I have decided ......

.... to limit myself to no more than £55.00 per month on crafts! Unless, of course, I am going to an exhibition (February) or a show (October).

I am determined to destash, and also determined to stop buying so many bags! This has become a bit of an obsession since I lost my mum, but now it has begun to take over. Everywhere I go I seem to come back with at least one bag (three yesterday from Crawley!). I need to get on top of things again so I HEREBY VOW TO BE GOOD!!!

Dad is going to buy me a new wardrobe in the next three months and I want to get my bedroom a bit more streamlined too - so some of the toys (Amber's!) that seem to have congregated in the corner are being relegated to the loft or even the charity shop to make room for some sort of storage for my bags. I am going to store the spare bedding currently in the bed drawers in the top of the wardrobe too.

I need to get my sorting out head on!

Hurray!!!

I'm knitting again! Am taking it slowly but surely though. I am just hoping that I don't have any more hand problems for a while now!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!

Bra's!

My sister, who has lost FIVE stone, needed a new bra - she did measure 42GG. So Amber and I went with her to be measured yesterday. Amber hasn't been measured properly and had big ideas about underwiring and padding, well the lady in the shop (Frillies in Horley) did a bit of reverse psychology and started off with the type of bra Amber wanted and gradully got her to see that she didn't want one of those! Amber ended up with two bras one of PE days and a nicer one.

My sister was measured and is now a 40DD, a suitable bra was found and the owner of the shop ceremoniously disposed of the old one after lots of comments about what it could be used for!

Then it was my turn - I HATE BRAS! I tend to 'forget' to put one on most of the time, but otherwise a wear a Sloggi crop top affair. I warned the lady that I hated them, as they make my back itch and I suffer with a thrush type irritation in all sorts of funny places. I was measured and was horrfied to find I am a 42D! After several attempts at scaffolding type bras, we eventaully found a lovely one but the cups only started at D and they were too big. After another search I ended up with a lovely bra, which I have on this morning with a bit of loo roll under the fastening.

My sister then changed her mind about the bra she'd got and we unded up with the same design! We have ordered another one each as well.

I was expecting to pay a fortune, as it is an independent shop with all sorts of makes of bra, but mine was £20 and Amber's two came to £18!

My new obsession!

I can't stop buying knitting books! I've paid for 2/3 for the kids to give me for christmas, I've just bought Knitting Never Felt Betterm Bag Style. Knit Kimono and Felt Forward, and I'm waiting for Alterknits, Scarf Style, 101 Desinger One Skein Wonders, Simplechic Oh and and Module Magic to come from The Book Depository! Oh, and "Vogue Knitting" Accessorize: Scarves, Hats, Ponchos, Socks and Mittens (Playtrade but Book Depository again). I am working on the assumption that, the more books I have, the more likely I am to use up some stash!

I'll need another bookcase soon!

I think I'll have to add a list of books that have my attention on here!

FO's 2007

As I am having to refrain at the moment, I can't see me finishing anything before the end of the year now so here is my vast list of FO's!

Heartbeat Bag
Noro Cash Iroha Mittens for me!
Allegra mitts
Modified Fiesta bag for Auntie Ann (Crhistmas)
Glittery mittens for Amber (Christmas)
!st miitts for Amber (Christmas)
Scarf for Uncle Mick (Christmas)
Mitts for Miss Barr (Christmas)
Scarf for Angela (Christmas)
Karaoke fingerless mittens (for Amber's teacher)
Drops design bag with flower from Knitonthenet
Fingerless Mitts for Lucia CHRISTMAS
Fingerless Mitts for Emily CHRISTMAS
Fingerless mitts with ruffle (for AY swap)
Fiesta Bag (present)
Fingerless gloves with ruffle
Garden Gate Scarf
Karaoke fingerless gloves (present)
Side to Side shawl
Manos Del Uruguay Bag
Own design bag
Oregon bag (customised)
Diary cover (Amber)
Cocoon Jacket
B4 bag
Pot Pourri Shawl
Colour go round bag (20th BAG THIS YEAR)
Biggy print bag (Amber)
Sheepstrings bag
Felting Fever bag (present)
Spirit bag (present)
Booga bag
Mesh bag
Pocket Patch bag
Electric 80's bag
MY CONSTANT COMPANION
Felted Vase
Zig-zag bag
Bag for Megan
Graffiti shawl
Tote bag
Phat bag
Multi directional scarf for Ruby
Vintage Bubble bag
Jumper, dungarees & hat for Megan's doll
Megan's birthday cake (not making anymore)
Bagsmith kit
Cloud scarf (made for mum's funeral)
Cardi for Meg
Stashbuster bag 2
Flower Power bag
Side to Side shawl 1
Stashbusting bag 1
Daisy Bag
Wrap (WoW!)
Mu Shu
Poncho (started last year)

Thinking about New Year Resolutions!

