Latest Knitting

Yes the knitting is coming along as well as the reading. My first knit is called "Blossom" and it is a shawl scarf knit with Manos De Urugay Silk Blend which I bought off The Constant Knitter. Love the yarn, love the pattern and love the finished product. My second knit is a hat called "Slouchy Lace Hat" knit with the same yarn for Blossom the Silk Blend and also some Noro which I have left over from a previous project. I think I will have to felt this a little as it is a bit big.

Both of these patterns are Free and can be found on Ravelry.

Latest Reads

The first one on my list was by Alice Taylor, "A Country Miscellany". This was a compilation of some of her short stories to do with rural Ireland. I read this in a morning. There are some lovely nature photographs throughout the book also. I would give this 2 out of 5 in terms of content. I am not really a lover or short stories hence the low marking.

The second book I read was by Sheila O'Flanagan "Someone Special" and this I loved. I love all Sheila's books and this did not disappoint. A real holiday read. I will give this one 4 out of five as I could not put it down and anything that keeps me riveted gets a high score.

Thirdly I read the "Book Thief" by Marcus Zusak. This was an extraordinary book, cleverly written but simple in its style. It is narrated by "Death" and tells the story of a girl growing up in Germany during war times. This book is brilliant and deserves 5 out of 5. Well worth a read.

Another book I read recently was by Jeannie Brewer called "A Crack in Forever" and this was also a very good read. Two people become involved in a very powerful relationship, not knowing what was ahead of them after a very foolish mistake. This is a sad book but really very good. I would give it 4 out of 5.

The last book I read was called "Shades of Scaldwood" and was written by the Dublin 15 Writer's Group. It is a compilation of short stories and poetry. Scaldwood I learned used to be the name for the district of Blanchardstown. This is a nice read. I cannot really mark this one as it is something you just pick up and read one story or piece of poetry a night.

Yes, it has been snowing and I have been stuck in the house, reading, knitting etc so have got through quite a good few books in the last couple of weeks.

Winter Hat

This is a really comfortable Slouchy Hat which I knit with Regia double knitting sock yarn. It took approximately 1.25 skeins and is great for this cold weather. The colourway is fab. The pattern is free on Ravelry and is called Slouchy Lace Hat. You can access it from my Ravelry Page under Projects. I knit it on 3.75 mm round needles so no sewing at all except for the top. I did an extra row of decreases on the top also which was not included in the pattern. You could knit this with just about any yarn.

New Year Snow

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS DURING THE YEAR. I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO READ MY BLOG IN 2010.


Woke up this morning to the garden covered in snow. As you can see Daisy is having a good sniff around as this is all very strange to her.

She turns a reddy colour when she is next to the snow which is really strange.

It is a pretty scene for this time of the year and everything looks lovely and crisp and white.

This is my bird house.

Daisy Doo

Well I haven't posted anything about Daisy Doo in a long time. She is now two years old, quietened down - just a little. She has been sick with infections for a while but all clear at the moment. Looking forward to spending time with her over the Christmas. We were invited for a sleep over in a friend's a couple of weeks back and she was in her element. Her mate Fred though, as you can see from the photographs is tired out from all her antics. I think it took him about 3 days to recover from her visit.

Latest Paintings

I have been a bit slow at painting lately but have managed to finish 2 paintings which I am very proud of. I have used a new technique for the pretty flowers and gave it a dreamy background with the clever use of a cloth week on week. When the background was finished, yes I had to get my pallete knife out to make the flowers stand out from the background. I love the effect. Not sure what to call this one, maybe "Dreams"

The second painting is just of a doorway with a hen sitting on top. I have had a fascination with hens lately to paint and I thought this one was a good way to start. This is just a small painting but I am pleased with the result.

Currently working on a bigger painting of yes, wait for it, more flowers. Whenever I am feeling down and paintings are not working out for me, I just return to painting flowers and everything is alright again. My goal this year is to paint a portrait, I will have to study techniques etc but I can do it.

Latest Knits

Yes, I have been busy knitting and finishing. I made a promise a few months ago to only have one thing on the needles and to finish it to completion before starting anything else. This has worked somewhat and here are the fruits of my recent labour.

