The wool-eater and socks

Last week I found a great CAL which I decided that I just had to take part in. This is it here. I decided I wanted to crochet a Wool-eater with only masculine colours so that the boys can cosy up under it as they object to the pinks and purples. I think I am supposed to write about my progress on a Wednesday, but I will put it up today and put up any progress again on Wednesday.I am quite a bit behind but was getting there slowly but surely until I got diagnosed on Monday with tennis elbow, my arm has been painful for a while but has got a lot worse over the last 2 weeks and the doctor reckons the repetitive action of crochet is probably not helping. So I am working on it just 10 minutes at a time just to help with my addiction to this pattern it gets under your skin.
I decided that I needed some light knitting to get on with instead of heavy crochet blankets, so what better than socks. I have not knitted socks for ages and all my knitted socks are showing their age, they are well worn.

I decided to do monkey socks the pattern can be found here .

The yarn I am using is a ball I found in a charity shop a while ago and I tried to check but no longer available I am still trying to use the stash before I buy any more yarn it is getting less slowly but surely.

I can only apologise about the quality of pictures but I think my camera is going to give up the ghost I think I need a new one so better get saving.

Thank you for reading.

Ham and egg pie

One thing I hate more than anything is waste especially food waste. The other day I had roasted a Gammon joint sliced it. Yesterday we still had some bits of it left and some eggs that had to be used, so what to make?
The answer was pie. I made the pastry in my food processor then rolled it out and placed on a greased pie plate.
I then added the ham and cracked 4 eggs on top of the pastry.

Then I whisked 2 eggs with some milk.

It was then baked in the oven and when you slice it you can see slices of egg yolk and white it looks quite impressive.

This is another family favourite and used up what I had lying around.

Sorry some of the photos are a bit fuzzy think I have some gremlins in my camera.

Thanks for reading Cathy.

Tah Dah

Just over a year ago I started a huge ripple blanket for my bed. I have finally finished it, it's now for a different bed in a different house but I love it all the same.
The pattern is Lucy's neat ripple pattern the yarn started off as any scraps or balls I had in my stash that were purple I then had to buy some most of them were Stylecraft from my LYS.

I toyed with the idea of putting a border on but decided it didn't need one just now but I know I can change my mind later and add one if I want to. I now have had a couple of nights sleeping under it and it is very cosy. This house is freezing so lots of blankets are required and I have already started another but more about that another day.

Thanks for reading Cathy.

Just keep going

I really thought I was going to be writing a Tah Dah post today but time was against me today and as you can see I am still working on it but I started it over a year ago and started blogging about this blanket here so a few more days until Tah Dah won't make much difference except I am desperate to start new projects but have promised myself that I am not starting anything new until I have finished this and one other project that just needs sewing up, but seem to have had a mind block about it, so fingers crossed you will be hearing all about them next week.

Well thankyou for reading I am going to go now and try finish this and sew in a thousand ends.

Living within our means

We badly needed more space to allow the kids to grow so we had to move but in moving our rent trebled our council tax doubled and as for gas and electric that's out of control but our wages are still the same.

I was determined that we were going to do this move and get the house all sorted without getting into any debt, we have spent the last 5 years clearing our debt and it has been hard work I didn't want to undo it all, even if it meant scrimping,saving, reusing, shopping in charity shops etc.

One of the main ways that I have been able to make our budget go further is by watching the shopping bill. We have six mouths to feed. Today I made one of our favourites bolognese and it's a great one to make it stretch I used carrots and onions chopped up which are cheap and chopped tomatoes, but also used a large handful of porridge oats which I always have in my cupboards, believe me nobody but you will know they are there, my lot don't so please don't tell them. By doing these things I have turned 1kg of mince into 2kg of bolognese so will do the six of us tonight and another lot in the freezer for another night.

Sarah and I also today made, what are known n our house as daddy's biscuits , they are coconut ones and he loves them. he even knows what ingredients used and brings the ingredients home for me to bake just need to teach him how to bake them himself. I prefer if possible to give the kids home baking as I know what is in the things I make.

Thankyou for reading going to go now and see what else I can do to make the budget go further.

