Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mum's out there.

Jacqui x

Shoes, glorious shoes

It's been another lovely day here, it feels like spring is not too far away.

I finished up an order for twelve pairs of cotton booties this afternoon.  

I've also been working on my latest blanket and have done three strips of squares now so it is really coming on (pics to follow soon)

My Next Blanket

I felt the urge to start on a new blanket....I've chosen to make the Rose Trellis Afghan.  It is a free pattern and can be found here.

Pattern

The shades I'm using are a very pale peach (although it looks pink in the pics) a fresh minty green finishing with a surrounding of  bright white.

I am going to veer from the pattern slightly and use a join as you go method rather than work the openwork trellis between the squares.  The pattern calls for 30 squares - 5 squares wide by 6 squares long.   I almost have enough done for the first strip

I am aiming to finish at least two squares a day :-) 

The Knots Prayer

So apt for me today!

Molly....

This is my latest knitting pattern and the first of the New Year.  I've had it half finished for quite some time but other projects took precedence and this outfit took a bit of a back seat.

The pattern consists of an all in one romper with matching bonnet and booties.  I came across this pretty openwork rib stitch and thought it would be perfect for an outfit such as this as it is quite stretchy.

I've designed the pattern to fit two sizes 

Newborn & Early Baby/Preemie size.

The larger size requires double knitting yarn whilst the early baby size calls for finer 4ply yarn.

It is an enjoyable knit and quite a quick knit too.  

The pattern can be found on my website: 

Tipeetoes.co.uk for baby knitting patterns 

Happy Valentines Day...

Visiting Mum....

Been to visit my mum this afternoon...I normally go on Thursday's but we have been invited out to a family meal tomorrow evening so decided to go today.

Mum is still bed bound and feeling pretty fed up staring at the same four walls.  I really hope that they will remove the plaster from her ankle and give her a 'shoe' so that she can at least move around her little flat.

I did a little baking yesterday....two banana spice cakes (one for us and one for mum) 
I also made some chocolate walnut brownies for my hubby.

A Few Makes....

Such a lovely, bright day yesterday so I got the camera out  to take pics of a few items in my'ready to list' basket.

Ripple Blanket, Hat and Bootie set.  I used navy blue, white and sky blue and worked in random stripes to create this ripple blanket so it will be a 'on off'.  There was enough yarn left over to make a matching pull on hat and booties

Hat & Mittens Set ...this set is knitted in Adriafil Knitcol....which is a wonderful self striping 100% Merino yarn which is just perfect for little hats.  This set is knitted in the round so no irritating seams 

A baby girl's ripple blanket in shades of pink, lilac and white.  Again I used random stripes of colour to create a 'one off' blanket

These adorable bonnets are knitted in Sublime Cashmerino 4 ply yarn and I am so happy with the finished hats.  The yarn is a joy to knit with and I love the stitch definition that the yarn gives.  I added satin roses to each side of the bonnets.

Finally a new baby can never have enough little cardigans.  They are great for slipping on over little dresses and suits.  When my daughter was a baby I use to put her to bed wearing a babygrow with a knitted cardigan over the top.

You can find the items listed in my folksy shop here: Folksy

Thought Provoking...

Just been watching How To Build a Bionic Man on Channel 4 

Amazing and slightly scary how far technology has come, and just think how much further it could go!?

The programme is available on 4OD  here:

Marmalade

I've been wanting to make some marmalade for quite a while but have not found the time to make it.  So this morning I decided today was the day!

Have you seen these easy to make cans from Lakeland ?

The oranges are prepared for you and all you need to do is add sugar and water....simple

First off I warmed my clean jam jars in the oven

I emptied the tin of oranges into my jam pan and added 4lbs of sugar and 3/4 pint of water.

Stirred the mixture until the sugar melted

Brought it to a rolling boil and boiled for about 18 minutes, and this is what I ended up with....jars of delicious marmalade.

I'm going to take my mum a jar when I visit tomorrow....hope she enjoys it spread on her toast.

The Snow's Back

We awoke this morning to a light dusting of the white stuff and it has snowed on and off throughout the day.  This is where I sit with my knitting in the summer months.  The chair is just outside my kitchen door and on warm, summer days I put on the radio and take my work outside....not much chance of doing that today!

