Where Did February Go?

We're well in to March now and I just don't know where February went. I think it disappeared in a blur of knitting, trips to the orthodontist and starting to sort out our back garden.

Last summer we cleared all the ivy from the garden wall (though it's growing back very quickly) and realised that we had room for a small shed in the top corner:

It looks like a small space but we managed to get a 7'x5' shed in there. When it arrived it was very boring in it's dull brown 'sheddiness' but slap on a coat of paint and you have a cute wee 'building'!
This is Mr Earplug's shed since it's got the lawnmower in it and no doubt it'll be full of spiders soon - and I don't 'do' spiders!
Once the new shed was up we could get rid of the old shed which was rotten, had ivy growing through the boards and was full of junk left by the previous owners - and we're left with this space:
I have plans for this space and it won't involve storing lawnmowers! More of that later.

Miss Muffett reached a teenage 'milestone' last month when she got braces fitted. I was a bit alarmed when we got the appointment as the accompanying letter said we may have to pay for some or all of the treatment. Luckily it turns out she can have them on the NHS. It's so complicated though! I had a small brace as a teenager but nothing like the 'train tracks' that she has, adjustments every 6 weeks, attaching elastic bands to them overnight. Poor girl has been trying to get 100% attendance at school but it's not going to happen with all the appointments. Never mind, the treatment will be finished in 5 years!

Another milestone is Tiddler being able to sit up all on his own now:

This means that I can get a few rows of knitting done (when I should be doing housework!) I think knitting the bootees must have given my 'crafty gene' a kick up the bum as I've knitted 2 scarves and a cardy since - which is more than I've knitted in the last 4 years never mind 4 weeks!

I found this pattern and had to have a go. I've always wanted to try knitting with Noro but didn't want to attempt anything big as it might have been an expensive mistake. My first scarf took less than 2 balls of Silk Garden Lite and I really loved watching the colours develop. I wasn't so keen on the actual yarn though. It was very thick and thin and had lots of bits of plasticky looking stuff in it. I only found one knot but it did impact on the colour run and so I ended up losing the second run of the red/brown section which was a shame. When I soaked it for blocking the water was filthy - yuck! And it's quite scratchy too - hope my mother-in-law likes the scarf as it's her birthday present!


I loved the pattern so much that I had to make another one - this time for my Mum. I bought Debbie Bliss Stella, a silk/rayon/cotton blend. Unfortunately I didn't much like this yarn either! It was very loosely plied so I kept sticking my needles through it, and it was full of little knots so knitted up quite scruffy. I'm glad I got it at a sale price! I know my Mum will love it anyway.

I'm going to make another one for my friend for Christmas and possibly one for myself too. I also knitted a cardy for Tiddler but I haven't sewn the buttons on yet, and started a 'repurposing' sewing project. No wonder February passed in a flash!

Where Did February Go?