a sneaky peek, two finishes and a Summer project.

i don;t know if anyone remembers the saga of me trying to knit a chippie scarf and the Twiggy knitting group, both some many months ago but one of the side-effects was an intensification of my Noro dislike.

However with the wool sitting upstairs getting progressively twiggier everytime I looked at it I finally knitted it up into this hat last Winter.

But I didn't actually follow a proper pattern, just did the requisite number of decreases once I thought there was enough height to the hat. There is some possibility I may have left it a little late to begin those decreases ;-)

Fortunately the friend I am gifting it to (same one who didn't get the scarf it was originally) needs it to cover her ears as well as keep her head warm so YAY for my over-zealous hat knitting technique!

The Lower 40 has seen more than abundant growth over the last few months and Princess Curly-Wurly was delighted to pick this mahoosive marrow from her side of the acreage.

She was posing as Atlas just so we could all see how heavy this beast of a vegetable is - 4.62 kgs!

And there you have my finishes, wanna see the Summer project?

Coming home from a dog walk last night d/Boy asked if he could paint his cricket bat. As I listening to him enumerate his design ideas I thought 'Why not?' So many times children hear grown-ups say 'No' or some platitude that amounts to the same thing - Yes dear, Maybe later, or Oh no, I don't think so.

What a gift to be able to say yes. Yes my darling, go and use your hands to create something of beauty. Yes my boy, take your clever idea and your interest in cricket and join them to make a project you will remember forever. Yes d/Boy use your imagination. So once home he got his bat and rubbed it down with sandpaper, checking several times to see what came next. Finally he was able to apply the filler.

This morning he took up the task again and sanded back the filler. His mind buzzing with ideas of how to execute his design. I shall keep you updated.

And finally my sneaky peek.....

...... oh Summer Swap object how I have loved making thee.

No really.

We are pleased Sylv is going to be here in less than a month.


And she often comes for longer than four weeks.


I am very excited about my mother coming to stay.





Did I mention she was bringing her husband with her?

Did I sound like it was not a good thing?

I didn't mean to.

I think I was still the operating in a whole world of surprise when I wrote that post.

I am greatly looking forward to seeing my mother.

She will be here for most of the Summer holidays.

YAY!

She is bringing her husband with her.

Hmmmmmm

Oh dear. I have come over all faint.

My mother rang about an hour ago.


This alone is reason for pause. It is late 'o'clock there an hour ago.


Then she spoke.

"I am at your 'Golden' brother's house."


(not to be confused with my 'Gold s-i-l'. These two are not married. 'Golden' brother is married to 'Silver s-i-l' and 'Gold s-i-l 'is married to 'Killer Attack' brother. I think I like him best.)


"What's wrong?"


"Well.. (giggle, giggle).."


"What's wrong?"


"Well.. (giggle, giggle).. it is all your silver s-i-l's fault."


"WHAT'S WRONG???"


"She pressed the button. (giggle, giggle..) and she booked me a flight to the UK."


"OH!"


"We land in a month."


"OH!"


"On CK's birthday."


"OH!"


"We will be there for a month."


"OH!"


I think someone better pinch me so I can wake from this dream.

The answers to all your prayers.

Or in Locket's case - question -'What do I look like?' Well, only if you promise not to shatter my illusions that I really am a size 10, willowy blonde with size five feet, I shall show you my picture.

Bear in mind that on hand and bended knee I have trawled the Trash Towers photo archive, dust billowing behind me and this is the best I can come up with. CK did suggest that the most recent ones of me would be okay, I vetoed this on the grounds that a working terence and I were dressing up and pulling faces for the camera.

Babyman took this about four years ago one November when we were dressing up after Halloween.

This was just before he took the pic above.

He thought this was the best game EVER! Running around in circles 'sitting' on a broomstick dressed as a witch! I do have video but for some strange reason it won't upload. CK suggested this pose for the camera is genetically biased. Why? Have I never told you the story? Oooo! Go and make yourself a cup of tea then come back and sit on a comfy chair.

Back in the olden days when we went to Ireland last October with my mother we visited my lovely uncle-on-the-farm. We met up with them at a pub in Drogheda and during the meal we nearly drowned my poor lubbard uncle.

When I say 'we' I mean Princess C-Dub. Sitting at the table, chatting and supping drinks, waiting for our food when suddenly she said 'Daddy says Granma is a witch.' I swear Jack's Guinness went three different ways at once! With me sitting opposite him and my mother just the other side of him he rooly trooly did not know were to look. Eventually I stopped laughing and waved away the paramedics. Nice chaps they were too. I had to explain to my mother quite why her brother-in-law had gone a very different colour and was wiping Guinness froth from his ear. Eventually she stopped laughing too.


You see CK and Sylv have this relationship where by he is incredibly rude to her and she thinks him quite funny. Among others there has been an ongoing joke about sudden shooting muscle pains and my mother stabbing a CK shaped voodoo doll. This reached its apotheosis when walking across the living room one day Pr C-Dub suddenly clutched her calf, squealed and said 'Ouch!Granma is awake!'


A few years back (good grief! five years ago!!) I told CK her flight was leaving Australia on October 31. He did wonder if she was flying herself whether the skies would be especially crowded or whether she was going with Broomstick Air. Honestly! He is such a cheeky beggar.


It has now reached a point where she threatens him (via me during a phonecall I might add!) with the doll if he is, to her mind, not behaving. This usually entails not agreeing with her that we should move immediately back to Australia! Actually not agreeing with her about anything will do it.


My favourite from her last visit was him offering to upgrade her to a Nimbus 2000 AND build a landing pad in the front garden!

He wants to watch out, she'll turn him into a frog one of these days!

Only 6 sleeps left!!

The Lookout is on duty.

The guards are standing to attention.

The entertainment committee is meeting.

And the bodyguard has polished up his chainmail.





I think we are nearly ready.