Knitting!

There isn't much quilting going on at present as I've had to put the sewing machine and all the bits away as we are now on a four week count down to DD & Gromit's wedding on 3oth October and there has to be a mad cleaning spree to get the house presentable for visitors.

........................but there is knitting going on as it is portable and I am able to pick it up and put it down more easily.

I was knitting this cardi.....................

..................with this yarn but I've frogged it as I would much rather do this pattern........

from this magazine..................

But at present I'm knitting this......................

in this (Sirdar Escape DK, shade 0178). I've done the back so far and have just started the left front. This yarn was bought from my LYS in Northwich.

I'm knitting the cardi on this pattern for a girl at work who has a baby at the end of November

The yarn is Sirdar Snuggly DK in shade 0260. It was bought from John Lewis at the Trafford Centre

I bought these little stitcheries at the Festival of Quilts in August. They came from Mandy at Dandylion Designs. I love Mandy's designs. These designs are going to be tree decorations when they are finished. These are also great as I can pick them up and put them down.

Candle Mat Swap / Quilting Gallery

Candle Mat Swap / Quilting Gallery:

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I've just found this swap on Quilting Gallery and I've signed up. I love these swaps on Quilting Gallery, so far I've done 3 I think. So who is going to be my swap partner this time?

I join these swaps because it is fun sending presents and receiving them but also they increase my skills which is a very useful sideline.

Fall into Fall Giveaway 2010

I've joined this year's Fall into Fall Giveaway. I don't post my giveaway prize until 1st October so come back and have a look!


I hope you will join in and then come back and visit often

Last week I arranged a little delivery for work.

As you may be aware I'm the Deputy Manager of a Nursing Home for older people. The home includes beds for residents with Dementia as well as those with general nursing needs. I'm always on the lookout for things that are going to bring comfort, joy and colour to the resident's lives.

Whilst I was blogging a few weeks ago I came across Sue's blog. Sue is a crocheter and she had this wonderful idea to crochet squares to make up into blankets for residents of care homes in memory of her Grandmother. She suggested this idea on her blog and the crocheting ladies of the world have united behind her and 'SIBOL' was born. The ladies of the world are sending her lots of squares and she makes them up into these............

.........brightly coloured textured blankets...........and my home was the first to receive 7 of these lovely things............ The wonderfulness of bloggy land!!!!!!

Here is the lady herself. Unfortuately I wasn't able to meet her as I was on night duty the day she visited but I understand she was made very welcome by my staff.

Aren't the colours just lovely?

We will look after them carefully and hopefully have them for a long time. Thank you Sue and all your ladies for you hard work.

'SIBOL' has it's own blog

Summer Star Summer Quilt Along

This weekend I have completed my Summer Star Sampler Quilt. It is now a flimsy waiting to be quilted. As this quilt is for my Mum & Dad for Christmas I'm going to send it out to be quilted as I don't feel I can fight with it under my domestic sewing machine.

Yesterday I cut out, made up and bordered the centre. This was as fiddly as I thought it would be but I'm really proud of myself for completing it and to a reasonable standard. This quilt isn't competation standard but it is reasonable and I've learnt a lot by making it and as a consequence my technique has got better.

This is the centre bordered.

The blocks laid out before it was all put together.

The Oh! Bearded One holding the finished flimsy.

Thank you so much to Bradie.

Cardiff

When I was on annual leave from work, the Oh! Bearded One and I spent 5 days at his sister's. She and her husband live in Penarth which is an old Edwardian seaside town. Penarth is on one side of Cardiff Bay

One afternoon we had a walk around Cardiff Bay.

This photo shows the lock into Penarth marina.

This is the barrage between the bay and the sea. It enables people to be able to walk all the way around the Bay.

This is one of the old sea locks that the big ships went in and out of Cardiff port. Coal was exported out of this port from the coal mines of South Wales.

This building was the custom house and it is now a resturant.

The Bay is now a safe haven for all sorts of water sports.

This waterbus trundles between the Penarth side and the Cardiff side.

This is the St. David's hotel and it is supposed to look like a ship in full sail.

This is the Cardiff side of the Bay.

Every city in the UK seems to have a Ferris wheel these days and this is Cardiff's.

Cardiff is a really vibrant city and the shopping in the city centre is great.