1. Not to spend all day, every day knitting but maybe do some florentine embroidery too.
Trying to avoid too many trigger finger problems!
2. Not to make any major yarn purchases until Brighton Knitting show (8th Feb), and then be good until Ally Pally in October!
3. Use up some stash!!
4. Get to grips with designing (bags!)
5. To get finances i n order (with some help from my lovely dad)
6. To keep my blog updated!

Wish me luck!

I shall be glad to get this dressing off

Only one more day to go! This bandage is beginning to drive me mad - I had to put another one over the top of the one the theatre nurse put on as it got too loose (by saturday morning) so it is very bulky. Between my fingers feels gritty and yuck and I can't wait to dip them in some water! I am not allowed to soak my hand for any great length of time so I am going to get a new pair of rubber gloves today (how exciting!) and when I go out I will be able to wear a pair of gloves instead of just one on my right hand!

My left fign finger is stil,l a bit sore and stiff but seems to be getting easier to move every day so, hopefully, I should be knitting again soon!

A good Thing?

I am making a bag at the moment - the heartbeat bag from Just one more Row - and am struggling for various reasons. Firstly I am not sure I like the colour (orange/green Aran Silk from Hipknits), the bag doesn't seem to be coming out a good size, my left hand is painful, and now my right index finger is getting the telltale signs of a trigger AND there is now way I shall finish it by tomorrow (op day). I am wondering whether to

a. make the bag a bit larger than the pattern
b. leave it alone and just carry on as per the pattern.
c. frog it and worry about what to do with the yarn when I've recovered from the op.

To be honest I don't think I am terribly interested in the bag as I don't seem to have a lot of motivation/

I shall try and get back to my knitting by christmas but the next week or so is out of the question as I will have a huge dressing on my hand and will not be able to hold a needle!

Am having an operation on friday ....

... for trigger finger release. This is the fourth one I've had, and I already know that another one is starting as I'm getting the usual burning sensation in my palm.

I only went to the hospital this afternoon - that's not bad for the NHS, I was originally offered Christmas Eve but then was asked if I would have friday! The consultant was considering doing the carpal tunnel on the same hand but as it is not too bad decided to wait until it actually needs doing.

At least I'll be painfree (in my left hand at least) before Christmas!

Amber and Lucia

Last night my ex-husband and I went to see Amber and her friend Lucia in a first stage production at school. It was like a showcase of the standard of work being carried out in the drama department of their school. It was brilliant!

There was a wide range of different 'acts' - ranging from Key Stage 3 (Year 7) to A level (Year 13) and we had monologues, comedy, musical theatre, mask work (mime) and one young lady who performed some of her own songs. The Year 8's, including Amber and her friend Lucia, had done work on King George and the Bold Basher which is based on George and the Dragon - a group of boys did one version and the girls (just the two of them) did another. They were brilliant and very funny - each group had devised their own sketches and performed them well, raising lots of laughs.

Lucia is a tiny little girl and she was the basher - she was so comical! When we got home, it turned out that Amber had come up with a lot of Lucia's lines so I think I may have a budding screenwriter here!

Christmas knitting!

I've done all my christmas knitting, and can now please myself in what I make. Trouble is I can't settle to anything! I don't want to start anything big or too complicated until I've been to see the consultant about my hand next monday so I think more mittens are called for, and maybe a scarf.

What a week!

What a horrible week! Problems with Amber (as if you couldn't guess!).

Wend food shopping on tuesday and before we could get home my Amber rang me to find out where I was, then before we could get indoors Ryan rang and I could hear her screaming in the background but couldn't get any sense out of either of them. David took me up to the bus stop to meet them as my blodd sugar was very low and I was shaking about all over the place.

Ryan got in the car but Amber wouldn't and apparently this had all started becasue she hadn't wanted to sit next to the window on the coach. By the time she got home she was hysterical and made another lad in Ryan's year apologise to her for no reason. Eventually she calmed down and I thought the day's dramas were over.

