what a month

The extension finally got started, my garden is now a huge mud pile, I belive it will be worth it but I just wish the next few months would be over and it was finished, we are blessed with wonderful builders and good friends of the family so we trust them no end, and with names like Derek and Eric I have to stop myself calling them Eric and Ernie.

On the knitting front I made my first forest canopy shawl out of hipknits aran silk

It is a great pattern and the silk looked a treat, this was the MIL's birthday present.
I also managed a hat in an hour

this arrived as part of the autumn swap on the crafty yarns and threads forum. I had asked for something chunky as my eyes had been playing up with double vision ( all fixed now due to much stronger glasses and prisms )
slowasasnail came up trumps with this yarn and the pattern that went with it.

As I said what a month, I am leaving my school dinner job on Tuesday. I have now got a job working with the little angels breastfeeding support agency. They are finally moving into preston and I will be leading on it, well so far there is only me but I am so thrilled about this. They are so pro active contacting all mothers offering support before it is needed rather than waiting for people to contact them. With any luck we can have a real positive affect on the breastfeeding rates in Preston.

Did you all see last months Simply Knitting magazine aswell. I was only expecting a little mention but got a really lovely write up, kept me smiling all month and the orders are still a flooding in.

Club yarns are dyed and drying and will be out the middle of this week.

If you have a spare two minutes a good friend of mine has just started blogging, keep a look out for them at the big wool fairs next year. I have decided not to do a stall next year as I would rather go and spend instead of earn but do stop and say a huge hello to the Laal bear

Finally a little pic of my little pumpkins on halloween

AWOL

but back again, firstly the old eyes failed me. I have lived with double vision all my life, it is now controlled by prisms in my glasses. Over the last month they stopped working, but after a lengthly trip to the opticians I can now see again, and of course my new glasses are beautifully purple.

The knitting took a huge leap backward but again we are on track again, I have almost finished my hogwarts sock swap socks, only a bit of the foot to go now and they can be on their way across the seas.

Mersh is striking again, It is great having him at home more but terrible loosing £50 - £60 every day they are out, we can only hope it is resolved very quickly

I have cast on for another clapotis, I bought some aran silk from Terri, I couldn't just leave it sitting there, I am on the third straight repeat


I have also been dyeing mini yarn

Sharon has been treating herself so needs some socks to match, this is the best I could do.


On the dyeing front things have been very busy but my favourite has to be my witches of pendle hill pure bfl sock yarn



I have had to keep a skein of this all to myself

Also keep an eye out for the next edition of simply knitting

manic

I have not stopped since getting back from fibrefest. I have the most fantastic time, we camped with Wooly wormhead and Cledry Yarner. It was a first time of meeting wooly wormhead and she is a real Gem, especially for putting up with my two pestering her every two minutes. It was also great to see cledry again, our stalls were quite near each other again so it was fab to be able to go visit. I was very pleased how my stand looked and very glad I could fashion a back drop so I could display the centre piece properly this time.

during out time down there we also had to visit diggerland. If any of you has small children this place is a must to visit. We had a great day especially Jack ( or should that be ME )






After getting back dear Sam started school, and is loving every minute of it, they have already had their sports day which was cancelled at the end of the last term. As far as I am aware he had never been on a space hopper before but that was not to stop him


I also recieved the most fantastic present off the ever lovely Aknita

and a close up


she is such a sweetie, the colours are just perfect for me, and I am quite looking forward to wearing it during the approaching autumn evenings.

On the shop front, I am holding a massive and rather silly sale, BFL Alpaca sock yarns are only £7 and merino and normal sock yarns are only £6 so go grab a bargain whilst they are still there

last days of freedom

three of them start school next week, Sam starts school on Thursday, so we thought a day out on the beach at Lytham was in order, it was great to see them running around, they even went in the sea, for a change the tide was not 4 miles away.

Off to Fibrefest today, give him a real treat at diggerland whilst we are there before he starts.

see you there or tuesday when we get back

FibreFest and an award

http://www.fibrefest.co.uk/

so who is coming, I am really looking forward to this, it is not just a fibre festival there is a load of other events taking place at the same time, loads to do with the kids, swing boats and other rides, it looks like it will be a fun weekend.

The camping bit will be interesting, I am a seasoned camper, however I do appreciate the facilities at most campsites. This time we will have access to a tap and a toilet, and with my two darlings that can attract mud at 40 paces it is safe to say you could see them being bathed in a bucket outside the tent.

