Boxes everywhere

This post is about packing. Trouble is with moving house, you have to try and put the contents of your house into boxes. Well we live in a big house, it actually has 14 rooms, including toilets. My yarn alone has filled at least six boxes. I think I said earlier, that I labelled them Craft in the end, instead of Sallys wool. I have missed having my knitting books to browse through as they are all packed. I must admit I did briefly toy with the idea of opening them, but no, I mustn't.

Our car failed the MOT today, not surprised really. But it shouldn't be too expensive to sort out. So I am carless, and it's knitting group tomorrow. I have decided that I will walk to the bus stop, which is about 2 miles, and if I am feeling super dooper fit, I may even walk all the way to town. But not sure how long it will take me. I think if I leave at 8.30 when the boys go, then I should be ok.

Friday I am having a day out with my Very Best Friend. We are going to Bath, and will be perusing the Cath Kidston shop amongst other places. Should be fun. I haven't managed to find any wool shops in Bath yet, so perhaps that's a good thing.

Happy knitting.

I'm not feeling the love

I'm sorry if you are bored about reading about sheep, but I am so bored of the destructive little critters!!!Yesterday my hubby took down the electric fencing as the battery had run out, so the lambs kept escaping. Now I would have just hooked it up to the pylons to be honest, they would have learnt then!!So he basically blocked the two entrances to the courtyard with sheep hurdles, so we left the car out the front, and the lambs could graze the whole courtyard. My eldest son needed to get his motorbike out for work, so I opened the hurdles to let him through, whilst watching the lambs, because I could see their little minds looking for that window of opportunity to escape. I shut the hurdles and linked them together, but obviously there was a small gap that the little blighters found. I looked out the windown half an hour later, and they are all milling around at the front of the house. So me and son number two (he's 11), went outside and got them back in where they should be. Then we both put the hurdles together and wedged them in place with a rock. Blow me, I look round and 8 of the little darlings (believe me that is not meant as a term of endearment) were in the house. I shout to son number 3, who is in the house, but he didn't hear. So son number 2 goes in after the sheep and gets them out. In the meantime he had trod in sheep poo, and walked it through the house. FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!So then I had to clean the poo off the floor and carpet, and then off his shoes so he could wear them to school. Whilst cleaning the said shoe, I looked up the hallway and there was a lamb attempting to come in again (someone didn't shut the door) I screamed "GET OUT OR I WILL KILL YOU" I think it realised that I wasn't joking and ran.

Now when I look at back at what I have written I must sound like some sort of psycho!!It has just been a long time. I wish we had just bought a mower, there is poo all over the path, garden etc. The boys ended up jumping out of the dining room window to go to school rather than walk through lamb country. I think my lovely hubby is taking them back to the farm today. If not I will strap them in my galaxy and take them back myself!!!

Friendship shawl

Finished, but I expect, despite my trying to subtely arrange it, you can see the mistake. I grafted in the wrong place, so that the two holey edgings don't quite meet up, very annoying, but not much I can do about it. I will still wear it, I may even do a sewing job on it to arrange it differently. Nice easy pattern to use, and I would definitely do it again.

Hooray

Hooray, yes at last, I have finished the Friendship Shawl. It is lovely. I emailed the pattern writer for some final finishing tips, and then followed a grafting garter stitch link on youtube, and it's done. Now I am just off to wet it and block it, so I can take some photos to put on here tomorrow. I know I have made a couple of mistakes, like the holes in the bottom that form the patter, are slightly out of line in one place. And the grafting I should have been in a quiet room to do it, but hey, it's my first finished shawl and it's not bad. It was a lovely easy pattern to do, I might even do it again one day, but must finish all the other bits and pieces first.

Sold our beautiful solid pine barley twist king size bed. It had matching furniture and I sold it all on ebay. Trouble is, it's 6 weeks until we move, so hubby and I are sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Its actually very comfy, but not so easy to get off the floor in the mornings.

Went somewhere today and they had Wendy Merino Aran for 99p for 100g ball - what a bargain!!Did I buy some???Now that would be telling!!

No knitting time

The last couple of days have been a bit frustrating. I haven't really had any quality knitting time. I took the girls to youth group last night, and waited in the car for 2 hours (saves petrol as it's 7 miles away), and I did some knitting in the car. Today, I did one round of a sock, very disappointing. Had a nice time out with friends with breakfast, then coffee with a friend. Then taxi service to town to buy trainers for one of my boys. Now we are just about to go out for a meal with lovely friends. I am so looking forward to moving, from the point of view, to have my knitting books out, and my wool sorted into stash piles. That will be a good way to be organised. I am going to write down what I have, and list it on Ravelry, so I know what I have for projects. Maybe then I won't be tempted to buy stuff. Anyway off to nag hubby to get in the shower, as he is busy painting our utility room, ready for the next person who moves in. See you soon.

Giving In

Well, the thing is, I am not very good at dieting. Hence I am still a bit on the plus size, well a lot on the plus size!!  I have been researching wool for a project that I wanted to do, but couldn't get the right stuff for a good price, despite looking for about 3 days in a row, on various sites.

I decided one day this week to take myself off to Hobby craft. And lo and behold I found some wool, and it jumped into my basket and I took it home. And I also found a lovely pattern book too. I bought some Sirdar Balmoral, which was half price, as it's obviously going to be discontinued. It's a lovely shade of blue, almost navy. I have started knitting a cardigan. I know, I know I shouldn't have, but I needed something easy to do. I have finished the friendship shawl, apart from the grafting, finished the sock, and the cable cardigan I am on the last front, but can't do anything whilst doing that. I know, I am trying to justify it. It came out of my knitting money, which goes surprisingly a long way. I am determined to finish the cable cardi, but the blue one is just a quick knit to fill in between times, and I will probably finish it for the winer, when I will need to wear cardigans again. I then promptly wasted time looking for more bargain wool on line. I have to give myself a good talking to STEP AWAY FROM THE LAPTOP. Think I should go to LTA Lap Tops Anonymous, as I am seriously addicted. Off to knit!!

The lambs of doom

I couldn't believe it, I was sat on my laptop (surprise there!!) and saw something out of the corner of my eye. Loh and behold it was a lamb, leaping up onto the stone wall which surrounds our garden, trying to escape!!I yelled get down, and it obviously remembered me from a few days ago, and it did!!

OOh I have had itchy compter fingers. Seen some lovely crepe dk that my friend has, and I want some. I keep researching, and have found some as cheap as 2.11 for 100g, which is less than half price, but I am a reformed character, so I didn't click on the buy now, despite the itchy fingers. It's like you have to have a mental conversation, I don't need it, my hubby will be cross, I don't need it, I have stacks, quick shut the laptop down!!And I listened to myself for a change. Off to finsh my sock

All change

Well, we are having some big changes round here, but good ones. Basically we are going to be moving from a big farmhouse, in the middle of nowhere, to a house in town. We still have the same amount of bedrooms, but it's going to be a big change for us all. I had a good look around the new house, and there is plenty of room for my stash, so that's good. My hubby has another job to go to. We will have to pay rent on a house, so we won't have any spare cash, so good job I have a stash. Now I will just ask for wool for my birthday and christmas. Already starting packing. That's when I realised how much stuff I had, but it will be free entertainment for the next couple of years.

It's exciting and scary. Big change for the kids, especially the 2 youngest boys, who are 11 and 7. They have only lived in this house, and had freedom to build dens, and go up to work with dad, and help on the farm. They were upset when we told them, but they are coming to terms with it. Off to do a bit of planning.