Nearly There!

Hello folks.

The (very) eagle eyed amongst you will notice a slight change to my age today.

Yep it's my birthday.

We had planned to see Harry Potter which I'm really looking forward to but............

more snow!

It started snowing at lunch time and now (5.oo pm) it's still going.

Anyhoo I've had a nice pottering sort of day.

Mr Clicky Needles has promised me "wooly' type things for my birthday pressie. I now need to think about what I'd like. Do I need more yarn? Not really!!!!!!!

The postie didn't manage to get to us so I've not had many cards to open but that really doesn't matter.

I started with the decorations on Sunday but my 'new' colour scheme for the tree didn't go well, the turquoise blue really wasn't that great.

I changed my plans last minute to black/pink/purple but the few pink and purple decorations I had weren't looking very good, I was feeling very meh, which wasn't good as putting up decorations usually makes me really happy.

On Monday Mr Clicky Needles suggested we went out and got some more, so we warmed up the trusty 4 x 4 did a food shop and dropped into Homebase. They had fabby pink baubles and pink ribbon, so when we got back I had so much fun.

The mantel piece now looks lovely and pink!..........

.........I'm particularly pleased with the vase on the end.

Today I've adding more bits and pieces ~ this is the hallway.......

...the top of the bookcase in the hall.

and the little Nativity in the kitchen.

Anybody spot the llama?!!!!!!

There is still lots more to show ~ I'll get more piccys tomorrow.

Me obsessed with decorations?

YES.

YES.

YES.

Here's my waistcoat with the button finally added.

Knit in Stylecraft Life Super Chunky on 12mm needles. I made in one piece as I didn't want bulky seams, the pattern was from a book called Knitting in No Time which I got cheap from the book club at school. Cosy warm even though it has no sleeves!

Well, the snow still falls but we're all cosy, hope you are too.

Bye for now, Clicky Needles.

A Huge Sigh Of Relief

Phew.

End of Term.

We've had parties, carol concerts, nativity and much festive fun and now it's all come to an end.

I 'undecorated' the classroom on Thursday as snow was forecast at night.

School was shut Friday due to ice and dangerous roads.

I got some handmade goodies from the children.

Christmas biscuits ~ I can confirm the ones on left were very nice ~ not had the others yet....

and a super Christmas cake which is great for Mr Clicky Needles ~ me and kids don't like it so I never make one!

We had our staff night out last night and the homemade secret santa went down very well. Our secretary got my scarf and was very pleased with it.

I got some ready to mull wine. Apparently it's potent!

I also received a lovely parcel through the post ~ Santa's Washing Line! This was the small Christmas Swap on the Phoenix Forum from Squirrel. It's very cute.

As we thought, we woke up to this today.

It's still snowing at the moment.

DS and me went and bought the Christmas Tree yesterday from a local nursery as we weren't sure what the weather would do. Thank goodness! We'll be getting it up later and the decorating will begin!

Lastly, Mr Clicky Needles' scarf is finished. It needed a jolly good blocking, as it was curling up, but is now looking really good (even if I do say so myself!)

Making it lengthways in the stripy yarn has given it a lovely effect and it's really thick and warm.

I may make some more to use up odds and ends and leave tassels on the ends.

OK so now I'm off to get those decorations up ~ expect lots of sparkly pictures!

Bye for now Clicky Needles.

P.S. Hello to Tickety-Boo great to have you on board!

Squeaky Blanket Ta-Dah!

Yaaaaaaayyyyy.

The squeaky blanket is complete.

I am very, very pleased with it.

According to my Ravelry projects page I started on the 8th October, and I finished it yesterday.

Considering all the other things I've been doing as well, I think that this is pretty good progress.

I opted for four rows of double crochet (or single crochet for peeps across the pond) as the border.

It goes very nicely on my new(ish) Poang Armchair Cushion bought on the fantasy shopping trip to Ikea with B in October. This pic doesn't show it that well ~ but the green of the chair and the green of the cushion match perfectly!

With DS being ill ~ we have now offically called it 'flu rather than 'just being under the weather' I've been at home with him and doing 'stuff'.

My garden twine bag which must be about 3 years old was a bit the worse for wear ~ the handle had stretched and was about to break......

...so I took it off and added a new one. Sadly I didn't have any more purple twine but I think the repair looks fine. Another 3 years service coming up!

I've started a double crochet (sc) scarf for Mr Clicky Needles in Rowan Tapestry. It's made lengthways ~ I love the woven effect of double crochet and the pattern is really coming out nicely with the variegated yarn. Did I mention the yarn is from STASH. No?

I'll say it again then.

YARN IS FROM STASH.

Yaay.

DS is slowly getting better ~ he came downstairs today saying that his legs had stopped aching so I think he'll be back to school on Monday. When I spoke to his school they said lots of students are away with the same thing.

My school went to the Pantomime on Thursday ~ oh no you didn't, oh yes I did ~ which the kids just loved. I'm not all that sure about the adults and trying to guide 100 kids through Christmas Shoppers is always a bit trying but we managed not to loose anybody.

I may post again tomorrow ~ my long waistcoat just needs a button (uh oh!) so we'll see. I'm in a right finishing off mood at the moment.

Despite some people (you know who you are!) trying to tempt me into starting with that lovely Jojoland ~ it sits on the side and I keep squishing as I walk by ~ I'm trying to resist. (It is sooooo soft.)

