Mitten Monday

 As the weather is turning into winter, my thoughts are truning just as quickly to woolies for Mary-Jane.  My head is full of things I want to knit for her.  Today I have found some trouser/leggins/pants patterns for her.  I would like to make at least one pair for her.  I want to make a few cardi's for her as well.  One I would like to do is the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise jacket.  I have made several of these and rather like the pattern (a lot!).  Now MJ is of an age where I think a little bit of maths might be involved to make the jacket her size.  Perhaps when I next have my clear 'numbers' head on - it does happen sometimes! 

I took a break from knitting the Lush skirt - I have now past the lovely row of k2tog and am half way to the next row of k2tog - and am making a pair of mittens.  I have completed one and have done the first round of the second.  I will post a link to the pattern, I got it from Ravelry.  It's done on DPN's so no sewing the seams together.

Mary-Jane does not seem to be any worse today with the cold I may have passed on to her.  In fact she seems a bit better than yesterday.  Hurrah for the calpol, if that is what did the trick.  Here is a close up!

 Mary-Jane found an empty box in the kitchen and was given a couple of food bag clips to play with.  It kept her occupied for quite a while.  She rattled them around, took them out one by one, put them on the side and put them back in the box one by one.  Lots of fun!

I feel a bit better in myself, although it is very much a case of the mind is (nearly) willing but the body says &*^%$.  I'm still maxed up on paracetamol.  My voice is still awol.  I didn't go to the NFU meeting tonight and am seriously thinking of not going to Sugarcraft tomorrow night.  Thursday I have a Project Knitting Day (morning) and I don't want to miss out on that, so fingers, toes and knitting needles crossed that I'm fit enough for that.

Which leads me to think about carrots and potatoes.  Last time I went to Fobbles last thursday, to collect my Knit Magazine, I got some tatties and carrots.  I had some carrots for my tea last night and tonight and the tatties we had tonight.  Well, very nice they were.  I shall get some more when I go again.  I might even make enquiries if there are any local farm shops where I can get fruit and veg.

I've continued to trawl through the hairy bikers Simply Pies book and continue to be inspired to make pies.  I now have two lists - one of pies I'd like to make and the other is my weekly shopping list, with things on to make at least two pies.  I shall do a third list for sweet pies.  Told you my head is trying to whirr but my body ain't - at the moment anyway!

Sunday and Inspiration

Mary-Jane seems to have caught my cold.  She has had a watery eye and a bit of a runny nose.  She has not wanted much sleep at all though during the day, perhaps 20 minutes altogether.  We gave her some calpol in the afternoon and that seemed to hit the mark, and she seemed to settle after that.  Lots of cuddles all round.  Five consecutive episodes of Waybuloo was also calming - on her and me!

Despite that, I did manage to spend a little time in the kitchen.  I made tomato soup and a carrot cake.  We had some fresh carrots for tea, that we got from Gubergill, these were lovely.  Following on from this, I watched two episodes of River Cottage Veg and now I'm getting fired up all over again to get the garden growing fruit and veg and to do tons and tons of cooking and baking!

I've also been inspired by a new book and magazine.  The book is The Hairy Bikers - Perfect Pies.  I've never been a huge fan of the hairy bikers, but I will now watch them a bit more often.  If you like proper food and PIES, get this book and use it!

The other source of inspiration - and ooohs and aaahs - as well as 'do I have the yarn for that?' is Interweaves new magazine - 'Jane Austen Knits'.  All the projects are inspired by the literary works of Jane Austen.  I quite like Jane Austen.  I have never known a knitting magazine make me want to read a novel.  The projects in the magazine are gorgeous and some are even jaw dropping.  Highly recommended.

Must dash now - I want to be settled on the sofa with a cuppa and a slice of carrot cake for when the season finale of Downton Abbey starts - oh and to have my knitting to hand (bet you could guess that though!).

A Short Walk Along Nursery Road

 Today was a lovely clear, crisp day.  I was getting cabin fever and wanted to get out.  The last few days I have been putting up with ('suffering' sounds too melodramatic) with one of my 'cold-nearly flu, might be a chest infection on it's way, but definitely bloody laryngitis'!  If you know me, you'll know what I mean!  I've not had this lurgy since March '10.  Or did I have it last November, I can't remember?  For quite a few years I've been getting it twice a year, but not this March, luckily, for some reason.  And it's been worse since I was involved in the fire at work, thankfully I think most of the damage has healed from that incident.  But it's back and I've had enough of it already.  So, with a little bit of energy about me, I wanted to get out and go for a walk.  Just a short one, I didn't want to over do it - a thing that is difficult to judge when I'm like this.

Oh and as I'm still sussing out this new blogger interface, the photo's are in reverse order - with the old interface, I had to upload them like that.  Live and learn.

