Busy Being Retired

Ten weeks into my husband's retirement and we have settled into a lovely routine.  We potter around the house and garden, go for long country walks and watch a lot of sport on television.

We've been enjoying plenty of walks along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.  The canal is 127 miles long and this year there have been celebrations to mark 200 years since its completion.

Burscough

Lydiate

It really is a beautiful and peaceful place for a stroll.

And besides all this loveliness, I'm finding lots of time for knitting.

The past six weeks have flown by in terms of my knitting projects.  I've been joining in with a stranded knitting KAL with one of the groups I belong to on Ravelry.  I've put links to the relevant Ravelry project pages for each project.  Since chatting to you last time, and sharing my Fair Isle cardigan, I've completed my first ever pair of Fair Isle socks.

I can't believe I have put off knitting colourwork socks for so long, because I enjoyed knitting these so much.  I'm now busy browsing all the colour work sock patterns on Ravelry and I can't wait to start another pair.

I've also completed this cute Bumblebee Hat.

I was inspired by one of the other knitters from the Ravelry group to make this pattern.  She had had issues with the size of the hat, so I reconfigured it to match my favourite hat recipe, keeping the charts from the original pattern.

It was such a joy to knit and I couldn't put it down once I started.

So a very productive six weeks in terms of stash-busting.  For the four projects I finished for the KAL, I used 532g and 35 different colours in total, all in 4 ply weight.  Very satisfying.

And if that isn't enough, I knitted up a shawl with the Cuddlebums yarn I bought at Yarndale in September this year.

I love the little pops of colour in the pink background.  I used a favourite knitting pattern (it's free on Ravelry) called Age of Brass and Steam.  It's simple but very effective.

Lastly, I've been at the sewing machine again.  This time I made a simple skirt.

I used the skirt sections of my favourite Simplicity 2444 dress pattern and added a waistband.  I'm very happy with the fit and will be making more skirts like this in the future.  I would have liked to have shown you a picture of me wearing the skirt but to be honest, I don't trust my husband's photography skills!

I've recently bought two lots of new dress fabric and one lot of skirt fabric, however, I'm in the middle of decorating one of the bedrooms so crafty projects may have to take a backseat until the decorating is out of the way.  So until next time, I'm off to my pasting table to get suitable sticky.  Enjoy your week.

Leftovers!!!

Today I've been very productive.  I've fitted the new carpet in the bathroom, I've built a new chest of drawers for Eve's bedroom (wardrobe still to be done) and I've loaded up the car with the old dismantled furniture and cardboard boxes, ready to take it to the tip tomorrow.

I'm even making good progress on my various knitting projects.  I've finished the jumper I was knitting - a long-line aran weight jumper, with raglan sleeves.  I was using up yarn leftover from a previous cardigan project (there was a lot leftover as I'd misjudged the amount I needed!).  As I was knitting it, I just had that feeling that I wasn't going to like it, but I kept going and now that it's finished - I still don't like it.

This is the problem - I feel compelled to use all my leftover yarn, but then I end up just knitting things for the sake of it, rather than knitting with new yarn and making something I really want.  So I haven't taken any photos of the jumper yet - I will do at some point - and may be I'll get some wear from the jumper - but I think it's best to move on and forget about it.

Fortunately, I have also finished something that I do like.

This is the third time I've knitted up this pattern for fingerless mittens - it's such a perfect fit and ideal for sock yarn.

This particular sock yarn is leftover (yes - more leftovers!) from my Very Berry socks ( my October socks).  I love the colours in this yarn.  This time I actually managed to get the stripes lined up correctly on each mitten.  Full details of this project are on my Ravelry project page, here.

So far, with this lovely sock yarn, I have made socks, the mittens and a little mini sweater.  I still have about 10 grammes leftover.

The little ball of yarn is sitting, staring at me accusingly - "Use me!" it says - Stash busting is so stressful.

On a different note, I had a lovely message from Judy in sunny Australia who has crocheted these sweet mini Christmas wreaths from my pattern.

