WIP Wednesday #21

There's not really much to update you on. The baby blanket has made a few rows worth of progress and the ripple blanket hasnt been touched for a few weeks.

But there is this..........

I bought some Daffodils yesterday.

This is yesterday:

And this is today:

Please ignore the dozens of StarWars figures in the background. :(

Dont forget to have a sneaky peak at all the other WIPs.  

http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/

http://ambassadorcrochet.com/

http://www.gsheller.com/tag/yarn-along

Button it

I was feeling a bit sorry for myself on Saturday - I have to pop in to hospital on Tuesday, nothing serious but I'm still not looking forward to it - so I went shopping. I'd ordered some stuff online that I had to take back (WHEN will I learn that internet shopping is a false economy of time?!?!) and I needed to find something to wear to my BEAUTIFUL God daughter's Christening next weekend. (you know, those easy criteria to fill, not too slutty, smart, but still quite fashionable:(  )

So I returned £50 worth of clothes but ended up walking away having spent a further £80!!! And I still needed to buy a Christening gift.

I opted for a safe present. I often think it's harder buying presents for people you know really well than those you dont.

Anyway, I stopped into Stanley's Store on the way home. You may remember me raving about this little shop in this post about bracelets or this post about my wedding cakes. Sarah has been selling some button bracelets I made. As always she greeted me with 'Alright my love?' But then went on to tell me that she's amost out of my bracelets and wants some more as it's nearly Mother's day.

I treated myself to one of her FAB glittery cookies. (glitter, on a cookie! What a fantastic idea!)

So here are my Monday Makes, But also my A Make a Month for February.


I used these:

And these: 

And these: 

To make this:



And this:

And this:

I love them

I'm linking up with Sarahndipities Make something Monday and the Make a Month Flickr group

Interesting......

This looks interesting.......



I havent taken part before but it looks like fun.

Did anyone take part last year? Was it worth it? What were the subjects? Would you recommend it?

Have a look at http://www.eskimimimakes.com/ for more info.

WIP Wednesday #20

Last week I was so proud of the progress I'd made on my ripple blanket. But as half term dragged on  whizzed by I was feeling more and more guilty about the lack of progress I'd made on my course work.


For those interested in my Specialist Dyslexia course, read on. For those not remotely interested in it, jump ahead to the *
The course is divided into 3 modules. We've had all the taught sessions of all 3 modules and I learnt loads, was reminded about some of the stuff I already knew and was fired up about the independent work I have to do. I've bought pretty much every book that the course recommends (I havent necessarily read them all yet, but somehow, having them on the shelf in my living room makes me feel like I might somehow absorb the info inside them and therefore be able to write amazing essays.) and I'm not too worried about the written work I have to do - each module requires a 4000 word portfolio which, considering how catastrophically wrongly my disssertation went, is quite heavy. But that will be fine. What bothers me is getting all the one to one work done with the children I've selected at school. Some of these lessons have to be videod and assessed. And that is REALLY stressful! Trying to get 30 lessons done and written up is not as easy as it sounds. I have to plan and prepare them and then carry them out at a time convenient to the child and myself. Not as easy as it sounds in a busy school with only 2 days a week I can do them.
Then I have to carry out full psychometric tests on 3 children, one of which needs to be videod again. So all in all, it's pretty stressful and time is running out. :(  At the moment, the light at the end of the tunnel is VERY dim.


* So my knitting and crocheting is a VERY guilty pleasure. What a sad life I'm leading this year. I havent really made much progress on my ripple blanket, a few rows, if that. But I realised I hadn't updated you on Baby Blanket version 3 for a while.

On the recommendation of the LOVELY Paula at Knit and Seek I converted it onto a circular needle. I've never used one of these before and was a little confused until I gave it a go. It makes so much sense when what you're knitting is so wide. I havent managed to figure out how you would knit tubes that dont have the circumference of the length of the needle but I guess that's another knitting adventure to be had.

But it's going quite well. I still have 2 and a half balls of the wool to use up so it can get a whole lot bigger yet and the baby isnt due til the end of June so I've got a while. Although, having said that, to a certain extent the finished size will depend on what comes first, the baby or the end of the wool.

And here are a few photos I've taken. Looks like my photography is progressing too. ;)

Enough waffling for this week. As usual I'm linking up with Tami, Ginni and Kristine. Go and have a look at some lovely blogs and all their blogginess.

To Kindle or not to Kindle???

I've been reading loads of WIP posts that also feature the books people are reading.

And everyone seems to be reading on a Kindle.

I havent gone down the Kindle route because I'm told that it isnt worth it. Hmmmmm.......


These are the books I'm currently reading. :(







mmmmmmm    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

But I'm considering treating myself to a Kindle when all the hard work is over and I'm a dyslexia specialist. I'm just not sure I'd make much use of it. I have a massive book shelf full of books I havent read yet.

Is it worth it??? Do you Kindle??

WIP Wednesday #19

I'm very excited about this WIP post. It's half term in Sunny Blighty which means a week off for us poor exhausted teachers and, as I am child free myself, lots of knitting and crocheting time :) .

My Ripple blanket has had a lot of my attention over the past few days so it's coming along really well.

