Roberta will shortly be on her way....

This is the little lady that will be making her way to Annie, the winner of my very first giveaway. I decided to give her a little snowflake dress as we are coming towards the festive season. I hope she will find her way there safely!

I changed the way i did the shaping on the head, and I think it gives her a much more innocent look :o)

As for me, i am not doing too badly - I was back at work today - but my tummy is definitely not its normal happy self, so I have a nice trip to the doctor tomorrow. No doubt I will have to give a sample of something or other to find out what's wrong - bleughh!!

Laid up in bed....

Today and yesterday I haven't been feeling myself...I woke up yesterday with a 'funny' tummy and whenever I got up I felt like I was going to faint.

Richard stayed home to look after Leah - and even went food shopping for me, armed with a list of course, as there was no way I could get it done.

I had a eventful time whilst he was out - passing out in the bedroom floor on the way back from the bathroom! So I spent all day in bed with a splitting headache and generally feeling sorry for myself.

We called the doctor out at the end of the day as I was still feeling pretty rotten, and I found I had a lowish blood pressure and a bit of a temperature. Nothing too serious, I just had to take it easy.

So no knitting, no TV (missing Eastenders, Spooks and 24!) and lots of sleep.

Today I've managed to have a cup of tea and a small piece of toast, but STILL haven't brushed my teeth for over 24 hours - YUCK! Might do that now!!

The winner to the giveaway is......

I did a random number generator thingy via Random.org and the lucky winner is comment no. 5 who is Annie!

I'll be in touch to find out what bunny you'd like!

Can you believe it??

I thought I would make the most of the Debenhams sale yesterday and went into town with my sister to do a bit of Christmas shopping.

It was a complete nightmare taking the pushchair as all the clothes are put out too close together, so its like an assault course just trying to get to where you want to. Add into the mix a bored and hungry toddler and a stressed out Mum and you end up with me being in a real bad mood!


Nevertheless, I managed to get a good chunk of my Christmas presents bought, and with another trip into town today, (with the help of Richard) we've managed to get most of it bought and its not even December yet! That's a record for us as we usually leave it to the lasy minute LOL!


I also got myself a dress to wear to my coleagues wedding reception on Friday night - so now I'm relieved I haven't got to go in my birthday suit.....


Onto nicer things, I've got my first waving not drowning sock finished and I can't believe how quick it was to do. Some patterns seem to take forever, but I finished this sock in two days which is another record for me!


I am really pleased with how the striping has turned out so now I just have to make the second one so Mum can have her Christmas pressie!

Welcome Matilda and Morris!

Today my lovely package of monkeys arrived from Kitty Wrinkle and I am thrilled to bits with them. I hope the kiddliwinks will like them for Christmas.


The little monkeys told me that their names were Morris and Matilda and that they are cousins, just like their new owners! Matilda is a year older than her cousin Morris, which is why she is a little taller. They said they can't wait to meet their new owners, but I told them they will have to be patient and wait until Christmas day. Until then they will be staying with me!

I introduced them to a little bunny named Beatrice (who is for sale by the way) and she seems to have made them feel very welcome.

Many thanks Kitty!

My latest purchases...

Today the postman had some great mail for me (see the next post for the other items).


He bought me this lovely book 'Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs' which will give me some great ideas for blankets and throws. So far all I have managed to do are some Granny Square blankets so a change in shape of motif will make things a bit more interesting.

I also received my two skeins of hand dyed yarn by Babylonglegs which I bought from Folksy.com and I can't wait to use them. I really love the selection of sock yarns you can buy at the moment, the problem is knowing what pattern to use them on.

I am interested to see what they will knit up like.

About the bunnies....

I have been thinking about this for a while...... If anyone is interested in having their own bunny I am willing to sell them for £12 each plus postage and packaging. This will cover the costs of materials and time I'd have to put in.

So far I have only made bunnies, but I can also do a tiger, mouse and lamb - all with clothes of course.

Once I have practiced for myself on those patterns, I can offer those for sale too.

If you are interested just e-mail me (see my profile) or leave a comment for me and I can add you to the list.

I can't promise how quickly I would be able to make them, it all depends on what else I have to do - but I can promise each will be unique and I have a selection of clothing to use for each bunny (if there is nothing suitable I could always design something).

Esther & the bunnies! xx

My 5000th visitor giveaway!

To celebrate my 5000th visitor to my blog - well more or less (I actually missed it) I am going to giveaway a little hand knitted bunny rabbit in either dungarees or a dress depending on what you'd like.

You will also be able to choose the colour of the safety eyes in blue, brown or black.

He/she is not quite finished yet but will be a little bit like Wibur in my previous post - but with safety eyes and a more sandy colour.

If you'd like to receive the bunny, just leave a message and I will pick a winner using some type of random sorter (not sure how yet) by November 23rd (next Sunday).

Good luck everyone!

Monkeys are on their way!

I have just received an e-mail (well earlier today, but I've only just got around to reading them!) from Kitty Wrinkle leting me know my monkeys are ready - yippee!!

This one is for Leah.....

....and this one is for William, and will be wrapped up nive and snug ready for Christmas ( I will make sure there is a hole in the wrapping for them to breathe!

I will let you know when they arrive - I can't wait!

(photos are courtesy of Kitty Wrinkle - thank you for sending them to me)

My last day in my twenties!

Today is my last day in my twenties as I hit the big 3-0 tomorrow. Who would have thought it was possible!

I am not too bothered as age doesn't really matter to me, but it will be strange to think of myself as being in my thirties now!

I am lucky in that I have everything I could ask for - a beautiful daughter, a wonderful husband, a job, a home and a loving family and friends. Who could as for more? (well, apart from winning the lottery and not getting too many wrinkes!)

