What a great Philosophy!

MY PHILOSOPHY OF HOUSECLEANING!

I don't do windows because . I love birds and don't want one to run into a clean window and get hurt.

I don't wax floors because . I am terrified a guest will slip and get hurt then I'll feel terrible ( plus they may sue me.)

I don't mind the dust bunnies because They are very good company, I have named most of them, and they agree with everything I say.

I don't disturb cobwebs because .. I want every creature to have a home of their own.

I don't Spring Clean because .. I love all the seasons and don't want the others to get jealous.

I don't pull weeds in the garden because . I don't want to get in God's way, HE is an excellent designer!

I don't put things away because .. My husband will never be able to find them again.

I don't do gourmet meals when I entertain because . I don't want my guests to stress out over what to make when they invite me over for dinner.

I don't iron because... I choose to believe them when they say "Permanent Press".

I don't stress much on anything because: "A type" personalities die young and I want to stick around and become a wrinkled up crusty ol' woman!! (Actually I'm doing pretty well in that category.)

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I found this on a new forum, "Creative Living for the 21st Century" (Green living, self sufficiency and all other lovely things) and they found it on here: http://www.highlonesomeranch.com/LivingWithoutElectricity.html I just think it's perfect!!!!!

Photoless Blogging is boring!

Everything is for Christmas!!!!!!! So I can't put up any photos!

Josephine is coming along nicely, if a little slowly!, The yarn is wonderful to knit with and I'm going to have trouble giving the finished article away!!!

A few other bits are jogging along too, but none can be photographed, and my blog is in danger of getting boring! So taking the lead from others in my blogging community, I am posting a photo of my stash!!



Now, it's not very big by some standards (naming no names and pointing no fingers) and there is a good reason for this (other than my personal economical status which does have quite a large bearing on matters!):-

When I was a miniature noo, DM owned a yarn and fabric shop, and my DSis and I spent the holidays of our formative years sitting in aforementioned shop. Luckily for me, I had learnt to knit and quite enjoyed it. Unfortunately for DSis, she didn't!!!!! (But she could read a book in 2 hours!) So here was I, aged 8 - 12 with a whole shop full of yarn around me!!!!! So DM had to make some rules (otherwise she'd have been bankrupt!) The rules were that I could pretty much have anything I wanted yarn wise, but was never allowed a new lot until the previous garment had been finished. It was a good plan and worked well. And to be honest has stood me in good stead as an adult!

Consequently my stash is pretty small. The gorgeous rose chenille is the only long term resident and that is because it was bought at Ally Pally last year with no particular project in mind. The colour is gorgeous, so I couldn't bare to part with it, but I loathe knitting with it!! and I still haven't really found a good pattern for it (I've tried a few and given up within a few inches) . Other than that I have a few balls of sock yarn which I purchased from eBay for a song (shop was closing!!), and my alpaca from this year's ally pally, which will make some fingerless mitts. 4 Skeins of recycled sari silk, which I bought from India - also from eBay and equally cheap, and glorious!! and two balls of DB Cashmerino which I got on an odd ball swap. I do have a couple of other odds and sodds that are bits left over from old projects where I bought too much, but I didn't think they'd count!! - I must parcel them up for charity!

So there you have it, my stashette in all it's glory! - Come on then girls, show me yours!!!

Oooops

Have corrected the link to the second new forum, apparently I can't spell!!!!!

Update on sizes in Yarnforward

Being of the "fried egg" variety of women, I barely ever look at sizes in magazines! - Which is wrong of me, especially if I am writing about it as a bit of a mini review! - It just doesn't occur to me, and for that I apologise!

So, to rectify the problem, I would like to say that the range of sizes in Yarnforward seems good!! The first pattern knits up to actual garment size of 32", 42" and 52", but there are some notes which say that because of the way the lace is constructed and the bias nature of the fabric, it has a lot of stretch and will therefore fit a wide range of sizes.

The second pattern has a huge size range - x-small - 5X (28" - 62") - that should cover most people!!!

Next pattern is socks so not really relevant (although only one size - woman's medium)

Cardi pattern finished sizes from 36" - 47.75" (Wonder if my tension would ever be good enough to end up with an odd 3/4" on a size?)

