socks * socks * socks

Hello there - For Christmas 2013 I was given a ball of sock yarn as I wanted to knit some socks.  I found myself a pattern and off I went, knitting these on four needles and in a rib pattern in a self colouring sock wool.  Well I knitted about four inches of these socks, round and round and didn't like them at all.  They got thrown into my knitting/crochet basket and that is where they stayed until three weeks ago when Christine Perry from here Winwick Mum started an online sockalong. 

I rescued the said socks from Christmas 2013 from my basket and unpicked them.  Once I had unpicked them -

I turned a chair upside down on the kitchen worktop and wound the yarn around the legs of the chair

when the wool comes off the chair legs it looks like this, as it has been knitted for 18 months (I put a this pic on my facebook page - my friend Tracy saw this and started to hyperventilate) - "trust me Tracy" - I said

next - my old copper kettle goes on the hob and the wool gets held over the steam from the kettle (being careful not to scold your arm) and turn the skein around and the wrinkles drop out

see Tracy - "I said trust me" - said wool as good as new!

next - you need a pair of hands (hubby) to hold your skein so that the wool can be wound into a ball

all ready to go - we can now start our socks

cast on and away we go - round and round

OOOOOhhh look at that self patterning wool

OOOOOhhh - two socks (you wind the yarn into the two balls starting with the same pattern) to keep your two sock patterns even once knitting - I think I managed it pretty well

keep knitting round and round and then you have to do the single panel for the heel

you continue to follow the pattern and then shape the toes and hey presto you have a pair of your very own hand knitted socks - look at those!!

Christine has done the best sockalong tutorial in three sections to show you how to make a pair (or many more pairs) of socks

I have spotty socks

I have Dopey socks

I have trainer socks for running - with L (left foot) and R (right foot) on them

I have long socks for running with sheep and smiley faces on

but none of them are as lovely as these hand made by Joy beauties!!!

I LOVE * LOVE * LOVE * THEM

OOOOOhhh - and I have some more

OOOOOhhh and more

well that's at least three pairs

just turning the heel on sock three

sock three finished

 It would appear that there are three "work in progress" here.  Whoops!!!  That's all for now and I think the cosy blanket is on the back burner for the time being and the socks are to the fore

Thanks for popping by and I hope you like my socks and may be tempted to make yourself a pair or two!

Xx Joy Xx

PS  There is also, as well as the cosy blanket "work in progress" another one

OOOOOOhhhh - I  am very excited about this "work in progress"

Our weekend trips

Hello there - Last Saturday took my grandson H and myself to the penultimate game of the season.  It was the last home match of this season, so after our run, off we went to Southampton.  We caught the car ferry this time which pleased H very much as you can get a cooked breakfast on board which is of course what he did.  We made our way up to St Mary's Stadium which is where Saints were playing Aston Villa

 

We settled down in our seats and eagerly awaited kick off, after 15 minutes Southampton had scored three goals and this turned out to be the fastest ever hat trick to be scored in the premiership, within 2 minutes 56 seconds.  After 37 minutes we had scored another two goals and were five goals to nil in front.  Two minutes into extra time in the first half Aston Villa managed to score a goal.  In the second half Saints scored another goal which meant the final result was 6 - 1 which was a great way to finish the last home game of the season.  Fans were asked to remain in their seats for the manager and players to do a lap of appreciation to the fans for supporting them throughout the season

 

 

 

Here are the players and management thanking the fans - it was lovely to see and quite emotional.  Good luck to Southampton for this coming week in their final game of the season against Manchester City which will decide where they finish in the premiership league.

 

After a bit of shopping H and I made our way back to the ferry and on travelling back across the Solent to the Isle of Wight this cruise ship sailed past us

 

 

Arcadia - what a magnificent sight to see sailing off into the sunset

 

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On Sunday it was Walk the Wight which is an annual event where people walk across the Isle of Wight from Bembridge to Freshwater which is a marathon distance of 26 miles.  A lot of people get sponsorship for doing this to raise money for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice which is on the island. 