During the evening she came downstairs with her laptop in a state - one of her classmates (Amber acutally stayed at her house last weekend) was being nasty to her online and even threatened her with an arranged fight the next day. I was going to phone her parents but for some reason changed my mind so typed her a message to ask her to stop or there would be trouble. Amber was obviously worried about catching the coach to school so dad took her in.

The next morning, I contacted the school and warned them of this proposed fight (they are keeping an eye on Amber as she has a lot of emotional problems at the moment and thought that was the end of it. Then I saw the girl's mum and mentioned it to her, thinking I should and all hell broke loose - both parents got cross with me for not talking to them before contacting the school but I had Amber's best interests at heart. That evening I spoke to her dad who was, by then quite reasonable, and he was going to go through his hard drive and find these messages and I am sure he said he was going to get back to me - and he hasn't so all I can assume is that he found his daughter to be in the wrong!

Neither of my two are allowed to talk to this girl online and I have told Amber just to be civil to her and not go out of her way to be friendly.

Thrusday came and guess what - I couldn't get Amber to go to schoool so I took her to the doctors who diagnosed stress!

Amber's stressed - what about me!

Performing Arts

Amber and her best friend Lucia have been asked to take part in a Performing Arts performance at school next week by their Drama teacher. There are only a couple of others from their class taking part. Amber is proving to be very good at drama - I have had two 'praise' letters home in the last few weeks from the drama department, and two home from science!

Amber thinks she is turning into a geek!

Ongoing saga of Amber's room

She has finally started to clear it up, and I thought I would collect any washing up. I found

TEN glasses
FOUR plates
TWO mugs
ONE drinking bottle thingy

Later on I am going to actually put some washing away in the airing cupboard - I can get to that now too!

Now that we can actually get across the floor, we can start tidying properly and get rid of some junk.

Silly pics!

Ryan wearing half a football on his head to keep his hair dry! Ang Ryan and Megan making silly faces at me!

I think .....

... ...... someone has been taking notes!

I am really cross .....

.... with the pharmacist in my local Sainsburys. I took a prescription in last wednesday for my new insulin cartridges which I tried to collect today. At first they couldn't find it in the fridge (insulin has to be kept cold) and then they tried to give me the pre-filled syringes that I can't see properly instead of the cartridges for an insulin pen. I ended up having a full blown argument with the pharmacist who swore blind that Optiset and Opticlik were the same thing. They even hunted for the copy of the prescription I had taken in, and couldn't find it - until I pointed out that it must be attached to a prescrption, so they looked again and found it on a shelf. And, guess what, THEY HAD MADE A MISTAKE and ordered the wrong ones!

If I hadn#t been on the ball, or had sent OH/dad to collect it for me. I wouldn't have got any insulin at all!

As for the pharmacist - he couldn't see the difference between the word 'cartridge' and the phrase 'pre-filled syringe'!

Oooops!

I've just noticed all the typos in my last post! That comes of trying to type with a stuck finger I suppose!

Got on really well with the mittens I am making for the Head of Lower School on Sunday but yesterday was a really poor day for knitting. I woke up with a low blood sugar, then went to help set up the knitting group's window display in East Grinstead library. Rushed round town with Phil, got home and decided to make a start on Amber's mittens as I want to make them incognito, then had lunch. During lunch Auntie Ann turned up to look through the Garnstudio patterns online (I've definitely created a monster!), then the window cleaner turned up. I did a few more rows of Amber's mitts, then decided to walk up to meet the kids (mistake), watched the end of Countdown and Deal or No Deal, then started on their dinner - low blood sugar again. Finished first mitt for Miss Barr. Cleared washing up, logged on and had ANOTHER low blood sugar! Managed to get ribbing done on second mitt for Miss Barr but by 9.30 I'd had it so went to bed.

Blood sugar must have been low because I had loads of sweet stuff uesterday and this morning my blodd sugar reading was still in the normal range.

Oh, how I hate this disease!

Life in geheral ...

.... seems to be getting to me at the moment!

I have made one christmas cake and have another to do.

I am half way through my christmas knits - cast on for mitts last night only to find they were going to fit the local giant.

Have wrapped just under half of the presents.

Found the christmas cards and offered to add to dad to the ones we would duplicate. I'll probably write his too.

Discovered I have add an awful lot of bank charges recently - grrrr!

Amber STILL won't tidy her room.

