Nearly New Year...

The t'internet is back on! Hopefully it will stay on for a while too...
I am muchly enjoying my Winter Holiday and getting a bit of knitting and cross stitching done...and a blast (quite literally) from the past by playing Unreal Tournament! Knitting-wise, am working on my Debbie Bliss cabled hoodie currently - back, fronts and part of a sleeve completed. Need to figure out what I am going to do about the hood, as I saw one finished on a blog the other day and it looks a mess. I should make clear here that it was not the knitter's fault that it looked a mess, but the design, and it did look much better after she'd changed the hood into a collar. I do like the idea of a hood though, so might try and be clever and design my own... well, we'll see.

Anyhoo, while the t'internet was off, I was not sitting around doing nothing. Not all the time anyway.

Can you tell what it is yet? *snigger*















Finished mittens and scarf.











Kiddie socks in Opal Carnival.

Simple Knits

Finished: Cashmere leggings, top and bootees from Erika Knight's Simple Knits for Cherished Babies using RYC Cashsoft 4ply.







The bootees are so cute.









The feet on the leggings look a bit odd as I couldn't think of a good way to fold them to be blocked. Hopefully they'll fit his / her little feet *hopes*

Daffs!

I spent some time yesterday afternoon planting the daffodil bulbs that Mum gave me. Quite proud of the fact that I got it done so quickly after getting home. Not like me at all. Most of them went into the top border in the front, but I also put some in a terracotta planter in the back garden. Finger's crossed for a fine display in the Spring... if Pud doesn't dig them up first.

And, as it has been a while, here is today's lesson in the Way of the Pud.

Back to Reality

Things are pretty much back to normal now after my week off with Mum. It is now dark at 5pm when I leave work because the clocks went back, all very depressing, but the extra bit of light in the mornings is nice. Being unable to venture out into the wilds recently, I sent my camera out with Rob who came back with some sheepy pics for my website.


Wet sheep near a wet path on a wet hillside, in the rain.



Rather nice and arty picture of the valley. I am wondering about getting it printed out big to put in a frame, it'd be interesting to see how well the photos from my little camera come out large sized regardless, and we might get lucky.

Betws-Y-Coed

Here are some pictures of the walk we did at the weekend from Betws-Y-Coed, up to Llyn Crafnant (14.7 miles). It was a good day for walking - although boggy. Very boggy. Very very boggy.

Moel Siabod across the valley













Toadstools. Do not eat.












Llyn Bychan













Clean looking sheep up on Creigiau Gleision (678m).














Rainbow (and getting dark) on the way back to the car

Plastic Heaven

On the way home from the Lake District we stopped off in Windermere at the Lakeland Limited shop for a look round. I had been interested in getting a kitchen compost bin (just a small dustbin / bucket type thing with a lid for keeping veg scraps in before taking outside to the compost bins) and although I'd gotten quite a nice small pedal bin from the local market, we thought we'd pop in. Plastic heaven! I got totally carried away with the spinning top style salad spinners and gadgets and we spent a fortune. Probably 2 or 3 out of the 20 things we bought will actually get some use. But it's not like we don't have any space in the kitchen cupboards to store this stuff...actually we don't. So, rellies, guess what you're getting for Christmas (but not the salad spinner - that's mine, all mine).

You too can enjoy the delights at www.lakelandlimited.com

High Raise

Camped at Great Langdale National Trust site this weekend and walked up High Raise (762m) - pretty windy up on the tops, but no rain. Nice autumn colours and a chilly morning. Fabulous.
















The hills are alive, with the sound of bleating. And some horns too, this weekend. Hopefully Mr Beagle found his way home. Here is a sheep doing his Gandalf at Helm's Deep impersonation.













More sheep than you can shake a stick at - but you shouldn't go around shaking sticks at sheep, because it isn't nice.



And in a radical departure for the Sheep Happens website, we have a bird. Of that much I'm pretty confident. It has wings and a beak and it's not a robin or a duck.

Voodoo Knitting

This Little (?) Piggy

The Angel Yarns October Challenge was to make finger puppets - so I made this little fella from the pattern in last months Simply Knitting magazine. Was supposed to be a little fella anyway, but mine turned out huge. It doesn't even stay on my thumb - but hopefully I've found a good home for him.

Turning of the Year

Autumn is my favourite season. I love the last dying days of summer and the first chill days of winter approaching. Despite the weather forecaster's promises of torrential rain and possible flooding this week, I still dream of the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, chill clear autumn days and going for walks, wrapped up in scarves and mittens. So, in tribute to these unfeasible fantasies, here are some signs of autumn that I've noticed of late.


Moorland turning from green to brown - up on the tops near Holmbridge and Digley Reservoir.






Holly berries - maybe I should have saved this one for later in the year...
















Blackberries were growing all along the coastal paths in Pembrokeshire, mostly a bit unripe when we were there, but I bet they're fabulous now.

Bother me not...

...for I am Busy.

I hate wait...

There was a problem with my Amazon order for Diana Gabaldon's new book, Breath of Snow and Ashes, so I've had to cancel my initial order and try again. Which is a bugger as it was released today and I was expecting it to be delivered.

I suppose it doesn't matter too much, as I haven't finished Adam Roberts' Snow yet (see a theme here?) but it is disappointing not to get it when I was expecting my shiny new book.

Soon, soon...

Holiday Snaps

The first evening at Trelerw... a promising start :)

Walking around St David' s Head
Sheepses on Dinas Head
Seals spotted in Ramsey Sound
Newgale Beach


Walking from Solva to Newgale Beach (the next day - these are in some sort of order!)

