Did you have a nice Christmas?

Ours was good but not brilliant. Simon was ill for a few days before Christmas and struggled with helping me get ready for the big day. We decorate late for Christmas but this year it was a bit later than normal but got it all done in the end. On the day itself he woke up with a temperature and struggled to church. When we got home I cooked lunch while we opened our main presents. Simon disapppeared to bed after the main course and stayed there all afternoon leaving me to entertain his parents and the girls. I spent most of the afternoon knitting, chatting and spinning and even managed a nap while my inlaws took the girls and the dogs out for a walk.

On Boxing Day Simon was better again but now Emily was ill and spent the day on the sofa. We normally go to inlaws on Boxing Day for lunch after we've watched the Fox Hunt go off at Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor but my FIL had been up ill during hte night so that was cancelled. In the end Vanessa and I went to the cinema and saw Fred Claus. I don't normally like Father Christmas movies but htis one was actually quiet good. Not as twee as some of them.

Yesterday we had to go to Plymouth for an apointment with our kitchen designer at B&Q. We've been waiting for the sale to start so we could get a final price for our new kitchen and had to go in and sign the papers and pay for the kitchen so now I'm just waiting for the call to let mek now when it's being installed. Our kitchen was rubbish and needed replacing when we moved in 10 years ago so I've been waiting a long time for this. I think our existing kitchen is about 18 years old and I bet it was pretty rubbish and cheap when it was originally put in. Now it's falling apart and looks hideous.

After B&Q we ventured in to Plymouth city centre and the Drake Circus Mall. Adn it was PACKED!!!! Can't say I fancied shopping on my own with hte girls (Simon had chickened out of going shopping on the day that the papers said would be the busiest shopping day of hte year). We queued in Monsoon and M&S to change two of VAnessa's presents. Then I walked out of Waterstones when I realised the queue was nearly to the door (which is a long way from the till). Instead we queued in McDonalds for lunch then we queued in 'Build a Bear Workshop' so the girls could make a teddybear each. They've been wanting ot do this since the shop opened just over a year ago but I woudn't pay for it as it's a load of rubbish and way overprices but they had money for Christmas so were allowed to spend some of it on th bears. Then back to Waterstones were the queues had eased a lot. Then off to queue for hte lift back to the car and queue to gt out of the car park and yes, you guessed it, there were queues on the way home too. It was like rush hour but it was only 3pm. Not a nice experience and I didn't look at anything for me. But I want to go to Exeter next week to check out their new shopping area, Princesshay.

I finally ahd time to finsih off my hand spun merino/tencel the other day and I'm very pleased with it. Thought I might do a swatch with it to try and decide what ot do with it. Not measured wpi yet but I think it's 4ply/dk ish. Isn't it lovely and shiny.

The sock club parcels went off today, a day late. But as I hadn't even dyed the yarn a week ago and we've had Christmas I think that's pretty good. I felt realy realeved once I'd dropped them off at the post office. Our local post office are brilliant. I just drop it off and come back a few hours later to pay. No waiting around while they process 30 parcels. BTW, there are 5 spaces left for February, so sign up quick if you want a space.

Oh and one more thing, if you like Indie yarns but are a bit bewildered by the choice, check out Pam the Yarn Godess' Yarn Review Blog. Pam knows her yarn and she'll soon open up an online shop showcasing Indie yarns.

Off to do a bit of spinning. Thinking about starting on the bamboo I'd hoped to do on Christmas Day. Not spun bamboo before but it looks and feels very silky.