She's hooked again

After my last post I was fully expecting to crack on with more weaving and some sewing, using my woven fabric. I had a plan and a head full of ideas.

However, my lovely niece came to stay for a week, as she was working down here and as a recently self-taught and now thoroughly addicted crocheter, she asked me to show her how to crochet a granny square.

This led to me hauling out my stash of acrylic yarn, which happened to contain a work in progress - my rainbow circles that I started last November.

Being me, I immediately got thoroughly obsessed with finishing this blanket, forgot all those other things I had planned, and in just a few days it was all done.

 Naturally, whilst busily hooking away at my rainbow circles, my head was already racing ahead to my next project, which turned out to be a super-bright and colourful patchwork of a blanket, based on the Babette blanket pattern on Ravelry. I started this on 25th May, hooked all the way through the half-term holiday, and finished it on 5th June. Fairly safe to say, I was a little absorbed in this project!

Both of these blankets have decided they want to be draped over the back of the armchairs in the kitchen, where they really brighten things up.

 

As is always the case with me, one thing leads to another and all of a sudden all of my cushion covers were looking a bit tatty and jaded, so I set about revamping them.

 

Cushion #1 - in pretty shades of blue. This is my favourite :)

Cushion #2 - a ripple cushion cover in subtle muted shades. 

Cushion #3 - bright, in your face, colourful African Flower squares. I wasn't expecting this to turn out quite so garish!

I did all three of those covers over four days/evenings. When I get obsessed I really do get properly obsessed!

 

I'm still planning to do that sewing and weaving and have a million things I want to make but this crochet thing is ongoing for now. Rather than get stupid and stressed about all the other things I want/ need to make or finish I've chosen to just go with it and see what happens.

 

I do have quite a few other little bits and pieces of crochet that I've made this week but they're as yet unphotographed. I have one project in my mind and I'm waiting for something to arrive to finish it off, so I'll be back with that one soon. 



 In other news, the Wobbly puppy has been recovering from being spayed. Having her spayed was a condition of her adoption (as was having Merlin Moog's boy bits lopped off) and our vet does this procedure from six months onwards. Wobbler was seven months old a couple of weeks ago.

She's been a real star about being forced to wear the cone of doom and is now once more lampshade free. A reaction to one of her sutures has led to two short courses of antibiotics but all is now well.

Merlin and I, however, are still recovering from the severe bruisings we received when she ran full pelt into us with this thing on her head - we ended up wrapping the edge with sticking plaster to soften the blows, which didn't work!

 As you can see, it totally messed her hair up and she developed a fetching pair of devil horns through wearing it. How apt.

 

Moogs xxx

A long post on life, dogs and lifting clouds

Last time I blogged I was getting very excited about starting my craft business. Sadly, very little progress has been made in that direction.

Over the past few months I've become more and more fed up at work, lots going on that I won't go into here, and I have to say, there have been times when the stress has really got to me and I've felt as if I was going mad - not sleeping, 'comfort' eating, not settling to anything productive. Ridiculous really as it's just a little part-time job that I enjoy and that really isn't meant to be stressful at all.

We're just about hanging on at work and have had another extension to our contracts but with many of the funding partners withdrawing it's really just a matter of time, and therein lies the problem. I can't afford to just hand in my notice. I've been there 6 years and now qualify for redundancy, which although a small amount of money, is enough to stop me just walking away but I'm ready to go.

Ironically, the past few terms have been some of my busiest and the demand is very definitely there, and that mixed with lots of other things going on have given me excuse after excuse not to just go for it and get cracking on with my business ideas. All things combined left me feeling as if, for the first time in my life, I was slipping into a real depression.

We've just had a wonderful two weeks away over Easter (more in a bit) and that has given me time to take stock and put things into perspective and the clouds are starting to lift.

So, on a much more positive note, let me update you a bit on one rather major and life-changing thing that happened to our little family back at the end of January.

