Brain Ache.....

The last couple of weeks have been spent struggling with an assignment, my 'Reflective Commentary'.

It appears to have turned out like this...........

 

Rather good I thought!!

On Being Thankful.

I have many things for which I am thankful.  I have my health, my lovely family and many great friends.  These are just of few of the many things I am thankful for.

But today I would like to thank someone special......I would like to thank

ME :0)

I am getting myself through Teaching Training, I am coping with the newly emerging Teenagers and all the other little (and big) things life throws at me, and still managing to get the tea on the table more often than not!

WELL DONE ME x

Now, come to think of it I reckon YOU are pretty special too.  I expect you have to cope with all sorts of difficult times and sorrows. So how about saying a Big Thankyou to YOU, you're great too x

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all x x x

Avoiding? No just resting.......

Well, here I am again trying to write another essay and yet finding it very easy to distract myself with blogging and updating my projects on Ravelry!  I suppose I had better write something insightful to make it seem more necessary.


I'm gradually getting over a low patch (probably caused by a combination of stress, circumstances and hormones).  It left me feeling very tired and unmotivated to do anything that required leaving a compfy spot.  Luckily I could still knit and spin so I tried really hard to go with that and not give myself a hard time.  So what if I had a mountain of books and articles that needed reading, so what if I was meant to be helping organise a social event for the PTA and so what if.....well just so what.  At one point I even let the children eat pot noodles for tea (I wonder if that admission will be one of those internet things that hounds me for the rest of my life!!) 


I think I must be naturally busy person because after a week of being 'kind to myself' I started to get a bit impatient and frustrated. I started thinking a week is long enough surely?  Haven't  I got things to make and do, lists to write? blogs to update? carpets to hoover? 

The thing is when you're in that funk its so hard to keep in mind that it will pass. The energy, enthusiasm and motivation will return when its good and ready and forcing it is counter productive.  Luckily I am on the upswing and just in the nick of time (the social event is this weekend).  My energy has returned and I'm sure motivation and enthusiasm are lurking somewhere near.  


It's taken me a good few years to accept and recognise the rhythms of life and to go with them rather than fight them but even though deep down I 'know' this The Low still takes me by surprise when it happens. It is  hard to trust that things will turn out ok, but essentially that is all you need to do.


There....lecture over....I shall reward patient readers with a pic of my lovely new Tolosa Park hat....

 Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing.......hence why I'm blogging about it now rather than a week ago.


So, if anyone out there is feeling a bit low or out of sorts, I would like to urge you to go and make yourself something nice, find somewhere comfy and repeat after me "So What.....I need a rest".


Best wishes to all whether you are up, down or half way between the two x
 

Quickie!

This will have to be quick as I'm really meant to be doing something else (i.e conveying my suitability to teach by reflecting on my progress from housewife to Super Dooper Teacher Status!).

It was my birthday a week ago and (after a bit of prompting) I am now the proud owner of a set of Knitpro Interchangable needles, and what better way to show them off than with a spot of lace.....

Is it possible to be in love with needles?  Sometimes I just have to sit and look at them for a while to sooth myself after a stressful day!

The next thing to grace these needles will be a hat for me using this.....

That'll be another distraction from the task at hand!!

TTFN x x

FO! *

*(for those that don't frequent the online knitting world that stands for Finished Object!)

Well, for every post I manage to finish there are about a hundred that don't even make it out of my head!


I have been meaning to post for an age but life keeps getting in the way (that and the fact that I have to fight through a mass of teenagers hogging the computor!!).

Its taken me quite a while to get into being back at school and uni, and having to admit that the Summer is over. Usually, at this time of year I'm ready to hunker down for the winter, experiencing a little feeling of glee when the weather become damp and miserable.....Perfect knitting weather I think to myself.

But definately the start of Strictly Come Dancing should help  to see off those Winter blues with its host  glistening torso's and mountains of sequins!!

As always for me the best way of dealing with stress is to lose myself in the creative process....

Buttercup is finished, blocked and already being worn............

And on the wheel.................Tolosa Park from The Thylacine another amazing dyer of wool.  This is what it looked like before....I had been admiring it for some time!

