Making memories.

You're never too old for a day out with mum.

last minute decision to get out of the house to stretch our legs

fab time had by all.

Weekended.

Today is the last day of my lovely long weekend, 4 days as added a days leave today.

It's been a reasonably quiet affair, I am not used to staying at home, May half term we usually get away somewhere, but with no 2 being mid exams and having started a new job where I was not allowed to take the whole week off, I have been staycationing.

Friday night was the meal out, Saturday night was meal out at Friends, Sunday was BBQ at home with the father in law down for the afternoon, and yesterday was duly called a PJ day. The weather was wet and miserable so we just stayed put, hubs was at work sadly, yep on a bank holiday.

I must admit I did get a bit of a moany face on yesterday, stir crazy, but not house stir crazy, just needing to get away crazy, but it's only 6 weeks till we go fly a plane for a great escape, so quickly pulled myself together.I am one of those people that need to haven upcoming break away to keep me going..

Sunday Morning saw a bit of sunshine so I took the opportunity to enjoy some garden relaxing, my first lilly has flowered in the pond

that made me very happy. 

I read a bit of my current book

no 2 son bought this for me for my birthday and I am really enjoying it, I have her next book to read so want to try and get this finished. Its a lovely easy read about her daily life and the births of her children, a gentle smile inducing book. One of my goals this year is to try and read all my paperbacks and then recycle them. I have tons on my kindle to read, but there is just something about a real book that I love.

I also managed to finish my Patronus Shawl

absolutely love it despite having made a few mistakes, it needs a good blocking, then I will be waiting for a suitably chilly day to get this beauty out, there is a distinct possibility that I am going to make another in darker colours.

I supervised no 2 baking his favourite cake and have so far remained good and not had a slice

hes actually very good at baking, all done by himself just a  few little reminders from me, he even whisked up the fresh cream himself !

Decided that my little crafting room needed a bit of a sort out, it was that just finished a project need to start another mood!, whilst mooching I found this

totally forgot I made this, it just needs a little popper at the back of the neck and its ready to go, will need to read through old blog to find out what pattern I used but its a longer style tunic, just the thing for my up coming holiday. I really should get the machine out again, I have not sewn anything in months.

Next up was harsh decision time, 2 knitting projects that were not just cutting it for me, frogged them both. First up was this lovely lace weight scarf/shawl

love the yarn but just cant find the right pattern, this is the 3rd project I have cast on with this yarn. I do have a 2nd skein so may just knit 2 strands to get a heavier weight yarn. I feel a bit guilty about this yarn as my lovely friend bought me 2 skeins and I just haven't knit it up yet.

Then I frogged these socks

it seemed such a good idea at the time, knit a long tube, then add the heels in as an afterthought, then cut, yes CUT, the tube in half to then knit the toes. I really enjoyed the simplicity of tube knitting but the rest of it was a right faff. My tension is way to lose, my first attempts at this type of heel was dodgy and even though I measured you can see I cut in the wrong place, and to be honest really didn't fancy finishing them. I am not a convert to this style of sock knitting, more a traditional girl, But I have bought the fishlips heel pattern and will give that a go when I finish the socks currently on the needles.

Then I found the new cast on

Just the thing for dismal bank holidays sunshine in a skein !

the tassels are going to be pink !

Cast that on and yesterday afternoon the boys and I decided we would watch a film, I really wanted to watch Moana but they just would not agree, no idea why, so we compromised and watched sing, I am just a big kid at heart!

Today  is another dismal wet day here, the boys are still sleeping, the hound is not wanting to go out, and I may well just go and knit some more sunshine until there is some life in this house, maybe , just maybe I might fit a walk in..

My Patronus progress.

I am so loving this project, its completely addictive. I love the colours, the little pops of luminous yellow just adds to that whole ' expect patronus' feeling, yes its Harry Potter inspired colourways and pattern.

Started 11th May 2017

Section 1

Section 2.

section 3

This has been a totally monogamous knit, I have knit on nothing else, I am possessed..

50th Friendaversary.

Last weekend saw my oldest friend and I celebrate 50 years of friendship.There have been ups and downs and periods where we didn't see much of each other, but we have always been there for each other. Shes the sort of friend that when you do meet up, its like you only saw each other yesterday. To celebrate this anniversary we decided to take a weekend away together, We had planned a weekend in London but changed the venue to Birmingham. We haven't been away together since we were in out teenage years so it was a gamble as we decided to share a twin room. Snoring and insomnia apart we had a fab time.I wont go into details about the snoring [me] or the insomnia [her].

