mooknits

A New Project

2011-10-16T15:53:00.004+04:00

So, it's been a while since I've started an exciting new knitting project, but today is the day - I've ordered the yarn and paid for it - gulp (yarn is rather expensive these days) and today it has arrived and I can't wait to get started. I'm going to turn this

Into this

and I literally cannot wait - I have been desperate to knit something meaty for ages but hadn't found anything that tickled my fancy - then I came across this pattern and it was love at first sight. Now I know, you may say, what use will I have for an aran patterned cardigan here in Oman where, even in the winter it hardly ever gets below 20 degrees C - and I know, you are right - but hey - what the heck - I haven't knitted myself a cosy cardy in coming on for 7 years and it just has to be done - so to heck with it - I'm doing it and if I can only wear it in the house with the air con on full - so be it !!!!

Can't wait x

A couple of outfits

2011-01-21T17:04:00.008+04:00

We've had rain - it's exciting - it never rains here - but today it has been cloudy and overcast all day - the mountains are covered in thick dark cloud - it won't last - it never does, but whilst it's here it's so lovely to sit inside and knit and watch Murder She Said with Margaret Rutherford - don't you just love Margaret Rutherford - she is so English and so adventurous at her age - she is the perfect Miss Marple for me - feisty and cheeky, and just a bit of a busy body ! I never really liked the Agatha Cristie books - not sure why - maybe I should give them another go, but the TV adaptations of anything Cristie have always been firm favourites with me - I wasn't too sure about Geraldine McEwan as Miss Marple but I thought Julia McKenzie in the recent ones was fabulous. I can't wait to see more. Perfect knitting viewing I think you'll agree

I have a couple of outfits to share with you - I wish I had more to share but I didn't get around to taking photos of a couple of them - the one I wish I had taken a photo of was on Wednesday evening - I went round to a friend's house with a group of ladies that I don't know that well, for a Mojito night - I've never had a Mojito before and wow they were gorgeous and I had a lovely evening as well - bonus - anyway I wore a blue jersey dress that I bought for a wedding last year with a brown belt, grey short sleeved cardigan, red tights and my brown boots - it was a pretty cool outfit I think and I'll definitely try to wear it again before the weather warms us again - I'll make sure I get a photo this time.

Anyway here are the photos I have for you

This was a "I've woken up really late and just need to chuck some clothes on" outfit. The vest top is from New Look, the long sleeve top is from a shop in Bali called Mist, the jeans are from Anthro and the pumps are Sanuk - these pumps are developing a hole in them - I don't know what I am going to do when these shoes are gone - I love them so much - problem is they are fabric and my toes turn up in a funny way and make their way through most materials at some point or another - oh well - I've got a new pair of shoes that I ordered after Christmas coming tomorrow, so I will just have to wear those instead - not if it's raining though, they are sandals !

This was a going to the beach after school outfit - well I wore it all day but I chose it because we were going to the beach. The t-shirt is from Gap and to be honest I usually wear it in bed ! The trousers are from Fat Face and this is the first time that I have worn them and felt comfortable in them. The shoes are Crocs and the cardigan is an old one from Gap - it's a bit faded in places but I was kind of going for a hobo chic look, so I thought it didn't matter !!! I actually got told I looked very preppy, so it was obviously a good outfit !!!

I'm linking up with Lyndsey at the Pleated Poppy for her What I Wore Wednesday feature - really good fun - give it a go if you can.

What's it all About ?

2011-01-17T18:53:00.003+04:00

Am I getting old or is this just ridiculous ?

I have stumbled across the One Piece website and for a mere $187 you can have the above number. OK - to wear something like that in the comfort of your own home - turn the heating down and snuggle on the sofa, as long as your other half doesn't mind, that is your business, but really, honestly I have heard that people are actually going out in these things. This article is really quite amusing and worrying at the same time ! I mean really - who wants to go out looking like a baby !

I haven't had time to take a photo of my outfit today, but if you have a look at my Boxing Day outfit - that it is, with the addition of a stripey scarf !! We have been on the Logos Hope today. It's basically a rather large floating book shop - the boys loved it, book shops here are really really expensive and have limited selection, so it was a great opportunity to get some really reasonably priced books for them. It's always great to do something different and doing something like that really gives you the opportunity to rub shoulders with the locals - whether it is battling to get past the queue bargers to get on the bus to go to the boat - or trying to avoid the children getting pushed off the gangplank by over enthusiastic locals, or doing our best to get to the book shelves past the hoards of other people without being shoved out the way or prevent people with "only one item" pushing in front of you in the queue to pay - yes indeed it was an interesting day !!!! Still we came away with a nice haul of books and none of us ended up in the drink - so it was worth it !

Ooooh - The Colour is Back

2011-01-16T15:08:00.005+04:00

I have been a little light on colour recently - usually it's my thing - I love colour, hardly ever wear black always wear something nice and bright but with it being winter that has slipped a little bit and I have found myself wearing much more in the neutral palette than normal - not today - no sireebob !!!!

Here we go !

The vest top is from Jigsaw, the boxy jumper is from Totem and it is made by Chris and Carol - it's lovely but it shrank - that is a whole other story - I think it looks OK with this skirt - what do you think ? does it look too short ? The skirt is from Etsy and it is so comfortable - it has a roll down jersey top - it's not maternity specifically but easily could be used as such - it's fab. The boots are my Christmas boots, of course and the scarf is one that I knitted called a Clapotis. If you are a knitter you will have heard of the Clapotis - every knitter all over the world has knitted at least one of these - I have knitted three but this is the only one that I have kept - actually I quite fancy another one, they are so versatile, but use up a LOT of yarn and are therefore quite expensive to make - anyway this one is knitted in 100% silk and it's fabulous - I love the colour.

So talking of colour - have you seen these ?

These are by DKNY from the upcoming season and all I can say is OH MY GOD - I want them all so badly - the colours are just fabulous, so bright and vibrant, just my bag. Those Banana trousers and magenta shirt are amazing and if I had the money I'd get them right now - well that and if I was two stone lighter - but that's a whole other issue.

My sister is getting married later this year (September to be exact) and I would dearly love to have lost two stone by then and be able to wear an outfit like this - trouble is, as I sit here with a cup of tea and a digestive biscuit I just can't seem to find the omph to make me do it. I hate dieting so much - I hate denying myself food, then I want it even more - I like exercising and don't have a problem with that and I am trying to eat sensibly, not eat sweets and exercise - I am just not sure that is going to give me a body good enough to wear DKNY by September. I don't want to do any faddy diets, that's not my thing - but if anyone has any suggestions as to how I can get some weight shifted I'd be very grateful indeed. I feel like no matter what I do it just doesn't come off - when I try I get depressed, so I am refusing to weigh myself - as Oprah says, it's just a number - I am trying to make it more about health and how I feel about myself than what the scales say - I'll see how long it lasts 'cause honestly I need to see some results - bikini season is fast approaching - I think I may need to invest in the corset version !!!!

I Cannot Believe It !

2011-01-12T18:21:00.008+04:00

I'm back - again - I really am ! I know it's a shock isn't it !

My outfit today was this little number

The top is from Primark - very cheap, the jeans are from Mexx and I really like them although after Christmas they are a little on the ahem - tight side ! the shoes are from Crocs and I love the look of these but they make my feet quite hot 'cause they don't have any air holes and they rub a bit at the back - I'm sure I just need to wear them in a bit more, they are so cute.

As you may or may not know - the boys got a very special Christmas present for Christmas 2009 - a gorgeous Chocolate Brown Labrador called Biscuit - she is wonderful, so great with the boys and a joy to have around, most of the time.

However, there is one basic problem with Biscuit - she is a Labrador and man oh man does she like to chew. For Christmas Santa brought her a stocking full of lovely new toys to play with - by the end of Christmas day she had pulled apart and ripped the stuffing out of this little guy.

By the next day she had chewed in half her Kong Tug Toy

Both these products are by Kong, which I thought were supposed to be pretty tough, however, every toy she seems to get she eats through in no time at all - it's OK if it's a rawhide or bone or the like, but toys that are supposed to be designed for dogs are seen off the premises in mere moments. So, do any of you dog owners out there have any suggestions for good sturdy dog toys that will stand up to the teeth of a Labrador ?!!!

A couple of lovely photos of our beautiful biscuit - we love her so much

Start as you mean to go on !

2011-01-11T20:56:00.006+04:00

Well here I am - day one of trying to post my outfits more regularly - here is todays

You have seen most of this before so I won't bore you with too much of a description - the jeans are from Anthro, the shoes are Sanuk, the vest top is from New Look, the top is from Nick and Friends and the necklace is a new one from Monsoon, I bought it in the sale the other day and it's gorgeous, oh and I'm wearing my Lisa Leonard Family Tree necklace too - I love this one and I get lots and lots of comments on it.

I watched the new series of Upstairs Downstairs yesterday - all of it in one go, it was wonderful - I love a period drama, it was perfect sitting in my living room, with a cup of tea and my knitting watching Upstairs Downstairs, it doesn't get much better than that. Anywho, whilst watching this delight I fell in love - not with a character, or an actor although that Spargo gentleman was rather easy on the eyes I won't deny ! No, no, no, nothing so shallow - I fell in love with every single piece of clothing worn by the indomitable Lady Maud Holland - played by Eileen Atkins.

I wish I could find a shop that sold clothes just like the ones that she wore in the series. They were full of texture and colour and just the kind of style that I love.

The jacket that she wore in the final scene of the series was just fabulous - I can't find a picture of it anywhere, but it was fabulous - red with gold embroidery, a beautiful swing shape and just fabulous - I want that jacket and what is more she wore it with peacock blue tights - wonderful. If anyone knows where I can find clothes as gorgeous as this, please do let me know - I feel a development of personal style coming on ! I need to watch the series again just to see her clothes - fabulous - and I have heard it rumoured that they are going to make further episodes of Upstairs Downstairs this year - I can't wait, what with that a further episodes of Downton Abbey, it could be a very period year ! Bring it on I say !

What I've Been Wearing

2011-01-10T21:36:00.011+04:00

Once again - life got in the way and I haven't posted what I've been wearing recently - December really was a mad month, we had all the Christmas stuff going on of course and I also booked a table to sell my wares at the school Christmas Fair. It was hard work I have to say, I made loads of jars of chutneys, also beanbags, and Christmas decorations - it was great fun, but I don't think I would do it again, mainly because it meant that I didn't get to go around the Fair with my boys, the went to see Santa with their Dad and had a fab time but I missed it all and I was sad about that - so if I do do another Fair this year, it won't be the school one - I'm still deciding if I want to do this again, I'll see. Whilst on the subject of visiting Santa I just have to tell you that someone we know was playing Santa and he told me afterwards that he thought that our children were the most lovely that he saw on the night - apparently, Jacob told Santa that all he wanted for Christmas was to be with his family and Oscar wanted all his families to be robots !!! Gotta love those gorgeous kids !

Without further ado then, here is what I have been wearing recently.

This was for an evening out at the house of some friends just before Christmas - I really liked this outfit, it felt dressy but very comfortable and that's important you can't deny it ! The top is from a department store here called Centrepoint - I actually bought this and a sparkly jacket and when I got to the till the guy told me that all items from that section of the store were buy one get one free so I got to go and choose two more items for free !!! So, I got this top in black and purple, the sparkly jacket and a black stretchy bandage style skirt - bargain !!! The jeans are from H & M and are quite wide legged with a fab button detail down the front. The shoes are from Totem and are not as comfortable as they look but are gorgeous nonetheless. The earrings are quite old ones from Monsoon - here is a close up of them - I love them, the really smarten up an outfit.

This was my Boxing Day outfit. We went to the house of some other friends of ours for an afternoon of games - it was great fun - racing toy camels, penalty shoot out, chopstick eating races, animal charades and Christmas Scattegories - we had a great time and really appreciated all the effort that was put in by our good buddies - thank you guys.

This outfit features most of my Christmas presents in one go ! I got some fabulous cowboy style boots that you can just see sticking out of my jeans - you'll see a lot more of those I can promise you, I plan to wear them until I can stand the sweat no more and have to go back to flip flops again ! I also got the lovely blue top that I'm wearing for Christmas as well as the Lisa Leonard Necklace and the beaded necklace - they are all gorgeous and I was so happy with them all - thanks everyone.

Here - have a closer look at those lovely necklaces !!

Here we have my lovely boots again - see I told you you'd see a lot of them !

The jeans are my skinny jeans from Zara, the vest top is from New Look and the jumper from Totem - the scarf is from H & M and the necklaces are one from Lisa Leonard and the key one was a Christmas present from my lovely Sister in Law that a friend of hers made - isn't it gorgeous - want to get a better view ? oh OK then !!

Pretty cool hey ?!

Next we have a little going to the pool outfit. We have, over Christmas and the New Year had visitors to stay with us - my Husband's parents and his Sister and her two children came to stay with us. We actually went camping to a lovely place called Bar Al Hickman for New Year, which was wonderful, we have been to the same place for the last three New Year Eve's and we have a fabulous time every time - it's so relaxing there. Anyway get to the point ! This all meant that we spend much more time than normal for this time of year going to the pool and the beach. It is cold here for us at the moment - not compared to other parts of the world I know, but for us - going to the pool when it's 20 degrees C is barmy - but the visitors wanted to get a tan so off to the pool we went and this is one of the outfits I wore to go up to the pool.

The skirt is from Promod, the t-shirt is a really old one from H & M, the flip flops are Havianas my lovely new red ones yum ! the bikini is one that I bought for next to nothing from Centrepoint.

This was a really comfy outfit, a lovely new dress that I got in the sale from Gap - the jeans are from Zara, my lovely Christmas boots again, of course ! The lovely cardy is from Gap many years ago - it has a huge hood on the back and is really cosy.

Here we have today's outfit - Christmas boots of course, Zara jeans (these jeans seem to be featuring a lot it would seem !) The vest top is from Jigsaw and the jumper is from Totem, the wrap is a Hanne Falkenberg one that I knitted, it took me ages, but I love it. This is the first time I have actually worn it and I got loads of compliments on it. Lots of people asked me if I might like to knit one for them, but I had to explain that when something takes over a year to knit there isn't a lot of money to be made from it !

So those are my outfits for now - I have been thinking about maybe trying to post my outfits on a daily basis for a while rather than a weekly basis just to see how it goes. I seem to miss Wednesday with alarming regularity and I hate having to post a mish mash of photos all at one time. I also find that I have been wanting to blog more recently but I haven't made the effort to do it, if I have to come on here to post my outfits hopefully I'll get back into the habit of posting more. I have found that since my knitting has taken a back seat I have hardly been blogging at all. I have been struggling to find an identity for my blog - it used to be all about knitting but now, there is very little knitting going on what am I blogging about ? I think I'll just get posting and find out, it's all that I can do really ?

So, I have a question - do you dust your Christmas decorations whilst they are up ? I took mine down the other day and boy oh boy were they dusty ! They have clearly not been dusted the whole time they were up - what do you do ?

WIWW actually on a Wednesday !!!

2010-12-01T20:41:00.007+04:00

So, I have not been the best participant in this - I want to do it, but life just seems to take over. Anyway I have a few outfits to show you - please do tell me what you think - I tried to be a little different, not sure that it worked - you tell me.

First up is a cooler weather outfit of grey jumper from The White Company, Jeans from Monsoon and Converse shoes with a vintage locket and an old silver necklace of mine - I am wearing a white tank under the jumper, but you really can't see it.

I have a real problem with this jumper - I love it, it's super soft and a lovely light grey colour, but it is shapeless and when I wear it I feel like a lump. So much so that I went and changed into this

This I like a little better because it seems to give me a bit more shape - what do you think ?

I decided to mix it up a bit with this outfit. This is a stripey top from H & M, a beautiful grey and silver origami jacket from Anthro, jeans from Monsoon and shoes are Crocs (surprise, surprise !)

What do you think ? does it work - I love the long sleeve top under shorter sleeved jacket look and this is the only shorter sleeved jacket that I have, so I thought I would try the look out - if felt pretty good, so what do you think - is it OK ?

Something happened that was quite exciting last week - we went to a horse show for the Queen (of England) and the Sultan (of Oman) - we had to apply to a lottery for tickets to go and we won - we were super excited and had a fabulous time - it was so much fun. We did have to sit around for over three hours in the sun waiting for the show to start, but the seats were really comfy, the atmosphere was great and we really really enjoyed ourselves - it was very civilzed indeed. So what do you wear to go to a horse show with the Queen ? This was what I decided on

The top is bright yellow, as you can see, from Zara - don't really like the shape of this top, again shapeless, but I love the colour of it, so I do wear it ocassionally - I thought it was ideal for this type of day, light and airy and nice and bright. So I wore it with a pair of green linen trousers from Hobbs - again, don't wear them that often because they are quite wide and baggy, but very comfortable. The shoes are from Monsoon and the necklace is from Bali - it broke again at the end of the day, that's about the fourth time, but I'm still in love with it so I'll get it repaired again ! I felt pretty good this day if a little on the large and voluminous side !

That is all that I have for you I'm afraid. I'm thinking a lot more about what I'm wearing now, but I don't always get time to take and post pictures. I have got a couple of great Party outfits planned for the upcoming festive season though, so I make sure I post pictures of those !

I'm linking to Lindsey at the Pleated Poppy.

Some you win .........

2010-11-09T18:05:00.005+04:00

........... and some you loose.

So, yesterday I was all excited about crafting and I was determined to make those lovely crayons that I linked to. So after I picked up Oscar from school at 10.30am ( yes you read that right, he finishes school at 10.30am - he starts at 7.30am in case you were wondering) we went to a kind of supermarket / homewares store called The Sultan Centre and bought some ice cube trays in the shape of penguins, dolphins and seals - they were only 1 Riyal each, which is pretty good given that I saw the exact same ones in another shop for 4 Riyals each ! we also got a good load of crayons to melt and we were ready to go. So after I picked Jacob up from school at 2.10pm (he gets a bit of a longer day !), we did some jobs and then made our way home to make the crayons. We stripped the boxed crayons of their paper skins, colour coded them and then broke them up into pieces to fit into the mould. We waited impatiently for the oven to heat up and then the moment arrived and we put them in the oven. Everyone else disappeared off to do their own thing, whilst I stayed in the kitchen. A strange smell began eminating from the oven - I opened the door in a hurry to discover that the mould had totally melted !!!!

So that wasn't oven proof then !!!! Lucky we only tried one as a test though. I called the boys in to have a look and they spend about 45 minutes poking and proding the melted mess with bamboo skewers, coating their fingers and drawing on paper with them - they loved it !!! they wanted me to do another one just so they could do it all over again - I wasn't so sure the fumes were a good idea !!!!

I shall now order the proper oven proof moulds from the US - I think I'm going to get the Alphabet Letters and the Numbers 4 and 8 they'll be great for upcoming birthdays I'm planning all sorts of stuff to make in them.

On the plus side - I got new glasses - want to see ? I think they are a little bit Mad Men (a series that I am really struggling to get into by the way). It is taking me a while to get used to them - I've been wearing my old pair for over three years and it seems a little odd to look in the mirror and see myself looking totally different - they are nice though !

Also I bought a new cardy - I got it at Forever 21 - I'm quite new to Forever 21, I always thought it was for teenages, but then I saw a lot of the ladies who do What I Wore Wednesday wear stuff from Forever 21 and I thought I'd give it another go and wow - they have some fab stuff in there. So my new cardy is a teal colour, has a zip up the front, a v-neck and elastic on the three quarter length sleeves and around the botoom - I love it and it was only 9 Riyals, which is a bargain I can tell you - you can hardly get anything here for 9 Riyals. I'm so excited by it, and even more excited that the weather was cool enough yesterdy for me to wear it - yay - winter is coming !!!

Crafting

2010-11-08T18:37:00.002+04:00

So it's that time of year again - Christmas is coming and my mind is buzzing with crafting ideas, unfortunately, as usual, I have left it too late to make all the wonderful things that I have in mind. I shall have to pick and choose.

Something that is making this MUCH harder is the 12 Days of Handmade Christmas over at Life In Grace - a beautiful blog that I have only just discovered.

Man - there are some BEAUTIFUL things over there that I am dying to make. I want those alphabet crayons that Meg made to give to all Oscar's School buddies for Christmas - what a lovely present that would be - unfortunately, I don't have the alphabet moulds - I might have to see if I can get hold of them, I'd think they are beautiful. There are many, many other things I'd like to be making too. I have agreed to knit a cardy and hat for a friends' little girl and they need it before they go back to the UK for Christmas - also I'm big into bunting right now and I've bought loads of Christmas fabrics to make lots of bunting - also I'm making these garlands, but in Christmassy colours, I've cut out probably 280 felt circles - all I have to do now is sew them together - bit nervous about doing it, but I'm taking the bull by the horns and getting on with it.

I have decided to try to make friends with my sewing machine - I have never really had the confidence to use it much and now is the time. I want to be able to sew and I will get on with it. Making bunting has really boosted my confidence !

On top of all of this, I have agreed to make chutney's and pickles to selll at the school Christmas fair. I am having trouble finding enough jars to use and it's quite frustrating, I need to put out an appeal to all my friends, or try again to find somewhere to buy them here - I'm not having much luck with that though - my fall back position will be to find the cheapest item in a jar that I can in the supermarket and reuse them - I don't want to waste the contents though - so this really will have to be a last resort.

We have got some holiday coming up soon. We are going to try to go to Dubai for a few days which will be fun - the boys love it up there and I can go to Ikea and buy Christmas decorations and the like, so what's not to like - I love going to Ikea.

So that's that then. I'm off to be crafty - I love that I'm feeling the craft again - I have missed it.

What I Wore Wednesday - Bit of a Catch Up

2010-10-28T21:51:00.015+04:00

So I seem to have missed out doing the fab What I Wore Wednesday for quite a few weeks. I don't know how it happened I have been snapping away most days, but just not finding the time to sit and post the pictures, life has been busy. So right now I am not feeling too well, throat problems that always seems to happen at this time of year when the weather goes from scorching hot to rather warm ! So I have a little more time and I thought I would just post a collection of some of the outfits I have been wearing over the last few weeks - they are in no particular order, but here goes.

This is a navy blue dress from H & M, white jeans from H & M, navy shoes from East.

This is not something that I would usually leave the house in but we went to an 80's night party and it was fancy dress, I went as Dexy's Midnight Runners - not sure if you've even heard of them !!! You should have seen the husband he was all mullet wig, tight jeans and aviator sunglasses, it was hysterical !

