As ever with me, life has got in the way of blogging and actually about almost everything else!
We have had an eventful summer and I am hoping that 2014 hurries up and gets out of my life quite quickly! Trip home to the UK was good and I will show you just how good over the next couple of posts. However on the reverse side, work had not been so good, the car is causing me major issues and as ever, living in the UAE means that there are constant issues with the house and repairs etc - housing here is constructed quickly and without much thought to long term details like hot water........
However nothing of the above compares to the fact that last week I lost my Mum...........
She had been ill at various stages throughout her life but was one of the bravest and most stoical people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I hope she gave me those qualities. Of course she and I shared two of my most passionate loves, Dancing and Knitting! Naturally it was she who taught me to knit when I was 7 years old and we made clothes for my Sindy Doll. We then went on to knit copious amounts of baby clothes and could often be seen collaborating on a 'Box of Booties' for whichever expectant mother was around at the time. She was definitely an 'old school' knitter and liked nothing more than a white matinee jacket in baby quicker knit or some other hideous baby yarn!! Occasionally she branched out into pale yellow of turquoise! Another love of hers was Jean Greenhow's knitted toys and in fact she knitted so many of these that she had a whole stall full of them at the Christmas fayre in the village where my sister lives - this was the time of the first rising of Ninja Turtles and of course she made the pattern up herself and they were a huge success - she never wrote anything down which is a shame as I am sure it would have been a massive hit on Ravelry! I have a fantastic knitted Father Christmas which comes out every year - and will do for the rest of my life! Its difficult for me to write more at the moment - but as the weeks go on, maybe I will be able to share a few more of her knitting stories.
Anyway I promised a few stories from my trip home.
Firstly we went finally to see the Harry Potter Studio Tour. I had been itching to get to this and the perfect 'excuse' of taking Fred as a surprise for his 10th Birthday cropped up in my head. So our first day in the UK was sorted!
I can't begin to tell you how fantastic this Studio Tour is if you are a HP fan! All the things you know and love are there, plus an absolutely mind-blowing amount of detail and background info. Plenty of costumes and wigs - but also very happily quite a few items of knitwear! Sadly we did not see the original of the H jumper I am knitting for Flo (my goodness its a labour of love - stocking stitch hell!!). I could post lots of photos for you but thought I would just stick to the knitterly ones - If I can remember my password for Flikr I will make a set (when sites get bought up by the 'Giants' everything seems so much more difficult to get into somehow.....)
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| Jackets for Fred and George and Ginnys Cardigan at The Burrow |
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| Lovely Crochet Cardigan which I think belonged to Mrs Weasley |
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| Knitting 'Spell' Not too sure what stitch that is?? |
There was also some evidence of knitterly loveliness in the the Gryffindor Common Room - maybe the Knitting Spell also worked on Ron's blanket (or maybe it was originally Charlie's!)
Anyway - if you ever get the chance to go - sieze with both hands and a broomstick!
My next post will be all about our trip to Scotland - and the fun and games we had there!
xx