1. Pink Cardigan. This is based on the Drops Pattern used before with the green Mirasol Yarn but I changed the bottom to a rib effect. This is knit with Mirasol Cotanani in pink which I had bought in a sale at This is Knit in Dublin. I had bought 10 balls hoping that this would be enough but unfortunately I needed some more so found a good website called http://www.blacksheepwools.co.uk/ I was able to buy 3 more skeins in the same dyelot for a bargain. In total I used 13 skeins of this yarn. Wore this already and is really warm and cosy. The yardage in this yarn is not very long but I have got a really nice cosy cardigan for the winter. Hopefully it will wear well. The beauty of this pattern is that is knit in one piece with just minimal finishing under the armholes and the sewing on of two buttons. I just love my buttons and bought them in the sale in Avoca last year.

2. Little Daisy Cardigan. This is knit in Tivoli Cruise cotton yarn. Really like this cardigan and was so easy to knit.

3. Lace Ribbon Scarf. I bought this kit at the RDS from the This is Knit stall. It is one skein of Kid Silk Haze and one skein of Noro Blossom. This is a real easy knit, but would not recommend using the Knit Picks wooden needles for this one as the yarn kept getting stuck at the joinings. I have worn this scarf and goes well with my new pink cardigan. I thought the Mohair would be scratchy and itchy but not at all. Lovely and warm and cosy.

Latest Knits

I have knit the following recently.

Bamboo Green Cardigan from "Beautiful Baby Knits" in "Knitting Issue 53". This was a quick knit and took approximately 1.25 skeins of Tivoli Cruise DK.

This is a blanket I knit for my sister's birthday. It is made with two skeins of yarn from Avoca Handweavers and is just a garter stitch border and then stocking stitch. Not sure of the yarn. It is yellow with gold flecks and was like chenile and then the other skein I mixed with it was pure alpaca in cream. A really nice warm blanket for cuddling up in these winter months.

Wedding Bliss

My good friend D got married 2 weeks ago and I had an absolutely great time at her wedding. It was what every wedding should be about. She was absolutely radiant on the day and I would like to thank her and her new husband D for a great day out. I was lucky to have been part of her wedding from day one from the picking out of the dress, the highs of lows of invitations, giving my advice on bits and pieces to having also having my very talented, arty, niece Gill taking her wedding photographs on the day. The day went without a hitch and we danced until early morning. The wedding took place at the Station House Hotel, Kilmessan, Co Meath and the staff could not have been friendlier. The food was excellent, as was the company, and the music brilliant. I even won the bet as to how long the speeches would take give or take 30 seconds. Needless to say I had inside information and it all rested on the Priest and how long he would take. All in all a great day out. They are happily enjoying their honeymoon now and can't wait to see them when they get back.

Books that get the Thumbs Down

Here are some books that I have read recently, just because I had them in my library at home. I would give these all 3 out of 10 which is really poor.
"The Gift" by Cecelia Ahern, "The Flowers of Ballygrace" by Geraldine O'Neill and "Thanks for the Memories" by Cecelia Ahern. Of the three "The Flowers of Ballygrace" was the best and I would possibly give that 4. I think Ceceila's books are more for the teenage audience and that is probably why I don't relate to them. I think Ceceila has great ideas for stories but not credible when I read them. I think they need to develop more. I have to give 10 out of 10 for Ceceila's ideas and I think she is really creative. This is the second book I have read by Geraldine O'Neill and whilst she is a good writer I think I am just looking for something more to get my teeth into. This is not to say that a good majority of readers out there love her work.

Mary O'Sullivan - Inside Out

I was delighted to see another book by Mary O'Sullivan on the shelves "Inside Out" and was not disappointed when I read this. I love her style of writing and there were so many elements and twists and turns to this book it was great up until the end. I would give this book 8 out of ten, which is very high on my scoring. Well done Mary, keep up the good work. This is a nice thick book but such a page turner. Mary combines chick lit with thriller, drama, passion and. Meg is the central character to this book and is just about to turn 40. She has two children, one in America and one just starting college and a husband who is going through somewhat of a mid-life crisis or maybe not. She also has a close friend Lynn who is also a key character in everyone's lives. I won't give the plot away, but needless to say, somthing is going on in everyone of these characters lives which will keep you turning the pages.