Now I sem to have got a cold!

My knitting to do list is getting longer!

Seeing as I had no knitting to do for christmas a few weeks ago, now I have quite a long list! I have deiced to make my uncle a scarf as I usually buy him socks and I thought it would make a nice change!

I am not enjoying the scarf I am making my friend so it seems to be taking absolutely ages! I want to get the jaority of the gift knitting done before by hospital appointment on 10th, just in case!

Can't get on!

Don't you hate it when you get to a point in your knitting plans and ntothing seems to be happening as you want it to?

Well, I wanted to start the mittens for Amber's Head of Lower School on monday and hadn't got the right size needle, so ordered one. I decided to start the bag for my friend Angela and decided I din't like the way the Freedom Spirit looked doubled, so frogged it and made a start on the Lydia Scarf from Knitonthenet, after hand writing the pattern out as we have no ink at the moment. Didn't like the way that was looking with the Freedom Spirit (the shade began to look like a school scarf!), so frogged that and am now knitting the Cantterbury Memories scarf from Ravelry, which is designed for the yarn.

Finally I am happy with it!

Now I can't check to see if my needle has been despatched yet - I can't access my emails for some reason!

Been to the doctors

Well I've got an appointment already for the consultant! My GP managed to book one while I was at the surgery over the internet for 10th December - I could've had the week before but I know Oh is off that day as we are going to Tunbridge Wells in the morning. Trouble is it's possible I might have a carpal tunnel problem with the same hand too, as I am in so much pain.

Hopefully, we also managed to get the cartridges sorted out for my insulin too.

AND, my GP is very pleased with my blood results - the new insluin seems to be doing the trick.

He also thinks I might have hit the menopause as I only had light spotting last time. Apparently 47 is quite old to start too! There was a worry that the diabetes/menopause combination would wreak havoc with the diabetic control but it seems to be having the opposite effect, thank goodness!

What a twit!

I had to order a new blood sugar montiroing diary this morning from Novo Nordisk. When the girl answered the phone I asked for a new Knitting diary! I think my brain has finally turned to yarn!

Don't you hate it .......

...... when you run out of yarn 2 inches before the end of a project? I am making a pressie for Jacqui (aka jam-mam) to send her for christmas and now I've had to leave it until my yarn arrives!

I've cast on, and frogged, a pair of mittens for one of Amber's teachers, didn't like the yarn as it was a bit too pale of the needles and I was trying to be clever and magic loop the pattern in Yarn Forward.

I really ought to rest my left - I am currently in constant pain but knitting does take my mind off it a bit. I am going to see my GP tomorrow and hopefully will get referred to Harry the Hand at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, so I need to get on with the christmas bits that I seem to have found myself doing although I don't think I will see him before Christmas let alone get a date for the op. Last year I had about three weeks to wait to see the consultant and only two weeks to wait for the op, so ......

I'm not having a brilliant time at the moment ....

.... and it's all to do with my beloved daughter (as if you couldn't guess).

Monday morning, she had a 'headache' (again), so I phoned school to report her absent, and the receptionist picked up on that fact that I was a bit disbelieving so i asked to speak to the head of Lower School, who wasn't available. Shortly afterwards the phone rang and it was the head who asked to speak to Amber. The upshot was I had to arrange for a friend to take Amber to school (4 miles away) as the first available bus wasn't for nearly an hour. Amber didn't know if she would come straight home or not so I shot up to the post office to get some money at 9.00 only to find that their system was down and they weren't able to process any transactions. Luckily Amber had been talked into staying at school and the teacher told me she would keep her there, even if Amber complained of feeling ill, for the day and send her home on the school bus.

Amber came home with a mission - to get herself up in the mornings, get ready for school, leave for the bus at 7.50 am and report to the head of Lower School who would then make the decision as to whether she would stay in school should Amber be feeling unwell - this would mean Amber would already be there and more than likely kept there.

Yesterday morning dawmed and, guess what, Amber was in the filthiest mood ever. By the time she went to school I was a nervouse wreck and felt utterly worthless (she talks to me as if I were something on the bottom of her shoe). I spoke to dad who wanted to know what I expected him to do about it and then I ended up sobbing after I put the phone down, as the response I would've got from my mum who would have been supportive. Oh, how I miss her.

I knew it!

