A Holiday and a Half!

Whilst we were waiting to hear from the man who was going to be fixing our car, I noticed a man in the cafe, well I noticed the back of him and I said, 'that bloke looks like a Hairy Biker from the back'. Well, a while later, Maisie and Barry were in the shop by the cafe and look who came out! I was beside myself, I couldn't leave the car, I couldn't see Barry, I was a bit tired, it had been a long wait at Dover. We got there in good time and got to our queue to get on the Ferry to Calais. Yippee, it was our turn to board the ferry but alas, the car wouldn't start! We were at the end of the queue and we just sat there not believing this was happening to us. A couple of kind chaps came over to offer advice but to no avail. Barry called out the recovery service and they said they would send someone out but.....we had gone through the check in. No problems they told us. Anyway, the guy coming out to fix our car asked Barry some questions on the phone and then Barry, holding the phone to one ear, kept trying different things and then he kicked something just under the side of the car. Then the car started. Yippee we thought, but no, that simply meant we needed a new fuel pump GGrrrrrrr!!! We had to drive out of the ferry terminal and meet him in a car park where he fixed the car. We then went back through the ticket and passport thingy and waited for the next ferry. That was when I saw the Hairy Biker, think this one is called Dave or is it Si? Barry took this photo of him as I went into girly shy mode. How silly of me! Anyway, four hours later, we got on the Ferry to Calais and started our week in France.
This is Bayeux, we went and saw the Tapestry and the commentary really helped us to understand the story but really rushed us through!


I'll leave you with this shot of Maisie, we had just walked a fair way to the top of a waterfall...
We are now home and I'll post more photos when I get the time!

Stash Bustin' and UK Swap

I can now reveal the bag I made for my swap pal, Rooknits
I think she likes her package as she has written a lovely post over on her blog....Ruth has a thing for Miffy, imagine my delight when I found this material to line it with!?
I made this darling hat for Sullivan, I love the shape of it and can't wait to see if it fits him.
I used the yarn left over from my Have a Heart Socks that I made a while ago. The Casbah yarn is so beautiful and really soft when knitted on 3mm needles as opposed to sock tension!
I have now made two of these cute cardigans for my little granddaughters. Both in Debbie Bliss Alpaca/Silk so not an itch in sight!!
These take just a day to make, great fun and I think that maybe this pattern could be adapted to fit bigger people too!
The stitch is easy and looks good too.
I am in the middle of washing ironing and packing as not only are we moving but we are off to France for a week soon!

Blooming weather, this rain comes on so fast and heavy that I don't get a warning about getting in the washing and now it is all dripping on the line! Wish the rain clouds would go and dump their load somewhere else for today, this is really slowing down my production line!

Curly Yarn and Stuff

You can all breathe a sigh of relief now that the hyperactivity of last week has calmed down.The day after my birthday was Maisie's birthday. Maisie is now officially a teenager so we celebrated by going to the cinema to see Mamma Mia. How we loved that film and the music is still going around and around in my head. I am now on the look out for the sound track, since Ali* told me that she has bought it and her girls think it is brilliant! I love Abba music, it is so singable! (*don't go over to Ali's blog unless you want to see a scarily sexy photo of me taken by Emilia.) In the evening we went out for a delicious meal and the chef brought out Maisie's cake with the candles lit and we sang happy birthday to her. Maisie was very giggly that evening, never to be forgotten!
This is Maisie with her flowers that her big brother Edward and his Fiancée Michelle sent her. She was thrilled to recieve her own bouquet, especially as they had spoiled me the day before with a different but very beautiful bouquet of my own. Darlings they are!
Oh and who is this popping up on my blog post? Does anybody recognise her?
It is the very lovely and very chatty Jo. Jo drove miles to pay me a visit on Friday and to give me a spinning lesson. We got on straight away, especially as the first thing she said was how young I am and that she can't believe I have a daughter within her age group. It is amazing that I do seem to get on with any age of person, I can actually chat just as much as Jo can. You can imagine, we had a lot to chat about! Jo didn't really like any of the photos I took of her so I hope she doesn't tell me off for posting this one. I think she looks very pretty, so what if you look like your Mother Jo, she must be very pretty too! Jo also makes and sells the most beautiful artwork and exquisitely coloured fibres and yarns which she sells in her Etsy Shop I don't think she is quite ready to include my yarn in her shop just yet!
So here we have the very over spun and curly yarn I spun and plied on Jo's spinning wheel, called a Kiwi! This yarn needed a very hot bath to shock it into submission. I soaked it and poked it a bit and then hung it on the line with a tea towel through the top of the skein and my peg bag hooked over the bottom loop.
It dried to a lovely, fluffy, bit over spun in places, skein of soft yarn. I wonder if I would have enough yarn to knit one of these?
Of course I now need a spinning wheel, a spindle is fun but I am now hankering after wheel. I won't rush this purchase, unless a bargain comes my way. I don't really need another hobby to create even more usage of space. Oh but I do, the wheel sounded so smooth and mesmerising as it whirled my carefully drawn fibre into yarn. I liked it so much I spun it too much, but I am eager to progress....

