My Visual DNA!

Found this whilst looking at Purlpowers blog, and you know me I just had to do it!

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Pretty accurate in most places!

"Sock exchange sox" and Yarn P0rn

I don't usually do a blog entry for Yarn P0rn Friday, but this week I actually have some yarn p0rn to blog about and it just so happens that it is still Friday!

Recently I fell in love with some sock yarn I saw on ebay, so couldn't resit buying it. It arrived the other day from Yarnwise. I bought 3 x 100g skeins of 75% wool and 25% polymide sock yarn. There is approx 400 metres to each skein, so more than enough for a pair of sox.



This one is called "Fresh mint" and is a mix of deep and pale sea-green with a hint of aqua.





This one is "Lagoon" and is a mixture of deep and pale turquoise with also a hint of aqua.




The Fresh mint and lagoon look similar in these pictures but actually there is a suttle difference!



The third skein is called "amazing amethyst" and is a mix of deep and pale purples and pinks with a hint of blue through it.



I recently took part in a sock exchange on knitty, and knitted a pair fo sox for Kimberly. I can now post the pix since she has recieved them. We both agreed to keep them secret as we love surprises. I wanted to use a British yarn, so I searched around till I found one which "spoke" to me!!!!

I decided to use Colinette Jitterbug, which I had never used before. Kimberly said she like jewel tones so it was Jitterbug jewel that I used. Jitterbug is 100% Merino easy care wool and comes in 100g hanks of approx 267m. JUST enough to knit a pair of sox!!!!!I bought 2 hanks, so I have one left to knit a pair of sox for me too!



The jitterbug tends to "pool" its colours but I think it just adds to the uniqueness of the sock. I designed my own pattern, combining small cables and a lace stitch. I'll have to post it later as I can't find my notes for it at the moment!





I have a couple of other pairs of sox on pins at the moment, a 2x2 rib in lovat green and a bright yellow stripe pair in monkey from knitty. I have also been asked to knit a pair of walking sox for a guy at work......He has size 11 feet!!!!

What's on your fridge?

I was looking at my fridge the other day and wondered what other people have on theirs?



As you can see, in amongst all the finger prints, there are several pictures of the kids, numerous magnets, postcard from Stonehaven and a Mothers day award that I got from Robert last year.






On the freezer at the bottom, there is magnetic dominoes, letters and numbers that the kids love to play with and occasionally leave me messages!

Bugs, please go away!

I'm fed up of being ill!

Having spent the past two weeks fighting some horrible viral thing, I really thought I was getting better. Yes, I still had a bit of a sore throat and a cough, but it wasn't as bad as it had been.

Then I'm thrown a curve ball in the shape of a UTI! Life sucks............... Now I feel I need to micturate every 2 mins and when I do its hardly worth the effort....You get the picture? On top of that its the weekend and no Dr available and when I called NHS 24 I was told to drink plenty of fluids and see my Dr on Monday! DUH! Already doing all that, now I feel as if I've swallowed a beach ball I have so much water in my stomach!

Upside of sitting in the loo for ages (if there is one)is that I can still knit!

Downside was I wouldn't be able to go to the rugby, no way would I be able to stand pitch side for a couple of hours without going to the toilet. So I arranged for the rugby balls and kit to be collected from the club and a lift for David and the kids (it was an away training game) only to find out that the game was cancelled due to a frozen pitch.....There is a god after all! Yipeeeeeeeeeee No muddy rugby kit this week! But no peace and quiet either!!!!!!

Edited 190206. Saw the Dr this morning and got some antibiotics for a rip roaring UTI. No chest infection, so at least that's ok. Now where is that cranberry juice!

Happy Roneyday!

Today my "big boy" turns 11 years old. It hardly seems anytime at all since I was holding a very small 3lb 11oz mite in my arms! To look at Ronan now you wouldn't know that he had been such a tiny baby!!!!!!



He is so full of life, love, mischief, fun and HORMONES! Yes hormones, OMG he can be so moody at times, but this is usually due to him being frustrated by a situation or annoyed by Robert. (Usually the latter, I hasten to add!). He loves to give hugs, but don't let any of his friends know that or his "street cred" will go right out the window!!!!