Latest Reads

As you will be well aware by now, I love dogs and I received this book "A Dog's Life" by Martin Clunes as a pressie from my sister. The book is really easy to read and is a biography of Martin and his dogs and how they came into his life. He also embarks on a journey worldwide to get closer to animals and to see how dogs have evolved. Martin had not got an easy time with his dogs, especially Mary. I think he did not quite understand how the pack leader concept worked and therefore he was quite troubled along the way. I would give this 5 out of 10.

"The Great Connection" by Arnie Warren is a one night read. Excellent book on how to connect with others. It describes four styles of behaviour in people but it first guides you through how to connect with yourself. I would give this book 6 out of 10 and you will read it in a night. Good for people new in management or just trying to understand how people in general tick.

"The Night Watch" by Sarah Waters is an okay read set in wartime Britain about four people living in London through the war with all its air raids black outs. It is not a particularly exciting read but is readable. Would give it 3 out of 10. Did not keep me engrossed.

Latest Knits

I have just finished this baby cardigan. It is from the book 101- Designer One Skein Wonders and it is called the Feather and Fan Baby Sweater. It is knit with Sirdar Washh 'N Wear 4 ply Crepe. I thought this was going to be an easy knit but I ended up ripping it when I got to the sleeves as I went wrong. Glad it is finished.

This is a pair of socks I knit for a birthday present for my niece. These have cotton in them and I bought the yarn in Stitch in Santry and it came with the pattern. Kaffe Fasset Regia sock yarn with cotton. Really pleased with these and I hope she will be when I give them to her in September for her birthday.

More Book Reviews

My sister gave me the "Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs. Having heard differing views on this book (none that great by the way) I thought this was going to be a bit of a drag but I quite enjoyed it once I got into a few chapters. The first part of the book is introducing all the characters and you start to get a bit mixed up with them all but once I was half way through the book it was plain sailing for me. It is about a single mother who was always interested in yarn and sets up a yarn shop in New York and then quite haphazardly a Friday night knitting group emerged. It is about friendship and love and forgiveness and it is a nice read. Nothing exciting but quite enjoyable.

This next book I read by Lynwood Barclay "No Time for Goodbye" was a cracker. I stayed up half the night one night just to read this. It is exciting, fast, riveting and you just cannot put this down. The prologue starts with this fourteen year old girl telling her parents she was going to a girlfriend's house to study and ends up in a car making out with her boyfriend. Her father finds her and drags her home. She is quite drunk and falls asleep and wakes up the following morning and her whole family has disappeared, her brother, her mother, her father and all the cars without a trace. Chapter one is 25 years later. I cannot tell you the rest as it is all uphill from here and I would ruin the whole plot, but definitely a page turner and full of excitement. I will be looking out for more of his books to read in the library.

Recent Visit to the Botanic Gardens

Took a trip recently to the Botanic Gardens with my sister Ger one nice Saturday morning. Started off with lunch in the restaurant, which I can highly recommend and then spent the rest of the time wandering the gardens. Ger should me how to use some functions on my digital camera and hey presto I think I have taken some lovely shots, close up.

This photo is taken in the Rose Garden. Another lovely purple flower.

This is an orchid taken in the Orchid house.

This is just a tiny flower taken close up on my hands and knees using the "macro" button. You need a stead hand.

There was a maze of sunflowers and this is just one shot.

If you like these photos and want to see the entire collection just click here.

The Divide by Nicholas Evans

I got a present of this book for my birthday. Having read all of Nicholas's previous books I was delighted that there was another one published. If you like Nicholas Evan's writing, you will love this book. A body of a young girl is found buried in the snow one day and it turns out she is from an upper class background but wanted by the FBI for murder. The book goes back and forth between the present and the past and centres about the girl growing up and the rift within the family. This is really a good read and does not disappoint.

Holiday Knits 2009

I have knit three things over the holidays. Two Paxton (Preemie & Newborn) Jackets - free Ravelry download. The first one I knit was in Tivoli Cruise DK and it turned out really well. The beauty of this pattern is that there is no sewing.

The second one was knit with Rowan Denim and also looks fab. These were a present for my friend's grandchild and she looks cute in them.

The third thing I knit was a lovely pair of socks for my friend called "Blue Bell Socks" from the knitting book 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders. This is a great book for little knits. The colourway in the sock yarn is yummy and is Regia sock yarn.

