Noo's Knits & Other Bits..

Coming home.........

2012-01-22T14:21:00.000Z

This post was sort of written in my head last night on my way home from Norwich. Those of you that read my blog regularly will know of the loss of my dearest friend last year. So by the wonders of modern technology (and some good old fashioned sleuthing... well new fangled cyber-sleuthing to be more accurate) I found the details of his interment service yesterday at his Cathedral.

My first inclination was, in all honesty, not to go. It's a long way and the few internet entries I had read had suggested in would be a short service, and to be frank the last time I was in a church was Bishop Michael's funeral, and quite possibly the time before that was his Ordination as Bishop (ooh no, I'm missing out the Chrism Mass last year - but anyway you get my point!). But as time went on and I thought about it, I realised that this was one of those times when you really do need to get up off your lazy *ahem* and be in a place that you know will feel right. One of those things that if you go and don't (not enjoy - that's the wrong word, but you know what I mean) you have lost nothing, but to sit at home and wish you had been there - well that's an opportunity you'd never get again. And as I had been kind of scouring the internet looking for details my head told me that at least some part of me was interested enough to want to go.

So, train details were gleaned and I set my alarm for 5:45 on a Saturday morning (this in itself is quite an event worth blogging about - I'm rarely up before 8, and a little more often than is probably wise to admit to, not up til 9!)

Now the thing is, that having been to the funeral, and the committal I wasn't quite sure of the purpose of being at this service, but assumed I'd get the message when I got there - And yes, I think I did. You see to me (and possibly wrongly, but we are all allowed our thoughts and interpretations aren't we?) This was completing the circle, this was my dear friend FrM coming home. I had been to his ordination and his funeral at the cathedral, and the last thing I really saw was him being carried out of it .... this was him returning home to his place of rest. Where I can always go and find him if I need. His ashes are interred at the base of the icon of St Felix, in the chapel of the Saints at the east end of the Cathedral, and truthfully when I heard that during the service the biggest smile broke out that I had no control over. Not only because St Felix was the first Bishop of the East Angles, but more because his name....... Joy, Happy. FrM's message was always of the Joy of God.

I thought this would be my last visit to Norwich, it was what I had geared myself up for. But it won't be. A part of me will always also feel at home there, in the place where my friend became part of an amazing family. I, too, have met new friends and people who share memories of Fr M. We had great fun at lunch after the service discussing various memories and learning about the "different ages" of FrM and the different ways we had grown to love this strange little man. So, coming home?..... a final resting place, a place of comfort, or a place in your heart where memories and love will always reside? One, some or all of the above.............

At least I can put snow and frost on my blog.......

2012-01-08T11:56:00.002Z

I love winter. There I've said it, I love cold weather that makes your hands hurt, and frost with sunlight glinting on it, and snow....... I love wrapping up in my blankets, throws and handknit jumpers and snuggling in front of an open fire. I love walking the dog and hearing the ground crunch beneath my feet and seeing her camouflaged in snowy bracken, and coming home to a treat of hot chocolate steaming in a mug.

However, this year's winter has been a little disappointing so far (I know there is plenty of time yet). We had 12 degrees on Christmas day, and really apart from a good dose of bad wind (I guess even mother nature gets affected by Christmas dinner?) our weather has been very unentertaining. We're averaging around 10 - 13 deg C, and the sky seems to be grey more often than not. (There have been some beautiful blue sky days but just not many of them)

So, in celebration of my love of winter, I have slightly redecorated my blog in anticipation of just a few decent weeks of winter weather.

In other news the crochet blanket is going well. I have to wait for some more wool now as two of the colours were out of stock, and I've done all I can in what I have.

I've also resurrected the wii fit, to try to lose the somewhat shocking 4 lbs I put on in just one week over Christmas! ooopsey! So that's what I'm off to do now

Have a great week everyone xx

Dec 2010, I am smiling in there - really! ;)

Not quite sure how this happened?

2012-01-02T15:28:00.002Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here we are all raring to go for the New Year. It's the year when I want to make the Crafters' Barn and Noo's knits really become something special, and I have to say Noo's knits is going very well at the moment. I currently have around 4 weeks worth of knitting orders lined up.

However at the moment I have another large blanket project on the go - I'm not quite sure how that happened, except to say I have learnt my lesson about leaving wonderful Pattern Books lying around.

It turns out that MrNoo totally fell in love with one of the blankets from the book and has asked me to make it for a member of his family. The pattern is the Granny Squares throw.

It is made of 130 odd granny squares -

40 odd of 3 different colours combinations. The above is one combination, which I have made 43 squares of since Christmas Eve! I'm not quite sure how I got into making another big blanket so soon really! Should keep me out of trouble for a while though. ;)

last post of the year........

2011-12-28T13:28:00.002Z

I'm not one to wish a minute of my life away - i truly believe every moment of breath is precious, but if I'm honest I won't be sorry to see the back of this year.

Both mine and MrNoo's family have been hit by the most extraordinary string of bad news in the last 6 months. 4 funerals, 2 serious health scares, broken bones, an exceptionally poorly baby (fingers are still crossed on that one :( ) and just to polish it off - 11 hens to the fox and the poorly dog. (Spot-dog does seem a lot better tho' so we're on the up and up!)

So, in lieu of all that, there'll be no more posts on the blog until the New Year when I will return full of vim and vigour (well I hope I do cos just now I don't even seem capable of completing a thought, let alone a task!) and positive and smiley thoughts.

We're ok - we're just riding the storm, it'll be over soon (it must be surely!) we're just using all our energy to be strong and hold each other up. - Knitting and crochet is still happening (it appears you don't need complete thoughts for that) as are dog-walking and other day to day activities.

I wish you all the very best for 2012 - a year full of love, laughter, peace and light.

'Til soon xx

Just one photo for now

2011-12-05T12:26:00.001Z

It's dull here today, grey, blustery and not very exciting at all. This has made it particularly difficult to photograph my latest finished object!! (yep, ladies and gentlemen, the blanket is finished)

So in the interests of not keeping you waiting here is a not very artistic shot of it. Hopefully I will manage to get some nicer ones before it's all parcelled up. There are a few ends that need sewing in tonight, but other than that it's good to go!

I've totally loved making this, the pattern is easy but not as boring as stocking stitch! I am somewhat disappointed in Rowan's technical editing though. The pattern had more mistakes than I would consider acceptable. Made worse by the fact that the mistakes were in the second and third panels which were obviously then copied and pasted down for the other panel instructions. At one point the pattern said to repeat the last 8 rows when it meant the last 12, and at another point it said to knit rows 46-48 of pattern B, but pattern B finishes on row 40! it's not rocket science and whilst I appreciate that errata are totally understandable in something that doesn't actually make sense unless you knit it, I really think a company the size of Rowan should be able to do a bit better than this. It was an incredibly simple pattern so there shouldn't really have been any errors.

Anyway details as folllows
Pattern: Tweed Throw from Rowan Purelife Home book.
Yarn: Rowan Renew
Colours as pattern.

Knit on 6mm Knitpro interchangeable circs (longest cord I had!)
No mods made to pattern other than where it needed correcting!

Hopefully some more arty shots but this little beauty needs to be parcelled up and sent on her way.

D, I really hope you have cold winters where you are, my heating bill is likely to go up considerably now I've finished knitting this! ;)

Been over a week since I posted?! Gosh lots has happened.

2011-11-17T13:31:00.001Z

Time can fly by so quickly can't it.

Firstly an update on the gorgeous blanket. It's now big enough to keep my knees warm as I knit it, always a good thing.

It's also now big enough to drape over my rocking chair (and it looks very nice there I must say! LOL)

So that has been consuming a lot of my time. Other than that I've had a bit of a week with Spot who needed the emergency vet on Saturday as she couldn't stand up, and has since been on anti-inflammatories and bed rest - she's not impressed! Huge improvement though and seems ok again now, although the vet has today said there is definitely impaired mobility around her spine/hind legs, but seemingly no pain, so difficult to locate the exact problem. We don't know what happened and are now going to get her off the meds to see if it happens again or what the situation is. Trouble with Spot is she only has two speeds:- Asleep and 100mph! there's nothing in the middle for her. We're trying to learn the command "steady" but I'm not having a lot of success . She's 9 years old, so not ancient by any stretch but also it could just be the beginnng of old age arthritis. I kind of hope it is rather than a nerve problem........ Oh well best just not to think about the possibilities until we know more.

So, there's been that to keep me busy (I've insisted on lots of spaniel cuddles!), a quick trip to London to see TJ Johnson and The Fallen Heroes on Sunday (that was fun :D) and a bit of house tidying as I have 11 knitters, spinners and sewers round on Saturday for a craft day. (Sewers as in with a sewing machine, not sewers as in underground pipework!) Not that the house tidying has got very far - I keep getting waylaid by dog cuddling. Oh well, I'm afraid I'm very much a "Take as you find" kind of girl, if none of them turn up to the next one I'll know the state of the house was a step too far! (it's not really that bad, just winter with a dog on house arrest and piles of yarn and fabric all over the place)

Right well it's getting dark here, so time to pull the curtains and get the knitting out........ 'Til soon xx

Arghhh! ground to a halt

2011-11-12T14:33:00.001Z

There's an error in the pattern. I am fairly sure I know what it should say (but doesn't) but you know if i carry on then I will be wrong. If I stop and wait I will be right! - This is what's known as S*d's law! ;)

In the meantime, if you fancy perusing handcrafted items. Handmade For You UK is holding an online craft fair on facebook. The crafters' Barn has a few items in amongst it. It has taken the form of a series of facebook photo albums separated into gift categories. - Go have a look, you may just find what Granny wants for Christmas! ;)

I'll be back with more progress photos as soon as I can!

Guess what?

2011-11-08T15:41:00.000Z

Yep!!! It's that throw again ;)

I don't care if you're bored tho' (and I bet all you knitters out there aren't bored one bit) But I so want D to have an idea of the journey of this, and also........ well you know I like memories!

I've just started using the blue. One thing that I love about the process of knitting is "Colour". As those yarns are slipping through your fingers you notice (if you're looking!) every nupp and tweed and thread and fibre. These yarns have been incredibly cleverly designed. You can just about see in that photo above that in the brown yarn (It's called Trailer) there is the very occasional blue bobble (tweedy bit, nupp? - what would you call it?) which is almost exactly the overall colour of the blue I have just started using. I doubt you'd ever notice if you just picked up the knitting, but to have handled the yarn and seen every stitch wrap around the needle....... well you notice all sorts (fairies/pixies?!). The Blue is deeper than this photo shows. Very slightly green - I suppose the overall colour i would call a deep petrol blue, but again it is made of so many strands and fibres of different colours. - I think I have only seen this colour once before - and it was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean! ;)

Back to the knitting. x

Week 1 of the Tweed Throw

2011-11-06T13:36:00.002Z

This week has gone in a blur of knitting. I can't deny I am LOVING knitting the throw. The colours are deep and mirror the amazing Autumness (ok i know that's not a word) that we are experiencing here in the uk at the moment.

Spot wanted to show you what I mean by Autumness!

I've finished the first tweed panel, and started the second. The photos don't really do the colour or texture justice. The colours are deeper and warmer. My camera seems to want to brighten the whole thing so I've taken down the exposure level in picnik, but that's changed the intensity a bit. These are the best representations I can get tho'

I've managed to knit quite a bit this week, but I think progress will slow a little now. It's beginning to get that wonderful heaviness that only a wool blanket can have but it does mean I can't knit for more than about an hour and a half at a time without needing to give my shoulders a break. This will be the case for about another 2 weeks, then it will magically become big enough to sit in my lap without the need to lift and turn every row. I already miss the warmth of it when I stop knitting and get up tho' as it sits on my thigh keeping the chill off.

There are other things going on Chez Noo, but they are drifting into the background as I just love making this.......... Bonfire night has been and gone, and Spot spent the night in usual terror. In the end I took her out for a drive which seemed to work rather well.

Right I really must get on - I'm wasting valuable knitting time!

oooh oooooh oooh ooooh !

2011-11-01T16:04:00.000Z

Can't stop - I'm knitting! ;)

A commission.

2011-10-30T14:50:00.002Z

So, as well as knitting self designed ~~odds and sodds~~ accessories for sale in The Crafters' Barn. I also knit as "a service". So either someone sees a pattern that they fall in love with but are unable to make themselves, or they want something specific designed and made.

