Presenting.... The Chickens!!!!

Meet Ethelred the Unroasted and Attilla the Hen. Yes, I know. But we're happy that way.
They moved into their new home on Thurday, and today for the first time we let them have a little roam around the garden in the afternoon. And tried to introduce the cat. Oh dear.
When Willow went to my Mum's for her summer holiday (we were in France), she didn't chase my Mum's chickens! She just sat and looked at them. However, despite having been told by the vet to keep her in until her next checkup (a week today), we let her have a quick wander on the lawn this afternoon to meet the chicks, with us standing very close to grab her.
I think the vet is being overcautious. The best description I can come up with is 'furry exocet missile'. Poor chickens. I bet they won't lay us an egg for months now! She didn't even try to jump on them or attack them, just rushed at them very fast and enjoyed watching them scatter. I suppose, thinking about it, she has been cooped up inside for weeks now, and all that pounce was being stored up inside and just had to come out somehow... I do hope they all learn to get on calmly in the end, though. Otherwise... I dunno. Can you get chicken-strength Valium? The poor dears might need it!

Look at her looking all innocent - like feathers wouldn't melt in her mouth!

"What do you want? I'm snoozing...."

Keir's in-tray is one of her favourite places to sleep. It's lovely having her home and starting to get her bounce back, even if it is fairly hard on the chickens! I think we'll have to avoid letting them out togetehr again for a little while, until she's got back into her usual routine and hasn't got quite so much stored up energy! And she's had a reprieve on the tail - they're giving her another week to see if any movement happens, before they decide whether to amputate. Lucky kitty.
She's just this moment jumped up onto the desk beside me to polish off some treats she left here earlier and demand a bit of fuss - she says purrrrrrrrrrrrr.......

48 questions and a cluck update

This will probably need no introduction if you read other knitting blogs! (cover-up for little knitting progress!)

1. FIRST NAME? Lucy
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My Nanna (on my Mum's side). She was an incredible seamstress who could copy anything after just one glance. I wish I could have known her better.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? 2 days ago, sad film.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, despite having been told just yesterday that I have 'teacher's handwriting'. Hello??? I'm a teacher!!
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? air dried ham (prosciutto crudo)
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Maybe. I'm not really sure. I think I'd find me a bit bossy...
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Not really, unless you count this. Sometimes I try to start one and it lasts about 3 days.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No! Unless it could make me taller and thinner?
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? coco pops. I'm a big kid!
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Have to - wear boots!
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? yes.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Green and Black Vanilla. Soooo gooood....
14. SHOE SIZE? 8 uk, 42 European. And for the benefit of all stupid shoe salespeople out there, 41 IS NOT AN EIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
15. RED OR PINK? both. but not together.
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?my size / weight.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? my dad. two and a half years on I can laugh at the memories now, but sometimes I still pick up the phone because I just have to tell him something about my day... then it's tears, hugs, ice cream (in that order).
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? not really - I've read loads already!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? beige jeans, blue t-shirt, multi socks.
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Cheese.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The boys trying to make pizza (including the base) from scratch without my help. Funny! (they've just failed and roped me in!!!!)

Ha ha ha... now that short pizza dough tutorial is over, back to the quiz...

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? bright yellow.
23. FAVORITE SMELL? my cat Willow when she's been outside and smells of earth.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?My Mum.
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? sense of humor.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? yes, although I've never met her, I just read her blog!
27. FAVORITE DRINK? water, or alcoholic: cranberry cooler.
28. FAVORITE SPORT? Don't be daft!
29. EYE COLOR? blue.
30. HAT SIZE? laaarge...
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? rarely, mostly glasses.
32. FAVORITE FOOD? Goat's cheese
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? happy endings
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Spring (I'm contrary)
36. HUGS OR KISSES? both
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? apple crumble.
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? n/a
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? n/a
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Terry Pratchett's Wintersmith
41. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? periodic table (my husband's!)
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Q.I. Love Stephen Fry!
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Show of Hands music, Willow purring, the alarm clock not going off.
44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME? Florence, probably. Not good at Geography!
46. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? making things look effortless when they're not!
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Oxford
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? nobody, i saw it all over the place so I copied!

Some things you probably didn't know... did you care? thought not! One extra thing about me...

Our chickens arrived today!!!!!!!!

Pictures soon, in the meantime check out http://www.omlet.co.uk
Our is blue and our two new clucky friends are called 'Ethelred the Unroasted' and 'Attila the Hen' !
(Do you detect darling Hubby's influence here? thought so...)

Soon we will have FRESH eggs!

I really should be studying.....

I have my first assignment on my PGCE to write, and I have to read about a gazillion books before then, but somehow... this is happening instead:

And this:

And this: (never done this slip-stitch pattern before, I'm intrigued to see how it comes out...)

Can you turn a heel without meaning to?

Apparently so. I was only going to do one more row... I really was supposed to be working.

