Goodies!

Hello! I hope you are all well and had a fantastic Christmas and New Year. Everything was rather scrummy over here, family, friends and food - all of my favourite things! I would like to say things have all slipped back to normal now but I have a deadline which I kind of overlooked (oops!) and so am still working my little tooshie off. I just had to blog though because I really want to share a few things I received in the post a couple of days ago.

I frequent Ungardened Moments quite a lot, the lovely Anne over there is always full of crafty goodness - from crochet to painting -  I am always inspired by her. Recently she had a giveaway and I admired this pin in my comment. I didn't win the giveaway but awesome Anne sent me one anyway! How lovely is that! The kindness of others never ceases to amaze me. Thank you Anne =]

So let me show you my goodies! First we have a pin, which I absolutely adore.....

Isn't is just cute?! I plan on knitting a cowl when I get the time and using it as a pin on there - I will post piccies when I do!

Next we have a calender with the most amazing photo's of Australia...

I could just climb into the photo's in this calender. They make me feel warm just looking at them. I love the UK and think we have many beautiful parts of the country but this is a different kind of beautiful...a bigger kind of beautiful! Australia is somewhere I have always wanted to visit but since it would take me a looooooong time to save enough money to take me and my family this calender will be used as motivation.....finish uni, get a full time job, work hard and one day we will get there.

Finally, I just have to show you this card. Anne drew it herself and I just love it. Those little owls are soooo cute! I have received a few handmade cards over the years and I always keep them and this is no exception!

Gorgeous!

Okay so I will stop gushing over my pressies and resist the urge to say thank you to Anne for the umpteenth time (Thankyou!) and show you some knitting! Yes, knitting! Inspired by Ravelry and  Alice from Crochet with Raymond, I begged my mum for some knitting needles for Christmas and she delivered - not only did I get a whole set of knitting needles instead of just one pair (which is what I actually meant when I asked!) she also bought me two knitting books full of tips and patterns. Yay!

Now although my Gran tried to teach me knitting when I was a wee girl and no one has ever tried to teach me crochet - I actually found the crochet much easier to get into the swing of. Knitting felt awkward to begin with and I sat there for many hours, frowning, all fingers and thumbs. My first attempt at a pattern had a fair isle heart in the middle - fairly simple pattern - but in hindsight I think I might have jumped in at the deep end. I had puckering. I had tangles. I chucked it all back in the bag in a huff. So going back to square one I thought I would try and make a pair of mittens for my daughter and this is the outcome....

Not perfect, but not bad for my first proper knitting project me thinks! After getting my groove on with these I am actually enjoying knitting. It's much quicker (when you stick with patterns that suit your ability!), it's soothing and I love the clack clacking of the needles! I also love the 'flatness' of stocking stitch, it's so neat. I think I have found another hobby to fill my not.so.free time. Now I just have to resist starting loads of knitting projects instead of finishing my many crochet projects!

Right back to tackling the work for this deadline that is looming.

Have fabulous Sunday!