A commission has come about in the former of the above circumstances. A lovely lady (who I will refer to as D) came from the USA to visit her daughter this summer and happened upon the Rowan Tweed Throw while perusing John Lewis.

Now, one of my very favourite things to make are blankets/throws. For a whole bunch of reasons really:- Firstly, because there is enough knitting to get your teeth into, and because of the general lack of shaping etc you can be so much more experimental with patterns, stitches etc. Secondly, because they always fit! (and no I'm not joking there, there is nothing worse than making a garment for someone and the sleeves being too short, or the chest being too small (or large) I truly have difficulty enough making things fit me, so knitting garments for someone else is always a challenge). And thirdly and most importantly - because blankets become such an important part of a home life. They share moments with us. We snuggle under them on the sofa, we hide behind them in the scary parts of films, we cry into them, and laugh under them, we are ill under them and we just sit and hold hands under them. They share Sunday films on wet weekends, and afternoon naps when we're under the weather. In short they become one of the family. And if they are treated right, and made out of good quality yarn, they will last us many many years. (It is due to that last point that I now find I have to make them for other people, because as the proud owner of 4 blankets, i have nowhere else left to keep them!) So you see it is an honour and a privilege to be able to make something for a home that will become so much part of that home as time goes on. (well i surely hope that is the case anyway)

So, D has ordered the yarn and pattern to be delivered straight to me, and hopefully they will be here soon. I promise photos as soon as they are. And about 10 minutes after that, I will begin knitting (I'm allowing 10 minutes for finding the right needles but in all honesty I won't be able to wait even that long) and I have promised to blog my progress so that she can follow the journey of the throw, because as much as it will become part of her home in time, for the first 6 odd weeks of its life it will become a huge part of mine. And that my friends, is why I love to craft and why making things for people is so amazing. When I started the Crafters' Barn I put the tagline as "Put a little handmade love in your home" and I really hope that that will never be more true than for this commission.

Some shameless plugging (or showing you my knits!)

2011-10-21T20:12:00.001+01:00

Well now that I'm a business I kinda felt weird thinking about showing you all my finished items, because they're for sale and i didn't want to plug tooo shamelessly (!) But then I thought that as this is a knitting blog it seems daft not to really, so here are my latest finished objects! (I feel as if I am permantly attached to Barbara Walker's Treasury at the moment!)

So from the top: Merino Viscose cowl knitted in ICE yarns.
Second: Alpaca cowl in Garnstudio/Drops alpaca (mmmmm gorgeous)
Third: Baby blanket wonderfully modelled by Teddy Anne (noseless Teddy Anne as it happens, but I think noseless is the very least you can be at 43 years old eh?) Knitted in DROPS/Garnstudio Delight. Very nice yarn and machine washable.
Fourth: Merino/Cashmere Gentleman's keyhole scarf. Yarn is from Kingcraig in Brora. Quite a sturdy yarn, not soft like the baby merinos but lovely nonetheless and will at least stand up to a little 5 o'clock shadow!
Fifth: Alpaca/Merino/Silk Infinity scarf in Araucania Azapa. OMiGoodness this yarn is totally gorgeous. soft as anything. (and absolutely not suitable for the 5o'clock shadow - would be totally wasted on a bloke!)

So there you have it. There are a couple more finishes but i haven't taken the photos yet.

In other news life is much as normal. Chickens, dog walks, hoovering (ok I lied about the last one) And generally totally enjoying this amazing October sunshine we're having.

Hope you are too?

Sad News & Ally Pally 2011

2011-10-10T13:11:00.000+01:00

I'm sorry everyone, I've been AWOL again. It's been a bit of a fortnight if I'm honest, and although writing about it may well have actually been a good thing, i just didn't feel the love for blogging during it.

All you blog-readers should know, though, that my beautiful Silkie-mama was taken by a fox last week. So no more pictures of her. Super-sad as she was brooding 6 new silkie eggs for me. I had left the door to the house open as i was away for the day, and the fox must've found a way in. Tbh i do leave the house open often and have never had an issue, but there you have it, it's happened, and I'm gutted (and have to admit to bawling my eyes out at the time - especially as it was a bit of a raw day for me anyway) So the fox has not only denied me my chicken cuddle, but has possibly cost me £120 in lost chicken sales (silkies sell well as they are such good mums), assuming a 50% female hatch rate. Plus it'll cost me every bit of £30-£40 to replace her possibly,( and that's money I haven't got at the moment). Although i won't do that yet as having such a little bird hasn't always been easy. She was way too small to be in with the big girls - plus she was broody every other fortnight, so she spent most of her life in her own house and run, but alongside the big girls so she could see them. But it wasn't always the most convenient of situations. So I need to consider carefully what to do next. She was a wonderful mum though and she did me proud with around 6 hatches.

If she had already hatched the chicks i really wouldn't have felt as badly about it. She was getting old, and i s;pose the fox needs to eat as much as the next animal. And she would never have been worth plucking and dealing with for a human meal. And if they die naturally you are not supposed to bury them any more, so that would have meant a huge fire (a cremation service if you will) So, another 6 months down the line and I'd have taken it much more pragmatically. But the timing sucks both financially and emotionally and I'm heartbroken to have lost the only chicken that would actually be cuddled! - She really was a little snuggler.

Anyway, moving swiftly on.......

Last Thursday Mum and i made our annual pilgrimmage to Ally Pally for the Knitting and Stitching show. I took a certain amount of cash (and no credit cards so I couldn't be tempted to abandon my budget!) and am very happy with my purchases:

I got a 3 month subscription to The Knitter, and Molly Makes (not hugely impressed with the latter, but that's the beauty of a cheap 3 month sub!) I got a thread box (no an ice cream tub is not a suitable substitute). "Crochet lace innovations" by Doris Chan. And three lots of yarn: 3 Skeins of pure silk, 10 Skeins of green Mirasol Sulka and 4 skeins of Subliime Kid Mohair blend.

We had a really lovely day, it wasn't overly crowded and we had plenty of time to amble around and decide how to spend our money. The highlight of my day was very definitely meeting Doris Chan, especially as i was wearing my Jewel jumper at the time. At this time of the year it is one of my most wearable jumpers, and i think I may have helped boost her book sales just a little! *blushes*. So amazing to be noticed by the designer of something you are wearing though - especially if it's a make that you are happy with. It was definitely one of those Big Grin moments!

So there you go, a mixed week. But we are now starting a new one, and I have a smile on my face and a skip in my step, because life is too short not to have. I have lots of ideas for the yarn I bought at Ally pally - all of which is destined for The Crafters' Barn. - So if you fancy any of it, - keep a look out in my shop.

Have a great week, and I'll be back soon xx

And so to the next stage.....

2011-09-27T10:17:00.000+01:00

Job2 has finished today. I'm all wrapped up there and as a celebration I am meeting Franney for a lovely dog walk and probably cake!

The Crafters' Barn will be opening its (virtual) doors on Saturday 1st October and I have a few things for sale in it (in the Noo's Knits category in case that wasn't obvious!) and now have time to up the production level a little. Plus I have several other irons in the fire so to speak.

Next door garden is also coming along, the chickens are doing a great job of weeding!

So, hopefully i'll be updating this a little more often, but in the meantime I'm off for CAKE!

'Til soon x

My world has gone just a little bit crazy!

2011-09-15T19:16:00.000+01:00

I'll be back properly soon I promise. But in the meantime - the chicks have moved next door. The fence has a lovely new trellis top. My boiler has been fixed. The crafters barn is coming on in leaps and bounds, Spot is lovely. I have 4 new hens who are all seemingly laying, Job2 finishes 26 Sept and I'm happy about that cos i want to move on now. My neighbour is 90 tomorrow! (which seems quite an achievement to me) I have this week made 14 portions of bolognese and 12 portions of pulse chilli for the freezer - the house smells mostly of garlic!

'Til soon friends xx

New Fence!

2011-09-03T09:25:00.003+01:00

So, MrNoo and i worked hard this week on our new garden extension! The most important thing was to get a new fence up as the old one was ....... well it almost wasn't really! We wanted something taller and sturdier before we put the chickens over there. So 140 featheredge boards. 5 fence posts. 10 bags of post mix, 3 gravel boards and 5 arris rails. Plus associated screws nails and brackets and this is what we ended up with:

We've left the posts long as we are hoping to get a little bit of flimsy trellis to run along the top - just to make climbing over a little more difficult until the weeds/ivy/brambles grow up on the outside as we back on to a car park. So a bit of trellis and some lovely thorny roses will suffice for now I think! ;)

So now the actual gardening starts! We need to get some old timbers to make some raised beds as the ground is quite stoney and it's not like we don't have an entire chicken run of good compost to fill them with. We'll probably try recycled scaffold boards again as they have worked quite well in my garden, although we would line them with some plastic this time to stop the damp earth actually touching the boards as they have begun to rot. I've already bought a few seeds for autumn planting too!

In other news my July challenge which slipped into August has now been completed thanks to a good weekend of F1 at Spa last week (and consequently quite a bit of sofa time for me.

I haven't chosen a September challenge yet. I'm not sure if I will as I really need to get some stuff made up for the Crafters' barn, otherwise my shop will be empty! The website is coming along nicely, so it would be good if I had stuff to list on it.

Right, that's us all about caught up now - what have you been up to?

A weekend!

2011-08-21T10:05:00.001+01:00

So, here's the garden extension:

I spent 4 hours in it yesterday afternoon, and it doesn't look much different...... although I did find 2 paths! LOL

before I got out there tho' it had rained quite heavily, so whilst waiting for that to ease, I made a notebook:

Very slap-dash but kind of fun. It's 4 signatures (which I sewed together on a sewing machine cos I was in a rush and couldn't find a needle <<< I'm soo bad) but it'll do for my purpose for now! And by the time I was placing a book on it to hold it while the PVA dried, the rain had stopped.

Other than that, life has been fairly normal:
We walked and Spot got hot, so we stopped for a sit:

But evidently for just a bit too long:

Right, time to go and see what Sunday has to offer.

Have a great weekend and week everyone x

Wow, so much excitement

2011-08-18T15:09:00.003+01:00

So, the plans are coming along nicely! - well nicely in that there's loads of enthusiasm & interest, but as with all new ventures it takes a while to get everything in place and work out how things will work. But
The Crafters' Barn is a very real project all of a sudden, and not just an idea in my head! - Watch this space!

We've also measured up next door garden for her new fence. Now we just need it to stop raining! ;

It's all so exciting, but I have to admit I don't know which way is up at the moment.

A few changes Chez noo

2011-08-14T14:08:00.003+01:00

So, a few changes are afoot chez noo soon - d'you want to hear about them?

(Please say yes otherwise this post is done already!)

Firstly, my lovely neighbour, who is a spritely 89 and 11 months, has recently hurt her shoulder very badly. It has somewhat incapacitated her and I've been doing what I can to make sure that she gets to the shops and has plenty of food in, and mowing her lawn etc. - She has been paying me for my "services" which has been hard to accept but I know that it is about keeping Independence and I am helping her do that so I've got used to it a bit. however, last week MrNoo and I had a bit of a brainwave. We wondered if she would allow us to use the rear half of her garden, in payment for the odd chores and taking to shops. It would give me more space for the more roaming veg (potatoes, squash) and also those veg that you need loads of - onions and carrots for example. Plus i could put some extra chickens in there which would help with the weeding, and allow me to repair the extreme damage the littlies have done to my lawn. Now of course I could do a lot of this in my garden, but i like having enough lawn for Spot to play tail-chase, and to get my hammock out, and all those kind of things, so this would be perfect. Well I broached the subject on Saturday, - and the lady - she say "Yes". I nearly squealed with excitement. We have said that we will replace her rear fence as part of the deal, as i think I'm generally doing better out of it than she is, and anyway it is as much to my benefit as hers as it will help with privacy and security for both of us. - it's all very overgrown at the moment, and there are rocks and bricks. But the chickens will soon help us clear it and then we can get planning. We are hoping to get the fence done before winter and start to clear. We might not get much planted this year - although you never know the length of autumns we have had in the last few years there's always a possibility.