Back from hols

We got back from our holiday to Pembrokeshire on Saturday after a lovely week by the coast. It was slightly spoiled by me getting a stinky cold, but if that's the worst thing that happens to me this month, then it's not so bad.

Took loads of holiday snaps of our walks along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path, which is a National Trail over 150 miles long. I think we managed about 20 odd, but it was meant to be a holiday so there was no expectation to ever manage more than a bit of it. The parts of the coastline we saw from Newgale up to Whitesands around St David's Head were beautiful and there were seals, birds, animals and many plants also. Some of the photos will be posted soon, promise.



My cold has pretty much knocked me out for the last couple of days. I spent a lazy afternoon yesterday watching Delia's How to Cook 3 repeats on UK TV Food, or whatever the foodie channel is called, while completing my entry for the Angel Yarns September Challenge. And here they are:












They were made with 3ply baby yarn from a free pattern here using some old wool from my stash. I think it's the stuff I used to make the crochet baby coat for Kay's baby girl - which must be going back 8 years now. Ouch.

I Really Love Those Tiger Feet!

Ta dah!!!!

Random Poetry

Well, maybe poetry is stretching things a bit.

Ode to the people on "You Are What You Eat" last week.

Ooh stupid people,
With your processed cheese
And your double portion fries
You are fat and getting fatter
If you didn't eat this crap
Then your stomachs would be flatter

Tiger Feet!

What more needs to be said, really??!

Ooh me legs

Bit stiff today - but we did some active recovery by walking up to the pub for Sunday Lunch. All three courses of it. Blimey what piggies we were. But it was nice.

I wore my new boots to wear them in a bit. It is very warm here today and I got very hot feet. And one or two funny looks, but they can sod off.

We decided to walk into Manchester - partly because it is a good long tiring walk, partly because there is relatively little ascent or descent to it, and also you end up at the shops and I wanted a new pair of walking boots.

We walked along the Medlock Valley Way to the Ashton Canal and then through town to Deansgate. The path had been improved (somewhat) since we last did this in February, but not at the bits where it needed it most in my opinion. Still, it was drier underfoot and we had a better idea of where was best to aim for this time to avoid the soggier patches. It is always surprising how almost totally rural it seems - right up until you come out by the City Stadium.


Got myself a new pair of Solomon Pro Trek 6 (special offer, too!!) and was treated to yummy carrot cake and coffee at Starbucks. And would you look at the size of those mugs!

Sunny September Saturday...

The post has just arrived bringing my Opal Rainforest sock yarn and the latest copy of Knitting magazine. How happy am I?? :)






And here is the Opal Carnival baby cardigan completed:










This wasn't an easy pattern to follow for me. I had to make adjustments because I couldn't get the required tension without using much bigger needles and I didn't want to do that. So I used the number of stitches measurements for a larger size and changed the lengths as necessary to keep it in proportion. It measures up pretty closely to the finished measurements in the pattern, but still looks a little on the wide side for me. Still, I guess we'll find out at the end of the year whether it fits or not. Looks cute though.

No idle hands here...

While the cardigan is blocking, I decided to get on with the matching hat. Done on dpns, took a bit of getting started - but third time lucky and now making good progress.

Blocking

The Carnival cardie has been finished, sewn up and had it's buttons put on. I've washed it in soapflakes and it is now blocking. Photo when it's done.

Not sure what to do next. Do I carry on with more of the Welsh sheep jumper, make the cashmere top and leggings or start on Clapotis? Ooh decisions....

Why we put throws on our chairs

Pud in a rare moment of activity

Ho Hum

Well, after a couple of evenings of measuring, re-measuring, scribbling on pieces of pieces of paper, frogging and knitting, I am back at 50% complete.




Such is knitting.... well, it is when I'm doing it anyway.

Work in progress

Opal Carnival baby cardigan: about 50% complete

Baking bread and made fish pate tonight, so I shall eat well tomorrow!

Feeling alright....for a Monday

I was thinking earlier about how my knitting gallery doesn't seem particularly full - considering that I seem to always have something (or even a couple of somethings) on the go and came up with the following list of other recent projects (well, from this year...so sort of recent-ish) which I didn't take pictures of:.

Debbie Bliss Moss Stitch border baby cardy (from Knitting issue ?) for Beth

Wine bottle cosy from Knitty.com for Lisa

Opal Lollipop socks, my first try at making socks, for Kirsty

Sirdar cabled hoodie in Snuggly 4 ply for Samuel

Sirday cabled hoodie in Snuggly DK for Jared

This doesn't include the mitten experiment that went wrong, the tiny socks which would probably fit a teddy bear (or maybe a preemie???) and numerous other non-starters...

The Welsh Sheep Wool jumper: work in progress
(taking a back seat to the Opal Carnival cardy atm)

Sunday Stroll...

Today got off to a slightly shaky start when I discovered after my first mouthful of breakfast cereal that the milk had gone slightly funny tasting. EEeewww. Am annoyed that the milk that didn't even last beyond the display till date, let alone the use by. Breakfast plans changed to toast and marmalade. Black coffee was rather nice.

Went for walk up on the moors around Black Hill and Wessenden Reservoir - about 10 miles. Lovely day - quite hot - and the heather was out in all it's glory.






Unfortunately so were millions of big irritating flying bug things. They're even multiplying on my blog - I only uploaded the photo once and three showed up.... I deleted the other two as they are nasty..







Gratuitous sheep shot











Today's lesson in the Way of the Pud.

(The carrier bag in the bottom of the photo is from Trefiw Woollen Mill in North Wales where I bought some wool to make a jumper from 'real' wool from 'real' Welsh Sheep... this is a work in progress, more later)