Felix V Smudge!

Felix defending his territory!

Felix is the last of the 5 cats who lived here when I moved in. He has always been a scaredy cat, not very often moved to participate in territorial rivalry.

Lately, we’ve been visited by a cat I’ll call Smudge…he has a black spot on his nose…original name, I know! He is a very sweet cat, comes up to the front door and peers in, like he’s watching cat TV! Sometimes he comes to the back door and peers in the cat flap. If you make a move toward him, he runs off. The other day was ground breaking. I saw him on the footpath we use to go to the corner shop, instead of moving toward him, I stayed where I was, bent down and held out my hand and he came up to me and allowed me to pet him! Made my day!

Today, I had the back door open and he came walking up the path, Felix entered the kitchen, saw him and took off at the speed of light! Much hissing and yowling! I couldn’t believe it, I thought they were friends and that when Smudge came into the garden, he was looking for Felix. Guess I was wrong! After I took the picture, I gave Felix a nudge, that gave Smudge a chance to squeeze under the gate and get away. But he stayed there for awhile, I could just see his nose under the gate, and Felix sat there and watched until Smudge went away!

I am hoping this won’t impact on my budding friendship with Smudge! I don’t know if he actually belongs to anyone, sometimes he has a collar and sometimes not! I suppose I really don’t want another cat, but he is so darn cute!

Even more news from my Knitty World!

In case anyone was wondering, yep, I’m still here! I’ve been carried away with my knitting and spending way too much time playing games on Facebook…and regular PC games as well. Surprised my brain hasn’t turned to mush yet!

But at least I’ve been busy on the knitty front!

The bottom poncho I made for myself with yarn left over from my daughter’s Christmas present. Then when Sid’s daughter saw the picture of mine, she wanted one, so I made the top one, same brand yarn, James C. Brett marble chunky. Its a quick, easy pattern, and has a cable in it, which I like! Its also quite snuggly, I’ve worn it several times now, in fact, its actually been too warm to wear it the last day or so!

And this was made for a friend’s brand new Great Niece! I loved this pattern when I saw it in Knitting magazine, so was happy when a new baby came along! I love self patterning yarn! And I love the colors in this! Its Sirdar Baby Crofter, they call this color Fairy.

I’m still working on the doll dress, I don’t often pick it up right now, and my daughter’s Harry Potter sweater yarn is here waiting for me to cast on! But I have to finish the other small project I let distract me…pictures soon!

Other than that, my life has been rather quiet, knitting group, lunch with a friend, that sort of thing. I think I like it that way, suits my energy level!

Knitty World of Kate, cont’d

TA DA, I’ve finished it! Looks rather huge all spread out like that! (ok, so it is huge, I needed the largest size) It fits, looks ok on and I have a pair of trousers that it will go nicely with! Success!

I think more than all the knitting and the sewing up, I hate the blocking the most! This is supposed to curl a bit at the edges, but the bottom seems to curl more than necessary. I tried to steam it down, but it insists on flopping up, but maybe when its actually worn, the weight of it will keep it more reasonable!

I have to confess a true love of variegated yarns! Even way back in the stone age, when I used to knit with tree branches, I loved the one or two variegated yarns that were available! I don’t actually like proper fair isle knitted goods, but I love the self patterning yarn!

Right now, I’ve started a poncho using up the left over yarn from my daughter’s Christmas present! Don’t know how I ended up with so much left over, I substituted and went by yardage rather than the weight, but I still had 2 full 200 gram balls left and a few small balls. We could be talking fringed poncho here!

Then, after that, its the Harry Potter sweater…ordered the yarn, it should come in a day or two…then I have to figure out how to make a big J on it…they only give the chart for an H or R. I’ve already decided it will be done in duplicate stitch as I am not keen on intarsia, especially if I have to chart it myself!

And I still have a doll dress to finish…thin yarn on tiny needles! It could take longer than any of the bigger projects!

Well, better get clacking those needles!

