MUCH ADO ABOUT NOT VERY MUCH..........

Good evening! Here we are again...Sunday evening and me feeling frazzled, because I haven't done all I need to do to keep my life at school in order. It's been like that all week.....  piles of paperwork to complete, assessments to mark, reports to finalise, sports day to organize, forty job applications to read and score and so the list goes on. Oh, I also had to teach my class. Ha ha! Here I am finding the usual bloggy distraction; always much more fun!

So not much knitting done here, then! Well, I've added a few more squares to my Sock Yarn Blankie! I had another load of ends to sew in and also spent quite a while this afternoon, sorting all the little 'bits and bobs' of yarn out, that were tangly and knotty in their bag. Josiekitten and I swap small amounts of our yarn with each other; just about enough for a couple of squares.

I've finished one of  'Wild Hilda's Basic Ribbed Socks' .

These are for my eldest daughter. She's not too careful at sorting her washing, so the last pair were shrunk to smithereens! Hopefully, there will be letter luck this time, as I've used Regia yarn, which does wash and wear beautifully.

The sock grows soooooo quickly and the pattern is sooooo easy; perfect 'blot out' knitting. It's definitely not boring though, as the stripey colour changes hold the interest. I think it's these colour changes that help the sock to grow so fast. I am always knitting 'just a few more rows' to get to the next colour change :)

Pretty colours!

Well, the plan for the coming week, is to knit........................ What do you bet, something else will turn up!
Have a good week everyone.

......YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH, CAN YOU?

Look at these scrumptious mini skeins of Colinette Jitterbug,  all different shapes ansd sizes and colours! All mine! They wouldn't ALL have been mine, except for circumstance and my weak will when it comes to delicious yarn, oh, and my pal Josiekitten who pointed me in the direction of the scrumminess. Have a look!

There is double the quantity that I should have had! (sheepish grin)

Aren't the colours gorgeous?

I ordered two packs, but on checking the order confirmation e-mail, I noticed my address had the house number and road name missing. I quickly e-mailed the company with the correct, full address, but the order was dispatched before the e-mail was received. On ringing the Post Office,I was assred that the parcel had no chance of being delivered and would be returned to sender. Soooooooo, I rang Colinette and decided to place the order again, with the agreement that they would refund my account when the original packet arrived back with them. Two days later, both parcels arrived! A very pleased with himself postman, explained that they had been able to trace the address. What should I have done? Yes, I know, I should have sent one parcel straight back. But then I would have had to pay the postage cost. I opened the first parcel and was instantly in love with what I saw........such.....lovely.......colours! So, I opened the second parcel...... even more gorgeous shades. What was this girl to do? A Sock Blankie needs yarn doesn't it? Okay, so I may as well keep both parcels :)

Let's call it my little gift to myself!!

I have failed in my mission to complete the Special Baby Ripple blanket, but I HAVE sewn in all the ends. HOORAY! It still doesn't seem quite long enough for the width, if you know what I mean, so I just keep on adding the next colour and then the next. It is very nearly done now though. Thank goodness! I will definitely (I promise) show you the finished article next week.

To make up for my Jitterbug purchase, I have used up some woolly remnants this week too. I've made an Attic24 jam jar cover! Okay, so it didn't use up THAT much spare yarn, but it's a start. It looks great! I'm all set to make some more now, so that will use even more yarn. So, is my guilt diminishing? Hmmmmm! Don't think I ever really felt that guilty.

It's been a very relaxing Bank Holiday weekend so far. The weather has done it's best to spoil the fun, but it's always good to have a three day weekend and to sit here this evening knowing I haven't GOT to do some school work. YAY!

I'll just leave you with a photo of Oscar enjoying his first bone! He LOVED it!

Hope you've had a lovely weekend too! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR.......

I've found it hard to totally drag myself away from the cosy little world of blogging that I love so much. It's been a lovely chilled, family time here in the Snoopydog household, with good food, walks with Scott, trips to the seaside and lots of evenings spent playing 'The Really Nasty Horse Racing Game' and 'Articulate', over a couple of pints of real ale or a glass or two of red wine. Every year, we get hooked on one or two old favourites and they see us through the holiday period. Such good fun but lots of late nights.

