I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a quick post, as I'm shattered and just heading for the bath!
I completed the great North run, in just under 3 hours, we had a few p breaks, so we probably ran for about 2:40, so I'm thrilled!!!!!!
The day has been very emotional, particularly as we crossed the start line and the red arrows flew over head:-)The first 8 miles went by quite quickly, and I thought that the whole 13 miles wasn't going to be too much trouble, but have to admit, the last few miles got harder, and the final mile seemed like the first 4 of the race! But we did it, and I feel very proud of us both!
I'll be drawing the raffle tomorrow, so will be back then with prize winners, and to let you all know how much I raised:-)

Heres to Friends!!!!

I can hardly believe that race day has come around so quickly! I'm feeling very emotional about tomorrow, both for the charity I'm running for, and also for all the support from those who have sponsored and encouraged me. I feel very privileged to have so many Friends, who I've never met in real life, but who ARE my friends in the truest sense of the word! Thankyou all!!!!!!!
I saw the BBC advert for the tv coverage of the race tomorrow, and it says "The great North Run, where 50,000 people become extraordinary", I'll let you know tomorrow if I feel it:-)

Pay it forward!

Never one to turn down a good swap, I've decided to take part in the pay it forward concept which is circulating blogland at the moment!
this is how it works!!!!

It’s the Pay It Forward Exchange. It’s based of the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on. You all know I’m already a PIF type of person. So here’s how it works. I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise! What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Fab or what!!!!!!! My gifts will PROBABLY be knitted as its what I'm best at, but you never know:-)

I made a start on the chevron scarf, and I'm loving knitting with the yarn! The pattern is really simple but I think for that reason it will take me a while to knit........ I get bored easily, so will have to keep picking it up in between other bits and pieces!

I've made good progress on the cinnabar pullover too! I have two days off, so I MAY get the sleeves done. I even have buttons picked out ready:-) The cold weather over the past few days means I really need a snuggly jumper at the moment!!!!

knitty knotty sockkies:-)

I've been working on a pair of socks for Posh yarns Helena, or yarn yard Merino! They're coming along great, nice and quick, and looking good methinks!!! I think I will try them again in a variagated yarn to see how the pattern looks with more colour???!!!! They fit me quite snuggly, which I like, but as my feet are on the small size, I think they would need extra stitches for a bigger foot.......?
I MUST learn how to use my camera! It's a lovely camera that I got for christmas, but I never seem to manage decent pictures, no idea why, unless its the resizing when I upload to blogger. I think I will try white background like Blueadt does, and see if I achieve better results!

Only two weeks till the run, I'm so nervous about it now! I went running on wednesday, and had really bad shin splints, which I've never had before:-( I've rested for two days, so will go out for a nice gentle run tomorrow, and keep my fingers crossed that my shins are behaving.....

Knitting normality.........regardless!

I'm making good progress on the cinnabar pullover. The back and front are now both done, and it hasn't taken that many knitting hours really! Its an enjoyable knit, simple, but the linen edging gives it a little bit of interest so I haven't been bored.


Close up of the linen stitch.

Its ironic how normality continues, irrespective of other things going on around you isn't it! Today was my first day back to work after my annual leave. The ward feels very sad at the moment, as one of the staff nurses, Val, who worked with us until last year, died on Friday after struggling for years with Breast cancer. The final stage of her illness was very quick, and this just wasn't the outcome anybody was expecting:-( I won't be going to the funeral which will be held on Thursday, I'll be working on the ward so that as many of the other staff as possible can go and say goodbye. I always find funerals very difficult. So I've been a little melancholy, and in a reflective mood. Since I qualified as a nurse 6 years ago, 4 nurses I have worked with have died, another two have been diagnosed with Cancer, and at present, one of my staff nurses is undergoing Chemotherapy for breast cancer:-( It certainly makes you realise that life is for living, because you never know when it will be snatched away:-(
Goodnight Val, God Bless xx

random rambling!!!!

I went to see Atonement last night, and it was one of the best films I've seen for a long time!!! I hadn't read the book, which I think made the film better for me, and I loved it! Very romantic.......needless to say I was in tears *roll*
I won't ruin it by going into the plot, but I would highly recommend the film :-)

It was nice and sunny yesterday, so I made the most of it, and sat in the garden. Its torturous when its this hot at work, so I'm hoping that the hot days of the past week cool a little by tuesday when I go back to work. Also keeping my fingers crossed that its not hot on race day at the end of the month............speaking of which, my race number and tag for race time came over the weekend, only three weeks to go!!!!
I decided I will start making small christmas gifts over the next few weeks. First up is the chevron scarf from Last minute knitted gifts. I'm going to use this

which is a gorgoeus cashmere/silk blend from skeinqueen. Its gorgoeus yarn, lovely and soft, and her customer service is excellent, my order arrived the next day:-)

I gifted the black cotton pullover to my younger sister who didn't believe me at first when I said I had made it!!! She's thrilled anyway, which I'm pleased about:-)
Had a quick visit to Borders yesterday too, and bought these

Both look really good, and there are projects in both that I will make:-)
The cinnabar sweater is coming along ok, halfway up the front, pictures when the front and Placket are done!!!!