Auntie Ann against a knitted bag when I told her the cost of the yarn! I estimated between £30 and £35 for the yarn alone, as she has stipulated a colour choice. If she would go for a more vibrant shade/colour I may be able to reduce the cost. Trouble is she wants a bag she can take shopping!

I am really proud of myself!

Today, I managed to teach myself the Magic Loop method of knitting in the round! It is so easy to do and I thoroughly recommend it! I bought the Fibre Trends booklet from Woolly Workshop and think it's the best £6.50 I've ever spent!

Last night!

As you all know last night was Halloween, and my two had great fun. Ryan was dressed in a hoodie with dark glasses on and wielded a garden edger - when anyone rang the doorbell he flew out of the back door, waited for Amber to open the front door, and the 'victims' to shout 'trick or treat' before jumping out on them!

I think there were a few scared kids!

My knitting to do list ......

..... has been expanded thanks to Amber! She now wants to give fingerless mitts to another friend and her form teacher for christmas - it's a jolly good job they don't take long to make!

It does mean, however, that my knitting record will probably exceed last year's total of 58!

Amber's new hair/glasses!

Amber has now got her new glasses and has also decided to go red! I'm not sure I like her hair but ....

Latest finished objects

These mitts are for the AY mitten swap - I hope they're OK!

I made this bag for my mum's best friend's 70th birthday but I really like it and don't want to give it away!

My blasted daughter!

I don't think Amber will see christmas - if she doesn't get her room cleared up she will definitely meet a sticky end!

I have been on at her for so long I can't remember and it just gets worse/ David and I spent a couple of hours up there yesterday afternoon and it doens't look any different! Amber, incidentally, was dyeing her hair at the time. I have even threatened to call in the 'How Clean is Your House' team!

Now, however, I have given her an ultimatum - it gets done before the end of sunday or everything gets shovelled into bin bags and taken to the tip regardless of what it is (laptop excluded of course). The amount of time is not as long as it seems - she's at school all day every day, we have Knit 'n' Natter on saturday and we are going to a special remembrance service on Sunday in Forest Row for all those who have passed away in the last year.

I have told her that all the cuddly toys are to be sorted out and taken to the charity shop and she has to go through everything else.Dad and my sister keep on at me about my untidy house, as a lot of Amber's stuff is downstairs but I can't even think about tidying up until I have somehere to tidy it to!

My finger!

As all you from AY know I currently have a painful trigger finger - the ring finger on my left hand. This is the fourth one I've had and it's got really bad really quickly so I know that when I go to the doctors on wednesday I am going to have to ask to be referred to the hospital which will mean another op.

I had a double op last year for trigger finger release and carpal tunnel on my right hand and only had two weeks' notice of the op as they had space then - otherwise I would've waited nearly six months. Trouble is I haven't got my mum to help me any more and I know I am going to have to rely on Amber for help with bathing and hair washing! I can still picture my mum rushing about trying not to get my hand wet!

Big problem is though - I have sooo much knitting to get on with at the moment -

Mitts for fingerless mitten swap (Angel Yarns)
Own design bag to sell
Mitts for Amber
Mitts for Amber's friend Emily for Christmas
Bag for Knitted Knitting Bag knitalong (Angel Yarns)
Something for another pressie for Christmas (can't say what in case the person in question reads my blog!)
B4 bag for Auntie Ann

Oh dear! When it's all written down in a list it looks worse!

Look wot I got ...

... at the Textiles in Sussex exhibitio in Lewes yesterday. I got some lovely handpainted 4ply yarn from Ann, a person I know through Knit 'n' Natter, a ball of Crystal Palace Kid Merino in Roses to go with the Fjord for some mittens, a cotton bag, some buttons for Auntie Ann's B4 bag, a copy of Interweave Knits Holiday special 2007 and a swift (loving modelled by Ryan)

We had a lovely day out and Amber made some felt balls. She also did some more silk painting and spent loads of my money!

Christmas pressie!

I was talking to Auntie Ann last night and she mentioned my offer to make her a felted bag for christmas, she has suggested that she pays for the yarn and I give her my time and expertise!

Trouble is, she wants the same colour and patterns as my B4 bag but larger! So I have had to hunt about to find some suitable yarn and have come up with Manos del Uruguay in shade 7570 which is greys and black.

I think I am going to run out of time before long!

Amber has another hamster

I'm afraid I caved in this morning and we now have two hamsters - one of each. We've had Smoky for a few weeks (he replaced Sassy who has gone to that big wheel in the sky) and now we have a little lady called Sunny.