Ronan is a VERY sociable child, this can be seen by the large group of friends he has. However there seems to be a few who have been constant since starting school, Duncan (Spinningfishwife's son), Lewis, John, Andrew and Michael, to name a few.

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you will know Ronan is very sporty and active, basketball, rugby and swimming being his main sports. Up till last summer he also did judo, but gave this up to do tennis over the summer months. He might have gone back to it over the winter but the day was changed, which meant it was no longer convenient.





Here he is with the "Player of the Day" trophy he won last Sunday in the rugby game against Pontypridd. He is also holding the medal that all the players were given by the touring team.




He also loves to spend time playing games on the PS2 or the computer. I don't really mind him doing this as he is so active in other aspects of his life! Don't really want him to be a "couch potato"!!!! Don't think there is much chance of that....Do you?





He also loves to go and watch rugby at Murrayfield or if the Musselburgh 1st XV have a home game on a Saturday, he can be found along at the club supporting them, or on the odd occasion he has been asked to be ball boy for the team. As part of his and Robert's birthday we are taking them to Murrayfield on Saturday 24th February to see Scotland play Italy in the 6 Nations Championship. We are all looking forward to that and hope it will be a nice day weather wise with plenty of great rugby!!!!

BTW, just in case you wonder why this post is called "Happy Roneyday", well Ronan sometimes gets called Roney from his friends!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RONAN, Love Mum, Dad and Bob xxx

Dancing kites

I have just found this really amazing video clip of kites dancing on Marianne from Tulsa Oklahoma's blog.

Watch right to the end......I found it breath taking.

Constant companions and "soul" food!

As many of you know gourdongirl has not been feeling 100% over the last 10 days or so. Suffice to say I think we are now getting to grips with whatever virus/bug invaded my body and are now on the mend.....Well at least I hope I am! I still feel as if I have razor blades in my throat and have a nasty hacking cough, but the snotty nose, constant headache and fever appear to have nearly gone. However I have had several constant companions over the last few days and I'd like them to take a bow!


Please put your hands together for......... Cavonia(cough bottle), Sudafed (decongestant), Vit C, Strepsils(throat soothers), Lemsip Max cold and flu(paracetamol and hot lemon drink), E45 lip balm, Olbas oil (for steaming), Olbas inhaler and last but not least tissues by the box load!


This is basically what I have lived on over the past week or so, my "soul" food and staple standby when I'm ill........I give you Heinz tomato soup!!!!!!



Having said all that the biggest THANK YOU has to go to my DH, coz without him I don't know how I would have coped. He has administered to my every need,from reminding me every 4 - 6 hours to take my various pills and potions, made me several hundred hot drinks, ensured I had a hot water bottle and enough blankets to keep me warm and toasty, went to the pharmacy to get new supplies of the various pills and potions, ensured I had enough soup to keep me going, listened to me sneezing, coughing, spluttering and moaning for 24/7. All this with very little complaint from him. He cooked and saw to the kids, making sure they got to the various after school things they needed to be at etc.

So a BIG thanks needs to go to him, and the kids, who actually remained quiet during the worst of this dreaded lurgy!

Awsome SP package arrives

Yesterday I was still feeling a bit yeuch, but my day brightened up somewhat when the post arrived, coz in it was a package for me from my Knitty Secret Pal.


I'm not sure if I know who its from or not. I know she comes from the Southampton area, or at least I think she does, but then again she may have actually got someone else to post it!!!!!!!! I have a few suspicions, but I'm not a 100% sure YET! Having said that I'm not really trying to discover her identity, as I love surprises.




When I opened it, there were several small tissue wrapped packages, and 2 were for the boys. They also love getting surprises!





Ronan (on the left) got Sunflower seeds and Robert got cress seeds, they both also got stickers to put on their school work books.




OK I've kept you in suspense for long enough! Here is what my wonderful SP sent me.

100g ball of black/grey sock yarn.

2 balls Debbie Bliss cotton angora in a light minty green colour.

Pink heart shaped hand warmer.

Mickey mouse note pad.

Pink bejeweled trinket box and pen.

Set of black and peach stitch markers and a lovely Mable Lucie Atwell card.

Ain't I a lucky girl then? Thank you SP, who ever you are, you are awesome.

What should I do with Bob?

