In the bleak mid winter

Dogs on the run

It has been a little while since i last posted on the blog, and lots of things have happened. We are now in the grips of the harshest winter in 18 years and the fluffy babes love it.I have been housebound for just over a week as i dare not walk on the icy pavements in case i slip. But Simba and co have been walking in the outer wilds of Waterbeach jumping in all the drifts and playing boo with the deer. They love the snow and it has been hard getting them to come inside so that we can close the door and keep the snow in. Lily likes bringing in large lumps of ice and chewing them over your feet, just to make sure that your feet are clean and that you keep awake.

Missy in the Snow

Her adventures continue and her task to make the world one glorius play area is well on the way. In the last weeks she has eaten Martin's ear piece for his computer, ate and spread a large jar of Gold glitter. Yes it's every where, in the chair on there fur and even in the bed, snow and glitter look well together. She has created a new game called rummage the dustbin, you put the rubbish in and she takes it out re distributing it all over the floor. Those scappy bits of plastic are important to a girl.

Loverable lily, free at last

Martin is back at University, happier this semmester as he likes the subjects more. it's all way beyond me, but he enjoys it.In his spare time he is playing Oblivion and is pleased because he is no longer a vampire or something. He has been getting all the shopping etc and dog walking in this bad weather, so if nothing else he is keeping fit.

Simba in the mud and muck as happy as a dog can be

As for me other than being house bound for awhile, which i have quite enjoyed, i am the same as ever. I have new purple shoes and braces from the hospital. I thought if i have to wear it i might as well choose something bright. I am in the process of knitting, sewing, painting various things, plus i still do my JP bit. in knitting i am making the Debbie Abraham mystery blanket. It comes in kit form, 5 squares per month and slowly the theme emerges. Each square is an advanced knit, either beaded,intarsia,cables, fairisle etc or all or some of each. It's fun but taxing to do, and will eventually make a large wall hanging. This year the colours are very ethnis and i think the theme is Arabian Nightys but i am not sure. i am also completing the Olivia Alpaca knitted coat, plus a Scandernavian throw. Painting i am still completing my 3 Kings picture with Deanna, painted Mosaic style and completely different to what i had in mind. In embroidery i am still stitching Ben Hur for the Embroidery of the Centuary.

What else has happened, my Winter warmer swap came through and i received a lovely box of 3 kinds of handspun wool, a ball of turqoise Alpaca, some knit pro cable needles, buttons and beads and a lovely card, hopefully a picture of my box will soon appear here.

Picture of the family, Martin is there somewhere.

They say that it is a dog's life.

Changing rooms

For the past few days we have been playing our version of changing rooms, the bedroom becoming the living room and visa versa. To those of you who do not know, i have a few mobility problems so i live downstairs. The bedroom is light and airy, the living room not so.Since you spend more time awake than asleep, at least i do, it seemed a simple thing to change rooms around.Not so, i forgot about decorating, moving sockets for TV, lights and furniture fitment. Plus all the junk and bits hidden in the down stairs hallway etc etc.Now on day 3 or so called move, Martin is fixing light fittings and the house is in chaos. I have been banished to the garden room, dogs are panic struck and general mat hem reigns.The house doctor never had these problems. A few more days and it should be OK.

I have received the first instalment of my mystery blanket, Debbie Abraham's 2009.I am having to knit it on 2.5 needles as my tension is so loose. It makes my hands really hurt if i knit with them too much. The colours are very ethnic, golds, blues,pinks red and green with a deep navy. The beads are various blues. the theme remains a mystery until it gradually reveals itself. so far i have completed 2 of my 5 squares. The beads really add to the glow of it. It feels as if it will be an abstract design but who knows.

In the mean time i am continuing with my feather and fern cardigan. i have also posted swap parcels to colour swap, valentines swap,journal swap, travelling bears and to Monique. Just winter warmers to go. Pictures to come later. Bye for now

Winter warmer info for secret pal re Afghans

This will make little sense to any one but my secret Knitting pal, but here we go;

• What has been your favourite finished blanket/lapghan?
• I love making afghans of all kinds i find them relaxing to make and warm to lay under, i have knitted and croched and used both in one blanket. One day i would like to try the Babette blanket
  Do you have a favourite pattern that you'd like to make in the future?
• I am making the Debbie Abraham mystery theme blanket at the moment, i would like to try others in her books at some time, or just a cushion. I love all the beads etc she uses.
  Do you have a favourite type of yarn for making blankets/lapghans?
• Not really, Debbies is in cotton, i have used Double knit and aran, wools and acrylics. Debbies cushions etc are all in cotton.

Hope that helps.

Starting as i mean to go on.

I am trying to begin the New year by being more organised and by trying to conquer the dreaded computer. i can write on it, but pictures, flicker, cameras etc fill me with dread. I want to be independent of Martin for putting pictures on Ralvery and this blog. Plus taking photo's then printing them. But my mind was born many years ago and it does struggle so. Hopefully i am getting there.

Whilst i have been struggling with the modern age, my goldies have been hard at work, doing what they do best, Sleeping. It has been a hard day for them, guarding the house, racing around the garden, going for along walk in the fields, and then having to avoid magazines toppling over them whilst i clean and sort. Missy is the one facing, and Simba is by her side. Missy is short for Mishka, Russian for little bear. In the pack, she is the maiden aunt, who grumbles all the time. She likes her food ball full and clean, water ready, yard cleaned. She calls me to bed, shares the bed and my drinking chocolate, and grumbles if the light is not put out on time. She always has to have the last word or grumble, no matter how many times you say yes Miss. A puritan by nature, she is my right hand girl. Yesterday we combed and groomed them, clipping the fur between there paws. Miss went outside in the cold and came back hoping like a gekko, because her paws were cold, and she grumbled letting us know what she thought of us.

