turtleknits

 I do love pink!! Not all the time, but sometimes. Knitting recently through my stash for gifts. This tea cosy was a birthday gift, with a teapot for my sister. My own design, I was really pleased with it. Some stash down.  More pink yarn in stash, this time lovely Pingouin sock yarn bought a  very long time ago and these socks are really soft Again more stash yarn. Lovely colours in this sock yarn, I can't remember what yarn though, and I bought this at a knitting charity event.

While in Dublin city recently, this is what I saw down Grafton Street. Amazing? Later I was having a drink outside a pub while waiting on friends, and he passed by Walking!!!!!!!! I love walking down Grafton Street, you never know what you might see! ?

Recently took a day trip north of Dublin. A lovely sunny spring day called for a drive. Started out at Newgrange, but as some of it was closed we decided to visit at a later time. So drove around a bit and found Dowth . This comprises a mound enclosing a megalithic tomb. The view from the top is just lovely and so I just walked around and took some photos. Hope you enjoy the views.

Goodness I can't believe where the time has gone. I've not posted on this blog since July 2012. I haven't even opened the blog although I keep wanting to. Just takes discipline to sit down and write something! Well I'm still knitting away and crafting also. Really enjoy knitting and meeting fellow knitters for a chat. I've plenty of FO's which I must upload. Watch this space. Have been on a couple of holidays and have lots and lots of photos to post too.

Some of my recent knits. A little cardi for a friend. Knit in Gorgeous Bamboo yarn by Twilleys. A bit splitty to knit with but really soft result. However I needed to use 3mm needles to get decent tension. Some hats also for a friend. These I knit with some cottons from my stash. One was a Phildar cotton (blue) and the grey Joanne Sharpe. Really easy knits and very soft A little sleeveless cardi/dress for a friend's granddaughter. Again a lovely bamboo mix yarn from stash and just had to take a close-up shot of the lovely buttons with gorgeous colours. And a lovely purple cardi for a friend's baby. This is  a Drops pattern and some Drops cotton yarn. Really love how this one knit up.

Oh my Goodness! It's so long since I even looked at my own blog, when I went to post everything has changed about Blogger. It's just taken me half an hour to upload pictures. And that's another thing, I haven't even been taking any photos lately. Life has just been so busy that I haven't had time to relax and take some. Anyway this is the first step in what I hope will be a frequent return to the land of blogging. I've become so lazy at bothering to write, yet I read lots of blogs and get so much enjoyment from them. It's just so interesting. These are pictures I took at our National Botanic Gardens in Dublin back in the spring time. I really love visiting here, There's so much to see with the changing seasons. It's a lovely place to wander, or walk and when you're finished have a nice cuppa, or lunch or just a piece of yummy cake as a treat. And it's Free. So when you're in Dublin, make your way there, it's really enjoyable...

These are some of my Christmas knits from last year. There is no way I'll produce as many as these. As this is also a knitting blog I decided to update my knitting projects. I've not even started any gifts for this Christmas.

Thought I'd share some gorgeous autumn colours with you. I took an early walk this morning by the canal near where I live. It was a cold frosty morning with sun shining and it was truly beautiful. I love this weather with that lovely autumn crispness and freshness. The mist was over the water as the sun heated up and the colours here of the trees and the barge reminding me of a Constable painting. This indeed is a real likeness of the colours although it's hard to believe. Futher on the walk the colours and reflections are so different as the sun is directly shining through the trees. It would be lovely is these scenes could just stay as they are, but of course that's not possible and we would be tired of it, and wanting change. The berries on this tree are so red and they reflect really strongly in the water. And here we have a really different colourscape.This is only a 5 minute walk away from the last picture and the colours are so different.

Hello again! I'm back but with some photos this time of flowers in my garden. It's been a very stressful year up to now, and it's been difficult to find time to post on my blog. I realise that I haven't posted since January last. I've been doing lots of knitting. Some good and some not too good at all. However I hope to return to my blog, my knitting and some crafting. Recently I've been having difficulty with my camera, at least I think it's my camera, but I can't justify a new one at the moment and so I was in the garden taking a few macro shots to see if I could improve. Hope to upload some knitting project photos next and keep my blog alive.

I've just discovered a Very Large Hole in my handknitted sock and I've no yarn to darn! Oh I'm so sad and I'll have to knit myself some more. They were not on my list at the moment, but I'll have to put them there! Anyway even if I did have some yarn, I would not be able to darn a hole that size. When you've knitted yourself something it's really annoying when it wears out. You think you 'll have it forever.

This post has nothing to do with Dec or Christmas. A couple of months ago, we took a drive down Wicklow way, and when you need a cuppa, Avoca mill is a great stop off for coffee and a scone or even yummy cake. But after our sustenance, we took a side road on our way back and came upon the Avoca mines. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. Railway bridge. Remnants of the old copper mines Chimney through the trees. I would love to explore this area more and I think it's proposed to build walks etc here. It's a really beautiful area and not a place I've found before now.