Jo you are an excellent teacher!

~*~

This afternoon Barry and I photographed another wedding. Another happy day and a brilliant set of photos. Barry decided to try a couple of different settings on our cameras, we both have D300's and enjoy using them. Well, whatever he did worked, the photos came out beautifully. I truly love doing photography, however, I am always apprehensive before we get to the venue. Once I start clicking I am fine, in fact, I become quite confident, how strange. I love the way creating an interesting/arty shot seems to make the people happy, I am always on the look out for new ideas and when they get put into practice and work out as I intended, it thrills me. Sometimes they look at me as if to say 'what is she on about now' but as long as I appear to be in control they oblige my artistic whims. I think I am getting a bit old for all these lying on my tummy shots. Maybe I need to get to a yoga class again, I don't seems to be as bendy as I used to be.....I am ok getting down, it's the getting up that bothers me! I have noticed that I am climbing on chairs and tables a lot lately too, to get some height in my shots which always flatters a double chin.

We are thinking of starting a blog relating to our photography, I think that maybe that would be a good idea as I am waffling on a bit aren't I?

You are all so kind, thank you all for your birthday wishes, they all meant so much to me. Sorry I haven't replied to you all, I will try and visit your blogs when I can. Life is just a bit crazy here at Barrianne Towers, especially since we are on the move on the 20th September! How exciting..!Our New Pad!

It's My Birthday Today!!!

Woo Hoo!! How happy am I?? Last week, I was surfing, as you do, and I came across this pattern
You know that, 'I've just got to have that' feeling? Well I got that feeling and I really wanted that kit! Well then I remembered something, it was to be my birthday in a few days time and I knew Barry was struggling to think of a gift for me so I put him straight out of his misery and told him the gift I needed! So I ordered it and it came yesterday. I didn't open it until today and I am not one bit disappointed. I am totally in love with the design and those darling little skeins of lace weight cashmere. Spoilt or what? Thank you Barry, I love you!! So glad I married you!
Barry gave me this stunning card too, it is so twinkly and beautiful, I think I might just design our bedroom around the colours in the card, not so much the black but the other colours are gorgeous! He is such a romantic darling....lucky me!
See these cupcakes? They are little candles and once the candles have been used they are pretty little trinket pots. My Granddaughters, Millie and Maddie sent them to me along with the phone charm and the earrings. There is a necklace too but I have that on and forgot to photograph it. The gifts were wrapped in these pretty tea towels, thank you all so much, I am a lucky Grandma!

My lovely Mum sent me this gorgeous diamond and pearl necklace...I love the star twinkle that the photo has captured! Mum suggested I got a stronger chain for it as the one supplied looks very fragile. I adore the colours of the pearls....thank you Mavis xxx
My best friend Andrea sent me a box of treats in the very same box that I used to send her some treats back in July, this could become a tradition! What a wonderful day this is, I feel so happy....!
On the way to visit Denise* on Sunday, I crocheted most of this little top for Emilia. I used Debbie Bliss, Alpaca Silk Aran and the drape and softness of this is stunning. I might have to get some more to make one for Maddie!