Secondly, i think a few months ago I mentioned that Job2 were making me redundant (sort of) as they want someone full time and office based and it's not a position i was interested in (especially having read this week that ladies are not allowed to wear sandals in the office in summer due to H&S risks of dropping things on toes and scalding from kettles; are they serious? is this normal? What about the slippers I wear at home, will they soon be outlawed - anyway I digress............) So I have been thinking of jobs/businesses which could be predominantly home based. Obviously there is my crafting ~~obsession~~ hobby, and i will soon(ish) be setting up a website to sell some handmade items. I've outlined a brief business and marketing plan and think that, although it would never make me a living on its own, I can turn a bit of profit for just padding out the income a bit.

I've also been investigating copywriting & SEO (search engine optimisation). I love writing, and when i read back over my blog I am sometimes surprised that I do actually make sense (it doesn't always in my head! LOL) So with a bit of study and reading, I am hoping I may be able to do that in a self employed or part time capacity, and if nothing else it should mean I can build a really good website for my crafted bits.. And of course there's always the book-keeping for MrNoo's business, which keeps me quite busy, and I have been neglecting lately in favour of job2 a bit. Plus with the possibility of extra chickens next door I should have more eggs to sell, and maybe even spare veg and plants? - None of them alone would make enough to call a living, but hopefully a little of all of it put together will keep baked beans on the table and the mortgage paid. Anything more than that is a bonus!

So it's all very exciting, and my to-do list has grown to pages and pages. But I'm up for the challenge (all of them) and have loads of ideas and plans. Hopefully the blogging won't suffer, cos it'd be lovely if you all came on the journey with me.

I'll try to start with pics of my new back garden extension later in the week! ;)

'Til soon x

Update on lace sleeves sweater

2011-08-09T13:47:00.001+01:00

Just wanted to share how this is turning out - i am loving it! - obviously being 4ply it's slow progress (and I'll never make it again in 4ply ;) ) but it's gorgeous so far:

I need to add more length then there is a lace panel that goes on the bottom, and the sleeves need to be knitted (they're lace, but given the name of the sweater that shouldn't be a surprise!). I'm knitting this in Twilley's Freedom Gorgeous 4ply

Also i wanted to show you this finished Cami, I had forgotten to take a photo of it finished. it's stretched a bit on the straps so i need to stitch some ribbon or binding in them to hold them a bit tighter, but i love it and wear it loads.

pattern: Beaded Cami, heavily modified though with help from other knitters notes on ravelry! (and without the beads!) Knitted in King Cole Bamboo Cotton, colour Opal.

Knitting update

2011-07-29T14:47:00.000+01:00

Right back to business eh? The July challenge has taken a bit of a battering in the past few weeks so I'm not quite going to finish it. - It's close though, and won't be too far behind. i always find knitting harder in the summer - it's hot to handle wool for a start, and there are so many other things to do in the extended daylight hours. But anyway enough of the excuses - here they are in their present state:

The pattern is Leyburn and the yarn is Opal Snake.

I am also making a gorgeous top-down lace-sleeved, 4 ply top. The pattern is here (Ravelry link) and I am using freedom gorgeous 4 ply which is a bamboo mix. it's coming out really nicely, but i seem to have far more stitches on the front than the back - no idea what I have done - I've not been concentrating as well as normal obviously. But I'm plodding on anyway as I have a fairly decent bust to fill the extra frontage (!) and will try to bodge the waist shaping to even it all out. - We will wait and see what happens.

That photo isn't a good colour likeness at all - the colour is fennel and it's a lot brighter "in the real" !

Everything else is plodding along as normal Chez Noo, the weeds seem to be growing at 4 times the rate of any flowers or veggies, as is the lawn (I say lawn but actually that's really just weeds too) Spot is enjoying being a bit more restful in the hotter weather and the chickens are laying well. I do have some red-mite in the biggest house so house-painting/disinfecting/blowtorching will be happening this weekend. - As I say - all normal!

2 days til August!

Chicks are growing up!

2011-07-24T11:13:00.000+01:00

These are the little chicks that were hatched 27-5-11. They're in the run with Dad, who's had to be separated from the hens as he gets picked on, and really we should cull him cos he's got a bad leg - but he eats and drinks and does the business if we put him in with the ladies, so we're keeping him until this little boy grows up (and I have grown emotionally attached, which should never have happened!!). Dad has been looking after these little ones so well. We've given them a separate box to sleep in (Dad is BIG!) but he fusses over them, and protects them fiercely if something new enters the garden (as my Mum & Dad's weimaraner found out the other week)

All three chicks:

When I grow up I'm going to be big and strong like Daddy, but right now I'm just a little bit scared of you:-

Daddy and three tails:-

That dark brown one is soooo pretty:-

They're all just "mongrels" bred from my own hens and Dad there in the photo (he was also a mongrel) I honestly have no idea what I've got now, but in my time there have been Sussex/Sasso crosses, Sussex/Rhode Island Red crosses, Welsummer pure breeds, (and a silkie, but I'm not mating her with that cockerel!!! He'd break her!)

Anyway they're all very lovely, although have just got to that very skittish age where they jump at the sight of everything. - I need to make a shorter smaller run so I can handle chick more as they always become impossible to catch at this age! - I'm sure they'll settle down later tho'

So fingers crossed there's no Coccidiosis this year, and that these little beauties grow up to start my next generation.

Bishop Michael Evans - RIP 1951 - 2011

2011-07-14T15:26:00.008+01:00

Oh dear, I have no idea how to write this, but know that I must. I need to write for me, to begin to put all my thoughts in some kind of comprehensive order (there's a first time for everything)

Firstly, the photo. I have chosen this photo specifically of my dear friend. Because, although he was a Bishop, a priest, a vice-rector, a school chaplain, He was to me, a friend. I can't say just an ordinary friend because there was nothing ordinary about this man. But he was a friend.

(Here's one that's not quite so ordinary)

(Now half an hour later as I got side-tracked reading old emails between us whilst looking for those photos! - memo to self: Back up those emails!!)

So whilst all the other obituaries are about a Bishop (which is as it should be) this one is about a friend. Fr Evans was our school chaplain in my senior school, and although I was not (and am not still) a Catholic, i was welcomed, as were all pupils, to participate in Mass as much as possible. Fr Evans wanted us all to feel so much part of the family that he had permission to bless loaves of bread for those of us who were not Catholic to be able to share some of the meaning of Mass. He joined the school the year after I started in the senior school, and i can remember a shift in the way the masses felt (with no disrespect meant to Fr Watts who had preceeded him) He brought the warmth of Taizé with him, and a way of connecting with young people and trying to make them part of the mass. He changed the focus from something we watched happen, to something we became part of - all of us, Catholics and non Catholics alike. The name of our denomination didn't matter, what mattered was whether we wanted to be part of celebrating God in our lives.

I played the guitar at school, and as there were not many of us that did, I was soon ~~made~~ encouraged to join the folk group (which i ended up leading for 3 years - not bad for someone that can't sing!) This musical interlude gave me reason to have many meetings with Father Evans, and we soon became firm friends (despite his annoyance at my desire to ~~massacre~~ play "Answer me this mystery" at every mass and assembly possible) His office door was always open, his kettle was always on (although we had to find our own milk!) and he even had biscuits. Particularly in my 6th form years it became a haven, a peaceful room to get away from teachers and noise (and work!). Filled with floor cushions and a tiny desk in the corner. And a tape player which always had Shostakovitch on when you entered and Chris de Burgh or Meatloaf on by the time you left! (Although there were sometimes compromises with John Michael Talbot, or Rondo Veneziano, or Barber's Adagio for Strings, which still sends goosebumps up my arms!) There was always (well ok "almost always") a smile waiting, and if you wanted to talk, pray, sit in silence, or just rant.... all were acceptable. There was never any pressure. Father Evans brought the love of God to us, but it was placed before us, as if on a plate, it was up to us to take it and devour it if we chose.

As time went on and i left school we stayed in touch. Meeting as often as work allowed for pub meals or visiting him at St Johns Seminary where he was Vice-rector. He then moved to South London as a University Chaplain, then back to Wonersh seminary then to Tunbridge Wells, and finally to East Anglia. So visits became fewer, but we have written regularly (in fact when i was looking for those photos earlier I realised we have written I'd say every 8 weeks or so, for all those last 25 odd years (I'm not counting the years at school, I don't want to give away my age too closely! :-) ) Despite his illness in the last 6 years, and his unbelievable schedule. He has still written regularly, and remembered birthdays, and sent Christmas cards with handwritten personal messages and "words of wisdom" And i've been for a couple of visits up to Norwich to see him in his proper surroundings! For his ordination as Bishop, I bought him a small digital camera, and was suitably rewarded with so many photos and shared memories. That was another thing about Fr M, whatever you gave, you got back in abundance!

I read this back and it's so little of the memories I have. I cannot begin to summarise them, . - Rain dances in the sixth form garden and going and covering FrM's office in tiny bits of white blossom (it looked like someone has shaken three boxes of confetti over the room), he wasn't impressed (although we did see a smile or two hiding behind the stern look!) The hottest most garliciest (is that a word?!) Chille con carne in a pub in Bramley during a retreat weekend. Someone trying to escape the retreat weekend out of the window to go to the aforementioned pub, and every time her feet hit the ground a torch light would come on, and that slow unmistakeable voice "Yes?". (Seriously, how DID he know?!) Our first culinary experiences/experiments at Maryvale on retreat as we 16 year olds tried to cook for 10 or so people (not always terribly successfully, but always with enthusiasm). The films, and candlelit masses,Taizé chants, the pansy, the broken guitar strings and bad harmonies, the wrong songs in the wrong places, signed retreat books (they must've taken an age to compile in a Pre-PC age!), folk group practices, Wednesday evening healing Masses, stroppy teenagers, curries and afternoon teas, his little blue ford fiesta (often laden with 6th formers and a distinct smoke filled interior). But always, always that twinkling smile in his eyes. That deeply peaceful persona.

(I have, since I originally wrote this, been reminded of August 10 2009, Fr M's 58th birthday. - I asked him if he would please spend 10 minutes at a particular spot in his garden, which is a place we had sat together a few weeks earlier, and that I in turn would sit on Newlands Corner, looking out over Wonersh (ish) and we would be together at evening prayer, sort of! - He wrote to me that evening that he had indeed done my bidding but had been sidetracked on his return indoors by some weeds in the lawn which he had taken objection to, and had spent the best part of an hour hand-picking out! - Much as the title of this post is Rest in Peace, I'm thinking strictly between he and I that resting is the last thing Fr M would want heaven to be - and he probably already has it organised in alphabetical order sub-divided by height or some such)

Someone who must have known Fr M very well, wrote on Twitter "May he rest in peace, in the prescence of his Aslan."

The Last Battle: C.S.Lewis
And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and so beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all the adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last the were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.

I maintain that Fr M gave me my smile. He taught me how to be peaceful and happy in the very heart of myself, and there is no greater gift.

Enjoy your next journey my dear, dear friend, it deserves to be an amazing one. xx

July Challenge

2011-07-11T12:14:00.002+01:00

Just a quick note to say that my July sock yarn challenge has been chosen and is well underway.

The yarn is Opal rainforest in Snake, and the pattern is Leyburn (Ravelry link).

Here it is all reading and waiting for me to start:

And here is a little progress shot:

It's way further than that now, as I have completed the foot and am halfway or so up the leg. I modded the pattern a little to have a bigger foot (pattern says 50 sts around) I have 30 on the sole and 34 on the top. I am also doing a gusset heel, as i find short row heels a bit tight around my instep/ankle area.

Should get these done on time! ;)

Colour!

2011-07-03T18:23:00.002+01:00

Today I have finished two blankets (like buses, none for ages then two at a time)

First there is my nephew's sockyarn blanket. It was made originally when he was born, but he's now nearly 4 and it needed lengthening, so here is a Big Boy's Blanket!

Made from sock yarn scraps, it's just mitred squares of 31 stitches, with a slipped stitch edging so once the first row is done you can pick up and knit on. It's about 5ft long now, should last him a couple of years!

Secondly I have finished my blanket of sunshine:

It is the Willow Block from Jan Eaton's book 200 crochet squares. Made in Rico cotton in 15 colours. Each colour took each position in the square twice, so there are 30 squares, and 4 rows of DC around the edge. I have more yarn to do more edging and I may well at some point, but for now it's finished! I haven't measured it but I'd say it's around 4ft x 3ft 6.

