No longer a member of the WI

It has been a good run, I have done what I can, learnt what I can, made new friends and learnt how to bake, I think that is all in all a good learning curve and I will miss parts of it but I feel I have no time, my brain is full of kids, work, driving and roller derby and it's getting a little crammed in there so I just need to take a step back and look at what else I can improve on, whether it is getting a new lick of pain on the walls or a new sofa for the front room, this will by my time to sort it out.

Wish me luck.

Fushia

This is just a quick update just to show off my one minute wonder. Someone asked if I could try doing a fuchsia from 100 flowers to knit and crochet byLesley Stanfield, I wasn't holding out for anything wonderful, in fact I was a little concerned that I had offered as I hadn't had the best of days and my success rate with the three items in the book had been shocking attempts, anyway I found the right coloured wool and off I went.

It must be a good day in the end, it turned out great :)

How to : Slip Stitch

I'm hoping this is going to be one of many, I have ordered my phone tripod so as soon as that is here I will be one step closer to being able to conquer both the knitting and the crochet….and you might even be able to twist my arm to put up some latch hook!! On Y va!!!

Book Group - September 2013

whaaaa! I just realised that I have not done my update for book group, considering that this month is actually two books that I want to read - I do try to read books that I wouldn't normally read but it's just too hard, the last one, Gillespie and I by Jane Harris was diabolical and I only got to the first page before I put it down, which doesn't really bode well for others reading it, although they managed to get through it and there was a lively discussion, but as it always does since reading it, it did roll round to 50 Shades of Grey, which I seem to recollect that's what happened the time before that!!

the books were got from Sheffield Library which is always a good thing because we do need to support our libraries, even if they want you to have a separate ticket for your book group.

Anyway, we have two books, the first is Barak Obama, Dreams from my father, which is a biography and that is my favourite writing style. I am finding scintillating and can't seem to put it down, I am at chapter 14, so I'm way on track to finish before the next book group meeting. His writing seems very planned and well thought-out because you know there are going to be people who will analyze and pull it to bits but I think the book makes him even more presidential.


The other is Wife of the North by Judith O'Reilly. I have yet to read it, and have every intention of reading it, even en the blurb  thinks that the 'North' is Northumberland, or am I getting it confused with Northhampton?!

 And if you are so inclined, you can get your non-paper version by owning a
Kindle Fire get it here for the Kindle.
Dreams From My Father Wife in the North

Amazon, you did it again!

My current obsession, if you can call it that is wanting a Kindle Fire, this had been on my list of things to get, even before it was released in the UK, that was at least three years ago. And Amazon  are doing a special deal - from £129 going down to £99.

   

Feel free to click on here to get it for me ;)

International Sock Swap 10

Well it's all over, the sock are done and posted off and for all the heartache that it caused, I am super proud of them

The whole package for the frugal swap, it included the socks, leftover wool,  (which I don't think I was supposed to do - I think it should of gone in the sock) the band, stitch markers that I made, a postcard and some eucalan 

They look good, don't they? They went to my Ravely partner, Klingele

And this package came all the way over the ocean from Candijean. It had socks which are so comfy it's untrue, stitch markers, card, postcard and a fridge magnet, it is a little bit of a sham that my phone camera is so rubbish, it doesn't do them justice.

I have signed up again much to the disgust of my husband, who thinks I must be totally off my rocker to even contemplate another timed sock project.

I would suggest this for everyone, I know it has pushed me to my limit of sock knitting, but it has been so much fun and it is nice to go out shopping for others :) . So if you fancy it, just pop over to International Sock Swap Now on #11 swap.

Socks...et chaussettes...and socks!

On my sock adventure, I have seen so many socks, mainly out of my skill set but gorgeous nonetheless, I have tried cuff down and everyone says "Wasn't the heel the hardest?", Well, actually No, doing the Kitchener stitch (grafting), to be quite honest, they really need to change the name of the stitch only because I think of him

Lord Kitchener, the king of Calypso

Or maybe him?

The Other Lord Kitchener.

Well you catch my drift but maybe they both made socks themselves - well it's plausible! 

So we are back to my sock plan for today. I still have two balls of Zig Zag just waiting to get made up into toe-up socks - and how ironic is this, they are stopped at the heel! Options to consider:

• Pull them both out to the start of the heel and work row by row on each sock.
• Get to a point where I know where I am on both socks, pull one out and get to the same point as the other sock.
• Start it all again (quite reluctant to do this as I want them done) and do cuff down socks
• Read the pattern again from beginning to end, see if it makes any more sense. (this one is a high possibility to do).