This is the Hooded Sweater I am knitting for Sullivan as part of the Ravelympics. Sorry if you're not a Raveler, you won't know what I am on about. Basically, I have signed up to knit and finish certain things for the duration of the Olympics. Talking of which, didn't we do well in the swimming yesterday?? Well done girls!
I finished these Fiori di Zucca socks at last. I have a bit of trouble with the heel and apart from trying to be clever and knitting them two at once I mostly enjoyed the pattern. Think Barry is glad I finished them though lol! A bit of advise, don't try these two at once OK?! I know it doesn't work and so does Barry! These are the most recent of the Socktopus Sock Club Socks, the clever Alice designed them. I have signed up for another year of this amazing sock club, only existing members can sign up at the moment but it will be open to all soon I think.
I love how the pattern looks, and the way it cables around the foot....beautiful yarn, Smooshy by Dream in Colour in Pistachio, dyed just for the sock club!
Here's a photo taken by Maisie, of Imogen wearing her Lily the Pink Cardigan. Apart from the sleeves being a bit long it looks lovely and Denise* loved it too. It was only knitting the stripes that annoyed me, I love how the cardigan looks now it is finished..

*Denise is Barry's daughter

Oh and you know what, apart from being so happy about my birthday and being totally spoilt, something else happened today. We have been given the go ahead to rent our dream house. We would really love to be buying it but, luckily for us the owner can't sell at the moment because of the house selling climate in the UK right now. We can't buy because Barry is still trying to sell his house but if everything sorts itself out we could be buying it. I am so excited!! I now have to go and order some moving boxes so I can sort this place out and not take all the stuff I've been meaning to sort out for months now! Now, who want my ironing pile??

I really don't like knitting stripes

I get into an almighty tangle if I travel the yarn up the knitting, and I make a right mess if I weave the yarn in as I go...notice the position of the sleeve to hide my lumpy weaving in??This Lily the Pink was made for Imogen who is one year old. The size made is 1-2. I bathed it in Eucolan and it grew! Grrr
Maisie made the pink button out of some Fimo, it has some glitter in it too but it doesn't show on the phoot. I am glad I have finished this, it does look pretty but I am not proud of the standard of my workmanship! I used to make loads of buttons out of Fimo, it is great fun.
I have been working really hard on the photography business. I have redesigned the website and added another album to the gallery. These are our new business cards...all made from recycled paper and the standard is excellent...
I have also designed some postcards to promote the services we offer....we are doing a Wedding Fayre in October so i am trying to get a head startI also ordered some more mini cards in my new name using my new photos....they are such useful little cardsto have in your bag!

I am feeling strange today, like I am on another planet...hope the feeling goes soon, it is 'orrible!

I had an odd dream last night, I was at a knitting meeting, we were all round a table chatting. At the end of the evening, I noticed one of the people there had a badge on saying Marianne. As it was my name I went over to her and chatted to her and then it dawned on me that it was Mus, my friend Marianne from America...she was so lovely, we got on really well and we hugged and laughed and then I woke up. I would like to go back to that dream so I could meet her some more! I think I am missing her blog posts....

Lizzy's BBQ

Lizzy is my eldest sister. Every year she gives the most amazing BBQ with more delicious food than anyone could ever eat ever!!When it is soo hot there is only one thing to do....have a cup of tea in the paddling pool!
This is my lovely Mum...xx
Oh and who else just had to get in? Barry of course, fully clothed! We still had a long drive back from Romsey to Cambridge but it was so hot he soon dried out!
Maisie is sat in the pool in the top right corner....that pool has been in use since Maisie was tiny, I'll try and find a photo of her in it all those years ago!

Maisie and I are off to see ANGUS, THONGS AND PERFECT SNOGGING (can I knit in the dark?) making use of my first Orange Wednesday bogof* Cinema tickets!

*Buy One Get One Free!

Rainbow Warrior Socks!

04/08/2008
Originally uploaded by picperfic

These are the Storm socks by Diane Mulholland. I did try kntting up this colourful but quite itchily rustic yarn on 2.25mm needles and all I got was a wide sackcloth sort of a sock! I unpicked them and found this pattern from the Inside Loop, which uses some dyed handspun yarn at a looser tension and it works so much better. The stitches are crisp, rustic, and springy. I am hoping that a bathe in Eucolan will soften these up so I will love them more than I do right now. Can you hear it in my words that I am not overly impressed with the tactile qualities of this yarn? I love the pattern and I adore the beautiful colours. We shall see. I'll keep you posted.

