29 June 2016

More FO's & WIPs

This year is positively flying by, hard to believe it is Wednesday aain.  Today I have a new WIP to show you.  Its the Feather and Fan Baby Sweater from Lion Brand.  I saw this when we visited their shop earlier this month.  It looks a bit scrunched at the moment as the back and fronts are on stitch holders.  I wish I had worked the sleeves in the round, but I went with the pattern.


Since I last posted I have finished the three cardigans for a friend.  They have been well received, which is always great.

This was last weeks' WIP


Last Saturday I entered the bridal bouquet I made for Rachel into our village show and I won a prize.

1st Prize
 I was so thrilled, as was Rachel.  I now need to come up with something to top this for next time!

That's all from me today.  I had hoped to get into the garden but its raining again


22 June 2016

WIP's & FO's

Life is pretty busy again, So what's new.  We are trying to get out for a good walk each evening, which is cutting into my knitting time, but I need the exercise and its good to be outdoors. Especially now I have my hay fever under control.

This week we have lost two members to our family, firstly our laptop who gave us many good years of service, its replacement is on order.  Secondly, was Sylvie, one of our Goldline chickens, only just over 2 yrs but she has looked poorly for a while and not laying in ages or if she did they had no shell. We found her tucked up under the nesting box yesterday.  Scruffy looks a bit perplexed and keeps chasing after the cat for company!  We will try and get her a couple of new mates by the weekend.

I have a couple of projects on the go at the moment. A shawl that I am making up as I go along and Hundreds by Pekapeka.


The finished project is Composite also by Pekapeka


On a different note - the veg garden - rabbits have disseminated the cabbages, slugs are eating the beans and courgettes, and a mole if tunneling over the entire patch, only good thing there is its turning over the soil!!  We have decided to give up veg gardening and just buy the the plentiful veg stalls around us.

That's it for today, hope you are all finding some sun, its really in short supply around here.

17 June 2016

FO Friday - Ode to Doris

I am currently knitting for a new baby girl due in September, a friends 3rd granddaughter.  Knitting for girls is a treat, so much choice.  I am also in love with the patterns from Pekapeka, and am working my way through the free patterns until I get to need the next size up.

Ode to Doris - I have used King Cole Big Value DK for this one.



As I finished this last night I immediately cast on - Composite.  For this one I am using some of the yarn I won recently from Stylecraft - Lullaby, a very soft squishy DK


There is a good chance I will cast on Emma Asked as well.  I need to sort through my stash for 4ply, I know I have lots of cream, but I may have enough of something more colourful.  Kelly has just released this one - Taraxacum which is very sweet too and in DK. I also like this one, Hundreds, also DK and will use up those oddments of stash.

I have just treated myself to some of Kelly's pattern books for larger sizes, so expect to see some more knits for Miss J coming soon.

15 June 2016

Visiting the Lion Brand Store NYC

Inviting window draws you in



 So much yarn to squish. I loved the fact that they had all the yarns knitted up in decent sized pieces so you could see and feel how they turned out.




We both loved the blue cardi and I plan to make this for Jess





and this is what I bought - Shawl in a Ball


and Amazing - a wool/acrylic mix, no plans for either as usual!!


Whilst flying over to New York, I completed a little sweater for Angus, this was the stage it was at when I got on the flight


and this was it at the end.


A good way to spend the time waiting in Heathrow airport and a 6.5 hour flight and this is what he looks like in it


14 June 2016

Time to post - a New York adventure

We've been away, and what a fun time we had.  8 very full days in New York.  We walked and walked and walked.  We have seen so many sights, at all levels.  Pedalled a citi-bike (great way to get about).  Met with friends.  Rode a train. Ate cheesecake, deli sandwiches and pancakes, but no pizza or street meat. I took just over a thousand photographs, so choosing what to share will be so hard.  Had a wonderful time.

Our village seems very quiet after the hassle and bustle of a big city, but it's good to be home.

So what to share.  We went to the Lion Brand Store, but I will save that for another post, along with what I bought.  We aren't shoppers so apart for some jeans for Peter, yarn for me, and gifts for the grandkids, that was the extent of our shopping.  In fact we only went to Macy's to get out of the rain!!

I guess the best way to share the photos is to give you a few from each day/venue

Friday - Highline



Little Italy




Saturday - Brooklyn Flea




Sunday USS Intrepid

taken on a sunny day





Sunday afternoon - Natural History Museum








Monday - Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island - Citi Bike Day











Brooklyn Bridge



 9/11 Memorial




Chelsea Market






Tuesday - Empire State Building - day and night










also Tuesday - Eastside Walk








Wednesday - Top of the Rock, then it RAINED






Thursday - Central Park







Friday am - Hudson River Walk leading to Riverside Walk









So that's just a taste of our New York Adventure.  We saw so much more but this post is long enough.  A big thank you to Joan, Kathy and Mike for taking the time to visit us and share some of the experiences.  It was fun and so lovely to see you all.  I wish we had had more time xx