At last!!

After having had the mad idea this time last week that I'd knit a pair of thick woolly socks for my twin nephews' 2nd birthday today, I've been madly knitting where I can, after work, whilst the bath runs, whilst the dinner is in the oven. But finally, finally, they're complete!!!

Chicks and Kids

For those of you who loved the Tony Chick, he came from this wonderful book by Nicki Trench of Laughing Hens. I can't tell you how quick and easy he was to crochet - and will be giving these to all the children in my family!!! I still haven't had time to photography the little 'Alpine' socks I've been madly knitting for my twin nephews' birthday - by the time I get home from work the light really isn't right and I may have said somewhere in the past, but I really hate to use flash - well at least, I hate to use the little built in flash on my rather lovely camera. I've considered buying a stand alone flash gun - but to be honest with you, they are so expensive, that if I saved up the money for one of those, I'd rather go and spend it instead on a 100mm macro lens.... ah - wish on!! 

I was talking with friends at work the other day about the sticky state of our finances; February is always an awkward month as so many bills come in from Christmas. As Ms Organised here can also testify, having your tv licence, MOT and car tax all fall due at the same time is not the best way to manage finances.... I have almost, almost, made the final decision to sell my beloved Land Rover Defender (one of the 'proper' ones) once it's had it's MOT. I bought it to travel - but jobs and money don't really fit. It has been over three Alpine passes and wandered through France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany - and I feel that must be the extent of my adventures for the forseeable future - and let me tell you, it is an adventure when there are six in the car and you decided not to book any camp sites, hotels or hostels - in order to be freer to move on!!

Now, as you may have read, I have four rather wonderful children (well, I pretend the boys are wonderful most of the time). And children have been much on my mind this half term week. From arranging a new first time adult passport for the 16 yr old - and the traumas of finding necessary ID to get him through the security measures at the London passport office (bills??? with his name and address???? - how many 16 yr old boys have those???) - to youngest daughter leaving her phone on one of three possible trains - or even, possibly, her father's house - to finally the terrible news (for any parent) that one of eldest daughter's friends had had a horrific skiing accident and broken his back in two places..... Well, when it transpired that skiing accident was in fact, accident that occurred whilst on a skiing holiday, and young man in question had actually thought it was a good idea to climb an electricity pylon - well doesn't your heart freeze.... Any of you who have teenage boys must think "there but for the grace of God..." Why, why, why do teenage boys not develop any common sense??? This one was lucky to get away with two breaks in his back and and amputated finger from burns from 40,000 volts....
So, of all my children, only little Miss Youngest Daughter allows her photo to be taken - and very glad about it I am too - As a biased mother  I think she is extraordinarily beautiful - just like her elder sister, elder brother and twin brother.

Tony and his favourite pink tutu

Just a quick post today - I spent the weekend knitting baby socks - oh so cute!! - and trying out some little creatures, thinking ahead to Easter. I gave my trial chick to my colleague at work, male, as he's always having to listen patiently to the rest of the office talking about the various crochet and knitting patterns we have on the go!! I then rushed down to the textiles class to borrow some netting to 'make' a tutu - for the Pretty Pink Tuesday group on flickr - the theme for this week is pink tutus - and Tony is the admin there who works so hard on making us photographers look beyond our personal safety nets.

Anyway - I so love my Tony Chick that I couldn't wait to get him on the blog - I'll try and return with photos of socks in the next few days!!

My Days

Gosh, its been a long time since I've written anything on here; the dreaded snow storms throughout the UK completely missed my little corner of the world - we had some sleet showers, some snow that never settled - and yet it's been so cold. The grey skies and wet sheen on the ground have made me apathetic and so, so tired - so it's been work, sorting out the domestic stuff and more work. In between though, I managed, just - because I really haven't been feeling inspired - to finish my socks!! This pic shows the first finished one and I promised I've completed it's pair, just haven't had time to photograph it yet!!!! I've really enjoyed it when I have picked up the needles, and this weekend I'm intending to start a second pair, using 4ply this time round.

Despite my apathy, I have still been crocheting at least one row an evening of my beautiful ripple blanket. I just love it. As it grows, it becomes more and more beautiful. I'm so looking forward to finishing, blocking and wrapping it away in tissue paper towards my eldest daughter's Christmas - because yes, that's what I'm intending - a blanket for her and  flower one of some description for her younger sister.

Meanwhile, something very exciting happened over on flickr! I had a mail from Getty Images inviting me to join as a contributor to their library!! Well, I was so excited about that - but guess what - I've had no time to work on the photos they've requested - so that too I'm hoping to get on top of this weekend. It will probably be the last I hear - can't imagine anyone wanting to buy them - but still - it was lovely to receive that mail!!! 

I picked up a little energy today and booked tickets to see Tim Minchin - he doesn't come here til September, but already our huge recently refurbished multi million pound theatre is well on the way to being completely booked out - No idea whether I'll find him funny or not, but my darling eldest went to see him last year, and really wanted me to go with her this year. I'm so touched that at 18 she's asked her mother that of course I said I would go!! I also booked, for May - another knitting workshop!! This time it's 'Designing a Knit to suit you' - I've done a little bit of knitwear design and am really relishing the opportunity to do some more, especially as it's at the same place I went to do the sock knitting workshop - the absolutely divine 'Knit & Yarn' in Bungay. Well that's it for know, youngest daughter is having her hair cut by the DC in the kitchen, and I am being yelled at - see you soon!

blue monday snowflake

blue monday snowflake, originally uploaded by boo *(sorry, I have so much catching up to do)..

Well, I've always wanted to try and photograph a snowflake - and this is my first attempt!! Actually, I feel that this is nature turned into an amazing diamond and sapphire brooch!!

We had snow today, but nowhere near as bad as the rest of the country - never the less, the Met Office kept threatening good old Norwich with worsening weather conditions and in the end work and the schools gave in and closed at lunch time - so I;ve had a wonderful afternoon at home! Such a treat during the week!! We are all praying for another snow day tomorrow!!!

My sock knitting is coming on in leaps and bounds, as is my beautiful ripple blanket. I'm getting very organised - socks at the weekend, ripple blanket - min one row an evening - and crochet cushion - one square per lunch break - except no lunch break today!!! I'll try and photograph them all beautifully soon!!

On our way home, we stopped outside a fabric shop for my eldest to buy some interfacing - I spent the weekend teaching my two girls how to dressmake - they each chose a pattern, material, cut out pattern and cut out material. Next stop - putting the fabric together!!! As I sat in the car, I noticed sitting in a door front an old man wrapped in a sleeping bag - he was covered with snow - it was all over his beard, head - and I thought, well, I can't judge on why someone has ended up living like this - but it's not right, is it, not when our government is ladling out billions and billions to prop up the banks - who's executives carry on awarding themselves bonuses - and, according to one Sunday paper, taking themselves off on company jaunts to Europes most expensive ski resorts. Tell me that's not right???

Well, my youngest son and I scrabbled around in the car and found the picnic blankets - so young son jumped out of the car with that and his packed lunch and gave both to this snow covered frosty man..... But it isn't right is it? As everyone's safety net begins to not looks so safe these days - why is it that we still have people living on the street in this, the coldest winter for years?????