Sales sales sales

Out 'n' about in the bitter cold again to visit the sales, I must say I was very good and only bought a pair of shoes. The same shoes I wanted before the sales and had decided to wait and only buy them if they were reduced. Luckily for me they only had one pair left in my size so I believe I was meant to buy them and for half the price :)
I also popped by John Lewis in Oxford Street, they always have reduced yarn in the sales, there was some nice Rowan little big wool I bought a few balls (I had a present of some John Lewis Vouchers, Thank you, you know who you all are they went on the little big yarn) but everything else was tweedy multi-coloured type yarns, not that I do not like tweed yarns but past experience makes me buy one ball and experiment to see if the colours and texture work before committing to buying a larger amount. Solid colour yarns like the little big wool are always safer sale bargains to buy.

I finished by walking along Regents Street and having a look at the lights. I really liked them this year, they reminded me of giant sparkly spiders webs.

December madness

So far this month started with my computer going crazy, my Internet was working only when it wanted to and my mobile lost its data (due to a bus drenching me with water) and also stopping working. So I have not been able to update my site or blog arrrrrrr.... I love my techie things but when they go wrong I wonder how I managed without them and get major withdrawal symptoms :( .
Luckily this week they have all started working again so I am back.
I have been out 'n' about in Oxford Street (lots of sales, crowds of shoppers and lots of buying was going on not many worrying about the credit crunch) looking at the windows, here's a few I liked


NezumiWorld has also been updated with some new Christmas Charts (the charts at top of post)

Months speeding by to Fast

Is it me or do the days - weeks - months seem to be speeding by way to fast, I can't keep up! and I though crafts are supposed to make you relaxed and slow down..... maybe that's why I am always working on several different projects at the same time and I'm still waiting for the slowing down effect to kick in.
I finished this lapghan last week with some of the yarn I bought in the John Lewis summer sale. I am now planning to make some more larger projects and destash a bit. Well at the speed the months are going by it will be the January sales soon and if I have not used the yarn from the summer (not forgetting the Alexandra Palace Knit & Stitch Shows and last January's sale stuff) I am not going to buy any more yarn, so I had better get my paws moving faster.

2nd Year Blogoversary

Today is my 2nd year blogoversary and I can't believe how quickly the 2 years have passed. As with last year I hope to post a lot more (something always gets in the way of me posting more but I will try harder) and continue to chat to lots of nice people along the way.

Mini Pumpkins

Abbreviations:
Rnd – Round
St – Stitch
Sts – Stitches
Dc (UK)/ Sc (USA) – Double Crochet (UK)/ Single Crochet (USA)
Sl st – Slip stitch
Ch – Chain
Dec - Decrease

Materials:
Double knit/ worsted weight yarn used in Orange and Green
Hook appropriate to yarn used
Polyester toy stuffing, Polyfil or scraps of yarn
Each mini pumpkin needs 2 eyes, I used toy eyes (you can also use buttons or embroider eyes on)

Pattern: Using orange yarn
Rnd 1: Ch 2, 6 dc (UK)/ 6 sc (USA) into 2nd ch from the hook (the 1st ch that was made), join with a sl st to top the 1st dc (UK)/ 1st sc (USA), 1 ch (you should now have 6 sts)

Rnd 2: 2 dc (UK)/ 2sc (USA) into each st all round (12 sts)

Rnd 3: 1 dc (UK)/ 1 sc (USA) into each st all round (12 sts)

Rnds 4 & 5: as row 3

Rnd 6: [dec 1 dc (UK)/ 1 sc (USA) over next 2 sts] 6 times (6 sts)

If using toy eyes add now.


Add wadding or scraps of yarn to stuff
Rnd 7: Using green yarn 1 dc (UK)/ 1 sc (USA) into each st (6 sts)
Rnd 8: as round 7

Cut yarn and pull through top of stalk to join, push in any unwanted strands of yarn to stuff. I left the green strands out to use as ties to attach the mini pumpkins to things. You could use end strands to make a chain loop, or hide the strands and display the mini pumpkins on a table or in a sweet (candy) bowl.

Ideas for use:
Earrings, on scarves, curtains etc. instead of pompoms, make some with eyes & some without mix together and hang in window or door frame, tie a present and add a single mini pumpkin.

I would love to know what you do with your mini pumpkins please let me know :)

ORIGINAL PATTERN BY Michelle Ryan © 2006
For personal use only

Check out traditional Halloween BramBrack bread at http://nezumiworldcakeshop.blogspot.com/

A surprise present

My brother bought me a surprise present. He knows I love making things so he bought me The Gakken SX-150 it is a little analog synthesizer kit which comes packaged with a magazine/ book on synthesizers (lots of pics of vintage analog pieces in it, wish I could read Japanese)

As soon as I could get my paws on it, it was out of the packing and quickly put together (it is very easy and quick to put together about 5 minutes max). I love it.

Here's the finished item, it has its own speaker and a outlet for an external one, which I will try later. A little pen runs along the slider to make noises with lots of buttons to play with. The crochet & knitting designs will have to wait for a while.

The Knitting and Stitch Show 2008

Last weekend was the Knitting and Stitch Show at Alexandra Palace. It was a good show, lots of interesting yarns (Here's a few purchases)


Displays of the UK Hyperbolic crochet reef

Giant Knitting Needles (not sure what or why they were there but they looked good)

and a giant tea bag (celebrating 100 years of teabags, again not sure why at the show, but also looked interesting & big)
We had lunch outside, it was so hot more like the summer (which never happened this year) we even eat ice cream to cool down. A good day spent with friends and yarn.