Sock critter

I made my sock critter!!!

I am quite proud of him & finished him using felt for the "button" eyes & down the front of his belly.I think he looks a bit like a mouse especially as he has a tail.I will be giving him away,probably in a drop for the Toy Society.

Check out his bottom......he has an embroidered heart on it hand sewn with embroidery silk.

I am really getting back into my sewing again,maily because I have been making new blinds for our bedroom which I had re-decorated.I hope to have them finished this week which will be great as its been very hot waking up to a sunny bedroom this last few weeks.

My son has just recently moved to Vienna so I had a good clearout in his room.All his band t shirts I have decided to make into a quilt for him.He has collected so many .I have been surfing the net to find out how to do it .I think I am ready to make a start now.Just watch this space....

Fresh fish Friday!

Yes I know i am writing this on a Saturday.Well I planned it on Friday!!

I couldn't wait to finish work today.At one point I was the only person in the office.I was so lonely & MrT had the day off :(.

Well I took a couple of hours off & we went for a walk along the sea front.Tea was a simple affair of fish'n'chips & that was eaten on the prom.The fish was delicious but they are getting stingy with the chips!!

As we walked home ,the local fishermen were getting ready to go out with the tide.

I love this part of Worthing.Its very close to our home.We only live about 100 metres from the beach.We are very lucky.


My current socks I am knitting for No2 son remind me of all things seaside.I love this yarn.Shame I cant remember its name but I bought it from The Wool Bar who have a reduction on sock yarn this week. I am running my second sock workshop there tomorrow.

Mr T has just realised how lovely hand knitted socks are on your feet after being asked to model the socks for fit!Am I ever going to make my stuff for me again?Poor Moth has been sidelined for at least another month or two!!Oh well.Back to my red hot needles........

Socked!!!

Today there has been lots of chatter between the girls on my team at work (there is only 1 guy!) about socks!Not just any socks you know......sock critters!!It all started when fellow comrade ,the Fabulous Lou ,made a sock monkey.I told her about my book ,Staray Sock Sewing.

Well today I took said book into work.It started such a creative theme off that we have all been down to the nearest shop in town to purchase socks to make a sock critter each over the weekend.

I will be making a Facebook fan page so we can show off our creations & our lovely Amy,(yes you get a mention),is going to name them all.

I have stripey over the knee socks to start mine off with.I want to make that little guy on the book.Don't you just love his paws in his pockets!I will keep you updated about the fun!!

Blogger issues

I have been having problems with my blog loading.I have had reports from you lovely readers that you have either not been able to get on to the blog or it has been so slow that you have given up.
Due to this I have deleted off many posts.You can see that gone now are 2008 & 2009 posts.
I have also deleted any links that are not needed.I know they looked pretty but I think they were slowing things down.
This is my last attempt.

Please let me know if its loading OK now.
If not ,I will have to start a new blog.

June post

We are now half way through June.

As usual it rained in the first week.How do I know it does this every year?My birthday is on the 6th & very few are nice dry sunny days.

Yes I have now hit 45.How old I feel.I am now older than my mother was when we got married.Thats a scary thought!!

I have made a pact with myself though that I shall continue to grow old disgracefully & have fun doing so!!

I knitted my lovely man a jumper.He did deserve it.Its his first in 25 years.Doesnt it look great on him.

Stir it up!

As you may have realised by now,I love to bake.I am happy to cook meals ,but as hubby tends to take over those ,my forte is baking!I have made some delicious cakes in the past which have been sampled by friends ,family & work colleagues.

Last week I made this sumptuous tower of orange cakes.It was a new recipe & I will definately be using it again.Here is the link to the site where I got the recipe.

You cant see it clearly in the picture ,but the orange frosting had edible glitter sprinkled on it & looked so pretty.In my blogging I found out what I have been doing wrong with my wooden spoons!They are all dried up & rough.I keep sanding them but they soon breakdown.Because I like them to be super clean ,I tend to put them in the dishwasher.I have found out they need regular feeding with a spoon oil to keep them in great condition.I am sending off for some beeswax asap to make some.Click on the link to find the recipe which came via one of my favourite blogs.Once I have got this made up,I will be giving all my favourite spoons & wooden bowls a loving session,especially my porridge spoon!

Springtime update!!Eeek its nearly summer!!

I have shamefully neglected my blog again!!
Life has kinda taken over.Work is now full time again & busy busy!!

I have also been busy knitting furiously.I had a commission for a fashion designer to make some vests .This had a deadline of only a few weeks.They were very big to make using the most horrible Godefra yarn.I never want to see that stuff gain!.

