Distance Healing

Last Saturday was having a bad pain and Crohns flare day and Pip Miller @ThisHobbitsLife on twitter did a distance healing session on me, I felt really calm and relaxed after the session, something I hadn't had felt in a long time with the chaotic pain and illness over the last few years. She said to see what else happened over the coming days and it was amazing even though I still am not sleeping all night but the short time I am sleeping is of better quality. Also my crohns has settled a bit more and I don't feel as run down as I was. In myself I feel more positive about the future whereas I had hit a really low point not knowing what was going to happen. Sometimes you just need that little something to give you hope inside and that what I got from Pip's healing session and even though we are thousands of miles apart you do feel the connection during the session.

If you feel that you need just that pick up in your life, or relief from chronic pain or illness I would recommend you check out Pip's website to see all the things she offers http://pipshealinghands.weebly.com/

I certainly hope to be able to have more sessions in the future as the calmness and hope it gave me was wonderful. :))


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Haven't blogged for ages

Time passes that fast that you don't realise how long it is since you have blogged.

It's been a busy time here in the Burnett household, have been knitting loads of knitty orders and managing to get my knitting designing off the ground. To keep up to date with my KarenBDesigns check out the blog posts here https://karenbdesigns.wordpress.com/ .

Some of the items I have been knitting for orders are the gents Rudolph sweater.



And then flash back to the 70's a Starsky cardigan.


There were then some fabulous toddler socks, designed by Joeli Caparco in a book called "Tiny Treads".



Check out the fab designs here http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/tiny-treads .

After that was the fab design "Aitana" by Ruth Garcia-Alcantud


Check out this design and all of Ruth's other designs here on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/designers/ruth-garcia-alcantud .

Now am working on baby items for a customer and another fab design by Ruth called "Chambourcin" so what this space for pictures coming up.

Well off to get the needles clicking and hopefully get another baby cardigan cast off. Will try and not leave it so long before I blog again.


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Easyknits yarns

I thought I would tell you all about my favourite Indie dyer Jon Ballan-Dunn, he is the genius behind www.easyknits.co.uk and dyes the most beautiful yarn and fibres. I stumbled across Jon a few years ago at Woolfest and fell in love with the beautiful colours. This lead onto signing up for his sushi shawl alongs and sock clubs along with increasing my stash at any opportunity.

Recently I have fallen under the spell of his Big Boy yarn and the wonderful deeply wicked range and it's always a mad scramble on a Friday when the yarn goes on sale, and boy does it sell out fast. I have completed 2 projects lately in Big Boy yarn and with it being a 150g skein it gives you that extra meterage 500m instead of the normal 400m for 4ply, enough to make long socks



And a lovely length for shawls like this Ishka ( designed by Marleen Van Der Vorst)




Then he came up with the genius idea of a KAL socks designed around the Xfactor auditions and I picked one of my beautiful deeply wicked skeins, called Beetroot and we get a part each week to knit and we don't know what it coming, but it's lovely watching the pattern develop as you follow the instructions, I have finished part 2 and waiting for part 3 to knit during tomorrow nights show.



I have managed over the years to convert a number of friends to buy Jon's yarn and they too have embraced all the wonderful yarny delights he produces and sign up at every opportunity the shawl and sock clubs.

If you are looking for something special to knit with please check out www.easyknits.co.uk and you will be guaranteed to find something to match your project and I know Jon also dyes to order so you can get a special creation dyed just for you.


Well off to wait for this weeks deeply wicked update :)


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Prayer shawl

I was so lucky to have a fabulous swap partner for the prayer shawl swap on Ravelry . Jackie made this beautiful shawl for me, the colours are beautiful and just so me. I have finished the shawl I am sending to her, so won't post a picture till I know she has got it. :))))


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To blog or not????

I had intended at the beginning of the year to try and blog every day but it fell by the wayside, so am hoping to try and blog more.

Our summer is drawing to a close and we spent a lovely 10 days in Maryport in Cumbria, the weather was lovely and we watched some beautiful sunsets.

I loved sitting at the edge of the water watching the world roll by .

Well will try and bring my blog up to date with all my knitting and crochet :))



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So glad it's Friday

I have not managed to keep up my resolution to blog more often as I have gone back to work.