Oh well. Is it Socktober or not?? I can't help feeling I'm going to have to go a long way to beat Cara's Jaywalker collection though! And have you looked at the pages of Jaywalkers over at Grumperina's? (follow links to Jaywalkers, Reader's Gallery) Soooo much inspiration!

...How long could it take me to write a 5000 word essay, anyway?

Knitted blanket

This is my most impressive bit of knitting ever. It is a whole blanket knitted from cotton in mad afghan squares, inspired by a book my Mum bought me called Blankets and throws to knit by Debbie Abrahams - a fantastic book with gorgeous pictures. Being a contrary sort of course I cherry-picked all my favourite squares and made my own design, with completely different yarn than the pattern calls for. It has a crochet edge in rainbow colours, and I have backed it with one layer of wadding and a cotton sheet to make it cosy. It lives behind the sofa and darling hubby and I snuggle up under it when we feel chilly or sleepy watching TV.

It is also very popular with kitty Willow, seen here snoozing last night. She is recovering well from her fight with a car last week, there is a small shaved patch on her poor little limp tail, but she is mostly okay. Moving slowly and yowling when she gets in the wrong position, but still mostly purring. It's hard to remember not to pick her up for a cuddle, though. I just have to scratch under her chin and wait for her to decide to climb on my lap.
This is my favourite corner of the blanket - the colours are just so bright! You can see the crochet edging better here as well.

It is a transitional blanket in many ways - I began it when we moved into a rented flat in January 2004, just after my Dad died, as something to keep my fingers busy and stop me just sitting around brooding. I finished it a year and a half later just before we moved out of the rented flat into our own house. I began it with a different name than I finished it with - We got married somewhere in the middle, 4th September 2004, a date that is engraved inside our weding rings (no excuse for ever forgetting an Anniversary in this house!) One day I will get around to making a label for the back to say who made it and when, because this is going to be an heirloom. I'd like my granddaughter to have it tucked away in a cupboard somewhere when she's 60, and to leave it to her daughter. I put a lot of love and time into it and it always makes me smile when I snuggle down under its bright colours, no matter how sick or blue I'm feeling. It's a happy blanket and it exudes a feeling of safety and home. Plus it's big enough to tuck in round your toes and still come up to your nose! The perfect sofa blanket.

Pixie hat for cold weather

Jaywalker (and everything else) has gone on hold for a day or two, 'cos my sister-in-law (she's not actually yet married to my brother, but they did finally get engaged last year after about 7 or 8 years together and my mum and I love her and keep telling him to marry her RIGHT NOW, so I've just decided to start calling her that in the hopes that they'll take the hint! Plus it saves this huge explanation...) has just been sent to Oban (waaaay up in Scotland, in the cold) for '2-3 months'!!! at about 4 days' notice by her evil bosses (who I shan't name as they'd probably sue me, some of the things I'd like to say about them!) and will probably have to be there over Christmas. Working. Alone. I really do not know why she hasn't already told them to stuff this job up the orifice of their choice by now, but she does love working with the fishies. (Marine Biologist, big firm of aquariums... aquaria?) So, in Scotland she will get to play with Seals as well which I know she will love, but it will be bloody cold and she doesn't drive so will be walking to work and probably not eating properly living in digs or a B&B, so she needs to keep warm, no?
Ta dah!! (knew we'd get there in the end) One woolly hat.
Strange sort of pixie shape with earflaps that want to curl outwards will really suit her. She's good at cute.
Closeup of the fabric:
Bit blurry but you can see the colours nicely.
This was knitted from a three-ply merino yarn, one strand turquoise, one strand a nice dark purple, and one strand a mad painted roving which had purple and turquoise and several shades of pink in it. All spun and dyed by yours truly, so it's a special hat. handmade from start to finish, and I hope it keeps her ears warm up in the frozen North.
I wanted to give you a laugh by seeing a picture of me modelling it, but for some reason the pictures won't upload, so I can't. Shame. I look like a total pillock.

Friday the 13th, I love you!

Wow, what a fantastic day yesterday was. From now on Friday the 13th is my lucky day. I taught my first two lessons, which involved standing up in fron of 32 11-year-olds and singing the days of the week in German to the tune of Frére Jacques without any music or anything! (and I don't do singing in public - in the car is as far as I get). Still, it went really well, the kids loved it and all joined in really enthusiastically, and the best bit of news I got all day was that Willow could come home. She was hit by a car on Wednesday, we came home to find her hiding under our bed and she yowled in pain when I picked her up, so it was straight off to the vet, and leaving her there not knowing if I'd ever get her back was one of the hardest things I've ever done. She was there two whole days having x-rays and tests, and it turns out that she broke her sacrum (bone just above the coxyx in the spine that holds the pelvis together) and she has lost all sensation in her tail - it just hangs limply. She may get feeling back (this is very rare), but she will probably have to have it amputated at some point to stop it getting caught in things and causing her more trouble. They kept her in an extra day to make sure she could pee, and then yesterday we were allowed to go get her and bring her home. I was so relieved I burst into tears in the staffroom at school when I heard.

