Under starter's orders..

Boxes everywhere, butterflies in my stomach, we're off tomorrow! Next time I post we'll be living in Cornwall. That can't be real can it?!

As for knitting, I've managed to almost finish knitting a pair of Lacanau beach sandals with my gifted Loganberry Rowan Summer Tweed plus some in lilac left over from my knit-crochet sweater. I thought they would be the most appropriate project for now. ;-) They're very quick and I'm loving the results - pics to follow once we've got the computers set up.

Photos!

Somehow, amidst the madness of packing today, I have managed to take photos of my latest FOs. Actually it was a bit of light relief, as is typing this blog entry. 12 hours of packing, washing, ironing, and cleaning is enough for one day for anyone I reckon. Anyway - the FOs:
First up, we have the Colinette Giotto sweater. The shade is "Caramel", and it's incredibly difficult to photograph without it looking all sparkly! There's definately no lurex in there, although it has a shimmer to it.

This was my design based on a Per Una sweater I have - a very simple fitted shape with a crochet edge all around and a deeper crochet hem on the body. I do like it.

Then there are the socks! I have done both, but the photo of both makes my feet look even bigger than they actually are, so this is the one you're seeing.

I love these socks. I used Wendy's Toe-Up sock pattern and a hand-dyed sock yarn that I bought from ebay a few months back in a lovely dusky denimy mix of colours. They are really comfy and fit great. I will use that pattern again - I find that the short-row toe and heel are the right shape for me and I enjoy knitting them.

Final picture for this post - based on our move of course! This is what our lovely house looks like in every room atm. That's me all boxed out for today. G'night!

It snowed!

Here's the proof: My DDs enjoying the snow in our back garden before bedtime last night!

It started to thaw this morning, then snowed much more this afternoon and evening. It seems to be thawing again now, but there's more snow forecast for tomorrow.. See-saw, see-saw..

I just hope it's all clear by Monday 19th Feb, as that's now officially our moving date!

Goodies!

I went to my local Beatties knitting group for the last time today before our move - and received a lovely bag of knitterly goodies! Those wonderful knitters have clubbed together to buy me 600g of Sirdar Just Bamboo and a lovely cardigan pattern for it, plus the latest Rowan magazine 41. Thank you so much to Rose, Fiona, Josie, Annette, Pippa, and Sarah-Beth. If I've missed anyone out - sorry, and thanks!

I shall really miss that group, and will consider myself very lucky if I find a similarly fab knitting group once we're settled in Cornwall.

I also received a extra surprise gift from a male knitter at work - a skein of Rowan Summer Tweed in the gorgeous Loganberry shade, plus the latest Bamboo Tape pattern book. Thanks John!

A quick flick through the Rowan 41 mag has convinced me that I MUST buy a goodly amount of the new Rowan Damask yarn in shade Zircone once we've moved - it's just GORGEOUS! I think that may have to be a treat for me when I receive my first Cornish salary payment. ;-)

2 weeks and counting

Thanks for your lovely comments - it's nice to know that somebody does actually read this!

It looks like we're moving w/b 19th Feb! Just 2 weeks to go.. I'm not sure of the exact day yet as the removals company have to load up and set off one day, then arrive at our new home the next day. We'll have to set off at the same time as them, but then camp out in our bungalow with the supplies we take with us (kettle, laptop, & airbeds included!) until they arrive the next day.

Our friends are starting to settle in New Zealand and we're getting used to driving the car we bought from them - a nippy little Renault Megane. I was dreading going back to a manual after driving an auto for a couple of years, but it's been fine - no stalls yet, and I've only crunched the gearbox once - ouch! In fact I love driving it, so I think that's the one I'll be driving to Cornwall. I get the girls, bedding, suitcases, etc in with me, and DH gets to drive our original car (assuming it's fixed) with the flammables (decorating equipment, petrol cans, bbq gas bottle, etc) that the removals people won't take. I'll be relieved once that particular journey is safely completed.

We took our DDs bowling on Saturday morning with their friends, then spent Saturday afternoon decluttering and clearing out the shed and garage. Phew! It was a long job, but well worth it, and it's one more ticked off the list.

I came down with a heavy cold on Saturday morning and DH started with it last night too - my commiserations to anyone else who's suffering with similar atm. I also managed to plane a long strip of skin off my right leg last night by dropping a plastic storage box down it - didn't hurt much at the time but it bled a lot and woke me at 6:20am this morning stinging as the lint under the bandage had stuck to it.. ;-) Seems to me that it's an indication that I've been burning the candle at both ends - which comes as no great surprise.

Sunday morning was a friend's 5th birthday party at the local Wacky Warehouse - and a lovely opportunity to have a long natter with my local parent friends and then get treated to a scrummy garlic-y pasta Chicken Alfredo followed by Fudge Cake and ice cream for lunch by my DH. The afternoon and evening were spent sorting out a huge pile of domestic paperwork into "Keep It", "Shred It" and "Recycle It" piles. That's a job I'd been meaning to do for over 12 months, so it's very satisfying to have completed it. The girls last swimming lessons here in the Midlands punctuated that - a chance to say goodbye to friends there.

Today brings with it a little frustration as my bank have managed to lose all track of the paperwork requesting a bank reference for the letting agents - which I hand-delivered as an urgent task 2 weeks ago. I have now signed another faxed copy, and they have promised me it will be faxed back to Cornwall within 48 hours. If not I'll be exercising some of my assertiveness training... ;-)

Knitting-wise - I managed to finish off the Classic Fitted Sweater (started Jan 06!) in Colinette Giotto. I'm glad Fiona talked me into finishing it off instead of frogging it - thanks! All I had to do was seam the right sleeve and side, and do the crochet edgings. It's not exactly as I'd first planned as I'll need to wear a little top underneath it, but I'm sure I'll wear it a lot.

That's it for now.. time for more hot honey and lemon.. <aaaaaaachoo!>