I have been busy with small orders and in the last two days I have made four pairs of baby boots, 3 pairs of loafers, 2 pairs of Mary Jane shoes, 3 Diaper sets and 2 curly tail hats.  I love being kept busy and I'm so happy that my baby knits are popular right now.  

I also have a new knitting pattern in the pipe-line.....the first outfit is complete and ready for photographing.  The pattern just needs test knitting and proofing now and it will  be ready to go. 

Friday...

This week has just flown by, I can't believe we are at the weeks end already!

My mum is not in the best of health and is more or less housebound now.  She has always enjoyed reading but these past few months she doesn't seem to be able to concentrate on the words as her attention span seems to come and go.  

I am going to look into talking books for her.  I don't really know much about them or what equipment she will need so today I am going to research and see what is available.

It's mum's birthday this month so I think if I could get her a couple of talking books and a player this would make a very welcomed gift for her.

This afternoon I have my lovely mobile hairdresser coming round to sort out my locks.  My hair hasn't been cut since before Christmas and is in need of a trim.  I'm sure this will give me a bit of a boost as I've been feeling quite sad over mum's declining health this week.

Order Finished

I was asked to knit a little outfit for a baby boy's christening day to go over his suit.....and here it is all finished.

His mum couldn't decide on which style of hat she preferred so I made a helmet style and also a baker boy style.

I have sent the pictures to 'mum' for approval and she is very pleased...just hope the set will fit him on his special day

Thursday..

Can't believe I am coming down with another cold...this is the third time since November and I'm feeling pretty fed up!!

After my second bout I started to take echinacea and vitamin C tablets in the hope that they would go some way to keeping further colds away but alas they don't seem to have made much difference.  Perhaps I need to take them a while longer to build up some immunity.

I never knew the echinacea flower was so pretty!

Today has been spent at home working on bootie orders and catching up with my recorded tv programmes.

I made some good old comfort food for tea...stew and dumplings....and very tasty it was too.  I made plenty so there is enough stew left over to turn into a pie which I will freeze. It will be great for a quick, trouble free  meal some other time.

Bread..

Well I'm afraid my bread maker has decided it no longer wants to bake bread for me.  After churning out gorgeous well risen loaves for the past couple of years all I've been left with after my last four attempts are unrisen lumps of baked dough.

I have tried changing the flour, swapping the yeast, adding slightly more water, changing cold water for warm all to no avail.  I can't afford to splash out on a new bread maker so I'm going to try the traditional hand baking method using this recipe from the BBC Good Food Website

Bread in four easy steps recipe - Recipes - BBC Good Food

I'm using half wholemeal and half white flour.  The mixture blended very well and here it is having been left to rise for about 45 minutes

I'm really impressed with how well risen it is.  I popped it into the oven for 35 mins and here is the finished result.

I'll definitely use this recipe again, it was so easy and the bread tastes yummy!

A Busy Weekend..

Yesterday was  quite a busy day for us.....we drove to Leeds over the snowy moors to watch the match.  It was bitterly cold and I had so many layers on I must have looked like a Telly-Tubby.  We welcomed Bristol City to Elland Road and I have to say the match wasn't the most exciting to watch.  Thankfully Ross McCormack managed to head the ball into the goal and we won the match 1-0.

Hubby drove home and after a quick wash and change we were back in the car and on our way to Warrington to celebrate my step-mum's 73rd birthday.  It was a surprise party which my dad had organised for her.  She is still a very glamourous lady and it was lovely to see her enjoying the night surrounded by her family and friends.


Almost all of our snow has melted away and the snow that has been forecast for today has yet to put in an appearance.  I'm hoping it will bypass us altogether!

Today has been spent catching up with orders from my ebay shop.  I am now up to date and all parcels are packaged ready to post in the morning.

One thing about sitting working on orders means I get to catch up on any tv programmes that I have recorded during the week.  I am currently enjoying a series called 'Borgen' which is a Danish programme on BBC4.  It is a a political drama which has me quite captivated with it's main focus on the first woman Prime Minister of Denmark Birgitte.

Tonight I am going to have a lovely soak in the bath and enjoy a game of scrabble with my hubby.

Frosty Wednesday

I don't think the temperature has been above freezing all day...the roofs are white and the pavements icy.  I believe snow is forecast again on Friday.

