Another day, another town.

I thought I would go to Maidstone today as it has been such a long time since I last went, and here is the sum total of my purchases !
Oh and a cup of coffee in C&H Fabrics lovely coffee shop, but I drank that! The ribbons and bits were in a bargain £1 pack (now there`s a surprise) and are destined to embellish some patchwork if I ever get around to it, I have a half formed idea in my mind, something after the indian red/gold/cerise/general bright colours theme, which I think is stunning, but I can`t quite get it finalised - think I may have to start and see what happens. Though C&H have a lovely yarn section, I don`t really need anything and nothing was calling to me, so after a general wander round the town I called into Hobbycraft and with all that stuff in there I spent a whole 65p on the jump rings which will eventually become stitch markers. I almost felt embarressed to go to the till!

And the cat? Well he jumped up and down on the shelf of the PDSA shop and said "buy me" so I just had to oblige.

Hey, did I mention a charity shop there?!

I`m not addicted!

I`m not addicted, really I`m not, I could stop any time I wanted! but those charity shops do have rather a draw, and you will probably have gathered by now that I like a bargain, and if it is all in a good cause, then so much the better.

Having dropped DH and DD off at the station at 6.20am (Zzzzzz - oops sorry) for their little break, I have the next few days all to myself. So I decided to pop over to Tonbridge for a wander today, where they have no less than 8 charity shops (yes that`s right eight!) and as I had also heard that Beales (mini department store) has now opened a craft department, I really thought I ought to check it out. Well, they have but I found it a little disappointing after what I had heard, but then as,up till now, you would have been hard pushed to buy a sewing needle let alone a knitting needle in Tonbridge I suppose it is an improvement.

Nothing terribly exciting in the charity shops either, but I enjoyed browsing which is the main thing and came back with a few bits
The book is for DD - and in case you are wondering it is called Knocked out by my Nunga nungas (don`t ask... though other titles in the series include `It`s ok I`m wearing really big knickers` and `Then he ate my boy entrancers`! well DD will be pleased she`s been wanting this one and they are rather funny and appeal to a young teenage girls sense of humour - they can relate to the characters and happenings) The address book is so I can get all the websites I use into some kind of order with their relevant details.
And the crafty bits, - the chunky is to have a go at the Ruffle Cravat from One skein, the crochet cotton is for Lace, and the little tin is something I have been after for ages to keep my stitch markers in in my knitting bag!
So actually, looking at it I did quite well after all.

Right now off to knit or make lace, or shall I put the kettle on.....Oh dear life is full of choices!

Rain stopped play.

Isn`t it just typical, this is the first sunday for ages that I have had nothing planned, DH and DD went off early to a Model show (Radio controlled models that is in case you were wondering), so I checked the local papers and decided to go bargain hunting at the Boot Sale. I stepped out of the door, and the heavens opened. A quick phone call to Mum and Dad (veteran bootsalers who have stalls virtually every week) confirmed that it had been cancelled, they had already been, got wet in an earlier shower whilst I was still snoozing, come home and unpacked, and it was still only 8.30 am. Oh well, I suppose I can`t complain too much, I have had a couple of lucky finds this week already having found some patterns at 10p each in a local charity shop which will give me some alternatives for Feed the children when I get round to it again, and also for the scbu. I also found the ball of Kidsilk Haze VERY reduced in my LYS, It wouldn`t be my first choice of colour, I would prefer something brighter/stronger but it will be a good and cheap way to try the yarn out. I have often thought of knitting River but have hesitated to take on something ambitious without knowing what the yarn is like, after all I`ve read on blogs and forums. So this is a good chance to try without the cost. I will probably make Branching out from Knitty, as I have had that printed out and waiting for the right wool for a long time.

I have been asked what I have planned to knit - now that is a difficult question to answer as on the whole I wait for something to find me when I want a new project, as I have a habit of changing my mind, so I prefer not to buy yarn ahead of time, (unless of course it is a real bargain). Having said that
while I was looking around for ideas for the One skein secret pals exchange this did somehow fall into my basket!
I seem to have a million and one patterns saved for scarves of all types and sizes, several bag patterns and a few sock ones too. I am hoping to make Tempting II with some burgundy Rowan Calmer, which I originally bought for the ubiquitous Clapotis, except part way through I decided I wasn`t enjoying it, the yarn wasn`t right for it, and I probably wouldn`t wear it anyway - so I frogged it.
The other thing I would quite like to make is Tubey but being a cheapskate, I`m still on the look out for some suitable yarn (at bargain prices of course!)

