I Luuuuuurve My Clapotis

Well I do - she is just gorgeous. She drapes beautifully, she is wonderfully soft and the colour just shines and shimmers - I am in love. So here without further ado, she is, adorning my ample shoulders and I lean against my monstermobile !



I am sorry that I have been absent for a little while, I have been rather poorly with tonsillitus - it was a very nasty dose indeed and I have now got some very strong anti-biotics which are doing the trick nicely - I am feeling much better now - just rather exhausted.

I started my Mum's Hanne Falkenberg Ballerina cardy the other day and then felt so dreadful I had to put it down, too poorly to knit - it must have been serious I hear you say ! I hope to pick it up again in the next couple of days - maybe tomorrow, Jacob is starting at nursery tomorrow - I hope he likes it, it's going to be odd for him, he is still getting used to the fact that people look and dress differently over here - no matter what I say I don't seem to be able to persuade him that we are all the same really - still he'll get there - I just hope nursery isn't too much exposure for him. After that we all have four days off together, which is going to be wonderful, and awful, because I doubt I'll get any time at all for knitting.

I am getting on with my Noro Silk Garden Lizzy and she do be beautiful I must say - I need to get her finished sooner rather than later before the weather starts to warm up and she has to be relegated to the wardrobe to be admired on a hanger or in air con only ! I was thinking that it might be nice to do something like this with the remained of my lovely Hip Knits silk - I am not sure that I will have enough, but I will see - I or maybe this Hannah little number. We shall see.

A friend of mine e:mailed me from Canada last night saying that since I was a knitting fiend would I help her design a nursing jumper (as in breast feeding) she said that she has been having terrible trouble finding one to suit and would like to get one knitted - or it herself. I've had a little look around for inspiration and it doesn't look like it's going to be terribly difficult - you just need to choose a yarn that is light and breathable and then do a double layer on the front with slits where your boobies would go. Any thoughts anyone let me know. I'm still pondering so I'm looking for suggestions.

Right I'm being booted off the pooter as DH needs to do boring work in order that we can have a four days off together.

Crisis Averted

Just to put your minds at rest - Clapotis is just fine ! In my jet lagged haze I didn't realise that I had dropped the stitch but just forgotten to unravel it ! So I'm much happier now - I hate spending ages on something for it to be wrong - I think I may have had to undo it if it had been wrong you know - I just wouldn't be able to live with it - sad isn't it - still all is well.

My new blog is now up and running at can be found here

http://oman3.blogspot.com/

It is obviously very rough at the moment - 'cause I only started it last night and I haven't done anything with it - but there it is.

Ta ta

Clapotis Crisis

So - I have now finished my Clapotis in the Hip Knits silk and it's gorgeous, I was busy admiring it and then noticed that there is one stitch that I have negelected to drop and unravel - what can I do ? Should I just leave it and ignore it (will it drive me out of my mind everytime I look at it ?), can I do anything unspeakable with a pair of scissors ? Or is the only option to undo it and start from that point and how to do you re-ravel unravel stitches - oh dear I think the reality is, that I'm just going to have to live with it !

Oh yes - I'm in Oman now ! Nearly forgot to say ! I was wonderful on the flight if I do say so myself - not scared one bit, that hypnotherapy really worked for me ! However, Jacob was not so wonderful, he had a runny tummy, followed by a nasty itchy rash on his tummy, followed my vomitting - all in an 8 hour period. So I'm keeping a close eye on him and we'll see how he goes, he seems much better tonight.

Well gotta go - I'm a bit pooped and I need to chill. I'm going to start a new blog just about life in Oman, so that I don't bore everyone here with too many stories of Oman - I'll let you know all about it when it's up and running.