Finished!!

Today I got round to finishing my waving lace socks and I love them! It took me a while, but after turning the heel it only took me yesterday and today whilst Leah was asleep to get them all done.



I really like the colour and the yarn is lovely and soft :o) The pattern is really easy to remember ans simple too. I liked the fact it is in multiples of ten rows so its easy to get a whole batch of pattern done at once.

It makes me sick to my stomach

For those of you in the UK who have seen the news over the last few days are probably aware of the horrific case of baby P who was killed by the people that he should have been safest with.

I have found the details of the case difficult to read and feel sick to my stomach that people can be so cruel, and that the authorities have yet again failed to save a child in so much danger from their own guardians.

This poor child was only 2 months younger than Leah when he died, and when I look at her I cannot believe that people can be so cruel and torturous to a child. I hope they get a long hard prison sentence when they are sentenced in December, and that the poor child is in a place where he finally gets the love that he needed.

It brings a lump to my throat just thinking about how this poor child had to suffer in his short life.... when you think how some families would do anything to have a child of their own to love.... and this baby had to do without for his whole life.

God bless little one...

My own little rabbit.....

I just wanted to show my little rabbit design I made before I found the fuzzy mitten patterns. It wasn't quite as good as I had hoped but it wasn't bad for my first own toy pattern!

For those of you interested here is the pattern - I used sirdar snowflake DK and 3.75 mm needles. A different yarn may have a different effect as this yarn isn't as bulky as normal DK yarns. If there are any problems please let me know as it was a while ago I jotted the pattern down in my notebook!

Head

cast on 15 sts, purl 1 row

knit into front and back of every stitch - 30 sts

P 1 row

Knit front and back into every other stitch - 45 sts

starting purl, st st 9 rows

next row - *K2tog K3* nine times - 36sts

st st 3 rows

*K3 K2tog* until last stitch, K1 29 sts

st st 3 rows

K2tog 7 times, K1, K2tog 7 times 15 sts

st st 3 rows

K2tog 3 times, K3, K2tog 3 times

P 1 row

K2tog all across the row

bind off

Ears (make 2 the same)

cast on 10 sts

st st 10 rows

K1 (knit front and back next stitch, K2) 3 times - 13 sts

st st 3 rows

K2tog 3 times, k1, k2tog 3 times - 7 sts

st st 3 rows

(K1 K2tog) 2 times, K1 - 5 sts

P 1 row

K2tog K1 K2tog - 3 sts

bind off

body

cast on 15 sts

st st 3 rows

inc into every other stitch - 30 sts

st st 3 rows

inc into every other stitch - 40 sts

st st 21 rows

K1 K2tog across the row - 30 sts

st st 7 rows

cast off

leg (make two the same)

begin at foot

cast on 10 sts

P 1 row

inc into every stitch - 20 sts

st st 3 rows

increase into every other stitch (by knitting front and back) - 30 sts

st st 7 rows

K3 tog 10 times - 10 sts

increase into every other stitch across row - 15sts

st st 25 rows or length required for leg

K1 k2tog to end 10 sts

st st 5 rows

cast off

arms (make 2)

cast on 20 sts

st st 30 rows

K2 tog K1 to 9 sts

bind off

join all seams by mattress stitch.

Embroider face or use safety eyes on the head.

Wrap yarn around the decreases of foot to make a defined foot shape.

Join arms, legs, head and ears to the body.

make a pom pom tail if you want :o)

not having much luck!

I've never made myself a jumper or anything of any size before, so I went ahead gung - ho and got stuck right in.

I had the right needles, right yarn, but what - it looks a bit small??!! You know what I didn't do? Knit a tension square! This is something I have never done before, aminly becuae I knit for Leah, and her sizes always fit, plus it takes too much time and I like to get results straight away.

Anyway, I decided to go up a needle size for both the border and main body of the jumper and to also do a bigger size ( I bought enough yarn for this anyway) - and did a bit of a tension square and counted the stitches (not the whole amount of rows) and it doesn't seem to be too bad. I haven't knitted that much so it is difficult to see what kind of size it is going to be....

The problem is that I am so impatient when it comes to knitting, I want a result NOW!

Hopefully it will turn out ok!

i will post some pictures when I am progressed a bit further :o)

A tank top for William

I got round to finshing off William's tank top and I was pleased with the result. I got a little mixed up with the first few middle stitches on the V neck border, but luckily my sister didn't notice too much!

I'm thinking of making one for my friend's son too as they are fairly quick to knit up and are a lovely pattern too.

Ta-da and uh-oh!!

Hmmmm, well they don't taste bad, but they need to be a little sweeter - I will see how Leah finds them, or else the birds will be in for a treat!

What to do with a pumpkin??

Since Dad grew Leah's pumkin for the Harvest Festival Church service, I have had a pumpkin sitting on the side in the kitchen waiting to be turned into something - but what? Its not massive, but is still large enough to feed the 5000 with pumpkin soup, so for the time being I have decided against that idea.

As for pumpkin pie, I remember having it one Harvest time and I really didn't like it, so that idea is out the window too......

... then into my inbox pops an e-mail from Organix for a recipe for pumpkin muffins! Yes, something new to try - albeit for children, but hey, we are all young at heart and Leah can give them a try!

So off we popped to the supermarket this morning to buy a few of the ingredients I had run out of (or didn't have such as wholemeal flour and maple syrup) and with some luck, managed to get them all (except maple syrup - a summer product so I was told so is out of stock - but substituted with maple sugar instead) and headed of home to bake.

Currently they are just finishing off and Leah is asleep, so in roughly 10 minutes I can put my feet up with a nice cuppa and a pumpkin muffin! Just hope they taste as good as they smell (will post some pictures when they are out of the oven).