A beautiful blend of oatmeal BFL and soy and its so lovely to spin.  I can see this becoming another stunning garment for me to wear....I am so good to myself!!!

With that in mind I might just fit in a bit of spinning......while its quiet :-)

Ta Ta for now...X

Countdown to maddness......

This time next week I'm back to uni and this little oasis of peace and calm (during the hours of 9 & 3) will be over. I cunningly spent my weekend scrubbing cupboards annd wiping shelves so that once the kids were back to school I could transform the kitchen...........

get out a trusty and rather neglected friend.....

and do some creating!

There won't be much time once the work starts rolling in so I'm making the most of it. 

This is a blend of black alpaca, bamboo and a little bit of nylon sparkle.

More pics to follow and hopefully a finished
Radiate.......

TTFN xx

A Change of Plan

I got about a dozen rows into Lady Kina 2 with my latest handspun only to decide that it wasn't going to work. My wool was just a bit too bulky. So after a whole evening of trawling through Ravelry patterns I came up with Radiate . It ticks all the boxes of being simple, top down and seamless, so watch this space for progress.

As promised here's the finished Lady Kina .......



(I have touted this pic all over the web as I'm so proud of it, I did consider uploading a pic of me wearing it but I'm afraid I just can't do it.....I look ridiculous!!)

I just love this little top, its so lovely to wear. I'm considering making another one with the black alpaca fluff I have left.

I also picked up this little beauty in a charity shop at the weekend.....



an absolute bargain at £6.99.

I've noticed of late that my blog hasn't had many of my pearls of wisdom, (that may be because I haven't had any!) So here's someone elses.

Enjoy x

End of Summer reflections....

I tend the greet the end of the holidays with mixed feelings. Yes its lovely and quiet (especially between the hours of 9 & 3). Yes I can (generally) finish what I'm doing in the bathroom without someone needed me URGENTLY.....LIKE RIGHT NOW!!!!!! and Yes, the sitting room CAN stay tidy (particularly between previously stated hours!).........

but also it means no more festival vibe till next year and no impromptu trips to the seaside in....


.....my lovely Bessy Van, the source of much pleasure during the Summer months. (I'm not even going to mention finishing off my PGCE as I'm not quite ready to give up that summer hols feeling just yet, lets just say I'm due back soon).

I shall console myself with spinning up this and knitting up my lovely Reflective wool from Picperfic




I've have very nearly finished Lady Kina (pic to follow) and I'm seriously considering making another one with this.

Anyway, I'm off to spin in the garden and make the most of what is left of summer.

Happy crafting x

Time to create at last!

With most of the Have To's and Really Must's either completed, forgotten or ignored my mind has turned to pleasing myself with Fluff (mmm sounds dodgy!?).

Spinning up my latest purchase from Picperfic has been a joy and a pleasure, and the only thing I've really felt capable of doing this last week, I have been feeling utterly exhausted.

It feels like its been an age since there has been room in my brain for creative thoughts and its been lovely to just sit and spin and think about what I might make next, I'm definately gearing up for A Project.......and I've been considering making a Manu ....

But while I think about it a bit more I've cast on for Lady Kina using some plain white alpaca I've spun recently. I really like these top down seemless tops, they are so simple and I love not having to piece it all together, who could forget the lamentable Hey Teach, that never really recovered from a year of languishing in an untidy heep on the edge of the sofa :-(

So to end, here's a shot of my new yarn in progress which may or may not become a Manu....


Such beautiful colours, I've named it Thoughtful as that is what I've mostly been :-)

TTFN x

School's Out for Summer (well nearly!)

Well, it feels like I've reached the end of a rather long and exhausting race........and my prize?

Is this!......

After 6 weeks in a fantastic yet challenging school, followed by assignment writing and getting ready for my Larmer Tree Workshop, I feel utterly spent, and also still rather surprised I managed to pull it off.

The timing couldn't have been better, on the day the assignment was handed in we headed off with a van packed with food, fabric and glue. The workshop was brilliant producing this fantastic work of art ......



Give or take the odd tired and emotional meltdowns ( and not just by the children), everyone had a good time. The atmosphere was lovely and you would not believe how much there was to see yet what did my Man and I take photo's off?