If you do make it please come and say hello.

CJ nominated me for this award for being a rocking girl blogger



Thanks so much, now I need to nominate some others, so here goes

confessions of a yarn addict

because she is just that and I can't wait to meet her at Fibrefest

daily drivel
her yarnimals and cow pie makes her a true rocking girl

And Knitbert

I could read her tales all day, and she is truly a lovely person in the flesh aswell

eagle eyed

there was a falconry display on at the local park today, well it was a display of falcons rather than a falconry display. It was delivered by the most arrogant falconer I have ever come across, kids got fed up very quickly and the call of ice cream and slides were far more interesting. I got a few nice pics though, and a great ice-cream

Bright Dyes Blooms in the shop

I have to wait untill friday before I can send them out but they are ready for ordering.

aswell as the ones pre made I can turn any of my instock yarns into a bouquet, or I can custom dye a yarn for you if you don't see what you are looking for.

brightdyes bouquets

All I need are the shipping boxes and they will be going live in the shop.

They are the perfect present for any knitter.

All bouquets come with 100g hand dyed yarn, bouquet of artificial flowers and a packet of real seeds and a gift card with your personal message on.

1 - BFL alpaca sock yarn


2 - BFL alpaca sock yarn


3 - BFL nylon sock yarn

wheres mine mum

I actually finished this on Wednesday so it only took me 6 days, he absolutely loves it and it has not left his side since, the only porblem being that Jack wants one now, I am not doing a star again but have started a pentagon for him, but it will take me longer than a week this time.

The club yarns went out today so depending on the back log should be with you very soon.

Sams star afgan

After seeing this fantastic star afgan by nevisknitter, my Sam decided he had to have one. I started on Thursday evening and I am about half way through it



He has chosen all the yarns himself, and he is choosing which order they go in.

Happy Birthday Sam

Today is my little boys 4th birthday, I am in denial that he is 4 already and even more so that he will be starting school in september.

My Hogwarts sock is coming along a treat, I am using the BFL Alpaca sock yarn and it is knitting beautifully. I would post a picture but then that would ruin the suprise.

Bag pattern now available

please click here to download file

bad mail, bags and a name change

I have had several parcels returned to me in a burnt mess, they include some etsy orders and the club yarns, apparently they were in a van crash and smouldered. The new ones are almost ready for sending out, then I can claim my money back from them, thanks goodness for proof of postage.





This is the first pattern I have ever designed. It takes 2 hanks of BFL DK and only took me a day to knit felted in the washing machine it is a large and very strong bag, I will be writing it up as soon as I get chance, the I cord is fab and only took me 15 minutes to finger knit, again instructions will follow asap.

In case you have not noticed I have also got a name change the posts are now signed Miss Mandy of Fliwick, this is due to the Hogwarts sock swap 2 that I am in, normality will return once the swap is over.

Hogwarts sock swap questions

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?

Gryffindor

2. Shoe size?

UK size 5

3. Foot Length?

23 cm / 9 inches

4. Foot Circumference?

23cm/9 inches

5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.
a. boyes 2.75mm
b. addi 2.5mm
c. they are the only ones I have tried

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?
I would love to try knitpicks any length and either 2.5mm or 2.75

7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?
N?A

8. Allergies? Do you have any? Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals?
no allergies, I don't smoke, I do have 2 parrots who don't get near my knitting

9. Are you an international participant (outside US)? Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?
Of course


Don't forget that you can still join the sock swap ( http://hogwarts-sock-swap-two.blogspot.com/ ) I think sign ups may close soon so please be quick

Harry Potter sock swap

I have just applied to join the next round of the Harry Potter sock swap, I dyed several skeins for the last round so hopefully I will do the same this time and get to knit with some of it aswell.
I have been sorted into the Gryffindor house of course
WIDTH="88" HEIGHT="130" ALT="Want to Get Sorted?">

I'm
a Gryffindor!
fingers crossed I get to join in the fun

milkies all gone

Well for the first time in 4 years I am no longer a breastfeeding mother, as of last Sunday Jack is off the boob and hs decided that milk in a cup is just as good.
I feel both very glad yet slightly saddened that my breastfeeding days are over. Sam weaned at 2 and a half and Jack has now done the same, I did feed them both for 9 months so I think I have done my bit for them.

