Fibre 4 Fibres Giveaway preview 55

Hello and thanks for stopping by. Last weekend saw the total raised pass £16,000. I cannot tell you how happy this has made me. I feel so incredibly grateful that so many of you donate to my fundraising week after week. It is very generous of you and I am so thankful for your support. I'm looking forward to the Bank Holiday weekend and hope that it's going to be warm enough to sit in the garden. There is definitely still a nip in the air. I've got a gorgeous prize full of colour for you this week. I hope you like it as much as I do! 

The prize includes a deluxe set of Knit Pro Zing Interchangeable needles which has been donated by Knit Pro Eu. This set usually retails for around £40 so it's a fabulous prize! To go with this, there are five balls of Lang Mille Colori yarn and four balls of Yarn Stories 4ply merino yarn which is beautifully soft. There is also a ball of Drops Delight Big Print which has been donated by an Instagram friend Melinda. Scarlet Stitchcraft has donated a pretty stitch marker and there's a fun tote bag, sticker and postcards from Lana Bou. Thank you so much to everyone who has made a donation. 

I'm sure that you know the score by now, but I'll tell you how to enter anyway! You have a chance to win all these gorgeous prizes for a minimum donation of £2! Are you tempted to try your luck? Here's everything you need to know. This giveaway will run this coming Sunday 2nd May, closing at 23:55. To enter, go to my JustGiving page here and buy your virtual raffle tickets by donating £2 or more. £2 gets you 2 tickets, £3 gets you 3 tickets, £5 gets you 5 tickets and so on. The more you donate, the greater your chance of winning. You will need to leave your Instagram or Ravelry name, or tick the box to share your email address with me when you make your donation, so that I can contact you if you are the winner. This is really important as I have no way of knowing who you are otherwise. Each week, I still get donations where no name or email is left, so if that person's number comes up in the random number generator, I have no idea who it is! All your donations go the Myositis UK to help fund research into this incurable muscle disease, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support. Every single donation is important. Thank you and stay safe! xxx

Spring garden

It's been so nice to see the sunshine this past week. Although it's still a bit chilly in the shade, if you wrap up well (and let's face it, knitters and crocheters are The Best at that!) then it's actually very pleasant sitting in the garden, watching nature as things start to wake up. I love this tree with its glass decorations. The rainbow wishing stick was a souvenir from one of our Cornish holidays and I love to watch it as it twizzles around - it's quite mesmerising. The round blue glass was a gift from one of Mr JK's cousins in Germany. There's an orange one too, just out of shot. The glass star was made by me. I did stained glass a long time ago and enjoyed practising my glass cutting and soldering skills when I made them. There are 5 in total. Three of them are currently sat on my kitchen worktop as they need new thread to attach them to the tree. Perhaps I'll get round to it this weekend! 

This Doronicum is one of the earliest plants to start flowering each year and provides a lovely sunny glow under the tree. I think it's also known as Leopard's Bane, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

How I love bluebells! I have been counting down the days until they started to open up properly. There are a couple of bluebell woods nearby, but at the moment I'm not mobile enough to get to them. But I have my own wonderful bluebells growing so am enjoying them very much.

I'm a bit late taking photos of the blossom on my quince. It does produce quite a bit of fruit each year, but I'm not quite sure what you make with it. I've seen recipes for quince jelly. Have you ever tasted quince? What is it like?

I'm not sure what this plant is, but it's another early flowering plant. If you know, please do tell me. 

Forget me nots are another favourite. I dug up some clumps from the garden of my childhood home when we sold it, and they are everywhere now! I don't mind it at all. I'm not one for formal beds, which is probably just as well! These form a huge carpet in many beds, and I noticed that they are also spreading onto the lawn!

I love how the sun wakes the tulips up each morning. These are positively glowing in the sunshine. We bought these on one of our many trips to Amsterdam, so it's a lovely memory of happy days spent with Mr JK. Hope you've enjoyed the little trip around my garden today. Stay safe and well. xxx

 

Fibre 4 Fibres Giveaway preview 54

I cannot believe it's already Friday! I had such good intentions of writing another blog post this week as well as my Fibre 4 Fibres preview, but it hasn't happened. Clearly I need to remedy that! It's not as if my week has been super-busy either. Must try harder! Anyhow, it's a gorgeous sunny day here in Norfolk and I hope you are also seeing the sun in your corner of the world.

Yesterday was Earth Day and I think that this week's prize ties in with that quite nicely. The prize includes 12 balls - 2 each of 6 different colours - of Debbie Bliss Eco Baby 100% organic cotton yarn. You can use it to make things for a little one, but it would be equally gorgeous as a wrap, a stripy summer top or a blanket. There are also 3 balls of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino yarn - it's beautifully soft and luxurious! Virginia from Basket Basket has donated a lovely basket with a sequinned heart on it, perfect for storing essentials.  There is a sweet sheep notions case which has been donated by my friend Michele who runs the Three Bags Full shop on Etsy. Hannah Daisy Crochet has donated a yarn ball stitch marker, and to go with this, there's a Lana Bou pin badge and a blank greetings card which has been donated by Lucy Locket Land. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated a prize.

