This and that

As promised, photos of the rest of my stash busting activities - my total output for the year so far!  First a really snuggly lap blanket knitted in Sirdar Squiggle super chunky - a very fast knit on size 10 needles.

A new great-nephew arrived a week ago - he was born in the Middle East where his parents are teachers (fortunately, not in area of unrest).  I shall keep this in hand until they visit in the summer when he'll probably need a few woollies!  I've now got some thin cotton yarn to knit a little slipover more suitable for their weather.

And last but by no means least, baby E for whom I made a lot of clothes last year, has just celebrated her first birthday and this doggy person is waiting to be packed and sent.

He's knitted in Sirdar Snowflake and is very soft and cuddly - I wonder what she'll call him, we've named him Woof!

It's been a busy week - another trip to Opthamology but now M doesn't have to go back until November,  a trip to Cardiff with daughter (no photos, but we had a great day catching up with a city where we lived for 15 years in the eighties and nineties), and at last I've started transforming my little office shelving and cupboards from this:

To this:

Something I've been wanting to do for about two years.  I'm using Annie Sloan paint on the woodwork and it's realy nice to use.  I like the green wall but I can't match it so I'm probably going to paint the walls blue - I'll keep you up to date, it's going to take me a few days and two coats on everything.

Three people have asked me about the pattern for the logcabin throw.  There are several patterns online, but I'll do a tutorial and post it as soon as I can.   I'm also hoping to knit a few throws for sale as I've also had enquiries about that and some baby items both knitted and sewn.   I'm still working on some sewn quilts and throws - I find it more difficult to get a good session on those but I keep trying!

Had the details today for the postcard swap I've joined - sounds really exciting.  Must get the room sorted so I've got somewhere to work on it.  Must stop now as I'm late with the lunch - big problem......

Friend for life

A kind reader emailed me to ask about the well loved toy dog at the top of the blog - what was his story she asked, and was he for sale?   This chap has been with me for nearly all my life, he was a first birthday present (as the photo shows, he was somewhat whiter and fluffier then).  Since then he has played a part in numerous games - including being tied onto the newel post of the staircase of the house where we lived in Bristol where he became the head of an imaginary horse harnessed with reins (the sort small children used to wear made of leather and decorated with bells) and has subsequently sat on the ends of beds and shelves during college, early jobs in residential children's homes and eventually in our own homes- this being the seventh house we've owned and the eleventh place I've lived.  He's had a varied life!

He's looking his age a bit now, a bit bald around the eyes (one of which has been sewn back on several times), and his felt ear linings are a bit the worse for wear, but he hasn't lost any of his stuffing and I think he's enjoying his new status meeting new people.  Oh, nearly forgot, his name's Bouncer.