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Sunday 14 November 2010

Remembrence Sunday

It felt strange posting about this on 11th November as it is now Michaels birthday. So I thought I would say my thanks to our nations heros, past and present, today on Remembrence Sunday. This morning we have been listening to the radio and their special programme. At 11am we observed the 2 minute silence. I always give thanks that my grandads returned from WW2. Without their return I would not be here. Thanks to both of them for their service, in the army in Africa and in the merchant navy xxx

When I was about 13/14 I discovered the poetry of Wilfred Owen. A soldier who served and died during WW1.

These are my 2 favourite poems:

ANTHEM FOR DOOMED YOUTH
What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? 
Only the monstrous anger of the guns. 
Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle 
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells; 
Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, –
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells; 
And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all? 
Not in the hands of boys but in their eyes 
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes. 
The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall; 
Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds, 
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.
                                          September - October, 1917
DULCE ET DECORUM EST

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nine that dropped behind.

Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime . . .
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud 
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest 
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est
Pro patria mori.
8 October 1917 - March, 1918

Poems copied from http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owena.htm to save me typing them up from my book. There is also alot of information about Wilfred Owen at this link.

Thursday 11 November 2010

Happy 1st Birthday Michael!!

My gorgeous nephew is one today!! Wow...time really does fly!!

I can remember my brother ringing me to let me know that they were at the hospital, then sent home, then back again....then baby!!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Michael lots of love from Auntie Liz and Uncle Darren xxx

Monday 8 November 2010

Where did the weekend go?!

So I hope you all had a fun and safe weekend!! Lots of fireworks, bonfires, toffee apples and pie and peas!

We usually go to either Darren's parents or his sisters house for Bonfire Night as we always have a party - it is his mum's birthday on 5th Nov! But this year it was decided that we'd all meet up at his sisters for the birthday cake and then walk on to a local pub. There was a great bonfire, fireworks and food there.

I HATE fireworks and always have. I hate the whistles and bangs. Also, the thought of leaving Lady at home makes me sick as she hates them too. A nasty incident last year left her afraid of them. At the family party, whilst we had a break from the fireworks, the children and dogs were in the garden. However, very stupidly, the person setting off the fireworks began them again before telling everyone. Lady had just been to the loo, Darren was clearing it up. I was stood close by (as were several other people), when the fireworks started again. Lady was under the table where they were being set off!! My poor dog has been terrified ever since! Who can blaim her!

Anyway - we had a great time on Friday, the kids loved it! I do love the small of a bonfire, being wrapped up against the cold, all huddled together to keep warm!! The flames were really lapping up and the twins (8yrs old) and I were saying what shapes/things we could see in the flames - pretty cool night!

On Saturday we went for a meal with Darren's work mates to celebrate a 40th birthday. We went to our favourite Indian restaurant...yummy!!!! I went despite the fact that I was working the night shift after, I had to leave by 9pm to set off...never mind!!!

When we had all finished Darren asked for the bill and he managed to get them to use his discount card (15% up to 10 people) depite the fact we had 12 in our party. They used it on 10 peoples meal and the other 2 were full price. Which we thought was good! It was just over £207, so divided by 6 couples I said to call it £35 per couple (£210), but that's not including a tip. Interestingly when all money was gathered, only Darren and I had put a tip in!! Now the service there is exceptional - you couldn't fault anything...even if you were really fussy! Does anyone else not tip? Would you never tip, or are ther just occasions when you do/don't tip?

Sunday 31 October 2010

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

So what you all up to? Treat or Treating? Halloween parties? Staying in watching scary films? Or just pretending there is no-one home when kids come knocking?!!

We did the scary film night last night - as we do most nights! We watched Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street - classic scary films of our generation! I grew up watching the horror of the 1930's and 40's and whilst these are true classics - you can't beat the 70's and 80's for horrors!

When I first saw Nightmare on Elm Street (on tv) I was babysitting on Halloween, for a girl and boy, I was about 18-19 yrs old and had my knitting with me.....too many similarities!!!!! It really freaked me out!!! I quickly ran to make sure all the doors and windows were locked!

