And the winner is...

Thank you for all your comments and congratulations for my blogoversary!

The names were put into my lovely Sophie Conran glass bowl...

...and the winner is: Julia B!

Happy knitting Julia! Do email me your address so I can post your yarn out to you!

Talking of winners, last month I had an email from my Flickr site telling me that one of my photos had been short-listed for inclusion in the Schmap London Guide. I posted about it here, when I'd been to the zoo.

Then on the 31st August, I had another email saying that my photo had been selected! How exciting! You can see it here. To tell you the truth, I'm a more than a bit lazy with my Flickr site. I should put my photos over there for sharing more often, but you know how it is... It's on The List, but not quite near enough the top for me to do regularly.

Here come the girls...

Just a quick post to share some more crochet!

Having been monopolised by the onset of boys all through the summer, I had a nice excuse and a break from blue, with a birthday present for my friend's daughter. She's not really a girlie-girl, so what could be better than pink dinosaurs?

The triceratops is made with Rowan Big Wool using a whopping 7mm hook and the stegasaurus is using hand-dyed malabrigo worsted weight yarn that I bought in Loop a while back.

Patterns from here. Apparently, she loves them!

My blogoversary...

It started here. Tentatively! And here we are 182 posts and 2 years later. My first anniversary passed by without me really realising it - I was busy preparing to go to university.

It has been 2 years of changes of direction and of coming to terms with things. I still feel like I'm on a roundabout, not ready to get off yet into something permanent. Other than being mum to No2 of course. Perhaps I shouldn't worry too much about the other stuff yet...

Anyway, by way of celebration, I thought I would do a little giveaway. I've never done one before although I've entered many and won 2! I have just ordered some more gorgeous Jitterbug yarn for my next pair of socks (it is addictive) and so there is an extra skein of kingfisher for the lucky winner. Just leave a comment and I will draw the winner in a weeks time.

My feet feel warm and snuggly just looking at this yarn. It is wonderful to knit with, so if you've not attempted a pair of socks yet or are an old hand at it, I know you won't be disappointed with it.

Changing rooms...

There is a room in my house that has not seen much activity for the last three and a half years.

It's a nice room, with a groovy floor.

And lots of equipment in it that is now redundant.

It used to be the hub of the house, where all of Tom's day to day life took shape. Where I could hoist him into his chair from the couch or the water bed or his standing frame. Where his through-floor lift would take him up into his bedroom. Where he could watch a film, listen to music or play on the computer.

I missed going in that room and so last week, with the help of No2, I moved a table that I had in the garage in there and stationed my sewing machine on it.

Now, I have a room where I can get on with all the quilting projects that are stacking up in my imagination and in various bags around my desk.

I can leave it when I want, without clearing up so we can eat at the table.

I can lay the quilt out on the floor to see how it is coming together, without having to worry about it getting walked on.

And I have a satisfying pile of offcuts that I can let grow until I can be bothered to put in bin!

Changing that room, or should I say using that room, feels good. I feel creative in there. It feels a little bit like my old office at work, where we'd make and plan and create schemes and displays for the store. There is a stereo so I can listen to music, and my day just mooches along nicely.

Viva la vida...

I. CANNOT. WAIT.

On closer inspection...

...the dahlias on my kitchen table...

...match my new socks...

Skiathos...

When I saw the film Mamma Mia last year, I thought it must have been a bit of cinematic trickery to have sea so blue. I was wrong. It really is.

The Aegean goes from pure turquoise to indigo. It's been 22 years since I was last in Greece and I'd forgotten how lovely it is.

The people of these islands will be dining out on Mamma Mia for decades to come, I think. We had coffee and cokes at Skiathos Harbour (where Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan missed the boat...), where narrow cobbled streets converged onto the dock.

The colours of Greece are predominantly blue and white, like their flag.

We almost felt obliged to take the Mamma Mia cruise to visit the neighbouring islands of Skopleos (where most of the filming was done) and Alonissis. It may have been the promise of the film being played whilst cruising that did it. Needless to say, I have had 'Honey, honey..' like a brain-worm ever since...

This the tiny church perched high up on a rock where the wedding took place - we stopped for a 'snapshot', as the Greek captain kept saying!

No2 spent most of his time with his feet off the ground...

...trying to create the most impressive splash.

Me? I had the best baklava EVER.

And a couple of glasses of rosé in the evenings along with my kalamari...

Oh, and a case of labyrinthitis that won't shift so I feel like I'm still on the boat (so, still with the brain-worm). My doctor has told me to take travel sick tablets for a week to try and get back on dry ground...