Gardens.......



and my wool!.......



Is that a bit sad?

But now I must go as the postman has just dropped lots of lushious things through my door :-)

TTFN x

FO update!

My lovely Special Fibres have become.....................



I'm in a really self indulgent knitting phase at the moment, where all I seem to be able to knit are beautiful garments for myself!! I'm also really loving the simplicity of the raglan topdown cardie format. For this little top I used the Caplet pattern and modified it slightly. I cast on 4 times as many stitches as I needed and did two decreasing rows to make the frills.

I think its worked really well, but I haven't worn it yet. I'm considering selling it to fund my fluff habit, I regularly drool over these!!

School placement has finished now to life can slow down (but just a tad!). I loved my time in school (which is handy when considering a career move into teaching!), all I have to do now it write another dratted assignment then its PARTY TIME!!!!!!!

Pics!!

At long last here are some photo's of yarn and a finished item!!

First up Cable Cardie.......(apologies for my haughty expression..I don't photo well!)

I so totally love this little cardie and haven't stopped wearing it from the day I finished it. I still haven't washed 'n' blocked it yet!

And here is the Special Wool all set and ready to be wound. I'm making a variation on this Capelet here.





TTFN XXX

News Flash.........

I would so love to share some photo's of my latest creative endeavours but time is against me.

I am so stupidly busy on my full time placement I shall have to go to bed and opt for sleep rather than attempt to find the camera lead, upload photos and get them online (that sort of thing just seems to take me so long!).

So I shall just have to explain for the time being.

The Cable Cardie is finished, sewn up and everything!! I love it so much I haven't blocked it and wore it most of the weekend. It is so lovely and soft and the 3/4 length sleeves make it really practical (they don't get in your dinner......).

I have cast on a bunch of stitches with the Special stuff. On the back of Cable cardie being such a sucess I've gone a bit inventive. I'm doing a sort of caplet....see I can't even link to it, it would take too much time :-(

I'm spinning more lushious fibre from picperfic but only in 5 min bursts....I end up getting really good ideas (Number Bingo!!) and have to go and write them down.

I'm well on the way to Teacher status by purchasing a Laminator and now spend rather too much time making interesting resources (anyone who is a teacher or knows a teacher will know exactly what I mean!).

I'm totally loving being in school all day. Having spent the majority of the last 13yrs at home with my own children I can't think of a nice reason to leave the house on daily basis at the moment. I'm almost not minding the workload, (especially when I get to play students at the uni campus on a friday afternoon....studying!) :-)

Pictures, more details and links to follow..........hopefully x

Creative Kids and Fun in the Sun.........

After a really lovely Easter break, where we even managed to get out a couple of times the our beautiful Bessy Van, it was back to grind with avengence, (I can't believe we're in the last term already....I don't know where the time's gone!)

This week I had my first visit to my placement school...the place I'm going to learn my trade...and it was great. As luck would have it, it was 5x5x5 day.

There was a range of different creative activities on offer, such as junk model making, a couple of 'light boxes' (over head projectors) with the wall covered in paper for the children to project onto and draw on, pots of beans and little trays to arrange them on. Anything not out can be got if the children request it. There was a loose theme of maps as the children had shown an interest during an earlier session but it was by no means prescriptive, they didn't have to make maps.

The children had free choice, they could do what ever they wanted (within obvious limits no fires, no fighting, cutting eachother hair etc etc). The adults in the room spent the day observing and documenting what took place with photos and notes of conversations, thoughts and ideas.

The point of this being, whatever sparks a childs interest can then be built on and other activites planned. We saw lots of mixing and pouring, talking about and pictures of families and they loved the 'light boxes'. We had loads of ideas and thoughts of where to go next with the children, mixing and pouring can lead into measuring (number work) and cooking (more number, bit of literacy), making swirly patterns with beans and seeds can lead into writing in sand.....can you see where we're going with this?

Child initiated learning........you're more likely to learn if you are interested and engaged....a million miles away from sitting at desks reciting your time tables!!

Anyone interested in this sort of learning could check out the Reggio Emilia Approach.

