While I Was Waiting....

Hello Ladies,

Friday night was a bit of a sleepless night as I was waiting on my baby is here phone call.

I did try to go to bed but sleep was not happening, so up I got and came down stairs to keep myself occupied.

Now my girls call me the Queen of Flip-Flops, I have loads. I have flip-flops for indoors, flip flops for gardening, flip flops for dog walking, flip flops for shopping, flip flops for going out for the evening and flip flops for almost every occasion. And they all get a outing through the summer at some point. So when Jess pointed out that she was surprised I hadn't bought any this year, Friday night I decided to browse to see what was out there.

My two favourite makes of flip flops are Havaianas and Ipanemas , the reason being they are like walking on air. They are very soft, very cushiony and so, so comfortable. 
Now it's coming to the end of summer, so did I really need flip flops ? 
Yessssss, of course I do, we're thinking of going to Mexico in November, so I'll need some for then.
And this is what came yesterday

And this is what came today.

They look even better out the boxes, they will be well worn on my holiday.

But I didn't just browse the Internet for shopping, I did some constructive work too.

I made a mini runner for the hatchway between our lounge a kitchen. 

This I started early hours Friday morning and finished it yesterday. I got the hexagon idea from Sue at Sweetpea family, she made a beautiful hexagon blanket, so I thought I would use her idea and make mini hexagons and put them together like patchwork, paper piecing. They turned out better than I expected. I was very happy with the outcome.

And just before I go, I would like to share with you a photo of some very tired boys.

Take care everyone, speak soon.

Sally xxx

A New Addition

Hello Ladies, 

I would just like to share with you the new addition to our family. He is the first baby from any of our children and the first grandchild for both sides of the family. 

You can imagine the excitement this little fellow has caused.

He was born at 9.31am, Saturday 24th August, weighing in at 7lb 14oz.

This picture was taken a couple of hours after he was born.

His poor Mummy had rather a rough pregnancy. Where most girls bloom, she suffered constantly from sickness, horrific swelling of hands a feet and all in all it was not much of a fun pregnancy. So it came as no surprise really when we learned that the delivery was a long and difficult one.

But she said it he was worth everything that they had gone through and they are very proud parents.

We went to see him Saturday afternoon and I couldn't stop crying.

I know there are many proud grandparents out there, so you know how emotional it is to see your new born grandchild. 

It still seems slightly unreal that this 6ft 4" son of mine, with his wife has produced a child of there own. I look back and it doesn't seem that long ago that were babies themselves.

This picture was taken on Sunday at the hospital, he was just getting  ready for his first 

photo shoot.

I am so looking forward to being a part of this little fellows life.

Sally  (One Proud Nanna) :) xxx

"B"day

Hello Ladies,

Today is "B" day, or to be more exact, baby's due date, 22nd  August 2013.

My son and his wife are expecting their first baby, our first grandchild. Actually it is the first baby/grandchild for both sides of the family. So you can imagine the excitement from everyone.

Now I thought I was reasonably calm, as time got nearer, I was "Baby will come, when baby comes".

Woke up this morning and the first thing Amie (my daughter) said to me was, "Baby's due today".

" Maybe " I said.

Then later in the day, my other daughter rang, to find out if anything was happening baby wise.

" No, no, but I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything." I said

I rang her back a couple of hours later, to let her know about a letter she was expecting.

" Oh my god, is baby happening " she shouted down the phone.

" Umm, no I'm ringing about a letter".

"Oh, ok.........but ring me as soon as you hear".

Then, late afternoon, my dad who never uses the phone rang me.

"They had that baby yet" he said

"No dad, it's due date is today".

"I know, that's why I'm ringing"

"No dad, as soon as I hear, I'll ring you".

Now I'm beginning to feel a bit anxious, I was fine till everyone started ringing me.  

Then my son rang, "Baby's not here yet, can we come for dinner".

So round they come, poor Abby fat and fed up, doesn't know where to put herself.

Mr S comes home from work, I heard him run down the drive and in the back door.

"Oh", he said "I saw the car outside and thought Abby had the baby".