This was for an evening time party for a friends Birthday. The top is from Bali - I love the colours - so fabulous, the jeans are my trusty skinny's from Zara, the shoes are from Seychelles - so comfy and gorgeous, the necklace is from East - you can see a close up below - it's lovely and bright !

This is a dress that I love - it is from a local boutique here, only problem is it is wrap around and if you are feeling a little ahem, portly - there really is nowhere to hide ! The necklace is a bit Mother of Pearl disk on a pink leather thong and the flip flops are Havianas.

This is a relaxing outfit, the top is from Nick and Friends and the pj bottoms are from La Senza the beautifully co-ordinating little boy is my Oscar and his PJ's are from Boden - lovely !

This has to be one of my favourite outfits, the jumper is a beautiful boxy shape one from Totem, the vest underneath is from Jigsaw, the jeans are from Anthropologie and the shoes are Sanuk - they are so comfortable !

This is a maxi dress that I sometimes wear to the pool and it's from Zara - I can't make out the shoes but they are probably Havianas.

This cardy if from Alternative - so soft and comfy, the vest is from Nick and Friends, the Skirt is from Fat Face and the shoes are Crocs.

These are the necklaces that went with the above outfit, they are two mother of pearl pendants on strands of libery fabric and my name in Arabic that the lovely Mr Siddiqi made for me.

This dress I bought quite some years ago from Gap - it is very low cut at the front so I have to wear it with a vest underneath - I'm not sure I like it it has the look of maternity about it, still it's comfy and cool ! The shoes are of course Crocs !

Well a basic outfit really, white shirt from H & M, belt from Zara, jeans from Anthropology and I was wearing red converse shoes with it, but I had to take them off due to a hot feet situation !

Well I shall try to do better in the future and actually post the outfits on the week I wear them, but don't hold me to that - life seems to just go barmy sometimes !

Outfit Envy

2010-09-30T19:25:00.005+04:00

So in most of the rest of the world, it's autumn. I'll admit it I'm jealous. Autumn is my favourite time of year. The colour of the leaves, the fresh cool air, the jumpers, the log fires and brisk chilly walks in the fresh air. I love it, I love knitting in autumn, I love being outside in autumn, I love being inside in autumn and I especially love the autumn clothes. Chunky jumpers, jeans, boots etc etc, the list goes on. Sadly, here in my part of the world, autumn does not exist. I miss it every year and to be honest this is the hardest time of year for me being an expat. I always feel homesick between now and Christmas - I want to be in the lovely chilly weather, wearing lovely woolly jumpers and boots, sooooooooo much. Unfortunately it's not to be. Many is the year I have tried to persuade James that it would be a good idea for me to go back to the UK on my own for a week, he has yet to agree to the wonderfullness of this idea - I can't imagine why !!!

So anyway, browsing around some lovely blogs and seeing peoples fab autumn outfits I came upon Une Femme d'un Certain Age - I read this blog fairly regularly and love looking at the wonderful outfits she puts together. However there is one outfit that stands out for me, head and shoulders above everything else. Here it is

If I were living in a cooler climate this is sooooo what I would be wearing. I love the idea of the long sleeved top under a short sleeved jumper and those shoes - ooooooh to die for.

I am finding it increasingly difficult to look stylish in the hot weather and honestly hot weather clothes are not that forgiving on the figure. When I was in England on my summer holiday and the weather was cool I felt much better about the way I looked because I could layer to my heart's content. However here - it's still above 30 degrees most days and it's difficult to look chic and stylish when one is hot and sweaty - I want to be wearing scarves and jumpers and jackets and boots and skirts and tights, but I can't and I feel deprived.

If you live in a hot climate - how do you keep looking cool and stylish whilst managing all the school runs, after school activities, shopping in at least three supermarkets and cooking everything from scratch - all the time ? I'm just not sure how to do it - I want to wear heels and look chic - however I fear this will not come to pass any time soon. Perhaps I need to investigate the possibility of doing a stint in Iceland - there has got to be some great knitted goods there. Mmmmmm food for thought !

What I Wore Wednesday - Week Three

2010-09-29T18:02:00.013+04:00

This week - I didn't do so well on taking the photos. My week was has been a bit mad. Both boys are now back at school, which is great, however, Oscar (my three year old) is only going to school from 7.30am until 10.30am (his big brother finishes at 2.10pm with lots of afternoon activities). So anyway - most shops here don't open until 10am - so really I'm very limited as to what I can achieve in the day at the moment, especially if I want Oscar to have a nap, it takes a while to get him to go to sleep, even when he is madly tired. Anyway - all that is to say, the week has been rather crazy and I missed taking photos on two days - sorry !

This is Thursday - once again a day of breakfast with James, food shopping, chores and then out to dinner with the boys.

The top is from Tesco - a big supermarket in the UK
The jeans are from Fat Face
The scarf is from Zara - I love this scarf I wear it a lot - it covers the shoulders nicely when needed.
The shoes are Crocs

This is Friday, we took the dog for a walk on the beach first thing - it was wonderful, no-one around and we all had a lovely swim in the beauitful blue sea - Biscuit - the dog - loves swimming so much and so do the boys, so it works well. We then went up to the pool for the rest of the day - so all very relaxing really.

The dress is from The White Company
The swimsuit is from Joules
The shoes are Havianas - I love these shoes, but sadly not long after this picture was taken the dog chewed the end of one of them - beastly animal !!! James says he can make it good with a touch of judicious shaving, but I'm yet to be convinced !

Saturday is back to school. After I picked Oscar up from school we had a farewell brunch to go to so I'm a little smarter than usual here ! It's so sad that this year so many of our friends have left Oman - it's a sad fact of Expat life I'm afraid and it does make you somewhat reluctant to make new friends I have to say - many times I have made friends with someone only to see them move on fairly quickly and honestly it's heartbreaking every time.

Anyway the clothes are as follows:

Trousers from Fat Face, still not really sure about these but they are super comfortable for sure !
The vest top is from Zara
The waistcoat is knitted by me - many many years ago, when I could do it up and wear it with nothing underneath - I can't believe that was ever possible but honestly it was - I think I'd just had dystentary and just returned from a long cycle trip in Vietnam, but all the same - life takes its toll I guess.
Shoes were made for me in Bali
Necklace is one of my all time favourites - fabulously large ceramic beads on a satin ribbon, it was a Birthday gift from a good friend and is honestly one of the best gifts I have ever received.

Sunday was exercise and school stuff mainly with rugby for Jacob in the afternoon.

The top is from a boutique here called Nick and Friends they are having a fab sale just now and I bought a few lovely colourful linen tops from there - I love them
The Waistcoat is from a differnt boutique called Totem
The Jeans are from Anthro
The shoes are Crocs - again !
The big long necklace is from a shop here that I can't remember the name of
The small necklace was made and given to me by the friend that just left :( it's lovely x
You can see it a bit better here

Monday and Tuesday were my super busy crazy days and I didn't manage any photos I'm afraid, so here is Wednesday instead !

Today has been a day of school, and meetings about Beavers (it's like Scouts but for little boys) I am trying to set up a new colony here and I've never done anything like it before - I hope it all goes well.

Vest is from New Look
Waistcoat is from New Look
Jeans from Anthro
Shoes Crocs
Necklace is a collection of bits that I have found and bought over the years and then put together into a necklace this is another one of my favourites and you can see it a bit better here.

So that is my week in clothes this week. I'll try to get the full week next week. I am finding that doing this is making me think a little more about what I'm wearing everyday - this a good and bad thing as I have very little time to get ready in the morning and I don't think the husband appreciates the extra time it takes me to get dressed in the morning - still - he'll survive !!

In other news - Oscar had his first play date this week - he had four little friends with their Mum's over and he had a fabulous time - I'm so glad I did it even if my Disney Trivial Pursuit board did get ripped in half !!!

I also picked up the new cushions for my sofa and I love, love, love them - they are pink and turquoise and lime green on my red sofa and wicker chair - would you like to see ? Oh go on then !

What do you think ? gorgeous or gorgeous - yes I know - gorgeous - I agree !!!

Also, Jacob went to a climbing wall party this week - he's never done anything like this before and he did abseiling and everything - he loved it - here he is - all harnessed up. I was wondering if one of these for Oscar might be a good idea - I could string him from the ceiling and he could just swing around the house - worth considering I think !!!

I shall try to post a little more this week, but I'm not making any promises - life is mad and there is no denying it !

What I Wore Wednesday

2010-09-17T17:19:00.020+04:00

So here we go for the first What I Wore Wednesday.

So Thursday is our Saturday. On Thursday my hubbie and I always go out for breakfast usually only at Starbucks but it's our children free time and we enjoy it. So this little ensemble was purchased as follows;

Skirt - ProMod
Vest - Jigsaw
Waistcoat - Boutique in Oman
Necklace - a Boutique in Bali
Shoes - crocs - again !

I thought you might like a close up of the necklace - I do love it so, but I have to say it is a pain in the bottom, the chain breaks all the time, so I'm always taking it to the little man who makes jewellery here called Mr Siddiqi to get it repaired - I have actually decided to replace the chain because it's too much of a pain - anyway, here it is in all it's loveliness.

So - Thursday evening we went out to dinner with some friends and a change of outfit was required.

Sorry for the quality of the photo - I had to take it in the bathroom of the restaurant that we were at and of course the light was not that fab so:

Vest - New Look
Over Vest - Anthroplogie (I love this top so much, it's fab)
Jeans - Zara
Shoes - Nine West - years and years ago - literally 6 years ago, they are so comfy
Necklace - Top Shop

This is Friday - Friday being Sunday really it's pretty much a relax and take it easy day. Since we are just about to start back to school after a week of holiday we decided to have a very relaxed day indeed, so appropriate attire was required.

Top - H & M
Trousers - The White Company
Socks - knitted by me !
Necklace - from a little shop in Brighton - I can't remember the name
Bangles - from all over the place including, Oman, Bali and the UK

Thursday and Friday being Saturday and Sunday in the real world, that makes Saturday, Monday, if you know what I mean !!!! So Saturday is the first day of the week and it was back to school for us, after a week of holiday - booo hooooooooo.

This little lot was from :

Top - The White Company
Skirt - Joules
Flip Flops - Primark
Necklace - the lovely Mr Siddiqi

I had this necklace made and it's beautiful so I just had to share a close up picture of it

Lovely isn't it ?

Well - it's all very well showing you these photos of how I look - usually in the morning, when things are going good ! by the end of the day the situation is somewhat different - I spend A LOT of time in my apron - I seem to cook pretty much non-stop, so fluffy slippers and an apron are required items and here, is what I look like most evenings !!!!

So then on to Sunday. Sunday was a day of cooking at school with my son's K1 class - it went remarkably well actually, they all happily took turns and really enjoyed themselves and the results of our labours, shortbread biscuits - yum yum !

So Sunday looked a little bit like this

The vest is from Gap, the top is from H & M, the jeans are from Fat Face and the shoes are Crocs. The necklace is another one that I bought in Bali from a fabulous place called Ku De Ta - if you ever get the chance to go to Bali - go to Ku De Ta, it's wonderful - all relaxed chicness !!!

Here is a close up of the lovely necklace - I wear this one all the time - it's beautiful and goes with masses of stuff.

Monday wasn't a great day - I had a meeting at school and it went on a bit, by which time it was time to pick Oscar up from school and that means no more free time for me ! oh well - I didn't get round to taking a picture for that day - sorry.

Finally Tuesday.

This is the first time I have worn this top. I love it - it's from Forever 21and the bit around the neck is lots of little circles of fabric, it hangs beautifully and it is really cool and comfortable. The skirt is from Pro Mod and the shoes are from Monsoon - also loving these shoes so much - orange - I mean you can't go wrong - I am wearing a ring to go with the shoes as well, but you can't really see it. I shall definately wear this outfit again - it was comfy and nice.

So that is my week. It's been much harder than I thought it would be to take photos of my outfits this week. That doesn't mean that I won't keep it up it's been enjoyable too - kept me thinking about what I'm wearing all week, which has got to be a good thing. I shall certainly be giving it a go again next week. Thank you for looking if you have and I hope it wasn't all to boring.

x

This is an experiment !

2010-09-15T11:04:00.005+04:00

So, I am planning on joining in the What I Wore Wednesday thinging that is being run over at The Pleated Poppy, which I found via Lisa Leonard - fabulous jewellery by the way - am definately hoping to get a couple of her necklaces for Christmas - some serious hints are going to have to be dropped and that is for sure - I love this one and this one especially. Aren't they fabulous. I found that blog via a fab blog that I read all the time called Whatever, Meg is inspiring in the way she lives her life and I wish I could me more like her - her family are just lovely. Anyway back to the point ! I have been thinking for somewhile now about making some kind of document of the clothes that I wear - vain I know, but I think quite a lot about clothes and I always feel that the outfits I put together in my head, never actually make it on to my body - so I thought this might be a good way to get me to experiment a little more - I am sure I wear the same things all the time and don't even notice it - so I plan to mix it up a little and try to wear some of the clothes that I actually own.

The other thing I have noticed is that the majority of people who do this sort of thing are thin. I am definately not thin and it might be nice to have someone contributing who is normal size do you think ? Anyway - I'm going to give it a go, however given my track record at sticking with things I'm not holding my breath !!! We'll see. So I took a photo of today's outfit and I wanted to post it just to see how it looked on line, I have never taken photos of me in my full length mirror before and I realise that is in quite a dark position, still I shall make the best of it and you shall just have to forive me for rubbish photos - I hope you can do that !

So, the top is from Jigsaw, the waistcoat is from Forever 21, the Jeans are from Anthropolgie (a splurge purchase on my summer holidays and so comfortable), the shoes are Crocs (you'll see those a lot, I have feet issues !), the necklaces are from Monsoon. I think that just about covers it all.

Lets see if I can keep it up - I'll try, but who knows !

Mary Portas = FABULOUS

2010-07-16T20:40:00.006+04:00

So, I am back in the UK on my "summer" holiday ! We had a couple of rather hot days when we first arrived, but now, thankfully the weather has cooled and we can all wear jeans, jumpers and shoes, which we are loving. Sorry UK residents - I'm sure you would all love a scorching hot summer, but we are perfectly happy with it just the way it is thank you very much.

Since coming back to the UK my computer has reached almost meltdown levels with overuse thanks to BBC and ITV iplayer. I LOVE it soooooooo much. We can't get either of them to work in Oman, partly of course due to license fee issues, but also because our internet is so slow that if you want to download a normal tv programme it takes hours and hours and hours and hours, in fact, you might as well not bother really. Don't even think about trying to stream it - you will get 5 - 6 seconds of programme followed by 30 seconds of it trying to load the next 5 - 6 seconds, more frustrating than you can imagine !!

Anyway - I'm in the UK and can watch whatever I like and what I have chosen to watch the most ? Mary Queen of Shops - I love it, can't get enough of it - Mary is an icon, she is just totally fabulous. The clothes, the style, the manner, the humour - I'm in awe and I want to be her - well just having her wardrobe would do but man, she is just amazing. I have just finished watching the latest of her programmes, and I now feel devestated that I have watched them all - as a point of interest episode one of the latest series is not available on the iplayer, does anyone know why ?

So I was thinking - how totally amazing it would be if Mary would come to Oman and sort out our shops. To be honest, shopping in Oman is totally and utterly pants. This is evidenced by the fact that on our first day in the UK I went into the local Tesco's in my in-laws town (I know Mary I'm sorry, but there is no alternative I'm afraid) and I was totally and utterly overwhelmed by the choice of products - it's only a small Tesco more like a slightly bigger Metro, but I was bemused and bedazzled by the level of choice. In Oman you have to go to one supermarket to get your bread, one to get your meat yet another to get your fruit and veg and frankly they are all rubbish. Not only that the choice of other shops, like clothes shops is pretty dreadful. We only recently got a Zara and an H&M which obviously is fabulous, but it's the little independants that I miss so much. I need Mary to come to Oman and shut down some of the thousands and thousands of Opticians, Incense, Jewllery and Watch shops that there are and open up some fabulous clothes and accessories shops. The only housey shops we have are Zara home, which has looked pretty much like it is about to close down for the last year or so and White Company which is so expensive as to be crazy. Other than that it is the fabulous Centrepoint that is fully of MDF rubbish and guilded tripe !

How do you think I could persuade Mary to come to Oman and sort out our shops for us ? she could stay at our house for free, honest I wouldn't mind, she would be a mega intesting house guest. Mary if you are reading, you are welcome anytime, please come and sort us out !!!

Other than watching TV I have been doing a few other things as well, we did a fab touristy day yesterday and went to see the Changing of the Guard, which was followed by a vist to the new museum at the Horseguards Parade, which I think has to rank as one of the most interesting museums I have ever been to. The guys working in there were super knowledgable, interesting and friendly and we learnt so much. The children got to try on the uniforms of the Guards and it was just the right size, not too big. We all loved it. We also went to Buckingham Palace and then to the Tower of London, which was also very interesting but very very expensive to get into.

A few days ago we went to a place called the Herstmonceux Science Park - what an amazing place. Like the Science Museum, but outside mainly and totally interactive. It is located at the site of 7 now discused telescopes - Patrick Moore used to work here. The children just loved it and ran around like mad things playing with everything, you can do that here cause it's safe and not too big.

If you ever get the chance to go, please do, you'll love it especially if you have children that you can use as an excuse to play with all the displays. It is in Sussex, near Hastings in a beautiful setting.

Lots of other activites have been undertaken, but I'll bore you with those another time.

X

Summer Holidays !

2010-06-20T18:03:00.004+04:00

So it is the summer holidays - yeah !!!! Jacob broke up from school on Wednesday and we are on the count down to our trip back to the UK - which will commence on 7 July in case you were wondering. Oscar is still at nursery until the end of June - so Jacob and I are having a few mornings together, which is just lovely as we very rarely get to spend any time alone these days - how do you manage the "give each child their own special time with you" thing, when you have two children and no time ?

Anyway, whilst most of you in the UK and maybe the US I'm not sure - are dreaming of exotic beach holidays, with sun, sea, sand and general summeryness - what you can see above is what we are all dreaming of ! It is HOT here at the moment. It is not only the temperature, which is bad enough - up to 45 degrees and sometimes a little above that - it is the humidity, which can be 78% at 7am, which is just downright unpleasant. It matters not what you wear, or how gorgeous you look in your summer dress and sandals in your bedroom mirror, you will look like a soggy frizzball within minutes of leaving the house. If you wear glasses, you will not be able to see when you leave a building because your glasses will immediately fog up so badly you can't see out of them ! You will not be able to go to the beach, because the sand is so hot it will give you third degree burns if you try to walk on it and really it's best just to try not to leave the house at all. So, if you have to children, what do you do ?

I tend to buy lots of activity books - and I find Klutz do the best of all I just bought one called "The Only Colouring, Puzzle, Game, Dot to Dot, Activity Book You Will Ever Need" and it is fantastic. These books seriously keep Jacob entertained for ages - that and Where's Wally, well you can't beat Where's Wally can you. We do watch far too much TV in the summer I have to say, otherwise I think there would be murder afoot in our house. We try to go swimming as much as we can, but we can only stay at the pool for two hours at the most - no chance of getting a tan then !

However, today I have been to Nirvana and it is called an indoor play centre ! Muscat has been calling out for a place like this for years, I mean we have been here for nearly five years now and we have desperately needed one. It's a simple concept, there used to be loads of them where we live in the UK, it is just one of those large indoor areas, with lots of slides, and padded areas for the children to throw themselves around on. Being as this one is at the Shangri La it also has a section with Wii and Imac computers for them to play on, but it's the huge slide that is the talk of the town. I forsee many a visit to this place never mind that it is about 45 minutes drive away (this in a town where you are never more than 10 minutes from anywhere) and it costs nearly 7 pounds per child for a 2 hour session - I don't care. It is indoor, it is air conditioned and my children can throw themselves around in crazy fashion and if I'm really lucky fall asleep on the long journey home. So thank you Shangri La - I love you !

So I'm off now - Jacob is poorly today, he just slept for 4 hours in the middle of the day and refused food for most of the day, both of which are very out of character, so I know he wasn't feeling well. Now he is sitting on the sofa eating toast and I am wondering what time he'll go to bed tonight - not the usualy 7pm I wouldn't think given that he only woke up at 6.15pm - could be a long night !

x

Ch-ch-ch-changes !

2010-06-18T19:28:00.008+04:00

Why do we change ? why do we look back at a time that has gone before and think - Oh I was was relaxed and carefree then - what happened ? Was it really carefree back then, or do we just think it was. I was reading over old blog posts the other day and I could feel the contentment coming from those posts, then as I read on, the contentment became less and less. We had a really rough few years, we had a horrendous business situation in the UK that left us with terrible debt that was not ours, meaning that we had to sell our house and relocate abroad. Don't get me wrong, I love living abroad, always have, but having to do it, is different from wanting to do it. That was stressful. We were desperate for another baby and kept on trying through it all and then, wow, we got pregnant, only to loose the twins at 15 weeks. I got pregnant again which was fantastic only to be totally flooded out when I was 8 months gone - this was not a little bit of water in the house, this was major flooding and it was very frightening indeed. Then Oscar arrived, in a rather stressful way - dash to the hospital, emergency C-Section, the works. We were both safe and sound though - but hey, more stress. Then, James was made redundant, he looked for work for two and half months of his three month notice period, found something and then was told that he was being kept on by his company. Lordy more stress.

So, all of the above have consipred to change me somewhat. I was, previously fairly naive - I assumed that things would always be alright and generally they were, then all that happened. I stopped being happy go lucky and became a worrier. I was never a worrier before. I started to worry about my health and what might happen and it all became too much. This was all in the year leading up to my 40th birthday. So, I hit 40 and had a minor panic. I'm afraid that all that has happened has made me into a less great parent that I would like to be, my temper is shorter than I would like it to be and I have become more selfish that I should be - I like to spend time alone - I don't put as much effort into my children as I should and I feel terrible about it.