Tonight York City Screen Cinema is screening the 3rd and final series of the web series that Darren has been busy working on  - Zomblogalypse (a video blog about a zombie apocalypse). The final episode is being premiered tonight on the big screen before it goes online!! Darren as you can imagine is rather giddy about this!! Whilst he worked on Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban (fx technician) and Evil Aliens (he made the alien teeth), this is the most spfx work he has done (along with partner Ian) for any film/series!! I'm very proud of you babe!!! xx

Friday 29 October 2010

Post Pals Charity

I thought I would mention this wonderful charity Post Pals - it is to help brighten up the lives of terminally ill or chronically sick children.

I'm sure that many of you will have heard of it and many will not. There are probably similar charities out there across the world...but this is the one I know.

I found out about it through the Let's Knit magazine forum, we got together and decided to do a Robin Robin. We start with a ball of wool and someone makes a gift for a child on Post Pals, then the gift is sent to the child and the ball is sent to another forum member to make another gift.

We completed the Round Robin and as I was the last person in the first round...I have been the first person in the next Round Robin.

If you have a few minutes to spare I would recommend you check out Post Pals...maybe even drop a line to someone...you really will make their day!!

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Granny Stripe Blanket Finished!!

OK drum roll please......the moment we've all been waiting for...ok so me and Darren!!...the finished warm and snuggly, thick and cuddly and oh so colourful blankie!!!!





It has been wonderful to wrap myself up in it whilst laid out on the sofa this last week. It has been finished to perfectly time with the cold weather too! I have made it for us to snuggle under on the sofa, not for the bed. For a size guide - this is a super king size bed!

I love it so much that I want to make another one! Not because I want the experience of making - don't get me wrong I enjoyed every moment...but because I don't want to share it with Darren...I want my own!!! So we'll probably get one each now!! Somehow, I don't think that Darren will object!!

My blanket was made using 100% acrylic yarn. It is 80 stripes (160 rows) plus a border of 4 rows of border. The starting chain was 300. There are 12 colours. I used between 150 - 200g of each colour. Some colours have more stripes than others, so I used more of the yarn.

My colours were chosen randomly but as I went along I tried to even the colours out. I also wanted to ensure that the same colours were not used too close together.

I started the blanket at the end of June and finished it last week. So that's about 4 months.

What can I say...I love it love it love it!!!!

Tuesday 26 October 2010

More than just a cold?

Probably.

I was on the late shift at work yesterday for a grand total of 90 mins then I was sent home. I was being sick and my breathing had become dreadful. My heart was racing and I was shaking. My asthma inhaler ran out and couldn't get a replacement before work. I also had to make an appointment to get a new one! First available appointment - next MONDAY!!!!!!! So I asked for a doctor to ring me at work. My asthma doesn't affect my daily, it is when I get bad colds/chest infections that I need my inhaler.

Luckily just as I was about to leave work, one of managers gave me her inhaler (same type as mine!). This definately saved me as it was just after 7pm when I finally heard from my doctor (good that he rang at that time though!) He gave me an appointment for today, I don't have a chest infection (which I knew) and although my peak flow (measurement for how my asthma is - lung capacity) is low, it isn't dangerously/worringly low.

So I'm just gonna take it easy and keep breathing! Strange that my cough only really started yesterday morning and developed to this so quickly.


Hope everyone is ok and healthy!! For anyone who is poorly - get well soon!!! xx

Monday 25 October 2010

Feeling rather pathetic at the moment

I have a cold.

It started last Tues evening.

Darren caught my cold on Thursday - he didn't take it from me and in fact it morphed into man-flu!!!

Been sleep deprived due to the cold, shifts and working nights.

On the upside I have finished my granny stripe blanket!!!! Pics will have to wait for a bit - I'll lay it out on the bed when I change the bedding. It'll look better on our white bedding rather than our coloured bedding!!