Simba, my big male is the easiest going gentle giant you will ever come across. He is the king of my heart, big pawed and clumsy, 47kgs in weight, i adore him. He loves the quiet life, but worries over his pack not eating unless they do. His great love is to get up on the bed at night and to be sung to for 5 or ten mins. Then he gets of and goes to guard the back door. He struts around like a lion, guarding his pack lands and pride. Today after the walk he came hobbling in and gave me one of his giant paws. It was an Androcleas and the lion moment. All his paws were caked in hard dry mud, from the walk, and we had to spend 10 mins giving him a paw clean up .

Life with them is Messy, tireing,funny and joyful, we never have a dull moment or a clean house.

For Secret Knitty Pal winter warmers

What is your favourite way of keeping your feet warm?
Hot water bottle and Martin and the dogs
Do you have a favourite pair of socks you reach for to keep your toes toasty?
Never wear socks they restrict my circulation
Is there a pair of socks/slippers you have been wanting to make for ages but haven't got around to?
No
What is your favourite finished object that warms your feet?
Knitted afghan
What is your favourite yarn to use for socks/slippers?
Does not apply, but i love using sock wool to make other things

Hope that helps secret knitter

The 12 days of Christmas

On Christmas Eve, we went to the pantomine to watch Jack and the Beanstalk.

Going to a panto at 11am seemed a strange thing to do, but we really enjoyed it. The children were great and it seemed to set a Christmassy scene somehow. martin collected his beloved meat from the Butchers and home we went.

Christmas day has come and gone, i hope that those who may read this felt better than i did as i came down with some dreaded lurge or other. Christmas dinner was cheeses and biscuits, but despite that i still had a good time. Martin gave me some lovely knitting gifts, an alpaca coat to knit plus an alpaca bolero, a Rowan cardigan complete with book and wool, a bright scarf and hat kit in various shades of acqua, Debbie Abrahams secret knittted and beaded mystery blanket, Origins wool for a new coat, so i can see that i am going to be busy for weeks to come. The babes all had new collars, a rasta coloured one for Simba, pretty delicate pink for Missy, blues and turqouise for Merlin, purple bones for Tumi and Lily pink bones. they stitted around with very full bellies, like models on a cat walk. They joined martin in Christmas dinner, whilst i watched enviuosly, really not feeling well. Martin was king of the kitchen with his new Jamie Oliver pots and pans and creme brulee set. We sat watching Christmasy films and generally dossed. At night i have been allowed to share Missy's sofa again, but she still grumbles if i take up too much room, i hope to get back to the bedroom soon, but as the bug still has hold of me!!!!

Saturday, the pooches nearly had a heart attack as martin scambbled around on the roof of the conservatory, making them a place to shelter . No not on the roof , but outside we now have a covered area for them and us to shelter under if we want to sit outside. Hopefully it will encourage Simba to stay dry. The rest of the day i knitted and Martin defeated the elves in the role of a vampire.

Further Tales of the Ark

Now that i have trasfered my details for the Winter warmers Swap for my secret pal, i can now write about the further adventures of Lily and the Ark. Today we have been out shopping and i have come home with the most unusual present, a walking frame with wheels and a seat. It's great, i can sit down and watch the world go by as and when i want. No crutches, no back ache, i love it. Bright turqoise and called Tilly, with a small bag and breaks. It has made such a difference today.

Came back to see that the Wisteria has bit the dust, plus large pot.Lily has been bringing the outdoor in again. I shall have to stop her watching all those gardening programs.

At the weekend Martin brought me two knitting kits from Scotsdales of all places, a gardening centre.Both are in Grey Alpaca, a coat called Olvia and a Bolero . The coat is very intracate with lace a plenty . I will need to get advise before i start either, and i must finish them, too expensive to leave half done. I have never had alpaca wool before, but i am told it is really warm to wear. I never thought i would hear myself saying it, but i really have too many projects to do, but then there is alot of time to do them in.

I have not been too well recently and i have spent sevral nights on the sofa, so that Martin can sleep. I have shared said sofa with Missy, who now has taken to summoning me to bed, allowing Martin to wrap us both in, and then grumbling until the light is off. My feet are her pillows and she grumbles if i have to get up in the night. When i do get up, i trip over Merlin, who lays on the floor by my side, then trip over Simba lying in the hall way floor. On the bed is a snoring Martin, with lily and Tumi snoring with him. They say it's a dogs life!!!!even Spohie the cat joins in by walking all over me, on the sofa, to get to her chair!!

Great news in that i have learned i am on the lst for the next Debbie Abrahams Mystery knitted blanket for 2009. I love her beaded work and was dissapointed that i could not join in last year. 5 blocks a month for 10 months and other than bright colours, i have no idea as to what theme we are knitting to. Last years theme was the country side. Knitting really does seem to have taken over my life at the moment.

Well now to bed, yes the Sofa, as i am still not well and need to sleep upright, but i have two Sister Fildelma mystery novels to read, set in ancient Ireland, also Missy is a calling me.