Finish-itis

Just a quick entry as a note to self. It's show and shame time again! I love to start knitting projects, oh HOW I love to start. Choosing the pattern, finding the perfect yarn and imagining in my head how it will turn out. I'll knit it up, think about the sewing, buttoning and seaming that needs doing and...............start something else.

So I'm on yet another ban. I will not start anything new until I get rid of some of my half done backlog. And I'm going to put (fairly boring, admittedly) pictures and details here. Still, the finished article pictures might be more interesting to look at.

First up, CHRISTMAS items that are still not done.

A jumper for Gareth. I need to knit this together but am having a bit of trouble understanding the instructions.

A matching sock. I can knit basic socks in my sleep, but when you're talking a size 11 it can get pretty boring......

A little top for me. From this pattern, am concerned it looks teeny (I still knit pre-preggo sizes) but apparently there's a fair amount of stretching needs doing in the blocking process.

An owl jumper for me, if I don't get a move on it'll be too warm to wear it!

And finally, although this is top of list for finishing due to time, is a little cowl I need to knit for a Mother's Day swap on PF . This got tossed aside due to a mistake on it's frustrating lace pattern, with a view to having a look once I'd calmed down. Really need to finish it!

There may be more, but that's all I'm admitting to for now.............

Thinking of Spring

It's been a beautiful day today. Cold, but the sun is shining and a walk in the woods cleared out the cobwebs for the Mabbs family. A tramp on muddy ground rather than the hard frost of late has me thinking forward to Spring, and the opportunities to be creative.

Feeling the lure of the outdoors has me plotting (no pun intended) for the garden. I'm such an indoor creature that there's a lot of potential going to waste at the back of my house. We've had such lofty plans for fruit and vegetable growing for the last 6 years since we moved here, but it's the loftiness of those plans which hold us back.

Instead, I am to start with a beginners herb garden this year, relying on pots so no landscaping needs undertaking. The area was pebbled with this in mind a couple of years ago, but now looks sad and neglected, as you can see!

Stanley tried to help with his little red wheelbarrow, but I think this little project needs a lot more work. Check out that lovely Belfast sink though, which the previous owners left. What herbs should I grow? Suggestions welcome.

Back indoors and the needles have been calling. Any readers who know me from another site may be sick of this picture, I've been spamming it everywhere, it's so adorable! Here's Daphne in the first of her Spring/Summer 2010 dresses!

I've had the fortune (or misfortune, time and my purse will see) to discover a fabulous new fabric shop locally, the bricks-and-mortar version of this. I popped in today and bought some lovely Kaffe Fassett fabric which I'm hoping to team up with a knitted bodice as a way to ease myself into sewing!

Finally, an update on the last post, Daphne's room is done! And we know she likes it, Night #3 last night as she slept 7pm until 8am!

Now for the resolution bit:

What did I do today that helped organise my life? I got stuck into Stanley's playhouse and sorted out all the little bits in there (play kitchen/work bench etc) ready for the warmer weather.

What did I do today to make my house feel a home? The roast lamb in the oven should tick that box.

What did I do today that made me feel good? That little trip to the fabric shop was a nice start to the day.