Ah, merde! :(

What do you think?

As a side point, I thought I would let you  know  my favourite designers for the moment, Wendy D Johnson, Ann Budd and even though I have got the book but not yet mastered the art of two at a time on circs,  Melissa Morgan-Oakes.

As a bonus, New Season of Hart of Dixie is back on Really @ 8pm on Mondays

Thank you, I'll see you later or maybe to practice more French à bientôt

Small book review

This might be my favourite site, a fellow blogger  Elizabeth Bagwell mentioned that she had a copy of Knit your socks on straight by Alice Curtis, this intruigued me so much that I followed the link and it brought me to NetGalley, a site for readers/reviewers - I'm assuming big readers as there seems to be some hardcore reading as they refer to their readers as professional readers! any way, they have a section to read a bok then comment on it. I will be up for it, I have already got in my computer Paul Robeson, a watched man by Jordan Goodman, and Bernard Cornwell's Harlequin.

Prologue: with the authors family and how Mr Robeson made a memory his life.

Fart jokes aside, it's very descriptive.

Let me chat a while....

Just a small update - I got my gimp working! I am really quite impressed, all I needed to do was to reinstall it, so I quickly did this, I thought it was nice, what do you think?

I think it looks pretty good :)

Going onto more pressing issues..yes the crochet, it has been a while that I have been updating here but I'm not going to let me deter me. I have finished the blanket that's now safely in Australia and thankfully was greatly appreciated, I would of been gutted if it hadn't, but that's not really the point, the point is that I can finish a blanket in under three years, that is fabulous!

There have been other projects,  mainly for the WI. We are knitting & collecting in baby jumpers and hats for the Fish & chip babies of Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. The pattern is  pretty simple, I have made four plus two hats and they worked up pretty well in knitting.

The second charity we are knitting for is the legwarmers for the Cystic Fibrosis kids, they are being collected by Supertramp, a company that specialises in trampolines.

The last one is not really a charity, it is more of an awareness. It is for the breastfeeders and their newborns, a crocheted hat to put on the baby's head. This pro-feeding Infant hat will make the men reminisce, and make the ladies chuckle,

So here is to the next project, baby blankets and clothes for S.C.U.B.U (Special Care Baby Unit) - a place close to my heart. I won't be doing clothes but there are some gorgeous preemie knitted & crocheted items at Ravelry, and I will be doing some blankets.

And the book of the moment? well it's Socks all the way baby!

Now that I have got the hang of that cast-on I am on my way to getting it done...if only I could just get off the internet!

Well, that's all for me for the time being, there wasn't enough time to tell you about the fact that we must have been having freaky weather, we had sun on Bank Holiday, I'm yearning to have an iPhone back, just on the basis that I can get an app and it allows me to listen to French radio. Last but not least Ian Hislop was so cute as a baby...maybe that will be my new secret!

Book Group

Book for the book club is, wait for it..... the facebook favourite for the moment...yes you guessed it Fifty Shades Of Grey by E.L. James.



So happy reading, I hope you enjoy it, if I can grab a copy off someone I will :)

New design for the blog

I was feeling like an update so I did a little bit of an update for the blog, so with my new application called
 Photo Filtre, which is the best thing ever, especially if you haven't got the funds for the latest Photoshop, I can't recommend this enough and for when I get my mac back, I'll be able to run it on that too!

Now I have a little less time on my hands since I joined the Womens Institute and became a committee member, now I thought I was going to be the last person to join but as a group we are trying to achieve something new within the community. First new thing would be that we are running two groups within the same month, one in the afternoon for the ladies who can't make the evening one and an evening one for those who are not able to get to the afternoon. This has worked quite well and I think both groups work really well.
Crosspool festival will be soon and we will be  having a stall that will be placed outside the
lounge at crosspool on Sunday the 9th July 2012, where there will be crafts and I think there will be chutneys too...there will be other stalls doing cakes, so we thought we would do something different, I hope you are able to make it, it's going to be a really good time and we will be able to show off our new banner.

There are also sub groups
Walking - fourth wednesday of the month (I will be lead)
Choir - TBA
Knitting & crochet - every Friday, 10am to noon (I will be there)
Book group - TBA
Scrapbooking - Mondays at Stephen Hill
Sewing  - TBA

Three favourite books

I'm not much of a reader but I have been known to pick up a book or two, here are three of my favourite.


