one good apple

I got my final Secret Pal parcel last week and boy was it a good one!  I got some beautiful Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK

Peaches and Creme, think these will end up being some fingerless gloves,

and that’s just for starters!  I also got an advent calender, chocolate coins, a magnetic shopping list, some gorgeous soap.  But best of all these,

Two amazing facecloths!  Far too good to be used, I think I might get these framed and give them pride of place somewhere in the living room!  Mandy has been the most amazing secret pal a girl could ask for, check out her blog to see her in all her crafty glory!  Thanks Mandy, you’re the best *^_^*

I put the Christmas tree up this week, Donald has found in particularly interesting, think he’s getting back to his roots. 

We’re thinking about getting him a friend at the moment, we’re both out of the house for a lot of the day and it would be nice for him to have some rabbit company.   He’s such a loving and friendly thing I think he deserves a mate to hang out with.  And speaking of rabbits, I made this young man last night,

with some fabric that my sister brought me back from Japan.  He was so easy to make that I think he’s going to be a stocking filler feature this year.  Time to finish off that Christmas scarf x

I’ve had two days off school to go on courses this week and it has been heaven.  Not that I don’t like my job, I love it, but you underestimate how tired it makes you.  In other jobs I’ve had the best parts were where you get to play around a bit, slack off a little and do something creative instead of the usual.  In this job the best parts are the hardest parts so you’re having loads of fun but tiring yourself out at the same time.  Very odd situation indeed.  Anyway, it’s been nice to be taught for a couple of days rather than doing the teaching so I am a happy little bunny.

Speaking of (not so) happy bunnies, I’ve been playing around here making pictures for Christmas cards for this year.  This is my favourite so far,

My very own Scrooge.  I’m going to couple more different ones I think and then order a batch.

This weekend will be filled with baking, knitting and making some Christmas decorations - it is the first tomorrow after all - as well as sorting out a last little package for my secret pal.  I have two parcels waiting for me at the post office that I’m going to pick up in the morning, I have a feeling that one might be my SP sender reveal - can’t wait!

It came!  It came!  Another parcel from the best Secret Pal that ever existed *gush gush*  And, oh my, were there treats in store,

For me, some gorgeous roving to card and spin and make into something soft and amazing,

The Dyer’s Garden by Rita Buchanan

that has meant I spent the weekend in the boy’s father’s garden seeing what I can gather and take home, a cute little bunny bookmark, some Thorntons chocolates that lasted about an hour, sparklers, Haribo and, most exciting for Donald, Flumps and rabbit biscuits. 

Thank you so much Secret Pal, I can’t wait to get started with the fleece and dyes.  I hadn’t realised what a positive experience this swap was going to be but I’m totally sold on it and will definitely be coming back for more *^_^*

In other news, the will was strong but my laptop’s desire to pack in was stronger last week as it gave up the ghost and refused to let me use it in order to blog every day as I’d planned.  Typical isn’t it?  Luckily she has been pushed aside and replaced by the boy’s PC that we’d left in his mum’s when we moved last.  He is a very happy bunny and I am now able to type words with the letter ‘d’ in and make spaces without pounding at the keyboard.

I’ve also started work on this,

which is going to be a present for my sister who doesn’t have enough room for a Christmas tree.  I’m nearly done and will post pictures as soon as I have.  It’s turned cold here today so I’m off to put some woolly socks on and bed down for the night in front of the (rubbish) telly.  Happy snuggles.

Pretty easy one to start the week on wasn’t it?!  Fireworks round at the boy’s sister’s house whilst Donald was safely ensconced in the bathroom with a cabbage for company.

I also, after living here for nearly a year, got round to putting up pictures that have either been in the cupboard or laid against a wall since moving in. 

AND I started on  a pair of Christmas socks for my sister using the other pattern from my secret pal.  I’ve messed up the toe a little but don’t think it’s too noticeable ^_^ 

I swear I’m on a roll…

Another lazy Sunday, making the most of the reasonable weather while we still have it. We spent the morning in a local flea market, parting with our hard earned cash in small doses. We took John’s nephew Dan along who is great fun, mainly because he isn’t yet at that awkward teenage boy stage and will do pretty much anything you want him to for a giggle. A case in point…

I also rooted out a throw that I’ve been working on - the edging in blue is all that needs finishing but I was desperate to see what it would look like all together so I sewed the edging that i have finished onto the main pink part of the throw in order to make it look like this,

And my socks using the yarn from my secret pal, it feels gorgeous, can’t wait to wear them… 

Here’s the quilt I was talking about earlier in all its clashing glory,

I think I’m going to try and find a single duvet in Asda and sew it into the cover in order to use it as a counterpane or some such thing.  In fact I’ve been buying so much knitting, crochet and sewing supplies that we ended up taking a trip out to Ikea a few weeks ago and buying shelves to store everything!

Other exciting news is that I’m now on ravelry - my username in emilylikesto - feel free to add me and look at the stuff I’ve got on there so far!

