MERRY CHRISTMAS....

Merry Christmas from Snoopydog headquarters! I've been so so busy this term with never-ending assessment marking and recording and excessive lesson planning demands, that my blog has been sadly neglected and is feeling very sorry for itself. However, today is the day when there seems to be a slight lull in festivities, as everyone takes a short break to recoup their energy before the annual Boxing Day quiz at the local pub this evening.

What little I have had in the evenings and weekends has mainly been taken up with getting this little beauty under way and red hoodie knitting for Evie. The blanket is Attic 24's Hydrangea Blanket and I have to say, the very simple pattern and gorgeous soft colours have made for perfect wind down crochet after busy days.

This is the simple red hoodie made for Evie's fourth birthday. It just doesn't seem possible that this little munchkin is four years old already. It only seems like yesterday, that we were making a rushed and unexpectedly early, long journey to Manchester to meet this little sweetheart.

The hoodie pattern is by Debbie Bliss and always turns out well. I used Rowan's pure wool DK in a suitably festive red, as her birthday is on the 22nd of December.

December 1st  heralded the start of another December's worth of Opal mini-skeins. I love the anticipation of seeing what wonders lie behind the little door each morning. I have yet to decide what to make, but I suspect i may well go for a pair of granny square cushions, like the one featured above that was made alongside six socks with last year's yarns.

I managed to make this beautifully festive bunting a couple of weekends ago, using a ready cut kit, given to me by Josiekitten last Christmas. The fabric designs and colour combo are perfect, ensuring that the little flags make a perfect addition to the festive decorations.

All the children and grandchildren are home for Christmas and we have enjoyed relaxing dog walks and just being together, sharing good food and wine and most importantly, each other's company. Here's hoping you've enjoyed the festive also!

SUMMER FUN....

It's been a really lovely summer holiday, with good weather more often than not and plenty of trips, visits and visitors to keep us busy. As promised, here are a few shots from our time in Pickering and the surrounding area. We had beautiful weather and lots of little people to have fun with for the first week and then peace and quiet for the second. It was a lovely, lovely chunk of family time and time of relaxation and leisure. Priceless!

All too soon, the start of the new school year looms with a new class, a whole host of new challenges and exciting projects to resource and plan. I've made a point of sitting in the sun to knit this morning, as my head starts to be filled with 'school stuff'. I started a little cotton hooded card for Evie at the start of the summer, but have done very little on it. My aim is to complete it by next weekend!

It's a very simple knit, requiring no brain power which is just perfect! The colour is a much softer and lighter shade than my photo implies. I tried several times to get a better colour match but with no success. The back and one front are complete, so it's a possible time scale for completion.

SUMMER CAST-ON....

Well, I finished my last report this morning, whilst waiting for the drizzly rain to stop. It's such a good feeling to have them out of my head. I still need to read them through to check for any errors that I've missed, but that's an easy task that does not require any brain power.

I needed something new to cast on as a reward and although the yarn doesn't look very attractive in the photo, I am more than happy with my choice. I bought the yarn a long while ago in a John Lewis sale for £1.25 per 50g ball. Bargain! It's a very pretty grape colour and will suit little Evie very well. It's Rowan Milk Cotton DK and is gorgeously soft to work with, if a bit split (as cotton always is).

I've decided to make a summer hooded cardigan which will hopefully be finished before we all go up to Yorkshire at the start of the summer holidays. It's a very simple pattern, with stitches picked up and cast on for the hood and with the button border stitches picked up once the garment has been sewn together. It will be perfect for cooler evenings or windy days at the coast.

The pattern is 'Jake Hoodie' from Rowan's 'The Milk Cotton Baby Collection'. Happy knitting Snoops! The first I've done in two whole weeks!