Apart from those dratted assignments I do rather like learning......anyway what better way to end a busy week than with a spot of spinning in the sunshine...............













Thats Special all spun up now, I hope it doesn't distract me from Cable Cardie as that is coming only slowly but surely with the back and left front almost done.

Untill next time, enjoy the sun x

Off Task!

So there I was lovingly eeking out the spinning of my Special Fibres when A Distraction occurred.........in the shape of 3 knitting mags someone donated to the charity shop my mum helps in.


I never knew how totally fantastic and absorbing they were. I used to occiasionly be seduced by the odd Heat or Closer (if I was stuck in a train station or something) but I would always feel a bit wrong after, they are somewhat voyeristic and I never like the whole focus on who was too fat and who was too skinny. No, from now on if I have some spare pennies I can see one of these mags being a perfect treat!

After three days of thumbing through I couldn't hold out any longer and just had to knit the Cable Cardie and what better yarn to use than the softest of soft Alpaca I had used as a practice spin.

Special went on hold and as the kids are on Easter Hols I had time to spin. There's no need for housework when kids are at home, its just not worth it, plus the fact the Eldest, at the grand old age of 13 is now interested in shopping and money so its always worth while keeping a few jobs free for her to earn some cash!!

Now I know after the time it took to finally finish Hey Teach I swore I would NEVER attempt another garment....but........well its just a bit like childbirth isn't it? Once the pain is over you forget it was ever a struggle. I'm hoping I have learnt some lessons from the last effort and this time.................well this time will be different :-)




Special is not forgotten though, I'm loving taking my time to spin it,
the tricky part will be trying to decide to what to knit.

Suggestions on a postcard? x

An Easter Treat..........

.....and surprisingly for me I'm not talking Chocolate!!

My beautiful fibres from Picperfic have arrived (the day after I paid for them aswell).


Its amazing what I can do when I'm putting off something nice.

I let myself have a little peak, a gentle touch and sniff of the fibres before sealing it all up again. I then spent the morning cleaning, hoovering, cooking and sorting papers, I even washed the kitchen floor!!

Anything just so that I can spin out (excuse the pun) the anticpation a bit longer!!

I can't wait to get going with this but I'm going to have to work a little bit longer for it. I've still got a bit more reading, filing and uni work to do but I'm sure by the end of the day there will be something special on the bobbin.

Here's to waiting..........................

Time Out........

With a number of deadlines met, felting with the WI, dressing in full Traditional Indian Sari to host our PTA Curry & Quiz night and handing the dreaded essay, I have come down with a Lurgy.

It was bound to happen really, you keep going, keep going, keep going, then bang......the virus gets you. As I am presently waiting (very patiently I might add!) for some special fibres from Picperfic I decided what better way to take care of myself than to wrap myself in a blanket with a cup of Hot Lemon & Honey (with a splash of whiskey for medicinal purposes) and practice my fine spinning.

Here I just carded handfulls of alpaca and then spun it as fine as I could, I'm really happy with it and its so beautifully soft.

I've also finished the Crazy Batt Shrug and now I'm making a scarf to go with my hat and gloves (it had to be done really!).

and finally....Hey Teach might get its first outing tomorrow, lets hope its worth the wait!!

Thanks for dropping by,
TTFN x

So Very Nearly There.......

I can hardly believe it myself but Hey Teach is on the final leg.....


I have finally put the buttons on, washed it and its now drying. I'm almost a little ashamed at the fact that I started this nearly a year ago. This was going to be my Superhero Teacher Top and its done in the nick of time. I find out in about a week where I'm going to be based for my first proper go at Teaching!!!

Watch out Kids (and parents) ......I could be coming to a school near you!!

Busy, busy, busy

The last few weeks have been mental. I have been metaphorically dragging my sorry self over hot coals in the form of 2500 words on How Children Learn, (conclusion being quite often in spite of us not because of us!)

I'm sure the older I get each essay gets harder and more painful to write, which begs the question why at the wrong end of 30 am I still doing it? (still not come up with an answer for that one).

So what happens to creative drive when the brain is being frazzled by having to do something its not use to? Well.........


