H_C_T

I've had a quick look at your facebook site and the craft stuff is lovely but can I ask what your background is? I am looking for some dressmaking lessons. I have my own sewing machine which I can use for basic functions, eg have made my own cushion covers and curtains in the past and have made basic skirts for myself and costumes for fancy dress and followed patterns on occasion to do so, but I am wanting to make a dress for a special occasion and it needs to look good, not homemade! I can see you offer lessons on using commercial patterns, but would you be able to teach me how to make/adapt patterns? I have an idea of what I want to make, but can't find an existing pattern. I have a dress that fits nicely and I would like to copy the style of, and have seen patterns that have a similar skirt but not the crossover top. Is this something you would be able to help me with?

We have one collie/springer and he has spent a lot of holidays with us in the T25 and now in the T5. My old 25 had a full width bed and when he was a puppy his crate went on the bed next to us, leaving us plenty of room still for the two of us. We loved the full width bed as it gave us room and flexibility. When I went to the alps it meant that three of us could sleep across the back relatively comfortably when I wanted to pull over and sleep on the drive down (I was the only driver and Leeds to Switzerland in one go was too much!). We didn't want to lose this feature when we got the new van, so when we had it converted we went for the full width bed again. We are trying to be stricter with our dog now, and make him sleep on the floor in his bed (after a week of coming with us when mountain biking, running, etc, he doesn't smell so good and I don't think many campsites approve of showering your dog in the facilities!) When we're staying in one place for a few nights we put up the awning and he sleeps in that.

Well as you've now indicated you're looking at a T25 or a Bay, I'm glad I didn't post loads about my T5! I used to own a T25 and loved it. Had it 5 years and in that time only had three breakdowns, one which I fixed myself with tin foil (?!) by the side of the road, one which my boyfriend fixed having bought the parts for £50 (garage tried to charge us £300), and one where the spark plugs needed sorting. Not bad for the mileage I did in it, went to the Alps and back 4 times, Isle of Skye, etc and no problems other than the ones I mentioned. Did 70mph on the motorway no problem. Had it converted to LPG which took some of the petrol costs down. It was really comfortable and fun to drive, although the lack of power steering was a struggle when manoeuvring in tight spaces! I'd definitely recommend the T25 for trips around the UK. The reason I sold it and bought a T5 was the trip down to Devon when we broke down. As mentioned above we fixed it ourselves for the cost of parts, but to do so we had to cut our holiday short as we couldn't keep driving around for another week before fixing it and the garage were going to charge us £300 which we didn't want to pay. I was very attached to it and it was a difficult decision but given the amount of use we get out of our camper, it was worth us going for the newer model before more things started to go wrong and I started pouring money into it. The main concern was breaking down in Europe. We're travelling round Europe for 5 weeks in our T5 this summer and spent 10 days in it in the Netherlands over Easter. We've found that as long as you avoid devon and cornwall, the camper makes going away very affordable. Wales and the Lakes have plenty of places to park up off road, not on expensive campsites.

Counting on from March 6th I think May 1st?

Depends entirely on which model you are looking at? Bit of a difference between a split screen and a T5!

Was busy varnishing floorboards so didn't make it! Next one clashes with the monthly Sheffield Knitpickers night (first Thursday of the month), so I'll put the following one on my calendar and make an effort to get there .

I'd echo the you tube advice, and knittinghelp.com, which is where I always go for 'how to' tutorials. I taught myself to knit last year using Knitty Gritty, which I found incredibly easy to follow. Also the knitting groups. I go to Knitpickers which meet at Bungalow & Bears every first Thursday of the month from 4.30 onwards, and every third Sunday at Varsity (this Sunday) from 3. The city centre locations might suit?

I've got one of these books: http://mochimochiland.com/ I made a monkey, a cockerel and an elephant which I sewed onto keyring chains as Christmas presents. They are fun and quick to make, and once you've made a few it's easy to adapt them to your own ideas . Amazon had the books quite cheaply when I bought mine.