I've also designed a very simple crochet purse - I was too poorly and tired to focus on anything and started to make some fingerless gloves. Unfortunately they were not wide enough but realised when I folded it, that I had made a cute little purse!!! So I'll get the pattern written up asap with some pics!

Loving Hands Winter Challenge!!

Yes it's that time again!!!

"The first one is to help out a school in Kenya. The Springs of Life School in Nairobi to be exact. This is is a school built with the help of the Rotary Club in Arbroath and fronted by a lovely lady Rotarian called Alison Stedman. We have already been giving Alison a hand by sending her baby cardies for a challenge at another place she is working on (trying to get 1500 baby cardies by Christmas - and I have a box of 200 to send up to her for that sitting here in the office right now!). For the school in this challenge the lady who runs it would like to kit her kids out in uniform so they will not look bad next to the city kids. Her dream is to have the best turned out slum school in Kenya! The kids here live in groups of 12 in houses built by the rotary club - each house has a grandmother (an old lady also rescued by the charity) who takes care of 12 kiddies in her house. They have now also built a school so these children can be educated.

The uniform required is -

Grey trousers (if possible dark gey but not black) for boys and girls
White shirts/blouses
Maroon V-Jumpers
Maroon Beanie Hats
Black shoes/sandals
Games Kit -
white shorts
Red and yellow T-shirts - It will be good if the number of red T-shirts and Yellow is balanced in every class and gender because they are used for group competitions during physical education lessons and brain games.
white long socks for girls, Grey long socks for boys
maroon or black gym bags
black gym shoes

Please Note-
- That if it will be possible we could request Graduation gowns for the pre-schoolers

It would also be great to provide Alison with a supply of day to day clothing and maybe toys for these kiddies too as Ireen intends to get them to change into their school clothes when they get to school and change back into play things when they leave ;0)

The beauty for us with this challenge is that Alison herself is based here in Scotland so we would just need to get these items to her in Arbroath at the end of the challenge and the Rotarians would take them on from there ;0)

Part 2 of the challenge is our old faithful Hats and Balaclavas for the seafaring men. Each year since Loving Hands started we have helped out with this challenge going from 100 the first year to 676 last year! I am sure we will not let them down this year either! This also is a no postage for us challenge as there is a pastor from Apostleship of the Sea in driving distance of Fife who will come and collect them from here when we are ready!"

Saturday 16 October 2010

Happy 60th Wedding Anniversary

Yes my grandparents have been married for 60 years. It was actually their anniversary on Thursday but we are having the party today.

I'm impressed, especially as after 50 years, my grandma did say she was ready to try another fella!!!!

Seriously though, can you imagine spending that long with the same person - in years to come will people be still married that long? Darren and I won't be. Despite being together for 8 years, we're not married and as I'm 36 and he's 41, it's doubtful that even if we got married today, that we'd be alive to celebrate 60 years!!

So many congratulations to you both!!! See you later at the party!! xxx

Wednesday 13 October 2010

Personal stuff

Apologies in advance re post. Just getting my head round stuff.


On Thursday I found out that a work friend of mine had to be put into a coma (she has had on going health problems but was thought to be ok now). Yesterday, we found out that she had died during the night.

She was only in her mid 50's.

Just seems so unfair. Haven't really felt up to doing much since I found out she was in the coma - sort of puts life and any issues you may have into perspective.

I've never really known anyone who's died before like this. Old relatives, residents at the Old Peoples Home, even a disabled child who had health concerns and was never expected to live into full adulthood. But, V is different. She had been ill but was back at work. It seemed sudden when she went off sick again and then into the coma.

Take care of loved ones and make sure they know how you feel about them. Life is too precious.

Thursday 30 September 2010

Say goodbye to September

Almost another month gone. I am always saying how quickly time is passing by but it really does feel it. Strange because I always seemed to be waiting for my days off work and each shift at work seemed to be never ending. However, now each shift disappears too quickly - we all think so, it's like we've just started and suddenly it's time to go home. I don't know if it's because the kids routines are more time constrained, so we always have to be attending to some need of theirs - whilst trying to fun stuff in between! - or who know's what?? (I work with children with disabilities)

I get alternate weekends off and it used to be ages between them but it doesn't feel it anymore. Probably does to Darren, as these are the only days we have together (evenings do go too quickly and I do work some evenings too) and if I'm working he's home without me (and car!!)