The thing:

That there cute and timid little bundle is Willow, or Willow Wobbler as she's mostly known. This little girl found us at the end of January, aged 11 weeks, via a puppy rescue centre and all of a sudden our world, and especially Merlin's world turned upside down! We think she's a collie/spaniel cross or as my Dad used to say she's a doormat crossed with a kipper :)

She didn't stay timid for long...about two days and then the real Willow came out. She's naughty and bossy and sometimes shouty and bitey and a dreadful thief! She's also the cuddliest, sweetest, most lovable little pup so, on the whole, her crimes and misdemeanors are forgiven immediately.

She's been my little therapy dog as this is one puppy whose whole day gets off to a good start once she's been out for a good walk. Her big brother is much more laid back and was happy to fit in with my day but Willow NEEDS a walk in the morning or everyone will be made to suffer! It's done me and Merlin good to have Willow here as it's got us all out of the house, in the fresh air, getting some exercise when I might otherwise have stayed indoors thinking too much!

Having said that, it's chucking it down right now and Willow is curled up in her favourite armchair so we've agreed an early afternoon walk might be preferable today.

All of a sudden that 11 week old puppy, who I meant to blog about back in January, is now 6 months old and she's just been on her first holiday. 

On New Year's day Mr Moog sat down with his notebook (he's needed to take constant notes about everything since this happened) and asked me if there was anything I particularly wanted to do or places I wanted to go this year. I told him this: I want to go up North, to take the children to Northumberland and Yorkshire, I want to go to a fibre/knitting event, I want to go to a quilt show...I want a craft room built at the bottom of the garden, I want a £6000 sewing machine, I want to win the lottery.

Well, back in February along with my friend Dawn from Spinning Guild, and our girls, we headed off up to Farnham for a lovely woolly day at Unravel, coming home laden with stacks of gorgeous new fibre to spin, so that's the fibre/knitting event bit taken care of. 

We've just arranged to go and have a weekend with the in-laws in the middle of May, which happens to provide a very useful halfway house to the Malvern Quilt Show, so that will be taken care of too.

Then there's the Northumberland/ Yorkshire thing and my lovely Mr Moog agreed that a holiday up North was a good plan, so that's what we did this Easter and it was truly one of the loveliest holidays we've had. Northumberland completely captivated all of us, with it's stunning endless white sandy beaches, huge sand dunes, castles galore, and breathtaking scenery but especially the people - the people were so friendly and welcoming and made it a real pleasure to be a visitor to their beautiful part of the world.

Talking of people, while we were up there we got to spend a couple of days with Mr Moog's cousin and his family, as they were en  route to Scotland with their two border collies. 

Even better than that though was getting to meet up with my lovely friend Lucy Locket!! When I realised we were going to be up North for Easter I very excitedly 'spoke' to Lucy and we very excitedly arranged to meet up. Lucy and Mr Locket and the two smallest Lockets (who are no longer small at all!) were having a mini-break in a wooden Wigwam not far from where we were staying and Plan A was to meet up for a beach walk at Alnmouth, followed by tea and cake.

Unfortunately, that was the one and only rainy day of the week, so Plan B was put into action and the Lockets met us at Sainsbury's in Alnwick and came back and spent the day in our cottage with us. Lucy and I got to do what we'd wanted to do for ages - we sat and knitted and chatted! We kind of left everyone else to their own devices and they sat and chatted and played cards and the boys played computer games.

Have a look at this gorgeous bundle of goodies that Lucy presented me with, aren't they lovely?! The little selvedge pincushion is exquisite and I adore the quilted pouch and the drawstring bag - they are all now being put to good use and make me smile every day. Thank you Locket :)

As well as getting to spend time with some of our favourite people (and dogs) we also had a fabulous time exploring. We didn't really venture far as there was so much to see and do near to our cottage but the beaches won us all over completely! Ready for some holiday snaps?

Sigh...I want to live there...