Needless to say, Smoky has caught on to the fact that he has a possible mate and is desperate to get to her ( they are in separate cages)

I must be mad - Amber thinks she is going to make a fortune breeding them!

jo xx

Amber

Just had to share this lovely photo of my daughter modelling my scarf - she looks happy for a change!

Nice quick knit!

For a nice quick knit I definitely think mittens are the ideal project. I made a sumptuous pair yesterday in RYC Cashsoft chunky which is lovely to handle although it does split a bit, possible for the mitten swap on Angel yarns.

You'll all be pleased to hear that I have started another bag at last!

Garden Gate Scarf .....

.... modelled by my dad!It's a ONCE IN A BLOOMOON DESIGN, made using Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran, Rowan Pure Wool aran and various oddments of other sran weight wools I;ve used for felting.

Typical!!

As you know I am an insulin dependant (Type 1) diabetic and have been for over 32 years. Well this week has been dreadful!

Monday I had to go to the doctors to try and get my new insulin cartirdges sorted out, but he couldn't help me so I ended up with prefilled syringes again (can't see the dial very easily).

Tuesday, I felt dreadful all day - my blood sugar was really low and I kept feeling sick.

Wednesday and yesterday, my blood sugar was high - naturally.

Today, I am going into Crawley and guess what, it's dropped really low again! I can't do my norming jab until I've eaten or I will start shaking about all over the place so, it's choccy biccies for breakfast!

I am having a flu-jab tomorrow morning and I bet it'll be all over the place again!

Camera problems

My blasted camera has gone wrong! I've only had it since january so it's still under guarantee and I have to send it back to the company I got it from. It's such a pain because I've nearly finished my scarf now and there's no telling how long it'll take to get sorted out! So I've order two others to choose from.

Saving Up!

My ex-husband is giving me an extra £5.00 per week as he no longer has to rent the TV for us (dad gave us his old one) so I have already started saving for Ally Pally 2008! I am also determind to stop spending so much money every month on rubbish, ie things I don't really need and yarn that's taken my fancy and when it arrives I don't know what to do with it!

I told Aunti Ann last week that I wouldn't need any more yarn for ages and then bought some yesterday to make some more mittens (Patons Caress - sooo soft!), and I am also looking at getting some more sock/4ply to do the CTH Kimono of Many Colours.

I am planning a trip to the show held in Brighton in February - trouble is David will be with me but he can be useful for carrying bags!

Ryan took some pictures of yarn swifts to school yesterday to show is Resistant Materials' teacher, he is currently learning about and using wood, and he could probably make one for his big project next year. Oh well I suppose I can hang on until then!

Inspiration ......

.... hit yesterday and I managed to note down TWO bag designs!

Trouble is Amber started to elaborate on the second one and nearly sent my brain into overdrive!

Garden Gate Scarf

Am getting on with this project now but don't like knitting with Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran - it's quite coarse and not really soft enough for a scarf but I don't really think I will be wearing the scarf as it is a bit of a showcase piece! It is going in the Knitting Group's display in the window of East Grinstead library.

I have done four flowers and three stems so far and I need a minimum of 6 so I think I will see how it looks with 3 on each side to start with.

Amber has tidied her room and I had three HUGE loads of washing yesterday, and two armfuls of plastic bottles for the recycling bin!

Look at my lovely haul!!

I bought loads at The Knitting and Stitching Show.

Two Noni bag patterns - Adventure and Carpet Bag

CTH Kimono of Many Colours pattern

Yarn Forward Fall 2007 mag

Black.White/Greyish blue sock yarn to make Amber some mittens

6 balls of Cascade 220 in a purple shade for Chris Bylsma BRAVO bag

Hip Knits Silk Scarf kit to make the scarf in Vogue Knitting 25th issue

Colinette Perugino Throw Kit

Beads

Various sock yarns - Jitterbu, Fyberspates, some from Web of Wool, CTH Supersock to make Kimono patttern

3 balls of felting yarn from Knitting4fun to design my own bag

Namaste Vintage Knitting bag (already paid for only had to collect)

Pretty bangle for Amber

and I ordered a Bobble & Bramble bag kit (Fabulous Felted Bags pattern) from Jamiesons of Shetland.

I also still have some goodies to come from Woolly Workshop, as I arranged to collect an order from them and it had been stolen!