I never seem to have the time to do anything, although partly cos I can't be bothered to do some things. I'm the sort of person who can cope without a task being started but once started it has to be done to perfection!!

Darren has finished working on the Zombie web series, so now our weekends and evenings can be just for us. Although I have said that I want to crack on with some decorating. This weekend is my 1st weekend off with Darren not working on the series, so it'll be just having fun...but my next weekend off will need to involve house stuff.

As it has been unbelievably cold here lately  - in fact we even had the heating on this week. I just couldn't get warm on Tuesday evening so we gave in and put it on. It hasn't been on since and I hope we don't need to again for a bit. It is just so expensive and once the heating goes on it'll probably be on til March/April. ...SO...I have been cracking on with my granny stripe blanket again. Darren and I worked out on Tues how much more I needed to do but I can't remember if it was another 30 stripes or 30 rows (each stripe is 2 rows). Anyway, so far I've done 5 more stripes (10 rows). It's getting closer to being finished - I really hope it was 30 rows though!!! It is so snuggly under it, I am wrapped up with it as I continue making it! Well, better get back to the blanket....hopefully I can post some finished pics of it soon!

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Got that Autumn feeling....

Yes I think Autumn has officially arrived - although of course we all knew that summer finished AGES ago!!!!

What a busy gal I've been lately - not much time for anything, especially blogging or catching up with my forums gossip!!

On Saturday Darren and I walked along the canal with Lady to Saltaire Festival it is a lovely walk from our house and took us about 30 mins. This obviously includes time stopping for Lady whilst sniffing and watching the ducks and swans. We also had to take cover twice under bridges as it started to absolutely chuck it down! Great start to the day!! But...the rain did stop and by the time we got to Saltaire it was sunny and warm. We started off in the newly renovated park...it has been beautifully restored to this - if you want a look. Saltaire is steeped in history and I won't bore you about it but if you are interested check this out.

There were singers, bands, Guiness record holder strong man, LOADS of food and craft stalls, kids rides, small animals petting area. It was a great day!

Then to top it off we popped in to see Darren's great aunt who lives in Saltaire - she really is a wonderful character, in her 90's but full of life and fun!!

Knitting has also kept me busy. After I finally finished the teddies I've been making more BSJ's and matching hats and bootees. With the amount of things I've made I'm not sure I can find a box big enough to send it all in!!!

Nothing else really worthy of blogging about...most of the time I've just been working!!!

Thursday 9 September 2010

More teddies for tragedy

These are for the Loving Hands Autumn Challenge. I have made 23 so far....took me long enough to get round to finishing the poor things but they are finally ready to be loved by children!!

I do love making them as they are so quick and simple but I hate sewing up so I had knitted all 23 then couldn't be bothered to actually sew, stuff and embroider their faces!

It is overwhelming to know that something I have made will go to a child who has nothing or has experienced a horrific event. I just hope that the teddy can help.

Baby Surprise Jacket with extra long sleeves


This is still the pattern I have used before from here but with longer sleeves -  the modification is on the pattern.

However, myself and Goose on Let's Knit forum have both found the pattern to be confusing and well er, wrong!? But despite this we both managed, in different ways, to make lovely modified BSJ's! The main pattern, if not making longer sleeves is fine, as seen in my previous blue BSJ.



Thursday 2 September 2010

September already

Ok so it doesn't seem 2 minutes since it was my last post about the bank holiday weekend!!! Hope you all had a good one. Like I wrote I was at work...but we had friends up, so I only briefly saw them on Sunday morning before they went home I went back to work. They came up to help Darren do the special effects make up for the web series Zomblogalypse that he has been working on with his mate Ian. Personally I can't wait for it to be finished as it has meant we've had very little time together this year (again) due to the time it takes to make things, all done in evenings and weekends.

