Scavenger Hunt

Wednesday 24 December 2014

Christmas Eve

The candle has gone, one more sleep.
I hope you have fantastic day wherever you are, whatever you do.

With love..................Clicky Needles.

Sunday 21 December 2014

Making Gifts and Happy Birthday to Me.

Hi Folks!

Last post I promised you a look at what I put those fat quarters too.

I've made two jar pin cushions for my two (crafty) colleagues at work.  I found the pattern here via Pinterest.
The little Kilner Jars came from The Range.  I followed the instructions pretty much but when I came to glue down the fabric I didn't trim it and glued it in the centre of the lid ~ the first time I glued it around the edge and it wouldn't then shut!

I used contrast fabric on the inside of the lid.
And filled with blue goodies to go with the blue fabric ~ unfortunately I couldn't get blue scissors. 

 You may have noticed three jars ~  the taller jar of the three is for me.

We've finished at school, which is just as well because I seem to be unable to even think at the moment, my brain has turned to mush.    We had a fabby meal out at a local pub.  We always have a secret santa and this year we had to find a present from a charity shop for £5.00.  I got this lovely christmas teapot.  I don't know who got it for me but they know me well, I always use a teapot. 
 It was my birthday on Saturday and we went over to see my Mum and Dad and have a curry.  They got me some perfume, which is great as I always wear perfume.  I've never tried this before, but I really like it.  Apparently Mum described me to the man on the perfume counter at Boots and this is what he came up with!
I was also given this felt ball mat by my lovely friend B.  I'm not sure where it will live yet, but wherever it is I will look at it every day, I love the colours.
 I've been decorating the house today and the Christmas tree went up yesterday.  I've left it very late this year as I haven't felt Christmassy.  This seems to be a problem for quite a lot of people I've spoken to, I blame the weather.  I've still got presents to wrap and a few to buy.

I'll be off now.
See you soon.............Clicky Needles

P.S.  The brain mush has rendered me totally incapable of knitting.  I am hoping to remedy this soon.

Monday 15 December 2014

Oh Blimey! Christmas is nearly here.

Hello Folks.

December marches on relentlessly.  At school our first nativity has taken place, another tomorrow night.  I am getting a bit Christmassy but as yet, we haven't got any decorations or the tree up.  This will happen later on in the week when Mr Clicky has a day off work.  
The advent candle is disappearing, though if I'm completely honest, I don't always remember to burn it every day.
We have been into Cheltenham, the Municipal Offices looked rather splendid. 
We've also done some Christmas shopping.  Mr Clicky was looking for a decoration for his desk at work and we found a suitable snowman.  Obviously I had to knit him a new scarf.
Now, I'm not sure about you but I think he looks a bit cheerier with this stripy little number.
Ridiculously I loved making this.  Just a nice bit of garter stitch.  
Mr Clicky asked me to make something 'Christmassy but discreet' for one of his work's Christmas Meals.  I had a trawl through Pinterest and (several hours later) came up with a crochet Rudolph broach.   I am quite pleased with him.  The pattern is here if you're interested.
Of course, Christmas cards have been dropping on the doorstep, the usual collection of robins and trees.  A few have been more unusual, like this one, a sprout wreath.
I've been making two pressies for my colleagues using these pretty fat quarters but more about that in my next post.
Righto, I must get off now and write some cards!

See you soon.......Clicky Needles.




Sunday 30 November 2014

Making

Hello All!

I've had a bit of a making time.

Firstly some felt flower brooches for a Christmas stall at school.  I was inspired to do these by my lovely friend J at the Butterfly Knitting Group that I go to, she gave me a bag of felt pieces to use at school and within that there were a few handmade wool felt flowers.  I soon discovered it was much easier to use ready made die cut flowers than trying to make my own hand cut ones.  After a quick order to Blooming Felt  for more flowers and brooch backs and I had a production line.
Ta-Dah!
You may have noticed that rather battered coffee table.  We have joined the local Freegle group, on which people post things they want to get rid of but not throw away, less in landfill sites and one man's rubbish being another's treasure.  When I saw the table I jumped at it, with the intention of using it in our house in France.    Garage space being limited, we put in the in the living room 'just for now.'  It needs a jolly good sand down and wax but the trouble is it's become a bit useful, it may be staying in Gloucestershire.
I got as well from Freegle a big pile of House Beautiful magazines.  The intention is to sit with a cup of tea and have a good read.  Problem with those, there are so many it seems like a chore.  Lastly we picked up a new beer fridge for the garage which is missing some shelves but for what we need, just great.  
I've also been making the 'Trio of Christmas Trees', which came with The Homemaker Magazine I bought last week.  You may notice a pair of reading glasses next to the first tree I made.  At the grand of age of 46 my near vision has gone.  In the spate of about 3 weeks, I have gone from being able to read up close, to not.  :(
Anyhoo, after sewing and stuffing the first tree it became evident that the small wooden cotton reels supplied with the kit were not big enough to support it.  I found a few plastic reels in my sewing box with not much cotton on and wound it off.  I popped it on my shelving unit in the kitchen to see what it looked like ~ yes I do have yarn on display in my kitchen ~  I wasn't happy with the white plastic, it needed covering somehow.   I took the photo and looked at it on the camera.  The solution was there, staring me in the face.  Three reels of washi tape, bought because I liked the colours ~ also on display :-).
So here we are another Ta-Dah!  
A trio of Christmas Trees.
These very simple trees are giving me much pleasure.

