Knitting and Crochet Blog Week: Day 3 - Infographic

Being a mathematician, when I saw this I was really quite excited and had every intention to spend yesterday evening sorting through all of the projects I've knitted over the past year (none of which are on Ravelry otherwise it would have been soooo much easier!!) and plot them on a chart to see what I tend to knit most.

Unfortunately as I arrived yesterday afternoon at my eldest's school to read with the class, as I do every week, I was met by a grey faced deputy headteacher. We had just had THE phonecall. Ofsted had phoned just an hour before to announce that they were coming today.

As a school governor this meant that my Tuesday night was now filled with re-reading of policies, School Improvement Plans and Self Evaluation reports instead of making pretty graphs about my knitting.

Poo.

So very quickly here is my infographic for today's blog post:

Hopefully I'll be back on form by tomorrow's post!!

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2013: Day 2 - A Mascot Project

As soon as I saw the title for today's post I knew that there was only one project for it. The Beekeeper's Quilt. 

It is an ideal project for a Bee like me. I can puff away between projects with each little puff not taking too long for me to feel like I'm being negligent to my other ongoing things. It can fit into my handbag and be worked on whilst the boys are at one of their many activities. I can use different yarns and colours to stop me getting bored. I can even embrace my inner Monkey with different types of cast on and techniques, my inner Peacock with embellishments, and my inner Manatee because they're just so cuddly and therapeutic to knit.

Unfortunately, like many almost all of my projects this has fallen by the wayside due to my terrible distractability. I started MY Beekeeper's Quilt in February 2012 and I have the grand total of about 20 hexipuffs completed. Absolutely pathetic! I daren't even attempt to count up how many projects I've cast on and completed in the time since then. My intention was to knit a few hexipuffs a week whilst my husband was in Afghanistan for 7 months last year but that didn't happen, he's been back seven months now and I know I haven't touched it since he returned! I will dig the little basket of puffs out of the cupboard that its been hibernating in and see if putting in view will spur me on.... I'm not holding out much hope though!!

What project would best represent you and your style of knitting?

If you want to join in with Knitting and Crochet Blog Wek it isn't too late! Have a look here.

Knitting And Crochet Blog Week 2013

Knitting And Crochet Blog Week 2013 is here and I'm going to use it as an attempt to get back into my blogging. Next week I'll try to update on my Summer Fun List and Year of Projects but for now I'll stick to this.

As before we have been given a list of topics for each day and today's is the House Cup (very Harry Potter-esque) where we need to decide which house best represents us. This will also set the tone for the posts for the rest of the week.

The House of Bee: Bees are busy and industrious but can flit from one interesting project to the next as bright and shiny things capture their interest.

The House of Manatee: Manatees are gentle, calm and cuddly. Relaxed and unflashy they represent the comfort and soft side of knitting and crochet.

The House of Monkey: Intelligent and with a fun loving side, Monkeys like to be challenged with every project presenting them with something new and interesting.

The House of Peacock: Peacocks take something good and make it brilliant. Buttons, embellishments and a bit of sparkle prove that perfection lies in the details - like a Peacock's Tail.

Now there is no denying that I am a Bee. I am slightly Monkey-like in that I like to be challenged and am always trying new techniques but the fact that I am totally incapable of casting on a project and then just seeing it through to completion without straying onto something else is what dominates my Knitting.

I am currently knitting Levenwick in some scrummy purple Rowan Creative Focus Worsted, along with Eryn in Rico Alpaca DK, plus Florentine in some pale blue Rowan Drift, a Shale Baby Blanket and some Leave These To Me fingerless mitts in Scrumptious 4ply. I'm already eyeing up Thyone in some Scrumptious DK from my LYS or possibly Etty in Felted Tweed..... although the new Kim Hargreaves book should be out this week...... See!! I just can't stop myself!!

If you fancy joining in have a look here or just to have a read of the other blogs taking part type the daily tag into google and a list will magically appear before your eyes.