Here's how it was last week:

And here how it is this week:

 

Last week I'd only used each colour once. I've now used each one twice and started on my 3rd. I LOVE IT.

But am now feeling those knitting guilts (or crocheting I guess) and need to start work on my massive 'to do' list and try to get some coursework done :( Would definitely much rather work on this little beauty all day.  So I'm off to get some 'stuff' done. - I might just have a sneaky peak at the other WIPs at tamis and ambassadorcrochet and maybe even Ginny's yarn along. But only after I've got some stuff done - honest.

Hearts

I realised that I never posted pics of the decorations I made last year and what with them being hearts and today being Valentines day I thought I'd share them.

When I joined the Make a Month challenge hosted by The Felt Fairy I had a nose around her Ebay shop and realised that the felt I'd bought last Christmas came from her. It's a small world.

So here are the hearts I made before.

I didnt realise the photos were so shady and it's too dark to take any more now. :(

They hang on some twigs in our living room but I'm thinking of making some more. Maybe that will be my Make a Month for February.

Take a look at sarahndipities to see what others are making.

Favourite thing on a Friday / Little Bliss List

 

WIP Wednesday #18

OOOOH,
I have a WIP post. My ripple blanket has come on quite well since last week. - I say quite well, but I feel that my judgement of  my progress is relative.  I really dont get much crafting time in the week. I work full time and run a guide unit (and am trying to carry out some Masters level studying) and ALWAYS have work to do when I get home, whether it's planning, marking or some other kind of paper work, there's always something. So I really dont make much progress on an average week. I think that kind of makes me even more pleased with the little progress I do get done.

FYI this was last week:

So it's with great pride and excitement that I show you this week's progress.

This last row (of a funny off white colour that I'm not too keen on) is the last of the colours so I now have each ball of wool represented. I'm sure you can see but I've done 2 rows of some colours to try to mix it up a bit. I'm not sure if it's going to work out or not. :( hmmmmmm. I'm not really very creative. I have quite a mathematical brain which I think is why I like knitting and crocheting, there's quite a lot of maths involved in patterns. But I have NO creativity to conjure up patterns and imagine how something might turn out. What do you think? will it be ok?



I'm hoping I can get another 4 rows out of each ball so it will end up about 2 foot wide. I hope I have enough wool to get it finished. oh well. It's a bit of a voyage of discovery for me really. Suck it and see. I'll be pleased however it works out I think.


How are your projects going on this week??

It has just taken me an hour just to upload the 2 photos above. Any ideas what im doing wrong????
I just upload them straight from my laptop. Takes AGES!!!!! :(

Pop over to Tami's for other WIPs or to Small Things' Yarn Along to see how other projects are
coming along in Blog land.

Bloglovin

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/2911409/jaynic-knit-knacks?claim=z3pgypjqxnr">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Not entirely sure how it works or why I've done it yet but I seem to have signed up with 'Bloglovin'.

Anyone else out there on it???

Anyone know what it does or how it works or even if I need it?????

Clearly I got a little too click happy. ooops.

Favourite thing on a Friday/Bliss List

Oh wow am I glad it's Friday?!?!!?

For many reasons it's been a long tough week and I can't quite believe that the weekend is finally here again. I'm so relieved that I'm a little scared that I'll realise it's actually only Thursday and I'll have to get up and go to work again tomorrow.

My guides are taking part in a 17km incident hike tomorrow from 12 pm til 12 am. but the forecast is for heavy snow. I'm half expecting it to be cancelled. (I'm more than half HOPING it will be cancelled because, although I dont have to walk with them, I do have to go and register them and hang around for hours while they get their kit checked and briefed. So unless there is a sudden heat wave I'd rather stay in bed in the warmth!)

But that brings me onto my favourite things.

1. I do love a bit of snow and I'm even a bit of a fan of the expectation and mild panic the threat of snow induces. I'm kind of hoping we do get a bit over the weekend. The town I live in has been namd the coldest place in Britain twice in the last year or so. I get mercilessly ribbed for even mentioning snow and Chesham but it really has been cold here. Look: This was last night! It was MINUS 13!!!!!
I've been snowed in here for days before. I live up quite a steep hill and cant get my car out when there's more than about 5 cm of snow. I've been known to drag the sledge down to the town, load it up with shopping that I tape on with brown parcel tape and pull it back up the hill. In fact, If I search back through old phone photos I find this.........



On a warmer note.........

2. Tea, a nice cuppa tea. Like all true Brits I LOVE a good cuppa tea. I have it really milky with 2 sugars.

This one was so good I'd drunk half of it by the time I'd photographed it. It's in my favourite Cath Kidston mug. (maybe one Friday Cath Kidston will feature amongst my favourite things). It was truly yummy and steaming hot. Perfect!

3. Something I'm particularly keen on at the moment is my ripple blanket. I get bored with projects so easily that I want to get as much of this beauty done before the boredom strikes. It's coming on quite well at the moment. I'm not so keen on the last row of green but it's staying because I'm hoping it will all look lovely when it's finished.

I think that's enough for my first Favourite Things on a Friday/Little Bliss List post.

Have a look at the links to see other, far more interesting posts about lovely stuff. Pop over to see Emma at Mimi and Tilly and send her a hug. She deserves it.

Have a FAB weekend everyone and try to stay warm.