Men's Cardi garment size 40.5" - 54.5"

shawl pattern - not relevant

Cropped cardi - 32 " - 46"

I am thinking that the range of sizes is dependent on the original designer? I do seem to remember reading somewhere that next issues model is a realistic size 16, so I do think Kerrie has size in mind!!

Hope that helps a bit

Yarnforward Magazine

I got my copy of Yarnforward on Saturday, and have to say I am really impressed. The articles are nicely written and interesting, and the patterns are good. Various styles so most should find one that they will like. None of the patterns are taken from existing publications, (which is a definite bonus) and all patterns are given with three recommended yarns in three budget categories - Cheap/Middle of the Road/ and Whhoooo Hoooo I'm going to pull in this! (OK those are not what they are called, but this is my blog and I wanna have some fun!!

I'm defintely going to make the cover pattern - "Ariel" and am thinking of maybe getting some cashmere plied up for it - unless I find something else! (Can't think about it yet, must get on with Christmas knitting!)

All in all, I think Kerrie's done an amazing job, and I'm really looking forward to the next issue out in January!

New Forums, Old friends.

For the knitters amongst you, I have added two new forum links to my "Knitting Links" sidebar. Both are still quite young, but friendly and fun.

It's raining today, which is fine! - I managed to walk Spot this morning before the rain started and we had a long, long walk! But why is it that tempers get so frayed in the rain?? I live on a junction, where we have a big set of traffic lights. Now it seems that no-one can possibly wait for another turn of the lights - if their light is green then they are going, no matter if there is no-where for them to go except block everyone else.. . . . . . and then everyone around loses their tempers and sit with their hands on their hooters, not only stressing themselves out, but also everyone around them, including the residents!!!

See all those lovely cars and vans at the top, they are turning right straight into a traffic jam. The lights facing us are about to turn green, and the cars that want to go straight across can't - so they just sit with their hands on their hooters!!!! (Are you getting the idea that I'm fed up with it!) Now we all make mistakes, and I can understand the odd person turning right and not really paying attention to the fact that they aren't goint to be going anywhere. I also know that it is possible that they could end up sitting at their lights all night because we also have the same situation with the cars coming from the right of the picture straight across, (you can't see them, but they're there!!) But this happens every single evening, from around 4:30 to about 6pm, and it drives me nuts!!! - I have contacted the council who say the problem is further up the road to the left (excuse my french, but "No Sh*t, Sherlock !!!") and so there is nothing they can do !!! GRRRRRR!!!

So to ease my nerves and before I hit the beer, here is a beautiful photo taken just above said junction, now why do people not just look up and "breathe" !!!!

Do you know what it is yet?

Don't be putting the answers in the comments please!! 'cos this is a Christmas pressie, but just for fun:-


It's been a quiet, lovely week. A bit of knitting, and a lot of walking. The weather has been perfect for dog walking! - Rain at night has meant that Spot has been in her element following scents and getting wet and muddy! and I have loved it too. The autumn colours over where I walk are stunning this year! The bracken has just started to turn brown, and the trees are beginning to take on that golden autumn colour! The night rain is bringing the colours alive, and by the time I walk at around 10:30 - 11am the whole countryside looks and smells amazing! - I actually think it is addictive! The temperature is still really warm for the time of year (I believe around 3deg above average - although feels warmer!) and I am chuffed at saving money as there is no need for heating yet!!!

Met the family for a pub lunch on Tuesday including dear sister and nephew, which was lovely. We were also joined by one of DSis's school friends and her husband and two children! - Now I am older than DSis by 4 years, and to see her with a grown up house and child is weird enough, but I have got used to it! BUT to see her school friends and hear them talk about their houses, and see their children is just plain daft!!! - They are still 13 year olds to me - at best!!!! It was so lovely to see them all though, we had a lovely afternoon with the children playing in the pub garden!

When I woke up this morning it was raining like mad - but as I have sat here and filled you all in on the week's goings on, the sun has emerged and the sky is blue - I will get a walk in after all!!!! - Though should probably get dressed first eh?!!!

Beautiful Autumn

I really hope everyone in the UK has had as amazing a day as we've had here! It's been perfect with sunny skies and that very slight chill in the air that keeps you sane! I spent this morning cutting the grass - whilst wearing my MP3 player. If the neighbour saw me dancing around with a dirty great big lawnmower she'll know I've finally flipped.