I started back on Monday 10th January and it's taken a lot out of me especially there is still one lift out of action and it has to be the one I use :((( For anyone that doesnt know I went to work one morning in November to find none of the lifts working and I had to walk up 4 floors, that caused me to collapse with pain in my knees ( osteoarthritis ) and I ended up off work as it then triggers off my CFS, fibromyalgia and major chronic back pain.

So now I am back at work it's sapped all my energy and am exhausted when I get in from work and haven't even been able to knit or spin, but I have made a decision that I can't go on like this on shifts and having to work a lot of backshifts that I have applied to go on a permanent day shift having a day off during the week and work a half day Saturday not something that I wanted to do but my health and quality of life is more important.

Well back to the knitting recently I have managed to do a test knit for a headband/ earwarmer






And also chunky bed socks that as soon as they were cast off my youngest daughter Jacqueline acquired them lol. I am also just getting ready to cast off another pair for a RAK gift






Well knit group tomorrow will be battling on with a test knit for a lacy beret and my B socks for my A-Z sock challenge .


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A-Z Sock Challenge

Yesterday was the start of the sock challenge, and I cast on the Air Raid socks a free pattern on Ravelry. I cast on after midnight and managed to work away up till the end of the first patten. Then during the day yesterday worked up till starting to turn the heel.

Today I picked it up and finished turning the heel and am now working my way down to the toe. I only have just under 2" left to go.



I also have been trawling the pattern pages of Ravelry looking for patterns beginning with the rest of the letters of the alphabet it's been an enjoyable search.

I also have 2 test knit/crochets on the go, so am going to have to divide my time up equally between the 3 projects then my aim for the rest of the year is firstly after the tests, I want to work all my Wips along side the socks but will try very hard to resist any whims to start any other projects unless they are a gift for a birthday.

Well we will see how long all my plans last. I hope to blog my progress here and also updates on all my wips that get finished ......... Wish me luck !

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New Years Day

Welcome to 2011, we had a quiet transition into the new year as it was just hubby and I at home, kids were all out. Tv was ermmm not very entertaining so watched a couple of episodes of Criminal Minds up to the bells when we turned over to hear the countdown. As hubby had been up since 4 am it was time to head for bed, but not till I had cast on my first pair of socks in the A-Z sock challenge on Ravelry, my letter A was Air Raid Socks , have been knitting on and off all day and am about to start the heel, would have been further if I hadn't been having little snoozes on and off.

Well off to start the heel on these socks wish me luck


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Snow chaos

Well the snow hasn't stopped and the girls went to school this morning in a blizzard as school was open , only to be sent home again at lunchtime.

I am off work at the moment as my legs have given out on me at the moment and having a bad time with my CFS. So when I have been able to , I have picked up my knitting and have been working on a lace version of the 198yd shawl with extra repeats and it's coming up lovely. It's nice to be sitting in the warmth of the house, resting my legs and happily knitting away.



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Snow has arrived

Woke yesterday morning to a blanket of snow , but had no more through out the day. I sat curled up with a knitted blanket , and knitted quite happily. Then we woke this morning to a blizzard , but it went off mid morning and hasn't returned so far fingers crossed. Am glad I am all snug and warm in the house and have my knitting and Christmas movies to keep me occupied lol. Just waiting for the Strictly and xfactor results and then have an early night I think.


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Oh dear :(

Well had a bad day at work on Tuesday , got to work at 7.45am and parked in the basement and then discovered both front and back lifts were out of order and if you don't know me I have osteoarthritis in my knees , walk with a stick and I do not do stairs. But stupidly as I was worrying about being late I decided to walk up 4 floors to get to my desk. This nearly killed me I was struggling to breathe and my legs were in agony and I was struggling to walk. Very kind work mates helped me to my seat and got me water etc. I struggled the whole day and also missed my chair when trying to sit down and had to be helped up :(. Was so glad to get to the end of the day and I really struggled to drive home as by this time my knee was like z balloon. Got home crawled up the stairs to my bed and looked at my right knee and the swelling was all around my knee and for at least 6" below and above. So it was time to dose up on pain meds and stay where I was.

