Stitch n Bitch

I'm off to the Stitch n Bitch at Iknit tomorrow. I'm very excited!

To remember the past and the present....

ITS CHRISTMAS DAY ALL IS SECURE
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
HE LIVED ALL ALONE
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE
AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE
NO TINSEL NO PRESENTS NOT EVEN A TREE
NO STOCKING BY THE MANTLE JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES AWARDS OF ALL KINDS
A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT IT WAS DARK AND DREARY
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING SILENT ALONE CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER
NOT HOW I PICTURED A LONE BRITISH SOLDIER
WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO THE FLOOR FOR A BED
I REALISED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT
SOON ROUND THE WORLD THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY
THEY ALL ENJOY FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY ALONE
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME
THE VERY THOUGH BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE'
SANTA DON'T CRY THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM I DON'T ASK FOR MORE
MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY. MY CORPS'
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT I CONTINUED TO WEEP
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SAT AND SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHTS CHILL
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD DARK NIGHT
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOUR SO WILLING TO FIGHT
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE
WHISPERED 'CARRY ON SANTA ITS CHRISTMAS DAY ALL IS SECURE'
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT'

THIS POEM WAS WRITTEN BY A PEACE KEEPING SOLDIER STATIONED OVERSEAS
THE FOLLOWING IS HIS REQUEST I THINK IT IS REASONABLE.
PLEASE WOULD YOU DO ME THE KIND FAVOUR OF SENDING THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN CHRISTMAS WILL BE COMING SOON AND SOME CREDIT IS DUE TO OUR BRITISH SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN FOR OUR BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE THESE FESTIVITIES.
LETS TRY IN THIS SMALL WAY TO PAY A TINY BIT BACK OF WHAT WE OWE!

And for me....please visit http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Where to start??

Well it's been a while my friends - I do hope you'll forgive me. I have so much to tell you so you'd better grab a cup of tea!!!

I'm going to start with last night's dinner! (I seem a little food obsessed lately, but this happens to me in the autumn as I love re-kindling my passion for cold weather comfort food) I had some puff pastry left in the freezer from last weeks game pie, which has been calling out to me ever since I put it in there! - So last night I found this recipe for Chicken & leek pie. It used up the last of my farmers market cider and some leeks I had in the fridge, so was a perfect recipe. It was absolutely delicious and I'd recommend it to anyone!

Still vaguely on the food theme. The 2 newest girls are laying well. However they are turning into proper bullies and one of them is feather-pecking the others. I have tried making their run more interesting, but she just seems to have a bee in her bonnet. I'll leave it for a while and see if they settle..... I'd hate to lose her as she's a fabulous layer, and is a very friendly little thing to me! - I think she just hopes that everything in her path is food and pecks it accordingly! I've let them out in the garden this afternoon and that definitely placates them! So much to do and so little time!!!

On to knitting now!

I steeked the cardigan - and I "think" it worked OK! I've knitted up the button bands and it all still seems to be in one piece which is a promising sign! - I haven't done the sleeves yet, so I must get a wriggle on with them!

I am also knitting an Irish Hiking Scarf for a lovely friend of ours. It's done in Garnstudio Karisma Superwash on 4mm needles, and because it's a bit thinner than the original yarn used I added a pattern repeat on to the width, otherwise it was in danger of becoming a cravat!! The colour is much deeper than it looks (why do digital cameras never photograph a true red?)

The sock yarn blanket is also coming along ... although still a way to go! (excuse the dog biscuits and general mess please!) I think I might edge the bottom of it, and then give it to my sister to use for the time being, then have it back next summer for elongating! Otherwise she will miss having it for the winter, which would be a shame.

I also have had the absolute pleasure to receive a swap from (I think the blogless) craftylady on the forum. I was so lucky and felt very spoilt indeed. 2 balls of opal rainforest (in snake!) some wonderful mint cream chocolates, and a selection of glove and scarf patterns for the yarn. The sock yarn has already found it's way into a couple of squares of the blanket, so the gift will be shared family wide!!

Also I won a competition on the forum! - This one was frankly hysterical. It was to guess how many WIP's the delightful (also blogless, but then she hasn't time for a blog) Pictish has on the needles at the moment. - I guessed a raucous 76..... and won by being the closest to the answer of 68! I won this.....

Yarn yard sock yarn in pink for October which I believe (although am happy to be corrected) n dyed last year to raise money for breast cancer awareness.

I also sent my copy of yarnforward magazine to another forum pal, as there was nothing in there that inspired me this quarter...... and looky what came rattling back through my letterbox: Fyberspates in colourway "Heather" - it's gorgeous and was totally unexpected and very naughty of her. I will find something beautiful to knit with it to put it to good use.

I also received a raffle prize from Terri, who had run a raffle to raise funds for her Great North Run. Unfortunately I can't find the photo I took of the whole prize which was a felted bag book, and 7 balls of Jamiesons shetland yarn, but here is the yarn!

Embarrassed by my recent good fortunes I ran another competition on the forum. The question was - with all my recent acquisitions, how many balls/skeins of yarn do I have in my stash! - I was surprised to find that the answer was 59 (I didn't think it was quite that many!) so will not be entering any competitions for a while!!!!! (I did buy some of them - honest!)

So moving swiftly along!

I also received through my letterbox this week, a copy of a CD by a great friend of mine - Gentleman Jim McIntosh, which he sent me because he said I would be honest about it - good or bad !!! (Is this a good thing to be recognized for?? - I supposed it is?!)Gentleman Jim McIntosh and the Jazzaholics "Drying Out" was recorded live at Moreton-in-Marsh Jazz club on 27 July 2007.

Well there was no need for him to worry about my honesty! - The CD is fabulous. It is everything that a good jazz CD should be - toe tapping, uplifting, raucous. The musicianship is incredible, and the whole CD just puts one of those silly "Big Fat Grins" on your face from the minute it starts to the minute it ends. The pace is good, with plenty of scope for a bit of aerobic exercise should you wish, but also a couple of slower tracks to get your breath back. Also a couple of tracks that you should just listen to intently to appreciate the incredible talent of the band. If you've never jived I guarantee you'll want to by the time the CD is half way through! The sleeve notes say that there was a 30 minute encore - I can't say I'm surprised, you wouldn't have wanted the evening to end. Gentleman Jim plays the banjo, ukulele and harmonica on the CD (the harmonica being one of the tiniest little things you have ever seen in your life - I doubt it's longer than an inch - how he's never choked on it I'll never know, especially when you know he is prone to the giggles!) He is joined by Richard Bennett, Mike Pointon, James Evans, Annie Hawkins and Baby Jools, if you are a regular on the jazz ciruit you'll know that's a pretty impressive lineup. The CD is a mix of traditional jazz & gospel, and there is also a track written by the Jazzaholics dedicated to the memory of Railway George, who I was lucky enough to meet at the 100 club a couple of times. As yet Gentleman Jim doesn't have a website, but if you want to get hold of a copy of the CD, let me know. I'll also see if I can get his permission to put a couple of excerpts on here.

(A lot of people seem to end up on this post after googling good ol' Jim Mcintosh and his Jazzaholics - He still doesn't have a website, but he is on facebook - if that helps at all)

Well I think I'd better leave it there - the chickens need to be put back in their run now and given their evening tea! Spot is curled up in her bed with her nost under her tail (she looks sooooo cute) so it must be time I tapped the heating on for an hour or two.... and had a cup of tea!