We planned the weekend in advance as we had managed to get tickets for a concert that she wanted to see, it was also her Birthday treat from her Dad.  We went to see TAKE THAT...no I am not embarrassed, they are great performers and the Genting arena was a great venue. I have to say most of the audience was women of a certain age, there were a few husbands that had been dragged along but generally a female audience. Oh my, what can I say, we had a fabulous time, the concert was great, a real show, there was just so much to see, it was so well done, the dancers were extraordinary and the stage sets were fab, it helped that they had a circular central stage and the venue was not one of these huge venues where you cant see a thing, we had an amazing seat.  If you ever have the opportunity to see one of their shows go for it, there is so much to see. I'm not a huge Take That fan but I thoroughly enjoyed the night and definitely want to see them again.

we shopped and ate and partook of a few beverages and walked miles !! I have to say the transport system in Birmingham is amazing, as was the shopping. I was totally knackered when we eventually got home.

I did do rather a lot of shopping, next to the arena was an outlet venue, most of the items were for our upcoming holiday,[bought for hubs too],but there was a VANS store, oh dear, I have wanted some VANS for ages, but refused to pay silly prices for footwear for me, BUT.....they were so cheap I bought 2 pairs.The total was less than you would pay for 1 pair of VANS and these will last me years.

Having 2 weekends away in succession have totally wiped me out, So much so that yesterday I took a days annual leave so that I could get the ironing and housework done! it needed to be done for my sanity. My little pink escape den had become overflowing with 'stuff' so much so I just couldn't do anything in there. I feel so much better now that I have cleared my little den.It also means that I still have 2 weekend days to enjoy and relax in before I have to go back to work on Monday.

My plans for this weekend include a haircut and some more knitting on this little beauty

I am addicted to this project, all others have been cast aside..The yarn is fab, the pictures don't do the colours justice,it is such an easy pleasant knit. Just what I need this weekend.

Happy Mail day to me.

I have been on a yarn binge again, I cant help it, I am just addicted to nice squishy yarny goodness, it just looks so pretty.....

Here's today's stash enhancements

My patronus kit from norah george yarns, the expecto patronum colourway, so much better up close than I expected, love love love it.

The pattern is the  patronus shawl from Madeleine Windsor, and hopefully it will end up just like this one

[Pics from Madeleine's project page.]

This is the same colourway that I have just bought. I am so wanting to cast this on right now, but I have to skein it up first.. maybe tomorrow...

Then I just had to but this yarn as the colourway is Lundy Island

Fyberspates vivacious 4ply

We have just booked our 3rd trip to Lundy Island for next year, so I had to but this, thinking its going to be a cardigan type thingy, not quite sure yet, really need 4 skeins but they only had 3.Hoping I can pick up another of the same dye lot somewhere.

I have been knitting, honestly, will try and get a few pics of works in progress for you, but there is definitely more yarn going into my stash than there is going out ! and I am still waiting on 3 more skeins... oops...

Glastonbury camping.

Had a lovely mini break with our friends in Glastonbury, 2 nights of rest and relaxation, with a longish walk thrown in and a mooch about glastonbury village. 

Barry Bongo did us proud and the awning functioned perfectly as a dining room on Friday night.

We had a weekend visitor who popped in and out all weekend 

a very friendly fellow indeed.

During our mooch about my friend and I popped into an arts & crafts fare, there was a lady doing Tarot readings, strangely friend and I had said we should get our cards done earlier that day, as we were thinking about it , my hubs said he would pay, very unusual as he is a sceptic in all such things, job done, decision made.

Duly had my cards 'read' , nice reading, very accurate and gave me some good pointers to move forward with certain things, although I think the first 2 cards related to my friend as it was almost a duplicate of the conversation we had had walking down into the village earlier that day, Friend said hers was a good reading too. Whilst we were otherwise engaged our hubbies wandered around the village and found a nook to take of a beverage or 2 !

I really loved the cards that the tarot reader had used  and as we were about to head back to the campsite I noticed a little shop we had not been in, so friend and I headed in and low and behold what was waiting for me? the very pack of cards that the reader had used, obviously meant to buy these cards, 

Love them ,the cards are beautiful and I like the message. you can make of it what you will I know, but I love the daily card ritual, picking out a message to guide my day, sometimes all you need is a little prompt to look at something differently or get a little push in the right direction.