Fix-it-Friday

Jo over at Tangled Me has this great idea going where you share something you know or know how to do. Now what I know most about is probably climbing and that doesn't share too well on a website, however I've recently started knitting, and one of the inspiring sites I've found is Knitting Iris, she has such wonderful socks, made out of such wonderful wools. So much so that she has inspired me that it cant be that hard and my first lot of sock yarn and a learn to knit socks instruction kit is in the post, because knitting my blanket isn't enough!

Goodbye

This Christmas I lost someone very dear to me. I had forgotten how much he meant to me until I sat down and thought about it. It was his funeral today, and I couldn't make it. I don't remember a time when this person wasn't in my life, he babysat me, took me on outings, remembered my birthday and Christmas and just did all the things a wonderful grandparent did. He engraved my name on my walking stick in beautiful copper plate writing and I remember being so proud of it.
and now he's gone.

I'm so sorry I couldn't make his funeral, but I have been thinking about him, and how much he meant to me, and how much I regret not popping round to see him more on visits home from university.

Hide and seek

Look who came to play!
This is what I spent yesterday doing ,using my new sewing machine! We had no mishaps, though next time I might use a thicker fabric as turning it right way out without ripping it was a nightmare, I had to re-sew 2 bits. She still needs her button eyes, a nose and a mouth but I need to buy the bits to to do that. I also need some more stuffing as I ran out part way through and had the inspired idea of using rice. While this does give it a certain weight it's definitely decorative rather than a toy as it's now un-washable, and I'm not sure the stitching will take it! It's also why she wont stand up properly, with proper stuffing it would be far stiffer. The free pattern came from Hillary at Wee Wonderfuls .

I have now made 15 out of 48 leaves for my blanket, and will probably get a couple more done tonight. Knitting them is a bit like going through a day. Sometimes they fly off the needles without hardly any thought and no mistakes, other times they just wont go right and it takes real grit to persuade them to get completed!
It's a very grey day right now, though I have been home all afternoon which has been so nice to sit and not have anything to do but what I want, no appointments or anything!