I'm sure that you know the score by now, but I'll tell you how to enter anyway! You have a chance to win all these gorgeous prizes for a minimum donation of £2! Are you tempted to try your luck? Here's everything you need to know. This giveaway will run this coming Sunday 25th April, closing at 23:55. To enter, go to my JustGiving page here and buy your virtual raffle tickets by donating £2 or more. £2 gets you 2 tickets, £3 gets you 3 tickets, £5 gets you 5 tickets and so on. The more you donate, the greater your chance of winning. You will need to leave your Instagram or Ravelry name, or tick the box to share your email address with me when you make your donation, so that I can contact you if you are the winner. This is really important as I have no way of knowing who you are otherwise. Each week, I still get donations where no name or email is left, so if that person's number comes up in the random number generator, I have no idea who it is! All your donations go the Myositis UK to help fund research into this incurable muscle disease, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support. Every single donation is important. The next milestone to pass is £16,000 and we are getting closer each week! Thank you and stay safe! xxx

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What a strange week of weather we have had here in the UK. It's felt like all the seasons with sunshine, strong winds, hail and snow all in the space of a couple of days. The sun is shining here in Norfolk today and the garden has definite spring vibes, so I thought that a spring-themed prize was in order.

The prize includes a beautiful project bag with a lamp work bead from Three Bags Full, a copy of '350 Knitting Tips, Techniques and Trade Secrets' by Betty Barnden which has been donated by Search Press and a skein of Mountain in Colors yarn which has been donated by an Instagram friend Angel Oak Creations. Mr & Mrs Rabbit Yarns have donated a 'bunch' of their roses in the form of five 20g miniskein yarn cakes, along with a lavender bag, bunny stitch marker and sachet of herbal tea. To complete the prize, there's a tube of Crafters Balm which has been donated by another Instagram friend Karen and a cute pin badge. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated a prize.

I'm sure that you know the score by now, but I'll tell you how to enter anyway! You have a chance to win all these gorgeous prizes for a minimum donation of £2! Are you tempted to try your luck? Here's everything you need to know. This giveaway will run this coming Sunday 18th April, closing at 23:55. To enter, go to my JustGiving page here and buy your virtual raffle tickets by donating £2 or more. £2 gets you 2 tickets, £3 gets you 3 tickets, £5 gets you 5 tickets and so on. The more you donate, the greater your chance of winning. You will need to leave your Instagram or Ravelry name, or tick the box to share your email address with me when you make your donation, so that I can contact you if you are the winner. This is really important as I have no way of knowing who you are otherwise. Each week, I still get donations where no name or email is left, so if that person's number comes up in the random number generator, I have no idea who it is! All your donations go the Myositis UK to help fund research into this incurable muscle disease, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support. Every single donation is important. Thank you and stay safe! xxx

Easter socks

I am so in love with my latest pair of self striping socks! The yarn is from Dragon Hill Studio, and it has been dyed to look like Cadbury's Creme Eggs. It is only dyed up once a year before Easter and I wasn't quick enough to snaffle any last year, so I made sure I was ready this year! The colourway is called 'How do you knit yours?' and it arrived in a box with added treats! The yarn is caked up in such a way that it shows off the colours beautifully. 

I quickly chose a project bag to coordinate nicely and cast on with the silver mini contrast yarn. Instead of adding an afterthought heel, I decided to do a short row heel and I think that it fits me slightly better. I also tried out a round toe instead of my usual wedge toe, just for a change. I'll see how comfortable it is once I've worn them. 

I got distracted between socks with another project, but finished the second sock earlier this week. I have enough yarn left over to make another pair too, so am very happy about that! Needless to say, the Creme Eggs are long gone! I'm sure they're not as big as they used to be, although they are a lot sweeter than I remember too! Keeping with my love of childhood sweets, I've ordered some Liquorice Allsorts yarn from Stripey Cat Yarns too! I don't think that I will ever tire of stripy socks! Stay safe and well. xxx

 

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I don't know about you, but I've really missed not being able to go to yarn festivals over the last year. The yarny community have done a sterling job in organising online events, but there's nothing quite like seeing the yarn, squishing it and putting several skeins side by side to see how well they go together is there? Yarndale is one fibre festival that I'm never managed to visit, but it's on my list of 'must do's'. This week's Fibre4Fibre raffle prize will let you imagine that you've been to Yarndale yourself! Intrigued? Then read on.