Thankfully I have been able to stay in and work on my orders this week.  I have been asked to make a little jacket, hat and shoes for a baby boy that is going to be christened in March.  I ordered the wool last week and it arrived this morning so I was able to make a start on it this afternoon.

His mum has chosen a coffee and cream colour scheme and the jacket is a lovely double breasted style.  She couldn't decide on the style of hat so I am going to make a peaked cap and also a traditional style hat with ear flaps that fastens under the chin.  I'm quite looking forward to seeing the outfit completed.

I spent the morning finishing up a crochet cocoon I've been working on.  I even got the camera out and did the photographs (not a task I enjoy) and listed it in my  ebay shop.

For tea I cooked some warming mushroom soup with home baked rolls and as a little treat I did a sponge pudding with lashings of custard...real comfort food!

This evening I am going to go for a lovely soak in a hot bubble bath before settling down to more knitting.

Brrrr...it's chilly

Brrrr it's chilly out there...we've just returned from our evening stroll and it is certainly very cold tonight. We had snow yesterday which settled but awoke this morning to rain which proceeded to wash it all away. 

Monday is housework day here so I've spent the day cleaning, dusting, tidying and hoovering.  I don't mind my household chores and get a feeling of satisfaction seeing everywhere clean and tidy.  

Hubby has finally gone back to work today and is almost back to normal after suffering with this virus for the past three weeks.  I think he found it a bit hard going after being off for so long and was glad to be home at tea time even though I'd cooked fish for tea....not his favourite unless it's wrapped in batter from the chip shop!!

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at the cinema watching Les Miserables...what a brilliant film it is.  I can highly recommend it to all.  Hubby came with me and said he enjoyed it even though musicals are not really his thing.  I would certainly watch it again and can't wait until it's out on dvd.

Here's the trailer for the film: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/lesmiserables/

Saturday

It has certainly turned chilly the last couple of days. Snow is forecast over the weekend and as much as I love the 'picture postcard' image of snow the reality is somewhat different!

Grocery shopping was done this morning so if we do get snow at least we don't have to venture out for bread and milk. We normally shop at Asda as we have a small store about 10 mins walk away but I wanted to try Lidl as they had offers on their fruit and veg today.

I managed to get 5kg of onions for £1.99 and a box of tangerines for £2.59 so I am a happy bunny this afternoon. The onions will keep us going for quite a while and if they start to turn I will chop and freeze them.

Tangerines I love, so they won't last long!

This afternoon has been spent working on some bootie orders which are now ready for posting out on Monday morning. I now feel like knitting socks so I will cast on a babies pair later to feed my 'sock addiction'

Sweet and Sour Chicken is what I am planning on cooking for tea and after our evening stroll hubby and I are planning on either a night of Scrabble or a movie. We have a couple of DVD's from Christmas which we have yet to watch.

Happy times x

Fruitful Wednesday

Does anyone else have a 'needs sewing up' box or is it just me?

I love to knit but I don't enjoy the sewing up so I have a box where I place my knits until I am in the mood for finishing off.  I'm determined to work my way through the box and sew up the unfinished items, photograph them and get them listed in my ebay shop.

The first item I finished was this lovely little hooded jacket, sized to fit a baby boy 0-3 Months.  I love hooded jackets they are great for slipping on in the car when big, bulky coats are not necessary.  You can find it listed in my ebay shop here: EBAY SHOP

The second item I picked out was this pretty baby girl's cardigan and hat set.  I have made this set so many times in many colours and I am always pleased with the finished result.  It is one of those patterns that I go back to time and time again.  

Sized to fit 0-3 Months but as the pattern is quite stretchy I am sure it would fit upto 6 months.  You can find the set listed in my shop here: EBAY SHOP

Monday

Well hubby should have started back to work this morning but he is full of this flu virus that has been doing the rounds so had to phone in sick.  Luckily he managed to get a doctor's appointment for Tuesday morning so we're hoping the doctor will be able to give him something for his chest as it's causing him real problems.

All in all I've had a quite productive day...first of all I sorted my ebay pattern sales  and got them all into the post. The house has been dusted and hoovered and two loads of washing done.  I also made pasta with bolognese sauce for tea.  I think I may have forgotten to put something in it as it wasn't as tasty as it normally is...lol

This evening I have managed to finish the first of my 'stash down' baby blankets and also had yarn over so I was able to make a matching hat and pair of booties.  Pics to follow tomorrow weather permitting!