The garden is also really colourful at the moment, with the marigolds particularly showing their form:

There they are above, bordering my rampaging vegetable bed. Any minute now those yellow flowers will be joined by red runner bean flowers and ripening tomatoes, and the yellow courgette flowers.

The petunias are also pretty awesome now, they have a gentle fragrance, and a neon colouring - fantastic:

The photo doesn't do them any justice at all, they are deep and bright, like a perfect velvet. Amazing colouring.

I'd have taken photos of the Gazanias too as they are also beautiful colours, but they have not deemed it sunny enough today to open fully - I love how they open what they consider a sensible amount for the day - rain, and they stay tightly closed, cloudy - and they open just a tad, full on burn your bits sun - and they turn their faces up to the sun as wide open as they can be and enjoy the warmth on their petals. - It's all very clever.

I have also chosen my July challenge, but it's tucked away in my Lovely sock project bag. (Mine has meeces on, it's super cute and awesome!) and quite frankly I'm too lazy to get it out to photo - especially as I haven't even cast on yet. It's waiting for me tho'!

So there you have it, colour on a Sunday. And now the evening sun has come out and is at the best it has been all day - I feel a little garden knitting coming on, while I listen to the blackbird staking his claim to his territory! Hope you all had a great weekend.

May Challenge, which became June Challenge. Now Finished!

2011-06-25T15:07:00.000+01:00

Got in a bit of a state with these - for no reason other than I'm a bit lazy,and knitting needs to be "in front of the tv" type stuff really. These had two pattern charts, one 24 rows and one 20 rows, plus I re-wrote the pattern to be toe-up instead of cuff-down.

But once all the moaning was over with I got on with them, and now have a fab pair of socks to show for it!

So, they took me two months instead of one, but hey - it's summer and knitting time is sorely reduced by gardening and other sunny activities. I'm sure I'll catch up later in the year!

Friends, fun and frolicks

2011-06-14T15:19:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday I held a forum day here (the crafty threads n yarns forum for those that don't know). The idea was just to get together with as many people as lived close enough to make the journey, and knit and chat.

I've been trying to work out how to write about it, because I didn't take any photos and the only photos that were taken had people in, which I wouldn't put on a public blog............. so without the visual help, I need to find the words!

I'll start by saying that the incomparable MrNoo helped me sort and re-arrange the house so that the 11 expected guests could stay inside as the weather report suggested heavy rain. We Moved my kitchen table out of the conservatory, and into the kitchen, and moved the sofa from the lounge to the space now made in the conservatory. We brought all the chairs in too, and put cushions on them, and when we had finished that......... I cooked!! beef casserole and home made ice cream (not to be eaten together you understand!)

So that was Friday, and i have to admit to being a bit nervous. You know how it is when people are coming to your home, my housekeeping skills aren't exactly awesome, and I live alone so only have myself to please when it comes to standards (and mine are pretty low). There was also the thing of it being a forum gettogether. We all (I think) know each other quite well, we banter and chat on the forum and take the mickey out of each other, and generally I feel have a really good community relationship, we work hard at it, and it works well. But, although I had met nearly everyone before, I was also nervous of how it would work as a "real life" group, and especially in my domestic setting rather than a public venue. Anyway i went to bed and hardly slept, kept thinking of things I needed to have done, which mostly i had or had a good reason for waiting til the next morning, but you know how the mind plays games when you really need a good night's sleep!

I awoke on Saturday to a clear sky, a chilly breeze and a certain spring in my step because of them. Conservatory doors open, and although there was plenty of space inside, everyone had the choice of getting themselves a bit more space outside!! My Mum arrived early and helped me scrape the new potatoes, then lay out the table (she had also brought a very generous afternoon tea of oat cookies, chocolate muffins and blueberry muffins) and that was that, we were ready.

The day itself was so much fun, and my over-riding memory is of hearing laughter all around my home and garden. I don't think a lot of actual knitting got done, but the intention was there as most people had brought something, but chat and laughter got in the way. And I think even knitting can be left aside to make room for laughter, No?

We also held an auction, which had been donated to by many members of the forum who were there, and who hadn't been able to make it, which Jacky handled admirably. And we had a swap table. So, in addition to the wonderful day, company, & laughter, we managed to raise £182.50 for cancer research, and everyone went home with at least as much stuff as they had brought - it was just different "stuff". Awesome!

So as i think back on Saturday, the sun shining, a few shafts of light bouncing off needles and hooks, my heart skips a little beat. That I am so blessed to be part of such a fantastic community, and that I can count on each and every member of it as a proper, honest-to-goodness, real-life friend.

Thank you all, I am humbled by your generosity, and honoured to be your friend.

xx

Summer colours

2011-06-01T15:08:00.003+01:00

-Summer colours in the garden

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End of May already

2011-05-30T12:48:00.000+01:00

So the May socks are going extraordinarily slowly. I think i've lost the love for them, but am nearly finished on the first one so haven't the heart to frog it and choose another pattern. Whatever happens they ain't gonna be finished for May!

We also seem to have acquired 3 new chicks.

These little lovelies have already had so much bad luck thrown at them..They were abandoned at 18 days by my broody silkie (chicks take 21 days to hatch) and the eggs had gone quite cold. As luck would sort of have it, I had another broody - an old Welsummer (She's 5 or 6 years old and has never gone broody in her life until now) So we put them under her in the main hen house just in case. And on day 23, just when I was going to empty the nestbox and get her sorted out, these little ones appeared from under her! (There was a fourth but it didn't make it :( )

It all caused a bit of a dilemma, because firstly, Welsummers are renowned for being bad mothers. Secondly Silkie was in the broody coop, and she can't go in the main run cos she is so much smaller than the other girls and gets beaten up, and the cockerel is still recovering from his hen-pecked injuries in the 2nd run. So what the heck was I going to do with these. I couldn't leave them with the Welsummer, even if she had been a good mother they couldn't stay in the main run with all the other old biddies. So, they are currently in a recycling box in my spare room, with a heat lamp for warmth. I think the poor old cockerel will have to go to the Freezer, and Silkie will go in the 2nd run. Hopefully when the chicks are a little bigger they'll go in there with her, but we'll have to see.

I have also made a couple of cushion covers. 3 down, another 3 to do at least (although I have 10 inserts as it was cheaper to buy them in 10's!)

In the meantime, I am furiously knitting and lovely the sock yarn blanket. I had forgotten how much fun it was to knit.

Return of an old friend

2011-05-19T14:46:00.002+01:00

I made this sock yarn blanket in 2007. Finished just after my 2nd nephew was born. Well I always knew it would need making longer and the time has come. It now needs to be at least 1m50 in length cos the little man is now a wonderful 3 1/2 year old and this doesn't cover his toes any more. It's kinda nice to have it back!

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Time flies

2011-05-14T08:46:00.000+01:00

Well spring (or maybe summer) is here, and as always my little blog gets a bit neglected while I juggle gardening, knitting, sewing and generally slobbing around in the sun.

But just a quick post to show you that I have chosen my May Sock-yarn challenge:

It's Opal Winterberry (that I got as part of my CTnY Christmas swap) to be knit in the Slippery Socks pattern. I've started them - and changed the pattern to toe-up cos I'm radical like that. So am halfway up the first foot. I'd have got further but I'm also knitting a camisole which I've had to re-do the top of 3 times now as it's coming out way to big. I've stopped measuring it now! 3 times is already too many to re-knit the same thing.

Other than the knitting, life goes on as normal chez Noo. A few trips to Hayling, gardening, sewing (I'm about to make some new cushion covers) a little bit of work (least said about that the better, I'm going to be made redundant so am looking for another "work from home" part time job, not easy to find cos obviously that's what everyone wants to do!) And watching the sparrows and the blue tits that are nesting in my garden.

I also have 4 eggs under a broody silkie, and we've had to separate the cockerel from the rest of the hens cos he's being picked on (well pEcked on actually, they're pecking his comb to the point of bleeding.) I have a horrible feeling that he's not going to be able to go back in there either as he just isn't dominant enough to stop them :(

Raceforlife training is going ok - I'm up to week 5, the 8 minute intervals, so should finish the programme in time to run the whole 5k raceforlife.

And finally if anyone has any rain anywhere in the country could they blow it this way a bit? We did have two nights worth last week, but there's nothing much now to show for that. Water butts are all but empty, and the lawn is brown and cracked :(

Right, I really must have some breakfast............. I think my patio is calling me.

Baby Quilt - Finished!

2011-05-03T18:01:00.002+01:00

Oh my, ! I have just finished this, and now realised how much I'm going to miss doing it! It's lasted a while, not bad entertainment value it must be said!

Now on to the nitty gritty:

The fabric is a pack of 10 Fat Quarters "Fresh 2" by Kaffe Fasset, bought from Remnant House

I cut the FQ's down into 5" squares, and first made 9 patch blocks. I used the traditional layout for the outer 8 patches, in that they were 2 designs alternated round the outside, and then used a different square in the middle - this was mostly to get the least wastage out of the FQ's. I then cut each9 patch block in 4 to make disappearing 9 patch (also called a whole host of other names but this was the first name I heard for them so it's what I'm sticking with) I then put them all together randomly. The random bit was necessary because of the number of different fabrics. I couldn't quite make a proper pattern, and in the end just loved the sunshiny way that the randomness worked.

Once the top was finished, I basted it with 2oz poly wadding (it's for a baby, it needs to be washable!) and backed it with lemon fleece. The reason for the fleece backing was so that it can be used as a garden/picnic quilt, and will be water resistant if the ground is damp.

I quilted all the large patches with stitch in the ditch first. Mostly because the fleece backing had made the quilt quite thick and a bit unwieldy, so I wanted to do something to hold it together a bit better than safety pins! Once I'd done that I free-motioned all over, starting in the middle, with a large stippling type effect. I had wanted to do a kind of travelling daisy, but it turned out too hard on this thickness of quilt.

Then made the binding out of the scraps. Was one length short but had a batik jelly roll with a bright orange that I thought would work ok, and although I can tell it's different, I think it works ok.

So, you wanna see photos???

Really?

Ok then!

(They're not the best actually, cos it's so sunny, you either get my shadow or slightly washed out photos, but here's the best of the bunch!)

I have to say I have totally loved making this, and I think another will be on the cards very soon. There's a tiny part of me doesn't want to give it away. (It looks awesome on my new deck) But I'm sure baby and mother will love it and it will see many happy days.

April challenge

2011-04-26T13:51:00.002+01:00

My April Challenge is complete (phew and only just in time)

Pattern is Pablo Blue
Yarn is Yarnaddict Merino plus in Grey Twist

Great toe-up pattern, easy to memorise and has that all important sock quality...... It grows quickly :-)

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How ridiculous.

2011-04-24T13:45:00.002+01:00

Two large nestboxes and what do they do?.................

-Someone will most likely we wearing an egg in a minute.

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I is Soooo lucky (Part 2)

2011-04-23T13:42:00.001+01:00

Well this post is a little weird to write - a bit out of my comfort zone, and a bit more personal than I normally am, but hey, you're all friends, right?

Last Wednesday, MrNoo took me all the way to Norwich to go to the Chrism Mass, at Norwich Cathedral. The reason we travelled all that way, instead of going to a local service, is that the Bishop in question is a very good friend of mine. And the reason that it was important to go, is that he really shouldn't have been there.

You see Bishop Michael Evans (as you will find if you google him) has prostate cancer, and has had for 5 years or so, and in December when his pain levels increased significantly, he was told he probably only had a few weeks left to live..... Three months later, a little frailer, a lot more tired, and still with a smile on his face, he celebrated Chrism Mass in his cathedral....... and I was there!!