I’m being incredibly slack with posting at the moment due to the back to work rush and with it the huge pile of marking that ends on up on my desk every day.  I don’t know where it all comes from but I’m seriously considering buying a rubber stamp with a tick on it in order to prevent repetitive arm strain!  Still, we’re half way through the term already so it’s not all bad news…

My socks using the yarn my secret pal gifted me are well under way, I’m going to take some photos of them this week.  The yarn is totally gorgeous, much nicer than anything I’d usually buy for myself.  It’s funny how buying for someone else gives you the incentive to splash out - my secret pal sendee will soon be receiving some yarn it was very hard to part with!  I also spent age last week making a double duvet cover and pillow cases for our bed only to find when I went to put the duvet cover on that it was about a foot and a half too short.  Humph.  In my excitement I only measured the width of the duvet, not the length which is quite obviously going to be longer.  There were some anguished cries coming from the bedroom when I found out, Donald ran for in his cage and John sat quietly watching the telly trying to figure out what he done…  I suppose eBay came to my rescue as I’ve decided that I’m going to just buy some wadding, sew that it and have it as a coverlet on top of the duvet.  We’ll need it anyway as it starts to get colder - our bed is under the window and it lets in a healthy breeze on an alarmingly regular basis.  I’ve also been teaching myself German after falling in love with Germany on holiday.  I’m making slow but steady progress and hopefully next time I go I’ll be able to say something useful to the locals.

We went out for a walk around Liverpool today whilst the rain held off.  It’s funny how you go to all these places and take lots of photos but you never look on your own doorstep.  We walked down by the India Building and the business area of the city before walking across to the docks to have a look in the Tate.  Rodin’s The Kiss is in there at the moment so we had a look at that, had some lunch and reminisced briefly about our second date there when we found ourselves watching incredibly frank Tracy Emin film whilst simultaneously cringing with embarrassment.  Will upload some pics and post them tomorrow.

Don’t know what on earth that was all about but my ability to upload pics has reappeared!  Here is my parcel before opening (I am behind the camera rubbing my hands together with excitement) and below the lovely merino yarn and cute handmade card I recieved,

As Murphy’s law would have it, the photo I took of all the stuff won’t upload onto my computer so I will describe… two bars of of Divine orange chocolate, two Little Miss Sunshine pens and a Little Miss Sunshine floating soap, and two sock patterns.  I’m winding the yarn this evening and hopefully will be able to post some pics of my socks later on this week.  Socks are a good thing to think about at the moment since the weather turned.  I keep trying to look on the bright side of Autumn and Winter but when you get up in the dark and come home from work in the dark it’s quite hard.  So the thought of bright purple merino socks will really cheer me up!  Oh, did I mention the Flumps?!  Donald decided to help me eat those ones, Flumps are his favourite and he won’t be denied,

I have been rather lazy in posting over the last week or so what with going back to school and being exhausted and stuff but today I got back from town to find my first SP parcel waiting for me!

My SP had sent me loads of goodies, including some fantastic yarn and sock patterns that I’m going to start this evening! The haribos will be perfect for this evening when we intend to vegetate infront of the telly and watch The Money Pit or some similar cheesy film. For some reason I can’t seem to get photos to show up at the moment but I’ll try to do so after I have posted this now!

Knitting-wise things are going pretty slow at the moment, when I went to visit my mum my sister got me into ATCs which I’ve been beavering away at ready for I swap I’m doing with her on the theme of Autumn. I’ve also been doing a lot of sewing - taking dresses up and in, making new pillow cases and duvet covers for the bedroom. My mum also gave me a load of old cross stitch stuff and I’m thinking about using some black aida to make some christmas presents with a twist… I’m going to try and get my computer to uploads pics now, watch this space and THANK YOU SP!

Some more lovely questions to answer,

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
There really isn’t one!  I’m such a low tech knitter that as long as I’ve got yarn and needles I’m happy!  My needle guage is pretty useful and of course a tape measure.
2. If you’re heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If so, how much and what type of project?
If I’m visiting my ma then I’ll take along whatever I’m knitting at the time, end up buying more yarn and start a totally different project while I’m there.  The holidays I’ve been on in the past tend to not leave much time for sitting and knitting so if I was on hols then I would probably take something that requires little concentration or nothing at all (gasp!)

3. Where have you travelled to that you’d consider your favorite spot?

It would have to be Berlin, I’m taking german lseeons when school is back I loved it so much!  We tend to go to Wales a lot as it’s quite near.  There’s nothing like trekking through the valleys in the rain, coming home to a dry tent and listening to the noise it makes on the roof…

 4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?

The knitting book I’m using a lot at the moment is The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns by Ann Budd.  My sister got me One Skein for Christmas which has some great designs in too.  I prefer getting patterns off the internet and I’m loving the ones on http://mochimochiland.com/ particuarly the snake and mouse which I’m in the process of making.

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?

Love the Ricky Gervais podcasts, Karl is hilarious!  I also like Russell Brand on Radio 2 although it’s his sidekick who makes it.  Haven’t listened to any in a while as Donald chewed through my ipod earphones and I’m waiting for replacement ones to arrive, grr…