So far, we are having a good year - I hate to speak too soon but hey - I've said it and I am feeling much better. We have moved to a new house - had another cyclone that wasn't as bad as the last one and didn't flood us out and I feel relaxed again. I feel like I can see the wood for the trees. I am enjoying spending time with my children again and I'm happy to plan activites to do with them and watch them having fun. I am still having trouble managing the two children thing - but I think that is normal - who among us is perfect as splitting ourself between two children - not many I would think. I am learing new techniques, I am reading again to get advice and I am happy to be doing it. I'm looking forward to the summer and spending time with family and friends in a relaxed way. Many many things have changed and I have no control over them and I am happy with that. I can move forward in a positive way and take charge of my life again. It's taken a while, but I feel like I'm starting to get back to my old self.

However, the one thing that frustrates me beyond all compare is my weight. I put on a lot of weight with all my pregnancies. Really, a lot of weight and I am struggling more than I can say to get rid of it. I want to do it, I really do, but not enough it would seem to actually do it. Everyone around me is loosing weight. A good friend of mine recently lost over two stone doing Slimming World and she looks fabulous. I gave it a try but just couldn't stick to it in a way that made a difference to my weight. I have lost a lot of weight don't get me wrong, but I feel I need to loose more. Now this is an interesting point, why do I feel I need to loose more - I am slimmer now than I was when I got pregnant with Jacob, but still I'm not happy - why ? I am healthy and I am pretty fit but all the images I see around me every day make me feel like I need to be teeny tiny.

Everyone tells me I am doing really well, but are they just saying that ? When I used to live in Indonesia and the Philippines I never really saw media images, we were rather isolated and I never worried about what I looked like at all - I was what I was and that was that, then I came back to the UK and everyone was super slim - everywhere. When did it become OK to be so skinny - when did it become more than OK, desireable to look like you were just recovering from Dysentary - it's not healthy and it's not beautiful - it is scary and unacceptable. I must say that we don't have so much of it over here in Oman and I can only imagine what it is like for women in the UK who are full on bombared with skinny images all the time. Here is it desireable for a woman to have a little meat on her bones - there are the skinny younger girls of course, but most women are plump and loving it - good on them I say.

So anyway - those are my musings for the day, but so as not to post a totally photoless blog post - which frankly is just more than a little boring - I thought I'd share with you some images that I took on a recent visit to Dubai - now there is a place that is messed up - don't get me started - super skinny young western women wearing skirts up to here and tops cut down to there walking next to chic UAE nationals in full abaya - it's just not right - where is the respect ? Don't get me wrong I wear shorts (not short shorts, bermuda ones) and the odd strappy top, but I do it in a respectful way - these women who are flaunting it all in a Muslim country strike me as foolish and arrogant - just my tuppenceworth. Anyhooo - I went to Dubai with a friend of mine for her Birthday weekend - just us girls and it was fabulous - shopped from 10am until 10pm and then flaked out in our hotel room. At the start of the day we had a lovely cuppa in a gorgeous cafe that serves mainly chocolate - well how could we resist - it was a work of art just being in the place - look - this is all bars of chocolate - how beautiful are they ?

And then there were these fabulous macaroons - they were a work of art - we were there around Easter time and the displays in the chocolate and patisserie shop windows were amazing - this is just a little section but it was amazing, trust me !

Whilst in Dubai I bought the boys some lovely crazy glasses - there were mad and seriously reminded me of the movie 12 monkeys - great movie by the way. Anyway - the boys loved them and they looked hysterical in them - here they are

Lastly - a little while ago we got our hands on a very nice label maker - I can't remember the name of the make, but it begins with a D - I'm getting old - I told you ! Sooooo - Jacob went a little label crazy and decided to make us all name labels just incase we forgot who we are - it could happen - seriously, it could, now I'm over 40 I'm not ruling anything out !!!

So that is me for today - over and out. x

So .....

2010-06-17T19:30:00.011+04:00

I have been thinking. All about this blog business. I am really not knitting that much at all at the moment. There is really no call for it here - I mean frankly at the moment the temperature most days is around 45 degrees C - who needs a nice cardy or a wrap ? I knit the odd thing for babies, little cardies, blankets etc, and I am knitting quite a lot at the moment because I have a few things to finish before we go back to the UK for the summer, but usually the knitting is not happening so much just now. So I was thinking - do I just let my blog go, give it up and let it die a death - or do I re-purpose it (a phrase that is very much of the moment) ? Anyway I have decided that I don't want to let it die. I used to post here nearly every day and I enjoyed it immensely and I would like to get back to doing it more often. The content won't be knitting focused - that is for sure. However I would like to post about things that I read, things that I do and things that matter to me. Maybe you'll read it and maybe you won't but hopefully I'll enjoy doing it and it will be a good record of things I have been up to and how I have been feeling.

So, I shall start the new - re-purposed blog with a few photos of things that we have been up to recently.

Firstly - a little photo of my new PJ's. I love new PJ's and have been looking for a nice pair for ages. These are, I have to say, near perfect for me. They are comfortable, cool and flattering - what do you think ?

They are from La Senza - which is a shop that has only just opened up here in the last couple of months and I love them so much that I am seriously considering going and getting another pair, even though I don't like the idea of having two of anything - but man, they are comfortable.

Secondly - we have a picture of something that has been causing quite a furore (I am not sure how you speel that word !) amongst my Facebook friends. Jesus sandals. I first read about them over on The Women's Room, (one of my most fav blogs by the way) I had to ask my Facebook buddies what they thought. 99.9% said - no way - that they reminded them of their old school teachers etc, many a joke was made about never having to shave your legs again, being able to wear polyester skirts and aran jumpers - but you know - I quite like them I have seen them worn in a super funky way (at That's Not My Age - also a fab blog, picture below). So anyway, I want a pair - what do you think ? Cool or lame ?

The next thing I would like to tell you about is an annual event here in Muscat - it's called Mangomania !!! and I love it ! Each year the very large local supermarket here called Lulus' (I know, crazy name !) has a Mango festival. Now, if you thought a mango is a mango - oh you were wrong, wrong, wrong !! There are many many different varieties of mango available and at Lulu's during Mangomania, they sell them all. I adore mangos and DH used to get a whole crate of them from a contractor every year, we used to make mango ice cream out of them - yum yum, sadly he has moved job now and no longer gets the mango perks that he used to - however I still have Lulu's to turn to at a time of Mango need and boy do they deliver !!! So here is a picture of the display at the entrace to Lulu's at Mango time - yummmy !!

Lastly - I have a picture of me and my little Oscar this morning. DH and I always go out for breakfast together on a Thursday morning, alone, without children, I know miraculous isn't it - well it's only because we have a lovely maid that works on a Thursday morning (oh in case you think I've gone potty, Thursday and Friday are our weekend). Anyway, this morning we had to take Jacob to a friend's house and we felt too guilty leaving little Oscar at home alone, so we took him with us. We had breakfast together at Starbucks and then went down the Souk to get a few bits that we need before our trip back to the UK this summer, that's a whole other post. He was wonderful, he has been ill all week and this was his first trip out of the house, by the time we had finished he was knackered and passed out in the car - 45 degrees and no AC at the Souk would do that to you !! Still here he is first thing this morning - did I mention how much I love my boys, they are fabulous !!!

So, that is the first post of my new blog - I hope you like it. I may fiddle with the look at little some time soon, after all I have looked the same for a very long time now and well, that's just boring !!! I am glad that I have decided to start blogging more on varied topics and I hope you are too.

x

Just Because

2009-11-25T08:46:00.006+04:00

Well just because I don't blog for ages and ages and ages it doesn't mean that I'm not around - I am and I'm still reading lots of blogs and knitting a bit as well. Just not as much as I used to do when we were in the UK. Life here is very different and so busy I hardly have time to think. All to do with the fact that the boys start school at 7.30am and 8.00am - shops open at 10.00am and then I have to pick one up at 12.00 and one at 2.00 etc etc - I won't moan, but suffice it to say my time is not often my own.

However I have a couple of little photos to share. I recently knitted a lovely lovely little scarf / shawl thing for a friend of mine - it was a Mulberry Kit from Colinette. I didn't do it in the blue I did it in the white and it was gorgeous - however I have to say it was much more difficult to knit than I thought it would be. It was the first time I have knit with that very fine mohair yarn and it was tricky I have to say. Still the end results were gorgeous. I have got the blue version to knit myself but that will have to be done after I've finished quite a few other things I've got sitting on my needles at the moment.

Anway, pictures of Mulberry - here they be

I also have a nice picture of a sock that I knitted when we make the long journey up Jebel Shams. That's a big mountain no that far from us in Oman. Well we thought it wasn't that far but it was actually three hours each way - bit of a long journey to go up a hill, see a view eat a spot of lunch and then come home again - still it was pleasant and I got plenty of sock knitting done. This is just a plain old sock in Colinette Jitterbug - oh I've just realised this has turned into a bit of a Colinette post !!!

And here - just because I can - a picture of Oscar in his Grump's glasses - how cute does he look !!!

Lastly - a couple of weekends ago James and I went to Dubai on our own without children and I have to say it was amazing. It was the first time that we have been away without the children since we had Jacob - so nearly 7 years - oh to have a hotel room all to yourself and be able to watch adult telly and then have breakfast in bed - well it was wonderful. Whilst we were there we visited the alleged largest sweet shop in the world - I have to say it was like coming home !!! just a fabulous place - so if you ever find yourself in Dubai - visit Candylicious opposite the very large aquarium in Dubai Mall - wonderful !

Sigh of Relief

2009-07-04T13:10:00.002+04:00

Well - all's well that ends well as they say. James wasn't made redundant after all - his company found a job for him and kept him on. It means he is doing something rather different from what he was employed to do, but hey he's got a job and he's very happy. And so am I !

Knitting has been taking place. I have knitted a lovely red All Seasons Cotton Feather and Fan baby blanket with the idea of trying to sell some little items at the Christmas Fairs that take place here later in the year. I have big plans but as usual they aren't really amounting to much !! Still I shall keep on trying and we'll see what happens.

I am currently knitting a Mulberry Wrap, which is a kit from Colinette. I am doing one in Alabaster Moon and one in Pale Sapphire. They are beautifully soft but rather more fiddly to do than I had anticipated - as is normal I had put a rather too tight deadline on completing these little items - I wanted them both done by 15 July - however I am just about half way through the first one - no chance !!! On top of that I have decided to try to knit a Clapotis for a friend of mine that is leaving. I hummed and hawed rather too long over the choice of yarn and eventually decided on the Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk Aran - she only wears black so it had to be in black. I am hoping to get the yarn tomorrow so I can get started - do you think it is possible to knit a Clapotis in 10 Days ?!!! I hope so - I think I may have sore hands by then !!

The reason that everything has to be finished by 15 July is because that is when we go on holiday - we are off to Bali for 6 weeks and I can't wait. DH is coming with us and staying for 3 weeks and then he comes home and we stay down with friends for the rest of the stay - I am so looking forward to the break. It is so hot here right now and we really can't go out unless we are going swimming - shopping and general life is just so tiring and hard work - so it will be lovely to go somewhere where we will be able to sit outside more and go for walks - and it will be green which will be a lovely change. I have been to Bali before many moons ago when I travelled around Indonesia for 2 months with a friend, but we were young and we only stayed on Bali for 4 days because we thought it was just too touristy !! I am sure we will be pleased of that this time around with two small children to entertain priorities change somewhat !

So I am going to take knitting with me but it probably isn't going to be the felted Christmas stockings I am planning for those Christmas fairs - not sure what to take - Mulberry Wraps ? Socks ? cotton baby blankets ? No idea really - hopefully I'll have time to knit - it would be dreadful if I didn't !

Ta ta all

Life is Poo

2009-02-21T18:20:00.001+04:00

Well it is - really - sometimes just poo. My DH has been made redundant through no fault of his own. He left a nice secure job on the promise of lots of interesting work with another company and the work never materialised - he sat around being bored for six months and has now been made redundant. I am quite bitter about it to be honest. I feel we were conned into moving when it wasn't really necessary.

Anyway - to cheer myself up I did this little Meme thing. You go to Google and type in "unfortunately (and then your name)" - don't forget the inverted commas and then you post your favourite results - so mine are as follows;

Unfortunately, Becky is unable to complete the race

Unfortunately, Becky, in her state, can't get into the loft. Well, she can. But you have to give her a damn good shove from below

Unfortunately, Becky’s husband, Herb, wasn't quite as enthusiastic. “His harsh words were, ‘Have you lost your mind?

unfortunately, Becky, unlike Christine, was strong-willed and self-assertive

unfortunately Becky suffers from surprise nose bleeding disease

Unfortunately, Becky! does not integrate a spam filter and lacks index search

Unfortunately, Becky offers no assistance sealing the deal at the end of the night

Over and out !

Getting to Know you - getting to know all about you !

2008-12-15T12:49:00.002+04:00

Just a little Christmas fun - have a go if you like !

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper - this year I am doing brown paper with lots of lovely coloured ribbons and baggage tags with the photo of the recipient on them - I hope it works out - I love wrapping !!

2. Real tree or Artificial? I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have a real tree and we always did in the UK - the biggest we could manage - sadly here to get a real tree is a nightmare - you have to order it - the cost hundreds of pounds and the only arrive on 23 Dec - no good for us I'm afraid.

3. When do you put up the tree? The first weekend of December earlier if I can get away with it !

4. When do you take the tree down? We don't have a certain date that we always take the tree down by - sometime in the new year when it feels right usually does for us.

5. Do you like eggnog? I have never tried the stuff so I have no idea.

6. Favourite gift received as a child? probably my Walkman - I wanted it desperately and was convinced I wasn't getting it so I was so delighted when I opened it up.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My brother and my brother in law - men are so tough !

8. Easiest person to buy for? My two boys they just love most things.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes - three ! A ceramic one and two playmobil ones they are great for the children.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards. E:mail - it is much easier for us here in Oman.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Gosh - can't remember - there have been some doozies !!!

12. Favourite Christmas Movie? Love Actually - makes me cry and laugh every time I see it - infact I might watch it later !

13. When do you start shopping? about the middle of November I would say.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No I don't think so.

15. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas? Everything ! I love food too much !

16. Lights on the tree? As many as my husband will let me put on !

17. Favourite Christmas song? Santa Baby by Ertha Kitt - just fab !

18, Travel at Christmas or stay home? Well since we live half way round the world from all our family we do a bit of both. Some years we travel home and some years we stay here - this year we are staying here - doesn't feel all that Christmassy though sadly !

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? No - I always forget them - still I remember the most important one - Rudolf - where would Santa be without his red nose ?!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel - we have the same one every year and I still love it.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Trying to get everyone in the Christmas mood when it is 26 degrees outside and there is not a scrap of Christmas decoration up.

23. Favourite ornament theme or color? Red all the way for me.

24. Favourite for Christmas dinner? Goose - we are doing it this year but my oven is totally unreliable so I am not sure how it's going to turn out.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A new tennis racquet, some clothes and as always as much wool as is humanly possible !

I hope you have got to know me a bit better from that - please do have a go and let me know I'd love to know your answers too.

Ta ta

The Big Read Meme

2008-12-09T22:32:00.003+04:00

I stole this from Little Lixie - I'm sure she won't mind ! Looked like fun to me. Have a go if you feel like it.

These am the rules

- Look at the list and bold those you have read.
- Italicise the books you LOVE.
- Post your list so we can try and track down these people who’ve only read 6 and
force books upon them.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - Awful bilge.
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible Bits of it.
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare Bits of.
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - J D Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh S
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis About 3 books of the set.
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’ Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville S
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo **

Well I hope that works - I feel like I have read quite a lot of the list, but there are lots more I can still read. I don't seem to get the time to do much reading at the moment. I am part of a book club here in lovely Muscat and I only manage to read that book plus maybe one more in the month - children will do that to you I suppose. I can't wait for the day until I can read a book in a day again !! not that I am wishing my time away with the children I'm really not, but I do miss reading as much as I used to - still that time will come again I guess.

Fair but not so Lovely

2008-11-10T08:48:00.003+04:00

I was just sitting here on my sofa thinking and what I was thinking about was this

Over here in the Middle East there is a huge array of skin lightening products available, much the same I guess as we have fake tan in the UK. Even the big brands such as Lancome, Clinique etc do them. Only here these products are marketed so overtly it is untrue - the ad above we actually have on TV here and we marvel every time we see it how they can get away with so blatently saying that if you lighten your skin you will get the job you want - just amazing. Why should it be so that if you have light skin you will get all that you wish for in life. I totally understand the philosophy behind it - if you have fair skin it means that you don't have to work out in the fields - that you are too rich to have to work at all and should be waited on hand and foot at every available opportunity - trust me, there is plenty of that attitude here - but do people really believe that if you have fair skin you will get the job you want ? I don't know - do you ?

I shall try to be back later with actual knitting content.

Evenin' All

2008-11-09T21:52:00.002+04:00

So it has been a lovely day for me today. Jacob was off school sick all last week - a lovely vomiting bug that is going round school, I have never seen him so ill. Anyway as a result I was pretty worn out by the end of the week and I decided that today was a ME day. I love a ME day !

I took Oscar to school with me this morning - which he just loves, he was so excited to get into the car I could hardly strap him in ! We then went for a coffee at Starbucks with a friend - very civilised ! I came home and did some knitting, which I will post about tomorrow when I have taken some photos and then I went to pamper city.

First up a pedicure, lovely red toes are now mine all mine. Then a little coffee and book session, followed by a reflexology massage and an Indian Head Massage, by the best lady in Muscat - Anne at Essence Spa. I love this place and I love Anne - I have tried many many spa's over the years and had many different treatments and I have to say that I think that Anne is the best I have ever come across. The first time I had an Indian Head Massage with her I think I went into a sort of deep hypnotherapy state - it was almost trance like - just amazing. Since I have problems with my ears - I try to go and see Anne every month or so. Since a fabulous Head Massage is only 10 OMR it doesn't break the bank - thank goodness. Thoughts were running through my head whilst Anne massaged me - mainly revolving around how relaxed I felt, but also moments of stress "What if Anne ever leaves ?". What would I do ? track her down across continents ? you know what I might consider it - she is that good and makes me feel that relaxed. So if you are ever in Muscat make your way to Essence Spa and have an Indian Head Massage with Anne - you won't regret it - you might regret passing out on the bed and waking yourself up snoring and drooling, but regret the massage - never !!!!

Of course the day did not continue in this vein - I had to take Jacob to swimming lessons this afternoon - which is not too much of a chore, but always a rush - ho hum - on the plus side we got a phone call from my Mother in Law this evening to say that they are going to come out for a short visit - how lovely we say - when ? - Day After Tomorrow !!!!!! Agggggggghhhhh I've got some preparation to do !

Ta ta

Just keep bloggin

2008-11-08T17:49:00.004+04:00

Well I am doggedly determined to keep this mooknits thing going and so I am belatedly going to try to do this blogging every day thing that is going on around the place - not sure how I'm going to keep it up - but I shall do my best. So I was browsing over at Anne's blog and saw that she had done this little thing - I thought - I can do that - I'll give it a go - well it wasn't as easy as I thought, but finally here we go.

What you need to do is this, type your answer to each of the questions below into a Flickr search. Using only the first page, choose your favorite image, then copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows) –
The questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you attend?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your Flickr name.

Here is mine !

I had a horrible week last week - Jacob was off school sick all week and he was the sickest I have ever seen him - vomitting etc - I won't go into details - I thought I'd at least get lots of knitting done, but alas no - he just wanted me to sit with him all the time - understandable really - but not very productive. Still he is back to school today and all seems well - we'll see how it goes and how much knitting the little Oscar lets me get done this week - I am determined to make at least some progress !!

See you tomorrow then !

Really it's true

2008-09-19T19:58:00.003+04:00

I've been knitting - really I have - I have finished my friend's ribbed jumper and Oscar's lovely blanket which turned out beautifully, I have been making good progress with Promenade and I've ordered yarn to knit two tank tops for the boys for Christmas as well as a bunny rabbit each as well - only problem is - we have a new camera and I don't know how to download the photos and frankly as we all know a post about knitting without photos is about as boring as a website with no shade cards - so I shan't keep you - but I'm still here, still knitting, just technically incompetent right now !

Technical help

2008-07-04T09:50:00.004+04:00

My blog seems to be double posting and I have no idea why - can anyone help me ? I am so out of the way of blogger now because I haven't used it for so long and I have no idea what I am looking for - any ideas ?

One Year On

2008-07-04T09:35:00.005+04:00

A lot has happened in the last year. My baby boy has gone from the little bundle you can see just down the page to this

His first birthday was on 01 July and he had his first taste of chocolate cake and of course loved it ! He wasn't bouncing off the walls as much as I thought he would be though and he even had a smartie ! He had his first experience of a soft play area yesterday - it was mobbed 'cause it is the weekend here at the moment and he loved it - he went potty crawling about all over the place playing with other children - so nice to see - he leads a pretty quiet life usually because it is so hot here, he doesn't go out too much - there is not a lot of indoor stuff to do here so in the summer it's swimming or staying in !

I've got a little bit of knitting content - just a pair of socks that I knitted quite a while ago now for my friend Vanessa. You can see here the socks and Vanessa with the socks - lovely pictures I think you'll agree.

I have joined the land of Ravelry and it's addictive that's for sure. I have found some lovely patterns on there and I shall do another post soon about all the lovely things that I'm dying to knit.

I have just received the kit to knit another lovely Hanne Falkenberg kit, this time Gloria in colourway 3 - orange and rust - can't wait to start it.

I have also ordered the kit to do Promenade in colourway 1 - this one is for me - the Gloria is for my Mum - so I'm desperate to start this one ! It looks lovely and I want to be able to wear it this winter when we have our three days of chillyness !! I haven't received it yet - the lovely Cucumberpatch ran out of stock the day before I ordered it and I'm waiting for them to get new stock so they can forward it to me. In the mean time - revel in the lovelyness that is Promenade.

I am currently knitting three things - a blanket for Oscar from Anna's baby blanket pattern. I am doing it in some Debbie Bliss Pure Silk that I had in a beautiful blue colour - I'll do a picture soon.

I am also doing a ribbed jumper for a friend of mine from a very old Rowan book in a pink Rowan yarn - I can't remember the details and I'm so uninspired by the whole thing I can't even be bothered to get up to have a look at the details ! I'll get it finished but I don't know when - will have to be before the end of the summer holidays though - I can't have it going on longer than that !

I am also doing a little curly scarf for another friend of mine who is going back to South Africa for August - so I'm going to get that one done soon. I was hoping to get the blanket and the scarf done before we go on holiday, but since we are leaving next Friday I think it's unlikely - ho hum !!!