She has made them for gifts for her friends in her sewing group.  Judy says -

"We are a smocking & needlework group; we supply 27 Sydney hospital's with smocked gowns, knitted rugs, booties & caps for preemie & still born babies.  Sadly this work is on going.  We supplied 1,000 gowns this year with all the other items.  

Our website is Smocking Arts Guild of NSW Inc.  We are also on Facebook."

What fantastic work the group does, and how lovely of Judy to make the gifts for her friends.  It is always wonderful to hear how my patterns are being used.  It makes me feel so humble.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

A Break from Decorating

Decorating!  Why did I start?  It always takes so much more effort than you think it will - and also takes longer than you think.  Fortunately everything is going reasonably well and I should have the hall and landing finished this week.  I shall be glad to get back into a normal routine.

Thankfully, at the weekend, I had a break from the stress of decorating because hubby and I had a night away in Tewkesbury.

2015 is the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the hotel chain Travelodge.  In order to celebrate, Travelodge offered a free night in one of their hotels to any couple celebrating their thirtieth wedding anniversary this year.  So count us in!

We could choose any hotel, so we eventually settled on Tewkesbury, a place we have never visited before, but after this weekend we are planning another trip there and for a longer stay.

We had a lovely meal in Ye Olde Bear Inn, the oldest pub in Gloucestershire, dating from 1308.

We walked along the River Avon.

Admired the beautiful old buildings along the High Street and Church Street.

And we're stunned by the simple beauty of the Abbey - the second largest parish church in the country.

So thank you to Travelodge for the freebie and after a lovely relaxing weekend, exploring the sights of Tewkesbury, I guess it's back to the decorating!

Waiting for Tomorrow

The past two days I've been busy painting.  I'm decorating the hall and landing.  I'm not sure how I'm going to tackle the high bits above the stairwell but I didn't want to get anyone in to do the work.  I did originally get a quote for the job but was told it would take a full week and I don't fancy having a strange man in my house for that long (is that just me being paranoid?).  So it's down to me to get on with it.

All the rooms in our house are very colourful with various shades of yellow being the most prevalent.  The hall was a bright daffodil yellow, I think the colour was actually called sunshine, but this time round, I'm going for a more subtle pale gold.  It's actually more of a buttermilk colour and so far it's going well.

In the evenings I've been working on my English paper piecing quilt.  Still loving this.  It seems to grow quite quickly without feeling rushed.

I love the randomness of it.  I'm using about forty different fabrics but they all seem to work well together.

Today is the last day of my "no knitting" month.  A very productive month it has been.  I've forgotten to mention that I've also made a dress this month.  It's amazing how many other things get done when knitting and crocheting are not on the agenda.  I think I'd like to have the occasional "no knitting" session in the future, but maybe a week at a time rather than a whole month.

So tomorrow I'm back knitting.  I'm so looking forward to it.  I'm pleased I've managed to stay so disciplined, especially after all the lovely yarn purchases at Yarndale.  I've written my "to do" list for tomorrow -

1. Knitting.
2. Knitting.
3. Eating.
4. Knitting.
5. Sleeping.
6. Knitting.
7. Knitting.

That sounds good to me.  See you again soon.

Up to My Eyeballs in...

...paint.  Yes, I'm decorating.  Now that Grace has moved out, Eve is moving into her bedroom and a change of colour is called for.  For Grace the room had red walls and a golden yellow ceiling.  Eve is having pale yellow walls and an off white ceiling.  It's taken about 4 to 5 coats of paint to cover the old colours but I think I might almost be there!

All this painting has meant that I haven't had a chance to indulge in some crafty time as much as I would have liked.  Nevertheless I have finally finished my seamless sweater.

It's plain and boring and knitted up using cheap yarn but the idea behind knitting it was to experiment with knitting as seamlessly as possible.  It's knitted bottom-up and the sleeves and body are joined to complete the yoke.  The small seam under the arm is grafted for a nice neat finish.  There is also a small seam at the top of the shoulder that was closed with mattress stitch and the shoulders are completed with a three needle bind-off.