So, that was week one of our holiday up North. For week two we ventured down and across a bit for a week in Wensleydale in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales and I have some photos to prove it!

As I mentioned before, there was much castle action over our fortnight away, we visited several that were dog friendly and looked wistfully on from outside at those that weren't.

Wensleydale was very beautiful but with the dogs it proved to be a little frustrating, especially after a week of running for miles along those white white Northumberland beaches, as it's obviously a much more agricultural area, with tiny lambs in every field and so it was very much 'on lead' for much of the week. Still, we found a couple of pretty riverside walks where they could run free and let off steam.

Our last day in the Dales was our best. Just before we went away my brother told me he'd just bought a caravan that was going to be permanently pitched in the Dales, about 4 miles from our cottage,and that they were going up for the Easter weekend.

Therefore, on Good Friday, we drove through the Dales and met up at The Coverbridge Inn, where we had a swift pint of Old Peculiar and set off on a gorgeous walk along the river. The very best bit was that I hadn't realised my three beautiful nieces (plus two boyfriends) would be with them and that made it even more special. We walked and chatted and sat by the river and then walked and chatted all the way back to the pub, where we got to sit outside in the early evening sunshine enjoying the best pub meal we'd had all holiday. Perfect.

Still here? Have you made it this far? Well done! Only a little bit left!

Our cottages for each week were both lovely and very different. The first was beautifully decorated, spacious and very comfortable and in a nice village very close to all the amenities we could need. The one in the Dales was much older, also very comfortable and very quirky and in a tiny village with no amenities but I feel in love with it as soon as we walked through the door and saw all of these:

Needless to say, I felt right at home! That quilt at top left has me stumped - I've been trying to find out what block pattern it is and failed. Any ideas?

Before I go, let me share my souvenirs with you - after all, what's a holiday without a few souvenirs to remember it by?

The fog has clearly started to lift from my brain as I've been sewing. Typically for me, not with any of those gorgeous new fabrics up there but with some bundles of scraps. Just playing. I'll be back with photos once the rain has stopped.

Oh, and as for that list of what I want to do this year, I'm still working on the other three!

love Moogs xxx

Cosy

I know some people find this time of year very hard going, with the shorter days, long dark nights and grey weather and I can fully appreciate how you can feel like that, after the long bright days of summer are a distant memory.

However, I feel each season has it's merits and something I truly love about the  transition from autumn through to winter is the opportunity it gives me to cosy down and indulge myself with comforting indoor activities, scented candles and comforting (but healthy!) food, without feeling guilty for not being out and about, dashing around here and there the way I seem to do all summer long.

This week's wet, grey, dismal days have certainly given me ample time to indulge - apart from venturing out to make sure Merlin has had a jolly good walk, I've spent a good deal of time indoors and have managed to rediscover my knitting mojo, which had been missing in action since the beginning of September.

A recent post on Yarn Harlot's blog had me scurrying to Ravelry to purchase a new pattern, just perfect for some Christmas knitting. Some might say I became rather obsessed with knitting these - three pairs were done in four days, with non-stop knitting squeezed in around work, feeding people and Moog walking. Three late nights are a small price to pay for ticking several gifts off the Christmas list.

I still have at least two more pairs of these in my head, waiting to be knitted and there's no signs of boredom setting in, which is the sign of a really great pattern.

An unexpected sleepover invitation meant that Minx was away for most of Saturday but the first thing she did when she got back this morning was make Saturday/Sunday pudding. Having two brand new cookbooks for inspiration meant, of course, that she went onto Google to look for the right recipe (!!).

This time, a very simple and straightforward but no doubt very delicious concoction of whipped cream, lemon curd, crushed ginger biscuits and blueberries, artfully arranged in layers - Lemon and Blueberry Pots. Now chilling in the fridge ready for tonight's dinner.

I'll be having a dish of fruit salad whilst gazing wistfully at my family as they demolish this rather mouthwatering summery dessert.