I'm an Anglican, but went to a Catholic school. And whilst I do call myself a Christian, I am by no means a good one. (In fact somewhat embarrassingly the last Mass I went to was Bishop Michael's ordination 8 years ago) The Catholic church has always welcomed me though, and I love it's warmth and joy, the very essence of what believing in God should be about. (to my mind anyway)

Anyway, my religious preferences are not really the issue here. More is how the evening progressed. We arrived with half an hour to spare before Mass started, thinking we would find a quiet out of the way corner somewhere where no one would notice us! Not so much! The Cathedral was rammed, almost all seats already taken, so we took what we could and tried to blend into the background a bit! Not long after we arrived there was a little hymn practice, and it was announced that Bishop Michael would indeed be taking the Mass.......... the Cathedral immediately erupted into spontaneous applause, which seemed to last for such a wonderfully long time. We had a quick hymn practice, and were commended on our voices (not mine it must be said! but the congregation as a whole) and then the Mass started, with the priests and deacons from all the parishes in East Anglia coming down the centre aisle..... and there started the most wonderful, peaceful, joyful, way to spend an hour and a half. So many smiles, so much warmth and love. The Mass was celebrated, and the congregation were invited to stay for tea/coffee and hot cross buns..... I mean really, can you ask for anything more? LOL MrNoo and I stayed for a short while, taking an opportunity to walk round the now quiet Cathedral, which is just such a beautiful place, and I have to say if ever you visit Norwich is certainly worth a quiet half hour. We both marvelled at the intricacy, the majesty and the beauty of such a fantastic building.

This Mass had been so important to Bishop Michael, he had set it as a milestone that he really wanted to reach, and I have to say I am...... (I want to say surprised, but that's not the right word, cos I happen to know he has a little streak of determination, erring on the side of stubbornness) but anyway, I am so pleased for him that he made his first milestone (He reliably informs us he has more!) There had been a few mentions of this upcoming mass on his website and as soon as became more than a vague possibility that he would make it, MrNoo and I decided that we should make all efforts to be there to share the evening.

So, I am soooo lucky that I have a partner, that despite not sharing my beliefs, understands and loves me enough to know how important they are to me, and will drive me 2 1/2 hours each way to spend an hour in a cathedral. and, just to make me feel better, will even tell me he enjoyed it!

I am so lucky and so blessed, that I can call this inspirational Bishop a friend, who has been there for me for nearly 30 years now, who has been my priest, my mentor, and my dearest friend. I am going to miss him so very much, when the inevitable happens. But he has taught me to believe in the Resurrection, and in everlasting life........... the very message of Easter.

Happy Easter everyone. - Love Noo xx

I is soooo lucky

2011-04-21T15:32:00.001+01:00

Firstly I am a winner. Not something I have been able to say often in my life. But Modelwidow had a blogaversary draw and I won! You have no idea how extraordinarily happy I am.

I Won a fantastic project bag, and look at that - it already has a sock WIP in it

I'm also lucky for many other reasons. But they will be blogged separately as it's too much to type on my phone .......... But the phone is quicker for quick photo posts. I think I may have even hyperlinked on this. Gadgets eh? Don't ya love em?!

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Quick round up

2011-04-16T18:23:00.002+01:00

We went to the beach and Spot got beach hair.

I finished the quilt top but am waiting for the fleece to arrive for the backing:-

I started my April challenge socks.... Completed one... Then frogged it cos I didn't like it. Have now nearly finished the replacement:- (needles conveniently cropped from photo). I like these much better.

Saw my first spring ducklings while on my run last weekend

And am now on week4 of my raceforlife training ( where it all begins to get a bit serious as you hear me wheezing from the next county! )

So there you have it! What you been up to?

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Blog is getting a little bit neglected!

2011-03-27T18:47:00.000+01:00

As always seems to happen in the spring and summer the blog is beginning to get neglected as sunny days take me outside to the garden.

See!!! - We've tidied up the back corner of the garden and put a lovely big deck area in for evening sun. it's 4.5m across the back, and 3.7m front to back, and makes the garden suddenly seem huge! - We've got to put some new fence panels up at the side as my poor neighbours fence is a little dilapidated, but that's ok, and I think I will also use some of that nice bamboo screening (or willow, or brushwood maybe) . I feel it's just crying out for bright floor cushions and quilts though, don't you? It's a lovely place to sit in the evening already, even just in this chilly spring sun. Once i get the chiminea up there, or the firepit - I may never come in! ;)

I've also bought a little bit of new yarn, and more importantly (or rather more unusally) some FQ's to make a quilt for a friend who is having a baby,

Here it is all layed out cut into 5" squares. I've changed the layout quite a lot though, cos ...... well I wanted to! and also because it's going to be a disappearing 9 patch (or whatever else you want to call it, there seem to be a lot of names) So I changed some of those red middle squares as I didn't want all the tiny squares to be red - I want it to be "scrappier" than that! And when I cut the 9-patch-block into 4, I'm then going to mix it all up again...... so really the above photo is absolutely nothing like what it will look like! LOL

In other news, the F1 season has started, so that's all good fun! And British Summer Time has begun today, which is playing havoc with my tummy - I have no idea when to eat! ;)

Right I'll try to blog as often as I can, but if I'm not, you'll know I'm snoozing in the garden instead!

Cold today

2011-03-18T17:27:00.000Z

Gosh it's really cold here today - I think i've been spoilt by the nicer weather we had had this week so far! - today it's really very very chilly!

So to warm up the atmosphere a little, here is some spring! ;) Just in case we all forget what it feels like.

It's all about the finishes lately. - Happy!

2011-03-17T18:39:00.000Z

Happy is the colourway of these gorgeous socks in fyberpsates sock yarn. The pattern is Charade (ravelry link)

Aren't they just "Happy"?

Finished Mitts

2011-03-09T12:31:00.000Z

Just a quick photo of my finished mitts. - One of the reasons I needed to choose my March challenge yarn was to encourage me to finish these!

Pattern: Northman Mittens
Outer knitted in Drops Karisma, inner in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK

Right, really need to get on with some work now!

March's challenge is chosen!

2011-03-05T20:10:00.000Z

Well March is upon us (not sure really if it entered as a lion or a lamb - dry, peaceful days - lamblike, but bloomin' freezin' - lionlike??)

Anyway, back to the point - March is here, so I have been able to pop up to my everso special stash room (well a couple of plastic boxes in my spare room, but I love it) and choose myself my next personal sock yarn challenge. They're all wrapped in old post bags and the like, so when i pick one I never know what it's going to be..... This month, I scored...................

Fyberpsates sock yarn, in colourway "Happy" (ooooh yeah baby - very happy!) and the pattern is Charade. I need to finish the thumb of one mitt first, then these are on the needles!

Meanwhile, I have found a Saturday evening rock n roll radio station, that I can listen to on my iphone using the tunein radio app. Bernie Keith on BBC Radio Essex - Splendid! - Bright socks, and songs to dance to in them (when they're made)- What more could a girl ask for?

Angelic!

2011-02-27T12:44:00.000Z

Yesterday I went to Unravel. The lovely Wildpurl picked me up as we do not live far from each other (or from the Maltings as it happens!) and we promised to support each other in our resolve not to buy much. I think I was really very restrained. Just 2 skeins of Alpaca sock yarn, and a beautiful pattern by Amanda of NDS. I felt positively angelic, although it must be said Wildpurl was even more so as she bought nothing, nada, not a bean.

Anyway, here are my purchases,

I am not even going to mention the extremely HUGE piece of carrot cake I ate at lunchtime, which does somewhat negate the angelic behaviour at the show........... shame i didn't take a photo of that - or maybe it's a good thing! LOL

Eeeeww what a grey day!

2011-02-23T13:54:00.000Z

Luckily I have my own little ray of sunshine. It smells lovely too!

The Race for life widget has appeared

2011-02-15T12:49:00.001Z

^^^^ See it? - Just up there? I'll blog about it more as time goes on, but in the meantime, it's there and it's open for business! ;)

February is for Finished Objects!

2011-02-14T11:43:00.000Z

Already the month is halfway through, but at least I have something to show for it. 2 finished objects!

The first is my lovely CanCans as previewed in the last post (and yeah all you funny people commenting on how cold my toes will be! ;) - it's a Sock YARN challenge! - but you did make me laugh )

I really like this pattern. The arms are nice and long as is the hand part, not quite over the knuckles, but long enough to actually keep you warm, which strangely not all mitts are!

My second FO is my 2nd window quilt, and Oh My, am I happy with this one. I am pleased that I did learn lessons from the first one, and that my sewing and confidence have grown.

With this one I did all the quilting free-motion. Starting in the centre panel and outlining parts of the illustration (but leaving the sky for a soft, sunny, billowing effect!), and then moving on to the border.

The pale green border fabric actually has little leaf stems on it, so I used these as a very rough template for the free motion quilting - wanting to make that border a little less lofty and thereby allowing the centre panel to take more attention. - It worked well. And I'm pleased with how my first free motion went.

I still have plenty to learn, and can improve a hundred fold - but isn't that always the way with crafting, - there are always lessons to be learnt and that's why we love it so.

Feb Challenge

2011-02-09T11:39:00.000Z

So February has started (did you notice?) and I picked this as my Feb Sock stash challenge.

The yarn I think, is Merino Plus from Yarnaddict I'm not 100% sure of that, but it's knitting up very similarly to 2 other skeins that I have, so that's what I think it is. The colour was cherry (that much I do remember!) I've finished the main part of the first one, just need to do the thumb, then on to the second one.

I've nearly finished my 2nd fairy quilt too......just the handsewing of the binding to do on that, so pics will be here soon.

Drops Sweater Dress

2011-02-01T14:52:00.000Z

Sometimes I have to laugh at myself. I started this last year, and nearly completed it for Christmas, but then Christmas knitting took precedence, and anyway I didn't (and still don't really) have anything to wear under it, so I put it in a bag to finish after the festive season........... Only........... I forgot! - Totally and utterly forgot about it. It was only when I was checking through my ravelry projects (thank you again ravelry) that I realised I had put it away! - *doh*. Anyway here is all its glory is my Drops sweater Dress, made from 2 strands of Fabel sock yarn, which means it's totally machine washable! *YAY*.

It's fairy time

2011-01-25T13:31:00.000Z

My first window quilt is complete. It has taken ages, and i've learnt many lessons along the way - but isn't that always the way with crafting, there's never a time when you don't think "I could've done that better" or "next time......." but that's part of the fun. I 'm really happy with the way this looks despite there being areas for improvement, so all is good.

I have two more to complete. And when they're done they will be hung, during the winter, in my conservatory to keep the drafts out, and the heat in!

Race for life for Cancer Research UK - open for registration

2011-01-18T15:07:00.002Z

My blog has turned pink(ish) as yesterday the registrations opened for Raceforlife I have done this 5km run for the past 4 years, in all kinds of June weather (including hail one year - that was a blast!) And will be doing it again this year.

If you are a woman and there is any way you can think about running, walking, or crawling 5km, please think about signing up for a local race.

The first person to comment below (on my blog, not on facebook!) with a link to their sponsor page for this year will get a £10 sponsor from me - just for registering! - Go on, make this year your year!

(My sponsorship page will be added soon with a little clickable widget to sponsor me, but I just need to check who else might be joining me this year, and which day is best as they do two in Guildford)

Destash - episode 1 of 12 (I hope)

2011-01-16T12:18:00.001Z

So, Here is the completed project from my personal sock club parcel for January. How cheerful are they?

So I get my first gold star on the CTnY Forum challenge (which is a challenge to do 12 of anything you like in 2011! - some people are finishing WIP's, some using stash - I'm doing a 12 month personal sock club) - I'm not sure i've ever got a gold star before! ;)

Double Trouble!!

2011-01-10T11:29:00.000Z

Everything was in two's yesterday. Long walk, 2 sleepy dogs. Perfect Sunday really!

The year of the decreasing stash

2011-01-05T10:34:00.000Z

I've always maintained that i don't have stash - I lie! I have 14 complete balls of sock yarn, and untold leftovers (which I won't throw away because I am sure they will make "something") and a few other bits besides! It's not a huge stash by any means, but it is considerably more than I thought I had so I want to get it down to hardly any again. So this year I have already parcelled up 12 packages of sock yarn and pattern for a personal sock club.

Here is January's

Unique Sheep Comany Tinsel toes. Bought on the forum at an exceptionally bargainous price, and now destined to be some socks called singing in the rain. - They look like they will brighten up the winter blues don't they.

I made it out alive!

2011-01-02T09:50:00.000Z

Well I escaped the room of crap in time to celebrate the New Year. And starting it with a somewhat clearer house feels good.

I now have some sewing to finish, and plenty of knitting to do. - How will I ever fit in time to work?!

So for today I will just wish you all a Happy New Year, and I hope it is a good one for you all.

Noo xx

Well this is embarrassing!