Anne of Green Gables, L M Montgomery
Synopsis: An orphan is placed with a brother and sister and her adaption into family life. With this I did actually watch the film first, sadly not the original but still good.  I do suggest try to read the book first if you are really into it, you can get so much better an idea of how the characters are.




The Magic Cottage, James Herbert
Synopsis: A haunted cottage in the middle of the woods and a couple moving in.



Mort, Terry Pratchett
Synopsis: Mort, finding out that death isn't all that he seems.

Problems with my generator :(

At one point I had 50+ quotes but now that my computer is back, I have to build them back up again. This is what I have so far, if there is any that you would like to contribute then please feel free :)


Dead Like Me

• Am I pretty? - Mason
• That's very Zen of you, you must smoke pot. - George
• NO! And no means no! Powerful isn't it? I learned it at a PSA about date rape! - Daisy Adaire";
• I'm going to put this politely as possible. I will fuck you up! - Roxy, Dead Like Me";
• Who has been making grilled cheese sandwiches with the defibrillator paddles? - Dolores Herbig

Futurarma

• Bite my shiney metal ass. - Bender
• So long, jerkwads!  - Turanga Leela
• Sweet Zombie Jesus - Professor Hubert Farnsworth
• Kif, I have made it with a woman. Inform the men. - Zapp Brannigan
• What are you hacking off? Is it my torso?! It is! My precious torso! - Hermes

Castle

• Oh somebody's been watching to many Bruckhiemer Films. - Richard Castle, Castle

Community

• Holy macaroni with pepper jack. - Shirley
• Word of advice: If an Asian man says he's a Spanish teacher, it's not racist to ask for proof. - Dean Pelton
• I will find a loophole..then I'll kill you - Ben Chang
• Someone make her a dude, so I can punch her. - Troy Barnes

Another week of watching TV

I have been a bag of nerves, I still am, my test is sooooo soon, I bought a pack of cigs, bit my nails, which I haven't done since I was 15 and been a total mardy bum around the house on the plus side, I have got my first test knit which I will start after the test and I have watched so much television that I think I might turn into a couch potato ;)




The first one that I have watch pretty much back to back is Ace Of Cakes, which is about a guy and his team that make just the most amazing cakes, so much so that I would just love to go to Baltimore and have one specially make for me, it would need to have yarn, crochet hooks that are different (definately Lantern Moon, Clover and aluminum hooks) knitting needles and maybe a sample of the knitting and crochet, can you imagine Geof trying to knit? neither can I.




A new show to me, 'Suits' is about a lawyer firm and what they get up to, it is a little reminicent of LA Law but I think a little edgier although I have only seen one episode but the writing is good and there is no stupid camera angles...another bonus to the show is that Gina Torres (Angel, Pushing Daisies, Gossip Girl), of Firefly fame, she is so fabulous in whatever she does.



Going back to the Whedonesque universe Jane Espenson's new thing 'Once Upon A Time' is very stylized, great writing although I am a little concerned about how skinny the lead Jennifer Morrison (House MD) is. If you click on the link above then it will be for your Kindle, I know it's going to be one of the first things that I will get when I get my Kindle Fire, if it ever gets released!

TV that I can't stop watching

I just can't help myself there is new seasons starting all over the place but there is one this two things that I Just can't stop watching, 1) A new show from the States called Hart of Dixie about a New York doctor who finds out that her real father has left her a surgery in the back of beyond of America.



On the UK TV there doesn't seem to be much apart from them re-showing The Midwives on the Iplayer, which is well worth the watch, I throughly enjoyed it when it was on even though there is only about 6 or 8 episodes.


 
Then there is Mrs Browns Boys a show that has you in stitches every time you watch it, its a family in Ireland and their shenanigans.



and of course there is Castle,which is always fabulous although I wish they would bring the relationship forward, I'm not sure how much I can stand of Castle and Beckett swooning at each other and not getting together, let's just hope in the next season they will get married and we can have renditions of Hart to Hart where Martha can play Max and Esposito and Ryan can be a space age version of Freeway where he has a split personality! Now I'd pay to see that!

Catch-up

Well, now that I'm ready to blog about it, I went in for my driving test and it was worse than giving birth! 11 minors and 2 or 3 majors and I really don't think that he was going to pass me anyway just because I think he filled up his quota for the day, anyway I have booked it again but it is a way off so at least I know what I'm doing now!

