Knitting, 50p bargain and an icon

The babies garter stitch blanket grows steadily,
about an inch every other day. 
I am taking it slowly to avoid my fingers ceasing up but I've got until the end of April before baby is due so no rush yet lol

I took a speedy stroll round the car boot this morning, to buy fresh free range eggs from a regular source there ........... 
and it was bitterly cold so I didn't dawdle!
But passing a stall with a variety of junk spread out ......... I caught sight of this little bag on the 50p end of the stall.

I couldn't resist it for 50p .......... all the pierced natural stones, tumbled glass pieces and beads and the clasp lid with the silvery metal frame too.

Shame I'm not a posh frock and fancy bag woman.............!!

I finally got round to framing up and hanging my Sonya Cowan icon 
at last too ........ 

Sonya doesn't have a website, such a shame because I'm sure many of you would be interested in seeing more of her work.

Knit Pros and the Walking Dead

A brief but heart felt thank you for your comments about the Knit Pro needles.
Had I been less impatient, I would have noticed the little curly wurly wire in the packet,
and had I been even more switched on ....................... ha!

I should have noticed the diagram on the back of said packet,
 showing you how to insert said curly wurly gadget in the screw in ends, when attaching the needle ends! duhhh

Proof that I'm a dummy on occasions lol 
So again, thanks to those of you who are switched on!!

Now, the needles are working fine and the baby's blanket is coming on much quicker.
In fact I really like using them........who'd have thought it.......lol

Now ............ a small rant!

Why oh why do the damned tv companies start showing a series on the normal Freeview tv channels ..... like 24, Dexter and The Walking Dead ....... then when they've got you hooked ............. switch them to the Sky channels?

I don't have Sky, cant afford it and so have missed out on following progs that I quite enjoyed! I had been looking forward to seeing the next story line of The walking Dead, but this time round its on a channel I'd never even heard of before..........FOX !

And no I don't know anyone who can record them for me either....... so frustrating! Rant over lol  

Hope all is well with you folks, snows subsided at the very least and life sweet for you.
We had a bright sunny day here today and it was a great mood lightener to see a bright sky and feel the ( all be it slight) warmth of the sun on your face. 
I've noticed the buds on the clematis and much larger ones now on the buddlea in my garden and my faithful single snowdrop plant has its 3 annual flowers on it. 
It seems to be the only snowdrop plant out of many planted, that has survived year after year but it's not doubling up at all, which is a shame.
Even so it brings such pleasure with its flowering.
Roll on Spring!






: )

Knit Pro needles?

So ......... since the lovely little wool shop 'Babes in the Wool' had sold out of 100cm circular needles, I thought I'd give the Knit Pro needles a go..... because those she had, in the size I wanted.

I've not used them before and yes they are nice to use but ....... am I doing something wrong folks?
I screwed them in position and set off garter-ing away and after 2 rows found the yarn snagging on the screwed in areas.
So I re-tightened the end points and set off again ............ but every 2nd or 3rd row the yarn is catching as the end appears to unscrew!

I feel inclined to glue the blessed ends into the wire centre!!
Which of course defeats the object of having the multi size Knit Pro system.
I must be doing something wrong............right?
Have you used them and had this happen too?
Or is it, more likely, my cack-handed knitting style? lol

We have snow again ........... not like the deluge many of you have had thankfully and  it's already raining, so by morning I imagine we'll have some icy road conditions.
I hope your snow is melting back at last!

Anyway, I opened the back door earlier on, to let Max out for a constitutional and found these little footsteps right outside the door ............... hope he/she found something to eat whilst on ground level!

A fascinating site...........Upcyclethat!

I'm busy knitting........... a blanket for my daughters, forthcoming .... .........daughter!

 I blithely said.........Oh I can knit you one of those, in the colours you'd prefer....... LOL ( that'll teach me!)

Its largely a mix of Patons Smoothie cotton dk, King Cole Bamboo cotton dk, Katia Pima Cotton dk ( from spain ) and some Wondersoft Pearl dk and all are lovely to knit with.

Least its simple garter stitch, although twice I've had to pull out a row because I've gone automatically into a purl row and not noticed till almost at the end of the 240 stitches duhhhhhhh.

So my hexis have been put to one side as I'm in knitting mode.

And Hobbycraft had a 3 for 2 offer on yarns ......... so I stocked up on some new yarn for the new baby.

Oh and I completed the parrot for Pirate Jack, complete with two fabric wrapped wire supports, so he can have it sit on his shoulder.

Apparently its been a success lol

Jackie Ward Lomax one of our EYES club members showed a quilt she had made at last saturdays meet. 

Its a feast of satin stitch but also an incredible copy of ceramic tiles from the floor of the ducal palace in Gandia.

An incredibly clever interpretation.

Each of the wavy shapes have been heavily satin stitched round and the edging patterns too. 

A colleague at work passed me a link for an upcycling site and she was right.......its wonderful!

Do go and browse back through postings!

http://www.upcyclethat.com/

I fell for the planted bricks.........the bottle end flower garlands...and the corrugated card owls ..... the crate coffee table........the pallet wall........and the spoon fish mobile ...ACE!!

And then there's the denim whale which I'm going to have to try and recreate for Pirate Jack........it's wonderful! 

There are such clever folks out there doing great stuff with recycled materials!

And Michele? I was sure the owls would have been yours!!!

You Tube link - A Quick Quilt!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNoZXjt_Ay0&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs

I have to say -  this appears to be a super fast way to make a quilt!
Go take a look lol

Martin Waters at The Ropewalk

This is Martin Waters Passage of Time display which is currently at 
The Ropewalk in Barton on Humber. 
Martin had another poppy instalation in the Hull Trinity Church last November for Remembrance Day, so I guess he reused some of them for this lovely clock. It was very touching to look at.

Also part of the exhib was this charming selection of trolleys with old suitcases on them, each containing an assortment of nostalgia and memories.

and forming part of a collage of wartime notes and poems sent to a loved one...this which is so touching... hope you can read it.

and then this ............also touching........

For more info pop to Jeans blog next 

the clock symbolism is explained better there!

And the significance of the old postcards there too. 

http://jeansmuse.blogspot.co.uk/

After the trip to Barton, we had lunch in the strange but wonderful East Riding Rooms in The Weir, Hessle........... you just have to love their counter!!