So our walk in reverse.  These friendly cows you have seen before, in the spring.  HK and I have fed them grass in the evening.  They were very interested in us walking past and without prompting they came up to us for a closer look.  We had all gone out - myself, HK, Mary-Jane and Rhinog.  The cows belong to the farmer next door but one to us.  Mary-Jane wasn't quite sure what to make of them.

 A close up of brambles in thistles

 The colours of the trees, for those which haven't shed their leaves already, is quite magnificent.  This doesn't quite do it justice but the blueness of the sky is a lovely backdrop.

 Looking into Nursery Woods.  The light play amongst the tress was stunning

 Nursery Road heading towards Beckermet.  Around this bend is my bench, which I used often in the first few months we were here.  Unfortunately the bench has come a-cropper.  There is no longer slats to sit on and the left side seat upper is in a state of collapse.  I don't know if it will be mended.  I hope so.

 Looking eastwards.

 Mary-Jane, not particularly enjoying this part of the walk.  In fairness, on the way there, we were walking in to a bright, low winter sun.  MJ was much happier on the way back, after this photo was taken.  Plus I think she was wanting a pick-up and the wheels on the buggy had stopped going round.......

I have found a couple of mitten patterns for MJ.  I know they won't take long to do.  The will definitely have string attached to them both, in time honoured tradition! Yesterday I cast on a skirt for her, in a purple 4 ply.  It's a swooshy one - over 220 stitches on the front hemline alone.

The lesser spotted HK and Rhinog, walking ahead of us.

I really ought to try and go for a walk on the better weather days.  I forgot how much I enjoyed them and how relaxing they were.

MJ and the Tigger Poncho

I have finished the Tigger Poncho for Mary-Jane.  I need to make a coupld of adjustments, like sewing a fastening and putting a few stitches up the front opening.  I used a lot less yarn than what I thought I would.  Enough of my ramblings - here is the little lady herself.  She was sat quietly playing when I slipped the poncho on her, so I didn't want to disturb her too much for any 'action' shots - I'm sure there will be plenty of time for these later!

Mary-Jane does like having her photo taken and will smile and pull faces.  This is one of her favourite poses at the moment.

 A beautiful photo of a beautiful girl

Mary-Jane is growing in confidence in walking every day.  I think this is the first photo we have of her walking by herself.  I took it today.  I had to indulge myself and make the pictures large!

MJ

 Mary-Jane reading one of HK's fishing magazines..... she'll know how to fish before she gets to the riverbank!

MJ enjoys sitting at ther table and playing with her crayons.  She still likes getting them out of the pot one by one then putting them back in again.

Playing with the new blogger interface....

Bear with me.  I'm trying the new interface at the moment.  Mary-Jane is having a good nap, she was awake and chattering early, HK is watching TV.  I'm waiting to go out with Mum, to go to Chambers in Workington to get some dye for tonight, so I can start making the leaves.

So I'm having a play with the new interface.  I tried it some weeks ago and just couldn't wrap my head round it.  I must be clearer in my thinking at the moment as it seems a lot simpler than before.....

One thing I want to get right is space between paragraphs.....

Tigger Poncho In Progress

Happy Halloween!

My thoughts go out to all those with the snow on the US East Coast - hope you're all bearing up x

My needles have been whirring with Mary-Jane's Tigger Poncho. The pattern is simple and straight forward. I am about half way down the main body. The hood (the top of the picture) was done in moss stitch (seed stitch) although you can't really see stitch definition, you can tell the difference in texture between the moss and the stocking stitch. The photo shows the back of the poncho. There are some random stripes coming through at the moment, which are looking good.

We have had quite a quiet Halloween this year. Halloween usually has a fairly personal element for us, for HK and I. This evening HK and I had our traditional nibbles - chicken wings and Hotter Buffalo Wing Sauce (many thanks to Paula for this!) and I had indian nibbles - pakora, bhaji's and samosas with raita. Then we watched a film - Clive Barkers The Plague, a little disappointing. I think I'm not used to my spicy foods any more as I'm rather mal-odourous at the moment, with a growing green vapour cloud. I'm glad HK isn't in the room. I wish I wasn't!!!

Mary-Jane has been bouncing most of the day. She had a really good nap this afternoon and woke with peggy ache and stayed with peggy ache, the poor little mite. She wanted cuddles and pick up most of the afternoon, which she duly had! She then had an early tea and early bed. I've literally heard only one peek out of her since I took her up. Teething really makes her tired. However, this afternoon, for the first time she tried to singalong to a song - Mickey Mouse's Hot Dog Song. She has been able to say 'dog' for quite a while, so she joined in the song singing 'dog'! At the moment she is having so many firsts, almost every day. Today she also tried saying 'cheeky'. I really ought to keep some kind of log of her words and development. Another first today (as far as I know) was going for a walk in the house with just Grandad.