The secret Garden!!!

Well, not so secret, but I did feel like Mary Lennox as I walked around Alnwick gardens yesterday. It was a lovely sunny day, and the last day before Keira started school, so thought we would make the most of the weather.
This is the great cascade water feature, which is the main feature in the centre of the gardens.



Water features are everywhere, and they periodically have fountain episodes, to soak the kids I think LOL!!!!




At the top of the great cascade, is a large maze type garden, which is gorgoeus! Bet you need a good few gardeners to maintain it though!


After wandering round the gardens, and a quick trip to the gift shop for a squawking bird, we went to the tree house for lunch. I forgot my camera, so my sister took pictures, but we forgot to stop and take one of the tree house before we went in. To eager for food I think:-)

And poor Keira was STARVING LOL!!!!

Lunch was gorgoeus, if a little pricey. I'd like to go back for an evening meal in the treehouse, maybe at christmas time. The inside of the restaurant smells "woody", and they have a waist height pit fire,the whole place is just very atmospheric, and I bet it looks great when theres snow on the ground:-)
Before going home, we popped to Barter books, which is a massive secondhand bookshop. If you're organised, where I wasn't, you can take in books you no longer want and they have a lok through the ones thy would like, and you get credits to spend in there. SO theoretically, you could get a load of new books, trade in your old, and not spend a penny:-) I got a reference book about the kings and Queens of England, and The man in the moss by Phil Rickman following Seahorse's reccomendation of the author. I think I'll go up on my own another day so that I have more time to browse! Half an hour flew by so quickly!

Drops 15-101

Pattern: Drops 15-101
Yarn: 1050g Muskat
Colour: Black
Needles 4mm Addi bamboo straights

I finished blocking this pullover yesterday, and although the picture isn't great, its lovely and neat, I finished it really neatly, and its just really nice!!!! However, after blocking, its too big............!!!!!! I don't know how it happened tbh, I tried it on pre blocking, and it was slightly big, but I can live with that after I washed it, its grew sooooooo much:-0( I'll have to gift it to one of my sisters I think, which is a shame. I wonder if its because I spun it in the machine?? The yarn says machine wash, and I used a low spin speed of 800 compared to my normal 1600.... I just don't know what I did wrong:-(
Nevermind, one christmas gift done I suppose *roll*

The lovely Jacquie awarded me a rockin girl blogger award, which has cheered me up no end! Thanks Jacquie:-) I'll have to think long and hard about my 5 bloggers to pass it on to becasue I think most people I know in blogland already have it.....hmmm, will have to ponder:-)

The Cinnabar pullover is coming along ok! I have just passed the armholes on the back, so I may have that piece finished today. I really really like the merino yarn I am using, and it looks lovely in the chocolate colour. I'm tempted to make the swing jacket from the front cover of the current IW next. I should get one project out of the way before I start planning the next shouldn't I LOL!!!!!!

I was supposed to be starting two university courses this month, one for mental health issues in the elderly, and the other for mentoring. I was looking forward to the first, and doing the second as a job requirement. And guess what........The mental health issues one has been cancelled:-( I had enrolled on an open university course in management, so I may still do that, but the down side is, I will have to self fund, whereas the course which now isn't running, would have been paid for by my employer. Woe is me;-) On the plus side, if I only do the one course, not as much impact on knitting time:-)

Monkey Progress, an FO, and new WIP!!!!!

I've been working on the Monkey swap socks for an hour or so an evening over the past few days, nearly down to the heel flap, and I'm LOVING this pattern!!!!!! Its the first time I've knit Monkey socks, and now I want to keep them for myself LOL!!!

I finished the drops pullover that I was working on over the weekend, and its blocking out on the decking as I type! Hopefully I'll be able to take a picture of it tomorrow. It's black though, and I always find it hard to get a decent picture which shows any detail:-(
As I finished a WIP, I thought I deserved to cast on something new!!!! SO last night, whilst watching Messiah, I cast on for the Cinnabar Pullover from the current issue of Interweave Knits. The borders are knit in a linen stitch, which I've never used before but its so effective! Almost doesn't look like a knitted fabric at all! I'm hoping this will be a relatively quick knit, as its mainly stocking stitch. I'm making it in some lovely soft merino from the new Tess Dawson range of yarns, at £2.50 a ball, you can't go wrong really, and its lovely!!!!! I'm using Chocolate brown, very autumnal, but thats my mood at the moment! I wish summer would stop messing about, and then we can move onto my favourite season:-) No pictures of the cinnabar yet, but possibly in the next couple of days!

Only one week to go and then I'm back to work:-( I haven't been as productive as I hoped either *roll*, so better make the most of the next 7 days!!!!!I went bowling on Saturday night with my sister, needless to say that I lost, in a spectacular manner!!!! So you mean you don't get points if you manage to bowl and dodge all the pins?? No?? *roll*
I'm planning on going to see Atonement at the cinema on saturday night with my sister too, and I'm really looking forward to that:-)