More photos of Ryan and Amber

It looks as though Amber could be turning into a very pretty young lady!

More photos of Ryan and Amber

Ryan posing with his guitar and trying to look mean and moody while wearing a pink velour dressing gown!

I like this photo

I really like this photo of Ryan and Amber with their cousin Megan. Dad had found some old kaftans and a dressing gown of mum's and they decided to dress up. Ryan did look good in his pink velour dressing gown, and Megan's kaftan was much too big for her - in fact the only good fit was Amber's!

KBM Group on Ravelry

I've decided to withdraw from the Knitting Bag a Month group - working to deadlines is not something I enjoy and it also seems to slow my knitting progress down!

My Hex bag will be finished today - yayyyy! David and I spend ages yesterday trying to get the sewing machine to thread (and stay threaded) but I ended up sewing the lining together by hand. It's now sewn in and I only need to sew the handles on so, later today, it will be finished! I have decided to use it next week when I go to Brighton.

No, I'm not really a show off!

Pix will be uploaded later - promise!

Hexagon update

Finished Knitting the bag on friday- it's enormous!

I decided that the fabric I've ordered last week would be better used for another project, and went through the fabric that I inherited from my mum. There was loads of different curtain material and some of that is perfect - it's wuite heavy so won't need any interfacing. Now I've just got to get my darling daughter to help me thread the sewing machine and the bag will be finished!

Carried on with my clappy which I enjoying again!

Hexagon Bag

Got to the sixth (of seven) hexagons last night only to find that there is a mistake in the pattern and now find that I have to sew some hexagons together to get the right shape - if I'd know bedore i could have joined the relevant ones together by picking up stitches. It should've been finished today but not I have two complete hexagons to do so it's looking doubtful.

I ordered some fantastic material yesterday for the lining but am thinking it would be better for another project so will use some material I already have. I am going to stiffen the lining with interfacting, and am still waiting for the handles to come.

It doesn't look like it's going to be complete by the end of the month either. I am taking part in the KNIT A BAG A MONTH group on Ravlery.

Clappy progress!

Not a brilliant photo but this is it so far!

Have left it to complete the Hexagon bag for the KNIT A BAG A MONTH group on Ravelry

Ryan

Ryan is getting worried that he might have developed diabetes - he knows he is about the same age (maybe a few months older) than I was when I was diagnosed. I did test his blood last week when he wasn't well as he was a bit shaky and it was very low. He tested it again last night by himself and it was in the normal range, but he wants a 'proper' bloodtest carried out. He has been looking diabetes up on Wikipedia - can't think why as he has a living example for a mum!

What's been worrying him is that he's been eating a lot of chocolate lately, or so he thinks but I know the signs and am confident that he is OK.

If either Ryan or Amber should be unlucky and develop the disease, I know what to look for and would get them straight to the doctor - I hope and pray that neither of them ever get it though! I would also be able to support them better than I ever was - I am not saying my parents didn't support me but, I would know how best to help anyone as I have had personal experience.

Horrible day

The kids and I had a horrible day yesterday. We went to Dad's for the day, and picked Megan up from my sister on the way. Everything was fine until Dad decided to invited Clare to lunch too - and everything went downhill from there.

Megan really played up, whingeing and whining all the time, Clare got nasty with me because she said I kept snapping at her - I wasn't doing it on purpose, I think I was just speaking to her the way she speaks to me and, guess what, she didn't like it!

Actually, I think she looks ill, she's lost all this weight since the end of August and it's making her look really old. The comment I've been waiting for was made yesterday too - Clare mentioned to Ryan that she probably weighed less than his mother did now, well the room went silent!

Quick Update on Clappy!

Going really well I think - have just got up to the straight section (section 3) so i will soon be dropping stitches.

Quite enjoying the knitting though!

At last!

I finally finished the modular scarf from Nancy Wiseman's Knitted Shawls, Stoles and Scarves last night - it seemed to be OTN ages!

Then in a rash moment I decided to cast on for a clappy in Hip Knits Aran Silk, I think I'm going to need a few pointers though! I'll have to give my friend Phil a ring methinks!

Whoops I forgot!

Jacqui and I had a lovely time buying a christmas present for each other and opeing them - complete surprises!

She sent me some lovely Posh yarns Emily in a purple colour, a Hairpin lace toll and some instructions, A Vogue Knitting mag, a book - Knitting Tips and Trade Secrets, which is really quite useful as it has tips and tricks from lots of different people, some knitted facecloths and soap, oh and some yarnimals stitch markers (really funny - I sent her a yarnimal row marker for her lace knitting!).

It was really nice to think someone had taekn the time and trouble to buy gifts for me and I really enjoyed doing the same for Jacqui - it was fun thinking of unique knitty things that someone probely wouldn't think of buying for themselves.

I went out with Dad yesterday ...

... and we bought a new bed for Amber (she had a bunk bed with a futon underneath a few months ago, but it turned into a dangerous thing), ordered my furniture, bought me a new pillow - cost £35.00!, bought me a new Dyson and got some paint charts.

Bed will arrive on Tuesday so spent the evening demolishing the other one which nearly fell apart, and moving a bid chest of drawers from my room to Amber's.

Furniture will take 6-8 weeks.

This morning a nice man from Hillary's Blinds came and measured the kids' windows and Dad ordered their blinds which were half price!

Then Dad and Ryan tried to move my current wardrobes into Amber's room - big mistake! They originally belonged to a neighbour, who moved away a couple of years ago and they were a bit rickety then. Both wardrobes collapsed so Dad and Ryan had to make a quick trip to Argos and buy some cheap clothes rails! Now Amber is going to have to have new furniture (wardrobe at least) very soon!

Still being good!

Aren't I doing well!

Am wondering what to knit next - I'm getting bored with this mitred scarf. Not sure whether to burrow into my older stash and make something from there, or knit something from the newer stash! It'll definitely be something quick I think!

I was really good yesterday!

Went to dad's to get our hair cut and went for a wander round Village Crafts in Forest Row - they had a lot of yarn in their sale - mostly Rowan and some Patons. They had the whole RYC Cashsoft range at £2.50 per ball and I was very tempted to buy some but managed to restrain myself!

I am glad I did as the knit'n'natter group are planning a trip to Kangaroo in Chailey sometime next month and I want to splurge there, plut I am going to the Creative Stitches and Hobbycraft Show at the Brighton Centre on 4th Feb too.

I was really lucky too as my firned gave me her spare wool winder, so I can take that off my list of things required!

I am frantically desperate ....

to do some modular knitting! It's like an unscratchable itch and I can't wait to finish my gloves so that I can cure it. I have found a lovely scarf pattern in Knitted Shawls, stoles and scarves by Nancy Wiseman and have been searching for yarn I mustn't buy, then I remembered my bargain of Crystal Palace Fjord, bought on a whim from Etsy and stashed, which I am going to use although it's not really what I want to make it in.

Aren't I being good!

Thrum mittens

I started my Thrum mittens (Fleece Artist) on New Years Day and frogged them last night. I got up to the thumb on the first one and decided to try it on - my hand started to go numb so that was that. I am now making a pair of felted mittens instead!

Happy New Year!!

Good day yesterday - got discharged from the hospital with the words 'no doubt we will be seeing you again soon' and finished my Heartbeat bag. As the weather is supposed to be getting really chilly I am going to have a go at my Fleece Artist thrum mitts.

My copy of scarf style arrived yesterday and I am itching to start Lady Eleanor but may well teach myself to knit backwards first!