I'm joining in

Everyone seems to be doing this one at the moment - so I thought I'd join in

Your Birthdate: August 23

You're not good at any one thing, and that's the problem. You're good at so much - you never know what to do. Change is in your blood, and you don't stick to much for long. You are destined for a life of travel and fun. Your strength: Your likeability Your weakness: You never feel satisfied Your power color: Bright yellow Your power symbol: Asterisk Your power month: May

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

It's so wierd - see it says I am destined for travel and you know what it is so right - I can never settle on any one things to do - I'm always flitting from thing to thing - bad habit me thinks.

Clapotis is steaming along now; I have dropped 8 stitches. Now that I have accepted that I am no way going to finish Manhattan before I leave - I feel guilt free to get on with Clapotis and Lizzy - so I'm having fun with my knitting again - rather than knitting for duty.

Pictures soon - although having said that - the camera may well be packed - I've only got 3 days until we are leaving - only now am I starting to realise that it is doubtful that I will squeeze everything into the suitcases I have - so I have dispatched the Mother in Law to purchase me another one - does is matter if your suitcase is twice the weight of the passengers do you think ?!!

Oh Look What Happened !

Well Officer - I was merrily knitting that Manhattan item and well, I don't know how it happened all of a sudden these other items just jumped out at me and insisted that I knitted them - I was bullied into it - honest !

Oh I've been so bad. I have never been very good at sticking to one project at a time, and whilst I was focusing so hard on Manhattan, my magpie eye got distracted by my shiny HipKnits Silk and I just had to get started on that there Clapotis and well, once you've started you've got to at least get to the dropped stitches bit or it's no fun.



I have to say this is one of the worst pictures I have ever published on this Blog and I think it is just to do with the weather. I took the picture in the same place I always do on the chair in the conservatory because that is where you get the most light - well, there just doesn't seem to be much at the moment. Perhaps I should have waited until the sun was up a bit more - well there is is anyway. It is in the Surf colourway and it is just gorgeous - I can't wait to finish it, although obviously I've got a little way to go before then.

Not content with that - I spoke to James the other night and he said, "It's getting a bit cool here now - you will need a light cardy for the evenings" well never one to turn down an invitiation - Lizzy was cast on straight away ! I'm a loving this cardy. It is in Noro Silk Garden and on 5mm needles, so it is flying off my needles. I have to say I don't really like knitting with the Silk Garden, it hurts my fingers, but it looks so lovely it is worth it. Look how fabulous this looks.



This is the Silk Garden that my SP5 the lovely Becks send to me, so all in all - I think I can totally blame her for my current knitting position, she sent me that Clapotis pattern and those lovely stitch markers you can see resting their heads on the silk and she sent me the first three balls of the Noro Silk Garden - so you see it wasn't my fault after all - I was forced into it.

And now - something that I certainly not miss when I leave old Blighty



Look at that ice - it's f-f-f-freezing here right now - I had the heating on all night because it was just so cold. I can't wait to get back to a bit of warmth.

Also - I thought I would share you with my latest favourite picture of Jacob - he's obviously a budding DJ - get those deck out Mrs !

















Well that is enough waffle from me - I've got plenty of packing to do - I'm getting there, but you know I'm not a great one to rush - I'll get it done.

Ta ta

In Lieu of Going Silent .....

I thought I would steal a little item from Becks' blog and make it my own - thanks Becks ! So here we go

