Its here...its here...its here....

Well, I havent been around for a while I have had a really bad headcold and because I have to have my tonsils taken out in the next number of weeks I seem to be getting everything that is going.

I didnt feel much like knitting or sewing over the last week, but then my Debbie Bliss wool arrived at Lenas and I tore myself from my sickbed and I have been knitting since.

I had ordered the new Debbie Bliss Rialto it is 100% merino wool and I have to say is just beautiful to work with, its so soft,, I allready have plans for another project in this wool its just so lovely.

My mother has also settled upon a pettern that she loves and is ordering the Rialto as well.

I am knitting this really simple stocking stitch V neck sweater with a hood, I tried this on the day that Cathi and I met Debbie Bliss in Limerick and I just fell in love with it. I have finished the back and have started on the front.Now that the mid term break is over for the kids i might get some knitting done in the afternoons................

Magpie!!!!!!!!

This is my up and coming sewing stash. I have started a patchwork cushion cover for my son Daniel, I love the needlework but alas need more practice, much like the wool collection, I find it hard to resist beads and shiny things that can be used to embelish.

This is my wool stash. I must admit , my mother has donated a lot of this to me, but more often than not when I am within a few feet of a wool shop I cant help myself. There is a good deal of cottons in the stash and some good scraps of tweeds, there is a good bit of acrylic though for the toy knitting.

Knitty Valentine

After another lovely 'knitty' afternoon with my friend Cathi and our kids,I got stuck into making my husbands favourite dinner for valentines.I usually manage a decent handmade card, but this evening I only managed a poor effort with coloured paper, I did however manage to make some yummy chocolate rasberry buns.
I felt it was all a little bit inadequate when he arrived home with a card, chocs and this beautiful'kilkenny casual dining'candle holders, i just love them. My effort was greatly appreciated and of course there was the valentine art work form Hannah which she says she will give to him tomorrow.............still what a lovely surprise....Happy Valentines

Kiddie Knitties!!

On returning from our Debbie Bliss excursion Cathi and I brought back some goodies for our kids - knitting needles and wool ( what!!, did you think it would be sweets - we're crazy knitters here!!!) anyway, here are some pics of how the kids got on with the knitting......

Toys

I love to knit toys. I thought it was something I would never do, all the small pieces and the detail, but now I am hooked. there is a small idea that Cathi and myself may acquire a table at our local farmers market and sell some of our knitting and sewing items, the feedback that we are getting from people that we have mentioned it , is that there is a market for it....watch this space.

Here is a selection of some of the toys I have knitted so far, i have loooads of toy patterns.

Yes, those are salad and ham and cheese sandwiches at the front of the picture!

Bits n' Books

Here is my current collection of knitting books.Its so much better value to buy pattern books instead of the single patterns unless it is something special.

Please notice my collection of Debbie Bliss books , all of which are signed by the woman herself. Anyone who has read Cathi's crazed quilter blog, will know that my good friend Cathi and I met Debbie Bliss at Lenas in Limerick last week , it was a great morning of knitting madness and Debbie Bliss is so down to earth and interesting. I have ordered some of her newest wool which I am eagerly awaiting arrival of this week - that will be a further blog.

The red folder contains free patterns which I got from the internet, there is a great selection of patterns out there, I usually look for toy patterns and funky hats and scarves.

My husband is working late tonight , so more posts to come.......

Stripe Shawl

This little project took very little time and was great fun to complete.Though it is in fairly bright colours I would like to do one in more subtle tones. Its so easy to do, its all garter stitch decreasing on every row and there is no sewing in of edges in fact you have to add some at the end in order to get the effect.

In the Pink........

Calm before the storm, the kids are off to bed in 30 minutes and are currently watching Simpsons, so here is the second project that I completed before Christmas.

A pink jumper in Rowan Big wool, the pattern is from the Rowan big wool pattern book. I was really anxious to get going on this as I felt it would knit up really quickly - it did!, however, the big wool wasnt as nice to knit with as I had hoped... The needles were size 15mm......huuuuge.....I still like the jumper though........

Cream Cardi........

I seem to have 20 minutes to spare before collecting Hannah from montessori.I want to start adding my completed knitting projects.The first item I completed when I started knitting again last November. I started off with a lovely cardigan from the Rowan' Ultimate Book of Knits'. I didnt use a good yarn just a cheap acrylic one. It was a great challenge and great for getting back into the knitting.

I have worn this cardigan a couple of times and though it didnt turn out brilliantly, I get great satisfaction from wearing it.

New Beginnings..........

Well, here it is MY BLOG. I have been procrastinating about this for weeks and now I have finally gotten the finger out and created this, so bear with me if you will so that I can upload some photos of some of my knitting projects and of my kids and other bits and pieces that may or may not be of interest
My name is Kathleen , I live in the beautiful Ballina/Killaloe in North Tipperary. The town has two names because Ballina is in Tipperary North and Killaloe is in Co Clare seperated by the mighty Shannon yet connected by a bridge.
I live here with my husband Joe and children Hannah(3) and Daniel (2). Since becoming a stay at home mommy last May I have really been getting involved with other mommys here and I have to say it has been great and I have made some brilliant friends and luckily one in particular who is as knitting and book mad as myself. We have a wonderful bookclub and knitting group.I would normally be emersed in the soaps by now, it took Daniel a little longer than usual to settle into bed tonight so I am winding down and hopefully later will be knitting...........more soon.