Anyway, this is just a quick post to wish everyone a happy, peaceful and 'plenty of time for knitting' New Year. But, while I'm here I thought I'd show you the Christmas gift I received from Josiekitten, when she came to visit yesterday. As she has already posted, we have an uncanny knack of buying each other the same or very similar presents. This year was no exception and we both unwrapped a very similar bundle of Knitting Goddess mini-skeins. Yes, 2010 is going to be the year of the Sock Yarn Blankie and I now have a good supply of sock remnants and mini-skeins to keep me going.

Here are my Christmas mini-skeins. I love the colours!



I also received this really lovely knitting calendar.



What a great idea! There are new patterns each week and just by looking on the box, I can see that some of them will be quickly added to my 'to do' list. Thank you josiekitten, you are a very kind friend.

I have managed to finish my November socks, during short sharp spells of knitting time, in between all the other festive activities. Here they are!


Just before I go and before the Christmas period ends, here are my favourite two Christmas cards this year. I just love them!


HAPPY NEW YEAR!


TO YOU ALL !!

BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!

.................. or rather, NOTHING TO REPORT! It's been that kind of week again. I've had so much school work to do, both at school and at home, that knitting and blogging have taken a back seat once again. We are off to take part in the monthly quiz at our 'local' in about an hour's time, so I thought I should at least come and say 'hello' before we go.

My knitting has been slow this week. I am trying very hard to finish the pair of socks that I am making for a friend as a Christmas present. Needless to say, progress has been very, very slow and not even worth taking a photo of :(.

My Cora scarf is also making slow progress and that's because I only have plastic size 7's and they are really yucky to use with the 'Colourscape'. It seems to stick! I do have a very nice pair of birchwood 7's, but they are so long that they get caught in the bend of my arm with every stitch. I think they must have been made with an orang utang in mind! So, at present, my poor Cora is on hold.

It's much the same story with my November socks; on hold until there are 50 hours in a day! I'll catch them up once the Jaywalkers for Jools are finished.

On a brighter note, a little packet of sock yarn skeins popped through my door yesterday morning. Such excitement! They were from my good pal josiekitten. So last evening, when I know I should have been getting on with the serious matter of Christmas sock completion, but not needing too much encouragement to bring Blankie out for an airing, I settled down to knit four more squares, one in each colourway. Here are the little skeins ....



And here is my Blankie +4!



I wonder if you can spot the four new squares that have been added from the little skeins. Unfortunately, there is only a tiny glimpse of the lovely green square visible. My bad photography to blame there! I didn't keep my eye on all four squares.

It did get me thinking, how it's such strange phenomenon and one that is not often to be found elsewhere, that each of my little squares has a name of it's own; a name descended from its elders in the form of the pair of socks that were made of the yarn. So, last night I knitted 'Eat your Greens' and 'Waving Sweetpeas' to name but two! Made me chuckle inside myself as I sat and thought about it. Probably a good job that I'm going out tonight, because otherwise I might hear you saying ' ........ Snoopydog needs to get out more!!!'

Not so sure about the 'going out' now, as I can hear the wind howling and the rain lashing against the window panes. It started off as a lovely late November morning. The sun was shining and I grabbed my camera to 'snap' the bluetits and finches on the bird feeder this morning, before settling down to some work ready for school tomorrow. Needless to say, they had all vanished by the time the camera was ready. I caught this little chap on the fence though. I think he's a regular, because I have photographed him before in the same position on the fence. He sits there for ages! Don't ask me how I know it's him, I just do.



Here's a pic of our garden, also taken this morning. Sorry about the poor quality. I was rushing; feeling guilty that, here I was taking pics when I had lots and lots to do. It's called procrastination and I'm an expert!


Anyway, the work did get done, and I've had time to come and say 'hello' and I'll enjoy a swift pint and a natter with our friends over at the quiz. So all's well!

Have a good week, whatever you're up to!

HAPPY PUMPKIN DAY!

Hello again! It's hard to believe that the half-term holiday is almost at an end and it's back to school on Monday. We've had some fun time this week with all of our children home to visit at the same time; quite unusual, now that they are all pursuing their careers in different parts of the country and in the case of Miss Snoopydog 2, the World! It's always good to share some quality time together and catch up on ourselves.