Ok here come the excuses for why I haven't kept this blog up. I have moved house in August which needed so much work we are still working very hard on it although it is now at the point we can safely live in it.

My Netbook is broken I can't even find links as I am now using my sons so will not put links for things up straight away but will come back later and insert when I find the links.

I also lost the camara for a few months it was in a box somewhere.

These were all made for either xmas presents or birthday presents the two coloured ones are from a pattern the plain coloured ones were made up as I went along.

Lots more on the go will try my best no more excuses to get here once and a while and let you all know what I am up to.

Thanks for reading Cathy.

Catch up

I know,i know I have been a very bad blogger. My mum was moving house and had to severely downsize which took up a lot of my time. Then the house she was moving into had been very badly treated for a very long time. I really wish I had thought to take before and after pictures as the transformation was unbelievable' it was a lot of hard work but worth it.

A lot of things kind of got forgotten about when this was all going on. Including knitting and crochet so the A-Z of knitting socks was put to one side managed to start this sock for D had to be pulled out a few times as this was my first attempt at toe up but am now half way up the first foot will get back to it when I can, but will give up with the challe

nge this year and hopefully it will run again next year.

When sorting out mu Mum's house a very old friend came to stay as my

Mum no longer had space for him.

This is Bryan the snail( spelt this way as this is how my brother spells his name). This cookie jar has been around a long time and I remember it from my childhood no my kids are enjoying getting biscuits out of Bryan like I did as a child.

Also out of my Mum's came this large throw which had holes so was no longer useful for the purpose it was meant for so I decided th

at it was going to become a round rug for my living room.

I cut strips out of it then wound into 3 large balls like this.

I am using a 9mm hook and this pattern. I will show you the results next time it slow going now as its getting heavy.

I have now lost 2 stone.

Will be back soon with more of my projects.

Very wet and windy Friday

I bet you thought that I had forgotten all about this blog again but I haven't I have been about. I really wanted to do a blog all about my WIP's and some FO's but the whether has been nasty for days now( I have never seen it so bad for so long) that taking any kind of decent picture is impossible.

I am thinking of taking part in this it is knitting the alphabet so 26 pairs of socks in a year, probably madness as I have never taken part in anything like this and have only ever completed a few pairs of basic socks but its worth a try. I have already missed the cast on date for A and B. I will decide over the next couple of days weather to cast on for C or just to wait until D socks. I need to get the pair of socks I am working on finished and the shawl for my Aunts birthday finished.

I have lost 3lb since the last time I posted which is now 1st 3.5lb.

Hopefully the weather will improve and I can get some photos for you. So until next time please take care.

Crazy Hair Day

Today in my world the twins had Crazy hair day, for a small fee they could go to school with their hair all crazy. So with P I spiked his hair and my neighbour had a littleblue hair dye. With E I put about 10 pig tails in her hair at all strange angles then I pleated some fancy yarns into her hair and some glitter. The results were great and the cost nothing apart from a little time.

Finally finished my pink socks. I started these early last year but they kept getting put to the side for other things.

They are made of Zig Zag sock yarn the pattern was the pattern you get free with the yarn.

I took some progress pictures of my main WIP its a very large Crochet bead spread done in a ripple. The pattern is from Attic24 tutorials. Trying to use up stash (you would never guess my favourite colour was purple) I selected as much purple from stash but each ripple takes 25g of yarn so I have been buying lots of different shades of purple in DK C. Considering I have only been Hooking for a couple of months its going quite quickly.

Casted on for something else but I think more about that another day when I get a chance to take photos and it is a bit further on. I also have another major WIP that again I will get photos of and will Blog about.

On a personal level My weigh in was on Thursday and that was another 4lb off so that 1st 1lb in 2 weeks as you can inagine its a wonderful feeling.

Please take care until next time.

New Year new start

Hello, well did I not get a shock when I looked back on here, I have been such a bad blogger it has been nearly 2 years since the last time I have blogged so I have given the blog a new name a new look and its a new me.

I do have an excuse for my bad behaviour as 14 months ago I had little Sarah my fourth child so as you can imagine she has kept me pretty busy.