This week's prize is like a yarn festival goodie bag! The prize includes a Yarndale tote bag, resuable bamboo Yarndale coffee (or tea) cup, Yarndale stitchmarkers and a Yarndale pin badge. The Yarndale team have also donated two balls of West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 ply yarn, one in the exclusive Yarndale 'Hope' colourway and the other in Butterscotch. To go with all these treats, there is a skein of baby alpaca yarn which has been donated by Tribe Yarns, two 50g skeins of a superwash merino yarn in a glorious mix of rich colours, a blank greetings card which has been donated by Lucy Locket Land and a pair of Hiya Hiya circular knitting needles which have been donated by Craft House Magic. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated a prize. What a wonderful festival haul!

I'm sure that you know the score by now, but I'll tell you how to enter anyway! You have a chance to win all these gorgeous prizes for a minimum donation of £2! Are you tempted to try your luck? Here's everything you need to know. This giveaway will run this coming Sunday 11th April, closing at 23:55. To enter, go to my JustGiving page here and buy your virtual raffle tickets by donating £2 or more. £2 gets you 2 tickets, £3 gets you 3 tickets, £5 gets you 5 tickets and so on. The more you donate, the greater your chance of winning. You will need to leave your Instagram or Ravelry name, or tick the box to share your email address with me when you make your donation, so that I can contact you if you are the winner. This is really important as I have no way of knowing who you are otherwise. Each week, I still get donations where no name or email is left, so if that person's number comes up in the random number generator, I have no idea who it is! All your donations go the Myositis UK to help fund research into this incurable muscle disease, so thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support. Every single donation is important. Thank you and stay safe! xxx

A Year of Shielding

It's hard to believe that I have been shielding for more than a year now. Although the official government advice to shield has been paused again, I am not planning to socialise until later in the year when all adults have been vaccinated. When shielding was paused last summer, I did see friends for a socially distanced cuppa in the garden, but that has been it. Apart from going to medical appointments (and to the mobile post office van to post the Fibre4Fibres prizes), I haven't left home. Tomorrow I will get my second dose of the Covid vaccine, so that's another step towards a more normal existence. I'm in the CEV group (Clinically Extremely Vulnerable) and the vaccines weren't tested on people with suppressed immune systems, so it's a bit of an unknown as to whether or not they develop antibodies. I'm hoping that I might be able to get an antibody blood test in due course as that would hopefully provide reassurance that it's safe for me to go out into the big wide world again.

I've learnt a lot about myself over the past 12 months. I'm more resilient than I thought and despite the isolation, I've kept myself pretty upbeat. Having the Fibre4Fibres fundraising to organise has been really helpful, as it's become a part of my weekly routine and has given me something positive to focus on. As a former teacher, I had to follow a timetable, and I've found it quite helpful to plan my days. Obviously it's not set in stone and plans can change, but I think that routine is important, especially when you're on your own. When you give some structure to the day, it keeps you occupied; even if it's an afternoon of reading! I have read a lot more during lockdown and also listened to audiobooks. I am not a huge TV watcher, and really didn't want to get into the habit of having the television on as background noise. I'm very thankful that I've had Flo to keep me company. She listens to my chatting and can generally be relied upon to meow at the appropriate moments!  I've also kept busy with my designing and have published several sock patterns. (Please be aware that these are all Ravelry links.)

*** Rainbow Ripples Trainer socks ***

*** Mermaids' Playtime socks ***

*** Give and Take socks ***

*** It's Seagull o'clock socks ***

*** Alder socks ***

I've also been working on a jumper design that you may well be seeing some more of later in the year! 

This jumper uses my Good Striations pattern around the yoke. I don't think it will become a published pattern, but never say never! 

Health-wise, it's been a roller coaster of a year. Almost all of  my hospital appointments have been by telephone. That's difficult when you're needing physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. I had a 12 week cycle of chemotherapy last summer to try to get my myositis under control. That didn't make any significant difference, so I am on a different immunosuppressant now which is usually given to patients following an organ transplant, so it's pretty heavy duty. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know about my cancer diagnosis and surgery earlier this year. People with myositis are more susceptible to cancer in the first few years following diagnosis. Conversely, myositis can also be cancer-driven - it's called a paraneoplastic syndrome - so there is a very small chance that things might begin to improve for me. I'm holding onto that little glimmer of hope and thinking positively. 

I’m looking forward to having the choice to do things that I previously took for granted. The shielding was only ever advice from the government, but both my consultants told me that I was at very high risk of developing complications if I caught Covid, so it would have been foolish to ignore the experts. When it feels safe, I’ll be heading to the coast and that will definitely involve eating chips! Seeing friends, going out for meals, going to the theatre - all things that I’ve missed. I’d like to go back to Kos again too when I’m well enough. Even a trip to the supermarket will have me giddy with excitement! What have you missed during lockdown?  Stay safe and well. xxx