That's nice and local to me, if we've been rained off our plans to go camping later this week I might be able to pop in .

Brilliant! Just reserved two of the plain dye fleece blankets at £2.99 each .

Excellent idea, hadn't thought of that but I'm always buying fleece blankets from Ikea for the dog at £2.99 or less - brilliant!!

I've realised that after a few months of heavy wear, chunky 100% wool hats totally lose their shape. The one I knitted for my boyfriend is now a tea cosy..... I wanted to start lining them with fleece, like they would be if you bought them, but my initial search suggests I can't get any for less than £7.95 a metre, and it's the thick stuff you'd use for a blanket rather than the microfleece stuff you'd use for a jumper or hat lining. That's what I found in John Lewis, but I'm getting similar prices online once you include postage. I don't really want to order online as I can't tell how thick it is. Anyone know where I can buy the thinner stuff? It's not the price I object to as much as it wasn't really what I was looking for.

A skein of Rowan Colourscape Chunky, 100g of 100% lambswool in gorgeous shades of blue & jade green for £6.45. They had loads of wool, lots of it Rowan, at up to half price. Some of the £4+ balls reduced to £2+ etc.

The John Lewis sale is actually pretty good! I picked up a gorgeous skein of wool usually out of my budget at half price! )

Counting on fortnights from the 29th November, I'm guessing it's next week, 10th Tuesday. Unless something was adjusted over Christmas! I went a couple of times last year and am hoping to be able to get there a little more regularly this year .

I'm doing my own christmas knitting!! Have you any idea how long it takes to knit an adult jumper, even if you're quick?!?! And with a Christmas design on it?!?!

Have you tried asking on the yarn forum on Ravelry?

Damn, this would have been fantastic to go on, I'm a teacher and thinking of starting a knitting club at school. I'm only part time, but I work Thursdays .

Nice to meet everyone .

I'd like to come along, I have so many projects on my to do list that some dedicated knitting time would be great!

We've got a collie x springer, and both of us were very tempted by a second dog, but we have decided against it for the following reasons: - if we're going away for a wedding etc for the weekend, or on holiday abroad, my parents are happy to dog sit, but two dogs would be pushing it. - double the amount of dog hair! - we looked after my brother's dog (cocker spaniel) for a week, and having the two of them together was really hard work. There's no guarantee of what the second dog will be like. In our case, with the two dogs together they got on brilliantly, but never calmed down. It was play fighting, tug of war and chasing each other ALL WEEK!! Just pure chaos. They have always been lively together, but we thought with them being together for a week they might settle down a little towards the end but not at all.... It was the same with our dog and a friend's dog when we went on holiday together, and when our dog went to stay with a friend who already has a dog. Our dog does love company, but it would be really difficult to find the right match!

That's spooky Wheezy! I typed my post before yours had come up!

Perhaps someone who makes cat blankets for the cats home would like it? I would make lots of blue and green stripy hats, and stripy dresses and dungarees for my knitted toy bears, and possibly some funky dinosaurs or those birds with googly eyes and long wings... But I really don't *need* it, I have plenty waiting to be knitted anyway and I'm not a 'good cause'. I'm sure charity shops still take wool?

I've had the same experience with Barn farm - been there with big groups in the past, but last year a friend started playing a guitar (acoustic, just quietly strumming while others were sat talking, and we were at the far end of the field away from other tents) at 9pm ish, and one of the blokes in neon jackets came over whilst on 'patrol' and asked him to stop. Totally understandable if there have been complaints though, it's a lovely campsite and I'd hate to see it shut down. I've camped in a field between hathersage and grindleford a few times (going back 6 + years now) where the farmer just came up on his tractor the next morning and asked for £2 each. No facilities, literally just a field. Don't know who you'd have to contact though, it was always arranged by someone I've since I've lost touch with.

Woohoo! machine sorted and bunting all sewn up . Done 47 cup cakes as well, so only another 24 left! . At this rate I'll be able to relax before the wedding rather than panic about getting things done in time! How ridiculous!