2010-12-28T16:03:00.000Z

When I had my loft insulated at the end of last year, it needed to be emptied. It was - all into my 2 spare rooms. Now I have to admit at this point, that I have a huge problem with throwing stuff out. Not because I am emotionally attached to any of it, but because I have a guilt complex about landfill. But really the time has come - don't you think???

I don't understand though - why, when you decide to tidy up and clear out - all you seem to do is make more mess? - I could get in the rooms yesterday morning - today they are declared health and safety hazards! - You need a hard hat to enter. it turns out I haven't really thrown any clothes out for around 15 years (some of those things I am never going to get into again!) and I have an abundance of old computer cables. As well as obvious yarn stash and other crafting type equipement, accessories and notions. I have now reached a point of stalemate as I've run out of bin bags, and having continue to make "throw away" and "for the charity shop" piles of stuff, it took me some while to negotiate a way out of the rooms! Still I know when I get rid of it all, and get some shelving and other storage type furniture that it will all be better for it. At the moment though it feels like a bit of a disaster!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T10:20:00.000Z

Merry Christmas everyone. xx

Hope everyone had a wonderful day. Mine was filled with much merriment (and food!) Today Spot and I are going for a lovely long walk along the river to work the Christmas lunch off a bit!

Gosh a month has gone by

2010-12-05T09:45:00.000Z

Time is moving just a bit too quickly for me at the moment - I'm about 2 weeks behind myself. Christmas is looming, and there's still lots of knitting to be done. Britain has been in the grip of a large amount of snow for the past week, and the VAT was due (!!)

So, blogging has and will continue to take a back seat for a while. I haven't even been round and read any for a while. But they're all saved in my google reader, so they'll be there when I have a chance.

Hope all your Christmas preparations are going well and no one is too cold!

Sundays

2010-11-14T09:17:00.000Z

Sundays are normally reserved for F1, but today I am missing THE LAST RACE OF THE SEASON (you have no idea how hard that was to type - like it's a reality now or something). I'm going to see TJ Johnson and his band up at Ronnie Scotts. It's a sell-out which is so exciting for him, and I'm thrilled that they're doing so well. (even if it does mean missing the F1)

And as for the race - well personally anyone but Alonso would do! ;-)

I'm bad aren't I

2010-11-10T18:07:00.000Z

It just feels like nothing much is happening to blog about lately. Of course that's not strictly true, I've started knitting Woolly Wormhead's Mystery Hat Knitalong which I obviously can't tell you much about cos it's a mystery! (well I can tell you that I have started it in Cherry Merino Plus from Yarnaddict yarns! and the brim so far looks like this

I can also tell you that I've nearly finished my sweater dress - except I think I will need more yarn, so that's kind of on hold at the moment. I've done the body though. it's this pattern Here and I'm knitting it in dark grey fabel.

I've also popped some silkie eggs under Mother hen this morning. SHe's broody (again!) and I thought it would be a good opportunity to try to think about a replacement for her as she's getting on now. It's too late in the year really, so I'm not totally expecting anything to happen, but as she's broody we may as well have a go.

I've also finished the front panel for the third window quilt. I haven't taken a photo yet tho' as it's been too dark. Now I just need to quilt them all!

So there you have it, a bit of a catchup. ;o)

Not sure if this will work. But freckles is trying to crow

2010-11-01T10:10:00.001Z

There was just the one attempt right at the beginning, I kept recording in case he had another go, but he was only interested in whether I had brought breakfast or not! ;) Cute tho' eh?

Latest crafting accomplishments

2010-10-31T16:58:00.000Z

A quick roundup of my latest creations

Firstly 2 of the 3 window quilts I need to make for my conservatory.. These are only the front panels, they need to be actually quilted yet - but as I'm new to sewing I'm pretty chuffed with these so am showing them off now (before I ruin them by getting the quilting wrong! I've tried to edit that bra out of the background but Photobucket is having none of the cropping today (it may miraculously crop at some point of it's own accord because the original has been) But I'm saying that I did it on purpose as my final salute to Breast Awareness Month, and you'll never know whether I'm telling the truth or not!)

And my Girasole Blanket. Pattern by BrooklynTweed, (available here under home and accessories)
This is the aran version (as I guess you can see by the size) and it's glorious. Just what you need on an autumn night to keep the chills at bay. The little gap at the bottom is where I ran out of yarn (*doh*) I was seriously considering undoing the border and the last pattern repeat and then reknitting the border - but it was 2 weeks worth of knitting all told, and in the end my common sense prevailed - It's a blanket!!! No-one will ever know when they're snuggled up in it.

It was knitted in Forsell Touch of Silk, 1 cone in colour Basalt, on 6.5mm needles (I think, I've taken them apart now as I used interchangeables, but I think that's what they were) and it's already one repeat short of the final pattern chart, so if anyone else is making it in that - beware!!

All in all i've been quite productive of late. ;-)

Sooo much to tell you....

2010-10-25T09:25:00.001+01:00

I had so much to tell you, and then my internet connection went westward! Isn't that always the way!! So starting with the most recent and working backwards here is a quick summary of what's been happening in the last couple of weeks.

Last week we went to hayling Island. It was a bit of a last minute decision (sorry Lin, I know I need to bring down those bookeeping files for you, but we'll be there again soon) But it was such a beautiful sunny day and the tide was out at a good time. I went to the huge Tescos just before you get on the island too, and also bought a sack of potatoes from a farm shop I go to on the island, so a very productive day all round.

The Sunday before that I went to see the Fantabulous Sheepwash Playboys at the Preston Cross hotel in Bookham. They have jazz there most Sunday lunchtimes, but I can't afford to go every week (shame!) but I can never pass up the opportunity to see the Bennett Brothers in action. They just lift your spirits and make you smile your biggest smile. Fantastic fun, and flippin good music to boot!

Then, the week before that I went to Ally Pally for the Knitting and Stitching show. Now up until this year I have only ever been interested in the knitting part of the affair. But this year there seemed to be a bit more patchwork and fabric about, and I got lulled into a false sense of security ambling along looing at all the pretties....... and then BAM!

I'd bought a sewing machine!!! - obviously then I had to go back around and buy fabric (oopsie) and now I have a whole new obsession! Here are my other Ally Pally purchases:

A subscription to The Knitter and Simply Knitting (purely for the free gifts - one of which was the Cath Kidson sewing book on the left) A pack of Rowan Wool Tweed from Black Sheep and three bundles of fabric - 2 packs of 5 x Fat Quarters, and one roll of 5 x 1/2 metres.

The weekend before that had been my Grandma'a 90th birthday party! A surprise party of 100 or so guests (and I was related to every last one of them - WOW!), pie n mash for lunch, and a jazz band led by the inimitable Gentleman Jim Mcintosh. Mama (my Grandma) led the dancing pretty much all afternoon.... she is an incredible lady. There was an umbrella paradefor the kids too (a jazz tradition, I have no idea why but maybe someone will tell me?), and Mum had bought special little umbrellas for them all, and the mothers had feather boas (so the kids didn't have to do it alone!), and our final dance/song was a big round circle holding hands and singing "When the Saints" (sooo many childhood memories in that)

Lastly, and by no means least, When I had just returned from Scotland, I went to see Stephen Fry at the Royal Albert Hall. He took questions from twitter and made a whole evening of story-telling around them. A true raconteur in the same way as Peter Ustinov used to be, complete with voices and jokes. Very, very funny and a little serious too, A very generous man, by which I mean that he shared his lifetime stories with a "no-holds barred" attitude. A lovely evening.

So there we are about up to date. I have completed Girasole too, and started sewing my window quilts that I bought last year, but I'll pop photos of those up tomorrow or sometime this week. I really must get on with my work now! ;)

Three things

2010-10-09T19:18:00.000+01:00

There are three things I have to tell you about

1 - Stephen Fry at the Albert Hall
2 - My Grandma's 90th birthday party
3 - Alexandra Palace Knitting and Stitching Show

Unfortunately I haven't got time! - but I will, eventually!

xx

Pink!

2010-10-04T19:51:00.000+01:00

Noo's Knits has gone Pink for October. So go on ladies - check your boobs!! ;-)

Why “being prepared” always means the inevitable won’t happen

2010-10-01T14:51:00.001+01:00

Look at her little innocent face -

You’d think butter wouldn’t melt wouldn’t you!

Well I can assure you it would not only melt but it would probably cause belly upset and other unfortunate instances.

My Little Spot-dog is not so much of an angel – this photo taken this morning is her waiting for her morning biscuit (half a bonio if you’re interested) and that look is always present when there’s food about. To put it mildly the army of Spot walks on her stomach!

To this end I do have to be careful when we’re out walking. We walk in a large area of common ground, littered with wildlife (and strangely empty coke cans?) and as unfortunately nature does sometimes have a cruel course…. Some of the wildlife is sometimes – well…… dead! When I first got Spot she was partly trained as a gundog, and as such would bring me a dummy (cutely wrapped in a rabbit skin to mimic the real article) and drop it at my feet, sit nicely, and wait for me to throw it again. At some point the rabbit skin fell off, and whilst we still play the fetch game (particularly with my nephews who love throwing it and making spot bring it back) it is now a plain green dummy. I think this is possibly where my mistake lies? You see there was a time when if Spot found, how can I delicately put this? A portion of wildlife? She would bring it to me….. not the nicest thing to have to deal with but lob it deep into the woods, and tell your dog to walk on in the other direction and no harm is done. At some point tho’ and I’m not really sure when, the sequence of events changed. She picks up the “portion” I call her to me, she ignores me and runs in the exact opposite direction trying to avoid me and eat her prey. And thus it was last week….. only this time it was feathered, probably a pigeon (or what was left of one after presumable a fox or something had had their fill).
So I called her, she looked in my direction…… I called her a little more sternly…. She made a slight move towards me….. and then…… Swallowed the whole dam thing in one gulp. At this point I am thanking all that is good in the world (and my own common sense) that I have pet insurance, as I am pretty sure that an entire feathered wing swallowed in one go is going to have a pretty drastic effect on Spot’s stomach, and is likely to make an unannounced re-appearance at some time. Or possibly not, but cause an obstruction or illness (my mind was racing a bit!) I shouted! She knew she’d been bad and lay down looking up at me with her ears dropped – fat good it did being repentant then, as well she knew!...... I swear I actually saw her tail wag at one point!

Anyway, we came home, and I waited, I had my own dinner (which she showed more than a passing interest in!)……. And I waited….and I watched the tv,…. And I waited……. And I let her out for her late night ablutions, and I waited………. And I went to bed and barely slept as I waited….. and I got up the next morning… and she greeted me with a wagging tail and asked for her biscuit!

This was a week ago! She is fine and has been all that time. No upset stomach, no belly aches, no loss of appetite (!!), a little extra water drunk for a day or two, but that was all the evidence that something out of the ordinary had happened.

I think the moral of the story is, that if I hadn’t kept up the insurance, then surely all hell would have broken loose (possibly almost literally) and as she gets older and the premiums gets higher it is a hard decision to make sometimes. It’s not just about the illnesses that they can get, but for this kind of eventuality – an accident or something that isn’t really an ongoing problem…….. you can’t beat having that reassuring knowledge that any treatment would have been covered. I mean a dog is a dog and as well trained as they might usually be, they all have a weakness (in her case feather and fur!) and that can so easily get you all into trouble!

Spotley came too! ;)

2010-09-25T09:56:00.000+01:00

I forgot to say - Spot came to Scotland too:-

Freckles

2010-09-23T09:23:00.001+01:00

Hi Everyone, Freckles here. Just thought I'd show you how much I have grown while Human Mum was away. I'm nearly as tall as my silkie chicken mum now, and look at those feathers. I'm getting pretty handsome! I haven't fully decided whether i'm a boy or a girl yet, but look at the way i'm standing today - that's very boyish....... but then yesterday I was standing quite girly ! ;) It's raining today and I'm not terribly impressed, but at least there's a roof on my run so I can still get out and run up and down which I really like doing.

Hi Honey I'm home!

2010-09-20T18:44:00.001+01:00

Well I've been meaning to blog the holiday since I got back at the weekend, but you know I just don't know how? It was a lovely quiet, relaxing, quiet, chilling, quiet, wet, quiet, sometimes sunny, quiet kind of a week and we travelled around 2000 miles around and about, but .... well there's not much to tell really. We hardly saw anyone, we saw a few herds of red deer, no eagles, no puffins :( and a few dolphin. But oh my it was the most awesome, incredible, dark, fantastic place ever. So, just a couple of photos and I'll leave the rest to your imagination!