On Wednesday I had appointment with the doctor and was still not able to drive so hubby had to take me. Doctor gave me a line for 2 weeks to allow me to recover and take things easy. I took things easy for the rest of the day then mid evening exhaustion landed on me and I could hardly move and my eyes kept shutting , thinks the ME / CFS kicked in and it took every ounce of energy to get up stairs to bed. Crashed out and struggled to wake up this morning when I phoned work and then lay back down and am still lying there . Have some knitting beside me , but don't have alot of energy so don't think I will get much done lol

Think I might blog daily if able to as I might go mad being stuck in the house for days. Please feel free to cheer me up if you can either here or on ravelry, Facebook or twitter xxxxxx


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Winter has arrived

Well winter arrived this morning, went out to go to work and the car was frozen solid , took ages to thaw the windows and the car didn't even hear up on the journey to work. Going to sit curled up on the couch with my crochet and design some crochet cowls for a friends charity event.

Knitting group

Was great to actually get to knit group this morning as I haven't been in weeks with one thing or another. I was good to catch up with my mates Nan, Liz , Aileen, Sally and Linda . As usual didn't get much knitting done as we were too busy gabbing lol. Fingers crossed will get there on Wednesday night as we are drawing the secret Santa yippee wonder who I am buying for.


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My new phone

At last I have my new iPhone I have waited 6 months since vodafone started doing the iPhone till my contract was due for renewal and I can really say it has been worth the wait. I have been having so much getting to know everything but the funny bit was working out how to make a call selected friends name and was looking for a call button didn't work out for a while u just tapped on the number on the friends page lol doh moment

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Location:Hamilton,United Kingdom

New iPhone

My long awaited mobile phone upgrade has arrived and I don't know how I have survived so long without an iPhone. Its great and as I am lying here at 5,52am as I can't sleep as I seem to be coming down with the dreaded lurgy in time for the weekend thanks kids and hubby lol

Location:Hamilton,United Kingdom

LIFE

Well it seems ages since I have put a post on here, I have been busy working away and knitting/crocheting/spinning like mad. I have completed lots of projects and have done alot of test knits for people. I am now putting all the ideas that I have had into patterns and have been encouraged to put them on Ravelry and today I have published the first one http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cable-xoxo-scarf and am hoping that people will like to knit it , I have one test knitter so far . I also have another scarf that a friend is doing and once she has completed it I will put the pattern on. There are more patterns floating about on bits of paper and will be added over the next few weeks.

I went to Once a Sheep in Gourock at the beginning of the month for there spin Saturday and loved getting back into the spinning, had a great day there chatting and being very productive, though haven't done much since then, am needing to set time aside for the spinning.

Well am I away to catch up on all the gossip on Ravelry before I get back to the knitting .

FIRST PATTERN DESIGNED

I have started to design my own patterns and the first of these are up for testing and hopefully publishing. It is a cable scarf in aran yarn and is a quick easy knit.

KNITTING, CROCHETING AND SPINNING

I have been busy working away on knitting a jumper for myself and have the back , one sleeve and am working on the front so getting there will be glad to do something for myself for a change. Also I am crocheting a baby shawl that a girl at work asked me to do for her daughter who is due a baby in August , and also have test crocheted a shawl for one of the girls in the prayer shawl group on Ravelry and will post pictures here once allowed to do so.

After my spinning lesson last Saturday I have been working away getting used to my wheel and trying to get the knack involved managed to spin a roving though I think it was slightly over spun in places as it was slightly curly in parts opppss.

Friends Blogs

I love to read other peoples blogs and today it was the blog of Kisbee, and she is approching her 260th post , gosh I think will I ever get to that , but as she is she is offering a beautiful shawl as a give away to celebrate this and boy its a stunner so beautifully made by herself and would be a delight to own , so I wish everyone well in the giveaway competition :))))))))))))))

SPINNING WHEEL

My dearest darling hubby has bought me a Ashford Traveller spinning wheel and I am just patiently well not so patiently waiting for it to be delivered to have my first go at spinning. My mate Liz and I are going to Once a Sheep in Gourock next Saturday for an introduction to spinning and hopefully that will set us up for the next mad phase in our lives :)