Anyway, I cannot believe that it is back to school today for the kids at work...summer hols are over. Sorry kids!! Parents all over the country are rejoicing!!!

So knitting - well inbetween my blankie I have been busy making teddies for tragedy for Loving Hands - but unfortunately I wasn't able to send them in time for an urgent appeal by 1st Sept. But there is still the original request so I'll be stuffing and embroidering faces onto my teddies for tragedy again today...I knew I shouldn't have made so many and not stuffed as I went. 23 teddies sat in a bag waiting to be stuffed is alot of teddies!!!! They have been sat there a while too!! I've only got 9 left at least. I'd love to get them all done before the weekend (which is definately possible - unless I get fed up!!)

Was thinking about making some school jumpers then. But I'm really trying not to buy more yarn so might have to stick to everyday jumpers...of course the not buying yarn never works and I'm sure if I come across the right colours they'll get bought!!!!

On a personal note, I have lost another lb this week!!!!!

Well breakfast calls as does cheesy tv (Jeremy Kyle and Judge Judy - great to slob on the sofa with as I stuff teddies!!!)

Friday 27 August 2010

Happy August Bank Holiday Weekend

All I've heard on the radio this morning is that this is the August bank holiday and asking what people are doing...well I'm working! Darren isn't so he'll have to entertain himself in the studio etc. Hope whatever your plans are - or lack of them - that you have a good time!

Oh and on a happy note I've lost another 2 lbs!! Yippee!!! My weight loss is definately slowing down but at least it is all in the right direction!!

Monday 23 August 2010

Family day out

On Friday it was my dad's birthday, so to celebrate we had a family get together. My younger brother James, his wife Ahn and son Michael (my scrummy 9mth old nephew) came up from London, my grandparents came down from Darlington, my parents from Harrogate and us from Bradford...all met up in York.

This was only the 2nd time we've seen our nephew - he is so big now!!! I loved holding him and he just kept looking at me and smiling and oh it was lovely!!!!

We all met at Varsity for lunch and to have a good natter - we were there about 2hrs. Then we headed off to Barley Hall, where James and Ahn got married 3yrs ago. We then headed to York Minster where they had more wedding pics taken. As this was the 1st time Michael has been to York, they wanted to take pics of them with him at both places.

I do love it when all my family comes home. We may have our strained moments (as I'm sure most families do) and we are not very emotionaly close but we are there when it counts. I do miss my brother too as he and I were very close growing up, supporting each other through my parents many arguments. But when he left for uni, he never came back home to live.

Anyway here's some lovely pics of us - especially Michael!! Darren is missing on all but a pic outside the minster, as he took them. I'm waiting for my dad and brother to send the ones they took of Darren and Michael.
Me and Michael (my brother is in the blue jumper)
Background pic of James and Ahn
My grandparents and Michael

My dad and Michael
Everyone but me as I took this pic
Then at 3.30 we said our goodbyes and everyone had trains to catch. Darren and I had got into York before everyone and stayed later to do a bit of shopping - but unfortunately we were not allowed to keep Michael...

Wednesday 18 August 2010

Want a laugh???

Here's a pic of the scarf as seen in previous post.....


....as modelled by Darren!!!!!!!

Yet more granny striped blanket

So it's getting there... but been dare I say it...I've been a bit bored of working on my blankie for the last week or so. I know I'm as shocked as you are - in fact I am disgusted that such stripey goodness and pleasure can have turned so quickly to boredom.

Perhaps it was doing the same thing all the time and I was missing my knitting (which is after all my main passion - sorry crochet!!!) but then I couldn't focus on knitting either, so I did some looming. The only items I really make with my looms are hats and scarfs but it is something I don't need to think about, so I finished an unknown UFO, a scarf in blue eyelash yarn. Then I made another. Then I got some yarn from my stash and started making more scarfs (make 5 in total) .....then I got bored of looming.


