Wow, just remembered I have not been adding anything to my blog since February, naughty girl. I have been so busy though so do forgive me. Another new grandson born recently. I made a nice blanket for him as well, will put it up when I have found the photos I took.
The latest whim I have is to make the Baby Surprise Jacket by hand. So I sent for the book by Elizabeth Zimmerman 'Knitting workshop' Schoolhouse Press. The yarn has been purchased, the needles are ready so I opened up the book to the page of the pattern I wanted and started to read it. Bad idea, I got stuck on the neck decrease, which seemed not to make much sense to me. So I have spent the entire day looking for help on this subject. I am so happy that I have found so much information about it that I have to get a folder ready.
There are even videos for a step-by-step tutorial, now how can I go wrong with that? Well, we shall see-if there is one thing I know it's that if there is a way to go wrong on something that I will always end up doing it.
stubbornness though is my middle name, I will do this!!
I want to start a Knit-a-long, so if anyone would like to join me here is a great chance to help each other out with this darling little jacket.

Of course, you may have to purchase the pattern, but I believe you can get a pack of three (newborn,child and adult) for about $10 from Schoolhouse Press. Will be posting my progress soon, keep passing by.

Aaaah, been looking at a great big cone of 2/28 in white now for about a week and trying to get my head around how I am going to use it. Three times I have been into the loft as I remember there was a similar cone in pale green. Opened every box of yarn I had but could not find it. I did find a cone of 2/28 in a nice deep blue which I could use with the white so I brought it down. As soon as I did that, I opened a drawer to look for something and there was the green, sitting quietly and mocking me. Sod's law. Now I had to decide which one to combine......this is just too much for my brain cells to take.
A baby blanket then, always a good project to get started with when you have been 'dry' for a while, perhaps plating? Setting up the yarn I had a go at plating using two strands in each feeder and punch card No 10 from the basic set-nope, it was not going to work....too finicky for a novice such as I.
OK, maybe a tuck using two colours....that might be something to try. I must admit that I feel such a useless dork when I just can't get my head around something......and surely a knitting machine does not need a PhD to use?
Will let you know soon how I am getting on and whether I have any hair left!

I forgot to show you the finished baby blanket for my youngest grandson. Here it is:

Jet-lag, well I certainly know what that is now. It's falling asleep at 5pm when your son-in-law is talking to you! It's been over a week now since I got back and I woke up this morning at 4.30am, can't wait to get back into the normal pattern of things.
Speaking of patterns, I have come across this website which may be useful for those of us who like to crochet. I like to crochet-just don't have the brains for it, but I still keep trying!

http://www.craftyarncouncil.com

The weather we have been experiencing lately has blown all the leaves off the trees in the garden. This weekend is supposed to be sunny-we shall see.

My knitting machine, I have moved it to the other side of the room, along with the sewing machine. I am thinking of making a move on it sometimes soon, just hope I am not going into another one of my 'can't be bothered' phases. This happens now and again, I lose the enthusiasm and move on to something else like reading.

My Ebay shop has gone into bankruptcy because I have lost the will to keep it stocked up after a customer bought a genuine Beswick ceramic horse from me. She then replaced it with a similar fake one and sent it back, saying I had sold her the fake. She got her money back from Ebay (although I did send them photos and made a complaint-they always side with the buyer and not the seller).

This had me at first livid, then down-heartened, now I am thinking of shutting down completely.

Sorry to be a moaner today, it's not really me-I am most times a jolly person.

One bright spark has been seeing my little grandchildren over the New Year, they always bring a smile with their antics.

Wishing you all a great 2012.

Just got back from a trip to California to see my sis, she is 78 so I thought I had better make the effort, last time I saw her was ten years ago.

New Years eve I was down by the Thames to watch the fireworks along with-according to the media-250,000 other folk. Well, it did not look anything like that to me, a quarter of a million people lining the river banks would have looked a whole lot more than I saw, and all for 12 minutes and £50,000 worth of ooh and aah.

During the next few days I shall try to do something on the machine-things should have settled down by then, doing a New Years Day family dinner was definately not a good idea-I keep nodding off due to jet lag.

Have a great 2012 everyone!

S