Needless to say I had a lovely day

Latest finished project

Fingerless mittens in SWTC Karaoke, shade Wild Cherry. Quite enjoyed making these and they were really quick. Trouble is I think Amber wants some now!

Am going to Ally Pally for the Knitting and Stitching Show tomorrow, have loads of money to spend and can't wait!

Amber

It seems Amber is not in a good place at the moment - she is not coping well at achool or emotionally and things that have happended to her since february 06 have had a marked effect on her.

Her father announced that he had been to a TV studio as his sister had 'found' him via the Tricia show (Channel 5). Amber was only 10 and this completely turned her world upside down - she discovered she had loads of family she didn't know about. This would have been hard for an adult to deal with let alone a ten year old, and her primary school showed no interest in her or the problem at the time.

Then my OH lost his mum a few weeks later.

This march (07) we lost my mum - I lost my rock, my best friend and my kids lost the only granmother they knew.

I had a very long chat with Amber's teacher at a Year 8 Briefing evening last night and showed her a letter I had stopped Amber from sending to her father as I felt it would show how Amber was feeling inside. I did write a note last week as Amber wasn't coping with some lessons and it seems that this helped her teacher discover who had written an annonymous comment during a Citizenship lesson about being unhappy. I feel better about the situation now that I have got her teacher and the Head of Lower School involved as I feel that maybe we can get some sort of help for Amber.

You may be wondering why Ryan wasn't so affacted - he has never known his real father as I was dumped when five months pregnant.

My shawl is finally finished!

Well, I finally finished my Side to Side shawl last night and it is enormous! But it will be great for warpaiing myself in when I get cold!

I am going to get on with the fingerless mitts for Beth but I've already frogged once!

Been norty!

We went to dad's yesterday and I went into Village Crafts in Forest Row for some buttons for the Knitted Knitting bag I am GOING to make, and I bought some RYC Cashsoft Chunky in a gorgeous purple shade to make some fingerless mitts. I bought 2 balls and am hoping it will be enough but I have a sneaking feeling I will need 3!

The end of my shawl is still eluding me too but I am DETERMIND to get it finished today!

My shawl - grrrrrr!!!!

I am making a gigantic shawl at the moment and it doesn't seem to want to be finished! I keep knitting, and knitting and knitting but I don't seem to get any closer to it being finished! I know why it' s taking so long - I've got several other things that are desperately waiting to be done - fingerless mitts for Ryan's best friend's sister's birthday which is actually sunday but she knows her pressie will be a bit late, the bag for A Knitted Knitting bag KAL, and my Bloomoon Creations Garden Gate Scarf which I want to put in the window of East Grinstead Library (Knitting Group Display)!

The shawl wasn't meant to be as big as it seems to be getting either! I am making the Cabin Fever Side to Side shawl which is knitted in four quarters, using short rows - so the first quarter is important in the finished size. Well I just kept knitting and knitting, thinking it's not big enough yet and so now its gigantic!

What a clown!

Ryan thought he would use my new scarf as a prop!

Winter Warmers

My Winter Warmers parcel arrived yesterday! I got some beatuiful Middle Earth sock (!) yarn in shade Tiger Feet, a sock (!) pattern, needles to make socks (!) some stitch markers, some shortbread and a lovely soft twirly scarf, and I have to say a big thank you to Janice who, it seems, is trying to get me to change my ways and knit SOCKS!

Got a call from the school ...

... to say Ryan had been fighting! It seems there is a boy in one of his classes who has been calling him (and others) not very nice names and even been sending nasty emails on the school computers. A lot of the boys in Ryan's year had been egging Ry on to 'sort this boy out' and inevitably it has got him into trouble.

Ryan is the most easy going boy you could wish to meet - not like a typical teenager at all, and it takes a lot for him to get angry. In fact I think I've only ever seen him really fly three or four times but because he is so tall for his age, he usually gets the blame. In this case though, his head of year is going to do some investigating into both of their school histories.

What a morning!

Woke the kids up at 7.15am. Amber eventually appears downstairs at 7.42 crying that she has to do some homework to be given in TODAY! I quickly log on and find some pics of China/chinese things and print them off. Then I realise it's 7.58 and the school bus is due up in the village (5 min walk) and Ryan is still not up!

After a lot of shouting/swearing/carrying on they both run up the hill, and I follow a couple of minutes later to go to the shop - luckily there was no sing of them so I can safelu assume they managed to catch the bus! I had already decided that I would bit the bullet and pay for a taxi to get us ALL into town (I'm going in later by bus).

