Um, what's gone wrong?

For some unknown reason my computer isn't letting me download pictures from my camera.

So I can't show you my windowsill full of little hats. Neither can I show you the sock that I just finished last night. Or the yarn wound into a pretty ball ready to start another sock.

And I certainly can't show you the pudding that we had for tea last night (it was like apples covered in lemon curd poured into a pastry case and baked until golden). And that has nothing to do with the camera, no, we were pigs and ate it up before I remembered to take a picture!

Oh, anyone know the whereabouts of the St Dunstan's blanket? Who's got it now?


Ooh look everybody, it worked! I'm obviously not so rubbish as I thought!!! A few bad words and a hearty kick did the job! (20 hats Warren - hope you're saving up!)

Flower Pot

Well if you use your imagination it looks a bit like a flower pot doesn't it?

So pleased that you all liked the Stash Basket hat, but don't squabble over it ladies please! I'm tempted to make a big one for me so that I can stay warm in the winter. It wouldn't look too silly would it? People round here are quite used to seeing me wearing strange knitted things, I'm sure a woolly basket hat complete with mini balls of wool would only confirm their suspicions of me!

As to a pattern? Oh please! I made it up as I went along. I think it was something like this though:-

Cast on 28
Moss stitch for 12 rows
Purl 1 row
Stocking Stitch 6 rows
Knit 2 tog to end
Purl 2 tog to end
Gather centre sts, sew up seam.
Fold over lip and sew down to make the top of the basket.

For the balls of wool, use tiny needles (I used 2mm) and cast on 6 sts. Stocking stitch 12 rows, cast off, roll up and sew down ends. Wrap piece of white yarn round middle to look like a ball band. Make 5 balls and sew in place.

OK? Let me know if you make one, I'd love to be a real proper designer. Perhaps I could make a book for Innocent on tiny woolly hats. Mini woolly hats take over the world....

Saturday pudding and a few hats

Thank you all so much for your sympathy with my very bad lunch time on Thursday. I am so glad I provided you with much hilarity. Yes it was unkind to laugh. I suffered a huge loss of blood (half a teaspoon) and poor son had to cope with dried bread for tea. At least I know who my friends are now!!!


Anyway, today being Saturday, it's pudding time. Chocolate and raspberry trifle. It was a case of open the fridge, what have I got and bung it all together. Well it looks OK, but the proof of the pudding is, as they say, in the eating, so we shall just have to wait and see!

Presenting the Stash Basket hat complete with little balls of Posh Yarn (cashmere no less!) and a mad penguin button one.

And 2 quite plain and simple ones finished whilst on the bus this morning. Why was I on the bus? Find out another day if you're interested (it's not terribly exciting so I might even forget to tell you).

What's everyone having for tea today? I can't decide what to have. But at least we've got pudding so the important things are sorted!

More Haste...

... less speed, so my mum used to say. Why didn't I take any notice of her?

Yesterday I had half an hour for lunch so ran home from work (only 6 doors away, so don't be too impressed that I can run miles!) to grab something to eat, make tea, hang washing out, bring washing in and generally charge round like an idiot!

Eldest son was going football training so had requested a light tea of soup and crusty bread. First make soup. Grab pan, pour in a little oil, heat gently and chop some veg to go in. Arghhh! Chopped thumb by mistake. Lots of blood (fortunately not on veg). Grab plaster. As tried to grab plaster, blood dripping onto floor. Grab kitchen roll, hold tightly over cut, wipe blood from floor. Put plaster on, then another and finally a third as blood still coming through.

Back to soup. Oil is now very hot and beginning to smoke. House stinks of burning oil. Lower heat, put in chopped onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes. Make lunch (toast, all I can find with time running out).

Ooh, Postie calls with a parcel. Beautifully wrapped parcel containing all sorts of goodness from Monkee Maker. Lovely bag and pincushion and oh heck, what's that smell?

Forgot to turn heat down. Veg is now burnt black and stuck to bottom of pan. House smells really bad now. Quick, change pans, rescuing what little veg remains. Turn round quickly, pan handle disappears up sleeve, grab pan, burn fingers.

Toast burnt. Phone rings. Call centre from somewhere abroad ('please go away I'm having a very bad nervous breakdown').

Decide to give up with soup. Decide instead son can have dried bread and cheese for his light tea. Washing can remain out (it later rained).

So instead I just went for the easy option. Go back to school, look after 29 loud 4 year olds instead and worry about tea and washing later.


Monkee Maker, I love my new bag, I love my new pincushion and I love my new little zippy bag. The chocolates were the only nice thing I managed to eat at lunch time. Thank-you very much.


So please excuse the lack of little hats today - the knitting needle keeps sticking to the plasters.

And just to show you that all is well really, here's a little Family Portrait.

How many are we up to now?

OK, OK Wonderwoman, will this do? I got a bit stuck with the dreads, but this was the quickest way I could manage them - more like loopy bits than dreads really, but you get the general idea yes? (They're much longer at the back)
Then here's my take on a Dalek. What do you think? I was right, it did take hours to do and was made up as I went along, so is totally a one-off!


Then youngest son was playing and he came up with a Rasta Dalek which made me laugh so much I couldn't resist showing you all!

And now I must clear off back to work. Chicken pox is doing the rounds at school; one lucky class only has 13 children in. We, on the other hand, have a full compliment of 30 healthy 4 year olds.

Paracetamol anyone?

Numbers 5 to 11.

Thanks so much for the many and varied ideas for hats. Our first model of the day is wearing a little cowboy number (which looks far better off than on!) Thanks Mary Deb for the suggestion.
Next we have a rose as suggested by Giulietta.


And finally Monkee Maker's Cake and lots of little stripey ones.

I also wish to amend my earlier post. The plain hats only 20 mins to make. Honestly. However, the fancy ones can take blinking ages. This is a great way to use up all those scraps of yarn that I have been hording for years - I refuse to throw away anything longer than 12". Is it any wonder I drive my husband nuts?!

I will still peruse the list and see what else I can come up with. Dalek? Oh yes Warren, I think so! (All those fiddly bits - this one could take all evening!)