Right gotta go.

Have a goodun.

2008-06-04T17:26:00.002+04:00

So, as you know, I have been the most appauling blogger in the whole of blog land recently - it would seem that having a new baby will do that to you ! Anyway - I am feeling the knitting again now - so I thought it was time to get back into the blog. I thought I would ease myself back into it with this little Meme - not very exciting, but something - expect knitting content soon.

Five Things About Me

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

I am not all that sure really, I think I was living in the Philippines (Cebu if you are interested), not working and not doing much really. Just taking it easy and doing a lot of swimming - those were the days.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

Well the day is nearly over for me so five things left to do are

1 Get the boys bathed and in bed
2 Cook dinner for me and DH
3 Watch some telly
4 Do some knitting
5 Try to avoid eating any chocolate at all (never going to happen)

3. Snacks I enjoy:

Chocolate - of course, but since I'm trying really hard to avoid it - cashew nuts I suppose ! not nearly as exciting

4. Things I would do if I were a billionare:

Give lots of money to my family and friends. Buy a house in France and another one in Bali and maybe one in England as well - do you think there would be anything left after that ? Donate mucho cash to cancer research - my Mum survived breast cancer and I am eternally grateful for all the research that has been done.

5. Places I have lived:

Wimbledon, Hong Kong, Indonesia, The Philippines, Tunbridge Wells, Oman ! (that's six but whose counting !)

So there you have it - I am rubbish I know, but I'll bribe you by promising some lovely pictures of the boys soon - they are gorgeous I promise !

Clapotis Crisis

2007-10-05T11:49:00.000+04:00

So I have been merrily knitting my latest Clapotis - as you know I haven't been doing much knitting recently so I thought a nice Cashmere Clapotis would be just the job to get me back into the swing of things - and so it has proven to be - I have really enjoyed it - except for one thing - I have run out of yarn arghhhh - I suspected it might happen when I started it didn't feel like I had enough yarn, but I had that with the last one I knitted for a friend of mine and I was just fine - not so this time.

The yarn that I am using is Hipknits Cashmere Aran in the Summer Pudding colourway - I have e:mailed Hipknits to ask if they happen to have any more lying about, but since it isn't on the website any more I am very much afeared that they are going to say no - what shall I do with a three quarter finished clapotis that I can't wear and is taking up a very nice pair of Brittany Birch needles ?!

So if you know of anyone that may just have 50g or so of this yarn lying around, could you please let me know. Obviously I am going to have to get any yarn I need sent to me here in Oman and since we are currently in Ramadan that could take ages and ages - I want to finish this clapotis so that I can wear it to keep me toasty warm when we come back to the UK for a holiday this Christmas - I need to find some of this yarn as soon as possible - please, pretty please, can anyone help me ?

If I manage to get it finished I promise to post more and I promise to post a picture of the lovely item - it's gorgeous I promise - you won't be disappointed - is my blackmail working ?!

I have also knitted the first sock of a pair from some lovely wool that my Mum bought me for Christmas last year - it is Aretsano Alpaca Humming Bird and it is knitting up into the most scrummy socks - again for the UK I think rather than here although the weather is cooling down a bit now and I may be able to get a little use out of them - we have had a couple of mornings last week where the temperature in the morning was 29 degrees - lovely. Roll on winter.

On the baby front - Oscar is just gorgeous. He rolled from his front to his back for the first time yesterday and we were so excited - especially Jacob - he loves his little brother - or Strudel as he calls him. The only problem that we are having is that Oscar is not so keen on sleeping in his cot during the day. So I am taking a week out of life next week to go to BABY BOOTCAMP and get him sorted. I feel a stressful week coming on, but it needs to be done - he just isn't getting good quality day time sleep cat napping wherever we are and it is affecting his night time sleep - he was sleeping from 7pm until 4am no probs, now he is sleeping from 7pm until about 1 am and then from 1am until 4am and then on until morning and I really think it is because he isn't getting enough sleep in the day - anyway - we shall see.

So I promise to post some pictures soon - I am well aware that my blog is super boring at the moment, but in my defence I have been knitting and I have been looking after a baby oh and I have got into Facebook - it is horribly addictive I may need an intervention !!!

New Arrival

2007-07-26T18:37:00.000+04:00

Things have been busy here - really busy - I can't tell you. We got hit by a Cyclone at the beginning of June - which was scary and unpleasant, but I managed to not go into labour, which was a good thing ! If you want all the gory details check out our other blog at http://oman3.blogspot.com. It's all there in detail !

So the most exciting news is that our baby arrived - he is called Oscar and he is just lovely. He arrived by emergency C section as he was in a bit of a rush and ended up coming out foot first, which is never a pretty sight ! Here is our lovely bundle of joy.

I know I'm biased but isn't he just gorgeous !

And just because I'm here I thought I'd post a picture of a couple of bits that I finshed ages ago - I'm not sure if I already posted pictures of these frankly my brain is not operating on all cylinders yet ! so forgive me if I'm repeating myself.

A nice cardy for a nice boy

My first pair of socks - I recently finished another pair of socks for a friend but I was so desperate to get them to her before I went into labour that I forgot to take a photo of them - they were even better than this pair if I say so myself.

So I am trying to get back into knitting but it's not that easy when you are aren't getting that much sleep and your concentration levels are zero. I have a few projects that I want to get on with - we are going back to the UK for Christmas this year and I have a few bits that I want to do for that - I have ordered some lovely sock yarn from Angel yarns and it's arrived at my mother in laws house - so hopefully it will be making it's way to me sooner rather than later.

Right got to go - Jacob needs to eat tea.

Well Hey There

2007-03-24T15:46:00.000+04:00

Well I am still around. The baby and I are both doing well. We have had the 20 week scan now and we know what sex the baby is - but I'm not going share as I don't want everyone to know just yet ! I do however have a pretty picture that I can share with you.

Isn't that just gorgeous. This little one definately has the same nose as Jacob - how cute - I can't wait to meet this baby. I am at 25 weeks now, so time is marching on quite quickly.

I have been doing a little knitting, but not for our baby - my neighbour had her baby yesterday morning, so I'm just in the middle of whipping something up for her. Nothing too complicated 'cause frankly my brain just can't take it.

Now then - I really really wanted to buy some cashmere yarn so that I could knit a lovely little set for the baby for when we come back to the UK for Christmas - we are planning on having a Christening then too. So I went to Posh Yarns where I had promised myself that I was going to indulge big time once I knew the sex of the baby and shock horror they don't do custom orders any more, you just have to choose from the stuff that they have died up that week - well I want two colours to do a little striped number. Any suggestions anyone - I really want some 100% cashmere 4ply yarn and it just seems to be the hardest thing to find. I could buy a little set from Brora but I shouldn't have to 'cause I can knit and I'd like to do it myself. So if anyone knows where I can get some of this gold dust like yarn from I'd be most grateful.

Right I'm off.

OK I Admit It

2007-01-09T13:08:00.000+04:00

So as you may have noticed - I haven't been around very much recently - I'm feeling bad - I should be posting more - so I wanted to let you all know that there is a very good reason for my absence. We are - once again - expecting a mini Moo. Now knowing what happened earlier this year we have been understandbly reserved about this one. I am now just over 14 weeks pg and hoping against hope that all goes well this time.

I have been doing very little knitting, I just can't focus - but I have been doing a little bit and when I get a bit more time awake I'll post some pictures.

So sorry for my poor blogging and I shall aim to do better once I don't feel sick ! Whenever that might be !

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2006-12-24T23:03:00.000+04:00

Well here we are again - another year over and done with almost and what a year it's been. Santa will be here soon so I've got to go to bed - but I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a fab New Year - I will try to be a better blogger next year - honest I will - this has been a somewhat difficult year to say the least - but I shall do better in 2007 - I hope anyway.

Have a lovely holiday everyone and enjoying doing knitting for pleasure rather than for presents - it's the best kind !

xxxxxxx

Mmmmmm Donuts

2006-11-25T18:10:00.000+04:00

You Are a Powdered Devil's Food Donut

A total sweetheart on the outside, you love to fool people with your innocent image.

On the inside you're a little darker, richer, and more complex.

You're a hedonist who demands more than one pleasure at a time.

Decadent and daring, you test the limits of human indulgence.

What Donut Are You?

Not really sure what I think about this - I like the idea of being a bit of a devil ! I think I'm too square a lot of the time in real life - so at least I can be a bit naughty with my donut !

I've been well busy - and I've got photos of stuff to show you, but I don't know where they are right now and I haven't got time to find them - so I'll be back when I've got time to do a proper post.

Take care all

Self Indulgence

2006-10-22T19:47:00.000+04:00

Since no-one is loving my blog right now - and rightly so, since I didn't update for about a month, I thought I'd do a self indulgent Meme, which I have stolen from Little Lixie.

Here we go.

48 Things You Could Care Less About

1. FIRST NAME? Rebecca

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Probably earlier this month when my due date for the twins I lost earlier in the year came around.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not really - I think it's a bit too messy

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Parma Ham

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think so, I'm quite easy going and helpful - I'm not really moody with my friends - although I can be with my DH !

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? No - used to keep one, but reading it back was so embarassing I stopped doing it - it's no great loss - I am no Emily Bronte I can tell you !

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes, but they cause me a lot of trouble and I have been considering evicting them some time soon. I probably won't ever do it 'cause I'm afraid of pain.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No Way Jose ! I used to be reckless but since having Jacob I've become a lot more sensible - or boring depending on how you look at it !

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? That is a tough one - I think I would have to say Raisin Bran as a bought cereal, but my Mum makes a wicked ceral with porridge oats, dried cranberries, brazil nuts and warm milk - it makes my mouth water thinking about it.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? I live in a hot climate so I usually wear open toed sandals - if I do wear lace up shoes, I usually try not to untie them, but it rarely works and I end up having to bend over anyway !

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? No.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? At the moment Baskin Robbins - can't remember the name, but it's got chocolate - of course, and caramel and honeycomb !

14. SHOE SIZE? UK size 7.

5. RED OR PINK? Both - yes I want it all, usually together.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? That I can be very moody with my DH and he usually doesn't deserve it - poor him.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Too difficult to say - I miss all my family and friends in the UK.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? I'm not sending it to anyone - so doesn't really apply.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue jeans - nothing on my feet and a red and pink striped polo type shirt with a white collar.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Oh I'm just about to eat my dinner of cumberland sausages, oven chips and baked beans - a real treat here I can tell you because there is pork in the sausages - you have to go to a special shop to get them and everything.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Some rubbish adverts on the TV.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Turquoise

23. FAVORITE SMELL? currently my perfume - the new White Linen one - not sure of the name

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My friend Shona to arrange a game of tennis tomorrow morning at 7.30am - am I potty ?

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Legs, Hair, Hands.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? I don't personally know her, but I like her blog lots and lots and she seems like a very nice lady.

27. FAVORITE DRINK? Alcohol free Pina Colada's that they do in a restaurant here - they are gorgeous.

28. FAVORITE SPORT? Tennis to play and rugby to watch - oh those shorts mmmmm

29. EYE COLOR? Turquoise blue.

30. HAT SIZE? Not a clue

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No.

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Definately happy endings - I can't watch anything scary at all.

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? I love summer - I like to feel the sun on my back and to wear open toed shoes.

36. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs, definately.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Too many to mention, but definately with chocolate.

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea.

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Everyone - no-one is reading my blog right now !

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? An awful book called Chole by Freya North for a book club, a good book called The Promise of Happiness by Justin Cartwright and a book called Coming to Term by Jon Cohen all about miscarriage.

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? It's a google one, but I'm on the laptop right now.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? A couple of episodes of Firefly, they were excellent, I love Firefly and I was gutted it was cancelled.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Jacob laughing.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Neither really - but definately never the Beatles.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Sydney I would think and it was lovely. I love Australia.

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Knitting probably - that's about it ! I don't think I'm very special really.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Hammersmith in London.

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I got it from Little Lixie

So there you have it - 48 things that you didn't need to know.

Giants Only Need Apply

2006-10-19T12:40:00.000+04:00

So I have been knitting quite a lot of things at the same time recently and then it dawned on me that not only did I need to get the bits done for people here, but I needed to get the bits done for Christmas as well - so I thought I'd make a start. So what shall I begin with ? well something simple seems a good idea - I know that lovely little girl bolero would be great - it won't take me long and it will be oh so cute - WRONG. I have had problems with Erika Knights patterns in the past, so what made me think this would be any different ? This pattern is from Simple Knits for Little Cherubs and if anyone has knit it successfully as per the pattern I would love to hear from you. This is mine so far - well I've done a lot of the other side as well, but since I'm going to have to undo it I don't think I'll bother to show you.

Do you see those red threads - according to the pattern they are the shoulder line markers - that means that the sleeve is going to be the same size again on the back - according to my calculations this means that the sleeve is going to be a total of 51cm in circumference - WHAT ????? Is this bolero for a giant ? Maybe I am reading the pattern wrong and if I am please somebody put me out of my misery before I undo the whole thing. The only saving grace for this pattern is that it is very small. I have to say though that I once considered buying Erika Knight's book Bloom which has patterns for grown ups in too - I will certainly not being buying it now - if there are such great errors in a childs jumper imagine how much worse it would be if it was an adults garment - no thank you very much indeed. So if anyone had ever knit this pattern and made changes or alterations - please do get in touch - I would love to hear from you.

On the brighter side, I have a few FO's to show you.

First up is my first pair of real sock and I can't tell you how happy I am with these. They are in cotton and so are just about ok for the colder months here.

I did a really good job of matching up the colours on the second sock until just after I had turned the heel whereup a knot appeared in the yarn. I thought nothing of it until my stripes started going all wrong. Still never mind I am delighted with the end result and think I have definately been bitten by the sock knitting bug. I would really like to get some of the Regia Canadian Fashion Colours yarn now and do a basic ribbed sock - only two problems - I am not sure where is the best place to get the Regia yarn from and I don't have a basic ribbed sock pattern ! Any help gratefully received. Oh and here is another picture of the socks - just because I can !

Next up we have a rather boring little cardi that I did for a friend's son. They are moving to Canada at the beginning of next year - Edmonton actually. So they will be needing some warmer bits. This cardi was not a joy to knit - I had to fiddle about with the size so much I ended up knitting most of the component parts about 5 times - boring when I have so many other things I wanted to be knitting. Also, this cardi has a zip and I just don't do sewing. So I asked a friend to help me out and she did, but not being a knitter it took her about 5 attempts to get it right. So it's done and I'm pleased with it, but I definately won't be doing it again ! Oh and also the friend that is moving to Canada is a recent convert to knitting and I was wondering if anyone might have any recommendations for good yarns stores in the area - so she can get herself down there and get well and truely addicted !

Finally we have a little poncho that I knitted ages ago. It's in Peter Pan Velvet and Shimmer I think - it's nasty but nice ! It is actually for the same little girl that the tasteful but giant bolero is for. I thought I would do something gaudy and something nice !

A few days ago I received a whole load of knitting needles from my Mum for my Birthday - which was in August, but never mind ! I had asked her to go the knitting shop and ask for Addi Turbos - oh so nice to knit with and how I covert a full set - unfortunately I didn't realise that Addi Turbos came in both bamboo and metal - it was the metal I wanted and of course the bamboo (or wood I'm not sure what they are) that I received. So if anyone is in the market for a swap or some such arrangement - let me know ! I will still happily use the ones I've got, but because I knit with the needle wedged into my armpit the wood ones tend to bend - I am currently using Brittany Birches for the giant bolero and lovely as they are - I don't think they will last that long 'cause they are too flexible. Oh well - ho hum next time I shall have to be more specific !

Happy knitting everyone !

Big Bang

2006-10-14T19:00:00.000+04:00

I've been absent and I know it's bad. It would seem that since Jacob has started school the world has gone potty and I've just not had a moment to sit down and blog. I have been knitting, but more about that in another post.

I am joining in Anne's Route To Work Photo thingy - I've got lots of photos and I'm going to try to post them, but who knows if Blogger will allow me. Well here goes :

School Daze

2006-09-06T14:33:00.000+04:00

My little man started real school on Monday - it was greeeeeeeaaaaaaat. I am so happy to have my mornings back to myself I can't tell you ! I loved the summer we had a fab time, but it's lovely to have that little bit of time just for yourself in the day. I know it's a luxury that many don't have, but once you've had it boy is it difficult to give up. So here is my man in his little uniform.

He's only in nursery - so it's not real school as such, but he's loving being a big boy and going to big boy school, but why oh why do they have to start so early - we have to be at school by 7.30am and he finishes at 12.30pm - usually looking like this.

I don't have much knitting news a the moment - so I thought I would share some recent moments with you in photos.

First a lovely view from one of the balconies of our house. Muscat is surrounded my mountains and I love them - I love the way the light changes on them all day long, they way that sometimes you can't see them at all, and sometimes they are all you can see. They change colour all the time and I'm constantly amazed at how beautiful they are - one day I'll take some pictures out and about through the mountains and post them - they are really amazing. So here you go - feast your eyes.

Next up James' birthday. We had just had my birthday which was suffused with chocolate cake as it should be - so for James' birthday I wanted to do something different - so we made biscuits. Let me say here that the oven I have here is not like any oven you have in the UK ( I don't know about the US sorry) it is run from a gas bottle and it is very tempramental. The temperature gauge means absolutely nothing and so cooking is somewhat approximate! What I am trying to excuse is that I cooked a lot more biscuits than this, but they all got burned ! I have never every burned biscuits before and I hang my head in shame - oh woe is me - still this little lot made it through and according to James' work buds were yummy.

So an urge over took me the other day - it was an unreasonable urge and it just wouldn't go away. I had to give in to it, I had no choice - it was the urge for polka dot toe nails. Now I don't usually go in for novelty nails - no offence to those of you that love them, but on the whole they are not for me, but right now I am going through a bit of a 1950/60's ish thing and red and white polka dots just do it for me. So I took myself off to the nail gaff and persuaded the lady that red nails with white polka dots really were a good idea - eventually she caved in and lo and behold, I now have my polka dot nails - what do you think ? We have been invited to a posh do at the Chinese Embassy in a couple of weeks - do you think they will appreciate my polka dot nails ?!!!

Ta ta all and have a lovely weekend.

Oh Happy Day

2006-08-27T17:22:00.000+04:00

I have just wound a skein of Colinette Giotto into a ball with no problems at all - I am one happy bunny. Whenever I have wound balls before I always have trouble - they ALWAYS get tangeled up and in a total mess, but this time - yippeeee - all was well - why ? because I stretched the skein between two kitchen chairs and made sure the tension was tight all the time and it worked - I feel stress free and happy to tackle the rest of the skeins that I have now ! Bring it on !

It was my Birthday on 23 August and I was 37 - I'm feeling very old ! James was talking about what we'll do on my 40th Birthday the other day and that made me panic slightly ! Still I had a lovely day - I was still sick from yet another throat infection - not sure if I mentioned that or not - oh yes I have had yet another throat infection and it's been horrid - I still haven't shaken it off. On my Birthday we had intended to go out to dinner, but I honestly didn't feel well enough so we stayed at home apart from popping out to get my birthday present (because I had to choose it). I decided on an ipod, so James bought me a 60GB video Ipod with a Bose docking station / speaker and a nifty gadget that allows me to listen to the Ipod in the car via the radio - it's fab - I'm so happy to be able to listen to all my music with no problems. I'm a very happy bunny indeed.

My Mum is getting me some new Addi knitting neeldles for my Birtday and I guess she'll send them to me once she's managed to get them for me - I'm very excited to get them - I've never knitted with Addi straights before, but if I have to knit with ciruclars I would chose Addi every time - so we shall see if the straights are as good.

James is back to work tomorrow, so his holiday is nearly over we are currently sitting on the sofa eating popcorn and watching Cinderella 2 (not a movie to be recommended I have to say - although we watched Hoodwinked recently and that was excellent). Jacob is off to start at his new school a week today - so I need to sort out his uniform etc and then I should have a little more needle time although I am determined to start exercising once he is back at school so I won't have all that much time I guess - we shall see, it will just be nice to have a bit of time to myself I have to say. It's been lovely to go home and see everyone and to come home and have James off for two weeks, but I yearn to get back to my routine and have some time on my own. I'm quite selfish like that - I need to be alone every now and then to feel human - I'm very unsociable !!!

Right off to knit some more on my Colinette cardi I think I'm going to love this one once it's done - it's looking gorgeous already. I'm nearly done on the girly poncho - I just need to do one last pom pom and then attach them and it's done - I hate making pom poms they take such a long time for such a silly little thing - I dislike all that trimming and I can never seem to get them as perfect as I would like - ho hum perhaps I need to lower my standards ? No Never it can not be done !

The Fruits of England

2006-08-18T15:54:00.000+04:00

Well I've had quite a time back in good old Blighty - saw lots of friends and did far too much. Visited numerous zoos, an aquarium (Blue Planet near Liverpool, which was excellent), a museum, multitudonous parks and copious shops. Of all these things I have to say yarn shopping came close to the top of the list. I hadn't realised how much I had missed fondelling that lovely yarn in real life. Looking at it on the internet is all well and good, but for top dollar gratification it has to be a lovely yarn shop and plenty of time and money to waste. And waste it I did - want to see !!?

Some All Seasons Cotton to knit a jumper for a friend's little boy - she assures me it will get some use here in Oman - I'm not so sure, but who am I to complain about an opportunity to knit !

Some Blue Lana Grossa Binario - that I was sort of persuaded to buy by the lovely lady in Stash (which is a much visit shop I have to say). I have the pattern to knit a vest top with this - not sure that I will ever actually do it, and if I do if I will ever wear it, but we shall see.

Some blue Dune - to knit a cropped wrap cardy for me - I just fell in love with the pattern on this one and hope it's going to look OK - I'm not normally one for novelty yarn, but I seem to have ended up with quite a bit of it this time.

Some lovely pink Cashcotton to knit a little bolero cardy for a little girl that I know - I hope she like it !

A little selection of Cotton Cashmere and some lovely shades of ribbon, destined to become little stripey bags that tie up - when I've got the time !

A ball of the craziest yarn I have ever seen. It is Feza Premier and was £12.45 a ball so I only got one ! but I thought it would fun to try and do a belt with - apparently it self stripes in all manner of textures, can't wait to try it, if only I didn't have to de-hank it first !

Some Firefly yarn to knit another tie front bolero thing, but this one is an evening one - I hope I wear it - it might just be too sophisticated for me !

