Where has the time gone?

Firstly a big big apology to Barbara for forgetting to blog about the wonderful box of goodies she sent me for Secret Santa. Christmas has been a little low key for me this year as I had to have two adjacent molars removed the Monday before, and I am only just beginning to make it through the day without Paracetamol and Codeine tablets every six hours. So I haven't been in the mood for extensive surfing.

However, I did remember to take photos, although some of them are too blurry to use.

Along with the selection of goodies above, I was also very lucky to receive a box of Twinings Chai Tea and a Tea Towel map of Wales upon which I had a great time finding the places I used to go to as a child, mainly Porthmadoc and Llangollen. I did attempt to coax Alex to model the scarf but unfortunately he was very scathing about a BOY wearing pink !!!! Obviously not done when you are six years old and just starting to build up your street cred.

I love each and every one of my gifts and the tree magnet will be staying on the fridge whether or not it is Christmas because I love it. So there. Once again, Barbara, I'm so sorry I forgot to contact you sooner, I thought I'd emailed, but I have managed to forget a lot of things over the last two weeks including the Christmas card for Ivan's family although they didn't seem to notice !!!

Prior to Christmas I was asked to knit the Knitivity figures for a friend of a friend ...

These ten figures were knitted in two weeks exactly, working pretty much day and evening and letting the family sort the housework and cooking. I'm really pleased with them and as I bought the book, I will be knitting myself a set for next year, but not so hurried.









I also finally got around to putting Amber's bullets on a belt for her. In the summer we visited a local twice weekly indoor market in the old Distillery in Hythe, and there was a little shop there selling military objects, including a Gatling Gun (which Alex was NOT allowed to buy however much he pleaded) and several chains of bullets from said gun (all spent obviously) and Amber persuaded me to buy a set for her. And it has taken me until December to buy a suitable leather belt and attach the bullets to it. Took me a couple of hours using a hole punch thingie and fishing line, but I am really please with the result and so is she.





















It is now ten to the Witching hour and I need a drink so cheerio for now and may you all have a wonderful and prosperous New Year.

Plodding along part two

Just saw Sarah's blog - and I know what you mean about plodding along. It all feels like I am plodding through thick porridge at the moment but I have my trusty spoon and a bit of honey so I guess I'll get there eventually :)

Alex is doing well in his special school, although still having problems with temper management, his Asperger's seems to be coming out more now in the way he behaves when things aren't exactly how he thinks they should be. But it is still early days and at least he is now making educational progress, which was not happening this time last year.

I have sent off my secret santa box - on Tuesday - so can't wait for the recipient to blog about it. It was sent by special next day delivery so please do check for postman cards and at the post office if you have been away - just in case :)

A friend asked me to knit the entire Knitivity Nativity set (now say it really fast) for a class mate on the same evening course as she is. I said I could do it for £40 and she accepted, so now I am concentrating solely on that as she will need it for next Wednesday at the latest. So that means all my other knitting and present wrapping and cracker making will all have to wait for a while. I'll photograph the whole thing and post it once it's finished. Making the dolls is hilarious as they are extremely phallic before receiving their arms and facial expressions - my OH has been having a field day. My son looked at Mary, before she was dressed, and told me that "the lady is creeping me out, Mummy" which had me in stitches. Luckily once dressed, he thought she looked quite nice. However, Baby Jesus is a porker, half the size of his mother, it makes you wince to think about it. No wonder Mary was tired :)

These are some of the little things that I have been knitting and selling to a local shop that specialises in local handicrafts. She has asked me to knit tea cosies so I am hoping to get a few of them done in the new year.

I am quite proud of myself as I adapted the snowman pattern and created the hat pattern myself. Small beginnings I know, but you have to start somewhere :)

All this means that my paid knitting has suffered and I am aware that I have 5 hats yet to knit from 4ply cashmere which takes ages, to be honest. So I need to get onto those asap, although I doubt she'll get them before Christmas.

I decided to make my own crackers this year, as the price of them is high and the gifts inside are usually fairly useless. So I am collecting small but useful items for all of us, three crackers each. Obviously it means that I already know what my gifts are but it does give me a very good excuse to buy myself little things I wouldn't normally get. The crackers are a good size so it makes it easier to get nice things to go inside.

I had an unexpected parcel the other day from Hobbycraft. Couldn't think what it was as I haven't ordered anything from them for ages. Then I remembered that I had entered a competition in one of the craft magazines round about October time, and I had won a prize :) This is a big event as I very rarely win anything. It's a mosaic tray kit and looks very nice.

Now it's gone Midnight, Alex is in the school play tomorrow, which we are all attending. On Monday he is going to Bluewater's Winter Wonderland with the school and then to Dover Cinema on Wednesday, again with the school. They do so many wonderful outings for the children I am quite green with envy :) Apparently it will be horse riding in the summer !!!

Night night, 16 days to Christmas :)