I think this was Loch Hope, right up in the top North West corner


Who can sing a rainbow? - I bet any children that live in Scotland can, I've seen more in a week than I have in the last decade - and they were all perfect!

The Back Garden at Herbie's Cottage

Plenty of time to "stand and stare"

3 weeks now ;)

2010-09-06T19:55:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone, it's freckles here again! I'm now three weeks old, and just at my ugly stage (although i think I look like a hawk or something posh....... not just a chicken!)

Mum says I have beautiful colouring tho'

I still like to stay close to Mum tho', even tho' I'm really grown up now.

And I've learnt how to perch (sorry about the unfocused wire in the shot, but I'd be all over the garden without it! ;):

Now my human Mum says she's really busy at the moment doing stuff to get ready for a holiday or something. But she will have lots to tell you when she gets back, so in the meantime..... well just keep popping back and looking at me, I'm handsome enough!

I am a week old!

2010-08-21T13:52:00.000+01:00

My name is Freckles and I am a week old today.

The way I am standing here makes me look like a boy - but I'm not letting on yet whether I am or not.

Because I am a week old, Dad made me a little run so I can see daylight and run around a bit.

We're in the oldest house, and it's pretty rickety, but it will do for now until I am bigger and can go and play with the other chickens. Mum is keeping me warm anyway!

There's this other weird creature that comes and watches me for ages too? - I expect when I'm older I'll understand more, but I like fidgeting about and scratching and running and jumping and climbing, but this other creature just lays down and watches as still as a statue.

Weird huh?

New Chick on the Block!

2010-08-17T20:09:00.000+01:00

My Nephew seems to think that Freckles is a good name - so freckles it is. We don't know if Freckles is a girl or a boy, but it seems a pretty unisex name really (as luck would have it!) Only 1 hatched, out of 6 eggs, but to be honest I wasn't really expecting a good show. I had to leave broody mum in with some of the other hens for quite a long time whilst the broody house was de-red-mited (several times! - and they're still there a bit) and then another hen went broody too so they shared the duty a bit. but that also meant a little fighting and at least one egg got kicked across the hen house! Plus it could well have meant that the eggs went cold while they were squabbling. Who knows. But this little one is a fighter - I had to help the hatch after watching for over 2 hours and all there was was the first little hole. A pair of tweezers came to my aid and I helped open the shell in much the same way as the chick should have done, and when I popped it back done Mother hen yanked it out of it's shell, so she obviously thought enough was enough too!. Fingers crossed for this little one. I know it's common to loose one or two in early days, and obviously I can't really afford to, so we are just hoping this one will be ok!

Down by the riverside

2010-08-08T18:47:00.001+01:00

The level of water at the river is well down due to the distinct lack of rain lately. This apparently changes everything in a dog's view of the world. Spot was scared stiff. Really I haven't laughed at her so much since she was a pup. Daft girl!

Latest update, 20 squares done

2010-08-05T12:02:00.000+01:00

I'm not blogging about much else at the moment am I?

I'm trying to be really random with the colours, but it's funny how difficult random is when it comes down to it!

In other news, I have silky sitting on a few eggs, poor love keeps going broody and it seemed only fair to give her a chance to be a mum again. I don't hold out a lot of hope on these tho' as I'm not sure the cockerel has been doing his rounds lately!, but we'll see what happens. Heavens knows where I'll put them if they hatch, they may well have to come indoors in a box for a while!

There's not much else to tell you at the moment, life is ticking along as normal. The veg patch is doing ok, but i've had to stop watering all my pots and window boxes. It's coming to the end of the season anyway and they did so well early on, but I'm on a water meter and we haven't had any decent rain since early May (and even then it wasn't really a lot) so my water butts emptied a long long time ago. So now I'm just finishing off my veg then I'll call it a day for this summer. I've done well, courgettes, bean, a few peas, and plenty of potatoes. So no complaints and definitely cheaper than the supermarket!

Spot and I haven't walked quite as much as usual, it's really incredibly hot for a dog with a long fur coat, and she still hasn't learnt that she'll last longer if she doesn't run round like her a*s is on fire. But we have walked a few evenings along by the river where I did my 5k training and that's lovely, and usually ends up with me rescuing her from the river where she dives in and then realises it's too high to get back out! I swear she'd jump off a cliff face without a seconds thought if that was what took her fancy at the time!

All of these walk photos have been taken during July - very late for little ducklings (which probably explains why there's only one) I expect it was a second brood?

Right another coffee, and then.............. well who knows, the sun is trying to peek through so maybe a walk if it's not too hot, although I really should do some work................. sometime!

Mayfield Lavender Farm

2010-07-28T12:47:00.001+01:00

Yesterday Spot and I met Franney and Lukey at a lavender farm. Free entry and a little tea van..... you can't go wrong really can you? We took sandwiches and sat on a picnic table in the middle of the lavender field..... glorious!

12 down 18 to go

2010-07-23T16:54:00.002+01:00

It must be a good thing when I have to stand on a chair to get them all in a photo......no? Still hoping to get thirty squares from the pack .… we'll have to see if i make it. I'll need to buy more anyway for an edging as I don't think I'll be able to decide on an edge colour til I've seen all the squares. But I'm hoping for 30 to make it 6 squares by 5. I still think it's sunshiny!

An unheard of occurrence is happening this weekend. I'm missing the grand prix!!!! This is because my friend and damm fine musician TJ Johnson and his band are playing at Ronnie Scotts on Sunday lunchtime. It's such a coup to get a gig there and I can't wait to be there to support them

Have a great weekend everyone xx

Sent from my iPhone

Blanket of Sunshine Part I

2010-07-15T13:48:00.000+01:00

The first 5 squares are done

Doesn't that just make you smile?? (or is it just me?) ;)

Cameo

2010-07-11T11:16:00.000+01:00

Well I'm obviously on a bit of a roll lately! Here is the newest finished article from the Doris Chan Everyday Crochet book.

The Pattern is Cameo, made in 5 1/2 balls of Drops Cotton Viscose (very splitty yarn :( ), on a 4.5mm hook. If I made this again, or any of the variations on this pattern, I would stop the body just below the bust, and go back and do the armholes and straps as it'd be much easier to get a good fit and try it on along the way then. I made it longer than the original pattern, and added one set of hip shaping as in the pattern Somnambulista which is based on the same design.(and which I think may be my next "must-have") I also needed the straps way longer than the pattern - an extra 10 stitches, and it still could have been longer. (But then I have always known I was a bit "thick set" around the shoulders!!!!) All in all very happy with the finished article. The yarn had been frogged, and I also had to re-do a few bits of this (mostly the straps to get them the right length), and it became very very splitty because of that. But it's made up nicely.

Finally, I have made my first sunshine square:-

After a few false starts I have decided on the Willow Square from the 200 Crochet Blocks book. I should have enough yarn to make 30 squares, which will make a throw 48" x 40" - It's going to be a slow process tho' so I'll just mosey along with this as and when.

Now I'm off to watch the British F1 Grand Prix - I won't be moving from the sofa for a few hours!

Squeee

2010-07-08T14:21:00.000+01:00

My Lucy Colour Pack of Rico Creative Cotton has finally arrived. Doesn't it just look like sunshine in a bowl? I think the girls at First4yarns have done a sterling job, they have been totally inundated (which I'm sure is a good thing) and have depleted both theirs and the manufacturer's supplies several times over. But patience has won the day and I think most orders have been completed now. Now, what to make in it??! LOL

Sock Blockers!

2010-07-05T13:48:00.000+01:00

I have been promising myself a pair of sock blockers for a long, long (long?!) time! - I never have the money - because I spend it on sock yarn!! But then I make my socks and look longingly at how lovely everyone elses look, all properly shaped and photographed on their blockers, whilst mine are all crumpled and don't show their gussets off nicely!

So, Now I have some,....

it's not easy to find sock blockers at the moment - I have no idea why not. But here is where I got mine from: Whorldropspindle

I have to just tell you that whilst I am typing this, I am watching a female blackbird have a proper wash in our make-shift bird bath/drinker. We have a big plastic tray that is used for mixing cement on so as not to ruin the garden, and I filled it with water the other day in the hope that Spot would lie in it as she is feeling the heat a bit this year. Unfortunately she has all but ignored it (depsite me standing in it and calling her!), but the birds love it, and often bring the children for their evening baths! - They even wash under their wings! LOL

Evening Walk

2010-07-04T19:09:00.000+01:00

On my evening walk today.......................

I noticed that the wild foxgloves are out. Now I have a bit of an aversion to foxgloves (I think I may have been poisoned by digitalis in a previous life ) but I have to admit these shocks of colour look amazing amongst the green and brown of the dry woodlands at newlands corner.

Also just a quick photo of the natural swimming pool that gets made at Hayling Island when the tide goes out - I had a little swim with Spot last week! ;)

Sorry photos aren't great, they're just taken on my phone. But you get the idea I'm sure!

Jewel in the Crown

2010-07-02T15:54:00.000+01:00

This is Jewel (Ravelry Link) by Doris Chan (blog link!). Fantastic pattern and the first quite complex crochet pattern I have followed. It's crocheted top down with raglan sleeves. i had a bit of trouble to start with as I was over complicating the pattern, but once I understood the way it was written I was well away.

This won't be the only pattern I make from this book!

The one about the Patio

2010-06-30T16:25:00.000+01:00

Every year on race for life day, I have an BBQ and invite family and friends over to cook for themselves (well come on, I'd have just run 5k all things being equal) on the firepit, and have a giggle together.

This year, our race for life (as you all know by now!) was on Sunday 20th June. On Tuesday 15th June MrNoo and I decided it would be nice to have a patio to have the BBQ on. - We do set ourselves some tasks!! ;)

So what was this:

by Tuesday night was this:
(notice how Spot is already checking it out - although she doesn't look overly impressed does she?)

And finally on Thursday night

The wood is there at the front at the moment as we need to build a proper wall all around the edge, as the garden slopes away incredibly (and I have a mole who is currently enjoying digging up the outskirts!) so we'll build the edges up properly in the hope that it will hold it together a bit.

A little late for the BBQ, but this week I bought a lovely little patio table, it also has a black parasol, but I haven't got it out today as it's a bit cloudy. (please excuse the towels hanging up in the background - God I'm so tacky sometimes!)

Not bad for just a couple of days work, especially in the heat we had - lots of sunburn! (bit of a botch job, obviously, but I'm good at those!) and it is so nice to be able to sit out at night on the patio with my dinner and watch all the little birdies feeding and taking their evening baths.

I hope my next post will be about a completed crochet sweater! ;)

Phew

2010-06-20T18:38:00.000+01:00

I did it!!! I ran the whole way! ;) - 5km of jogging at an average of 7 mins per km (I actually think i could walk that pace, but I didn't I proper jogged the whole way!!) We were lucky with the weather, dry, slight chilly breeze....

I'd said I wasn't going to do it again after this year - maybe volunteering instead........ but you know it's a hard thing to give up! - never say never and all that.

Thanks to all my sponsors, and the three people that left me messages - I will add the donation for those tomorrow, they definitely helped me get round the difficult 4th km (past half way, but still with a way to go!)

I'm off to the bathtub now, I may be gone for some time! ;)

Race for life tomorrow ;)

2010-06-19T23:36:00.000+01:00

It's funny doing this for the fourth year running (or maybe it's 5?? I've lost count!) I've been very determined to finally actually jog the whole thing (I won't class what I do as running, it's barely more than a walk!) and in being so determined I've kind of turned it into a thing about me........ which is just all wrong.

You see it's been a challenge, I don't enjoy running, I don't feel good afterwards, I don't enjoy the training, I'm not good at it, I don't feel very natural (too many years ice-skating, I don't expect to have to put so much effort into moving forwards quickly)...... and there you have it, it's all about me...

So I tried to change it, when I didn't want to train, I remembered that people with cancer still have to get up every morning and go to work/take kids to school/be a friend/be a member of a family/live the day in whatever way it needs to be lived. I have a choice, I can wait til I feel more like it, but that really isn't the point is it? You see it seems to me that it's a lot about raising the money for charity, but it's also about doing something that maybe isn't as pleasurable as you'd like it to be.