It doesn't seem two minutes since Jack was born on my front room floor


and now look at them


On another good note planning permission has gone through on our extension so just building control to get through now and then the games can begin.

full te brim

The great thing about having an allotment is the goodies, tea tonight consisted of

my first early spuds

my favourite poddy peas as the boys call them

cabbage freshly earthed up, steamed and served with a dollop of butter

the shallots are waiting for pickling tomorrow after a good soak in salted water

and of course pudding of blackcurrant crumble.

what could be better?

frogged frogged frogged

my mystery stole has bitten the dust, all down to a missing stitch.
Note to self :- use life line next time
Back up to row 30 again

10% off sale

I have almost finished listing what travelled back with me, so in celebration I have a bit of a sale going on.

if you type in woolfest in the discount box you will get your 10% taken off, and don't forget that everybody who buys from me this month will get entered into a prize draw and will win a skein of their choosing.

mystery stole 50 rows in

still worthy of a photo though, the pattern is coming along nicely, I am really enjoying it and the fact that it is a mystery pattern is making it all the more fun to knit. there are over 4000 knitters now in the mystery stole knitalong on yahoo

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mysterystole3/

still time to sign up and join in the fun

so what did I buy and a prize draw

This was all I had chance to buy at Woolfest, and I even had to send mum out to buy that for me, my dream of spinning my own sock yarn is getting closer.

Just for Aknita The staples came out fine and actually helped to shape the shawl so mum is well and truly forgiven.

now for the prize draw, anybody who buys a skein of yarn in July from either of my shops will be entered into a prize draw, The lucky winner will recieve a skein of yarn of their choosing

wonderful woolfest

I am back in one piece and I loved every minute of it

first comes the pics of the stall






putting the stall up was a lot of fun, mum helped me no end, but I did have a little heart attack when she STAPLED my shawl to the back drop. when I had recovered from the shock of seeing metal punched through my beautiful work I realised that it did actually look quite nice, so forgave her quite quickly.

The Friday and Saturday went so quickly, I met loads of people I had never met before and loads of people it was lovely to see again.

my stall was next to Cledry Yarner , it was great to have such a nice person next to me.
I had a huge hug with the badger and aknita.
I finally got to meet Sprite maker of the Yarnimals n and Jeni and Andy from Bluefaced.com.

Camping in torrential rain was interesting, and not helped by hubby and Jack getting a stomach bug on the last night, that said however all I can say is roll on next year.

lace garland shawl

I bought the yarn for this at Harrogate knitting and stitching show last year, I over dyed it as it needed more purple in it.

the pattern is from shawls and scarves the best of knitters magazines



here is a size reference my nearly 4 year old



and Sam showing how lovely it looks on


my dilemma is though is can I display it at Woolfest? I have dyed it but it is not with the wool that I sell even though it can be made using wool that I sell.

mystery stole swatch

I am very pleased, I am not doing beads as I am not a beady person, I am using my BFL laceweight and 3.25mm addi lace needles, the needles are devine, I am in love with them, much better than any other needle I have used.

So hopefully when I get back and unpack I will be raring to go.

4 days to go

and the excitement is building.

I have another kilo of lace in the pots, I did another kilo of Merino yesterday, tomorrow is all labelling, Sunday is price signs and notices day, monday I must fix the trailer. I don't want it falling apart on me like it did last year and the nice men of the ASMA had to rescue us, Tuesday we have a dental hygenist talking to us at the local childrens centre, the afternoon will be packing and finally Wednesday monring we will be off off and away.

On another note a lot of you know that I am training to become a breastfeeding counsellor with the ABM, I have just handed in module 7 for marking which means only one more to go and I am fully qualified, it has only taken me 2 and a half years to do it. I have really struggled with some of it but am feeling very proud of myself for getting this far.

7 days till blast off

this time next week I will be sat in my tent wondering what on earth I have let myself in for, I am so excited it is unbareable. here is my progress so far and this is only a small snippet


what me and mum are wearing so you will be able to spot us a mile away

a taste of Merino 4ply

a little bit of Alpaca BFL 4 ply

a smidgen of Laceweight BFL

and a touch of sock yarn
as I said this is only a small portion of what I am taking, there are boxes all over the place full of lovely luciousness.

regarding the mystery stole CJ helped me decide that Turquoise is the way to go. I just need the time element of it now