This is my little furry baby... and I think you can see why I love her so much. She's still in some pain and moving around slowly, but I hope that soon she will get her bounce back and be her normal naughty little whiskery self. Usually I would have to be pushing her off the keyboard as I type! Today she is lying down in the next room. She's purring a lot, though, so I think she's glad to be home. I'm going to go and fuss her a little more now, and maybe take her some treats.

A short while ago, at a computer far, far away...

The blog starts here...

I have at last taken the plunge and decided to have a go at this blogging lark, possibly just so that I can get some more enlightened feedback on my spinning and knitting than 'it's lovely dear' (darling hubby). Not that it isn't nice to get all positive feedback, but I'm afraid that you could write all that he knows about knitting or spinning on the back of a postage stamp. Ok, that's a little unfair. When he was six and had the 'flu at the same time as his mum, she taught him to knit and he knit a scarf for his teddy bear. Bet he can't remember how to do it now though!

To introduce myself: I am a twentysomething English housewife and student teacher, who will start teaching foreign languages full-time in September 2007. I have the cutest cat in the world (seems to help with the spinning / knitting blog, from all the photos I've seen) called Willow, who is just over a year old and still very kittenish. Here she is heling me sort all my dyed rovings into a huge colourwheel on the lounge floor:

She is really being unbelieveably good here as she normally can't resist the urge to pounce on yarn or anything of that kidney, and it can be quite tricky to navajo-ply your latest length of handspun yarn when a paw keeps appearing in the loop you're trying to pull more yarn through!

Our little family consists of myself, my darling hubby Keir, who is an engineer and a salesman (but a nice one, I promise!) my furry little baby substitute Willow, who is probably the most spoiled kitty in the world (see the little mat behind her on the floor? It's a very small paper-piced patchwork quilt with a lion, a tiger, a leopard and a cat on it, made with my own two hands because Willow doesn't like to sit on the cold laminate flooring. So now you also know that I'm a big softie. As of a couple of weeks ago we also have Simon, our lodger, who wanders in and out to work (another engineer) and to hundreds of hockey matches, praises my cooking and apologises for almost everything else he does. We keep trying to tell him not to be so damn' polite, but maybe he'll get used to us and our strange ways eventually.

My current UFOs are numerous, but do not quite yet outnumber the new ideas in my head for more things to start. Every so often Keir goes crazy about the number of UFOs and I make a supreme effort to finish something. I'll post some pics soon.

Thanks for reading!

First ever lace project

Ok. I decided to take the plunge. Having seen so many gorgeous lace patterns out there, I finally decided to stop missing out and try my hand at lace. A simple repeating pattern, a nice easy straight scarf is what is needed to learn on, I decided: and it just so happened that there was a free booklet of lace scarves in the copy of IW Knits that I'd just got my hot little hands on. I picked a leaf pattern, and set about creating some yarn...

Don't have the skill to spin cashmere on its own, as the staple length is sooo short, but I wanted a gorgeous snuggly scarf, so I patiently sat and carded it with merino and made myself a small stock of rolags (wishing that I hadn't started this whilst wearing head-to-toe black).

Not the most even yarn I've ever spun, as I normally spin worsted from roving and haven't practised spinning from rolags much ever, but good enough for my purposes, although it looked considerably worse plied:

And then I began to knit. I'd got this far a week or so ago:

... and then disaster struck. I was knitting in the car (hubby driving) and I somehow stopped doing all the YFs on one side in the first half of a pattern repeat. Anyway I now have to frog at least 10 rows, but I am a bit (no, a LOT) daunted about how to pick up all the stiches correctly again when I've ripped it back! So there I fear it will stay for a while, just another sad UFO, until I get brave and sit down with a lot of time to work it out slowly. Ho hum...

My first Jaywalker!

I'm so proud!
I have finally started my first ever Jaywalker... I feel like it's a Rite of Passage and after this, I will be a real knitter / blogger! Here is how it began life...

This is one of three skeins of BFL that I had carefully spun to be a 2-ply roughly sock-weight yarn (I was guessing, I make socks with all sorts of thicknesses), 13 w.p.i. if you're interested. I hand painted the three yarns all at once with acid dyes and steamed the 3 hanks together. The results were a fabulously bright yarn in sort of parrot colours. Here is what it looked like skeined:

Re-skeined (to mix the colours up) :

And cast on as my first Jaywalker!

I looooove how the colours are pooling into sort of stripes but not regimented, and I just can't wait to finish it and get it on my foot! Slightly concerned at how the fabric bags into points just below the rib where the slanting stiches start.... um.... can you block a sock? how??

Um... anyway, am following the pattern exactly so hopefully it will all work out... advice from Jaywalker experts please?