 Our Sundays are taken up with Master Clicky playing rugby,  we arrive at the ground by 10.00 am and get home about 2.00 pm.  Today we were playing just north of Bristol.  It's been a really strange day,  fog but with sunshine trying to get through.  One moment we could see the players then they disappeared again.
 There was a very strange 'fog rainbow' at one point.  
 Master Clicky is really settling in to his new club, scoring his first try last week and making some crunching tackles today. 

I had a rather nice piece of cake and some hot chocolate to keep me going.  I also did a bit of sock knitting whilst the boys were warming up, so all good.

I think that's me for now.
I'll see you soon.................Clicky Needles.

Monday 17 November 2014

Autumn Rugby Internationals.

Hi Folks!

On Saturday Mr Clicky, Master Clicky and I went to Kingsholm the home of Gloucester Rugby to watch an Autumn International.  Sadly not England ~ too expensive ~ but Tonga v USA.

The kick-off was at 4.45pm so it was just getting dark as we arrived.
As we were at Kingsholm we stood in 'The Shed' ~ the bit with the sloping roof, nothing fancy(!) for the princely sum of £5.00 for Mr Clicky and Me and £1.00 for Master Clicky.  The Shed is a boisterous and noisy place and lots of fun helped along by the odd pint (not for me I was driving.)
I've never been to an international before; after the team's national anthems were played Tonga did their Haka (war dance) which is called the Sipi Hau.  I'm not sure if USA was unsettled by it but they certainly made a lot of noise.
 Kingsholm is great because you are really close to the action.
Three of the players from Tonga are in the Gloucester team so Tonga got most of the support.  The atmosphere was great, both and teams played well but Tonga was a bit faster where it mattered,  winning 40 -12.
We had a brilliant time.

I've been buying magazines.  I always buy Ideal Home this time of year as I do like a Christmas Magazine and Ideal Home has a free calendar.
Whilst I was in the magazine section I saw a Homemaker
with a Trio of Trees kit to make.  This came with printed fabric, stuffing, cotton reels ~ for stands and cotton thread.
I also got a Simply Homemade
which had the Twelve Days of Christmas printed fabric decorations.


Now, sewing isn't really my thing, but I think even I should be able to knock these up.
I'll keep you posted on my progress!

That's me for now, posting on a Monday for a change, whatever next?

Hope you have a good week, see you soon..........Clicky Needles.

Friday 14 November 2014

Bargains!

Hello Folks!

Well it turns out that not only did I have a lovely weekend to myself the other week, the boys (Dads and Kids) had a good time on the rugby tour too.   When the Gloucester v Exeter match finished ~ Gloucester lost :-(  and everyone left Exeter stadium the boys went onto the pitch and had a kick about.  Afterwards they went onto Torquay where they stayed the night; tales are emerging of what they got up to, which I probably don't want to know about.  They played a midday game on Sunday which they lost, came home and fell asleep.
Back at home and we've actually had a frost.  Just the one.  It's now turned wet and windy.  Really windy.
I made myself a crochet poppy this year, of course I still donated to the Royal British Legion, and we held a silence at school.
I've also been 'buying' things from Tesco Direct.  Not really buying because Tesco have their Boost offer on at the moment, meaning that Tesco vouchers are worth double their value in some departments.  I save my vouchers for just this occasion, you may remember I got my SLR camera with them last year.
This year a Karcher Window Vac.  This is really, really good.  You wash down the window with soapy water and the vac sucks all the water off and no smears!  Brill. 
 And also got a new Dyson, as my old one I've had for 15 years.  The new one is much more compact, lighter and has such good suction that I had shoulder ache after using it!  All the better for not actually costing me any real money. :-) 
My blogging has been few and far between of late and I have missed telling you of what I have been up to and reading what you've been up to as well.  The internet in these parts has become dreadfully slow and it virtually impossible to use on a Sunday evening which was my blogging time, so I've decided to try another day.  Maybe Friday maybe Saturday, we'll see.  

As I write this the dog is curled up behind me in his 'bed.'  It's an old single duvet folded into quarters,  we have to pick up the top layer so he can get into it.   If we don't, he stands next to it and whines.  Pampered pooch!
Miss Clicky is working at Waitrose whilst studying and two of her shifts are evening ones.  She comes home with all manner of reduced items, mostly cakes, buns, and the odd cooked chicken, but other things too.  Yesterday it was this Camelia for a bargain 25p.
That's me for now, I'm off to catch up on some bloggy reading with a nice cup of Earl Grey, another one of Miss Clicky's bargains ~ 20p for a box!

Have fun................Clicky Needles.

Monday 3 November 2014

Half Term

Hi there.

I've had a quiet half term.  Me and the dog have had some crunchy leaf walks.
 I tackled a large, overgrown clematis in the garden.   It took a good hour to yank it down through the bush it was growing through.
 Afterwards, a bit knackered, I sat down with a cup of tea and a piece of cake.
I painted the back door ~ at last! ~ had a haircut and just pottered about really.  

However, the best bit of half term has just happened.  This weekend just gone has seen Mr and Master Clicky away to Torquay on a a rugby tour and Miss Clicky working and then straight to the boyfriend's.  I had the whole house to myself all weekend.  This is the first time this has happened since the kids were born.  19 years!!!!!  A good deal of guilt free knitting and TV watching took place.  It was wonderful.  
Enough said.

Back to school today and all the happy, smiling faces.  Christmas next.

See you soon....... Clicky Needles.