Let It Snow! Well, just for a bit!

I'm dreaming of a white Valentine's!

Yes, we had snow! Not sure how long it will last, the temps are just above freezing and its soft powdery stuff, but enough has drifted into our back garden that we may not be able to get out the gate! It looks lovely now, will be grey slush later! They are forecasting more the end of the week, so this might just be cleared in time!

From the front

It doesn’t look so deep from the front, no drifting!

Well, that’s the weather report from the county Kent in England!

News from My Knitty World

Sorry I have been so remiss! Been knitting my fingers to the bone! I can now reveal what I made for my daughter for Christmas:

Made from James C. Brett Marble yarn

It turned out pretty good, and she liked it, or at least she said she did! LOL!

I find myself substituting yarn more often than not, seems knitting isn’t a necessity anymore, but a rich person’s hobby! I can buy most things ready made cheaper than if I make them…this is also true of sewing anymore! But I love to knit, and it gives me a feeling of accomplishment, so I keep doing it! Using substitute yarn, I usually cut the cost by 2/3s.

Currently, I’m making a tunic out of Stylecraft Life Chunky. Its a pattern from the Debbie Bliss Rialto Chunky book..I am making it for about a quarter of  the cost if I used the yarn called for.  It still feels nice and I’m sure it will be warm…and with a great part of Europe under a blanket of snow and our temps here in Southeast England hovering around 0, warm is good! I’ve got about 20 rows to go, its a yoked tunic, so working on the yoke, with all the bits of tunic gathered around me hanging off the needles! Keeps me warm, and what the knitting doesn’t cover, the cat asleep on my right thigh does!

I volunteered to work a shift at the Stitch and Hobbycraft show near me. That was different! Luckily, it was the first day, a Thurs. morning, so wasn’t too busy, glad I’m not there on the weekend! I had a look around, and actually left without buying anything! There are such things as miracles!

I wanted to let people know my favorite reasonably priced yarns that I use to substitute with! James C. Brett, Stylecraft and King Cole are all lovely British companies who provide reasonably priced yarn in most weights. They have never failed me yet! They all offer a variety of  fibres and colors. I have a partiality to the variegated yarns, especially the fair isle effect ones..guess because I just can’t be bothered to learn/do fair isle! I don’t actually care that much for the fair isle designs, but the sock yarns are especially nice for variety in the things I make for my dolls! 

I have a few other projects to go. I bought yarn for a cardi for myself about 2 years ago…a short sleeve aran design, been waiting for a quiet time when I can concentrate on all the patterns in the cardi! Also want to make a poncho and my daughter has ordered a Harry Potter sweater, with her initial! Just wish I knew the spell Mrs. Weasley uses to knit her sweaters!

I’ll try to blog more regularly! Take care!

 

2012 is here! (Hide!)

Well, the year is here, the one people claim ends the Aztec Calendar…I’m not bothered, as long as we all go together! (I don’t want anyone to be stuck with the cleaning up!)

I plan to just get on with getting on, doing the best I can and loving my friends and family. What else is there? Things, yep, there are things…I love them in a way, but not as much as people! Or Pets, I love our cats, even if they can be the bane of my existence sometimes!

This one is Bill, he has an abcess on his jaw in this pic, but its fine now. He was a bit lopsided for a bit!

And this is Felix, making himself at home on my husband’s desk. I did say they could be a pain!

The only resolution I’m making this year is to sort out some paperwork I’ve been ignoring! Other things will happen or not whether I make a resolution about it or not! Will this be the year I lose weight and get incredibly healthy..watch this space!

And a Happy, blessed New Year to all, wishing only the best!

And a Very Happy Holiday to You!

I hope everyone is all set for whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of the year! Being raised Catholic, I find it easier to say Merry Christmas, but since I am more of the pagan persuasion now, its Blessed Yule!