A couple of balls of the most revolting Funky Fur destined to becone a OSW for a little girl that will wear nothing but pink !

Some lovely lovely lovely Colinette Giotto yarn, destined to become a cardy - I have absolutely fallen in love with this yarn - it is just amazing and I can't wait to get started on it - again once I've gone through the traumatic de-hanking process.

Some fabulous blue Pure Silk destined to become a little tie front bolero cardy - do we see a theme here !??? I love this yarn it's so soft - I wonder what it will knit up like - I hope it's fab!

Some Velvet Touch and Shimmer yarn to make a poncho for another little girl - it's so awful it's good wouldn't you agree !!! Actually this poncho is nearly finished now, it's a bit of a quick knit !

A ball of Wendy Fusion because I fell in love with the colours and I'd never seen it before - so there !

Some Wool Cotton to knit a little cardy for Jacob - well I coudn't leave him out could I ? I have also got another little crop of Wool Cotton in Dark Olive green to do a cardy for another friend's little boy, but that's underway and I couldn't be bothered to go downstairs to photograph it.

A haul of fabulous HipKnits Cashmere in the Summer Pudding colourway - this is to become a Clapotis for me - I have no need of it, but I need it in a much deeper way that on a practical level.

Some bright red Cashsoft Aran for a project that I can't talk about unless I shoot you and that just isn't possible - so you'll have to wait !

I also have four balls of Artesano Alpaca in Jade and five in Oatmeal being sent to me as I couldn't fit them in the case - oh and a hand of Hipknits sock yarn in Bouquet - it's gorgeous.

Well do you think I went over the top - no - good - I'm glad you agree - not so sure the hubby agrees - he hasn't said anything, but there have definately been some looks - still he spent a fortune on new tyres for his Hummer so that he can go up sand dunes - like he needs to do that all the time - well he does sometimes, but well the principle is the same - isn't it ?!

Home Again Home Again Jiggidy Jig

2006-08-13T23:58:00.000+04:00

Well here I am back in Oman and safe and sound. The trip was just fine - not half as bad as I had anticipated apart from rather robust turbulence over Budapest - but still we are here and all is well. Looking forward to getting everything sorted and back to normal - big sigh and time for bed !

Night Night.

Delayed Again

2006-08-12T18:49:00.000+04:00

The bad news is that with all that has been going on at Heathrow airport since Thursday - we have had to change our return flight from Friday to Sunday - so we won't be getting home until Sunday evening now - nuisance, but better than having to battle through the airport to get to the plane - I hate flying enough as it is ! We will still have to be at the airport four hours before the plane takes off, but hey I'll have my parents with me for a bit and they can take Jacob off and occupy him.

We have had a fab fab time in the UK and I can't quite believe that six weeks have passed so quickly. The great news is that I have loads of stash enhancement to show you and as long as the airline let me take my grossly overweight luggage with me - I'll hope to show it to you some time soon - but shhhh - don't tell the hubby he'll have a fit !

See you when I back in Oman all - can't wait !

Last Minute News

2006-06-30T08:50:00.000+04:00

Hey there - Jacob and I are flying off to the UK this afternoon for a six week holiday - sadly James is staying behind to earn the bread and butter ! But we are excited - I think it's going to be fun.

A friend of mine just hot footed a couple of photos to me of her daughter wearing a One Skein Wonder that I knitted for her and they were so fab I had to share them with you before we jetted off.

This little beauty is knitted in Wendy Cosmic I think - it was something that I picked up at a show last year and thought would be good as an edging (and it is I already used it to edge a lovely blue cotton jumper for a little girl) anyway - this was a bit of a blighter to knit and you have to do it all in one sitting otherwise there is no way of telling which is the right and the wrong side ! Picking up the stitches was - interesting - but I soldiered through and the recipient is delighted with it, so that is the main thing.

Right I'm off to have brekkie and finish the packing - see you later.

Ballerina

2006-06-25T15:18:00.000+04:00

Look, look - that there Ballerina is almost done. She's blocking

I am so glad that I blocked this one before I knitted the cuffs. The pattern calls for 13 ridges on the bottom of the cuff - which is about 10 cm and after blocking her it is easy to see that she needs no more than 5 ridges - only a couple of cm. What a relief. If I had done the cuffs first it would have been way too long and my Mum would never have worn it.

This has been a really special knit for me. I started it when I moved to Oman, carried on when I found out I was pg and then through loosing my twins at 15 weeks. It has really helped me through a period of emotional and physical healing and it means a lot to me - I hope it will mean a lot to my Mum and that she will wear it and think of me. I'm sure she'll love it - I do - if she doesn't want it I'll have it !

Hanne Falkenberg kit observations would have to include -

The patterns are badly written / translated - it is so not clear what you are supposed to be doing a lot of the time and you have to use of a lot intuition. Which can be fun as well as frightening !

The text on the pattern is teeny tiny - really hard to read and on rubbish paper. I got a bit of water on mine and the pattern smudged, I couldn't read a bit and so had to post on the knit along to anyone else that had this pattern to help me out !

I had loads of yarn left over, so I think I might do my Mum a scarf to go with the cardy - not yet though - I'm running out of time.

The pattern was very difficult indeed - the most complicated thing I have done to date even though it is in garter stitch - there is a lot going on and you really have to concentrate to keep it all together. Plus of course - it's on 3mm circular needles - I must have been mad !

Don't be put of by one of these kits - as long as you concentrate and read the pattern really carefully you'll be fine !

I'll try to get a photo of my Mum wearing her Ballerina - but I'm not sure how successful I'll be !

One Word Meme

2006-06-18T20:55:00.000+04:00

I got this little beauty from Anne's Blog and I love the idea of it being carried on around everyone. I hope you'll join in and please - be kind !

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me – it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this into your blog so that I may leave a word about you.

The Greatest Secret Agent's Side Kick in the World

2006-06-16T19:59:00.000+04:00

I am currently watching Dangermouse, the best cartoon in the world ! All the better because in the opening scenes of this particular episode - Penfold was knitting a vest for his teddy whilst caddying for DM - what a star !

Exactly What IS The Point .......

2006-06-05T15:53:00.000+04:00

...... of hanks of yarn - can someone tell me, anybody, please just tell me ? I cannot understand it. Sure they look pretty, but then you have to spend hours upon hours untangling the blasted things when they get all knotted up. I spend nearly two hours yesterday trying to untangle a skien of HipKnits silk - now don't get me wrong - I love the stuff but grrrrr to wasting my precious afternoon when Jacob is in bed - I ended up throwing most of the blasted thing away because I just could not get it undone. So please if you know of some valid reason why hanks exist enlighten me I'm waiting to be educated.

Aside from that some progress has been made in this here house.

I have finished Jacob's cosy socks and mighty fine they are too if I do say so myself. These are from Lucinda Guy's book the exact name of which escapes me, but which is full of lovely knits for kiddlies. This is the first thing I have knitted from this book and I have to say there was a little error in the pattern - not a big one, but all the same it was there - still I soldiered on and look at the result well worth it I think you'll agree - I think I shall be knitting these as little gifts for cold English kiddies for a while to come - Jacob on the other hand will get limited wear out of them - but who cares - who said knitting had to be practical ?!

I have also knitted a One Skien Wonder for myself and it is fab.

This is the aforementioned Hip Knits silk - which looks and feels wonderful but is a bugger to ball up ! I love this pattern, I have hummed and hawed about purchasing it for ages thinking that with my ample frame it may look a little daft (an indeed hubby said to me last night as I paraded around in my newly finished garment that it looked a little daft, but I think he meant in the fashion sense rather than the frame size sense and since he is stuck in a fashion time warp I don't take too much notice of him) but it is fabulousy. I have worn it today and had multitudonous compliments from all and sundry. It is the perfect garment for here as you can wear a vest top and cover your shoulders with the wonderful OSW and still be cool, of course if you knitted it in Cashmerino aran or something I'm sure it wouldn't be so cool, but in the silk, it's wonderful. Of course I have to say that I hate hate hate the use of circular needles and why oh why are all the American ladies that write patterns so facinated with them - how many times do I find myself looking at a pattern and thinking ohh that's nice, but oh it's on circulars on to the next - I just cannot get on with them - I can use them, but boy is it slow hard going and that is no fun for me and frankly what is the point of knitting if it's not fun ? none - exactly - so there !

Today is a funny old day in Oman I have to say - look at this

Where has the sun gone ?! I have to say this is a bit of an event here the sky is normally beautifully blue with a blazing sun hanging in it, but today - cloudy, windy and very dusty - do you think we are having a sand storm - do you think I should put towels under the doors to stop it coming in the house ? How dramatic.

Here is another shot of our road.

It's all quite exciting really - am I very sad ? I'm off to knit and keep looking out the window to see what's happening. Oh I forgot to say I purchased two lovely books the other day in our local haberdashers - one is all cross stitch patterns, they are all fairy tale characters, it's got dragons and witches and all sorts of fab things in it and the other is a very basic introductory book on machine quilting - I will get around to doing it - I will I promise - well don't hold me to it.

And Breathe !

2006-06-04T10:28:00.000+04:00

Well a good night's sleep has helped to calm the circular needle crisis. I hate when my knitting doesn't go as I'd like and Circulars just seem like such hard work to me - still I will triumph - as Meg Ryan says whilst standing in front of the Arc de Triomphe in French Kiss - I love that film - although Meg Ryan has slipped down my list of icons in recent years I must admit - what was that all about with Russel Crowe - I mean how could she ? the man is a wally !

I have been galavanting rather in recent weeks, which is why posting has not been all that regular. Firstly we went for a weekend at the the new Shangri-la resort here in Oman, with a group of friends, it was fabidosy - so relaxing and great fun and the best thing was that Jacob learnt to swim. He has been on the verge for ages and ages, but he just wouldn't make that leap of faith, but during our little break he did it and he's fab. All he has to do now is remember to come up for air ! So here is Jacob, worn out after a swimming session.

To reward him for this mammoth event - I took him to the shops yesterday and bought him a new pair of fab goggles .

They are green with sharks on them - so they are now his army shark goggles - he can't wait to use them. Ever since I caved in and bought him a pair of camoflage shorts he has been mad about anything camoflage or army green - I fear his wardrobe is going to become somewhat limited with army green and spiderman - I may need to put my foot down and insist on some pink - still I'll be buying his clothes when we are back in the UK and I will not be taking him with me !

We have also been to a Ceiligh - I am so not sure if that is how you spell it ! It's a scottish party anyway with lots of organised dancing and lots of disorganised drinking ! It was great fun, we had such a laugh.

Well on to knitting. I finished my pink dream ages ago and I have been asking James to take a picture of me in it for ages - he's useless so I've attempted to take some pictures myself, they aren't great, but I think you can get the idea.

The first one is on me.

and the second one is the draped on the bed shot - if you know what I mean !

I have also done a little hat for my friend Michelle - well it's not for her, it's for her little girl who is the most gorgeous little person you could imagine. She will be going back to the UK for the summer and since they are from Glasgow, I thought they were bound to get some cool days that would definately call for a little hat that went with the little cardy that I did - I love knitting baby stuff, it's so cute and so quick, such instant gratification.

I am well underway with the little cosy socks for Jacob - I just need to sew up the second sock and then pop them into his flight bag ready for the off. Ballerina just needs the final triangle on the front doing and then it's edging and finishing off blocking etc - shouldn't take too long I hope. My next little project is a couple of mobile phone covers for my sister in law - she asked me for these back in January and I promised to deliver - I hope she understands that quite a lot has happened since then - I'm sure she will she's lovely. Don't panic Kate they will be done !

Finally let me say that whilst I have been doing this I have been listening to Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams and it just the best album - so easy and happy and relaxing - I love it, it always makes me feel better - if you haven't listened to it, you must do so immediately - and that is an order from the house of the army shorts.

Right nearly time to go and get Jacob - no time to do any knitting this morning - bummer!

Circle Crazy

2006-06-03T23:05:00.000+04:00

God I hate knitting with Circular needles - especially large ones. I'm knitting the wonderful One Skein Wonder and I think it's going to be great when it's done, but grrrrr I hate cirs so much - I wish I could stick to straights. How do you stop your circular needle curling around and getting caught in your fingers ? How do you get any speed up ? How do you knit with circs.

I've been busy doing lots of knitting - Pink Dream is finished and I've done a baby hat and the second cosy sock for Jacob, but it's late and I'm tired so I'm going to bed and I'll do a proper update tomorrow. Just needed to get out my frustration at those bloomin' needles - someone pass me the bin !

Wowzer, wowzer, wowzer

2006-05-19T10:48:00.000+04:00

I have been trying to post to my blog for three days now ! How frustrating - each time I've tried I've not been able to get into it to actually post - pooters drive me mad when they don't work ! Grrrrrrr.

So, I have been busy with my knitting. I have finished all the bits for the Diagonal Front Cardy - all I have to do now is block it and finish it off - why is that the bit that always takes the longest - the knitting of this garment has not taken that long at all, currently it has been sitting on the arm of the sofa for about a week waiting to be finished off - why can I not muster up the enthusiasm to get it done - is it the thought of having to transfer all those stitches that are on holders to bits of yarn and then back again ? is it the worry that I'll go to the trouble of finishing it off beautifully and then the sleeves will be too long ? I am currently contemplating the idea of sewing the sleeves up with a different coloured yarn, finishing off the cardy and seeing how it fits and then if it fits well, finish it off in the right yarn and if it doesn't undo those monkey length sleeves and do them again - what do you think ? A good plan non ? I am almost certain the sleeves are going to be too long - they seem to be of gargantuan proportions and my arms are not that long - I hate sleeves that hang off the end of your arms and you are constantly having to pull them up - especially on something like this that has no fastenings on the front and is bound to fall of your shoulders all the time - I think provisional sewing up will have to be done, or I could ruin my eyes even further trying to unpick the same coloured yarn.

Well, here are the finished component parts, I just need to get moving with the rest of it.

I have also been getting on with Ballerina - I have stalled a little bit on this one at the moment - it's not that I don't think it's lovely, it's just that all that garter stitch on 3mm needles was getting to me a bit and since I finished the Pink Dream I didn't have anything chunckier to alternate it with. Still I am well underway on the second sleeve and before long I'll be doing the last front and voila - just the finishing to do again ! I have joined an Hanne Falkenberg knitalong - but can't remember how to get the button to appear on my blog - my brain is really mushed right now. One lady on there has just finished a Ballerina and she did some different things with the finishing - doing a striped front band and cuffs - I really like it, what do you think ? Is is better than the original - here is the tinkered version

and here is a link to the original version - I couldn't post the picture here - don't know why BALLERINA

I really like the striped front band and think I'll give that a go.

Well, here is my Ballerina so far - so near and yet so far !

I have also - in my infinte wisdom started another Clapotis - I am not sure who this is for - it depends how it turns out. I wanted to knit it for a friend for her birthday, but I really think I'd like to knit her one in a snuggly soft yarn and all I had was some DK cotton from Texere in Delphinium. I really like the colour, but boy does it leak when you are knitting with it - I end up with blue hands every time. Also, it comes on a cone and I was merrily knitting away and came across a sellotaped join - so I just cut the sellotape out and rejoined the yarn at the beginning of the row and now you can clearly see a colour difference in the knitting. It don't think it will matter on this because once you have got all the dropped stitches in there it will break it up and you won't notice, but if I had been knitting a jumper or something I would have been very annoyed to get such a colour change - it's obviously a different dye lot and it really notices. I am enjoying knitting the clapotis again, it is one of those patterns that requires a little bit of concentration, but not too much and that is perfect TV knitting, not too boring, but not too demanding. Anyway here it is so far.

On another note, we went to see Status Quo last night and it was fabulous (let me just state for the record I am not a fan, but we don't get that many people coming to perform in Oman so you have to get your kicks where you can !) - I got to meet the band before the concert and got their autographs - who knew that they were so old and frail in real life ? still on stage they've still got what it takes - they knocked our socks off - James and I spent the whole night dancing away while our more sensible friends stayed on the side line complaining that it was too hot to dance - well you were gonna sweat if you stood still or not - so you might as well have a laugh is what I say - and we were drenched by the end of it. The concert was outside at the Intercontinental hotel and the temperature was about 38 degrees and over 80% humidity - who needs a gym ! I am knackered today though so Jacob and I are having a relaxing day - James has gone diving - more fool him ! It's tv and knitting with plenty of tea for me today - until this afternoon when Jacob has a Birthday party to go to from 4.00pm to 7.00 rather a funny time for a three year old B'day party don't you think ? Jacob is usually in bed at 7.00pm so it's going to be an odd night for him.

Oh yes - I seem to be having a problem with my blog - all my entries are being duplicated if you scroll down - you'll see what I mean - anyone got any ideas about how I can cure this ? Or do I have to start up my blog all over again ?

Well I'd better go - my knitting is calling me.

What a Relief

2006-05-11T20:34:00.000+04:00

Well first of all let me just say that I totally missed the one year anniversary of my blog it was on 27 April it would seem - however other things were on my mind at the time I think - anyway Happy Birthday blog - I can't do anything exciting like giving stuff away, because I just can't get anything good here.

That said - I have been online shopping today and it felt wonderful - I haven't bought any yarn for ages and it felt so good to give that debit card a yarn bashing - so what did I buy - well first of all I bought some gorgeous Aran Weight Cashmere from hipknits in the Summer Pudd colourway - I cannot wait to get my grubby little paws on this yarn - I'm going to knit a Clapotis from it - I was going to do it as a gift but frankly my determination on this point is already wavering and I only ordered the yarn a couple of hours ago - I think I may have to find something else to knit the gift Clapotis in as I've been coverting a purple one for ages - I think that purple Clapoti ( is that the correct plural ?) look like fields of lavender and I know a cashmere Clapotis is not that practical in Oman - but what the hey - we are hoping to go skiing next year if I'm not pregnant by then and it will be very useful then - well that's my excuse for keeping it and I'm sticking to it !

As well as the fab cashmere - I made some great purchases from Get Knitted, some Artesano Alpaca Inca Cloud in Oatmeal (for a Ruffles scarf, another useful piece for Oman) and Teal for random baby wear at some later date. I also ordered some Hip Knits sock yarn in Bouquet - which is fab. Not only that I ordered a few pairs of the Brittany Knitting needles and a copy of the Vogue Spring magazine.

I haven't bought so much knitting stuff in years and it is wonderful to have done it. I'm planning a few more purchases when I come back to the UK for my summer break at the end of June. The down side is that I won't receive any of this stuff until I'm back in the UK, so that is a bit of a wait - but it will fabulous when I do get it, well worth the wait - that cashmere along is making me drool !

I am making good progres with the Debbie Bliss Diagonal Front Jacket, I have finshed the main body and one sleeve and have started the second sleeve - I'm looking forward to getting it done - it was supposed to have been finished during the Olympics afterall. I think it's going to be a fab wear in the UK and once I've finished this it is back on with the Ballerina.

Right I'm off to knit, just put away that debit card and keep me away from the computer I'm feeling dangerous !

Thank You

2006-05-09T09:15:00.000+04:00

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that has taken the time to leave a comment for me. I really appreciate your kind words and thoughts, it means a lot to me to know that people are thinking of us. I am doing OK actually - I truely feel that it just wasn't meant to be and I would much rather the pregnancy end earlier rather than later and although 15 weeks is quite late, it's not so bad really. I know that we will have another baby soon and all I can do is hope that all goes well next time. I am so grateful for all that I have, especially my wonderful husband and fabulous son - they are the best and have really got me through this. I know that there will be good and bad days, in fact it seems to be that there are good and bad hours, but things will get better and I'm staying very positive about the whole thing. It could have been so much worse and I'm so grateful that it wasn't. Everyone in the hospital was lovely and in fact the hospital was lovely - we had a private suite with our own living room and bathroom and it was so much better than being in our local hospital in England - Pembury - which is frankly a poo hole - that is where I had Jacob and I was out of there as quickly as possible - I could quite easily have stayed in this hospital for a few more days, it was like being in a hotel !

So, on to knitting - I am now steaming along quite nicely on my pink dream - I have finished the body and am just about to start on the sleeves. I bought a lovely blue t-shirt the other day and I am currently having a bright orange linen skirt made and I'm thinking these three items together will make a stunning outfit - well if nothing else you'll be able to see me coming !

I have to say that I really did not enjoy knitting the bottom part of this cardy on circular needles - I found it really hard work and very slow indeed - since I've switched to straight needles for the upper part of the body - progress has been much better. Only problem is that I find DK cotton quite hard work to knit with it does seem to make my right elbow ache. Still I can't wait to get this finished - unfortunatley I won't be able to wear it for a while as it is currently 43 degrees C here - I'm coming back to the UK on 30 June though and I'm preparing myself with thoughts of thermal vests and wearing my cosy knitted cady. I hope it isn't going to be too cold when we are back. It's more Jacob I'm concerned about - he really feels the cold now and is always making me turn the air conditioning down - so I think he is going to need lots of layers when we go to Blighty.

I have also made progress with Ballerina - I'm half way through the second sleeve, but I forgot to take a picture, so you will have to wait with baited breath for that one ! I find I need a break from Ballerina every now and then - it is quite a slow knit, especially since it's on circulars, although I have to say 3mm circulars are much easier to handle than 4mm - who would think that a mm could make a difference, but it does - I don't think I'll be attempting anything above 4ply on ciruclars again.

Right I'm off - got to sort out my clothes - I'm in a funny place with clothes right now - I'm obviously not going to wear maternity clothes - that would be too depressing, but my normal clothes are a little snug - I'll manage.

Some Sad News

2006-05-02T14:54:00.000+04:00

I am sorry to have to tell you all that on Saturday I went for a pre natal check up and found out that we were expecting twins. Very sadly there were no heartbeats to be found - something had gone terribly wrong. I have been in hospital and been sorted out - just the emotional side to deal with now - which is greatly helped by having my lovely little Jacob around.

Just wanted to let you all know.