I'm still very much in love with my crazy batt yarn. Of the serveral balls I've spun I've made Gloves, two hats, a flower and an almost finished Shrug (pics of that to follow).

I've found myself wanting to make small easy things for instant gratification but as the sun has come out I no longer want to knit socks and gloves, so for the time being I'm back to making flowers and purses. Its nice to have a little stock of things I could use at a fair or something.

BUT, the next big project is brewing. As a treat for not having a complete Teacher Training Breakdown I've ordered some special fibres. Something to definately look forward to :-)

I'll leave you with some lovely felt made during one of my workshops, this time by Sherston's WI where we had a great day weaving and making felt.

Until next time, ttfn :-)

The Verdict

Yes, I think I was right!!!

And I have enough yarn left over to knit a matching hat and scarf too.

The only problem is I've made them at the wrong time of year.......I must be the only person in England hoping for another cold snap!!!

Sometime's you just need to shut up and listen .... *

I was so sure my beautiful new yarn wanted to be a lovely snuggly wrap, so a searched through patterns and consulted 'those in the know' ...(i.e. knitty folk!) ...and started on the Prismatic Wrap....

The trouble is I was wrong. Right from the start that yarn kept saying 'Gloves.....I wanna be gloves' .

So I relented............


The trouble with the wrap was that it was going to take up just too much yarn and take forever to knit, so I'm getting a new pair of gloves with enough left over for a scarf. I shall still use the Prismatic Scarf pattern though as I do rather like it.

If I had just listened in the first place I could have saved myself a lot of time!

Happy knitting x

* of course this doesn't just apply to wool :-)

Got there at last!

I don't know about you but I generally have a number of ideas floating around my head for blog posts and for every post that makes it there are quite a few that don't.

February is a bit of a crazy month with a host of birthdays that need celebrating. I also have a massive amount of work to do for my PGCE. My usual trick of balancing books on the arm of the sofa thinking that just by being close to them I might absorb them just isn't working either. Turns out I have to actually read them (and yes I have tried reading and knitting but it is a bit tricky!!)

With all this going on my crafting activities have taken a bit of a hit :-(


I desperately want to do something with my crazy batt yarn but I'm very undecided on what to do so that's simmering on the back burner. I'm a little bored with socks and gloves so it was with some surprise that I have resurected this.......The Mitred Blanket

and it now looks like this.....


A few more squares added. I started this nearly a year ago, I expect I'll still be adding bits to it when I'm 80!!

I have also had the opportunity to deliver a series of wool related activities to the Alzheimers Support Group through the PAWS scheme

and we made this

This is a combination of handmade felt, woven squares and knitting, all peiced together to make a really colourful and textured wall hanging. It was really interesting working with a different age group and we had a great time talking about how important all these skills once were to everyday life.

This is just a snippet of what's going on in the World of Woollycraft, but now I really must do some study and NOT trawl through knitting patterns.

TTFN x

A Grumpy Pug

My love of craft and especially knitting has bought me into contact with someone wanting me to test knit some patterns for her......

So here we have The Grumpy Pug


On the spinning front I have filled a second bobbin of my beautiful Crazy Batt yarn. The second batch was my reward for getting some uni work done, which I didn't get round to doing until quite late last night. I decided that an hour spinning was more beneficial to my health than an hour spent lying in bed fretting about all the work I hadn't done!

Inspired (part 2)....

Well I lasted about 24 hours and I didn't manage to do any studying.......



In my defence I did make marmalade and had to occupy a bored 6 yr old on a TV detox (my own fault, I enforced it!).

I had to play lots of pretending games, so I pretended I was a queen who did spinning, (as long as I started every sentence with 'just pretend...' I think I got away with it!)

I totally adore this yarn, I'll keep it as a single and I might even knit something for myself with it (gasp, shock, horror)

Inspired......

Inspired by Picperfic's Crazy Batts I just had to have a go........




These some fibres I had left over from some felting workshops I've been running lately, with a little bit of sparkle and some ramie fibres.

I'm so desperate to spin it up but I'm going to have to wait. I'm a bit snowed under with work for my PGCE so I've saving these batts as a special treat when I feel I've done enough study to deserve it!!

I'll post pics of the yarn when its done.