled gun and a tank ~ and why wouldn't you? ~ a tank can fire and move at the same time and a self propelled gun has to stop before it can fire.

We thought this sign on the back of an army Landy about covers it.

These steam engines were incredibly noisy and smelly but went pretty fast. They did a parade around the show ring but also had races up and down the perimeter road of the airfield filling the air with steam and thick black smoke.

Apparently they need special coal!

There were all manner of trucks, cars, buses, bikes and scooters.

The pale blue american car was just bonkers! It was massive and looked like it should be on The Jetsons.

There was a vintage fair with music provided by pipe organs.

The galloping horses and the cars were both powered by steam.

But without doubt the best bit of the day by far for me was the tractors.

I realise as I write this that I've never told you about my childhood. I grew up on the family farm and I do like a tractor. When we came across this little beauty I was happy. We had a Massey 135 and if I think back it was probably what I learnt to drive (a tractor) on. When I was little I used to ride on the wheel arches holding onto a grab handle that's just by the light. I used to love riding around with my Dad hauling in bales of hay or mowing grass. I have to say that this one is in better condition than our's was though!

I also love the Grey Fergie, we did have one on the family farm, but it got sold on, I can just remember seeing it in a shed, so I must have been about 3 years old. I think there may be a picture of my brother sitting on it in the family photos so I'll try and dig it out.

This one was on parade.

The man is not massive, the Fergie really is very small!

This Field Marshall was also in the parade.

I was lucky enough to drive one a few years ago (at another tractor show!)

So, now I've revealed that I'm a closet tractor fancier, here's some alpacas, I want some!

We had a fabby time and the weather held, only raining as we left.

Mr Clicky Needles and me have now drawn up a list of wanties.

1. Grey Ferguson (me)

2. Field Marshall (me)

3. VW Camper van (both)

4. Bus (him)

5. Alpacas (me)

6. Traction engine (both)

All we need now is a small holding and somewhere to keep all the vehicles.....................and back to reality.

I have notification down the jungle drums that my parcel should arrive tomorrow! Oh the excitement I can barely contain myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

July Mosaic

Phew! July has come and gone so here's my mosiac.

Lazing Around

I've been having a lovely lazy time.

Staying up and getting up late just because I can!

I thought I should let you see progress so far on the Summer Granny Blanket. After I took the picture I thought it didn't seem like many squares and discovered some more, but you get the idea. The bright green is really fluorescent and there will be some colour combinations I won't be using it in! I've 11 colours altogether so I'm hoping that no two squares will be the same, we'll have to see how big it gets.

I've been to Tuesday morning knitting group, which seems very decadent to me and been making good use of the dry warm weather we're having at the moment, by being in my favourite place with some knitting and listening to music on my new device!!!!

Can you see it?

The Pringles Speaker! They're free at the moment, all you need to do is send off three tear off bits ~ so eat three pots of Pringles, no hardship ~ wait awhile and a Pringles pot speaker will be winging it's way to you. Ok, the music is a bit tinny but good fun nonetheless.

My purple Drops Cardi has grown quite a lot since this picture was taken. I've finished the back, one front and I'm just starting the other. It seems to be flying off the needles, or is that just because I'm not at work?

In the garden the climbing french beans have just started flowering ~ yes I know they're late but I'm pretty rubbish at planting things when they should be ~ these should have purple pods too.

Mr Clicky Needles has this week off work as well, and when he goes back next week it will be in a brand new company. He has got himself a new job! He's very pleased with himself. We've had to wave the company car away and we'll be picking up our new car on Friday.

We're taking DS to see Harry Potter tonight, well me and Mr CN want to see it too which should at least stop DS falling off his bike and skinning his arms, legs and knees. He is covered with bumps and bruises right now.

I've been doing a bit of on-line shopping with all this time on my hands, although I'm not telling you what it is yet, I can't wait for my parcel to arrive.

Righto, need to go, I might even start all the ironing that's piled up from camping, on the other hand.........................

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