Hope your weekend is a good one.

Clicky Needles.

P.S. I need to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Josiekitten for yesterday ~ I hope you had a good day despite your trials!

A Lovely Parcel

Hello.

I got a super scrumptious parcel today.

it was the Jojoland Sock yarn kindly given away by JosieKitten.

I'm not sure how she could give it away ~ it's really lovely and soft.

Will this be a pair of socks?

A~B~S~O~L~U~T~L~Y N~O~T!!! far too nice.

Thoughts for this yarn will be flying around in my head tonight.

Thanks again JK.

It has warmed up slightly in these parts ~ so sadly the trees don't look like this now. I say sadly because the ice and snow is making me feel really Christmassy and I'm quite enjoying it, although I'm not sure everyone would agree with me!

Poor DS is still ill ~ sleeping all day ~ he has no energy at all.

I hope he gets better soon ~ it's not nice.

I made a Hollygog Pudding yesterday ~ if you haven't heard of it I came across it on thequincetree. Sue says it's like eating a hug, I can confirm it's rib sticking. Mr Clicky Needles and I really enjoyed it ~ although the kids weren't so sure!

I'd like to say a Big HELLO to the few new followers I've got (thanks!) and I've managed to fix the comments thing as well. You can now leave a comment as 'anonymous' without the need for an account. Let's hope this works!

Bye for now.....

Clicky Needles

Ice Day!

Hi there.

Not snow day but an ice day.

Apparently the roads around school are treacherous so I am at home pottering around. I not convinced I could have got off the drive this morning even in my 4x4, there is a sheet of ice glistening menacingly.

Unfortunately DS is ill as well so we're tucked up by the fire, watching films, we're currently on Madagascar.

I have ventured out the back door and took these in the garden.

My favourite.

My trusty Sony Cybershot never ceases to amaze me with the quality of photos. All of the above pictures are taken on the VGA setting which is very low resolution and

e-mailable, but still come out looking great.

Whilst watching the film I've also been winding some laceweight I got a while ago.

As you can see there is one lovely, neat and beautiful little yarn cake.

Not so with skein number 2. I very stupidly knitted a tension square straight from the skein (I was very excited to have it) and in the process I've managed to get it a bit tangled, so every few turns of the swift I have to take the wound yarn off the winder and feed it through a loop. How long is the skein? 600 metres. I am resisting the temptation to attack it with a pair of scissors........this could be long evening.

I hope you like the new look of the blog.

Keep warm.

Clicky Needles.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr AGAIN.

Hi all!

You remember I was moaning about no proper snow?

Well it came on Friday night.

During the day it had been really cold -4 degrees in Cirencester, when I was Christmas shopping. Not as cold as some poor souls have had it I know and you chilly peeps have my full sympathy. So we got snow on Friday night, but by the morning it had warmed up enough to start going slushy. That didn't last long though and it soon went icy again so now it's even more slippery around here. *sigh*

Whilst I was Christmas Shopping on Friday I found this fabby bag in Cargo Homestores. It's a very pretty print which was what caught my eye. Made from recycled plastic bottles, I think it is 'supposed' to be used for quilts whilst they're hibernating.

As you can see I've managed to cram a lot of something into it.

Any ideas what?

Yes, you've guessed it YARN!!!!!

I've got loads and loads and loads in.

I won't be counting HOW many because I will just frighten myself.

Suffice it to say a lot.

I put the decorations up in my classroom on Wednesday, which between the teacher and me we conspire to do whilst the kids are out of the room. She took them off to do P.E. and I decorated. The ooos and ahhhhs are priceless.

Some bright spark at work suggested that our Secret Santa this year, should be something handmade. We STILL haven't done the draw but I needed to get going, so I made this chunky lacy pattern scarf. I used two balls of Wendy Fusion (now discontinued) for this.

I would happily keep this but I suppose I should part with it.

I hope you keep warm this week, Monday around here is looking chilly cold AGAIN.

Bye for now Clicky Needles

Midweek Post

Hello, just a quick midweek note.

As I asked last time the weather did get above freezing for a bit, and then it snowed. Not proper snow though, just rubbish, not enough snow. Then it froze and we're back to square one but with snow hanging around too.

It's been a right palaver at school with the kids having to get coats, hats, scarves, gloves and wellies on and then taking them all off again when play has finished.

We've had a really good assortment of slippers and stripy slipper socks during lessons!

1st December has come and the advent candle has been lit.

The kids have been munching on choccys before breakfast (the only time of the year it's allowed!).

Yes the kids are 11 and 15 but these lovely calendars were bought for them by B + S on their last visit. Was DD (15) happy with Peppa Pig?????

Yes, it contains chocolate so she ain't complaining.

The Christmas decorations will be a while before they go up, I like to do the decorating in the week before Christmas.

On a very exciting note (well for me anyway I don't suppose you'll be) I won a competition run by my virtual friend and fellow blogger JosieKitten. She's had her blog featured in Yarn Forward magazine, was over the moon about it and decided to have a giveaway of some yarn. I was the first out of the hat, so I've chosen the Jojoland Melody Sock Yarn. I've not used Jojoland before so I'm looking forward to getting it.

Thanks JK!

Hope you're coping alright in the snow.

Bye Clicky Needles.