have you ever...
1. smoked a cigar - no
2. crashed a friend’s car - no
3. stolen a car - no
4. been in love - yes
5. been dumped - yes
6. dumped someone - yes
7. taken shots of alcohol - yes
8. been fired – no
9. been in a fist fight - no
10. snuck out of a/your house - yes
11. had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back- yes
12. been arrested - no
13. made out with a stranger - yes
14. gone on a blind date - no
15. lied to a friend - yes
16. had a crush on a teacher- no
18. seen someone die - no
19. been on a plane - yes
20. thrown up in a bar - yes
22. miss someone right now - yes
23. laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by - yes
24. made a snow angel - yes
25. played dress up - yes
26. cheated while playing a game - yes
27. been lonely - yes
28. fallen asleep at work/school - yes
29. used a fake id - no
30. felt an earthquake - no
31. touched a snake - yes
32. run a red light - yes
33. had detention - yes
34. been in a car accident - yes
35. hated the way you look - yes
37. been lost - yes
38. been to the opposite side of the country - yes
39. felt like dying - no
40. cried yourself to sleep - yes
41. played cops and robbers - only with Jacob !
42. karaoke - yes
43. done something you told yourself you wouldn’t - yes
44. laughed till some kind of beverage came out of your nose- yes
45. caught a snowflake on your tongue - yes
46. kissed in the rain - yes
47. sang in the shower - yes
48. made love in a park - almost
49. had a dream that you married someone - yes
50. glued your hand to something - no
51. got your tongue stuck to a flag pole - no
52. worn the opposite sex’s clothes - yes
53. Been a cheerleader – no
54. sat on a roof top - yes
55. talked on the phone all night - yes
56. ever too scared to watch scary movies alone – yes
57. played chicken fight - ?
58. been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on - yes
59. been told you’re hot by a complete stranger - yes
60. broken a bone - no
61. had a 3-some? - no
62. dipped snuff? - no
63. lived overseas - yes
64. Ever passed out/fainted? - yes
65. blown bubbles in the wintertime - yes

I don't know if that is interesting or not, but hey - it's better than disappearing right ?

Well I have been doing knitting. I have finished all the component parts for Manhattan, I just need to block her and then start the finishing, which involves the dreaded crochet - I'm not too sure how I'm going to get on with that ! I didn't have the right sized crochet hook so I thought I'd order one from Kangaroo as I was ordering the rest of the Noro Silk Garden I needed to knit Lizzy, and the circular needle I need to knit my Mum's Ballerina. Well it came on Saturday and it is huge - I now realise why it said 30cms by the description, it just didn't click before I don't think I was paying attention - so I actually think this could be a good thing - I may find it a bit easier to hold something that long instead of dropping the hook all the time, which is what I seem to do with the shorter ones.

I have also started a Clapotis in my HipKnits silk in the Surf colourway. It's looking lovely and is going to be fabulous for sitting in an air conditioned car after a day at the beach, or maybe for keeping my shoulders warm in the cinema - I can't wait to get it finshed - although I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, I'm only on the first section ! I've a way to go and Manhattan to finish. Still, I did ask for this yarn for my birthday to knit this very item and since we found out we are moving to Oman I have faltered several times and thought maybe I should knit something else, but the silk just seems to suit the Clapotis pattern so well, and I think it's going to be wonderful, I'm glad I decided to stick by my original plan. I have to say though, I have just seen the most gorgeous cashmere Clapotis here and if I were staying in England I think I would re-mortgage my house to get the yarn to make one of those, it's gorgeous and it does look just like lavender fields, I'll bet it's super cosy as well. Oh well, another time perhaps !

I have started the packing this weekend - not in any huge way, but we have only got just over two weeks until we are leaving and I've got a friend coming down to stay this week, so I really need to make some progress. Everything just needs sorting, and it's boring and laborious and I'd rather be out meeting friends that I'm not going to see for some while to come, or frankly knitting Manhattan, so that I don't leave under a cloud of guilt that I couldn't get it finished in time ! Still, the packing needs to be done and hopefully I can rope my friend into helping me, although this week is also the week of jabs and hypnotherapy for my fear of flying, so how much spare time there is going to be for chatting, shopping and enjoying ourselves, I'm not sure - still it will just be nice to see her and I'm sure she isn't afraid of a bit of hard work ! I think I'll start her on that pesky shed !

Well got to get ready to take Jacob to the barbers now - I thought I would combine that with a trip to Boots to get stocked up on children's medicine - I don't mind being without adult medicine, but if I don't have Nurofen for children, I just know I'll need it and not be able to get hold of it, so it's time to stock up - it's going to cost a fortune !