March 2016

Wow that was a quick month!!!

Looking back I don't think I did very much...... I finished my Birdie cardigan, ate Easter eggs & hot cross buns, started my VE day puzzles, made more bow scarves & spent time with my children.

On Good Friday I took advantage of the sunshine & headed to South Devon Railway with the family for their heritage weekend.

It was a lovely day

Let's see what April brings!

February's Book Review

1937 sees new challenges for the trainee nurses

Dora and her old enemy Lucy are paired up on the children’s ward for the final three months of their training. The two nurses couldn’t seem more different, but they may have more in common than they think, as each hides a secret heartache. 
… and new faces at the Nightingale
Jess is the feisty eldest daughter of a notorious East End family and determined to prove herself as a ward maid. 
And new trainee nurse Effie can’t wait to escape her small Irish village, and make her way as a nurse in London. But Effie’s sister Katie soon begins to worry that Effie’s behaviour is out of control. 

Book 4 of 7.

Yet another great book, I think I'll be sad when I've finished them all!

If you like Call the Midwife I really recommend you try these. So good I've started book 5, as we get closer to WW2 they just get better!

10/10 

February 2016

I'm glad to see the back of you February!

I started the month with a lovely case of flu that made me take to my bed for a whole week! My brave little Bobby was bitten on the neck & needed veterinary treatment. I went to hospital for my long awaited scan & was diagnosed with gallstones! 

I also celebrated Hugo's first birthday, did lots of knitting, enjoyed spring daffodils, spent a day cooking, finally finished my hexagon blanket & started my blue bird cardigan!

Phew...... that's a lot in one month!

What I Made In 2015

WARNING: Photo overload!

I always enjoy looking back over the year to see what I made..... so here we go!

A gift for Hugo

Berets..... lots of berets!!

My victory jumper in time for VE day 

Land girl to join my service boys 

1940's brooch

Victory brooch for VE day

Land girl jumper knitted from some free wool I was given

Tom Cat & his Mrs!

More berets!

Acorn brooch for autumn 

Christmas cardigan 

Getting ready for my only fair of 2015....... and I think my very last :-(

Bow scarves 

Finally finding the right mustard for my bow scarf 

Wearing my bow scarf in a different way!

Christmas gift for Hugo

Christmas gift for Matthew

And that's it!!

I don't think I made as much as I did in 2014 but I'm still impressed :-)

I re thinking my business in 2016........ it's going to be a tough decision but I think I will be giving up selling my makes!

But what will I make???

I've been selling for about 10 years so it's going to be hard but I don't push it as much as I should & then I don't sell as much so I end up disappointed. Also the fairs are getting more expensive & sometime no one comes so you spend money on tables & with no customers.

I will of course still knit for myself but really there's only so many cardigans a girl can have!!

I need to get my thinking cap on!

Ta-Dah!

I've finished!!!!

Back in March 2009 I started my hexagon blanket....... yep that's right, 7 years ago!!

Like most crafty people in Blogland I was inspired by Lucy over at Attic 24

My plan was to make a small throw to cover my foot stool but it kept going out of shape making it bigger!!!

It's been put on hold so many times but just before Christmas I decided that enough was enough. I stopped making to sell & cracked on.

Popsy has decided it's her blanket, she would come running when ever I got it out.

Bless her!

It's now taking pride & place on my king size bed

Like all my blankets I used the traditional method of using up scraps rather then buying new yarn in contrasting colours

I must say I'm as proud as punch!!!

January's Book Review

t’s the final year of training for three young nurses at The Nightingale Hospital… 

Helen is at a crossroads in her life as she battles with her domineering mother over both her love life and her future career.

Dora can't stop loving Nick, who is married to her best friend, Ruby. But Ruby is hiding a dark secret with the potential to destroy Ruby's marriage. 

Millie is anxious about her fiance, sent to Spain to cover the Civil War, and things only get worse when she encounters a fortune teller who gives her a sinister warning. 

With war looming in Europe, and the East End of London squaring up to the threat of Oswald Mosley's blackshirts, the women of the Nightingale have to face their own challenges, at work and in love.

Following on from my November's book review I've finally finished the 3rd book in the series.

I love these books....... set in an Eastend hospital in the 1930's.

Really well written & lovely characters, I enjoyed it so much I've started on book 4!!

Only 3 more to go.

9/10

January 2016

January has come & gone.

I started the 3rd year of my Q&A book, spent time with the cats, worked really hard to finish my hexagon blanket (the deadline was the end of January - Fail!) remembered Holocaust memorial day, celebrated success in the shop with a night out with the team & shared old photo's for #waybackwhen 

One week into February & what a rubbish start........ on the 1st I struggled through the day feeling pretty rubbish but couldn't say why. When I finally got home I took a turn for the worse & by 9pm I was thinking of calling my sister to take me to hospital. I've never felt so ill..... sickness, shaking, dizzy & sweating...... not nice.

After a trip to the doctors on Tuesday morning it turned out I had a bad case of flu. 

I've never had flu before & I certainly don't want it again!

So a week in bed was on the cards....... I hate calling in sick, I haven't been off for over 2 years, but I didn't have a choice. I was as weak as a kitten & felt sick every time I though about food...... I really was ill!

The good news is I lost 1/2 in a week, perfect timing as I'm having a scan on Wednesday for Gallstones & I was told I should lose weight before.

There's always a positive side!

Back to work tomorrow, hope I have enough energy to make it through the day.