HALF-TERM HAPPINESS....

Hello there! It feels rather decadent, sitting here blogging on a Monday afternoon. I missed what seems to have become my regular Sunday blog, as we were busy winning (by some miracle) the monthly'fun' quiz at our local! Think we won because there were no TV or pop music rounds this time! We always have a very pleasant evening with a couple of pints of beer, and a 'catch-up' with four of our friends, who make up the rest of our team.




It's half-term. HOORAY! Time to catch up on all sorts of odds and ends and to enjoy some relaxing fun time with our family. Scott is coming to stay with his 'olds'! Both our daughters are home too. A full house!

So, whilst I have a little bit of quiet time before that whirlwind of labrador arrives, I thought I'd come and share it with you!

I've just packaged up my little Innocent Smoothie hats ready to wing their way to London. The promotion begins next week; for every behatted smoothie bottle sold, Sainsbury's will donate 35p to 'Help the Aged'. They were such fun to knit. I wish I had found time to make more. Maybe next year!

Miss Snoopydog 1 and I wandered down to our local John Lewis store on Saturday afternoon to check out the yarn. She loves to sew and makes some beautiful bags, but has never really spent time on knitting. She chose some Rowan 'Big Wool' and size 15 mm needles and is busy making a stripey cowl to keep her warm when she's on playground duty. 'Just let me do one more row before we go,' she said..... before we set off for the pub. Hmmm.... I think she's just been converted and may even be already showing the first symptoms of addiction.

These Fetchings were made for her over the weekend, to keep her hands warm whilst she's on playground duty. It's such a great pattern; easy, fast but interesting, and they look great. They really are a much more greeny blue than my camera has captured!



I chose a gorgeous bright pink to knit myself another pair too.



I have just received a very exciting little parcel today (Tuesday), all the way across the sea from America. I Thank you so much Melissa! I will reveal all later in the week, as we are shortly going out for a well deserved curry and I have jobs to do beforehand. Enjoy the rest of your week.

P.S. Yes I know, the date at the top of this post says Monday, but Scott arrived part way through my posting and from then on my Monday evening involved lots of doggy fussing and playing, a trip to the pub and nattering until late!!!!! It's now Tuesday, early evening!

INNOCENT FUN ......... ?

Hello again! I seem to be making more of an appearance lately; that's down to it being the school hols, so at the moment I am nicely relaxed into the holiday, with enough time still left for me not to be feeling the need to start preparing for the new academic year yet. It's a good feeling! Hmm you may be wondering what has been going on 'chez snoopydog' ...... wooden cats (one with missing toes!), small hats.... and, as yet unbeknown to you, Trevor about to put in an appearance. I feel a story coming on, but you're going to have to wait!

Yesterday, I spent the day with with my good pal josiekitten. We had previously put two dates in our diaries for 'get-togethers' this summer. The first was for us to begin knitting our 'Sock Yarn Blankies' and the second, to knit cute little hats for Innocent Smoothie bottles in aid of The Big Knit 2009. For each smoothie sold with a hat on, 50p is given to the charity 'Help the Aged'. What a great way to make a small difference to a charity that will connect with us all! Here are the results of my labours.....



We had such a lot of fun.... dropped stitches, difficult design choices, lost i-cords. But no, I jest the knitting went swimmingly! :D Don't you think they are so cute! We may even be tempted to add some more to the collection.... another day of banter and 'cutting edge' design choices. It's a brilliant way use up oddments of yarn AND for such a good cause! I had fun photographing them too.......






Ted had to get in on the act. He's a Bear Factory bear, so pretty smart! He's also pretty keen on hats and loves to be at the cutting edge of hat fashion, so as soon as he espied the 'new season's preview' being filmed, he jumped down from his shelf in the 'library' (hmmmm far too many books!) to get a closer look. Throwing a very prima donna .... ish tantrum, he demanded that the collection be named after him. He said he was both smooth and innocent! I'm not so sure and didn't want any bad publicity when the paparazzi started to delve into his past. As a compromise, I agreed to let him choose a hat to keep for himself.


He deliberated for ages, torn between 'Norwich City Rules' and 'Dennis the Menace is No 1'. In the end he plumped for the 'Dennis the Menace' hat because the red matched the lettering on his sweater, the black matched his eyes and he felt that it was just that bit more 'edgy' and 'cool!'. I think he's got a lot to learn, but that's fine; I can quickly make another red and black Innocent Smoothie bottle hat (back to reality).

Just as the photo shoot was taking place, a very special guest put in an impromptu appearance. Trevor the toad, who has lived in our garden for at least the past four years, leapt from a pot of petunias to get a better view of the proceedings. He arrived just as the 'Friesian Cat Twins' were modelling their final hats!


Please don't ask her how she lost her toes! It's far too painful a story and she becomes very upset. Just focus on her supreme hat modelling ability, that has taken her right to the top of her profession and for which, luckily, she doesn't need to use her toes!




He's so adorable, don't you think? I'm sure he must be the most photographed toad in England. However, the story could have had a very different outcome. I was, only yesterday, telling josiekitten that I had had sleepless nights, worrying that I inadvertantly KILLED Trevor. It would have been classed as murder, I am sure. Way back during the May half-term holiday, I had planted out far too many pots (as usual) and as Miss Snoopydog2 and I were admiring them one evening, we noticed that several of the plants had been very badly nibbled by slugs or snails. We smugly deposited slug pellets around the aforementioned pots ........ gulp! TREVOR! I have not seen him since and was convinced he had died a horrible 'death by slug pellet'. So, you can imagine how overjoyed I was today, to see him looking so well and enjoying the excitement and razzamataz that goes along with such a high profile modelling assignment.



Trevor ... glad you're back ...... and ALIVE!

I did promise you some progress photos on my latest knitting projects, but they will have to wait until next time. I hope you don't mind!

Enjoy the 'run down' to the weekend! :D