Happy New Year and My 2011 Resolution

I hope you all have a wonderful year

My New Years resolution is to go on a diet and loose some weight.

I know that resolutions are renound for only lasting a few days but I've been determined to do this all Christmas and I'm going to start as of tomorrow.

It's going to be a long journey as I can't exercise (I would rather be doing that than dieting), but I'm sure I shall prevail in my endevors.

My diet is call:

Cut the Crap Out Diet

Basically I cut out all the tempting yummy treats; biscuits, chocolates, chips, etc. and instead eat only stuff that is good for me.

I do like the healthy stuff so this shouldn't be too bad but I do get bad cravings for chocolate that I shall have to watch out for.

Are there any good healthy recipes that you can recommend?

Please post your suggestions in the comment box, I'd love to try them.

Dreams at Stake: New Video: What is ME/CFS?

Dreams at Stake: New Video: What is ME/CFS?: 

Please watch and retweet/reblog the above video and blog. This really gives you an insight into this illness. Something which I've been suffering with for 3 years now.

Snow Storm 2010 The Day after the Night Before!

The snow continued throughout the night and we are all snow bound now.
We've made snow castles with our buckets and spades and I've dug a path so I can get the bin out to the bin men on Monday (wishful thinking).


Here are some snowy pictures:

Happy Holidays Everyone

Snow Storm 2010

Here in the UK there's a storm coming in from the Artic and we're getting snow all over the place, including my little place. Here's a picture as of 10 mins ago. It's still snowing.

Christmas Projects. Its a cracker!

I'm taking part in an advent calender craft cal over on Ravelry and here is my submission. All the things are from my craft box. Nothing bought special. I think its quite cute :)

Does you cat drink like this??

My cat won't go this far for a drink.

Morris Dancing with Dizzee Rascal

Guy Falkes Night 2010

The Fireworks at Worden Park were once again, AMAZING! We literally had to crane our heads back to see them as they were right above us and the noise way deafening!!! 

Guy Falkes Night or Bonfire Night as its generally called is by far my favourite night of the year :D

I own a GypsyDancer Masterpiece

In March I took part in National Crochet Month Freeform Crochet Along where I won the most love to win a Gypsy Dancer yarn bowl. I was thrilled to have won as I'm someone who doesn't win things (I think I won a flask when I was 13).

After a small wait so my prize would be perfect I received it from Mr Posty this week along with a little surprise.

Here's the box it came in, I'm sure she was making like Christmas as it took my ages to get through all the blue tape that was wrapped around it, it I succeeded in the end and here's is my prize.

Isn't it just gorgeous! and the cupcake pin cushion is yummilicious! 

If I was stranded on a desert beach I would have these items in my must save collection :) Other objects in my list are: yarnstash, needles and hooks and my little boy (not necessarily in that order).

I'm sure there's other stuff vital to my survival but these are my top three :)

If you fancy one of GypsyDancers Masterpieces for yourself, you can find her handmade ceramics over in her Etsy Store, The Art of Notions     

Little Froggy Bookmark

I've been flicking through some of my magazines over the past year and found a super cute bookmark to make for my mum (this is the last one of her present).

I just wanted to share just as soon as I'd finished it, so here it is.

The pattern was created by Irene Strange and the pattern is from Let's get Crafting Issue 23 Crochet creative.

Happy Halloween

Here's a pumpkin my little one and I made earlier. I call him Mr Smiley.

Christmas Projects....It has begun!

Yep that's right, I had to start at some point and this week seems a good week to start.


My mum is always cooing over the crochet and knitted toys I show her so I thought I'd make her some for Christmas. I haven't shown her these pattern so they should be a complete surprise to her and she's Frog Mad! So I hope she really digs these.

I frog pattern can be found over at Caron International Yarns and the owl pattern can be found over at crochet me

My Little 1's school picture

He looks Great. My Little Boy. I'm so proud :D

Doctor Who Progress so far

Well I say progress. I was doing really well but the pattern I was working from (Rowan Yarn) seems a little short and when I investigated I realised that the pattern was short by half and all colour blocks ;(

I was making such great progress too (hence why I've not been blogging so much). I couldn't let this lie so I've started again with the proper pattern from Doctor Who Scarf Site

I'm now on the 8th row of the first 52 rows of beige. Yikes!

Dr Who Scarf Journey begins

I've been set the task of making the Season 12 Dr Who scarf as worn by Tom Baker for my dear brother @fr3cks.

My first challenge was to find similar yarns to match the American ones that I cannot hope to get hold of with my meagre budget. I finally settled on Patons Fab dk and Hayfield/Sirday Bonus dk.

Here are the Shades I settled on:

Sirdar Bonus  DK

Claret       0841
Charcoal   0837

Patons Fab DK

Beige        02331
Yellow      02302
Fern         02341
Red          02323

These colours are as close as match as I could get with exception of the Red. I fear this may be a little too bright a red, but we'll see. I may be fretting for now reason.