"No, no baby yet" I said.

So we're all at the dinner table talking about baby and going into hospital. Trying to decide when he's going to come, will it be tomorrow, will it be over the weekend. 

Aaron fretting about the dog, "make sure you go get him mum, when we go in, don't leave him at home on his own".

"No, no I won't".

So they go home, Mr S goes to bed and Amie is trying to get her mittens finished.

Now I'm not so calm, I've got that funny squiggle in my tummy, that makes you feel fluttery.  Now I'm just waiting for the phone call. 

It seems everyone was all jittery and anxious, but they've all seen each other and now gone home or gone to bed feeling calmer.

But me, now I'm the jittery one.

Oh well, baby will come, when baby comes.

Sally :) xxx

Crocheting with cobwebs

Hello Ladies,

I bought some beautiful yarn a couple of weeks ago. I very rarely buy yarn online unless I've seen it first, because I like to touch and feel it and make sure it has the right amount of softness,  squidgyness and bouncyness. But for some reason I decided I liked this yarn that was lace/2ply, so bought it.

The yarn came and I was sooooo pleased, it had all the things I like in a yarn. The colour was soft and scrummy looking and it felt beautiful.

So all I had to do now was find a pattern for it, lol. I know, I bought the yarn knowing I wanted to my a wrap, but hadn't yet decided on a pattern for it. 

After scouring the Internet, I eventually found a pattern I liked. So after sorting out my hook,  getting my daughter Amie to help me turn the skein of wool into a ball of wool and getting myself settled in my fave crochet chair, I started.

I had to make a chain of 118, uh oh. I could barely see it, it was like trying to crochet with cobwebs.

I started to feel like I had run before I could walk, perhaps this yarn was not meant for newbie crocheters. I could hardly see the difference between chains.

I already have to wear glasses for close work, so any reading, crafting or lap topping the glasses go on. In fact, they live on my head, because I need them for most everyday jobs. But even with my glasses I was struggling to see the individual chains. Then when I finally had made the 118 chains, my first row was to DC into each chain. I started to feel a bit deflated, I'd bought this beautiful cobwebby yarn that I couldn't work with.

Then I remembered that I had bought some over the counter glasses, sometime last year that were +3, they magnify that much, you can't see anything with them on unless its right in front of you. I just had to find them.

These are the bad boys I needed. Now I was able to see the individual chains I could now work my DC row.

Once I'd got that row done and started on the next, it seemed a little easier.

It's not the easiest yarn I've worked with, but it certainly is the prettiest. And I know it's going to look amazing when it's finished.

Sally :) xx

 

Neighbours

Hello Ladies,

I have the most loveliest of neighbours you could ever ask for. They are an elderly couple in their middle 80's, both very spritely and are always out and about.

Eve likes to go out every morning, either into town, or to the shopping centre. If she goes into town, she will wander down to the village and catch a bus. She will then catch a bus back, but her husband John drives down to the village and picks her up so she doesn't have to walk up the hill. 

If she goes to the shopping centre, John will drive her out there and they will wander the shops, get their shopping and have a coffee.

In the afternoon, Eve likes to get out in her garden and spend a few hours out there. They are a very active couple.

Three weeks ago, while spending a few days at her daughters, she fell down some steps in the garden and shattered her collar bone. She had to spend 5 days in hospital before she was able to come home, which she found very upsetting.

Her whole routine has had to change and although she excepts she cant do much herself, she does find it quite distressing having to suddenly rely on people helping her. Because she's in a tremendous amount of pain, she is not sleeping very well and is awake quite a bit in the night.

I wanted to make her something that would help cheer her up and as I love making shawls and wraps, decided to make her one.

This was the yarn I bought and it was so lovely to work with. It's. cotton and linen mix and drapes beautifully.

This is a picture without the border and how it looked after adding a border.

I gave it to her today and she was so pleased with it. She had a little cry and said it was extra special because it was made for her. 

I so enjoyed making the shawl and think I need to make one for myself out of my new yarn I bought.

Have a lovely week everyone 

Sally :) xxx

Bitsa........