I love holidays, and if they include overindulgence in food and chocolate, then I’m all for them! Presents are a nice bonus as well. I love the general feeling of merriment and joy. (that’s why I like to shop online…its madness out on the high street!)

So, to you and yours, a very blessed holiday season!

The Grinch conquered!

I have to admit, as much as I love Christmas and the decorations, some apathy set in as far as my own home was concerned! Yesterday morning my husband and I had a conversation about putting up the tree and decided we didn’t need to because we were going other places for Christmas and Boxing Day and no one was coming over here during the holidays. Then about 60 seconds later, I got up and got the stuff out of the garage! I just had the thought, it would be a whole year before I could have a Christmas tree again! So, my laziness and apathy were conquered!

It was an aerobic workout, dragging the stuff indoors, opening the containers, unwrapping ornaments, etc.  But it was worth it, nothing like a bit of Christmas lights to make one feel good! I had put out my Christmas dolls, but that was it till yesterday. I put the Merry Christmas and snowflake stickies on the front door, hung my dilapidated wreath on the door, put the cards along the door jam and placed little doo-dads all over the room. So now we are Christmassy!

Oh, Tannenbaum!

I still have to take pics of the tree, its in front of the window so will have to take them at night. I think this is the latest I’ve even put it up! I was always anxious to put the tree up right after Thanksgiving and had to contain my enthusiasm for a week or two! How I’ve changed!

Its always sad to take it all down, usually I wait for Twelfth night. Sometimes my Christmas dolls stay out till Easter! They look so pretty in their festive outfits! Yes, Red is my favorite color and green is a close second! So, Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s day work with that! LOL!

Guess next I have to think about baking…..

It’s beginning to look a lot like….

As the gales blow against the windows, creating a fantastic din, I’m thinking white stuff and trees with lights. Well, it used to be traditional in the US for the Christmas season to start the day after Thanksgiving. Now its more like a couple weeks before Halloween!

Whaaaaaa!

l don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I remember always being told by my parents how terrified I was! Don’t you just love the hat? Christmas memories!

Sexy Santa Helpers

And this is what I did to my daughter! K Mart made a mistake and gave us extra sets of these pics (other ones were without the hats) We had enough to paper the walls! That would be a scary room!

My favorite part of the season is the lights! As a child we would get a ride on Christmas Eve all over the neighborhood to see everyone’s decorations. I continued the tradition with my kids. There were some extravagant displays…think National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation! When I first came to England 11 years ago, I was disappointed, not many people put lights outside. But they seem to have caught on! There are some places where you can’t see the actual house for the lighted ornaments etc.

I’ll be getting our tree out soon! We don’t do outdoor lights, I’m afraid of heights and couldn’t get on a ladder high enough! But we have loads of lights for the tree and last year I got a little 3 ft tree and a string of 50 lights for it, for the upstairs! So there will be plenty shining through the windows!

Traditionally, Yule is the season of lights after all!

Craft Fair coming up!

My original idea was to have a week long craft fair at our local library. My hopes were dashed, and I’m glad! We are now having a one morning craft fair, along with a MacMillan Cancer coffee morning.

I don’t know what I was thinking…I could never make enough stuff for a whole week! Even if there wasn’t a big crowd! You still have to be prepared, after all! And I get bored making the same thing over and over. So far I’ve made some face cloths and mug hugs. I plan to do a little sewing too, I have lots of Christmas fat quarters and can get a couple of stuffed ornaments out of each. Quick and easy, so I don’t have to charge an arm and a leg for them!

I’m an optimistic realist. I know that there is a recession on. I also know how many pound shops there are in town…I buy a lot of my decorations there! I know people want to have crafted things, I also know they don’t want to pay much for them…I’ve done this before!

So, I think I’ve made some nice things that can be sold reasonably. And here are just a couple of samples!

The top photo is a facecloth with 2 little gingerbread man guest soaps. The bottom is a mug hug.  Hopefully these will do well…otherwise some family members will have them as stocking stuffers! LOL!