Summer Fun List 2012: #2, 3 and 4!! Bournemouth Beach and Oceanarium

Well yesterday we went on a fantastic day trip to Bournemouth with some of the families from 26 Engineer Regiment. The weather was amazing considering all of the rain we've had for the past couple of months and we all had a brilliant time. It also meant we got to tick some things off our Summer Fun List too!! Bonus!
We got on a coach on camp at 9.00 and wound our way through the countryside down to the coast. First stop was the Oceanarium where the boys loved walking through the tunnel under the big tank, then over to the beach for lunch, sand angels, sand castles and fun in the sea.
Finally we dried them off and went for a walk in the beautiful gardens and scoffed ice cream.
The hardest part of the day was trying to keep them awake all the way home on the coach because if they'd fallen asleep then there would have been ho chance of getting them into bed at a reasonable time!
Some pics from the day.....

Summer Fun List 2012 - #1 Puddle Jumping

Well yesterday we had the perfect weather to tick one of the things off the Summer Fun List. Sports day was cancelled and the rain came, and with it came the puddles!!!
Being the very kind, efficient (cough, cough!) Mummy that I am, I had the kettle filled, mugs, hot chocolate and tea bags ready and towels warming on the radiator. (yes, the heating is on in July!)
Oscar and I donned our wellies and took Alfie's with us when we went to pick him up from school and went straight to the Basketball court by the Leisure centre where the biggest puddle was to be found. Then the jumping, running and splashing commenced!!

We squelched home and wrapped up warm on the sofa, bliss!

The Thompsons' 2012 Summer Fun List

Well after I mentioned making a Summer Bucket List here I got down to it and wrote everything down. I decided against the name 'Bucket List' because I just couldn't face the questions on why it was called that from my 5 year old! So The Thompsons' 2012 Summer Fun List was born, and here it is for you!

• Feed ducks
• Puddle jumping
• Climb a tree
• Write a letter
• Make a fingerprint tree
• Make a den under the table
• Watch a rugby match
• Go to the cinema
• Use chopsticks
• Make pavement chalk
• Play with cornflour
• Decopatch
• Go to Legoland
• Ride bikes
• Go to the beach
• Go on a fossil hunt
• Build sandcastles
• Make a fort
• Visit an aquarium
• Go camping (even if its only in the garden!)
• Have a walk in the woods
• Make ice cream
• Have a picnic (once again, even if its only in the garden!)
• Wash the car
• Have a PJ day
• Make string balloons
• Visit a zoo/farm
• Go swimming
• Have a bbq
• Paint rocks
• Do the Summer Reading Challenge
• Make cardboard box cars
• Have a drive-in-movie at home
• Go Geocaching
• Go Tree RUnning
• Make water balloon sponges
• Fly a kite
• Go on a train
• Visit a museum
• Visit the theatre
• Send a message in a bottle
• Make splat paintings

So here goes!!!

Sign up with lots of other familes around the world with the Happy Family Movement

A 2nd Year of Projects

Well, the 1st of July is upon us again and I can't believe its been a whole year since I started this!! The second year of projects starts today and I have learnt a lot over the past year. Mainly that a very specific list of projects was never going to get completed!!
This year I will be slightly less specific on my projects, mainly because I know that I'll probably change my mind about patterns and there are always new ones being released. Sooo.....

I need to finish the following WIPs....
Peerie Flooers hat
BMC - the very long rows and two balls need Oscar to be sleeping better!
Nonna
Mojo socks
Japanese slippers
Japanese shawl
Girasole baby shawl
Arielle


Then new projects...
Owls jumper - a second one for me because I've worn the one I have to death!
Boreal jumper - for me because I love it!
Boys jumpers - maybe just Guston for Oscar, I have just done one for Alfie, maybe Iain Jr for both
Gloves - definitely for me, maybe kids too - Grove/Shipyard mittens/Dustland Mitts?
Scarf for me - Topiary/Kildare/Oslo?
Stasis pullover - me
West Knits MKAL
Orchids and Fairy Lights - for the Ravellenic Games
Maybe another cowl - Pippi/Inspira cowl/Jig
Still light tunic/Topstykke - I love both of these but am not sure whether I'll ever manage that amount of 4ply stocking stitch!!

Well, here goes!! There'll definitely be lots of other projects throughout the year as well as these. If you want to join in visit the Year of Projects Group on Ravelry!