Family stuff

The week started by posting new pattern for mens slippers called Hugs in my etsy shop and on Ravelry

These are great for that man in your life and very hard wearing having a leather sole attached .

What a busy week I have had started by teaching on Monday at Viking Loom in York where I teach just twice ayear and would not miss it for the world it is always great fun.

From there I travelled by train on my own yes on my own to Durham to stay with my son and his fiancee Katie.After a great supper my little body needed sleeep so off to bed early then up early really early like 7.30am  and into commuter traffic I so do not miss things like this .I had a good nosey around the shops in Durham, could not find a wool shop shame on you Durham with all those students who must long to knit –NO shop. 

I attended a concert at St Chads college by choir members and really enjoyed it, the 1st piece an Annie Lennox number was lovely and the guy singing last,very good  loved his song Simple Me,it was inspiring to see these youngsters (well to me they are)and the atmosphere in the college chapel was really positive and good —nice to connect to old friends as well who I had not seen for a while .

So off to lunch then Katie had an awards evening at New College in the evening where the staff were very complimentary and hospitable with a smashing buffet –everyone had agood time and we departed off to Bistro 21 which was very very good and I will go there again when I am up North.

Wednesday and for the 3rd time this week I see 7.30am this must stop and not become a habit ,had a nice day,went to the 2minute silence in the Cathedral had coffee with James , then all too soon it is time to leave for the station and the grand wave off, I hate goodbyes especially when one of my children are involved it cuts me up too much.Uneventful journey home where the my DH met me and took me home .

James and Katies wedding plans are progressing and in 5months they will be married, yet to me it only seems a blink away since he was born .

The wedding setting is awesome really, in the Cathedral, just hope the dress does it justice.Well here’s to a qiuet week knitting, sewing, walking and getting ready for Christmas and hopefully spending time with the family .

 PS anyone reading my blog who has a circular sock knitting machine for sale please get in touch–cheers

Memories and Aching Bones

The only wedding pic I am allowed to show you until the bride and groom return from honeymoon.
We had a family party the night before the wedding as family had travelled many miles for this event and the joining of 2 families is importrant and the party was great the weather good the food good –thanks to my mil Cindy who I could not have done it without her,and she made the wedding cake -! so a couple of piccies from there showing my brother and sister(aren’t they good looking dudes)who had not met before the party for 16 years when we buried my Mother,the other a kitchen shot (most good parties start and stop in the kitchen ) of Cindy my mil,Bart my brother and Kath one of my longest ever friends hahah( she rescued me in a snow storm when I was pregnant with my son 29 years ago).

But back to reality now and what can I say! my back aches, my knees scream,and my hips feel like they are singing at me but apart from that I am fine, as fine as someone moving at my age can be.
There are so many casualties of this move, tons of yarn- I really felt it was a competition as I made each hank or ball of yarn justify its existence in my stash some did not make it and the load got lighter –the next day round 2 and it started all over again and more casualties until I had reduced the stash. It is amazing how focusing on justification gets rid of so much we cling on to.
I have cleared my studio and apart from feeling sick and crying when 2 of my vintage sewing machines left home I am doing ok I think.The plants in my garden I will mourn over and wonder how they will do –pathetic really but the cherry blossom each April is awesome and the first taste of my own plums is something else.The frogs in the pond and all the birds I will miss, wonder if my baby robins will follow me.
I know there are horrid things happening in the world but I never wanted to move again and here I am off again.How I envy folk who have lived places for 30 or 40 years .The longest I have managed to be in 1 place was the childrens childhood home and I did 17 years there and leaving it nearly killed me and have not settled since really.I have my beautiful Teasdale home where my bones will rest when I am older.
Back to this move and more looking forward ,the new village is lovely the new garden is looking good and I love my home and am ready to make some good memories.My new lounge looks out over the main part of the garden and again my dreaming table (I call it that because as I sit to write or create I dream the day away gazing outside )has a great view so cannot see the new book getting finished very quickly.
I am not hanging onto anything any more that is not functional and needed by me now right now or so beautiful I cannot face the day without it,
So once again new beginnings to face and changes to cope with, lots to do, lots to learn, and lots to look forward to.
I am so happy for my daughter and her new hubby and I adore my new sil but I am so going to miss her and she will be living even further away from me but as you will see when I post some more piccies no-one could be happier, she oozes happiness and I never saw her look more beautiful apart from the 1st day I ever looked into her face. I was honoured to design and make her dress,and tiarra and bag I enjoyed every hour I spent doing them and very proud when I saw her ready for her big day ‘Thank you Emma for giving me that opportunity I will never forget it ‘.
Moving date looms and there is still fabric to sort, knitting needles to sort,views to say goodbye to and more than likely hundreds of decisions still to make,but they will be made, I salute the future.To any of my blog readers who are also moving –good luck !!!check out http://feltingfibres.wordpress.com for news on latest felting classes to be held at Viking Loom York in November

new knitting

Well here is a piccie of the new scarf  and  in this yarn it is going to look so cool,I love all the colours interplaying with each other and the way it changes depending on the twist of the pattern –being silk it will be lovely as the weather warms up yet you  still feel like having something around your neck.

By delving back into all my pattern manuals from earlier studious times I am finding pattern drafts I had forgotten about and blocks that I had done .

 inspiration was my vegetable patch and how I want to redo it and have crisssrossed paths interlaced with my herbs. It was drawing this out that started the shawl and with the first 18 rows drafted up and bed time looming –the rest will have to wait until morning.

I am actually using a 4mm needle which is quite a heavyweight for me with lace but we will see how it goes .

 My good friend Emma is 6 months pregnant and we wait the arrival of her son with delight.Emma wants to start a baby pram blanket and I have just the right yarn for her from Filatura which is pure bliss to work with. She is a very competent knitter but maybe not adventurous but this yarn I know will inspire her and I have drafted that pattern as well today.

Sunshine has been with us all day today, the poor old greenhouse got such a shock she lost a pane of glass and yep we now have a frost forecast tonight –is that my early start plan ruined .

Also been doing lots of sewing as well the last few days reinventing the bag haha–

if you like bag making go and visit my good friend Lisa over at

 http://www.u-handbag.com there you will find professional tutorials re bags and purses making which are designed to help everyone not just show ioff a talent .

Her website shop has amazing fabric and I can never resist the odd metre or so to put by ‘in case’.So pop on over and go visit Lisa.

So from an English country garden Goodnight America wherever you all are .My geography is certainly improving these days as I go cyberwise across the States visiting my new friends .