 

We had some friends (running) this event so we popped along to give them some refreshments and encouragement along the way and I also took a few pics

 

 

Can you see the path through the woods for a walk

 

 

a road sign for motorists to take extra care on the roads

 

 

we were in the car heading to Freshwater Bay - the walkers walked

 

 

Here they come

 

 

and there they go

 

 

My friend had time for a bit of crochet

 

 

we had hot chocolate - look at our improvised tray

 

 

a view down across Freshwater Bay

 

 

 

canoe lessons in the Bay

 

 

these floats/bouys were hanging on a fence in a driveway to a house

 

 

a spaceman walked the Wight

 

 

Snow White and her friend walked the Wight

 

 

 

 

driving home I spotted this wild garlic growing in the woods

just like a blanket of snow in the sunshine

 

 

OOOOhhh - and I picked a little bunch to pop into a vase once I got home!

 

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WORKS IN PROGRESS

 

I have spent some spare time I had on my works in progress - two more finished

 

 

9th May - flowers

 

  

17th May - heart wreath for a friends birthday gift

finished

pattern by Lucy Attic24 as published in issue 15 Simply Crochet

 

  

30th April - lap - cat - knee blanket

 

 

20th May - finished

 

Thanks for popping by and I hope you enjoyed sharing some of my weekend

 

Xx Joy Xx

 

 

 

 

 

 

Run - biscuits - work in progress

Hello there - last Saturday was our 201st 5k parkrun which meant we celebrated our fourth birthday, so we had a superhero fancy dress run.  There were 207 runners in the local park and probably 70 of us dressed up - there was batman and robin, ballerinas, cat woman, monkeys, Noddy and Big ears, footballers, the boy in a dress (young Tom) and I had to look twice seeing him in a long blonde wig, instead of his short cropped hair, and in a dress - brilliant.  There was Indiana Jones, Madonna, clowns, a nutty professor, a turtle, a gypsy, a dwarf, spider man, a cyclist, 3 dressed as 118 runners, pirates etc to name but a few - and

 

Mick - a ballerina and he also ran a fantastic time

 

 

Clayre - the smurf

 

 

Bridget - Tim (hahaha) - Sarah - three nuns in their "habits"

 

What a great way to spend your Saturday morning and after the run of course you want

 

Biscuits

 

These biscuits are known as "One a day biscuits"

a healthy option biscuit 

 

125g butter

100g caster sugar

100g soft muscovado sugar

1 large egg

1tsp vanilla extract

100g wholemeal flour

100g lightly toasted seeds

50g cranberries

100g rolled oats

  

 

In your mixing bowl beat butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla beat together. 

Stir in the dry ingredients and mix

 

 

  

 Make 12-15 golf size ball biscuits - squash down a bit

cook on 180c for 10-12 minutes

 

 

Oooohh - they are in the oven and starting to spread

 

 

 

Oooohhh - all spread into each other to make one big biscuit

 

 

they are cooked and out of the oven and cooling on a wire tray mmmmmmmmmm

 

ok we'll rename them

wonky one a day biscuits

 

they do taste good whatever shape they are!!

 

and after you have baked your 'wonky one a day biscuits' it's time to sort your

work in progress - started and not finished - knitting and crochet

 

 

9th May - socks

 

 

9th May - flowers

 

 

9th May - Christmas baubles

 

 

9th May - more socks

 

 

9th May - cushion cover

 

 

I need to get off here and get on and sort some of those work in progress - that isn't all them

there are about five more!!

 

Thanks for popping by and I hope you try the 'wonky biscuits' and enjoy them!!

 

Joy Xx

 

 

14th May - - Christmas baubles - finished!!

 

 

14th May - socks - finished!!

 

 

14th May - cushion cover - finished!!

 

 

14th May - cushion cover - finished!!

Cushion colours and buttons inspired by nelnanandnora.wordpress.com

 

HAPPY DAY