Hello Ladies,

Today's post is full of bits, because I haven't finished anything.I just keep starting new projects and even though I told myself yesterday I needed to finish something before I started another project, I didn't and I have.

But first I want to share with you something my youngest daughter Amie made ( I say youngest, she's 24).

When we found out my son and his wife were expecting their first baby, our first grandchild,  she decided she wanted to learn how to knit so she could make something for him. So first she attempted a pair of fingerless gloves, but hadn't even got half way through making the first one, when she got bored and found a monkey that she wanted to have a go at.

I actually didn't think she would finish him as it wasn't the easiest of patterns, especially as he was made of 5 different colours. But she kept going and this was her end result :) .

Just before she finished him, she found another pattern for a blanket elephant toy, I convinced her to finish the monkey first, before starting the elephant.

The elephant was made up using 4 and at one point 5 needles and 4 ply yarn. I have never knitted using 4 needles so I was no help to her, and as for the 4 ply, I have to be honest I didn't think she would finish it.

But she did and I was well pleased for her, any issues she had, she went on YouTube and solved them herself. This elephant is only the 2nd thing she has ever knitted, that's why I wanted to share it with you. So you to can see how brilliant he looks.

I'm sure her nephew to be will love him.

As for me, well I have a blanket on the go, a cushion cover and a shawl I'm making for my neighbour.(I'll tell you more about the shawl in another post). So I have plenty to keep me going and don't really need another project at the moment. Or so I thought until I spotted a beautiful hexagon blanket made by Sue from Sweetpea Family, go take a look :) .I can't tell you how many times I kept going back to her blog, taking another look, trying to convince myself that I needed to finish something first.

But I couldn't wait to finish something and what's another WIP. I emailed Sue to ask her about the pattern and she copied it out and sent it to me, so here is my start. I have a way to go yet before its Sue's size, but I pleased with how it's going and at the moment it seems to be growing quite fast.

Ok 1 more things before I go. While looking at patterns for shawls, I found a few that I liked that are made from a lace yarn. Now I don't mind buying yarn online, but I have to be able to see it and feel it first. Once it's gone through the viewing, touching and squeezing process I am more than happy to buy from an Internet source. 

But this time I thought I would go out on a limb and just buy some. I like the yarn supplier Deramores, if I order before 4pm I think it is, I always manage to get it delivered by the next day and if you spend £25 and over its free delivery. So, I picked a yarn that I liked the look of and waited in anticipation, wondering if I'd done the right thing and if I didn't like it, would I be able to send it back.

Today it came and its gorgeous, it's soft, it's silky and the colours are fabulous.

All I can say is I hope I do this yarn proud. Sometimes when I find such a beautiful looking yarn, I have to put it somewhere, where I can keep seeing it and not wanting to use it. 

But I am actually looking forward to working with it, but......... I am going to make every effort to finish something first. Ha ha ha.

Hope you all have good week.

Sally :) xx

The Table Runner

,Hello Ladies,

I have a long, low level unit in my conservatory that has probably seen better days. I'm reluctant to replace it as its home to much of my crafting stuff and up till now I haven't seen anything I like that can take its place.

So I decided that a nice long table runner would cheer it up. A few weeks ago I made a Mandala from Winks blog A Creative Being.

I loved the way this turned out and the colour choices I had chosen, so I decided to base my runner on this. Now maybe again I'm running before I can walk and not a lot of thought or planning went into this. I mean how hard can it be, all I want is a long length of crochetness, easy peasy. Or so I thought until I finished this.

Even now I can't exactly tell you what I wanted, but in my head this was not it. With each round I did, I thought it would suddenly take on the picture in my head. You know the one that's in there but you just can't pass that on to the hook and yarn.

I think to say this poor table runner is ugly, maybe a bit extreme, but it certainly isn't on my love it list.

But I've put it on my unit and I keep going back and looking at it on the hopes that I will get a brain storm of what it actually was I wanted.

Being a newbie I'm sure there will be many other projects that don't turn out the way I expect them to, so maybe I'll  have to make a special box for the uglies, to remind me that not everything is perfect.