So I made 2 tops for charity. One of which was an adapted pattern from Ravelry to make a preemies Baby Surprise Jacket. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-surprise-jacket-preemie-sized Many thanks to everyone who helped me find the BSJ pattern!!

It really does look wierd and that it can't possibly be a jacket - all through making it I couldn't figure it out!!!
Then suddenly I could see it!!!!
  Sewn up and with buttons....
The back....

I wasn't really convinced about this when I was laying it out, the sleeves didn't seem to sit right. The front seemed to be bigger than the back. I thought I had maybe done something wrong. But with a bit of slight stretching into place, I think it looks nice and I am rather happy with it!! It was very quick and easy to make and very little to sew up. All the sewing up you have to do it the top of the sleeves/shoulders. Can't wait to do more and make Elizabeth Zimmerman's original BSJ!!! Next time I'd like to make it stripey and see what the effect is....the pics of stripey ones look really nice.

Anyway....The good news, as far as I am concerned is that my blankie is back at my side and I have started enjoying making it again!!! I brought it downstairs after lunch and so far I have completed a lovely deep purple stripe!!!

Just had to blog about it and post my other pics...this way the distractions are behind me for a while so I can re-focus and finish blankie!!

So wanna see what it looked like before my last purple stripe??? Well if you don't close your eyes now!!! Cos here it is!!!

I laid it out on our bed which is a super king size bed....










If you are still reading - thanks alot and well done at looking through so many pics!!!

Sunday 8 August 2010

Our walk along the canal

We decided to have a lovely walk along the canal on Friday, instead of our usual wood walk. The canal is just off the woods and is only a 10 min walk from our house. It is the Leeds/Liverpool canal.

The first thing we noticed before we were on the canal, was this blackberry!! Blackberries in August!!! Now there are LOADS of green ones around here but a ripe one!! It was so bizarre I had to take a picture!!!

Can you make out this bee? They were everywhere!!
This is the path down to the canal. We have to walk down through a field to the bridge then we can walk back along the canal to another bridge and back home.
Lady always has to be first!!
She is so curious!!!
Horses are everywhere round here!!!
These ducks actually came swiming over to see us!! Think they thought we had food - sadly no, just a poo bag!!!
Off again when Lady came to say hi!
Remember that one lonely blackberry we found at the start of our walk??? About half way along the canal there were loads of them!!!!!
I told Darren to give me a clean and empty poo bag and we started to pick blackberries!!! There are loads still to ripen, so we'll be back!!!
I have never known them to be out so early!!!
Plenty to make a crumble!!!!




By the way I made the apple and blackberry crumble yesterday and it was gorgeous!!!!!

Saturday 31 July 2010

Loving Hands Autumn Challenge

The new Loving Hands challenge runs from 25th July to 23rd October 2010. I haven't sent anything in for the last 2 challenges so I have plenty to send for this one...I hope!!

So here is Lou's challenge:

"I have decided that this will be a 3 part challenge this time - hopefully you will all approve of what I have found ;0)


1. The first part of this challenge will be thanks to our dear Dot. A couple of months back I was reading a great book - one of those true story paperbacks that make you cry all the way through. It was called ‘Street Kid’ and was by a lady called Judy Westwater. The morning after I finished reading it I got a parcel from Dot and in it was a note with a newspaper cutting from the Inverness paper. It was an article about an Inverness lady knitting jumpers for children in Africa - these items were being taken to Africa and being distributed by …….. Judy Westwater - the author of the book I had just finished reading. This had to be an omen - Judy has set up a trust for street kids in Africa called the Pegasus Trust - I contacted her and here is her reply …….


Hello Lou,


Thank you so much for contacting me and thank you also for reading my book. (Which I assume was 'Street Kid' my first book?) I am hopeful that by the sale of my books they will bring about a far greater worldwide awareness as to the desperate plight all our street children continue to face on a daily basis.


Thank you for offering to help our children with delightful knitted goodies. Our children are always so delighted to receive knitted goodies and to know that they have been made especially for them, new and warm thrills them no end.


