Reveal day and really lovely day!

Yesterday we had a really lovely day out. DH took me to the East coast to the seaside for the day. The nearest beach is 100 miles away from my home. The weather was beautiful, the sun shone and it was quite warm We even had a paddle in the sea and a walk barefoot along the beach for a mile or two.
A very BIG little boy decided to wade in a bit too far and got his jeans soaked... boys will be boys LOL. Out at sea a wind farm has been put up, there are 53 windmills along this stretch of the beach. Some people are against them as they say they spoil the view, but i personally think they look really spectacular and i'm all for way that we can create energy. Would you be against a wind farm near you? Does it make a difference if its out at sea on inland? What are your views on wind farms?

SOCKS
The double knitted socks on 2 pins are finished, they knitted up so quickly and easily. They are nice and comfy to wear but i am still needing to try the 4 pin method.

I did actually buy a couple more balls of 4 ply wool in preparation for next winter as DH was so thrilled with the ones i knitted this year. I am determined to have a go with 4 pins before next winter so he can have warm and toasty feet again, i've got about 9 months to practice and get a pair knitted up for him LOL


Today is reveal for the monthly challenge at Stitch and Stash, this time we did 'Be True' from Plum Street Samplers. You can see the other finishes this month in the album here. According to the post counter, my last entry was number 500 on the blog. In celebration i've decided to give away my pinkeep version of the design to a blog reader. If you'd like to have it, please say so on your comment and i'll draw a winner later in the week.

Last night it was time to put the clocks forward an hour, losing an hours sleep is not the best news but lighter evenings will be very welcome, DH can spend more time in the garden tending his lovely plants, did you all remember to alter your clocks? Hope you had a lovely weekend and are ready to welcome in April and Easter later this week.

Grand Marquoir

Such a lovely project to stitch over 1 on 25ct, and it's one of those WIP's that you really dont want to put down. With each square being a different colour i think i'm enjoying it more than Beatrix last year. I have been good though and also stitched up the monthly challenge chart at Stitch & Stash, i just need some inspiration for what to do with it now in time for reveal day this weekend.

Thank you to Carol for passing on the Beautiful Blogger award and also to Clare and Chris for giving me the Sunshine Award. Having had a negative experience with awards in the past i've decided not to pass this on to individual blogs. All of the blogs i read are wonderful in many different ways, the writers all have lovely things to share and i do look forward to seeing your work and hearing your news. Thank you to all who visit here, feel free to tag this award for yourself and add it to your own blog if you'd like to.

Finish, WIP and Stash

Good morning ladies, the rains pouring down here today, whats happened to my nice spring sunshine?

My brains thinking of Christmas, here's this months ornament to add to my growing collection. As soon as i saw the 2009 JCS ornament edition i knew i would be doing this one, its such a cute little design by Ladybug Lane Designs and is called Plaid Greetings. The ornament cut of 28 lugana in citrus in my stash was the perfect fabric for the colours used in this one and i decided on a simple pillow finish.

Wednesday was the stitching club, and also the community meeting so i am only at the club for an hour before i have to change rooms. I do wish these meetings would be scheduled for another evening and not the one night a week i have something else planned. I've mentioned changing it but everyone else is happy with that night. My Lady's Quaker was the WIP i took with me this week. Jardin Prive have an alternative to the flower motif bottom left of her dress on their site and me being a kitty person decided it would be perfect for my version, although now i have stitched it in the pink it does look a bit like a naked cat! I did a bit more later in the week and completed the large motif to the left too, it's such a lovely project to stitch.

Lookie what the postie brought me today. I was very impressed with Hazel's socks. It was her first time knitting them and using 5 pins after attending a local workshop and they are in double knitting wool. As you know i've only tried the 2 pin ones in 4 ply wool so far. Browsing through a sale email from an online wool shop that i was recommended too (service is very good) i saw this chart for socks knitted in double knitting. I thought that maybe it would be easier to try this thickness of wool on the 4 pins so i sent for the pattern and 2 balls of wool to give it a go. Talk about laughing your head off when i opened the pattern, they are in fact NOT knitted on 4 pins, but 2 like the ones i have done. Oh well... guess i will have to learn the 4 pin method another time LOL. It's a nice pattern for the hand and leg warmers as well as the socks. I hope they knit us as nice as it looks in the picture.

Enjoy your weekend wherever you are, i hope the weather is kind to those of you who are running/walking a mile tomorrow in aid of Sport Relief.

New Start

Grand Marquoir is on the frame!

I've sorted out quite a few different colours and tried various different layouts for which colour to put where, but keep changing my mind. I'm going to wait till each motif is stitched then choose what colour looks good next to it, i've wasted way too much time playing with threads and could have stitched another motif at least in that time.

Postie delivered a nice surprise today from Karan, it was a book by Jacky Newcomb 'The Angel Lady' called Angels Watching Over Me. Karan has read quite a few by this author and i commented that it sounded a good book. I was brought up to believe in the afterlife as my mum and dad were both active members in the local spiritualist church and we spent many Sundays there. I have been really interested in following Karan's alternative blog and the journey she is taking. Thank you Karan for your kindness, i'm going to enjoy reading about other peoples experiences in this book.

Tomorrow in the UK will be Mothering Sunday, i hope all you mums have a lovely day. My thoughts will be with those of you with angel mums and like me those who have angel children too.

x x x

Couple of finishes

A lovely sunny day on Saturday for our drive over to see my mum. We took her Mothering Sunday gift as she has plans for next weekend with my brother and his family. I took my knitting bag with me and made some progress on this little cardigan for one of DH's friends whose wife gave birth to a lovely little boy named Gabriel last Thursday. There seem to be a lot of newborns about, as we drove by the fields we saw some little lambs frolicking about in the spring sunshine and the usual fisherman by the riverside enjoying the peace and quiet. We had a lovely visit and returned home late in the evening.

The last couple of days i've not felt too good, nothing serious and my chek-up with the Dr today went fine, just keep taking the pills and report in every few weeks as usual. I haven't even switched the computer on and couldn't really settle to anything. I did however, stitch a bit here and there between litle naps on Just Nans Ice Garden for the SAL Tina has organised over at Stitch & Stash. Its now all finished, the fabric and threads are as charted and it really is a pretty design. Time to look and see what design to do next for this ongoing SAL, will it be another band sampler or something different?

The sun is shining today although its quite cold, i've defrosted the birdbath and fed the birds, the washings all done, no other chores today so the rest of the day is mine. I think i'll get out the thread boxes and see if i can choose some nice colours to start Grand Marquoir. After looking at lots of lovely finishes, i've decided that i would like each block to be a different colour so its nice and bright. I might even get a stitch or two added if i dont get carried away with stash fondling. I'm sure you've all lost a morning or afternoon at some time doing just that.

Happy stitching and knitting, thank you for your visit

Quaker update

A few stitches into something at last!

Last night was the stitchy club so i took My Ladys Quaker with me, i needed something easy as i knew we would be chatting about my venture last week and also getting updates on the lady who is sick. ABC and 2 other motifs acrosss the top were added. It felt good to have a needle in my hand again, amazing how much you miss your hobby when time restrictions and life get in the way.

Woke up to the sun shining today and it sure lifts the mood, Spring is on its way! This afternoon i'm off to my yoga class, i'm really looking forward to it having missed last week and the previous week as it was half term holiday for the schools.

Enjoy your day whatever plans you have