Ooops, nearly forgot to tell you that the yarn is Noro Kureyon Sock!

I took the photo on my new super dooper phone. It even uploaded the shot to Flickr, how I do not know and if it costs me over the top of the contract I'll not be doing that again! I got so confused yesterday when the patient but talks-very-fast sales person was telling me, who is a bit-hard-of-hearing-since-her-ear-infections, of it's features and my new contract details. I think he would like to have this phone! lol... I know Barry would. It even has Sat Nav on it! We needed a new phone for our new and updated Photography business, we did I tell you!!

Bouncing Around

This first photo is a secret....something for one of my swaps I am doing, will it be for you or you or you I wonder??
I have just taken posession of this book
I have been updating our website and it annoys me the way the buttons shift about so I need to learn about Cascading Style Sheets! When I learnt stuff at college in 2003 we used these Adobe Classroom in a Book books and I loved the way they helped me to progress in my learning. I love doing tutorials, they are like puzzles to me and please me when I have achieved the object of the exercises. I just need to find the time to actually do the tutorials!
After I had finished making the secret in the top photo, I found this pattern and was eager to make it so I had a go. It fair blows your mind at first but once you've done a few repeats I 'got' it! It is a lovely pattern and I think I'll be using up my bits of cotton yarn on it.
I love the hanging ring at the start of the cloth, it is fun to do that bit then you really have to put your brain into gear, well I did, but I do have a bit of a flutterby brain lately! Oh, the yarn is Anchor Magicline Dotty.
Look look look!
Aren't you just so jealous? I managed to secure me a skein of Amanda's new sock yarn. She didn't have much in so I was very lucky to get this. It truly is angelic, so soft and very tactile!
After chatting with my lovely friend Wanda about spinning she helped me to choose this gorgeous spindle. I have a little twiddle every time I go past it and I think I am getting the hang of it now. Hah!!I also got a DVD from her which was very informative and really lovely to see Wanda and hear her voice too! Wanda's husband Ed, makes the spindles, mine is called a purple heart and it is very beautiful. I am looking forward to plying the yarn I spin as it is done from the little ball made by winding the yarn round the bottom. You just pull the shaft out and then the feet and it is there, a cute little ball of yarn!! Amazing! The yarn is plied by using an end from the middle and the end on the outside, can you imagine the tangle I will get into?
So Jo, when are we having this lesson?

A 1930's wife...

Michaela has made a Mini Resolution list for the six weeks holidays and I thought that maybe I could make one too:-

1. Do ironing so we can find the spare bed
2. Take Maisie out on education trips to shopping centres and restaurants every other day
3. Try and finish lots of knitting
4. Try not to start to knit too many things without finishing stuff first
5. Help Maisie to sew herself something
6. Try not to fuss too much as Maisie uses my precious sewing machine
7. Go food shopping more often as I have a bit of a problem going to the supermarket and we often run out of food!
8. Put some thought into our Photo Business in preparation for the Wedding Fayre we're attending in October
9. Finish website...should be at top of list
10. Tidy the house from top to bottom every day before I even look at some knitting
11. Try not to worry too much about previous resolution
12. Get the swap stuff sorted for my pals
13. Send a goody bag to Robin as I owe her for sending me a Knit Picks order over...
14. Put all our beautiful wedding photos into an even more beautiful coffee table book...oooh so excited about our new photobooks we are going to be using for our business
15. Try to go to bed earlier ~ days never seem long enough to me, why waste good knitting time sleeping? Mind you if I do go to bed and actually manage to sleep it is a miracle!
    
16. Lose some weight again
17. Do some exercise, see above!
18. Find an accountant
    
19. Try to recycle a bit more, my Son in Law is brilliant at it!
20. Go to France for a week.....maybe I aught to get on and sort that one!
    

so there we are...I think my list could get a bit too large!

Here's one of my favourite photos I took on our honeymoon in Venice....just because I don't think a blog post is interesting without a photo or two....

~*~

87 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

I found this test over here....I feel an affinity with the 30's so I was very pleased to get this result!