2010 in pictures

2009 wasn't a great one for me, but I shall be looking back very fondly on 2010 and thought I would document some of the happy moments for me throughout the seasons.

spring

summer

autumn

winter

And, of course, these two just have to be included ..

Here's wishing everyone a truly happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. See you in 2011!

Kate xox

{I've just realised there is a duplication in one of the mosaics, and another has turned out smaller than the others. Hey ho, that'll be the champagne - hic!!}

to you

Merry Christmas everyone, here's sending you much love and best wishes for a truly festive and wonderful time. Not to mention a prosperous, healthy and fabulously crafty New Year!

Thank you for all your lovely words throughout the last twelve months, they have been so much appreciated.

See you very soon.

Kate xox

bonkers

I don't know about anyone else but I am f-f-freezing. The snow came down in droves this morning with little warning and it took us two hours to drive what is normally a 10 minute journey. These two are ok though, bless them. We've done nothing since they joined our little clan, they are far too entertaining to do anything else.

But I did stumble across this though the other day, which definitely needs checking out. A whole new way of crafting for the feline mad, purr-haps?

I had a quick google, only to find there are a lot of people out there using animal hair for felting purposes. But I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks this is completely bonkers?

a knitting first

For all the hinting that's been done over the last few weeks, finally there is something to show. Yes, it's true that to anyone else this is a scarf but to me, it's a SCARF! For this is a first. Unabandoned and completed anyway. A most monumental achievement - yippeeeeee.

Agreed, it has taken a while because it's been picked up and put down on so many occasions, sometimes only a row or two done before duty called elsewhere. I intended to get a lot done during my Jury Service period but it was confiscated on the first day. Thankfully, we were reunited on Day 2, once I promised faithfully to behave and so into the Jurors' Waiting Room those knitting needles finally came.

My knitting saga caused much hilarity because to begin with it was assumed the needles were considered a risk to everyone else (despite the fact it wasn't me on trial!). However by the end of a whole week hanging around with nothing whatsoever to do, we all concluded they were actually a risk to myself for wanting to end the boredom. In the end, not a lot of stitchery was done anyway since there were some really fun people to chat to and we became pretty close, especially once we finally did manage to sit a case.

But now, completion conquered, the elation is really quite something I have to say.

Jenny Lord 'held my hand' through this lovely book. With her guidance (and the odd tutorial on YouTube) I can now cast on, knit one purl one, unravel and place stitches back on the needles (!) and cast off. The yarn is Debbie Bliss, Fez in charcoal, 85% extrafine merino, 15% camel and it feels fabulous.

And here, in the words of Jennifer Aniston, comes the 'science bit' -

length of scarf - 1.7m

balls used - 4

stitches cast on - 37

stitch used - moss

number of holes - 0

number of rows unravelled and reknitted - countless!

Despite the fact its completion couldn't have been timed any better, what with this bitterly cold weather, it is actually destined for some lovely tissue paper where it will wait quietly for the next 10 days. Say no more.

As for those gorgeous kittens - they are becoming naughtier and bolder by the day and that little reserved one? Hmmm, not so sure where I got that idea from!! Thank you for the advice on tackling the Christmas tree, I shall keep you posted on the fun and games that brings ..

Keep warm everyone x

extended family

On Saturday our family was joined by two little furballs, having finally caved in under a growing amount of pressure from certain young members. They are (the kittens!) the cutest things imaginable and have given us all such a huge amount of joy and laughs since they arrived.

Both 9 week old rescue kittens, there is Millie Mittens who is MLF's new 'baby'. She is black with white on her paws, neck and chin, very bold and extremely sociable and affectionate. MLF, who can't believe her luck says "someone pinch me, I must be dreaming".

Little brother Alfie is our boy's little boy. A sweet little tabby although quite reserved in comparison. Actually it was touch and go as to whether he came home with us because he spent the whole time hiding under a low cabinet at the rescue home, reducing poor carrot boy to tears. But the change in him now is incredible, he is really coming out of his shell so I know he'll be just right for us all. We love them already.

Trouble is, they've already developed a liking for my antique furniture, much to everyone else's amusement. Hmmm!

Any advice out there about how to tackle the Christmas tree this year would be very gratefully received?!

Hope you're having a lovely week x

needs must

Thank goodness the snow is going - for now. I agree it does look lovely and I'm being very bah humbug but it's the disruption I can't bear. Along with the snow came coughs and sniffles and one child or other off school last week.

The weight of the white stuff on our roof has caused one of our windows to leak and I've changed a 'catching' bowl goodness knows how many times. And as if that wasn't enough, I developed chilblains which are no fun at all. Is this a sign of getting older I wonder? Ah but one good thing happened and that was my lovely husband did the school run for me. Bless. So all in all, not a lot of work has been done over the past three weeks.

Now the temperature is plummeting once more and we're all suffering this time. After several nights of wrapping a hot water bottle in a tee shirt to stop the boy from burning, I could bear it no more and a diversion was clearly called for.

I bought this fabric a couple of years ago with thoughts of making a shirt for my boy but never got round to it. So, in desperate need of a hot water bottle cover, it finally came into its own.

I made this hottie first time round for my father's Christmas present last year. But whereas his was quilted by hand, I didn't have the time with this one so I set the machine's setting to its longest stitch and saved myself many many minutes. Some curtain interlining came in useful as batting and I used remnants of Ikea cotton for the lining/binding to break up the pattern. I also made a conscious decision to veto the button, because I felt it was busy enough, but more importantly because I imagined my little boy snuggling up with his hottie and didn't want anything getting in the way.

Now I'm frantically trying to reclaim some time for Christmas trade and am rushed off my 'chilblained' feet stocking the shop. Last night I was wide awake thinking about purses! Blogging may be a little sporadic this side of Christmas I fear but there is something I'm determined to get finished any day soon. We'll see ..

Keep warm everyone x