In other news, it's been a milestone week in Moogshouse - my lovely boy turned into a teenager. I have no idea how that happened. Surely, it can't be 13 years since I first saw that gorgeous little face. Don't tell him but I still love to gaze at him when he's asleep - he still looks like my baby boy when he's sleeping :o)

Now, while I head back to my snuggly chair for more knitting I'll leave you with a gratuitous Merlin Moog photo.....just because....

Hope you're keeping warm, dry and safe, wherever you may be xxx

Kingley Vale

It's amazing how sometimes doing something as simple as going for a family walk to a lovely place on a beautiful sunny and cold day can totally recharge the batteries and set you up for the week ahead.

We've all had a busy weekend and really should have gone kitchen shopping today but when we awoke to a glorious clear and frosty morning we just had to get out there. So, after a morning of pottering we had a quick lunch and then piled into the car and headed east.

Our destination of choice was Kingley Vale, a National Nature Reserve and one of the biggest natural yew forests in Western Europe. The trees here are incredible - some over 2000 years old, making them among the oldest living things on Earth.

These gnarled and twisted ancient trees give the place such a spiritual feel, really connecting you to the earth. These trees have stood here since Roman times, through the Norman invasion and the massive changes of the Industrial Revolution - this really fills me with awe. If only they could talk!

As we walked through the most ancient grove of yew trees we could hear the sound of chanting, and there sitting on a low branch of one of the biggest trees was a man, chanting and meditating, complete with josticks, the scent of which only added to the spirit of the woodland. I could totally understand someone wanting to meditate here - I could not think of a more perfect place.

The yew trees grow through the vale and up the steep slope to the chalk grassland at the top of the downs. We enjoyed a strenuous climb up the slope, serenaded by a pair of buzzards calling, and were rewarded with stunning, far-reaching views from the top, looking right across Chichester harbour and over to the eastern tip of the Isle of Wight.

At the top of the slope, the path takes you around the hillside to two ancient burial mounds. A large family group had laid claim to the first mound and while the parents chatted the children quite literally threw themselves into a long game of roly-polys (as we call it) - rolling down the sides of the mound, getting delightfully filthy and rosy cheeked in the process.

I was surprised my two didn't give it a go, as they usually love a roly-poly! Instead, we all stood atop the second mound and soaked in the views and filled our lungs with the fresh, clean air and it felt truly good to be alive. My very nearly teenage boy, who hadn't even wanted to go for a 'stupid walk' rewarded me with a great big beaming smile.

Our walk continued around the hill and down the other side of the vale, through younger yew woodland and then back along the farm tracks to the car. Before we set out Mr Moog had decided to pack a flask and some teabags and we were so glad he did, because getting back to the car and a hot cup of tea was absolutely the best way to round off a truly special afternoon.

Then, as the sun started to sink, we took a gentle drive home and arrived back to a delicious dinner all ready in the slow-cooker. We were treated to a fabulous pud too, as Minx had opted to make Saturday pudding on Sunday - white chocolate and strawberry cheesecake. Delicious. I had to try a bit, for quality control purposes.

Hope you've had a lovely weekend.

Moogs xx

Things I've learned

Being a helpful sort I do like to share the knowledge and experience I gather as I go about my doings, so please think of this illuminating post as a heartfelt gift from me to you.
Thing #1
No matter how much your latest knitting WIP makes you want to kick the dog it really is worth persevering....especially if it means you get to have your feet and legs covered in tiny owls.

Thing #2
Kool Aid does amazing things to wool.....and possibly to your innards if you actually drink it.

Thing #3

Year 7 homework is a lot more exciting than year 6 - if you look up 'wildlife of the River Tigris' on Google images you will get a load of pictures of tigers (not found near the River Tigris) and a photo of a lady in a gstring bending over with her bottom facing the camera.

Thing #4

Even after 3 years of sock knitting and 50++ pairs completed it is still possible to get completely giddy with excitement when you try out a completely new way of knitting a sock (work with me here!).