It all worked very well and there are maybe only one or two things I would tweak next time - if I ever decide to knit another seamless sweater.  The truth of the matter is, that I really do prefer to knit a seamed sweater.  I seem (no pun intended) to knit quicker, I guess this is down to shorter rows - always easier to say I'll just knit another row if you only have, say, 100 stitches on the needle rather over 300.  Also knitting seamlessly does require careful consideration and some recalculation of the pattern - just too much like hard work.

But anyway, the sweater is a lovely fit and at least I can say I tried.  Thankfully it's out of the way and I can start something new - the Scatness Tam by Kate Davies I've been promising myself for some time.

Tomorrow I'm painting the woodwork in the bedroom, but I'm sure I'll be able to fit in a few rounds of the tam.

Autumn Delights

It definitely feels like Autumn out there.  Time for warm woolly sweaters.  I think a lovely cabled sweater would be ideal for a long walk to appreciate the changing colours of the season.  I treated myself to Alice Starmore's Aran Knitting earlier this year for my birthday and I've been waiting for the Autumn so that I can knit something special.

I have my eye on the pattern called St Brigid.

I will need to start it soon as there's a lot of work involved, otherwise it will be next summer before it's finished!

In the meantime I've been swapping all the decorations in the house around.  Putting away the Summer decorations and bringing out the Autumn ones. 

The house feels cosier and more snug ready for the darker nights. 

We are lucky enough to have red squirrels living in our area, although their existence is constantly under threat.  Eve and I managed to catch sight of one visiting our garden and burying a nut for his Winter store.  We weren't quick enough to get a photo but here's a picture of a red squirrel- it could even be him - we'll never know!

So cute - I love him.

Finishing off and starting up

The spare room is decorated, the carpet laid, and looking good. Very PINK! We have a very colourful house.

I thought I had better take a photo before all the junk went back in, just as a reminder of how neat and tidy it could be.

It took all afternoon to move all the furniture and books and DVDs and arty stuff and everything else back into the room. Only the dart board to go back on the wall now. At least our bedroom is back to normal again.

I was exhausted by the end of it all - also a little downhearted - I'd spent ages clearing out stuff to the charity shop - but we still seem to have too much crap!

Anyway, the way to cheer yourself up is to start something new. So if you want to cheer yourself up big time - start something new times three!

I have cast on for three new projects. Firstly Daisy, a fitted short sleeved cardi by Kim Hargreaves from Breeze. I'm using Sirdar crofter yarn, left in my stash from when I made a sweater and my first socks.

Didn't get far into this as there are another 23 rows of moss stitch to do before you can really get going.

The second project I started was Pikenaze, a wrap by Louisa Harding from Little Cake. I'm using Twilley's Freedom Spirit yarn for this, again a leftover, this time from my Ravenscar cardi and head warmer.

I'm really enjoying knitting Louisa's patterns - I'll have to get more of her pattern books!

The third project is Homely by Sarah Hatton from Rowan studio 14.

It's a chunky pattern and after knitting a few rows I remembered why I don't really like heavier yarns - my wrists were aching already. Anyway It'll be a nice cardi for cooler days in the spring and summer - and should knit up fairly quickly.

With all these new projects I'm not neglecting my other projects (well not all of them anyway). I'm soldiering on with my birthday makes and the wonderful Oaksike will be finished today. Photos of that shortly.

We had a good end to the day, yesterday. All the hard work paid off as we were able to sit in comfort in our newly decorated room and watch a DVD.

Spoilt for a choice, we finally settled on Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality 2 - no matter how many times I watch it, I still laugh out loud.

A Birthday Card

Here's a card I made for my next-door neighbour's birthday tomorrow.



I've started stocking up on new ribbons and buttons for my card making - but I could probably do with more fancy papers. A girl can never have enough supplies.

Of course the main problem is finding storage places for the supplies. At the moment I'm trying to clear out the spare room. I want to decorate it and make more use of it. Up until now it has been the room where everyone dumps the things they no longer want. The plan is to make it into an extra sitting room where we can watch films. However, it's going to take me a while to sift through all the old junk and find new hiding places for it before I can even think about lifting a paint brush.

On the knitting front, Emily is finished. I am just waiting for my photographer to get back from university this evening to take the photos. I'll post these tomorrow.