I've also sorted out the yarn for my next blanket.  This one will be a baby girl's blanket in shades of white, pink and pale lilac.

The weather has been quite mild here for the last few days and as I was putting out the rubbish I noticed that my rhubarb is just pushing through the soil....has spring come early?

My garden is looking quite sorry for itself at the moment.  I shall have to get my thinking cap on and see what can be done with it once the spring arrives.

Sunday - Stash Down

I am putting myself on a 'yarn diet'

I have so much yarn just sitting in boxes and bags and still I buy more...but no more!

I am intent on using the yarn I already have and seeing what I can create with what I have sitting here. 

I started on a baby ripple blanket using yarn from my stash in shades of pale blue, white and navy blue.  I am going to do a random stripe effect and see what I end up with.

 Looking at how the blanket is going I may also have enough yarn to make a baby hat and booties.

These are the sweaters I made just before Christmas.

This is my daughter's sweater, it was knitted from a Stylecraft pattern using a super chunky yarn.  

It grew quickly due to the size 12mm needles but they were a little awkward to knit with being so chunky.  

She was really pleased with the finished result and I would knit this pattern again.

This is the sweater I made for myself. 

 Knitted from a Wendy pattern I used James C Brett Rustic Aran.  It is a lovely yarn to knit with and has made a really lovely, warm and snuggly sweater.

Friday

A day spent pottering around at home.  Hubby is still full of a cold and feeling out of sorts so what better than a comforting home-made soup for dinner.

I make lots of home-made soup, they are nutritious, cheap to make, can be made with whatever you already have in and don't take an age to cook.

Today I made curried carrot and parsnip soup and very tasty it was too and so simple to make.

I chopped about 6 medium sized carrots and 1 parsnip...(I don't really measure ingredients for soup I just use whatever is to hand)

To this I added about a heaped teaspoon of curry powder, two vegetable stock cubes, 1 litre of water and 1tsp of coriander.

Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20mins. Put into the blender and whizz everything together and walla...you have soup!

I always have some stand  by ready to bake rolls in the cupboard so into the oven they went for 12mins and dinner was sorted.

I still haven't settled to any knitting but I have been crocheting baby hats today.  I think once hubby goes back to work next week I will be able to get back into my 'normal' routine and the knitting will follow.

Back to 'Normal'

Today has been spent packing away the Christmas baubles, tree and trimmings for another year.  I felt quite sad to be taking them down.  Christmas seems to have flown this year and this evening I am already missing the twinkling of the tree lights.  I always feel that the house looks so bare when all the decorations are packed away and it takes me a while to adjust to them not being there.

Once the tree was back up in the loft it was time to get on with giving everywhere a good clean and tidy.  My normal routines fall by the wayside over the holidays so it felt good to be able to give everywhere a good dusting, hoovering and moping.

Hubby is not back at work until the 7th so we still have a few lazy days left before it's back to the early starts and day to day routines.  

I haven't any knitting on the needles so I need to sort that out as I always feel at a bit of a loss if I have no knitting to be getting on with.

Just before Christmas I made a chunky sweater for my daughter and an aran sweater for myself (pics to follow) but haven't thought about what I would like to knit next.

I received a lovely book as a Christmas present called The Gentle Art of Knitting so I am going to have a browse through and see what inspires me.

New Years Day

Hubby and I spent a  really lovely New Years Eve together.

A couple of drinks at home before enjoying a lovely meal at the Far Pavillion Indian Restaurant.  We are very lucky as it is just across the road from us and the food is superb.

We had the usual pappadums with onions and chutneys to start.  Hubby followed on with his favourite onion bhajas whilst I had a prawn cocktail.

The restaurant was so lively with every table booked and it was a wonderful festive atmosphere.  I decided to try a garlic chicken curry for my main course which was delicious whilst hubby stuck to his old time favourite Lamb Bhuna.

Once the coffees and liquers were finished we jumped in the car (hubby was'nt drinking) and headed over to Rivington Pike to watch the fireworks at midnight....they were magical.

All in all a really lovely start to 2013.

Today we are off to the traditional New Years Footie Game......thankfully we are at Elland Road today and are welcoming Bolton.  Really hoping we can get the points today as Christmas hasn't been great for us football wise!!