Cat Bordhi is a knitting genius, as exemplified in her fantastic Sweet Tomato Heel socks.

She's also a lovely woman who will welcome you warmly on her Ravelry forum after you've posted a cringingly effusive message about how awesome both she and her socks are.
Thing #5
Going out in the British summer wearing flip flops and sunglasses, cropped trousers and a thin cotton blouse means you will get rained on....heavily.
Thing #6
Having a teeny weeny new car becomes very exciting when you find the parcel office car park is full to capacity....but you can still park in the motorbike shed.

Thing #7
Despite being convinced that you can still lose weight and enjoy three big glasses of wine a night you will find the reverse is often true. As a die hard
wino  wine drinker take it from me - getting into smaller jeans makes you feel much better than the wine does....2.5 stone down but still a way to go :o)

Thing #8
Your dog does not always like eating the same things as you. I, for instance, would never eat hedgehog poo. Merlin Moog? It's his current favourite food.
Thing #9
No matter how much you love your new spinning hobby it is never acceptable to snigger at the Spinning Guild, or click 'funny' on the UKSpinners forum on Ravelry, when someone is voicing their desire to have a bigger orifice. Get over it and stop being childish or at least keep your mirth to yourself.

Thing #10
Cardboard tubes are possibly the best invention ever. These versatile packaging items can be put to many uses.

Thing #10
Don't believe bloggers who tell you that homemade elderflower cordial is easy and delicious. Ok, it was easy I'll give them that but despite slavishly following Hugh's recipe, spending £10 on pretty bottles, and thoroughly sterilising said bottles you will end up with something that just tastes...meh...and after two weeks grows an interesting greeny grey fungus such that the whole lot gets flushed down the drain. Console yourself that you now have bottles ready for sloe gin which is a much better idea.
Thing #11
After months of no sewing you will get a huge thrill out of cracking out the sewing machine, even if it is only to help your son sew a 1 inch seam securing a piece of elastic to Sackboy's new 'Batman' cape.
Thing #12
Wearing your raincoat, boots and thick socks on a cool, drizzly British summer's day guarantees that the sun will be blazing and you will have sweated off ten pounds by the time you get back from walking the dog.
Thing #13
Even though he's nearly 40 and a grown man with a mind of his own and grown up responsibilities that don't include housework or ironing apparently , your beloved will be too scared to tell his parents that he's bought a shiny new motorbike and will keep it covered when they're visiting this weekend and will threaten the children and the dog with dire consequences should they so much as allude to the big green beast hiding on the driveway.

Thing #14

Your 11 year old daughter will grow up far too fast. When she begins nagging you for highlights in her hair don't be fooled into thinking you saying 'No. I don't want you putting nasty chemicals on your hair at this age. You have time for all that when you're older' will suffice.

She will:

a) suddenly have several helpful friends whose mothers have let them have highlights

b) have a friend with a mother who is a hairdresser who helpfully tells her you can get highlights without 'the nasty chemicals' these days

c) hate you because you are the most overbearing, old fashioned, boring mother in the whole wide school.

d) have to just deal with it cos it ain't happening Minx....noooo way! You got me on the ear piercing but you ain't gettin' me on this one.

Thing #15

That 11 year old daughter of yours has been told what class she'll be in at secondary school in September and not a single one of her current classmates is with her.  You expect tears and tantrums. You actually get beaming smiles of relief as she's finally 'away from all the bitchy girls' and with the lovely ones she's always liked. You will do a happy dance at this point.

Thing #16

Youtube is your friend. Whatever new skill/hobby/thing you want to learn about someone has made a Youtube video about it.

Things I watched on Youtube this week:

Doubleknitting

Knooking

Knitting socks on a knitting machine

Someone unpacking a box containing their recently ebay-purchased knitting machine

Sweet Tomato Heels

Navajo plying

Space dyeing sock yarn

Yarn Harlot talking about the reaction she gets when she tells people she writes 'knitting humour' books.