We've been out and about lots. Nowhere very sensational, but when you are all together everywhere feels special! First of all I thought I'd share my 'pumpkin walk' photos with you. They were taken yesterday. We had all gone to our local water park to give Scott a walk and ball chase. Evening was beginning to close in as we arrived and Scott was desperate to get chasing that tennis ball!! It's a very pretty water park; a fantastic local amenity and a favourite spot for dog walkers, dinghy sailors and water birds. Yesterday, it was also the chosen spot for these spooky pumpkins. Don't know how they got there, but we enjoyed them and they added a certain unexpected something to our late afternoon October stroll.



I had to go and visit them again on our way back to the car, just to see them glowing in the eerie blue darkness that was swiftly descending upon them.

Scott loves the water park......... tennis ball to chase, dogs to meet and water to swim in. That eerie early evening light cast it's magic over these views.





Seemed a bit like a blue world! Nevertheless, it was Scotty heaven! Needless to say, he spent the evening fast asleep.............. aahhh!



Earlier in the week we drove into Suffolk, to visit our favourite local coastal 'spot', Aldeburgh. It's a very pretty and unspoilt coastal town. Here's a little taster of our day .....

It's been a lovey half-term, spent with our family; good food, long walks and talks and Scott! :D

I promised you I would show my special little something that arrived from across the sea. It was a 'Pink Ribbon' mini-skein from one of my blogging pals melissa over at the Knitting Sandwich. She is doing a 60 mile walk over 3 days, to raise funds for a cancer fighting charity in the US. I supported her fund raising effort and received this pretty little mini-skein ...... soo exciting to find a little squishy envelope from over the sea! Such a lovely thought Melissa.... hope the walk goes well and you raise lots.


Melissa, here it is already knitted up (well, one square!). Thought you might like to see it. So special to think about the origin of that little square and how it came to be in my blankie.







Thanks Melissa. That little square has a special place in my blankie.

Needless to say, with a houseful for the last week, not too much knitting has been done. I have finished the back and left front of my 'October Afternoon' cardigan, that has sat in the bag for far too long. I won't show you yet, but hopefully it will be finished soon and I'll be able to show you in all its finished glory.

I have already chosen my November Sock Challenge pattern to go with my pre-selected November yarn. The pattern is 'Wildflower Socks' and the yarn is by 'Claudia Hand-painted Yarns'. It was a gift from my best pal josiekitten.



I just love the colours and the feel of this gorgeous yarn. Lets hope I find time to finish them before November is out, as I have rather a lot on the go at the moment. The photo is of a very special place in my memory. Over a pint of ale, we reminisced this week and talked about 'good times' had there when our three children were small. Do you know where the photo was taken? I'll tell you more next time.

Time to go, as the bread has finished cooking and the drying has finished drying and it's nearly time for bed!

Hope you all have a fun filled week ahead. See you soon X

....... TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

......... well, time really is running out! The long, lazy, seemingly endless summer holidays have almost come to an end. Much too soon, I say! I have loved every minute of my carefree knitting days, seeing friends and family and just generally pottering around. The weather hasn't been amazing, but it has been warm, quite sunny and mostly dry; which means plenty of 'being outside'!

Oh my God! How on earth will I survive 'back to school' and the myriad of things to do, places to be, work to plan, meetings to attend, that each new school day brings! I don't, at this moment in time, know how I will, but what I do know is that I feel exactly the same every year, as the challenges of a new academic year draw ever closer. Every year ...... it's all OK! Just different! A different mind set, a different gear, a different class of children and before you know it you're up and running.

As for knitting, I am racing to get as much finished as possible on my summer holiday projects. I got sidetracked today though, as I dug deep into my Russian Doll bag in the hope of finding my blue scissors and just had to pull out 'Sock Blankie' to have a little admiration time with him! That was it ..... 'Sock Blankie' addiction instantly re-kindled. Sooooo to cut a long story short, I have spent all day in the garden with Blankie. Here's how he's looking .......




He's got quite a few more squares added since I last showed you. I just love, love, love rummaging around for the next colourway and deciding where it's going to go. With many of the sock yarns, you never quite know how they are going to turn out until the little square is completed. I guess that's part of the fascination. Each square takes very little time, which means there's always 'just time for one more!' Before you know it ..... you've made a blanket. Well, that may be a slight exaggeration, or even wishful thinking, because I just can't wait for him to get done; I guess in about two years time I'll proudly showing you my finished Blankie!