They've got an inset day tomorrow (teacher training) and I think Ryan's girlfriend is coming round, so I don't espect there will be any problems getting up tomorrow! And thursday Ryan has to get the public bus into Crawley for college but he can catch that outside the house.

The end is in sight!

I've had a really good weekend with regard to progress on my shawl, and I am not nearly 3/4 of the way through!

Amber has had two friends staying at different times of the weekend, one friday (see Ryan has a girlfriend) and then her best friend, Emily, stayed saturday and then again last night but it seems she should have gone home last night! They did tidy Amber's room last night - hoovering at 11.00 pm! In a way it makes my life easier in that Amber is not so much of a pain, but ....!

FO's 2007

List of FO's below!

Ryan has a girlfriend!

Ryan (14) has himslef a girlfriend! She is one of his sister's best friends and came round for a sleepover last night - I think they spent most of their time kissing and gazing into each other's eyes!

They've been talking quite a lot on MSN since Amber's birthday in June, when they first met, but they haven't seen anything of each other except very briefly.

Now he's all loved up but HE'S STILL MY BABY!

Oh dear, I don't want him to grow up!

Getting Excited!

I think I know why I can't get any motivation at the moment - I am getting excited about my trip to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace a week on thursday! I spoke to Auntie Ann last night (she's sort of 'taking' me!) and we worked out which train, if we go by train, we are going to catch - she asked talked about driving up. Jean is not coming now although she has bought her ticket, but AA is going to see if one of her friends wants to come instead.

I've told AA that she can be my pack horse!

Proposed Knitting projects!!

Scroll down to see the list of projects I currently have 'to do'. Not included on this list is the bag my neighbour has asked me to make her for her planned trip to New Zealand next February!

I seem to be getting swamped by WIPs at the moment - had to abandon Garden Gate Scarf as the yarn I wanted for the actual 'gate' was out of stock (Kangaroo), this needs to be done by 3rd November for the Knit'n'Knatter display in East Grinstead Library window; have still got loads to do on my Joji jacket (bored to tears); and I am nearly halfway through my Side to Side shawl which I am now thinking I have made too big. I want to leave this for something a little more interesting but keep ploughing on!

I have started a Knitted Knitting Bag KAL on Angel Yarns (probably will make The Daily Knitter Knitting Needle Bag) and have just ordered the Chris Bylsma Bravo bag pattern which I think will take something of a backseat for a while.

I think I am going to have to start knitting with my feet!

Well, apparently Amber has been sick twice during the night and so she can't go to school today, and probably won't until monday. Trouble is. she didn't wake me so I only have her word for it.

Ryan has gone off to school quite happily today as he has a Leisure and Tourism trip to Legoland, he is suppoed to attend college on thursdays for his YA course in motor vehicle maintenance so I am not terribly happy that the school managed to arrange a trip today, particularly as he only started the course last week!

Clare (my sister) and Megan (neice) turned up yesterday afternoon after dropping dad at Gatwick (he's gone to Belgium to my cousin for a week as she and her husband are both 50 at the same time). As most of the Angel Yarns lot know, there is no love lost between my sister and me, so my heart sank! Megan (3) wanted to walk up and meet the kids off the bus and I made Clare come with us (not safe leaving her here as she 'pokes' about). When we got back, they came in and she wanted to know if I spend all day knitting, and why I make so many bags - they are hanging on the sitting room door for all to see - to which I told her I like making them and I do use them! She doesn't approve of knitting y'see!

Well we can't all be the same, can we!

MY KNITTING LOG!!

To see exactly what I've been up to with my creating.click on this link!

Amber

I am having real problems with my daughter at the moment - one of us will definitely not survive her teens!

She says it's too cold to go to school but then she will only wear her poloshirt and not a sweatshirt, and this morning she had a sore toenail and only wanted to stay at home for that too!

Ryan, on the other hand, is not your average teenager - doesn't get too grumpy and is usually quite amenable especially to his old mum. He does flare up occasionally but then I think we all do from time to time.

I really miss my mum at the moment, in fact I've had a jolly good cry this morning. Amber just doesn't seem to understand that there's no-one like your mum!

Hello!

I'm the Mad Bag lady! In other words I seem to knit a lot of bags! I find I can be as creative as I like - in fact the more flanmboysant the better!