The hat she is wearing is actually for me it is made from Robin Picasso Chunky which I received through a Secret Santa swap with the forum I am involved with FEKERS. The pattern is from this book which I love and have so far made quite a few of the patterns from it.

I am also working on a lot of things after learning to Crochet properly throws are the in thing just now. I am also knitting more socks as my supply of hand knitted socks are starting to look rather holy and worn. More about my WIP's soon.

I have promised myself 3 things for this year;

1) To keep this Blog up.

2) To lose weight (joined Weight Watchers)

3) T knit something for Christmas gifts every month from next month so I don't have the mad rush in December.

Hoping to look at this next year at this time and see if any of it has actually happened.

So until next time take care.

Why oh why?

I sat last night and knitted a little pair of bootees for my freind at work to give to her freind who is pregnant. I knitted them and thought at the time they were a bit small and couldn't see how they were suppossed to go together but I kept on and cast off and put them together once I had done the first one I looked at it and thought no its not right went back to the pattern and guess what I had left out a whole section of the pattern.
I can only blame it on the fact that I haven't really knitted a lot of baby things and didn't see that I had missed a vital part i.e the sole and my own stupidity at not at missing a whole part of the pattern. At least ellie will end up with a pair of bootees for one of her dolls as I start again.

My camara is still broken so have not been able to take any photos of Fo's but hopefully the beginning of the week and pictures of finished botees too.

Bright socks and scarfs

Thought I had better tell you what I have been up to first off I finished my bright socks which someone at work has so kindly renamed clown socks I can see why.

They are done in Kingcole ZigZag sock yarn and the pattern is from violet greens sight and is http://violetgreen.co.uk/wavingnotdrowningsocks.php. It was really easy one to do for first time at a lace pattern on socks just 4 easy rows to remember.

Then last weekend Adventure Ted came home with us he is the nurseries teddy and every so often we have him home with us and I have to write a story about what Adventure Ted has been up to well when we got him home this was what the weather was like it was snowing very unusual for around here.

So we decided Adventure Ted just had to have a scarf to keep him warm so next thing the twins had me getting my needles out and some scrap yarn out and was knitting a trendy scarf for this teddy.

I have been up to a lot more but when I went to take the photos I discovered that the batteries are dead on my camara so they will need to wait until I can get some.

I have finished the Thomas jumper for Paul and started another pair of socks for me and a Vest and also a jumper for me. Ok Ok I know I normally only knit things in January for me but I got some other things done so I am extending it this year to Febuary and maybe beyond I like this knitting for myself just wish I wasn't so big and it didn't take so much yarn and time.

Will drive me nuts...

First things first I must apolagise for not keeping this blog up to date as mauch as I should but the truth is there has not been anything very exciting to write about unless you find gumpy customers at my work ( their seemed to be a few this weekend) or the fact I had two floods to deal with or I had to pick up a full bowl of Rice crispies off the floor ( they get absolutely everywhere) exciting.

But amongst all this I have managed to get a bit of knitting done. First of all Ellie is modelling a scarf which I have knitted for myself, Ellie loves to be photograped so she thought it was great that she could take part. I managed to knit the scarf to a decent length without getting too bored with it and put on fringes which is the first time I have put fringes on anything and really pleased with how they turned out and the fringes didn't take too long either.

Next I managed to knit a dolls blanket for my niece who asked for one ever so nicely as she said her dolls were cold in their cot and she really needed a blanket for them so I knitted her one to my own design and will give her it for her Birthday in Febuary and for once I am actually ahead with presents not like normally when I am still trying to knit them at two in the morning the day before. May it continue until the end of the year but knowing me probably not.

I have just cast on a jumper for Paul he needs one but would not appreciate just a plain jumper it has to have something on it and that has to be Thomas the Tank engine of course. Not managed to get very far with it yet. I just know its going to drive me absolutely insane but what his Lordship wants he gets. As this blog goes on you will realise that it is usually Ellie that gets because their so many lovely girls things out there an she really loves anything and everything that you knit for her as for my oldest one he is so big at 12 he is 5 foot 9 inches and size 9 feet so unfortunetly he misses out a bit and he has hit teenager early so doesn't really wnat handknits anymore their lame.