Summer Holidays - 2009

Well just back from a two week visit to Schull in West Cork. Weather was glorious and there was loads to do. Stayed at the Schull Holiday Cottages which are about a kilometer from the Main Street in Schull which is just a nice walk and a quiet spot at night. You can just stroll down to the village along the foreshore walk which is very scenic. This is a small view of the harbour of Schull and the next photo is a view from the house.

Highlights of my holiday were the food and the peace and quiet and the lovely fine hot weather. I would highly recommend a trip to hear David Syme play the piano during the summer months near Castletownbere. He does Sunday afternoon recitals in his home and his wife bakes lovely deserts for the interval. His house overlooks the Beara Penninsula and it was just bliss.Here is a picture of the inside of his sitting room with the Grand Piano in the middle of the room.

Another highlight of the holiday was taking a trip to Baltimore. This is a harbour village where all the boats go to the islands.If you are looking for a nice lunch or afternoon tea in Baltimore please do go to visit the Glebe house and Gardens just as you enter the village. We stopped there one afternoon and had scrummy scones and also this lovely raspberry and strawberry roulade.

As you can Daisy also enjoyed her holiday and was playing in the sea every day and relaxing on the sofa in the evening.

Another highlight of my trip was to visit Fastnet Rock. This is supposed to be an entertaining cruise to see the lighthouse and takes approximately two and a half hours. We engaged a dog minder for Daisy and were really looking forward to the trip. All started out okay until we reached the most southerly part of Ireland and entered the Atlantic Ocean and then the small boat let rip and we were swaying from side to side. The skipper called it rock and roll which lasted approximately one hour and nearly half the boat was sick. I luckily felt sick but more terrified but was determined to get some photos of the lighthouse, which did not disappoint me.

The scenery was really enjoyable on the way back and the sky was amazing. This is well worth a trip to, but only if you have sea legs otherwise strap yourself in for the ride.

All in all I had a great time in West Cork and if you want to see any more photos of my trip you can just click here.

My Summer Holidays 2009 - Books I Read

I read a selection of books on my holidays and I will give a brief synopsis and rating for each as summer reads. The first one is by Sheila O'Flanagan, "Anyone But Him". A really good light-hearted read where two daughters start interfering in their mother's life as they think she is paying a gigilo to stay with her. Definitely one for the holidays. The second book I read was by Fiona O'Brien "None of My Affair". This is another great read. It is about a super-model's wedding of the year on a yacht in Marbella and all the problems that entails with the family. Definitely one to bring on holidays with you.

"The People Next Door" by Roisin Meaney is excellent. This is about the intertwining lives of three neighbours and how happiness can be found on your own doorstep.

"The Empty House" by Rosamunde Pilcher is a very short read but also quite good. This is a very descriptive poignant book about a woman who loses her husband and decides to take a house with her two children for the summer beside the beach and falls in love with her childhood sweetheart. The next book by Douglas Kennedy "The Woman in the Fifth" will not fail to entertain. Where Douglas gets his ideas from, I do not know, but he is such a credible writer you feel as if you are with him all the way. The character Harry loses everything, his family, his child, his job, his reputation, his money and ends up in Paris to try an recoup his losses, ends up getting really bad flu, loses most of his money and I won't ruin the rest of the book for you. This gets the thumbs up from me.

The "WWW Club" by Anita Notaro is not a great read but is funny. It is about a weight watchers club set up by a group of female friends where they very rarely lose weight. A bit like Sex in the City. Not great writing but an okay summer read.

"A Little Help From My Friends" compiled by Melissa Hill is a compilation of short stories by a host of Irish female writers about the value of friendship. Most of the proceeds from the book go to the Irish Hospice and the book itself is brilliant. A real girly friendship book.

I think that was a good list of holiday reads for all you girls out there. The only one I could recommend for the boys was the "Woman in the Fifth" by Douglas Kennedy.

Update on Daisy Doo

Daisy is doing really well and a quietened down a good bit - although not so quiet. She is now 18 months old (how time flies) and I love her to bits. She is so big, but I don't notice it until a smaller dog is up beside her. I am bringing her on holidays for two weeks to West Cork where she will have plenty of time to swim and walk.

Below is a picture of her for the first time when she let me tuck her in as she was feeling poorly. She soon recovered after a week's dose of antibiotics. She is terrible now at the vets and just hates it as she remembers being left there before.


Look at these eyes, you forgive her most things when she looks at you like that.