I also changed the bed sheets - not that that is such a fantastic thing to blog about, but don't you just love when you know you'll be going to bed in clean fresh laundry, that was dried out in the garden, and is now on the bed with all the windows open. When I snuggle down tonight I know it'll smell heavenly and I'll be off to sleep in an angel's whisper! zzzzzzz

Booty

So this is what Mum made us to carry!!! - Not at all embarrassing (apologies to Tess as this is probably a huge copyright infringement - but also free advertising so hope we're forgiven!) _ I had visions of angel wings in tinsel or a big banner saying "Angels here", and the crowds parting as they let the freaks through!! - But no this was it, and it was not only lovely, but also useful!

. . . . . . to carry this in! - I didn't buy much as I'm pretty skint just at the moment, but it was a great "feeling" day and I couldn't resist the Catalina Alpaca/silk (well actually that was a little pressie from Mum) to make some autumn fingerless mitts in! There was actually a lot of alpaca and other natural fibre there, which was great to see, and I came home armed with a marked up programme of web addresses and "who had what"!!

The Monkey Buttons bag, is a pattern for a patchwork bag, which I liked the look of! I've never done any patchwork or quilting, and have often thought of it as one of those old age crafts!!! (Says me the proud owner of a spinning wheel!) But you can't knock it 'til you've tried it! So I will!

Thanks for all your lovely comments on poor Spot. She is much better now - in fact was better in time for dinner (there's a surprise - not!)

Today should be hoovering day, and other houseworky type stuff - but I fancy spinning up some of that dyed fleece, and there's no point hoovering before I do that . . . . . . . . . is there??!

Ally Pally tomorrow

Well, it seems to have come around very quickly! - Mum and I are off to Alexandra Palace tomorrow for the knitting and stitching show.

She has announced on the angel yarns forum that we will be carrying something obvious to identify ourselves to fellow angels. Unfortunately I don't know what it is but if you see two people carrying something weird - it's probably us!!! (Or if you see a 38 year old walking along sulking like a 5 year old at being made to carry something embarrassing by her mother - this is equally likely to be us!)

I am sitting here in my dark conservatory at the moment writing this, listening to Sarah Mclachlan, (actually this cd)who's amazing, haunting voice always seems to come into its own as the evenings draw in!!! ahhhh I love Autumn!!! - Spot and I have been for a fabulous walk this evening. Cut a little short unfortunately by her cutting her tongue (actually that's a regular occurence - it hangs out so far when she gets panty!) but today it was bad and she bled all over herself - down her chest and all over her front paws! She really looked like she'd been in a fight! - Now my little girl is not one for washing - she will come in from a walk, wet, muddy, and covered in all sorts and just curl up and go to sleep! - Today, she hasn't stopped washing her own blood off herself since she walked through the door - go figure!!!

Does anyone have good fish recipes?

Tonight I'm making cheat's fish pie. 2 smoked mackeral fillets, mashed with cooked leeks and some creme fraiche, topped with mashed potato & sweet potato, and popped in the oven for 20 mins. It's lovely!

BUT. . . . .

It's really one of my only "oily" fish recipes! So does anyone out there have a good dinner recipe for oily fish!!! (I'm trying to up my omega 3 intake as my brain needs all the help it can get!)

Come on. . . . don't be shy!

If you could see me now!!!

You'd soooo laugh!!

Here I am - all alone - cooking a full roast dinner, and dancing my heart out to the soundtrack from "Ray"!! The dog is sat in the middle of the room, looking at me like I've finally lost the plot, and I'm just dancing round her!!

You don't have to be mad to live here - but it sure helps!!

Today's Caption

"Mum, if I sit here in this flower bed in the sun and the rain - will I grow taller?"

Hmmmmm

...... to be honest not much to say!

I have been knitting a few little Christmas bits to get them out of the way. The Noro cardigan is almost finished - just need to seam the sides and then do the dreaded zip. Have decided to look round ally pally next week for wool for sister's cardi, but failing that, I think it will be the Cascade Eco, which although hand wash, has a lot of other good credentials!!!! Hoping to find a UK stockist as p&p from USA is almost as much as the wool is costing :eek: !

Other than that life here is trecking on as per normal. Bit of housework, bit of gardening, bit of dog walking (actually not enough of that lately as the weather has been torrential rain for a week, and much as I don't mind getting wet I'd rather not get soaked every single day!).

And that has pretty much been that!!!!