Yesterday was my first outing all week and since it was a Sunday I was at a rugby game and surprise, surprise, we were playing rugby in a muddy field! But it was our own "home" muddy field!

We had a visiting junior and mini section all the way from Pontypridd Rugby Club in South Wales. They were actually up to watch the Scotland v Wales rugby game at Murrayfield on Saturday. (Which Scotland won BTW!)and had arranged to play games against the Under 12's to under 8's on the Sunday, before heading south today. Hospitality was flowing and many new friends were made. A great day was had by all. I'm sure there are many around today with sore heads......Not me though, I have a sore throat, due to having the cold, but possibly also due to all the shouting on the touchline and singing in the club after the game. Thankfully the rain stayed off and it was actually quite mild for the time of year.

But I have a question to ask you all......What should I do with Bob?



Once again Robert did the team (and me) proud, by putting in an excellent performance on the field, but once again the "field" came home with him! At least this week you knew what side he was on, coz you can see some of his top. Here he is sporting the medal that the Pontypridd team presented to all of the Musselburgh teams.




Ronan was just as bad, but I don't have a pic of him as I was busy attending to an injured player when he came of the field and was all changed and clean by the time I caught up with him! However Ronan won the "Man of the Match" for a gutsy performance in continually making ground for the team. (Pic to follow)

What a difference a day makes.......

The snow arrived in my part of East Lothian on Wednesday night. We don't usually get much snow as we are so close to the sea. (I really must take a pic from my kitchen window one day and show you just how close to the sea I am!)



This was taken from my bedroom window at approx 1am on Thursday morning........




.....and this one was taken from the same window at approx 1am on Friday morning! As I said we don't get much snow here and what little we get doesn't hang around for long...Thank goodness, as I don't like snow much, especially if I have to go out in it!

OK what has been happening this week in the gourdongirl household. Not much, thankfully coz I have been a tad under the weather this week. So much so I have not been at work, not been near the computer and not doing much knitting.....So yes I must have been ill! I have had a head cold, but boy has it floored me. I haven't been out of the house since Sunday, in fact I haven't been out of PJ's all week I have felt so bad. I just don't seem to be able to shift it, I have tried and am currently trying all sorts of "over the counter" cold and flu remedies. I'm sure if you shook me I'd rattle, I've taken so much (but within the limits), however I think my head would explode if you shook me!!!! DH has been very attentive, keeping me well stocked with hot drinks, tissues etc. The kids are even managing to keep the noise levels down and giving me plenty of cuddles, especially Robert, Ronan is "getting too big" he says, but still sneaks one in occasionally, when no one is around to see!!!!

This is the only thing I have managed to produce this week, and I did them last night. Yesterday was the first day that a) My hands didn't hurt and b) I actually could be bothered to do anything and c) It was the first time I had been able to concentrate on this oh so easy pattern!



Boring bit coming up! They are knitted from 1 x 50g ball of Regia Ringels, 75% wool, 25% polyamide, 30sts x 42 rows and 210m/230yards per 50g ball.

I think I will start an other pair of sox today, so need to go "shopping" in the stash for some yarn...................................................

Frantic Friday!

Oh boy WHAT a day! Its been pretty frantic.

Got home at 08.20 after a 12 hour night shift, ate a slice of toast, lay on my bed for an hour, then got up to go watch Ronan and the rest of the Campie Swimming team perform in the East Lothian Schools Swimming Finals. They managed to get several firsts. The Primary 7 (under 12's) boys relay team won their race and managed to break the record in doing so. Ronan swam the third leg of the Primary 6 (under 11's) boys relay, which saw them narrowly beaten into second place. Over all Campie Primary School came second in the East Lothian Schools Swimming Championship. Well done to them.

I got home at just after mid-day, went to bed and managed an other couple of hours, before getting up, grabbing some soup and heading off to the sports centre to watch Ronan and Robert in a basketball game! Unfortunately they lost their game, but they played better than I have seen them play. They actually managed to field a team and have reserves, mainly due to some new blood that has joined over the past few weeks. The game was getting exciting and I just HAD to watch till they end, leaving timings tight for getting to work! I got to work on time, but only just!!!! It was worth it though!

Unfortunately there are no pix of either event due to the East Lothian Councils regulations about taking pix of children.