On a cheerier note, I would just like to share with you one of my favourite flowers.

I love these flowers, I bought them at the market yesterday and thought how lovely they would look on my table. 

Please feel free to make any suggestions on my runner issue, maybe you have the idea that's trying to get out of my head :)

Have a good day

Sally xx

Bottom Of The Garden

Hello Ladies,

Unfortunately after a 5 year battle, we are having 14 houses built at the bottom of our garden 😞

When we moved here 15 years ago, there was a piece of waste ground that was at the back of us, owned by a couple of neighbours. They originally bought it to stop it being built on, but many years later their children grew up and they in turn had children. This meant that the land became too much for the neighbours to look after especially as they are now into their 80's. So when a developer came calling and offered to buy the land from them, they agreed.

We have tried to think of all sorts of ways to block some of view that we now have, knowing that the building site will become a row of houses.

Then a friend suggested Bamboo, they had bought some Black Cane Bamboo a few months  ago and it grew quite quickly. This idea really appealed to me as it can grow between 10ft and 16ft and it was something that was going to look natural.

Now sometimes I get these brilliant ideas, but they don't always turn out how I imagine, maybe this is because I don't always think things through to the end.

So I went out and bought 3 pots of Bamboo and brought them home ready for planting. Now the idea was to plant them in front of the fence, but apparently when we had the slabs laid at the bottom by the fence, they had to be laid onto hardcore and concrete, so we were unable to dig the area I wanted the Bamboo to go in. I could see my idea slipping away.

Then Mr S, suggested we build a planter for them. Ok that sounded like a plan, but it would have to be a rather large planter. That's ok we'll use decking, it'll be long lasting and they come in 8ft lengths.

So he built the planter, we went and bought the compost and filled it. The fence was already painted green, but I thought it needed to be painted a brown colour, so the Bamboo would stand out more. So he then went and got some fence paint and painted the fence.

I then planted the Bamboo and thought how lovely it looked. It'll be interesting to see how quickly it grows. But it certainly is eye catching when the wind blows it and it has a beautiful rustling sound .

My super idea that I thought was going to fail, was turned around and made possible by Mr S.

So now in the morning, when I sit out with my coffee,  before the builders turn up, I can listen to the birds, the water from the ponds and watch the movement of the Bamboo.

All of that makes a good start to my day. So thank you my brilliant Mr. S.

Hope you all have a good day.

Sally :) xx

A Beautiful Day

Hello Ladies,

I don't always sleep well and most nights it might be just four to five hours of sleep I get.

That's why I love the summer, it's so much nicer when the days are long and it gets light very early. I enjoy going out and sitting in the garden, sometimes as dawn is breaking with a cup of coffee and listen to.......... nothing.

The only sound is the birds singing and the water running from the ponds,  otherwise it's so peaceful. Also where it's been hot, it's much nicer hooking early morning outside where it's lovely and cool. 

Then after a while, it's like the world is slowly coming to life, ready to start a new day.

Today was another hottie and even with all the windows open, the house seemed as hot as outside. Neither of the dogs knew where to put themselves, no where seemed cool. So I went and dug out their paddling pool.

As soon as they see that coming out, they get so excited and are in before its even filled up properly.

But it cools them down and they were in and out of it for most of the afternoon.

At one point this afternoon, Amie and I sat with our feet in the paddling pool, enjoying the coolness of the water and an ice cold cider. I can totally understand why the dogs like dipping in and out to keep cool.

I also finished the Wrap I was making for my niece. She's a bridesmaid for her best friend, whose getting married in Santorini and she asked if I would make her one to take away with her.

It's such a lovely pattern and so easy to do. My niece picked the yarn and it has tiny little sequins in it, when the sunshine catches it, it really sparkles.

Unfortunately, the photos don't do the colour any justice. It looks blue, but it's actually a cream and a soft pale grey. I know she's going to love it.

It'll be nice if she can send a couple of photos, wearing her wrap.

Now to go find a new project to do 😉

Hope you all have a lovely day x