Looking forward

So I have been thinking.  2013 not such a great year.  I intend to make 2014 a better one, and to finally get blogging so this time next year I can look back on what has happened and think 'that was fun!'  I am not really expecting anyone to read this.  It may not be that exciting.  But I want to create some happy memories this year, and I will have needed to do stuff to be able to blog about it so hopefully this will spur me on.  One or two little new year's resolutions:

1.  I'll start with the big one that I am calling the 'Money Diet'.  I spend waaaaaaay too much money that I don't really have.  So I thought this year I would really cut back and not spend anything.  With a few exceptions (come on Rome wasn't built in a day!) such as food (obviously) magazines (although I intend to cut down as this has to be my main expenditure) and also McBusted merchandise when I see them in April (sooooooooooooooooooooo excited!)  Hopefully this should mean that come Christmas 2014 I will actually have some money.

2.  Become a gardener.  Both my girlies love being outside, and so this year I am going to make an effort in the garden and try and grow our own vegetables.  I have tried this before but I have a short attention span so it didn't really work.  Must try harder.

3.  Cook from scratch more.  I am actually not too bad at this but I have recently hit 30 and I live in terror of the middle age spread, plus I think that the girlies need to have a better diet than they do.

4.  More family time.  I may one day write a post simply for self exploration about why I don't feel I spend enough time with my family (or to give it another name I spend my life tidying and sorting and I have realised that this is not normal).  Hopefully the money diet will mean I have some spare cash to take us out to places, although I intend to make the most of what is on offer for free.

I think that is it - I don't need too many or I will fail and that is NOT GOOD.

Oh, one more thing I shall write about are my crafty projects - I shall be trying my hardest to finish what I have started so far before starting anything else.  We shall see as I have been known to be a bit excitable.

Well, new year then tomorrow.  I have just turned 30, I finally have a job, my girlies are now settled in a good school and my husband has just had a (smallish but better than a kick in the teeth) pay rise.  So technically life should now be good.  Bring it on 2014!  

Making progress

On the way home from the school run this morning, the guy in the radio said it was a bright sunny morning.  Well I don't know where he woke up but it wasn't here!  It is so cold and misty this morning.  On the plus side there has been some stunning spider webs around - a couple with the spiders in!

It is well and truly autumn I think!

Since my last post I have made progress on my multiple ongoing projects.  The 'Jumping Jellybeans' cardigan now has a back and a left front:

'Rural Idyll' has a front.  I am thinking that I should try and press on with this one and finish it by the weekend because on Sunday we are seeing family for my husband's 30th birthday.

When I photographed this I realised that the top half has ended up with a criss cross pattern - totally random but lovely nevertheless:

I started something else as well; 'Irvin' which is a 'flight jacket and helmet' so the description says.  It is from the October 2013 issue of Let's Knit.  I am going to make one each for my girlies.  It is knitting up to be lovely and warm, and is such a nice autumnal colour.

And yes, I did sew up my foxy scarf.  And yes, I hate sewing up.  But it's done and I love it.  I think I shall save my 'Ta-da!' for another day, but here is a sneak preview:

On the needles

I started a new project but an old one was staring at me . . . So I am knitting them simultanously and quite enjoying it!  Months ago I started a cardigan for my daughter but went a bit wrong and I HATE unpicking so I just left it.  A couple of days ago I cast on a jumper for me and the cardigan seemed to be calling to me "How can you knit something for yourself when you haven't finished me yet . . . "  so I unravelled.  And carried on unravelling until it was all gone.  Because (and I'm sure I am  not the only one) the unravelling bit is quite fun.  It's the picking up stitches I don't like.  Anyway I did start again and this is how far I have got:

It's a yoke cardie; number 1219 from the Jumping Jellybeans pattern book by Sirdar.  This is the actual cardie:

I am knitting it in a slightly lighter yellow than this.  I also have some really cool rainbow buttons to go on it, but I shall wait until the 'ta-da' moment until I reveal those!

The jumper for me is 'Rural Idyll' from the September 2013 issue of Simply Knitting.

I am knitting it in 'Glacier', a shade of King Cole Opium.  I also have some more yarn on the way for another project - will I be able to wait before that is cast on I wonder!

Autumn has arrived!

I love autumn.  I love the cosier nights and the fresher days.  I love the excitement of back to school and all the shiny newness that comes with it.  But most of all I love the colours.  I may indulge in that on another day, but today I want to show my first autumn project of the year - this wonderful foxy scarf from the September issue of Knit Today.

It was lovely to sit in front of the TV and knit all 348 rows of stocking stitch (not all in one go!)  I'm not such a big fan of sewing up however, so at the mo my scarf looks like this:

I have sewn up the main bit, I just need to find the will power to do the rest.  Oh, and choose some buttons for the eyes and nose.  I popped over to Mum's yesterday and seriously how many buttons does one person need!?  Her obsession however is my gain as I came away with this little lot to choose from:

Watch this space - the weather is getting colder and I shall be glad of a scarf soon so I need to finish!  If you fancy having a go at this pattern yourself be careful with the orange yarn.  I ran out so the ears on mine will be black and white instead of orange. 

One last thing before I go - NEW SHOES!