Oh dear I forgot to post yesterday. To make up I'll post twice today. Hope I remember to do it later. 'Take That' appeared on our Late Late Show last evening, and they were so good. I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Robbie appeared first, then Gary and Mark followed by Jason and Howard and when they sang they got an ovation. The audience were enthralled and entertained. Such uplifting stuff for the moment.

At last the snow seems to be melting. Though really slowly and the footpaths are really slippery. DH took me for a drive today. Drove to Carlow, though the motorway had only 1 lane open each direction. However the scenery in the snow was spectacular. Enjoyed a few hours in Carlow, got another Christmas gift!! Not easy these days, being confined to home with snow. Should have photos tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi7ZEeaFDYk Video for the new single 'Future Kings' by Miracle Bell new out. These are a really great band and worth listening to or seeing live at venues around Ireland. Brighten up your day and have a listen. Other music by them also on 'You tube'. Not much in the way of knitting today. Had our Christmas meetup for Book Club followed by a lovely lunch. Very enjoyable, despite the icy paths. Our book for this month wasn't great. It was by Antonia Fraser and told of her life with Harold Pinter, in diary form. We were not impressed, indeed I did not finish it.

Could I invite you to tea??? I don't think so. This is the sight that greeted me once again. Now I know that the table looks like a Christmas cake, but it would be pretty cold for eating! And the tea would melt the look. I know the sights are very pretty, but we need a thaw soon. Need to shop, need to get out!!! I can't walk out at the moment, so hopefully if it thawed, I could at least drive somewhere near. Stir crazy ! Even knitting isn't doing it for me

Through the icicles a glimpse of trees lit by the morning sun. It's absolutely freezing. However the sun is shining and should be embraced maybe for a little while. From my front step these trees look really regal and stately, while the sun shines through the ice which Jack Frost left behind. This is the day before a very austere Budget here in Ireland, so this Monday morning I'm trying to concentrate on all things good and beautiful if possible. In the warmth of my house it's lovely to look outside. I'm having a really delicious Cappuccino which I made and it's real pleasure. No matter what this Budget my bring I'm not going to let it take away my Cappuccino. These are good times to knit and craft. I can even work through my stash without needing to spend on any more yarn. Then maybe after Christmas I could be persuaded to have a look in the yarn sales.

Almost forgot to post today.Then I'd miss out on my intention to blog each day till Christmas! Today I went to the city to try to get some Christmas shopping done. Got a couple of gifts, and so am pleased. It may be next weekend before I get out shopping again. Snow still on the ground and so I'm not willing to risk it on my own. It's really unfortunate to get this very cold spell just before Christmas, I'm sure the shops are truly losing out on business and then when the thaw arrives it'll be so busy!! On the knitting front, I've a few more FO's which I can't blog about for obvious reasons, neither have I taken photos, but will during the week. Have another project started tonight and am enjoying it, but lots of sewing up!!!

These are a few of my finished FO's. I mainly knit them in October and November last, but as they were for gifts, I could not post them here. However the recipients I think were happy. Short scarf and matching fingerless gloves for my sister. Knit in Rowan Cashsoft 4ply. Really soft and quite thick for 4ply yarn. Socks for my DH's birthday. Knit in Regia sock yarn. This really is great yarn for socks. Hard wearing and remains soft. This is Annis for myself. I love it and would love to knit another. Knitted in Manon silk. I've enough left to knit another maybe short scarf, but do you think I can find it?? It must have fallen out of my knitting bag, or rolled under a chair or couch. But I can't get down on my knees yet to really look. I'll have to ask someone to look for me!

We are still covered in snow. Really Christmassy, except that I can't get out and about to get Christmas gifts. A family party/dinner scheduled for tomorrow evening has had to be cancelled as have other Christmas events. I think perhaps there was a slight thaw today, but what with all the snow that fell here and now the freezing temperatures have set in, I think that roads and paths will still be as treacherous tomorrow. However someone here will have to get to the shops as we are quickly running out of supplies!! 12 midday outside my front door. An Astilbe forest! These are the remains of summer's Astilbes which covered in snow look really lovely peeping through the snow. We've had birds almost come in the door in the last few days, but each time I put food out it just gets covered in snow. There must be at least 12 ins of snow in the garden. Unbelievable. Off to do some knitting now.

This is my third crochet sock yarn blanket. I've been working on it for a few months, but managed to finish it last weekend. It's so cosy and I wrap it around myself on the couch these freezing days. It's really cheerful. I call it the 'icing on the cake' of snow. This is a Christmas cake snow sculpture. Amazingly it made itself as this is the result of many days' snowfall on the little garden table just outside. Underneath it are lovely little alpine plants, probably half dead by now.