We take care of children from birth onward. We have shelters for kiddies from birth to six years, and then from six to eighteen, and then from eighteen to twenty four years old. So a huge range of sizes. For our under six shelter all goodies that you have mentioned would be amazing as they do love soft toys, blankets or any item you are happy to make everything would be totally embraced by them. They have never had anything new and they cannot believe that someone from so far away would care enough about them to make something especially for them.


Our kids from six years to eighteen would be thrilled with school jerseys and cardigans in school colours. For a child in South Africa they cannot attend school unless they have the full uniform and many times during winter they do not have warm clothing. They would love anything to wear that is knitted, crocheted or sewn. South African kids love knitwear. The older kids would be the same, for them socks would be fabulous as well as jerseys.


Hope I have given you an insight. But believe me it would not matter what you sent for this every item would be so very much appreciated.


Thank you for your very kind offer. Should you wish to see our clips from my latest visit to South Africa please type in Judy Westwater S.T.V.News and see the latest Scottish news broadcast.


I look forward to hearing from you.


Till then do take care


Very best wishes


Judy Westwater


I think you will all agree that this is a very worthwhile charity for us to help and as Judy has said these kids will be happy with anything we make for them - the great thing on our side also is that Judy lives in Inverness now so I will have a great excuse to meet up with Dot and Ron when I go up to deliver our end of challenge items to Judy ;0) For this I think we can make clothing for all ages, toys, blankets, school jumpers and cardies etc. If any of you have good quality school skirts, shirts, trousers or shorts we could put those in too - lots to choose from! Our stitchers can make kids clothing , toys, quilts etc as well to add to the mix.


2. The second part of our challenge is all thanks to our friend Tricia who runs the Teddies for Tragedies site. She has been in touch asking for our help to get 1,200 teddies complete with bags to help out her causes. She needs 1000 for street kids in Cambodia and 200 for Orphans in Uganda. Once again the addresses for us to get them to are in the UK so no overseas postage for us. Knitters and Crocheters can make the bears and the stitchers can make the bags.


3. Part three of the challenge will be for our shoeboxes for Blythswood Care - the usual items and fillings for these. I have been keeping all of the shoeboxes that come in here this year so the attic is stuffed with them ready to be wrapped and filled again for this winter. "

Certainly worth while checking out Judy's site at http://sites.google.com/site/pegasuschildrenstrust/Home. There is a video of her work and an interview as shown on This Morning.

I've got some Teddies waiting to be stuffed already. I'm going to make some school jumpers, blankets and other goodies for the Pegasus Trust. I've probably got quite a few things made already that can be used. I already support the local Samaritan's Purse shoebox appeal so I won't be doing the 3rd challenge.

Tuesday 27 July 2010

More Granny Striped Blanket!!!

On Sunday we got a fantastic new camera from Argos..it's an Alba SL1231 reduced from £159.99 to...wait for it....£59.99!!! Unbelievable bargain!!! Absolutely fantastic camera!!!! Our only hesitation with it is that it takes a Li-ion battery and we now want to get a spare as the last thing we want to have happen is be out and have the battery die...which did happen today...I'll post our lovely day out pics later.

But for now check out these lovely scrummy pics of my blankie as taken by our new camera!!! It has really captured the colours...Be warned I did get a bit carried away!!!

...I just love how is looks all crumpled together - so squishy and snuggly...
...to give you an idea of how big it is now...
I love it love it love it!!! But I've got so much more to do. Darren thinks it's nearly done???!!! Is he crazy?? Yes, well no, it's because he feels it's ready in length fo him to snuggle under on the settee (which is my plan for it) but I don't just want a lap blanket...I want to snuggle up from head to toe under it!!!

Oh and to top off what a lovely day we've had (been to Yeadon Tarn for picnic, drive around Yorkshire countryside, visited Studley Royal at Fountains Abbey and then went to Brimham Rocks) I've lost 2 lbs!!!! I've been clinging onto them for the past 2 weeks and finally decided to get rid of them!!! That means folks that I've now lost my first stone!!!! Yippeee!!!! About time as well!