Sun, Sudoko & A Sheepy Peg Bag

My lovely husband is always busy..even on a sunny day he can't sit still for long. Yes, after a couple of weeks of heavy showers and a few thunderstorms the sun has returned. It has now been here for 5 whole days (it's Scotland..it won't last!). The dog and I have been sitting in the garden and whilst I amuse myself with alfresco knitting or Sudoku, Patch chases bees. The Hubs will sit for all of 5 minutes drinking his mug of tea before once again getting restless. Wash the car, clean the windows, move plants or put on a load of washing..I kid you not...and yes he is a keeper. It's fair to say he does most of everything that needs to be done around here and although he may not think so it's all totally appreciated. As far as the laundry goes, he does it with military precision and when he hangs things out on the line (believe it or not I can't reach) everything has it's place...undies on one line..pj's on the next and jeans and tops on the other. I like a man who is organised and Hubs is like this in everything he does which is handy when I am as scatty as they come (and have to write everything down to retain it!).

For months he has been complaining about the state of the peg bag which I have promised to repair or make a new one...needless to say it slipped my mind (time and time again!).


Out with the old...

Then we went shopping and a new peg bag was purchased..lol.



...and in with the new!

Sometimes it's the simple things that keep a harmonious home. Thanks Hubs for being such a star and agreeing to pose for some humorous photos for this post.

Seaside Babes..it's a knit thing

A few weeks ago I borrowed this pattern booklet from fellow knitter and friend, Mary. It's by Sirdar and is entitled Seaside Babes (pattern number 352 for those interested in purchasing). It contains 14 knits ranging in size from newborn to 7 yrs so it's pretty good value for around £6 (I will definately be buying my own copy now..lol). I'm pleased to report that I've already knitted 4 items with too much difficulty (but like most knitters..I hate the sewing up..sigh.)

The first item I knitted was a wee cap sleeved cardi with piquot edging in the first size (0-3 mths). It was my first attempt at this edging stitch so although it wasn't perfect I was pleased with how it turned out after I redid this part using a bigger needle so it wasn't quite so tight (I was knitting so tightly I snapped my Knit Pro acrylic needle,weep)

 

I also did this cardi in the same yarn (yes it's acrylic..please do not recoil yarn snobs out there) but in the age 1-2 year size as a gift for my friends wee girl. I think these knits would benefit from some kind of blocking or a damp press..but to be honest it's not something I usually bother doing with acrylic knits.



I then knitted this little tunic top in the 0-3 month size just to try the pattern..thinking I might knit the bigger size for friend's 4and a half year old if I liked it. The outcome is okay but it wasn't that an enjoyable knit..I had a bit of trouble lining up those blooming eyelets whilst shaping and I'm a bit concerned the neck might be a bit tight. I have 2 friends expecting babies this autumn so I'm hoping one of them has a girl with a reasonable sized head...lol.

My latest knit from this booklet..I'm pretty proud of..if I do say so myself (and I do). It's a bigger kid's size than I usually do (I like to finish projects quickly..hence the preference for small items) as this is an aged 4-5 yr old. The pattern is really easy but looks fairly effective so it's definately a winner. The picking up of 268 stitches for the button band was a bit daunting at first (I've only ever knitted the band seperately before..with like 5 sts at a time) but I took my time and managed to do it quite evenly. I even found some patience to sew this up neater than my usual bodged jobs...so thumbs up all round. It took around 250g (maybe less).

Now I'm just on the hunt for some suitable buttons...and thinking of those old fashioned leather ones..what do you think?

close up of easy pattern

One Woman Knit Camp

Knit Camp? Well kinda,..on my lonesome..lol.

We have spent most of the day indoors...it's been raining. However, even in dreary Scotland we occasionally get some sun and the last couple of days have been glorious. Unfortunately, by the time our pasty skins get climatised to 'tropical' temperatures of 23-24C..it's over all too soon. Every year it goes like this..one day we are wearing our coats and the next we are sitting out back, perspiring in little more than our underwear. By the time most of the Scottish contingent hunt out the dusty bottle of sunscreen they are already sporting skin the colour of a cooked lobster.

When the sun was shining I went camping...in my back garden. Regrettably, I can't really enjoy sleeping 'under the stars' in recent years thanks to my sleep apnea which requires me to be hooked up to the mains on my Bi-pap machine each night. Not sleeping out didn't stop me setting up camp though..and to be honest it made for a great shaded area when the sun got too strong. Needless to say the tent was also favoured by my four legged friend Patch..who liked to hog the cushions.



Patch..happy camper

 I even managed to find a few hours peace (between the neighbours cutting their grass/ dogs barking/ kids screaming) to get in some quality alfresco knit time. Then of course..like I'd already mentioned..the rain returned. The husband being the all-round humorous chappie that he is locked me out..cue the sorry sight of Little Lou trapped under canvas (hubs let the dog indoors...of course..lol).


It may not be obvious..but it was raining heavily here.