Someone once told me that you should not criticise or empathise with someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Now I'd heard the criticise bit, but not the other...... It seemed odd, surely empathy is a positive emotion in a way, supportive, helpful?? - But maybe this tiny tiny thing I have done has made me realise the truth of that statement. Of course you want to try to share someone's feelings and try to identify when they are going through any kind of crap. But perhaps it just isn't that easy. This little effort of getting up in a morning (not even early I might add) and going for a training run when I don't feel like it, is so unbelievably far short of living a single day with cancer........ It's true, I can never have empathy, I do not understand the magnitude of the feeling, not for those who have the illness or for those that are trying to help family who have it.

So, what I can do is be supportive, be there to be leant on, to be cried on, or laughed with, to fill days with sunshine ,smiles and hugs as far as possible, and in all honesty to not try to understand...... because I can't.

So I will race tomorrow, with a smile, and a lightness of foot (hahahaha, if you believe that.......). I have raised a fantastic amount of money, and that will change lives...I run for my best friend, for family, and for a number of blog and forum friends who are either living with cancer or have lost family to cancer. It's not about how fast I do it, or whether I beat my other times, It's just about doing it....... me and about 2,999 other women! ;)

Do you remember my window boxes?

2010-06-16T18:21:00.000+01:00

Do you remember my window boxes that MrNoo made for me for my birthday? Well we filled them up with bedding plants, and they have gone mad........ They are totally gorgeous!

Lots more garden shenanigans going on Chez Noo, photos after the weekend! ;)

Holy Sunshine Batman

2010-06-04T11:52:00.002+01:00

It's 34 deg in my conservatory - which can only mean I should be in the garden under the trees!

Sock yarn remnants!

2010-05-30T17:28:00.000+01:00

I've caved and bought Lucy's Colour Pack from First4yarns, but as it's out of stock at the moment, I had an idea to appease my desire for some bright colours............. left over sock yarn! I had started this a long while ago, but it got put in a corner and forgotten! I'd only done a couple of squares so have resurrected it and am now going great guns.- I'm loving it!! ;) The square designs are from 200 Crochet Blocks ......

Summer brightness

2010-05-28T11:44:00.000+01:00

Don't yellow pansies just look like summer is here?

Just wanted to share that I have just run my first over full 5k - It took 37 1/2 mins, so not very fast at all, but I have three weeks until raceforlife to get some confidence at the distance and maybe speed up a little. I'm dead chuffed!

42 ??????????????

2010-05-18T13:21:00.000+01:00

How the heck did that happen - since I last wrote - I turned 42! (and yet I'm sure I'm really only 23 ... well 23 with extra wrinkles!)

Anyway, I was thoroughly spoilt for the day, I had some window boxes made for me:-

Two short ones across the front of the conservatory and a long one down the side. They're made out of old galvanised trunking - what trendsetters we are! ;) (I actually really like them)

Then we went to my sis's to let my little nephews say hello and happy birthday - I got a hand made card and lots of cuddles! - and a kinder egg ;) I also got this:-

..... which after I had been taken to lunch and partaken of a glass of wine AND a liqueur coffee, was a very welcome place to be! ;)

RACE FOR LIFE MESSAGES!

2010-05-10T09:11:00.004+01:00

OK, I think have found a way to record answerphone messages as MP3's. So, if you'd feel easier phoning a message for my Raceforlife playlist then you can either Skype me, and leave your messages for race for life. I'll try to add a Skype widget to my blog for the next two weeks to make it easier. Although obviously I won't be online otherwise you won't get the answerphone!!!

To quote my previous post (in case you don't know what I'm talking about):-

OK everyone it's another year for the race for life. Now as most of you know. as yet I have not managed to run the whole 5k non-stop (although my jogging pace at the moment might as well be walking anyway!) But this year I'm going to ask for your help to get me through.

Now I don't want to keep asking for sponsorship (although feel free if you have the urge - link in the sidebar there!! ) but I wondered if you would do something else for me? - I will pay £2 for everyone who sends me an MP3 encouragement message of 20 seconds or longer. What I was thinking was that I would make a playlist of all the messages, and some of my fave running tunes for my ipod, and hopefully if I hear those messages from around half way round (when I normally get bored/tired) it'll keep me going. You have plenty of time, my race isn't until June 20th and you can email them to me up until the Friday before for inclusion in my playlist and the £2 donation from me.

There seems to be plenty of software around to record mp3 voice messages - just google "record mp3 voice" although I haven't tried any yet as I've only just had this brainwave!! If I find out from anyone that any are great or terrible I'll let you all know!! ;)

Now the only trouble is that I only have the software to save the phone messages for 2 weeks (runs out on 23 May) before I have to pay for it, so if you want to do this by phone please try to do it in that time. These messages are really just for fun, so feel free to be creative. Join in with friends or family, down the pub, in the garden or anywhere you like..... just remind me why I'm doing it! If you want to use a PC and normal recording software then there is no rush to do it, The two week limit is only if you want to use the phone.

Just in case everyone should happen to go mad and send me messages - I may have to put a monetary limit on my donation (in the region of £50) - just in case 300 of you send me messages!! ;)

Grump!

2010-05-07T22:02:00.000+01:00

Inamorata has been frogged :( It was HUGE.

I am sulking!

Messages for raceforlife

2010-05-01T15:01:00.002+01:00

Noo's Knits & Other Bits..: Race for Life - I need your help!

A few people have mentioned that they hate the sound of their own voice, so I was wondering, if you wanted to join in (click on the link to the post above for details) and send me a message for my race day - would you prefer it if I found a way of recording answerphone messages. So you phoned a number and left me a message and I found a way of taking that as an MP3? I think there are ways but it might cost me a couple of quid. Not huge sums and I'm happy to do it if more people would leave messages.

My firepit has been restored........ bring on summer

2010-04-28T14:49:00.000+01:00

My firepit has been restored ready for the summer! it was looking pretty rusty so it's been red-oxided inside and out, then covered with heat resistant black paint inside and around the rim, and copper hammerite around the outside. I'm disappointed with the copper colour (seriously none of the central heating pipes in my house are that colour, this definitely looks more brassy) I'd have liked a more pink/red tone to it, but it's fine and it'll hold a good few sausages! - next year I might re-do it red!! ;)

Knitting News...

2010-04-26T20:27:00.000+01:00

It's been a long time since I talked about my knitting, I tend to forget that not all of you lovely blog readers are also on the CTnY Forum so here is my knitting news! ;)

Firstly, I started, and finished a Drops pattern in Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora. I'm not totally sure I love it, but I like it well enough if that makes sense. No photos yet as I need to block it properly (which may account for the so-so attitude towards it)

Since then I have started (twice) Inamorata.... a pattern I am totally in love with, and am determined to make "just -so" So far I have started it in Drops Cotton Viscose, which is a gorgeous yarn, but maybe not really right for this design. It is made of what appear to be a million strands and has absolutely no give whatsoever (I thought the viscose might give it just a tad, but I was wrong) it's also very shiny which doesn't come across on the photo. Don't get me wrong it's a lovely yarn, but I think this top would be better in something a little more forgiving. Having said that I'm still going to try to make it work.... just because I'm stubborn! I started the pattern as written, but it starts at the top and is knit down, so the first bit you do is those little cables at the top. My knitting was really spectacularly crap, so i frogged that last night and cast on with a provisional cast on where the pattern changes at the empire waist line (for want of a better description) I'm going to knit that bit first, and then try the little cables again hoping that the weight of the bottom will help even out the stitches. If not I'll just change the top to another stitch pattern!

All this knitting and frogging has led me to realise that I'm not the best at matching patterns to yarns. I chose good yarns and I chose good patterns, but I don't always pair them up in the best way! Sometimes this is down to budget limitations, and sometimes it's because when you buy on the internet things don't always come the way they looked like they would (!) , but other times I just don't realise (until I start knitting when it becomes glaringly obvious) what kind of yarn is called for in a pattern. It's a skill i definitely need to work on!

Anyway, hopefully some photos soon!

Things to do in the garden

2010-04-22T14:03:00.000+01:00

The weather has been perfect this last week - sunny but not hot, just the perfect weather for getting all those little spring chores done without over-heating.

So, today I have re-painted the fire-pit. It was originally a gorgeous copper colour, but that has turned to a rust colour now (!) and the only decent colour in heat resistant paint, is black (I don't fancy a green fire pit!).... so for now the inside and the outside top rim are black, the rest of the outside is still "rust coloured" but I don't think that's too much of a problem...... yet anyway!

The chicken house is also having it's annual re-paint, a creosote alternative that hopefully will help with the red mite situation (it was already showing signs of infestation, little blighters)

I also popped to B&Q at the beginning of the week and got a few cheapish bedding plants to put in my tubs. I really only grow herbs in the tubs, but my garden doesn't have much colour due to it being mostly vegetable and useful plants! so I thought a little flowery halo round the herbs was in order...... pictures to follow if they all flower! ;)

Right, back to it then, eh?

17th April 2010 - Spring!! ;)

2010-04-17T13:22:00.000+01:00

Finally

The sun is shining, the bread is in the oven, the ham in the pressure cooker, the sausages under the grill, I have an abundance of eggs (36 at the moment) (I won't be eating them all in one go!) My potatoes have been planted and now I can sit in the garden and enjoy a lovely lunch ........ eeeeeeeeeeee don't ya just love the spring time!

How do you celebrate

2010-04-14T13:40:00.000+01:00

I've just finished a spreadsheet which I had put off for far longer than I should. But, by way of celebration I treated myself to an egg and bacon roll!! (and very good it was too!)

So how do you congratulate yourself when you've done something you've been putting off?

Knitting Competition in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

2010-04-07T19:26:00.000+01:00

I've been asked to blog about this and spread the word amongst the knitting community! - Feel free to also blog or put the info in any forums or ravelry groups that you think might be interested.

Knitting Competition in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Get creative and support a great cause.
Hand knit or crochet a tea cosy inspired by Marie Curie Cancer Care’s Blooming Great Tea Party, which asks people to get together and host a tea party anytime from June 12 to July 12 to help raise funds for the charity.

The experts at Simply Knitting Magazine have provided two basic tea cosy patterns (one knit, one crochet) as a guide for your design, which should fit a standard six cup tea pot. You can either adapt the basic patterns provided, or design your own from scratch if you prefer.

To make a winning tea cosy, find out all you need to know about the Blooming Great Tea Party and to download an entry form at www.mariecurie.org.uk/teaparty

The competition will be judged by Cath Kidston, Simply Knitting and Marie Curie Cancer Care, based on entries to the following categories:

• Best Tea Party Cosy
• Best Creative Cosy

There will be a winner and two runners-up selected for each category, and the prizes will be selection packs of Cath Kidston and knitting goodies.

The competition will close on 31/08/2010, any entries received after this date will not be entered into the competition.

All tea cosy entries must be accompanied by an entry form, available from www.mariecurie.org.uk/teaparty or call 08700 340 040

Entries should be sent with completed entry form to
FREEPOST
RSCK-ECXB-LBSS
Marie Curie Cancer Care Knitting Competition
PO Box 621
Wetherby Rd
York
YO26 0EX

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T11:25:00.000+01:00

Just popping in to wish everyone a Happy Easter. We're taking it nice and quietly Chez Noo. Hopefully the rain will hold off long enough to mow the lawn at some point over the weekend, but other than that it's just me and my knitting!

Have a peaceful weekend x

Busy in the rain

2010-03-30T16:17:00.000+01:00

I woke up this morning to 49 invoice requests in my inbox - not exactly an exciting start to the day (and it's taken me all day to finish them!)

When I started at 9am it was dry, but as the day has worn on it started to rain, and then pour! - I sit in my conservatory for work, looking out onto the garden, so it's not all bad! As i have sat here today - not totally focussed on my work it must be said, I have been watching the changes in the garden that the rain brings. The grass has got noticeably greener as the day has gone on, the chicks are sitting on their perches, fed up with wet feet I expect. and I have watched a blackbird, methodically tilting his head, listening, then diving in for his reward.... a fat juicy worm! He's worked hard in this downpour and deserves his good dinner.

This working from home lark isn't all bad! ;)