Well

2006-04-15T08:47:00.000+04:00

Here I am again - I am aware that it isn't the next day, but I have been somewhat preoccupied just recently !! My parents came out to visit for a week, which was lovely, we had a really nice time, very relaxing indeed, unfortunately I managed to get tonsillitus while they were here - so off I went to the Dr to get the relevant medication. This was duely taken, only for the blasted tonsillitus to return a day after I finished the course of antibiotics. So back to the Dr again, this time I saw a different Dr and she said that one of the drugs that the last Dr had given me really shouldn't be taken by pregnant people, well only if they really needed it. Luckily I hadn't taken anything like the amount I had been given, so hopefully all will be well, but we shall see. I am now on my second course of antibiotics and not happy about it at all. I am the type of person that hates to take a paracetamol let alone antibiotics, and to have to take two courses when I'm pregnant does not make me a happy bunny, but I have not choice - I have to clear it up, it was making me vomit and everything and I can't live like that - I have spent the last two days on the sofa and am only now starting to feel more human again - I just hope that this course of antibiotics does the trick and that the antihystemines haven't done any lasting damage. Please cross everything for me.

On to knitting. I have the pictures of the two recent little bits that I have completed and here they are.

They are both done in 4ply cotton, 'cause that is all I can get here - but I'm pretty pleased with them. The varigated one was a free internet pattern and the dark pink and green one was adapated from a pattern in Rowan Junior - I can't be bothered to find out the name - sorry - I'm sick you know.

I am making slow progress with Ballerina - being ill is really not condusive to knitting especially when the outside temperature is 38 degrees C and you've got a temperature yourself - even the air conditioning doesn't seem to help. I think I'm going to have a little break from the little dancer and do a few frivolous things, then pick her up again with renewed interest - only problem is that I really want to finish my pink dream before I go back to the UK in the summer and I can't start that again until I finish Ballerina - or can I ?

Well off to take more drugs and hope I feel better soon, I've got to go back to the Dr tomorrow to find out the results of a lovely culture they took off my throat - so that should be fun.

WIP's

2006-03-27T18:07:00.000+04:00

I thought it was about time I update you all on my progress on WIP's - I seem to have had far too many things on the go recently and just no energy to do any of them at all. I have just finished another baby cardi that I forgot to photograph ! The friend that I knitted the two recent cardi's for is going to lend them to me tomorrow so that I can photograph them ! so updates to follow.

Apart from those I have been doing my diagonal front cardi - well I haven't done anything on this for ages, but I'm hoping to finish it before I go home for the summer as I think I may need it being as the weather is so hot here at the moment - I think the UK even in summer, is going to be a bit of a shock to the system !

Anyway - here's the pink dream so far.

It's very pink indeed and a bit of a statement - but I'm hoping that with a suntan, my pink Birkenstocks and a very large tummy that precludes good taste, I'll be able to carry it off !

We also have Ballerina - which is a Hanne Falkenberg kit that I bought last year. This is being knitted for my Mum, it's for her Birthday and Christmas last year - so it needs to be just right. I am a bit worried about this one I have to say. I have put a lot of work into this and I recently measured the back to find that it is about 20cm short - this is going to be disasterous if it's the final measurement. It's never going to fit my Mum and it's going to be another wasted knit - oh yes I've knitted things for her before that she never wears ! My gauge seems to be just fine, so I am hoping that there is lots of stretching going to be happening during the blocking process, but can I really increse the back length by 20cms ? Anyway, as luck would have it, my Mum is coming out for a visit next week - which we are very excited about, so she can see it herself and see what she thinks - I'm hoping I'm not going to have to undo the whole thing and start again - this has been a big challenge for me - circular, small needles and a pattern that, well, leaves a lot to be desired - the first half is very detailed and not to difficult and then it more or less says, the second half is a mirror image of the first - get on with it ! - aghhhh I'm hoping I'm not going to mess it up too much.

Anyway, here it is.

The pale blue bit is a provisional cast on, which is something that I have never done before - there are lots of things on this cardi that I have never done before and I have to say that the lack of good information throughout the pattern - like stitch counts after you have done something major - has not made it the easiest of learning processes. Still I'm proud that I have managed to get as far as I have and I'm hoping it's not all going to be wasted - I think I'll have to cry if I have to undo it all. It's going to be quite hard to get this one finished being as I feel so sick ALL THE TIME - still I am determined that Mum will be wearing it soon and so I must get on with it. Turn up that A/C, Ballerina here I come.

I'll hopefully be back tomorrow with some piccies of the baby bits I have just finished.

I know .......

2006-03-20T14:39:00.000+04:00

.....that you have all been waiting with baited breath for my return - and - well, here I am !

I am afraid things went a little pear shaped for a time here. Well pear shapedish ! I found out two days before the knitting olympics began that we are expecting another junior mooknit in October of this year - which is wonderful news after two years of trying, but unfortunately had adverse effects on my knitting - in that I sadly failed to complete my Olympic project. The fatigue and general restlessness seemed to settle in pretty much immediately. On top of that, we were house hunting and that was hard work - we then found a nice new place, which we had to move in to. Not only did we have to organise all our bits from the UK being delivered, we had to move all our gubbins from the other house in Muscat and I can tell you - it totally wiped me out. I have been sick as a dog - some days not being able to get up out of bed and so tired I can't tell you. I have discovered though, that if I eat about every half an hour and rest plenty I'm just fine most of the time ! So that is what I have been doing !

Not much knitting has been done just recently round our way. I completed a little cardi for a friend's baby - but it was off the neddles and wrapped so quickly I didn't take a piccie - I am doing another for her at the moment and I will take a picture of this one before I hand it over.

I am slogging away on Ballerina - which is coming out very small - I mean about 20cm shorter than it should be - has anyone else knitted a Hanne Falkenberg jumper and found that it needed to be blocked to high heaven - my gauge is right, it's just a lot shorter than the given measurements - this not good, 'cause if it doesn't block to the right size, it's going to look dreadful on my Mum and will have been a total waste of time. Please reassure me someone !

I have done quite a bit of my Olympic Diagonal Front Jacket - but I discovered that I do not like knitting on circular needles in a chunky yarn, it just doesn't look as even - still I am nearly at the armholes where I can transfer to straights and then it shouldn't take me long to just get it done and dusted. If I ever suggest knitting another garment in the round - please beat me about the head !

So, I have at last some pictures of the finished Manhattan. This has now been received and worn by the lovely Sam and she says she loves it - I'm just waiting for a photo of her wearing it - which I will post when I get it. In the mean time, you will have to make do with sofa shots I'm afraid !

So here she is in all her glory

And photo the second is of the crochet edge, which was a mamoth task I can tell you. Once I'd got the hang of it, it wasn't difficult at all, just time consuming. This baby went everywhere with me, including the beach, where I got some very funny looks whilst I sat on my sun lounger crocheting - well I got it done and it looks fabulous. But just one point, the amount of wool that I needed for this jumper was out by FOUR balls. Count them - FOUR balls. This is not a cheap yarn, and that made this cardi, not just a bit of an expensive project, but a very expensive project. I mean, it looks fab, but really - unless I was sharing the cost with someone as I did this time around who is going to spend that kind of money on yarn to knit a cardi ? I had to order the extra yarn to be sent to me in Oman - I was only going to order three balls, thank god I didn't - four were definately needed and I couldn't believe that the pattern could be so out - the size of it is perfect and my gauge was spot on - so it's nothing to do with that. Also, this is the small size - who knows how much it would be out by on the bigger sizes - so instead of using 14 balls, this used 18 balls - that's lots in anyones book. Anyway enough ranting from me - it's done, it's fab and Sam is a happy bunny - I love it when a plan comes together as that man from the A-team would say. By the way, the colour is more accurate in the first photo.

So I'm not going to promise to blog more often from now on as I am well aware that I have done that before and then totally not done it, so all I'm going to say is that - we now have a computer at home, the camera is all set up and I know how to use it, so lets just see what happens. As long as I don't feel so sick that there is no possibility of doing any knitting, I should be around a bit more.

Ta ta

Tick Tock

2006-01-28T11:36:00.000+04:00

I am afriad I have no time to do lenghty newsy posts as I would like to do at the moment - we are STILL computerless and it's getting on my nerves - we were supposed to have the computer back last Wednesday but they discovered at the last minute that when the motherboard when haywire, it overloaded the hard drive - so now we need a new hard drive and there is only a 10% chance of retrieving what was on the hard drive. Luckily it wasn't that much - well apart from all our software - photos etc are all on the other big pooter which is coming over on the big ship - I can tell you this had definately taught me a lesson - BACK UP.

So Manhattan is finished the in-laws took it back with them on Wednesday night, so hopefully Sam should be getting it some time soon, well when she gets the time to pop over and collect it, which knowing her hectic scedule may not be until sometime in December '06 ! I don't know how you do it Sam and keep sane - well relatively sane anyway !

So I am now just finishing off another Noro Silk Garden scarf for my brother's birthday, that should be finished this afternoon and then it's back to the Ballerina for now.

I have taken the rash step of joining in the Knitting Olympics - I discovered this facinating idea via Susoolu and thought - "that sounds like something I could get involved in" - So I have picked out my pattern - Diagonal Front Jacket from Debbie Bliss Home and I have ordered my yarn - Rowan DK Handknit Cotton in Slick and now all I have to do is hope that the yarn arrives in time for me to cast on during the opening ceremony - since we don't have too much tv here, my timings may be a bit approximate - but I'll be joining in the spirit of the thing ! If you are interested have a look here. Go on - join in - you know you want to !

On that note I have to run - I have to collect Jacob from nursery shortly - there is just never enough time.

Roll on 2006

2006-01-02T10:26:00.000+04:00

Hello everyone - had to quickly drop in to wish everyone a wonderful 2006. 2005 has been a very interesting year for us - a lot has changed and I'm hoping for a more peaceful 2006 ! I wish you all a wonderful new year and many hours of happy knitting.

I have unfortunately run out of yarn for Manhattan - I ordered some more - actually I have ordered another 4 balls - which is quite a lot for a pattern to be short don't you think - anyway it is being delivered to my parents in law house and they are bringing it out with them when they come on 12 January. I am hoping to finish the lovely garment while they are here and then they can take it back with them for delivery to the very patient recipient !

I have started Ballerina and I think she is going to be a bit of a labour of love ! Knitting on circulars does not come easily to me, as my natural state is with a needle stuffed under my armpit. Still my Mum is worth it and I shall soldier on. I am sure it will look fabulous when it is done. It is actually rather nice to do something a bit scary ! Do you know what I mean ? this is knit so differently from anything else I've ever done - it will be interesting to see how it is all put together. I do have a bit of an issue with some of the translations in the pattern some of it is rather unclear, but I have just decided to make executive decisions about what it means and just get on with it - if I deliberate over every ambiguity I'll never get it done and my Mum will be waiting years and that's just not fair !

Right I have to go - Jacob is at nursery for a couple of hours and I need to make the most of it.

Take care all - have a lovely rest of holiday if you are still on holiday !

Oh it rained here yesterday - it was odd it was actually cool - about 19 Degrees and we felt just justified staying inside and watching telly and knitting - well I knitted James obvioulsy didn't ! Jacob was wearing jeans and a jumper - it was very strange indeed - still back to normal today, it's sunny and lovely again.

Let me just quickly tell you ......

2005-12-22T14:43:00.000+04:00

.......that I am so pleased with myself. I finished seaming Manhattan and she looks rather good as she is I have to say. But not only that - I have started the crochet edging - I have actually managed to do double crochet all around the edges and I've started the crocheted fringed edge - I know it isn't that difficult, but I have been really worried about doing it. I thought what is the point of spending all that time on a carefully knitted garment only to muck it up with a totally naff edging because I couldn't do it ? Also this cardy is not for me - it's a gift, what if it looked awful and the recipient hated it and would never wear it - oh it's all so stressful - the good news is Sam that it's looking good - it seems to be working ok and I'm feeling much more relaxed about the finished item ! I wish I could show you a picture, but I just can't from here - so that will have to wait until the cardy is finished and I' ve got my pooter back - just wanted to let you all know that I can crochet !!! Well sort of anyway !

Service Interupted

2005-12-20T21:29:00.000+04:00

I am afraid to say that our computer is sick - it has gone off to the hospital to be nurtured back to life - but it's touch and go - they think they can rebuild it, but it will take some time. So you know those posts that have been somewhat irregular ? they might get even more irregular if that is possible !

Thank you for all your lovely comments on Lizzy - I love her - she was an easy quick knit and looks like she was hard work because of all the colour ! A real good cheat and to boot, I feel glam in her !

I am very happy today for two reasons - firstly I have made progress with Manhattan - I actually picked her up finished the buttonhole band and collar and sewed them on and the sewed on the first sleeve - you have to be so careful when finishing moss stitch I find, because any mistakes in the sewing show up right away - anyway first sleeve looks good, now all I need to do is get the second sleeve on and tackle that terrifying crochet.

Secondly, last night whilst we were out looking for shoes for Jacob (I'm very worried about his feet, you can't get any fitted shoes here at all - everyone just tries on any old pair and if they look OK go for it - no-one care whether they fit or not ! - I think bulk shoe buying in the UK may be required), I came across a little shop that sells cotton yarn, buttons and all manner of bits and pieces - I was so excited - unfortuanately I didn't get to stop and have a look and I think that may have to wait until after Christmas when I have a little time to myself, but I can hold the knowledge close to my heart and bring it out every now and then and know that there is at least a degree of haberdashery and yarn here that I will have acess to - all I had seen before that was 100% yuk neon acrylic !

Right I had better go - it's late and I need to go home, I'm in an internet cafe in case you were wondering !

I've been so bad

2005-12-16T17:12:00.000+04:00

I know - I've been away for far too long - my excuse, I don't get much time on the computer at the moment, because I only have access to the laptop at night, and what time I do have has been taken up with house stuff - we are due to complete in less than an hour - it's very exciting, I so hope it all goes through smoothly - it should do, but you just never know until it's all over and done with. On the down side, because we had taken out a two year low rate mortgage with Abbey and we have redeemed it one month before the two year period is up, we have had to pay a fine of more than £7,000 - buyers beware - I think this is totally outrageous and I shall be complaining vigorously to both the Abbey and the Ombudsman - just word of warning.

On the plus side - I have finished Lizzy and I am so pleased with her - she is just goregous - she turned out better than I could have hoped - I wore her out last night to a Lebanese restaurant and felt gorgeous in her - well if I could loose three stone I might feel gorgeous, but that is another story. Anyway, here she is in her full glory.

I think she looks a bit squiffy in the picture, but she isn't in real life - she's lovely. Excuse the look of me, this was my, we have just got back from the beach, but I must get a photo of my new jumper look ! My hair is a total mess and matted with sea water and sand - nice - I'm just off to have a shower.

Also, I have been tagged by Anne so thank you Anne - sorry it has taken me so long to get it sorted, but here it is :

1. Seven things to do before I die
2. Seven things I cannot do
3. Seven things that attract me to my spouse
4. Seven things I say most often
5. Seven books (or series) I love
6. Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would watch over and over if I had the time)
7. Seven people I want to join in, too

Seven things to do before I die:
1. Have another baby.
2. Find a haircut that suits me
3. Loose weight
4. Visit Edinburgh
5. Learn to paint
6. Learn to play the piano
7. Learn patience

Seven things I cannot do:
1. Play the piano
2. Draw or paint
3. Crochet
4. Dive
5. Keep my house tidy
6. Resist the urge to help
7. Stop eating chocolate

Seven things that attract me to my spouse:
1. His bum !
2. His eyes
3. His kindess
4. His easygoingness (if that's a word !)
5. His willingness to do the ironing and the washing up as well as the tidying if it needs doing
6. His way with Jacob
7. His excellent taste in women !

Seven things I say most often:
1. "Hello Baby" - to Jacob
2. Jacob Maximillian Smith - in an exasperated voice
3. "Are you listening to me ?"
4. I'm nearly finished
5. Just let me finish this row and I'll be with you
6. What shall we have for dinner ?
7. I'm so fat

Seven books (or series) I love:
1. The Time Travellers Wife
2. The Girl with the Pearl Earring
3. A Room with a View
4. Whit
5. The Colour of Change
6. Oscar and Hoo Forever
7. Lost and Found

Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would watch over and over if I had the time)
1. Spy Game
2. Room with a View
3. Out of Africa
4. Anything with Doris Day
5. Bourne Identity
6. You've Got Mail
7. French Kiss

I think that just about covers it !

We are doing well over here - life is good, but rather wool less - I think I'm going to ask someone in the UK to get me some more Hip Knits silk, because that seems to be just wonderful for this weather and I love it - my Clapotis is so lovely and I've used it loads already. I'm going to wait until I've got my pattern books here to decide on anything else to knit.

I've got to finish Manhattan and then get on with Ballerina, so that should keep me busy for a while.

Do come on over to our other blog at http://oman3.blogspot.com and see how we are getting on in Oman - somehow we seem to be posting on there more regularly.

I'll try to post here more often, but as I say computer access is limited and to be honest, knitting progress is a bit slow - also stash acquisition is non-existant !

I Luuuuuurve My Clapotis

2005-11-29T19:38:00.000+04:00

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

2005-11-25T15:21:00.000+04:00

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

2005-11-25T02:18:00.000+04:00

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

2005-11-20T14:48:00.000+04:00

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 !

2005-11-18T14:14:00.000+04:00

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 .....

2005-11-07T13:43:00.000+04:00

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 !

I Heart Pumpkins

2005-10-31T01:05:00.000+04:00

Well - I have never ever carved a pumpkin before - this is my first year and I was expecting disaster - I am not what you might call artistic and I was expecting to be pretty useless at it, but hey - it's easy, and we had fun doing it and it don't look half bad ! So here it is, my first ever attempt at pumpkin carving !

Tomorrow night we are going to a Haloween party - so expect lots of Haloween type pictures - Jacob is going as a Witch - never mind that that is the one thing he is terrified of - still never mind that is what he wanted to be and hopefully it will cure him of the fear !

Pattern Happy

2005-10-30T14:08:00.000+04:00

Well, my international knitting exchange has worked out without an hitch. Sharon happily received her Rowan yarn and a little bit of chenille that I slipped in as well and seems very happy with both, which is nice. I have now received my lovely Cleckheaton knitting books and I am so pleased with them I can't tell you. I love Cleckheaton baby patterns and look - I have four, yes count them, four books of them now ! Oh lucky me.

Sharon also included a lovely Australian knitting magazine and teatowel, so that I can see why she loves her part of the world and I must say, it looks lovely and if I'm ever in the area, you can certainly expect a visit Sharon ! Thank you for doing this for me Sharon I really appreciate it.

I am steaming ahead with Manhattan now - I have done the back, the left front, one sleeve and have nearly finished the right front - just the second sleeve to do and then it's the dreaded finishing - lord only knows why I agreed to do this one as it is finished with lots of crochet and I am certainly no crochet expert - I have been on one crochet course, but I didn't really pay attention and I haven't tried again since - I think I may need to go to my LYS for help !

Does anyone know why when you insert pictures into a blogger post using their integral photo feature, it only posts them at the beginning rather than where you want them to go ? I'm having terrible trouble trying to move them around - perhaps I need to go back to Hello - any thoughts ?

Right - we are off to my nephews' Birthday party this afternoon, so I've got Star Wars figures to wrap and a boy to get to bed for a good nap to try and counteract the effect of all the E numbers he will undoubtedly consume this afternoon !

Wow can this be true

2005-10-29T23:04:00.000+04:00

I love Sheridan - how can I be him, it just can't be - I'm in awe.

I got this one from the lovely Emma. Thanks for that. I'm a happy bunny now.

Grrrr Amazon

2005-10-23T05:27:00.000+04:00

Don't you just hate it when you order something from Amazon sometimes, you get all excited - "Oh I should have my book in a few days" you foolishly think - a few weeks go by and nothing - you keep checking your account to see if it's been dispatched - nothing, and you wait and you wait and then you get an e:mail telling you that it's been delayed a few weeks - "oh well" you think - "I can wait". So you do , you wait and wait and then you get another e:mail to say it has been delayed by at least another 6 weeks - at which point you go to the Amazon website in a fit of fury and cancel the order !

I ordered a copy of "Last Minute Knitted Gifts" at the beginning of JUNE and I received an e:mail last week to tell me it was going to be another 6 weeks - by which time I will have left the country - I'm disappointed. So if anyone knows where I can get hold of a copy of this much talked about book to take away with me - I would be most grateful.

Right rant over ! Happy day everyone

Some Little FO's

2005-10-19T20:57:00.000+04:00

Firstly - thank you so much for all your lovely comments welcoming back to the blogging fold. I have to be honest and say that I have got so much going on just now, I probably won't be able to reply to idividual comments on a regular basis - I'll do my best, but life is hectic. We sold our house yesterday and so it's onwards and upwards and time to sort out all our junk and make sure that I know what needs to be packed and what needs to be binned and I've only got about 5 weeks to do it - aghhhh. Jacob and I went to see the nurse today about jabs and I unexpectedly got stuck with two needles - I HATE injections and I felt all woozy and had to lie down - luckily the nurse was very good with Jacob and entertained him whilst I passed out on the bed ! I have to go back for one more jab and Jacob has to have two as well - I could face anymore needles today, so we will go back to deal with those !

Well I've decided that I can't wait any longer - I'm going to reveal the bits that I have been knitting just recently and hope that Jane is a little too tied up with her bundle of joy to be pooting !

So, here we go.

This is a little set in Jaeger Matchmaker double knit. The jumper poppers up at the back and is from one of the Phildar mags that I bought. The neck came out MUCH smaller than in the picture, but I'm hoping it will be OK - I'm not going to put a popper right at the top to give a bit of breathing space. The hat is Dylan from Rowan Junior and the bootees are from a little Cleckheaton book that I have that is full of lovely bootees. More on Cleckheaton later !

Secondly we have a lovely little duffle coat type jobby in a wonderful shade of red - I love, love, love this one and wish I could do one for Jacob - although he probably won't need it in Muscat ! The pattern is a Patons one that I bought in Singapore and the yarn is Cleckheaton Machine Wash 5ply Crepe that I ordered from Australia over the internet approximately 5 years ago ! lovely to use some stash and for it to look so gorgeous. The little socks are from the same Cleckheaton book as before and looks just lovely I think.

This yarn is just gorgeous - it has a real weight and drape to it and it is perfect for hoods like thist - it is heavy enough that it will actually stay on.

Talking of Cleckheaton, the lovely Sharon, to whom I was Secret Pal during Secret Pal 5 - has agreed to send me some more Cleckheaton pattern books direct from Australia - I just love their patterns their bootes are the best I've ever know - they are knitted all in one piece so you just sew up the back seam and there is no boring detaching of yarn and picking up of stitches, which I just hate on something so small - so if you ever get the chance to knit a pair of Cleckheaton bootees - go for it, they are the best. I am so excited about getting these books it's daft, and in exchange - I've sent Sharon some Rowan yarn - Sharon, I hope you like it as much in real life as you did on the screen and thank you so much again for going along with my scheme!