My son moved to Austria to live with his girlfriend.The house seems so much quieter now & less washing to do!!I do miss him though.We had the Royal Wedding with street parties a plenty!!We were invited to two!We attended the best one though in town with The Wool Bar. Caroline had organised a knitathon & a group of ladies & gents sat & knitted gloves for the homeless & put together knitted squares to make blankets.

I took my spinning wheel & produced a whole spindle of yarn.Apart from one silly drunk ,the day was really good & one we shall all remember.

On the Royal Wedding subject ,in Brighton whilst shopping with my family last week I spied this chocolate cake.Its Kate & William....looks where the cheeky boys hand is!!

I have also been decorating my bedroom.It took me ages & I did it all on my own,with a bad back & working all week full time with no help!It nearly killed me!!

I made`some knitted bunting from Louisa Harding's book for Aimee yarn.Its so pretty.This is the second lot of bunting I have made using the pattern.Its a really easy pattern with just a border of moss stitch & an eyelet hole row for the ribbon to be threaded through.I used a lovely paisley ribbon to thread them all up.I love it & the message on it.When I have completely finished my bedroom I shall take some pictures of it.I still have the blinds to make yet!

This is my very first Sock Workshop which was held at The Wool Bar on the 22nd May.It was great & everyone worked really hard & had a sock at the end of the day.Ok it was a mini sock but never the less it was a perfect sock!!

Well done ladies ,you were great!

New handbag..s

Its been a while since I last posted & so much has happened.

I spent most of the last month in the depths of dispair.I really didnt know what was going to happen to me with regards to my back.I now have had results from the MRI scan & although I am still in pain with it ,the results show no prolapsed disc.Wowee..that means I should be able to get back to some sort of normality after I have had a session with the pain clinic & no operation.If I was living in America ,I have found out they would possibly go on to do a discogram ,but as I live in the UK & at the mercy of the NHS.They will not do any more investigations & I have to get on with it!!Surely I wont have to keep rattling with tablets for ever?Well lets hope not.

Now on the the title in hand...A girl can never have too many can they?Absolutely not is the answer always given to a male asking the question!!ha ha!!!

Well I think I mentioned in my last post I was going to make a new bag in cotton.Well its finished & in great use.Here are the pictures.

I am quite pleased with it & it has been much admired.The only thing is it only is available in crochet form at the moment.I have promised my friend to sort a pattern in knit form for her.This means I first have to knit a bag in the same shape!!I am so busy with knitting at the moment.I darent say how many projects I am making .In fact I dont think even I know the answer at the moment!!

I have also been asked to do some work shops which means that I must sort out a lesson plans for each of them.I do like teaching though & have been doing a few beginners knitters courses.You really feel like you have achieved something when you teach someone to make something.

I also forgot to post about some of the things I made as presents at Christmas.

One was some fingerless mittens made from some gorgious Manos yarn.Its so warm.They are for my MIL .I also made a shrug out of this ran for myself.Its very cosy & keeps me snug.

These mittens were for my FIL.They are the pattern I listed on a previous post.Its been quite popular as its knitted flat & then sewn up down the side of the glove.

The Rico yarn in Merino is lovely.I just washed my hubby's mitts in the machine this morning & they have come up a treat.I forgot they were in there & put them on a 40degree wash.They were fine & have not felted.

January Sales at Cath Kidston

I have been absent ,sick as sick can be, the dreaded flu caught up with me & my back is really getting me down.

To cheer myself up I visited the Cath Kidston website who have some fantastic deals on in their sale.I have treated myself to this.....

This.....and these.....They are to set my new bag off which I am planning to make very soon.This is the bag.Isn't it just lovely?I cant wait to make it.I have some very pretty rose print fabric to line it which will finish it nicely.

Seeing out the old year......

This will be the last blog post of the year.

In some ways its not been a good year & I cant wait for the new one to start.Maybe with it will bring an answer to my back injury .

The Christmas period was a bit of a washout in some ways.I was ill throughout & have had about 3 weeks of some sort of flu virus.It absolutely floored me on Christmas day & left me in bed.Mr T to the rescue,he was going to cook anyway,but he ended up doing all of it.Bless him ,he is such a great man.Shame family were cancelled at the last moment & lucky for them they had food in their own cupboards.

Having been crook ,I didn't get to post any of the projects I completed.I will share these in the New Year .I have crafted my fingers off & knitted & knitted!

For now you will have to be happy with a picture of the loveliest Christmas cake in the world!(or at least mine!!)Its from Ruth over on The Pink Whisk & is a recipe she got from the Bourke Street Bakery cook book.Santa reckoned I was a good girl & I now have a copy of this in my collection.I cant wait to bake something else from it.

Have a great New Years Eve.We have a dear friend coming over to stay the night.We are childless this year as they are doing their own thing.

Have a lovely one & I leave you with a picture of my cake...Mmmmm