I have also managed to get a few rounds on my socks done but not enough to photograph them maybe be further on next time especially if the Thomas jumper drives me nuts.

I am sitting here just now chuckling away to myself, when I was trying to bring Ellie back from nursery she decided to run to the front door but forgot to stop at the door and run right into it.

It was one of those motherly moments when your full of concern about the massive lump on her head but trying not to laugh because it was funny.

Right back to knitting finished my hat last night it is quite slochy even with all my hair at the back I think its time to go back to a pleat in my hair to make it fit properly.

And another image froma different angel.

I do apologise for my photo taking I will get there but don't the twins look cute they were only 13 months old then Robert is in the middle but you can't see him.

I have cast on my scarf to go with the hat.

Not very exciting I know but I wanted it to match the hat in texture as well as colour I will add fringes and I want to make it as long as possible but I know what I am like with scarfs get so fed up with the m after a while that as soon as they fit round the neck thats it but I will make it long.

The socks are no further on but maybe on the bus tonight on my way to work.

Finished at last.....

Just finished my cardigan its for me, me, meeee. I say this as i never get to knit anything for me so january is my month when I get all the books out and decide what I need to keep me going so here is the first of it.

The socks are also comming on slowly but surely , they take so long because I have UK size 10 feet massive for a women the whole reason I learned to knit socks for in the first place so I could have pink ones. Just noticed the photo looks as if their is purple in the yarn but there isn't it is blue (note to myself take some photgraphy lessons).

I cast on a sloppy hat as well even though they are fashionable which is unusual for me to have anything that is in fashion it has very practical reasons I always have my hair in a ponytail and most hats either don't fit or fall off. I am planning a scarf and fingerless gloves with a flap so when I am standing at the bus stop I don't freeze to death. A full set all the same colour I will be in heaven.

Stormy weather

Their is a storn brewing outside, the winds are really high and the rain is only moments away it is a day to stay inside ( must brave it to work )under my handknitted blanket (if only i had finished knitting it) in front of an open fire (don't have one of those. A well I can dream.

Stephanies Birthday

Stephanie is my partners granddaughter and it is her birthday today. I set myself a challenge to knit her a pink teddy which she had asked for a while ago in 2 days. I started it on Tuesday and yes I managed to get it done in time, finished it late last night. That will be the last toy I will knit for a while its not the knitting its the putting the together that I just can't stand.

The next Birthdays are my Granpas and nieces in Febuary don't know what I am going to knit for my Granpa but my niece wants a blanket set and clothes for her doll. She has went from being a Tomboy to little girl in the space of a couple of months.

Here is a picture of the pink Teddy.

On the needles at the moment

This is a first as I am using the magic loop method for these socks I am a UK size 10 in socks so need to adjust patterns to suit so have used bigger needles and will make the foot longer.

This is my first attempt at a top down cardigan it is out of Yarn Forward and i am loving it its so easy although it does get quite heavy after a while.

Just thought i better let you see what i have my needles just now. The first thing is a pink teddy bear my Partners Granduughter asked me for one ages ago, then remembered 2 days ago it was her birthday this friday so trying hard to get it done just now. Heres a picture of what i have got done so far.

This is my stash busting blanket I have so many little bits and bobs lying about that i wanted something to use them on apart from toys. I find knitting squares so boring but this has been quite intresting to knit as you cast off turn and cast on the other side got the pattern free from ravelry its by Tamera Janneff.

New Year

Well its 2009. A whole year of fun and laughter well maybe a little bit. My New year resolutions for this year are:

1) To start actually posting on this blog.

2) To knit,knit and knit some more

3) and probably the most important one is to give up smoking.

Lets see how they all go and on the last day of 2009 I will look back and see if I have actually achieved any of these.

The first one i need to remember my password for that would help the second well thats easy 3 projects on the go at the moment anyways, the third thats the hardest and will need all my strength for.

First time blogging

This is my first entry so here goes. The pictures are of my 3 lovely children who are pretty much the centre of my life.

The other love of my life is my partner alan but he is camara shy.

The third love of my life is knitting.