Well, I'm off to do more boring organsing stuff - wish me luck !

yipeee eyeeeee aaaaaay

2005-10-18T00:59:00.000+04:00

I'm back - I have been computerless for a whole week and it has been hell. My computer started to crash about two weeks ago and I just ignored it hoping it would go away - it didn't, it just got worse and worse, so I called a little man I know and he hot footed it round to my gaff and took my baby away - the computer that is not Jacob ! Anyway he brought it home today and it's all fully working and happy and I can tell you I have sooooooo missed being on line - sad really, but with James away, it's my contact with the outside world and I have felt very isolated without it.

So, I have been knitting, but all the bits I have done are presents for a friend of mine who just had her baby. Her name is Jane and she had a baby boy on Saturday afternoon, by cesarean, he was 10lbs 12ozs, so no surprise there !!! Well done Jane and Scott and many congratulations to you both - once I manage to give them their gifts I will post piccies, I don't want to spoil the surprise, after all I'm sure Jane was online checking my blog within minutes of the birth !! Still you never know !

Where do you belong ?

2005-10-02T23:22:00.000+04:00

I like this

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city girl with a small town heart

Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome

Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand

And gorgeous Italian men - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong in? Take This Quiz :-)

Find the Love of Your Life
(and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

I have been wearing my Cotton Angora cardy today - and let me tell you I am COVERED in fluff - does anyone have any ideas about how I can minimise this - it is so bad that I am considering relegating the cardy to only round the house with jeans wear and that is just a shame - I just hate wearing a nice brown Gap top and getting covered in blue fluff within minutes - it looks ridiculous.

It looks like my friend Jane, is about to have her baby, so I'm off to knit like mad, I'm almost finished two things for her, but not almost enough to give them to her - hold on Jane, just keep that little man in there a little longer if it isn't inconvenient !

Welcome to the House of Fun !

2005-09-26T15:31:00.000+04:00

Well - what a day I had yesterday. I went to the most wonderful place in the world and it was called Loop ! I brushed shoulders with Debbie Bliss, I met up with my Secret Pal 5 buddie and we had a lovely day. I felt so cool being a knitter in Loop - it's that kind of place - hey knitting's cool and everyone should know it - not often you feel like that rather than - look at that wierdo knitting in public - what a granny ! Still knitting is uber cool now apparently - and judging by the prices of some of the admittedly delightful little pieces in there - in demand.

The lovely Becks (of secret pal 5 fame) showed me her knitting technique in the local Slug and Lettuce, where we had a slight run in with cigarette smoke. Her technique could not be more different from mine, but I am determined to have a go at it, it seems to work so much better for socks, which I have had such trouble with in the past - I am going to get to the bottom of socks, if it's the last thing I do - so many other people seem to have such fun doing them and I want a piece of that action ! She also gave me the most amazing haul of books for Jacob and he loves them all - thank you so much again, I'm almost as excited about those as I am about the bits I bought !

So all in all, a lovely day, great to have an afternoon to myself to talk about knitting, there is something so theraputic about it don't you think - sharing time with other knitters and getting excited about the same things !

So, what did I get, well here it is :

Loop stash enhancement

That Rebecca magazine is absolutely stuffed full of fabulous children's patterns, there are loads of things in there I would like to knit and the majority of them will not go out of fashion, so I think I'll use this one a lot - I would want to though - it was rather expensive £8.99 for a magazine is quite a lot methinks - but hey - this might be my last stash enhancement opportunity for some while to come - well, probably not, but I'm using that as my excuse.

The yarn is beautiful Blue Sky Cotton - it's so soft and apparently wonderfully easy to sling in the washing machine - I am planned a little jumper for Jacob to wear mainly on the plane to Oman - I wanted something, light, warm, cosy and with no acrylic in, so this is ideal - all I need to do know is master the pattern, which will be this

Lovely little jumper

I am planning it in the orange with a brown stripe - somehow, not sure yet, I need to have a play. I am unsure how easy this is going to be to achieve, since the pattern is knitted in the round from the armholes up and I'm not too good with circular needles - Becks you know why ! Still I'll give it a go and if it doesn't work out there are several other patterns in the magazine that I could do instead.

Well that's me - still waiting to sell the house - still slogging on with several bits of knitting, a couple of which I can't talk about here - yet - so I'm off, have a good day.

An Interesing Meme

2005-09-19T15:22:00.000+04:00

Well - the lovely Sharon to whom I was secret pal has tagged me and I have decided to join in - so thanks Sharon.

THE RULES:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five people to do the same.

So here is mine

"I do spend money on getting my hair dyed - which needs doing badly right now - I'm getting too grey !"

Not very exciting I'm afriad but there it is ! - I'm not going to tag anyone else, because I know a lot of people aren't keen - if you want to do it, please do. I'd love to hear yours.

I have been busily trying to knit this little t-shirt thing for my friend for the last couple of nights and having mucked around with the pattern I think I've mucked it up - I think it's going to be too long - I'll make a decision this morning as to whether I'm going to undo it - or carry on - I fear it may be destined for the great unravelled ball in the sky.

Right I need to do chores - I've got an afternoon off this afternoon - Jacob is at nursery - hooooray - so I'm off to Ikea to get a few bits to make the homestead looks more cosy to the potential buyers - that is if there are any potential buyers - please someone buy my house ! I thought I would also make a swift visit to Toys R'Us - Jacob keeps asking me for Hot Wheels and since he got some money for his half year Birthday I though I would oblige - also I wanted to get a few small toys that we could take with us to Oman - perhaps some play doh for the plane - he really likes play doh - do you think it would be too messy to take on a plane ? It might be theraputic for me to squeeze as well !

Georgey Porgey

2005-09-18T02:52:00.000+04:00

Well - I've actually finished something - that's a thing I feel like I haven't done in a while - I've been far too busy doing diy !!!

So here is Jacob in George - this is a great picture of Jacob, but not so good of George

Jacob and George

So here is a clearer picture of George for your perusal !

George more clearly

This was a great little knit - it looks more complicated than it is due to the cabling - which is simplicity itself - I love raglans, so I was already in love with it and I just love the way it fits him - the only strange thing is the pockets - you knit them and then sew them on - I mean, they look OK, but they would have looked much better if they had been knitted integrally and it really wouldn't have been that hard to do - I think that is the only thing I would change if I were to do this again - which I may well do - probably as a gift. I thought I had better get this finished so that Jacob can at least get some wear out of it before we head off for desert climes !!

I am now trying to do some for a good friend of mine, who is 40 week after next - she really like the colour of my Rosy cardy and I have some of the Cotton Angora left over, so I thought I would try do her Magknits, Nothing but a T-Shirt - I am just currently trying to get something like the gauge required to do it - I hope I can do it, I'm a bit short on time - so if anyone has ever substitued Cotton Angora for Calmer - I'd appreciate any tips.

Right - off to eat my dinner - alone again !

Book Mad!

2005-09-16T16:13:00.000+04:00

I've gone barmy for knitting books - I think it's a siege mentality - I know that when I go to Oman there will be very little chance of purchasing knitting books and so I'm going mad for them now ! Firstly my Phildar purchases. I managed to get three books from Strands and they are fabulous.

Philar Mad

I love them all - there are loads of things in them that I will knit - as long as the internet stores will send me yarn to Oman ! I hope they will or I'm going to have to ask you all to send me emergency parcels !

A very good friend of mine lives in France - has done for many years and I remember her knitting Phildar bits once many moons ago - I had forgotten all about them - I'm so glad I re-found them.

I also received this lovely book from my sister for my Birthday.

My Birthday Present

I love so many things in here I could really go mad, but I think I'm going to go for Lizzy. She is just beautiful and I want to make her so badly - I would like to use the Noro Silk Garden that the love Becks gave me during SP5 - I love the colour so much - I need to get some more so that I will have enough to do it, but I think it will be sound investment - it will be a perfect air con cardie and one I can wear with jeans when I come home to visit. I'm excited now ! I've got far too much knitting I want to do.

Jacob and I are doing OK without our James so far, I know it's only been a day and a bit, but the first couple of weeks are the hardest I think - once you get used to it it's not so hard to manage, but Jacob was blowing kisses out of the front door last night to James and asking where he was. He just doesn't understand, bless him. Still hopefully won't be too long before we join him. He seems to think that Muscat is very nice so far, warm of course, but interesting and a comfortable place to be - I'm looking forward to it - I just want to get on with it really. The sooner we sell the house the better. I have approved the details today, so it should be on the market in the next few days, they are just going to get the details printed and then we are off - I hope people are interested in it, you just never know do you ?!

Right - I've loads I need to do, chores and then knitting I think while Jacob is sleeping.

Remember Me ?!

2005-09-13T17:01:00.000+04:00

Well here I am again - at last I hear you say - I just know you have been dying to hear from me ! I've been so busy it's not true. We have managed to just about get the house finished - we had agents round yesterday to view and value it and we are putting it on the market as from tomorrow - they are coming round to take pictures in the morning, so I need to get it all looking ship shape, but apart from that and a few finishing pieces that the father in law is currently doing - we are good to go. James leaves for Oman tomorrow evening - so I'm preparing myself for the long lonely nights of knitting ! Hooray - well I'll miss him of course but on the plus side I get to have full control of the remote control and knit as much as I like !

On the knitting front, I have nearly finished the back of Manhattan, and she is looking good. I had a bit of a fit and decided that the moss stitch just wasn't good enough and undid it all and started again - I'm much happier this time around. Now all I need to do is get on with it, but I keep getting distracted. At the weekend I decided to knit myself this lovely bias t-shirt in my Hipknits silk. I thought I had the tension about right, I knitted the front, but it was way too short, so I have decided to do it again, on slightly bigger needles and in the larger size - I hope it will work out this time. I have also decided to purchase some of the yarn that it is supposed to be knitted in and try that out - I think this could be a really good top for a hot country, comfortable, cotton and cool - Only trouble is I have been having real problems finding anywhere in the UK that stocks Phildar yarns. I have found this shop in Holland that does it, and it doesn't seem too madly expensive, but I was wondering if anyone knew of a shop in the UK that might sell Phildar yarns. I have found a shop called Strands that sell some Phildar bits, and I am planning on purchasing three of the pattern books from them, 'cause they just look too good to resist, but I can't seem to get hold of the yarn, I need for the t-shirt in the UK, it's called Phil Ruben. Any ideas or tips anyone ?

I received a lovely knitting book this morning - look

My New Book

I know, I know, I'm probably not going to need scarves in the desert heat, but I can always do them as gifts - can't I ??? I love doing scarves and I'm not about to give them up - so there. I have waited ages for this book - I ordered it on 30 July from Amazon and I just received it today. I am still waiting for the Last Minute Knitted Gifts book - which looks like it won't be here until some time in October - so if anyone has any ideas where I can get that book from sooner that would be great - I need that book !

Does anyone else have the Knitware software ? I got it for my birthday and decided to use it to design a cardi for a new baby that is arriving soon - I used the standard sizings and programmed in for a 4.5kg baby - the pattern seems to have come out way too big - I am doing a large moss stitch band across the bottom, and it being done in Cotton Glace and it has told me to cast on 64 stitches - this seems like way too many to me - am I wrong or is it and should I just override the standard sizes and use the custom sizes - maybe that's what I should do.

Anyway - I shouldn't be away for so long now, I'm going to be on my own, so my computer is going to be very important to me !

I Know, I Know

2005-09-05T15:27:00.000+04:00

I have been a really bad blogger recently - I can't believe it's a week since I posted anything - I'm sorry to have been so boring, but I have been sick and I've been doing diy and I've been preparing for Jacob's half year Birthday party - which was yesterday.

Firstly I wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to my not so secret, secret pal, Becks, you have been the best secret pal a girl could wish for - I have so loved every wonderful and thoughtful thing that you have sent to me (and Jacob) - you really have been the best. So if you've got time, go and visit Becks' blog - she's a lovely lady.

So, I got my last ever secret pal package a couple of days ago and I wanted to share the contents with you. Here they are.

The whole package

A most wonderful little scarf - that yarn is sooooo soft - what is is Becks ? A gorgeous felted flower from Loop (by all accounts the most wondeful knitting shop in the whole world, if not universe !) and some fabulous little labels for me to sew into my knitted garments - I have to brush up on my sewing skills now.

A fabulous felted flower

I'm actually wearing the felted flower today with a black t-shirt and jade coloured skirt, it looks fab if I do say so myself - makes it worth wearing a black t-shirt (I just don't do black normally).

Some lovely labels

Look at those beautiful little labels - they're so great !

Now then, yesterday we had a party - Jacob's Birthday is in December, just before Christmas and we decided a couple of years ago that having a Birthday party in December just does not work, everyone is far too busy, so we have been having half year birthday partys for him, in the summer, so that everyone can make it, we can have it in the garden and Jacob gets to celebrate wtih his friends. So yesterday was the day - and what a lovely day we had. Jacob was totally spoiled and he loved it. He got 11 books - which is just amazing, what a lucky boy and my brother bought him a Spiderman outfit. Jacob is really into Spiderman, so of course, it had to be put on right away. This is the first real dressing up outfit Jacob has had, because he is really small, they are all too big for him - he's got lots of hats, but no outfits. Well lets just say, I was laughing so hard I couldn't get it on him properly. It was hysterical and I thought I would share a picture of the lovely item with you.

My brother and spiderman !

I think it's quite freaky - but Jacob loves it - I'm sure 100% nylon is going to be so werable in Oman ! Do you think it might melt ?!!

Well we are definately off to Oman - James is leaving on 14 September and then once we've sorted the house, we'll be following. I'm excited about it - I want all the boring stuff done and to be getting on with it. I know I'm going to miss James like mad while we are apart, but my friends have all been lovely saying that we can go and stay with them anytime, we can pop round for dinner whatever we want, a couple have even offered to give me keys to their houses so that we can pop round anytime ! Isn't that nice - it isn't until you are in a situation like this that you realise what good friends you have. I'm not one to have loads and loads of friends, I like having friends, but I've always moved around quite a bit - I lived in Hong Kong for three and a half years straight out of University, then I came back to the UK for a bit, then I was off to Indonesia for a year and a half and then the Philippines for a similar amount of time - so I'm used to making friends for a bit and then moving on. It has really surprised me that during this stint in the UK I have made real long lasting friends - people that will actually come out a visit us and people that we will definately stay in touch with - well I hope so at least. I think it all comes down to the bond of children. The strongest friends that I have in the UK have children of the same age as Jacob and I think that when you have been through all those difficult times together and shared so much personal information, it kind of binds you together in a way that no other type of friendship can. It's definately special and I really appreciate it - so to any of my friends that read this and you know who you are - I love you and I hope you'll come and visit us. Oh lordy, I'm making myself cry now !!! I have been so surprised at the strength of feeling from our friends - I knew that people would miss us, but I didn't realise how much - I'm so happy to have made some lifelong friends for real.

Well I've waffled on enough - Oh I've done no knitting at all - I've been so poorly this week, I had a temperature and nearly passed out in Ikea on Friday - still the house is looking good, we are almost finished and then we can get it on the market - we won't know what to do with ourselves once it's all done. We've got new carpet coming on Friday - that is going to be so exciting.

I don't know that I'm going to get much knitting done this week either - lots to do before James goes - like sorting out all our possessions and deciding what we want to do with them - nothing much then.

Sorry about lack of knitting content.

Change of Scene

2005-08-30T01:50:00.000+04:00

Has anyone ever been to Oman ? well it looks like we are ! James has been offered a job over there and it just seems like too good an offer to turn down. We have both lived abroad before, but never with Jacob, obviously, so it's going to be different this time. I'm kind of nervous and excited at the same time. I can't seem to find out that much information about what it is like to live in Oman, but the bits I have found sound good. I'm worried about the heat - I'm worried how Jacob will cope - I'm worried about making new friends in strange places - strangely I'm not worried about the day to day stuff like where am I going to do the shopping etc.

I don't suppose there will be that much call for knitting in Oman. Still I have got my new programme and my lovely Hip Knits silk and I plan to make myself something spectacular that I can wear in the searing heat ! I think I may have to just get cotton yarn from now on ! Still I will be coming back, so I'll still need cardies etc.

I'm going to be going yet - James is going to be going by 15 September and Jacob and I will follow after once we have sorted out the house, and all our belongings - so we probably won't go until some time in November. I'm going to miss James enormously, especially since he has been around a lot recently 'cause he's been working from home. Jacob is going to miss his Daddy and I think it's going to be hard to explain to him where he is - still with the wonders of technology we can Skype and webcam each other, so it shouldn't be too bad, and to be honest I think I'll be so busy, my head will be in a spin.

On top of all of this, I hate to fly. I don't mean, I don't really like it, I mean I'm terrified of it - so the idea of taking a flight with just Jacob really scares me - I'm going to go and see a hypnotherapist and see if she can help me - I hope she can - otherwise it's eight hours of trying to hide my sheer terror from a two and a half year old. I hate the fact that I'm terrified of flying - I never used to be and it uses up just too much enegy - where did this fear come from ? I wish it would just go away - it's just a bore really - still hopefully I'll be cured soon.

So it's all change for me and not much progress on the knitting front - I have been doing Jacob's little cardy, I'm trying to get it finished so he can at least have some use out of it before we leave - still I think in the winter in Oman you can still need a cardy in the evenings - so it may come in useful afterall - but I think I'll put that wool polo neck on the back burner !

How Cool ......

2005-08-24T22:35:00.000+04:00

....... are these wellies ?

Wellies

I just bought them for Jacob and I thought they were so gorgeous I had to share them with you - I love finding something a bit different for him - I hate him having the exact same shoes / clothes etc as the person standing next to him at Playgroup - I always go out of my way to try and get slightly unusual things for him and I think he looks all the more gorgeous for it !

Why am I buying wellies ? It's August I hear you say - Have you looked out of the window - it is tipping it down - all Jacob had was summer shoes, so I had to take him to Russell and Bromley this morning to get new winter boots as well as these wellies - he's al kitted out now and the sun will probably return tomorrow - still he's dying to go out splashing in his new boots ! He loves the rain. All I have to do now is get myself some wellies so that I don't get soaked through to the socks every time we go out in the rain - I quite fancy a pair of those lovely red Hunter wellies I've seen around - does anyone know anywhere that does them cheaply I am simply not prepared to pay Russell and Bromley between £50 - £60 for a pair of wellies - call me cheap !

Happy Birthday to Me !

2005-08-24T01:05:00.000+04:00

Well today is my Birthday and I have had the most wonderful day - I'm 36 for any that are wondering ! Nearer 40 than 30 now - scary times !

James, Jacob and I went to London Zoo for the day and we had a superb day - we had lunch, saw all the animals and ate ice cream - Jacob had three changes of top - which always signifys a good day to me !

So, here is Jacob and I at the Zoo

Me and my boy at London Zoo

That is a London Zoo t-shirt that we HAD to buy him, because he had wrecked his other two !! It's lovely though and he wanted to wear it to bed - I managed to persuade him that if he took it off he could wear it to nursery tomorrow to show his friends - that did the trick !

Here is Jacob with his Daddy at the Zoo

Jacob and Daddy

And yes - that is a giant ball of dung and two dung beatles they are standing next to - that was just before we went into the bugs house - where I managed to look at everything except the cockroaches - I hate those things - I lived in a flat in Hong Kond that was infested with them - you had to sleep with the light on or they crawled all over you in the night - god it was awful - suffice it to say, it traumatised me and now I can't even look at them without feeling ill - I managed all the spiders though ! I'm so tough !

And here - just because I love them - is a gratuitous photo of a penguin - they are the best !

I love penguins !

On the present front I was very lucky indeed. My SP sent me a lovely present - a ball of Opal sock yarn, so that I can have a go at knitting myself a pair of socks - thanks so much SP - what a lovely present - I'll dig out those DPN's and give it a real go !

From my lovely Secret Pal

My hubby bought me a CD (James Blunt) which I have been wanting for ages, as well as a fabulous knitting bag from here. It's fantastically retro and I used it to take my knitting in the car for the journey to the Zoo - I love it.

From my gorgeous hubby

I've been wanting a cool knitting bag for a while and this definately fits the bill - I'll be proud to take this everywhere with me.

He also got me nearly 800 gms of silk from Hip Knits in the Surf colourway. I just don't know what to say about this yarn - it is just beautiful and I can't wait to start using it - thank you so much to Kerrie for all the help you gave the DH - he's a bit of a novice yarn purchaser, but I'll get him into it yet I will !! I'll draw him into my addiction.

So here it is, in all it's glory.

Just how beautiful can yarn be ?

I'm thinking of doing either a Clapotis with this, or the short sleeve top with criss cross fronts from Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2005. I'm too overwhelmed to decide at the moment.

My Mum and Dad bought me a copy of the Knitware programme - which I have already had a play around with this morning and I can't wait to do something properly on it. How fabulous is that !? My sister hasn't bought me anything yet and said she didn't know what I wanted - I think I'm going to ask for one of the Noro pattern books, so that I can do something fabulous with the Silk Garden my SP gave me I really fancy Lizzy - I know I'll have to get some more yarn - but it will so be worth it to make something so gorgeous.

So that is my Birthday in a nutshell - a wondeful day and wonderful presents - and I don't have to cook dinner which is the best thing ever !

Oh I forgot to say that - whilst still struggling with Manhattan I have now started a little cardy for my Jacob - it's George from Jaeger's Baby Knits and I'm doing it in some Sirdar Snuggly DK in colour 222 Surf (what a coincidence !) - I had bought some a while ago to do Jacob a cardy and never got around to it and I thought George would look rather good in it. It's not a fab yarn - it doesn't wear particularly well, but it will be a nice late summer early autumn cardy for him. Unfortunately Jacob has decided that he just must have the Big Digger Sweater from Lucinda Guy's book. However this is knitted in Cotton Glace - which is really not that appropriate for winter - so should I substitute the yarn or just make something similar up using my software - if I were to substitute Cotton Glace - would anyone have any ideas what I could use instead ? Would it be similar to Wool Cotton - or is it thinner than that - I can of course look into this myself, but any thoughts would be greatfully received.