I may have to hop

I was having a ferret round in the work room ( anything to avoid actually knitting that horrible Firefly stuff), and I found this, well actually I knew it was there, I`ve just been ignoring it! I know it needs a friend, and I do love the colours, but I seem to have second sock syndrome. This one was knitted in the comfort of the train to and from a lovely long weekend break DH and I had in the Lake District earlier this year - it seems to be the only time I feel like knitting socks - on a train. Now there`s a thought.... I wonder if I could persuade him to take me again, I mean the poor little sock is lonely after all!

Lace and back again

Yesterday (being the second saturday in the month) was Tonbridge Lacemakers meeting. This month it was our `Bring & Buy` and `Show & Tell` Not many were brave enough to Tell, but we had some lovely items on show, and some of the lace I can only aspire to. As I am still in my first year as a member, I didn`t know quite what to expect, so went as an onlooker rather than a participant - but it would have been rude of me not to have taken part in the `Buy` bit, now wouldn`t it?
It`s not as though I don`t already have a large number of bobbins, but you can never have too many, and these were a bargain, I just loved the shapes and the woodgrains. I had to respangle the two pairs - those on there just weren`t to my taste, but that was fine as I had some beads sitting waiting for the right bobbin, so here is my bargain of the day. Not bad for £2.20!


The rest of the day was spent very pleasantly, chatting making lace and, in my case, quite a bit of reverse lace! (Which I suppose serves me right for concentrating more on the conversation than the lace especially when I know what a so and so the pattern is.) This is going to be a UFO - no I don`t mean I am not going to finish it, though if I go backwards much more that is a very tempting option, but it fits in one of those glass flying saucer type things that is a tea light holder.

It`s exciting!

I have just received an email from my one skein secret pal, so hello pusscat it was lovely to hear from you, and here are the answers to the questions - had to put my thinking cap on for some of these -


Which yarn is most like your personality (you can be specific or general with your answer- brand,type, color, fiber, whatever)?

Oh dear, difficult one that - um, something fairly reliable and trustworthy and reasonably soft and forgiving, but classic, so maybe a nice cotton

What is your favorite color yarn to knit/crochet with?

I don`t have a particular favourite to knit with, but I do like purples, mauves and cerise-y type pinks.

Have you ever used variegated, or magic, yarns?

Yes I have, self patterning sock yarns and good old fashioned multicolour yarns too.

Do you tend to favor certain fibers when choosing yarns?

No not really, I`m happy with most things and the choice depends on what I`m making, who for and how much.

Do you prefer to work with center-pull or traditionally wound balls of yarn?

I don`t mind either.

Have you ever worked with organic yarns or are you interested in trying them?

I have never tried them, probably because I have only recently become aware of the wonderful range of wools and yarns available and for many years have been content with basic yarns as much of what I have done has been for charity. I`m now beginning to branch out more and be a bit more adventurous.


How many and what projects have you made in the last year?

Well, there were the eight little chicks at the beginning of the blog :-)
the shawl for DD, two scarves for me, one and a half pairs of socks, some maryjanes for DD, umpteen bootees and a few bonnets for the scbu, a jumper for Feed the Children and some little hats for Innocent and a felted bag that didn`t!, I think thats about it, if you don`t count the stuff I started and frogged


Will you be knitting any gifts this year?

I haven`t planned anything (except the secret pal gift!) but that isn`t ruling anything out, DD has a habit of coming up with suggestions!


What is your favorite one skein project?

Oh tricky one that - I love the bags and the cable scarves but there are loads of patterns in there I would like to try.

How much yarn do you have in your stash and how do you store it?

Not a lot, most of it is odds and ends of acrylics left over from years gone by, that will eventually come in handy, and it`s stored in one of those cheap and nasty checked plasticy bags tucked in the cupboard in my workroom.


Do you have a yarn in your stash that you love so much you can never use it or part with it?

Sadly, no.


Do you knit less or differently in the summer?

I probably do knit less in the summer, gardening seems to take over or just out walking and enjoying the weather.

Do you belong to any knitting groups (online or offline)?

Not sure if you count it, but I do belong to angel yarns forum


Wow what a long blog entry - hope it`s all ok, and just because I feel all blogs should have a picture

I took this in my garden at the weekend, DH told me it was out of focus, but I like it and replied I was going through my `artistic` phase!

Another Chick

The knitting seems to have taken a back seat for the last few days, but I suddenly had the urge to do some patchwork and having been given this
pattern from a workshop that I had been unable to attend at Tonbridge Lacemakers
I thought I would give him a go - not that I need yet another pincushion but I thought he was rather cute and though I quite like log cabin, I had never used a foundation square before. Dudley was quite impressed too and the chick had to be rescued from him. So he promptly went out and found himself two real live birds in quick succession - there is definitely a disadvantage to having a cat flap!