Bored bored bored bored bored...........

Only two days of not being able to use my hand & not able to go to work.   In normal circumstances, I would be working on some project or other.   So, music, reading, videos, blogs, looking through old photos - love modern technology.

The Ole Quadped enjoying a good scratch on a steam train journey - that was a great holiday.   The weather was wonderful, the place we rented was heavenly.   The Happy Hippy did lots of paintings & photography.  We did lots of walks, I learnt to crochet using Very Pink's videos.   Great holiday.


Phone camera's can be so good.   Took a quick snap of a great sky one day at work.






 Saw Imelda at Hampton Court. Wonderful evening.

Things not so bad.    Just some imagination needed.    Back to reminissing x

where 'ave you bloomin' been?

Working at my day job for my supper - if only life was just full of the fun stuff.   But then how would we know if we were having fun or not, if that all there was!?   This is how I console myself every Monday morning.

Did have some time for some fun;

• Did some baking for my works Bake Club weekly competition.  It was my turn to bake for my team - my theme was 'School Dinner Puddings'.  Thanks to a great website called Little Stuff and a receipe I got from a lovely friend of a friend - Sue, who was a Dinner Lady, I baked; Sue's Butterscotch Tart & from Little Stuff; Chocolate  Cement + Coconut and Jam Sponge.    There were lots of oooowers, but did not win.   Loved baking it all - my taste testers, the Ole Quadped and Happy Hippy enjoyed their share.

Did not get photos of this baking, but here is some breakfast bread I baked using Simply So Good' Crusty Bread recipe & translated from US measurements into Euro measurements by the wonderful Attic24's here - No Knead Bread

• Made some headway, but have not finished my Hoodie Baby Blanket

Here it is with  The Happy Hippy & my Saturday morning breakfast of No Knead Bread with grapefruit marmalade & Whittards' Yummy Chilli Hot Chocolate - slurp

• Went to a special recording of a folk club evening which the Happy Hippy and I visit -  TwickFolk.  The BBC Radio Wales - Celtic Heartbeat show did a special post Wales v England Rugby match show & the special guest was Ralph McTell.   See TwickFolk for some videos if you want to see/hear some clips.

 - The pub cat considering a new career








              Frank Hennessy of BBC Radio Wales -

• Did one shift at the Connect Charity Shop I work at every other Saturday morning. Love putting out all the stuff that is in need of a new forever home :o)

• Had an op on my left hand - which is where I am at the moment - not able to hook or needle but can just about type one handed!  Not able to do very much for the next 2 weeks - ah poodles - but can catch up with my reading, videos & music YaY!

                                   

 Sorry for the lack of photos - still working on the photo blogging side things.

Thanks for stopping by xxx

(pm) Now to get going with the new project

In my circle, a new baby on it's way and want to knit something for this little one.   We know it is a boy and so with other information I have, there is a theme to this project.    I have decided to go for The Thrifty Knitter's Hoodie Baby Blanket - great picture borrowed from The Thrifty Knitter's website - this was her version:

I am going for a colour pattern design I found on Knitty.com, by Franklin Habit  (he used the pattern for a continuous collar/scarf/snood -Princess Franklin Plaid Collar).   I loved the way he used the colours and it fitted one of the criteria of my theme.   I am using my own colour combination, but I adore his version.

The gauge for the hooded blanket needed roughly about 4 stitches per inch on 5mm needles - my gauge was a bit out - so have gone for 5 per inch on 5mm needles.   Hoping I have made the right decision - as a very slow knitter do not have much time before the "Baby Shower".   Which by the way is not an old tradition as far as I know in the UK, and has been imported from the US - but what a fab idea (especially for crafters!).   It means if there is no one in your close circle that you can knit diddley baby stuff for, then an invite to a Baby Shower is a perfect excuse.    Will pop some "progress shots" tomorrow.    Ooooh forgot to say - got two more hyacinths from the lovely garden centre near my favourite dog walking spot.   The Old Quadped has not been up to a long woody walk for a while, but after a revitalising vet visit recently, he was certainly on form.   No pictures from this afternoon, but this is what the wood looked like last spring.   These are real english bluebells (small delicate and with a wonderful fragrance).   Spk again soon.  Thanks for stopping by.

(am) -YaY Knitty Time

Have done my chores - the washing machine is doing my laundry - watching and listening to a Leonard Cohen DVD ("Live in London 2008" - if you want a sneeky peaky at a bit of it, here is a YouTube Clip link - http://youtu.be/XTc3hIEPTyo) - am knitting a gauge square for my new project - the Old Quadped is snoring in his basket and the happy hippy is sitting next to me on his PC,  fiddling with the latest batch of music videos he filmed recently (of course with the artist's permission).      In the background of this scene of calm is the scent of my flowering hyacinths.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY - the 21st century ain't so bad - you can mix, nature, technology and traditional crafts into a small cosy living room in the south of England.    Think tea and a chocolate hob-nob (other chocolate biscuits are available) is called for.  Ahhhhh Sigh