Snow, and other things

Just to report, we have finally joined the rest of the UK in winter with a heavy snowfall. I had to use my crutches again to walk up to toddlers - I'd forgotten how much arm work they require and my arms really ache now!  Chris and I both have a cold so we're taking it in turns to be pathetic on the sofa while the other one sorts out the kids.

Yesterday Zoe took me to Chester which was lovely, it reminded me of other old market towns I have spent time wandering around, but I love the double decker-ness of the rows, and with all the decorations and the cold it felt very christmassy.  Then we went on to Stash Fine Yarns and oh what lovely woolly things - I finally saw Manos Maxima in the wool as it were, and they had a jumper knitted up in it, mmm, want one!

Pressies

Fairly manic weekend, but hey, what's new?

Anyway, I finally managed to do some shopping with my birthday money.  So I bought two knitting books, a little bit of yarn, and my very own niddy noddy (so I don't have to borrow Michelle's any more - thanks Michelle!).  I am greatly enjoying the books, Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac, and the Yarn Harlot.  Very different but very entertaining.  I've promised to lend the Yarn Harlot to Bridget when she has the baby.
It was great as the different parcels all arrived together so it was like having a second birthday! The yarn is some silk sari yarn which I've always wanted to try, the colours are beautiful but it stinks so I'm going to have to wash it before I do anything with it.

Next on my list are a ball winder and a swift - great baby occupying tools as well as for winding yarn.

One plan down, three to go...

Well, I was a good girl last night and I now have a Baptism Plan - it's really not as complicated as I think (just wait till next week and I have to put it in to action).  I also managed a bit of sweater knitting, and today I did a bit on the sock at Oasis (and got some nice comments - thank you!).  That was my favourite kind of morning, knitting, endless refills of tea, baby asleep and good company.

Plans

I need a Plan.  Actually I need two plans.  Hang on, make it three (or four).  Better get planning!  What has brought all this on?  Well, its that time of year when everything starts coming all at once.  I am another year older (my birthday is mid-October) and that has always been my sign that I need to start thinking about Christmas.  Nowadays between October and Christmas there are two more birthdays, and this year is even more eventful.  So we have Rebekah's baptism followed by Chris's birthday, then there's Hannah's birthday (complete, this year for the first time, with a proper party) and then it's Christmas.  Interspersed are all the other events like carol services, a christmas tree festival and possibly a christmas labyrinth.  Add an essay due on 1st Jan, and I think I've got my work cut out for me over the next couple of months.  Hence I need a Plan.

So the Plan is: make the plans.  Then do them.  Simple really.

I think I better start with the baptism, for which I need to organise lunch, and I could also do with getting ready presents for the family members we will be seeing.  That would be being super-organised, not something I normally am.  Here goes: stage one - lunch.  stage two - presents.  Stage three - keep knitting to remain sane!  So off I go for a spot of thinking about food, followed by a bit of knitting.

The knitting is another story.  I'm making Chris a nice thick warm jumper following Elizabeth Zimmermann's directions in 'Knitting without Tears'.  I've just joined the arms to the body and I'm starting the colourwork on the yoke - definitely the interesting part.  And I might just get it done in time for his birthday; at the moment the rounds seem very, very long.  It's got to the stage where it's not generally portable, so for knitting out and about I have discovered the joy of socks.  Having experimented with baby socks, I've now started a proper adult sock, and unlike previous attempts, I am a) enjoying it and b) getting somewhere - wahey! Very chuffed. And very portable.  And housed in a lovely project bag (thanks Michelle) so it's a double whammy of knitting in my handbag.