I'm putting a scarf o matic bar on my page so you can follow my progress in percentage form. So let the project commence :)

Homegrown Strawberry and a HomeMade Blackberry Pie

I've been a busy little bee these past few weeks. We Ooo'd and Aaar'd at our Strawberry that grew in my little garden.

This was promptly being eaten a few seconds later. I'm very lucky to have taken a photo.

My Brother @Altias (twitter) and I (@jelibe) went blackberry picking the other day and just in time too cause the council were using there power saws to chop it all up! I was agast but we got stuck in and we managed to get 2 cups of blackberries which I've made for my pie today.

This recipe is very easy and was really tasty. I'd really recommend Ice cream, cream or custard with this. I got the recipe from this site and its called Simple Blackberry Pie. If your a beginner like me this is a great one to start with. You can't really go round, even if, like me, you don't get enough shortcrust pastry for it (note to self: buy more next time). Its very forgiving as you can see I just did a pastry top.

I couldn't wait to taste it before taking a picture so that's my portion eaten, I can't hide from the truth, I'm the only one here! ha ha!

New Mobile Phone

I've had a GREAT day today ☺ I've had my hair cut (that's always a good start). Its an inverted bob. I've also signed up for a new mobile phone contract with virgin mobile. Its a 24 month one at £20 per month. I'm getting a Samsung Wave free with it.

 Looks yummy. I've been umming an awwing all day wondering if I should go for it and this evening I've taking the plunge (its a freeing feeling). I've not had a "new" phone for a long time, I've generally had hand me down phones but not this time. I'm an independent lady and I need a new phone ☺

DFAD Freeform knit along and crochet along

I've been given the privilege of being Designer for the Day (DFAD) on GypsyDancers freeform frolic over at Ravelry and here's what I've come up with. This is for both.

Whilst trying to remember the rhyme that I'd sang in school many moons ago, I asked my twitter buds how it went. There were a couple of variations, One was to catch a tiger and the other an Indian. I remember the rhyme below as the one I sang in school.

I was also asked the question: what happens if the baby doesn't scream? well...I wouldn't drop the baby then would I! LOL

Week 13 DFAD instruction - July 18th 2010

My theme is picking, what to chose, I know I struggle with picking. So here’s a rhyme to help.

Iney, meany, miney, mo, 
catch a baby by its toe, 
if it screams, 
let it go, 
iney meany miney mo.

Yarn

Now go gather your loose balls of yarn and line them up in a neat little line and say the rhyme pointing at each yarn as you say each syllable. Mo is the yarn your working with.

Hooks/needles

Do the same with all your needles.

Stitch amount.

Small

The amount of words in the rhyme.

Large

times the number in small by 7 for the month of July.

Stitch.

We’ve had some great instructions over the weeks. Lets use the rhyme to chose one. Maybe gather up all the ones you haven’t done, the ones that have worried you. Now say the rhyme with those and the one that lands on Mo is the one your doing.

If you'd like to do this instruction, just gather up all your fav patterns and say the rhyme to pick one.

Enjoy :D

Freeform Update

I've been happily working away on my knit/crochet a long that I've been following over on 2 Ravelry groups and I thought I'd share with you my work so far. This is 12 weeks with 40 more to go.

My day at the Park

I don't often get to the park these days, but a few days ago I was given a wheelchair to use and I just had to give it a whirl and go to the park with my little boy. So yesterday we did. With my Mum pushing me for all she's worth we set off with my trusty camera and my little one whizzing around on his new scooter next to me.

The first place we visited was the duck pond. It had changed a bit since I'd last been there. Wild colourful flowers swayed in the breeze and little ducklings and their mums and dads swam around.

We then made our way to the play park where Bade really enjoyed himself.

On the way home, Bade chased a squirrel up a tree, the poor thing dropped his nut (the squirrel not Bade, lol)

And I got a bargain at the local charity shop :)

We had a really great day. Had lots of fun with my mum and brother Jim who chased Bade around the play park for me :D

When we got home, Bade fell asleep. Its the first time in a LONG time that he's had a nap before tea! We shall have to go to the park again and soon!

Happy 4th Birthday

It was my little one's 4th Birthday this week and we celebrated with a party with some of his friends.

He really wanted a Sporticus Costume and that's just what he got. I also made him a cake. Victoria sponge with Strawberry Jam, Strawberries and Double Cream for the filling YUM!

We had a great spread as well,

By the end I was pulling my hair out!

It was all worth it in the end. A great day, great weather, great friends and family and great food.

Special thanks goes to my friend and neighbour Toni for all her help and taking the photos and to my Bro Mark and Louise for all their help on the day and finally to my bro Paul running me round at the last minute! I couldn't have done it without you guys :D