Cat Bordhi spinning yarn with a tennis ball and an elastic band - you really must watch this one!

Your beloved will find something interesting about 'swimming techniques' on Youtube and will go on at length about how brilliant Youtube is and how he had no idea there were such good things on it and that his friend at work told him about it, even though you've been telling him about if for the past four years.

(I'm not providing links cos that'll stop you having all the fun of discovering them for yourself.)

Thing #17

Slimming World crustless quiche is actually very very tasty and even your husband and children will want to eat it.....and it's free on Extra Easy folks!

Thing #18

You will realise after writing a very long blog post that, in actual fact, you've been far too generous in sharing your pearls of wisdom and could have used this as blog fodder for at least five posts thus saving yourself anguish and sleepless nights as you try to think of something worth blogging about.

xxx

p.s. Thing #19

The blind panic you feel when you've just completed a lengthy blog post and pressing one button makes it disappear from Blogger is a very real and worthy emotion as is the relief when you press a few more buttons and find it again.

ugh - Thing #20

Bloody Blogger does not respond to threats or swearing when it keeps mucking up the spacing on your latest blog post,.

May? 2012?

I blame Lucy Locket to be honest. Actually, that's not entirely true - I blame Trashy.

I was happily plodding along, doing all the usual stuff, kidding myself it really wasn't that long since I'd blogged and that actually it was only January....or at least it wasn't that long since Christmas and then WHAM! this morning Trashy sent me a text asking me if I'd read Locket's blog.

I hadn't but of course I had to go and look and all of a sudden felt a rush of longing for my blog and more particularly for everyone else's blogs. Locket's been keeping me up to date with her doings via text and Ravelry but I'm sorry to say I haven't read anyone's blog for months and months - apart from Yarn Harlot's and I've decided that doesn't count as she's not one of my blogging friends, although if she invited me round for coffee and knitting I wouldn't say no.

Life here has been going on as normal. We've dealt with the selling of my Dad's house. It's just over a year since he died and seems like a few weeks and forever, all at the same time. I'm not going to analyse why I haven't blogged because after all, blogging isn't compulsory but I've been feeling the urge to get back out there for a while.

I've done stacks and stacks of knitting since November, when I last posted here, including ten pairs of socks, some mittens, two cardigans for Minx and all sorts of other bits and pieces.


I've spent more time than is healthy on Ravelry and have just found myself sucked back into Facebook, thanks to Slimming World - trying to keep myself motivated by going on my group's Facebook page as I've decided spending ten months losing the same 5lbs is nothing short of ridiculous!

Merlin Moog is a big big boy now. Very cuddly, loads of fun and more than a bit naughty! He's terrified of cars and nothing we do seems to help. He goes bonkers if you say 'Cats!' 'Squirrels!' or 'Carol!' (thanks to the lovely Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast). He adores Match of the Day, and Born Free and when he stayed with the in-laws at Easter he developed a love of Cash In The Attic!! His latest habit is to stand in front of the TV asking someone to switch it on for him.

I'm currently in danger of developing another new crafty obsession, thanks to going to an Introduction to Handspinning workshop last week. I'd already been trying to teach myself to use a drop spindle at home, with varying degrees of success but at the workshop I used a spinning wheel and fell totally in love!!! It was all I could do to stop myself rushing home and ordering one!

I've since joined the UKSpinners group on Ravelry, where I've done loads of reading and lurking as I get to know this new craft. I've also 'met' a lovely spinner in the group who just happens to live about a mile away from me! We've agreed to meet up soon and in June I'm going along to my local group of the Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers - which will no doubt result in me needing a loom and a dyeing studio too :o)

For now, I'll leave you with a photo of Mr Moog and the beasties at the Rock of Cashiel, in Co Tipperary on our recent holiday in Ireland - our first time there but definitely not our last. More Ireland photos and possibly even some spinning next time!

Happy spinning :o)

xxxx