Anyway I've waffled on for long enough - I'm off to knit and enjoy my birthday evening.

I'm looking forward to this

2005-08-22T15:56:00.000+04:00

I have just found out about this book, it isn't out until next year, but I will definately be getting a copy. I am a size 16 and my Mum is a good size 18 and we both find it really hard to find patterns that are flattering on us. There are so many patterns that I see that look just gorgeous and then when you look at the details they just don't go up to the right size - well they do just - but they will be a tight fit, or unflattering - I know I could adapt them, but I've never really done that before and I'd be so worried I'd get it wrong and waste my money on the yarn. So this seems like a really good idea to me - I think I'll probably get the Rowan one as well, but I have to say it will be more for my Mum than me, it looks a little bit fuddy duddy - why is it that in Rowan's eyes anyone over a size 14 shouldn't be wearing anything vaguely fashionable. Still hopefully with the way I'm going, come next year I'll be back to a size 12/14 and I'll be able to knit anything I like from the Rowan books !!!

I purchased a copy of Anna's lovely Claude pattern last night, and I'm dying to get started on it - I've got a cone of pink yarn sitting in my drawer calling out to me - how can I resist ? Oh I'll do the ironing, cleaning and changing of beds later - honest I will !

I'm so proud

2005-08-21T20:20:00.000+04:00

Jacob and I have just had our first ever biscuit making session and it was such fun ! Whenever we have tried to cook together before it's always been a bit of a disaster with him wanting to touch knives etc and not wanting to do anything else. Well today he was wonderful - he helped me measure, mix, roll and bake and we got some lovely white chocolate biccies out of it - yum yum !

So here he is eating the first biscuit he has ever made ! What a talent !

Biscuit success

Yummy in my tummy

Well I just had to share that with you all - he growing up so quickly and I find it a bit frightening - before long he'll be off at school and I'll be home all by myself weeping into my tea - before whiping out my knitting of course !!

Don't you just love colour ?

2005-08-21T15:09:00.000+04:00

Look at these beautiful colours.

Yum

Shhhh - say no more ! It's a secret.

Manhattan has been, what shall I say - slow. All that moss stitch is taking time and I don't seem to be able to do moss stitch as evenly as I do other stitches and that annoys me - when I look at it, it just isn't perfect and I cannot undo it all the time - I guess I just have to pay more attention and be careful with it. It will get there - it just may take a little time - sorry Sam !

We went to some friends for dinner last night and had a lovely time, unfortunately in the night Jacob wasn't feeling well and woke up several times, requiring doses of Calpol - today James isn't feeling well, so they are both snuggled on the sofa at the moment under a blanket with hot water bottles watching Snow White - ahhhhh ! I hope they get better soon - I don't make a very good nurse, I don't have the patience for it !

We finished doing the front of the house on Friday and it looks lovely - window frames are now white instead of black, we have a nice gravel path with some gorgeous grasses in pots and a wondeful new door number, which was quite expensive but well worth it. So now we just have to finish our bedroom, the upstairs hall, the bathroom and the spare room and then we are done - sounds a lot, but shouldn't take too long once we get going, our bedroom is nearly done anyway and the hall and spare room are just decoration jobs, it's the bathroom that's going to take the time.

Best crack on - or shall I go and watch Snow White and do some knitting - mmmm let me think !

Flowers in the Sunshine

2005-08-17T16:51:00.000+04:00

When I went to Bluewater on Monday - I didn't buy any yarn - I know, shock horror, but nothing took my fancy - but what I did get was these.

Flowers

They are a pair of Johnny Love Rosie flip flops with the most fabulous flowers on them - I have wanted a pair of these for ages and then I found these lovely ones in the sale - they were reduced from £25 to £7.50, how could I say no ? I also bought an hairband with a lovely flower on too, but I didn't want to overwhelm you all with purchase pictures. You must excuse my slightly chipped nail varnish - it is that time again - time to shave the legs, do the nails and generally sort myself out - but who's got the time ?!

I have done no knitting at all this week - I have had such an awful cough I find it hard to get comfortable at the moment - I'm hoping it will pass and that I will be able to get some done tonight - once I have got through a pile of ironing the height of Mount Everest. Why do I let it mount up so ? I used to be so good at doing it every week - I had an allocated night and then for some reason it all went to pot and now it just seems to be an ever growing pile of guilt, especially when we all have no clothes in our wardrobes !! Right must get on with it NOW.

Momentary Inspiration

2005-08-15T16:24:00.000+04:00

Well it was my sister's birthday this weekend and luckily she loved her socks and got them onto her plate of meat immediately - declaring them "snuggly " - nice. Have you ever made a Boston Cream Pie ? Well I got out my Domestic Godess this weekend and decided to whip one up as a Birthday cake for my sister - now usually I find Nigella to be excellent - but I have to say Nigella, if you are reading this (which of course you will be !) this recipe was slightly lacking - You have to make a creme patissiere - not too difficult, but she didn't bother to tell you at which point to stop thickening it, so I thought - about half way should do - WRONG - it was way too runny so that when I sandwiched the whole caboodle together the top layer just kept sliding off great amusement factor, but not great for presentation. I wasn't too happy, on top of that, literally, you make a chocolate ganache to ice it all with - again, not too difficult, but by the time I had warmed all the ingredients together, and then allowed them to cool a little, there was soooooo much fat on top I had to drain it off - I was still left with a pool of fat at the bottom of the pan when I had finished using the icing. So all in all, not the most successful cake I have ever made, but on the plus side at least it wasn't burnt !

Whilst my sister was here, she was bemoaning the fact that she gets ridiculed for her mobile phone by her friends - she has one of those brick sized G3 phones - so I suggested that since she was being ridiculed anyway she might as well go the whole hog and let me knit a cover for it - and you'll never guess what - she agreed !!! I did a little research, and this is what I came up with.

purrrrrrrr

I had such fun knitting this - I loved it, it has a little flap on the back so that you can cosset your little mobile phone and a strap on the side, so that you can attach it to the handle of your handbag - never again will she be rooting around in her bag for her phone. It also has a little mouse button sewn on the bottom to provide kitty with permanent temptation ! I have decided that I am going to make one of these for myself, I'm going to do it in some pink Calmer that I have in my stash and I'm going to get a fake flower to sew on to it - I can't wait - I'm sadly excited about this. I love small projects that you can do in an evening - I make even make myself a few to use depending on my mood - I've got some nice sparkly yarn that I could use for this. Jacob has taken a real shine to the little kitty and wants me to make him one as well - so I'm going to be a busy bee.

I have also managed to finish the scarf for my friend's birthday - I'm really pleased with it and am debating whether I actually want to give it to him or not !! No I shall definately give it to him - I shall also be making one for my Dad for Christmas.

Silk Garden gorgeousness

A friend of mine wanted to knit a scarf like this for a toddler - but I felt that the Silk Garden was a bit scratchy - does anyone know if it softens up when you wash it, or if perhaps the Noro Kureyon is a bit softer ? Comments from everyone more than welcome.

I have also managed to finish my Silk Garden scarf - more or less anyway - I've just got to sew in the ends and I love it - I just love the way the colours change on it and all the contrasts - I can't wait to wear it now !

Silk Garden Skinny Scarf

Don't you hate the fact that when you order books from Amazon and take advantage of their free postage you have to wait just ages for your books. It feels like yonks ago that I ordered my two books and no sign of them yet - I want to try and knit something for my Mum's birthday in September from one of them, so I hope they turn up soon.

We won £150 on the premium bonds last week - we have had premium bonds for about 5 years now and this is the first time we've won anything ! I'm off to Bluewater this afternoon to buy myself some shoes !! And some wool may just sneak it's way into my bag as well, you just never can tell !

Use the Force

2005-08-15T05:50:00.000+04:00

Have you ever seen anything as fantastic as this ?

The Force is strong with this one

Jacob just got him as a present from his Godmother for sending her a birthday present - totally uncalled for but fabulous - Jacob thinks he's the best and has been fighting everything in sight with the light saber. Camilla - you're the best - thanks so much !

I've had "one of those" days

2005-08-12T02:49:00.000+04:00

It's been that kind of day - nothing really wrong, but nothing really right. I've just felt out of sorts, kind of down in the dumps and fed up, for no good reason really - I hate it when I'm like this. I'm usually quite a positive person, so when I have days like this when everything looks black and I don't know what to do about it, I find it a bit overwhelming. I think I need some time to myself and I'm not getting much of that at the moment - still there it is - DH is at the pub tonight, so I've got a bit of time for me and I'm sure I'll feel better in the morning.

On the plus side I got a lovely package from my SP this morning. It was a fabulous tin of biccies from Brittany. I don't know how you knew SP, but I LOVE those tins. When we went to Brittany (which I loved by the way) I bought a tin of the exact same biccies, mainly for the tin. There is something about a tin that is so comforting - why is that - is it because when I was at boarding school our year mistress used to keep our pocket money in old Strepsil tins - you probably don't remember the kind, but they were small and neat and tin like and so useful. There is something so inherently useful about a tin, but it is appealing at the same time - I love that combination. So here is the lovely tin of biccies my SP sent me - Thank you very much indeed SP and Jacob would say thank you too if he hadn't had a mouth full of biscuit all day !!! (not really I'm not that bad a mother and it wasn't that bad a day !)

From my lovely SP

I also a took a picture of the tin that I bought when I was in Brittany, cause I think it is one of my favs - but although it's beautiful it is fully used, Jacob uses it to keep his little people in and you tin will be joining this one SP once the biccies are all gone !

my favourite tin

I have managed to finish the socks for my sister this evening - they are OK - I don't think I would make a pair for myself, I don't like the feel of the seam on the bottom of my foot, still I'm sure with a bit of wear they will be fine - hopefully she'll like them - now all I have to do is get them posted to her, as her Birthday is on Sunday. Happy Birthday Holly - I hope they get to you in time. So here, modelled in full white leg glory, they are !

My sisters' socks

I was taking pictures of Jacob in the garden this afternoon and he came up to me and asked if he could take a photo of me - I thought - yeah that's going to look great, just a photo of sky probably - but look what he took.

Photo by Jacob

Isn't he a clever bunny ?! I'm so proud !

Well I need to go and get on with Manhattan now - I've made a start, but I just know that she's going to be slow going - moss stitch all over was bad enough in a six month old's jacket, but in a full size woman's cardy - not sure how I'm going to get on with this - still must make some progress.

Gratuitous Jacob Post

2005-08-11T20:29:00.000+04:00

I love my Jacob and my Jacob loves me - just look how cute he is !

Knitting news to follow in due course.

I Heart Rosy

2005-08-06T00:44:00.000+04:00

She's finished - that Rosy and I love, love, love her. I stayed up until 1.00am this morning - watching the rather Gorgeous (with a capital G on purpose) Geoff Bridges - mmmm, he's yummy. Anyway I nearly finished the final front and then this morning I got up and got straight on with it. Result by just gone midday she was finished and I wore her to a friend's house for lunch - Oh I love finishing a project. I realised it has been ages since I have knitted myself an actual garment - I did a little poncho last year, but not really a garment and I love the feeling of wearing something I have made myself. I'm so, so tempted to make another Rosy in the pink Cotton Angora I have, but perhaps I should let the Eurphoria wear off first. So, here she is.

Rosy

I managed to persuade the lovely James to take photos of me this evening, which is why the light is a tiny bit dodgey, but I don't think the photo is too bad - I've recently managed to loose some weight, so I'm not feeling as paranoid about having my photo taken and also, Rosy is such a lovely cardy - so comfy and cosy - if you are contemplating doing one, do it now, you won't regret it, I can see I'm going to wear this a lot - must take good care of her and wash her carefully.

Now that I have finished Rosy, I am inspired to knit something else for myself and I'm thinking that maybe the gorgeous Silk Garden that my SP sent me, might make a lovely One Skien Wonder - I'm not sure I'd have the confidence to wear such a garment as this, but I love it and thought it would be worth giving it a go - hopefully by the time I'm done with it, bearing in mind I've several other projects on the go - my tummy will have shrunk even more - well I can hope !

I think I've got the bug of knitting for myself, how selfish ! I've got quite a lot of the cone of blue Cotton Angora that I knitted Rosy from left - so I'm going to trawl around and look for something to make with it - I love the feel of this yarn, it's so soft and snuggly.

Whilst I'm here - I thought I would share with you a picture of Jacob post painting from yesterday morning - I haven't shared a photo of him with you for a while and I thought a photo of him having just done something crafty was appropriate. He loves painting, especially if it's really messy !

Jacob Post Painting

I don't think he looks too much of a mess do you ?!

Well on with my other projects now.

Set 'Em up and Knock 'Em Down !

2005-08-03T15:36:00.000+04:00

Hooray - another FO to share with you all. May I introduce Sport.

Sport

I'm really pleased to have finished this one - last time I did this cardy - I had to do the buttonhole side three times, so I had been putting it off and putting it off - I finally decided to get on with it and I managed to get it right first time - I did have a few sewing up issues, as in I didn't sew the shoulder seams together correctly - still I managed to undo it and redo it and now it looks lovely. The little flower is actually a brooch - I made two flowers, one in Kid Classic in orange and the second one in a combination of the orange and the Wool Cotton the cardy was knitted in. Then I sewed them together and bunched them up a bit, then attached them to a brooch pin and I think it looks rather effective - I'm chuffed !

Close up of Flower

I went to Whitstable for the day yesterday with Jacob and my Mum and it was lovely - we had a nice lunch and then a little wander and then went down to the beach for a play - the weather wasn't fab, but it wasn't raining, so that was fine. We had a really nice time and I'm still very keen to move down there. I think it would be lovely for us all to be near the sea.

I'm planning a visit to the Yarn House in Caterham today - I recently found out that the lady that owns it apparently is a friend of the sister of a good friend of mine - does that make sense ! Anyway - I didn't realise until last week that this was the case - it's a small world !

Ooooh

2005-07-31T15:27:00.000+04:00

Well - thank you all for your lovely comments - I didn't mean to stir up a hornets nest - I was just aware that maybe I wasn't doing what everyone else was doing and I didn't want to offend anyone - anyway - now I know.

So, Duel is finished and here he is - he isn't perfect, the buttons aren't quite right - I've learnt a lesson on this one - once you've marked the positions for the button holes and then made the button holes on the corresponding button band - sew the buttons on there and then while you still have the markers in place - don't wait until the garment is finished and then you have to guess where they go - or you end up with slightly wonky buttons like this ! Am I being too much of a perfectionist ?

Duel

I ordered two knitting books yesterday - Scarf Style and Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I can't wait to get them, I'm dying to knit Ruffles from Scarf Style. I think I may do it in a soft Alpaca Mmmm cosy - I think this might end up being a staple Christmas present knit - it's so spectacular.

On a sadder note - I think I have decided to undo my Noro Silk Garden Clapotis - it is beautiful and I love the way it looks, but I think I'm going to need many many more balls to finish it off and it's just too expensive. I'm hoping to get some of the lovely Hipknits Silk for my Birthday to knit a Clapotis from and I feel that I could knit something equally as specatular from that lovely Silk Garden - I may even go for a mini Clapotis, now that I understand the way the pattern works, or perhaps one of the patterns in my new books when they arrive. We'll see - I shall save it for something special SP - fret not !

I have been tagged by the lovely Emily, this is the first time that this has happend to me - so thank you Emily for including me ! I shall do my best with it.

id·i·o·syn·cra·sy
Pronunciation Key
n. pl. id·i·o·syn·cra·sies
A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.

Write down five of your own personal idiosyncracies. Then, if you wish, tag five people from your live gerbil or friendslist to do the same.

1) Before I touch a metal door handle, or a lift button, I have to touch a wall or bit of wood first, this may look odd, but is really because I have had so many shocks I had to find a way of stopping them - this seems to work for me !

2) I can't eat breakfast first thing in the morning, I have to have been up for at least an hour before I eat.

3) I love sqeezing spots, peeling skin etc - Jacob currently has a little lump above his eye - it's from a virus, and it's all I can do to stop myself picking it - yuk I know, but true.

4) I have a knitting chair, it's only one of the chairs from our set, but it's mine and no-one else is allowed to sit there !

5) If my floors are clean I'm happy - the rest of the house can be in total devastation, but as long as the floors downstairs are swept and clean, I'm OK with the rest.

So, there you go, five things about me, there are many more I'm sure, but there is no room for them all here. I'll tag Knitwise and Trueknit. I think most everyone else has already been tagged, but if you haven't and you would like to do this, please do, and let me know, I love to know all about anyone that reads these ramblings !

Right James and Jacob are watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1971 version) and I'm going to join them with a cup of tea.

Feeling Bad

2005-07-29T00:36:00.000+04:00

I have just come over all guilty and bad feeling - I was browsing blogs and found a lovely new one here. From Trueknit I followed a link to this. Now I feel really bad - I usually do reply to peoples' comments in my comments and I had no idea there was an etiquette in this matter, so to anyone out there that I didn't send an e:mail to in reply to a comment - please forgive me - I will try to do better in the future ! No really, I will !

I've nearly finished Duel now - unfortunately last night whilst doing the collar I ran out of yarn - it's my own fault, I upped the size from 0-6 months to 6-12 months - the latter requiring one more ball of yarn - ack I thought - i'll wing it, I'm sure I'll be able to squeeze it out of three balls - WRONG - I had to make an emergency dash to Bluewater today to get just one ball of All Seasons Cotton - what a nightmare ! Still I have said ball in my grubby hands now, James is off to the pub for quizzing tonight - so it's just me and Duel and as long as it takes to finish him off - he shall be compeleted tonight - I hope ! Well that is as long as I don't get distracted by Rosy - which I seem to have started the second sleeve of ! What's wrong with me ? I just can't stay away from that snuggly gorgeous yarn and I want to be wearing it in this yuk weather we are having.

As the rains thunder down on the roof of the conservatory I'm reminded of the monsoons when we were living in the Far East - I miss those rains - where you get wet not only from the top down but from the bottom up as well - where you just don't bother with a brolly 'cause it won't do you any good - where you wear shorts 'cause at least your legs will dry out whereas trousers just won't in that kind of humidity and you end up with damp legs all day - I love the monsoon - I love sitting on the verandah in the dark, in the quiet, listening to the pounding rain and watching it come falling from the sky. I like weather - serious real weather - the worst kind of day for me is a grey drizzly one, no real weather, just boring - give me a thunder storm any day over drizzle - do you think I'm living in the wrong country ?

Parceltastic

2005-07-27T19:42:00.000+04:00

What a day - the door bell hasn't stopped ringing and for all the best reasons.

First thing this morning, the postman delivered a little parcel from Little Lixie, it was one of her gorgeous fimo brooches - it's just so cute and thank you so much - I really appreciate it.

Little Brooch

Then a little while later the doorbell rings and - two parcels arrive - one was something for my SP so I won't reveal too much about that - just in case - although I think it highly unlikely that she reads my blog I don't want to take the chance. Anyway the second parcel was from my SP - and what a parcel - just look

From the best SP in the world

Well, that Lucinda Guy book I have been wanting since before it was even published , so I am super chuffed to have that one. The Stitch N' Bitch book I had never even seen before and it is just wonderful, I just sat there in stunned silence as I leafed through it thinking of all the possibilities it would allow, it has sections for designing your own knitwear, keeping records of things you've knitted, things you want to knit and all your stash - I am so happy with it - not only that, my lovely SP has included another book for Jacob - he's getting spoiled ! It's all about tigers and I'm going to read it to him in bed tonight - he'll love it. I can't thank you enough SP - you really are the best and I feel so very spoiled. I hope you have a lovely holiday, wherever you are going and I'll "see" you when you get back.

On the knitting front - whilst still feeling like poo last night - did I mention I've had a terrible sore throat and cold ? I get such bad sore throats because my tonsils virtually meet in the middle at the best of times, add in a little infection, and wham I can barely swallow and hardly talk. Anyway - on a high from Evie, I thought I'd go off and tackle the finishing on Duel - ha - bad idea. I merrily knitted up the front band for the first side, attached it and the picked up the second side to do the button band and realised that I had got them the wrong way around - the one that I had already done had one button hole at the bottom and was then plain moss stitch so I couldn't even just leave it. So I thought I'd just undo it, and I made a total mess of it - now I'm going to have to undo the collar shaping section of one side and re-knit it - on the plus side, it's only tiny so it won't take long - on the minus side - if I don't hurry up and get it finished the poor child it is destined for will have grown out of it. I have the afternoon to myself this afternoon, and whilst I still feel poo, I feel a little less poo than yesterday - so hopefully no more stupid mistakes will be made - ever get that feeling that you should have listened to your inner voices ? mine were definately telling me not to knit last night - I should have listened - lesson learned I guess.

Oh the doorbell did go again, but that was just the arrival of a rather boring book for James' birthday which is up coming, so I won't bore you with that !

FO At Last

2005-07-26T22:43:00.000+04:00

Hoorayyy - Evie is finished. I've just sewn her little flower on and she is all done. Doesn't she look lovely. Actually, she wasn't what you might call a challenging knit. She was done in Rowan 4ply soft - so was quite time consuming, but not difficult at all. I'm pleased with the end result and think her new owner will enjoy wearing her.

I am now about to start the finishing on Duel, since this is only a little one - I'm hoping it isn't going to take too long. Once that is done, I'll be well underway and ready to just about start another project !

Oh yes and over the weekend, I just managed to finish a sleeve of Rosy - I don't think anyone noticed ! Well I need her - look at this weather we are having - I need to put a jumper on and she's just the one !

I received a lovely package in the post this morning, it was the Noro Silk Garden I ordered from Kangaroo. I bought four balls all of different colours, unfortunately I had already wound two by the time I thought to get the camera out. The two I have wound are destined for a ribbed scarf for a friend of mines' birthday - he chose one of the colours himself and I chose another colour to go with it, I hope it looks alright. The last two balls are to do an exact replica scarf for me - I've been coverting one of these for ages and well, it was on special offer, how could I say no ?

Look at those gorgeous colours

I have sustained a knitting injury - I have a nasty cut on my right index finger, you know the point just where the yarn runs over - well it's not that serious, but it is annoying. I tried to take a picture of said wound, but I couldn't keep still enough - so you'll just have to imagine the horror ! Talking of horror my little Jacob touched a halgon light today in a shop and burnt his finger, it really hurt him, and he's got a blister - that's the first time he has burnt himself and he was not happy ! Off to do his tea and hopefully fit some more knitting in.