One month later and Tuesday Tallies

                                    

It's been a whole month since I've last posted. That's shocking! Where does the time go? Work has been manic (and not in a fun way) I also got to go on holiday last week to Norfolk so that was lovely.

I have a confession to make though.....
You know my Realta blanket I was making? The one I said I was going to finish and I was NOT going to start any other project befor I HAD finished? Weeeeellllll.........
I haven't done any of it since the last Tuesday tally over a month ago. I also started a few other bits as well.
I made this cowl/infinity scarf/snood for my youngest DD. It's made from James C.Brett Monsoon yarn and I love the colours in it. It's so autumnal and is very snuggly. Pattern is on Ravelry here http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/calm-cowl

 I started making another but decided to make it longer. This was not so successful. It was so long it was a trip hazard and the although I used the same yarn in a different colourway it just didn't look right. It's in the frogging pile!

I started a scard for myself using crocodile stitch using this pattern and Chenille gold yarn and this pattern on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crocodile-stitch

It feels so luxurious and is incredibly heavy. It's long enough to be worn but I'm going to make it a little longer I think.

And finally...

I wanted a project to work on while I was away. If I were sensible I would have continued with the Realta. I've been accused of many things in the past but being sensible isn't one of them. I started on the Wool Eater blanket on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-wool-eater-blanket
It's a very easy pattern to work with once you get the hang of it and makes a lovely, thick material.
I'm enjoying it a lot but will it be a blanket or a cushion cover....it's at cushion size already so the question is, do I continue?

I look at all your lovely blogs and see your finished projects and wish I had the patience and dedication to finish something like a blanket but I think I'm a cross between a goldfish and a magpie. I have the attention span of about 5 seconds and am easily distracted by anything bright or shiny.
Has anyone got any blinkers? Maybe if I don't look I might get somewhere!

Please don't forget to check out all the other lovely "One a Day" projects via Gingerbread Girl's blog.

Friday Buy and Try

I've been meaning to do something with my ever growing jewellery collection for what seems like ages. I had visions of highly organised racks and displays so I could easily see what I had. These, of course, would be colour coded. In reality I had bowls, trays and piles of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and pendants all over the bedroom. I decided that although the grand organisation thing was a brilliant idea, the likelyhood of it actually happening was somewhere around 0%. My best bet was to stash it in something that looked pretty. So that's just what I did.
One trip to TK Maxx later and I am the proud owner of these storage/accent boxes (actual TK Maxx descriptions!)

They look so nice (as long as you don't open them up)

Disaster in a box!

I'm having a bit of a rethink on my blanket. Ever since DH has claimed it he has been pestering me to finish it. He wants it to cover himself up with on the sofa (bless) This means it doesn't have to be king-sized like I origonally planned. The width is the perfect length for the sofa so instead of the ripples running width-wise I'm turning the blanket though 45 degrees so the width is now the length (are you with me?) So....I only have to make the new width single bed size which means I estimete I have to do another 5ish colour changes to finish. (It make sense to me :D)

I found the Something Pretty pattern on Millie Makes blog http://millemakes.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/something-pretty-the-pattern/
I fell in love with it but I must be a little thick because I just didn't get the pattern at all. I followed other peoples advice and watched you-tube videos of popcorn stitch for, what seems like, hours. I finally got it after the 3rd attempt. Now I understand it, it's pretty easy to do.

I'm kind of planning to make a cushion for oldest DD if she likes it......

WIP=2 :D

Wednesday blankey update

Things are almost back to normal here. We are all on a low cholesteral diet and I am so proud of DH. He's continuing to lengthen the amount of time between cigarettes. He's now up to 2 hours between them and each day he adds another 15 minutes to the time.

My Deramore order turned up on Monday. I got Stylecraft Special DK in Aspen, Spring Green, Grape, Magenta, Plum, Turquoise, Wisteria, Green, Bright Green and Violet. I also got a 10% voucher off my next order. I'm so tempted but I'd better use some of the yarn I got first I suppose.

I was trying to plan the next few colours ahead of time and I realised that red just didn't fit so I went with shades of pink, fading into lilac to get to purple.



I'm guessing I'm about 20% of the way through now.

I'm at the point where I just keep looking at all the pretty colours!

There's been a bit of a scuffle as to who will get the blanket when it's done. I originally planned for it to be on my bed but both DDs wanted it. Then DH trumped them and claimed it for him (for falling asleep in the sofa) He WAS a little put off when I told him it could take about 2 months to finish!

So.....2 more blankets for DDs, 2 for 2 friends who want them and not forgetting 1 for me.....I'll be blanketing for the next year!

Sunday round-up

This week has been a week of extreme lows and highs.
My DH had a heart attack on Monday and was taken to hospital by ambulance. After waiting in casualty for 7 hours he was finally given a bed on a ward at just gone midnight on Tuesday morning. Our eldest DD got on the first train down from Manchester to offer support. He was given a stent on Thursday and he was home on Friday.
We are trying to look at it in a positve light. He was a very heavy smoker who didn't want to give up. He used to say to me that he probably already had lung cancer anyway so what was the point (we lost his mum and dad and my mum to lung cancer) The hospital gave him a chest xray and his lungs were clear. Since coming home he's been brilliant. He's gone from over 60 a day to under 20 a day and is making the gaps in between cigarettes longer each day.
We are all so thankful to have him home safe and sound.

It will come as no surprise at all when I tell you I didn't work on my blanket during this time. I picked it up again yesterday though and made great progress.

Nearly finished with orange!

I'm just about to start with the red section. I'm going to use Stylecraft yarn in Shrimp as a transition colour.

I am beginning to question the sense in making a blanket when it is over 30 degrees though. It's so muggy in London.

DH must be grateful to be home. He didn't even blink when I told him I'd ordered more wool last night. I usually get a small whinge ou of him but I just got 'alright love' I feel vaguely cheated somehow! I've never ordered from Deramore before but I've heard good things so I'll be looking out for a package on Tuesday. That will be my purples and more blues and greens.
Cant wait!

Sunday, Sunday

All is peaceful here. I'm taking advantage of the quiet to catch up with some reading and a little photography...oh and some washing :(

My lack of yellow yarn was preying on my mind yesterday until I couldn't take it any more. Hubby kindly drove me into Welling and I had a mooch around the homeware stores there in search of lemony relief. I came away with these...

Happiness in a ball!

The orange is quite a bit brighter than it looks in the photo. In fact I'm looking at it now (it's peeking over the top of my stash bag) and I'm wondering what on earth I was thinking (I know what I was thinking. I was thinking "ohhh I don't have that colour!")
I have a few more days before I'm at the 'orange' stage so maybe I can come up with other alternatives.
Progress was fairly slow yesterday but I stuck by my target of a colour change per day.

For some reason my cat seems to be scared of the blanket.....she legged it in the house when I put it on the table. Most odd!

 I ended up feeling bad so I came back inside!
 I STILL can't get the colours to photograph true. I may have to get the photography lamps from the loft (well, hubby can anyway) Maybe not today though :)