knitting

I have been knitting this week, following a pattern on my ideas list. How surprised are you that Stephanie has already claimed it, even though it is barely half done!

Stephanie has decided to pick up the knitting that she began a LONG time ago. She is trying so hard with it look at the concentration in her face;

 

Needlework;

 

Excuse the pictures, she was sat on my la doing this. She has gone to bed very proud as she completed 2 whole rows by herself.

 

 

I am knitting in peace now as Stephanie is in bed, whilst I watch Strictly Stephanie's (!) new scarf is growing nicely.

 

Knole country house

Yesterday was my last daytime to myself; Dylan was due home after dinner. So I decided to take the time to go to a country house. The children enjoy walking and playing in the grounds of these  places, but they don't like to stop for long enough for me to read and admire the fabrics and furnishings which I really enjoy when we visit. So I went alone so that I could enjoy these at my leisure.

I chose to go to the Knole Country house as it is a place we used to go as a family when I was young, we never went in the house but used to picnic in the grounds. We used to call it 'the deer park' as there are so many deer there. It also has the added bonus of being a National trust property so I was able to enjoy it for free as part of my membership. My membership saved me £14- £4 to park and £10 to walk around the house.

It is such an impressive house.

The deer ornaments.

Currently there is a lot of restoration being done to fix the roof.

There was lots of the decoration like those on top of the gate throughout the house.

Absolutely beautiful grounds surround the house.

you can see the difference in the seasons when you look back at our visit earlier in the year.

 

When I got home I spent some time pottering in the garden;

I have had to empty this patch of garden, I was growing peas here, but the neighbours cat has decided it makes a great litter tray and now nothing will grow. I have removed all the compost and will have a little rethink about how to use this space and deter the cat!

I then sat and did some knitting. I have managed to finish the school shrug for Stephanie, although now the weather seems to be turning decidedly autumnal so she may not get much use out of it!

 

 

Sunday

Today I began by doing another bootfair. I am trying to make enough money for us to have a weeks camping before we go back to school. I really want to go to the New Forest, we will have to see.

At the bootfair I sold £31.50 of old items, mostly clothes after deducting the £10.00 pitch fee that is a profit of £21.50. Combine that with last weeks total I have made a profit of £58.20. That is roughly half of what I need to camp for the week. So time to get the thinking cap on for how to come up with the rest, considering we are going away this weekend to stay with family.


Once home from the bootfair I stashed the unsold items in the attic, I may do another bootfair in a few weeks if they are still running, depends on the weather as to how long they go on for. I had a little snooze and then I have  sat watching films and knitting. I have made this for Stephanie, when she returns from her Dad's house;

It is identical to the one I made for myself which she loves so much. I am thinking about casting her one on in the green wool I have left over from knitting her school cardigan as sometimes she wants a cardigan but her others are to warm. It doesn't use much yarn to make these, they are great stash busters and the pattern is really easy to pick up and put down when you have a few minutes.

OOH look what I have done.

I'm feeling rather proud of myself this evening- I have managed to complete the back section of Stephanie's cardigan I have been knitting. Take a peek:

I'm incredibly proud of this piece of knitting, it has taken me a lot of thought to follow this pattern, I was a little baffled by the binding off. I always though finishing knitting involved casting off, being the opposite of the casting on I did at the beginning. So a little googling/ you tubing I discovered that binding off and casting off are the same.

So I have now cast on the left front. So hopefully in a few days you will see this garment progressing well. Now though I need some sleep in anticipation of a day on the allotment tomorrow.

phew, found 5 minutes to myself at last!

Wow it has been a hectic few weeks (yeah I hear you, when isn't life hectic when you are a parent?)

I have been finishing off my PGCE teaching practice, I have been finding a job, spending time with the children and spending the weekends visiting my Mum who is poorly and not managing housework. So have been cleaning 2 homes as well.

My teaching practice is now complete am pleased to say I have passed! I have found a job; well 2 kind of- one for supply work over the last few weeks of the Summer term and  a permanent job starting September. So I just have a few days to complete at uni this week and then I am officially a teacher. Scary stuff!

Needless to say things have been pretty hectic here I have managed to do some making/baking but I haven't taken many pics. Here are just a couple to give you an idea of what we have been doing.

feeding my aunt's hand reared kitten

making cake

pirate day at school

Cat sitting, silly thing keeps eating grass then being sick!

Winner of the crazy dance competition

Chilling in the garden

The green knitting is my first attempt at making something complicated* knitting wise, it is going to be a school cardigan for Stephanie.

I am having a day off tomorrow and hoping to spend it down the allotment, so expect an allotment related post tomorrow.

I have big plans for my days off before the children break up from school, although I suspect I won't be any where near as productive as I need to be in order to achieve everything.

* complicated for me as a complete novice, I am sure this pattern is actually very basic.

Yarn along

I found my way to Ginny's yarn along today via jacintas blog and thought I would join in to so here is my pic

The knitting is a hat to match the rainbow scarf I made Stephanie last week. It is only the second item I have ever knitted and so far appears to be going well I am using this pattern. As it says in the title it is basic, maybe my next knitting attempt may be something a little more complicated, perhaps.

The book is Loverws and Players because I like to read easy no thinking required kind of books in bed.

Also today I have finished my dress, and made a couple of alterations so I am now happy with the fit.

admittedly not hte best photo, but perhaps I can get a better one when I wear it.

This is the latest dress I made Stephanie, I made it using butterick b4718, it is a pattern I have used a lot over the past couple of years Stephanie has several dresses from it all in different prints as she likes them so much.

My next dress for her is a little different she chose a new pattern when we were shopping for material on Friday, picture will follow once I have made it.

finally some sewing!

I have been busy the past few weeks with school. However I am very pleased that it is half term, I have caught up with several things which need to be done. I have finished Stephanie's scarf, I have completed the hexie quilt and tonight I have sewn 2 summer dresses for Stephanie. Take a peek-

She loves them both!

This is the first of the dresses I made her this evening. I have not yet photographed the second dress, maybe I'll get that tomorrow. I'm so pleased I have finished some of the projects. I now need to get started on some more;

1. more summer dresses for Stephanie

2. curtains for all of our bedrooms

3. hat to go with the scarf- I have just cast this on so need to get on with it.

4. Winnie the pooh quilt

I love the weekend

I love the weekend, it is a time when we can spend time as a family and not have times to be in set places. Well if you ignore the Saturday morning swimming lessons.
Sundays have absolutely no restrictions on our time. So today we got up after having a lie in, came down I made sausage and egg muffins for breakfast. Whilst eating we decided that we were going to Teston country park. We had lots of fun playing in the mud and puddles there.

This picture was taken just after Dylan fell over in a puddle. It didn't spoil our fun too much, although we did come home quicker than planned as he got, unsurprisingly, cold.

After we got changed we popped to the shops to get some bits and pieces when Stephanie spotted some rainbow wool. She promptly asked "Mum can you make me something with this wool because it is so so cool". Now I have not knitted something since I was a teenager, so bought some needles and decided I can make her a scarf. Lots of head scratching later and I am remembering how to do stocking stitch;

So far its going well, the challenge is going to be the hat she wants to have to match the rainbow scarf. Guess I best start looking for patterns!