As for my crafty stuff, I know I said I wouldn't but I started something....okay two things that are new but on the bonus side I have not given up hope on the Harry Potter blanket and in the last week or so I have done three squares and  tidying up of the ends, so that's not so bad.

New Projects:
1) A summer hat for the little one but ran out of yarn and have to wait till I get some more, I just hope there is some at the LYS otherwise I will be gutted.

2) A blanket using the chunky yarn that was supposed to be for my house jacket but I decided that it wasn't going to work for me.

I'm also looking at my next hat project for RAK (Random act of Kindness) I think I'm on hat D, so I'm scouting around for that.

So wish me luck for the finishing of the hat at least ;)

One Man Jumper Finished

So after numerous times of running out of wool, it is finally finished

Yarn used Bergere De France, Jaspee Calcao Needles used 4mm 5mm Time taken: Forever!

Sustaining your addiction

Where to buy the yarn

The Wool Baa - The most diverse wool shop in sheffield, with Artesano and Stylecraft and staff who know what they are talking about.
The Wool Baa 
83 Junction Rd
Sheffield S11 8XA
United Kingdom
0114 266 6262

 Matthews Wool Shop - A grand shop with some great patterns and a wide selection of nice wool, one of the oldest wool shops in Sheffield.

 No website.

58 Bellhouse Road

Sheffield S5 6HN

 0114 243 8149

Atkinsons - Sells reasonably cheap yarns so if you are on a budget all you need to get a whole load of Hayfield Bonus.

Atkinson's

78-82 The Moor

Sheffield S1 3LT

0114 2768811

 Dun Elm Mill - There isn't much of a selection but good value. The main brand is Patons

Dun Elm Mill

17 Guernsey Road

Sheffield S2 4HG

0114 2508800

Internet shops
Deramores
InToKnit
Laughing Hens

Free Patterns

• Lion Brand - American Brand of yarn with a large database of knitting and crochet.
• Rowan - UK Brand with a larger knitting pattern database than the crochet. 
• Berrocco - An American company with patterns that look European.
• Craftster - An online community with patterns galore...and not just knitting.
• Ravelry - The biggest community that I know of knitters and crocheters.
• Planet June - British crocheter, who is a very talented lady.
• Purplelinda Crafts - Mainly deals with crochet but really good all rounder for knitting too.
• InToKnit - Best place to get Bergere De France and they have some nice free patterns.
• Crochet Spot - Run by Rachel, another talented crocheter.
• Annie's Attic - Lots of publications in the States, but so many gorgeous blankets/afghans
•  WHO DO YOU SUGGEST?

Publications

Knitting with confidence: Cast on

How-to cast on

Make your slip knot and place it onto the left needle (red). Hold the end of the yarn in the opposite hand to your working yarn and place the right needle (yellow) behind the left needle, in the slip knot.

Pass the yarn from the left hand side over the right hand needle (yellow) from the back, around to the front.

Holding the working yarn, bring the yarn through the front, so your right hand needle (yellow) is looking like it has another stitch.

Bring it back to the right hand side.

The stitch is now ready to be put onto the left hand needle (red). Pull the right hand needle (yellow) out.

You have now done your first lot of stitch.

Now you have done the stitch.

Now place your right hand needle (yellow) in between the two stitches

This is how it should look.

Bring  your working yarn from the back of the right needle (yellow) to the front.

Get the needles so it is making a pointy 'n', with what looks like two stitches on the left hand needle (red) and one on the right hand needle (yellow).

Put it back onto the left hand needle (red), remove the right hand needle (yellow)

This is how it should look. Yippee, you did it :D

To help you along the way, a knitting tutorial, your first slip stitch

Terminology that I will use:

yarn - this can apply to all from wool to acrylic.

Working yarn - the yarn that you will use, as you knit.

Hold the end of the yarn in your hand.

Whatever hand you are using make sure your ball of yarn is on your working side/the side where it doesn't move across your work so it gets tangled.

 

Place the yarn between your thumb and your second finger, so that the yarn is over your first finger.

Wrap the yarn around the finger (not too tight, you don't want to cut off your circulation) So that it crosses over your first finger.

Holding onto the cross that you have made, pull the yarn from the front of your finger, underneath the  circle you have made, and pull it through.

Holding the yarn that you have pulled through, you let go of the hoop, hold onto the end and pull the hoop at the top.

There you have done a slip stitch, you can use this to start your knitting or your crochet.