Fit for a princess

Well, here they are. Gloves fit for a princess. My mum loved them - but not as much as she loved hearing her door open on Thursday afternoon and finding Milly standing there with a bouquet of beautiful flowers and a big grin on her face!

We managed the journey to Suffolk in record time (for me anyway - I'm not the fastest driver). Milly point blank refused to nap, preferring instead to watch her favourite "Horrid Henry" DVD on her portable DVD player (great invention, until you are driving along the motorway and you hear cries of "It's stopped working Mummy". Then try explaining to a 4 year old which is the play button and where it is located....Challenging!

I also managed to finish the hat for my Uncle (not without its complications - I ended up knitting two, the first was far too big, so I had to start the 2nd on the train on the way to work. As it happened I nearly finished it on my return journey, as the Metropolitan line was so badly delayed Thursday lunchtime. I was knitting with 10mm needles, so its not surprising) Anyway it turns out my Uncle was 19 on Friday, not 18.75 as I had thought. My Aunt and Uncle were also delighted to see Milly, and Milly spent a happy hour with my Uncle (a former teacher) writing on the blackboard which covers a wall in their home. I remember whiling away my time at the same blackboard over 30 years earlier! Anyway, my Uncle is minor celebrity in his home town, after being featured on the front cover of two local newspapers this weekend, with the headline "Pensioner is 19 today!" http://www.dissexpress.co.uk/news/Pensioner-is-19-today.3830299.jp

Rest of trip was brilliant. I drove us all out to Dunwich on Friday and we had a bracing walk along the, followed by a reward of delicious freshly cooked fish and chips in the Flora's Team Rooms aka the Beach Cafe. Dunwich, you may or may not know, is famous for what isn't there. it used to be the capital of Suffolk, but gradually the sea advanced foot by foot and in 1286 a storm swallowed up the remainder of town. Legend has it that is you listen carefully you can hear the sound of church bells ringing beneath the waves. Then we drove on to Snape Maltings and had a browse in the lovely shops there. Finally home on Saturday afternoon to find Mike had just finished redecorating the bathroom. Excellent timing.

My mothers day treat today was a lovely card - written by Milly's fair hand, and my greenhouse was washed and tidied for me. Now, that is a real luxury. Never in a million, trillion years would I have got around to actually washing my greenhouse.

Tonight, I think I will chill out and maybe treat myself to a luxurious bath in the new bathroom

Favourite Uncle

No knitting yet this evening, but about to sit down. Pressure is on - got to sew up last glove for my Mum's present and just realised that my Uncles's 75th birthday is on Friday. Which definitely warrants a special gift - not just because of the auspicious age he has reached, but his birthday only comes round every 4 years. By my reckoning that actually makes him almost exactly half my age!
Anyway, what can I knit in one evening? Time limits my options somewhat, so I've decided on hat. I have some pebbly coloured Rowan Spray which will do the job I think - infact I have only really had success knitting it into hats and scarfs and crocheting it into rugs. I did make a green cardigan for myself in it (my favourite colour), but I've only worn it twice - it's destined to be frogged and re engineered into a rug.

Gotta go and get knitting!

Men who knit

Not much time today - a pile of household chores to do. I have no idea how people find time to iron. the only thing that is ironed in this house is my husband's shirts, by me, on a Sunday afternoon. My mother in law is shocked that I don't iron Milly's clothes and when we go up and visit she makes a point of washing and ironing all Milly's clobber. I think I'm meant to feel guilty, but I don't. I just wish she lived nearer and could pop round once a week. Some domestic goddess, me.

For a bit of light relief, check this out; my husband sent me a link to it earlier today.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2jYa_rJyG18

I'd be worried about my bloke stealing my stash though!

Half a pair

Here is one unfinished glove. Very pleased with the overall effect. Still not sewn it up. But moved back to husbands jumper now, which is A Good Thing....

I was chatting to a friend last week about writing this blog and trying to encourage her to do the same (as unlike me she has something worthy to write), and I'm so pleased to say she has (and has even chosen the same template as me!). Karen's blog puts mine to shame and is about an altogether more serious topic: in her words "This blog will be an honest, warts and all description of my life with my autistic son. The ups, the downs, the good times, the bad times and the unexpected".

James and Milly are the same age. I met Karen on a dark and dismal January day in January 2004 at an NCT postnatal group when our babies were only a few months old. I have watched James grow up and experienced Karen's ups and downs in the early days after James' diagnosis, and the day-to-day difficulties of coping with James and the delightful, but sometimes mischievous Bea. But despite being so close, reading Karen's blog twice reduced me to tears.

http://livingnotdrowning.blogspot.com/

Karen is having an evening of respite tonight and coming round for a crochet lesson. Last time I tried to teach her a few weeks ago we were in a pub, and a couple of bottles of wine put paid to any serious attempts at crocheting. With better luck we will crack it this evening.

Glamorous Gloves

I've decided. Glamorous gloves it is. In fact after a few false starts, I have already completed one (of course it needs to be sewn up). I settled on left-over Louisa Harding Grace & Glisten from my shawl project and added an old Jaeger mohair yarn with silver (Jaeger Mohair Spun with Glitter) that I had picked up at a charity shop. I'm very pleased with the finished effect. Pics to follow later....

Today is such a beautiful sunny day, if a little cold. My old bike is being mended and we are all going out on a family bike ride to the park. Yesterday was mainly spent in the garden clearing overgrown flowerbeds and getting out the most evil prickly plant I have ever seen. Still not sure what it was, but my legs now look like they have been attacked by a cat, despite fact I was wearing jeans at the time.

Managed to remember to pick up some seed potatoes today as well, so they are now enconsed in the cupboard under the stairs to "chit" (I believe that is the technical term!

70th birthday dilemma

No posts for a few days. Ive been struggling to work out what to knit for my Mum, whose birthday is in two weeks time, and I've just found out its her 7oth. Latest idea was to create a scarf using left over "Grace" and Sari Ribbon from my shawl, but after completing half of it I decided I didn't like it & it was duly frogged. (Much too thin and curling at the edges). So, what to make? It has to be a quick project as I've only got till the end of Feb.....

A Day of Completion

A few day's since my last post, but with good reason. I heard late on Friday that my sister in law was coming to visit on Saturday, and her completed jumper was sitting complete, but not sewn up on my 'shame' pile. I hadn't been able to face sewing in all those ends. But her visit spurred me on and so on Friday night I completed her cardigan, plus the shawl (even though I had worn shawl out on Thursday night - without adding flowers to collar)

But I think they both look great. What do you think?

Friend came round on Saturday night and saw my completed shawl and is desperate for me to start hers. But alas, I was waiting for a delivery of the Louisa Harding 'Grace' which forms the main body of the knitting, so all I had to be getting on with was husband's jumper (which he is now unsure whether he likes - tell me now, whilst I am on the sleeve, PLEASE! Not when I am halfway up the back). I was very tempted to start another project, but resisted. Very pleased with myself.

I've just realised it's my Mum's 70th in a few weeks time. Have I got enough time to make her something special? I do have some left over 'Grace' plus some Sari ribbon and the 'Glisten' in silver, maybe I could make a luxurious, very glamorous scarf? Mmm, have to ponder that one for a few days..