I had to get a move on with my August 'Sock Challenge' socks, as time was running out. I knit, knit, knit, knit, knit on Saturday and just managed to complete them with a day in hand ( a day to share with 'Sock Blankie' :D). They fit well in the foot but are a little wide in the leg, mainly because the pattern and the yarn are both quite stretchy. I am very pleased with them though. Jenny Cook's dyeing is really gorgeous. I gave you details of the pattern and yarn two posts ago.
Here they are...... my 'August Welsh Hills Socks'!





Most of my other projects are still no further forward, but I have made a start on my September 'Sock Challenge' socks. I'm calling them 'September Sunday Swing Socks' after the pattern title. It's a free download here on 'Knitty'. The socks feature a stitch pattern that will show off the colours and pattern of the yarn, but is simple enough not to be obscured by the yarn colours. My chosen yarn is an Opal hand-dyed, that has been in my stash since we were in Wales for our son's wedding last August. The colours are rich and autumnal; just perfect for September socks. Here they are so far ......... yarn wound and pattern chosen....


Twisted rib done and first pattern repeat of sixteen rows completed ........



Here you can see a little more of the pattern ........



I'm off to London on Wednesday and then back to school for two INSET days on Thursday and Friday, so hope to see you again next Sunday ..... if not before!

Have a lovely week, whatever you're doing!

SOCK YARN BLANKIE IS BORN!

Hello there! What dismal weather we are having. It always seems to be, that the last few weeks of the school term are spent roasting alive in a classroom and as soon as the holidays begin, the weather decides to play games! Still, the weather doesn't affect the ability to knit....... just the choice of where to knit. My preferred choice is always outside and stubborn to the end, outside it has been...... with yarn and squares and 2.5 DPNS taking flight in the gusts! Nevertheless, a new 'star' has been born; the colourful, the fabulous, the time-consuming, the completely addictive 'Sock Yarn Blankie'!!!!!! He's (yes, definitely a 'he') been on my 'to do' list for quite a while and it had always been my intention to make a start as soon as the summer holidays began. So, on Tuesday, my good pal josiekitten came over for the day and amidst chat, catching up, lunching, laughing and much tea drinking, Blankie was born.
What do you think so far? Colourful? Fun? No guesses how long it will take to complete though; at least a couple years and lots and lots of pairs of socks. SMILE! It's to be completely made from left-over sock yarn. The pattern is on Shelly Kang's blog page, The Heathen Housewife. If you take a look on Ravelry, there are some very beautiful finished blankets. Here are some pics of mine so far .......



Like it?


Hope so...


Anyway, the pics above show progress so far. A start has been made and my intention is to pick 'Blankie' up and add to whenever there is new sock yarn about or the Blankie Mojo is strong.

The first square was made using the leftover yarn from the first pair of socks I ever made. I think I showed a photo of them in one of my very early blog posts.


Once you have made two squares, you can then pick up stitches on each to make a third and joining square. It's very simple, very clever and EXCEEDINGLY ADDICTIVE! BEWARE!




I love it so far! Josiekitten and I swapped yarn, so now there is extra temptation with the delightful thought of new and exciting colourways and yarn patterns to play with.


I'm also making my first attempt at crotchet; well, first for more years than I care to mention. I can remember making several granny square blankets when I was quite small, but have not touched a crochet hook since. I'm making a really easy summery bag, big enough to hold my holiday knitting plus spares....just in case! The pattern is a free download; thanks Lucy of Attic24. I am using Patons 'Sorbet', which is mainly cotton, and still available in ten pretty colours. I think it has been discontinued, but you can grab a bargain at Kemps where it is being sold for 79p a ball.



I hope you noticed my lovely smooth and colourful 'Knit Pro' crochet hook! Present to myself! Hopefully there will be progress to report on both of these projects in my next post; maybe even a finished bag! Then I'll have to decide whether to line it or not. As I've never lined a bag before I will have to do some careful research. I'll let you know next time.

The weekend is fast approaching and the end of my first week of summer hols. ! Enjoy!