Wednesday 14 November 2012

A Knitting Project and a Giveaway

My week has been quiet, nothing much happening apart from the usual domestic drudgery!
Lots of laundry to be done and of course the sock fairy seems to have been busy
 as I have more odd socks than pairs!
***
The good  news is that eldest son has got a job at last.  
He graduated in September and I was wondering if he would ever get something, 
but alas he has and we are delighted for him.
It is lovely to see him dress in a suit, shirt and tie each morning instead of his usual tracksuit bottoms and jeans
and better again - he has money - 
so no more Mum's bank
happy happy days
***
Crafty me - oh no, I'm not!!

I love visiting crafty bloggers, full of wonderful creativity, beautiful photos, magnificent colourful works and homemade items
and so I thought this week that maybe I would start to knit again and I too could post photos of my fabulous project...
but heY hO, NO!
  I'm afraid it's not going to happen.

I picked up the knitting needles during the week and started a shawl, well it's supposed to be a shawl and even though I have followed the pattern every step of the way (well as best I can) it looks more like a scarf than a shawl and so not a huge success so far.

If it is a shawl it would just about fit a 5 year old, 
a very very small 5 year old...
dearie, dearie me I'm hoping that when I cast off it might look a bit better. 
but I am  thinking to myself
 "that's the end of your knitting phase Fiona"...
but if any of you know of any easy peasy patterns,
 maybe you could point me in the right direction?
Giveaways...

I have been one of the lucky winners of  Ellie's giveaway.
Ellie blogs at Feltabulous.
She has a lovely blog and I am so glad to have found her. She makes great jewellery and cakes and here is my lovely prize
lucky lucky me!
 
 
and talking of giveaways I think that it is time I had one of my own.  
I said that when I reached 250 followers I would organise something
and so now the time has come.

Being perfectly honest I just can't believe that I have over 250 followers. 
 I never in my wildest dreams thought that anyone would want to read my silly ramblings, but there you go, you are all obviously as bonkers as me!
The bonkers bloggers that's us!!!

The giveaway prize I have to offer is this silver Christmas tree ornament 
handcrafted here in Ireland and from from Newbridge Silverware. 


 
To enter the giveaway, you must:

* be a public follower of Raindrops and Daisies
* leave a comment on this post saying that you would like to be entered into the giveaway
*to be in with a second chance blog about it, post about it on your Facebook page or wherever (just remember to let me know)!

I will pick a winner sometime before the end of the month
so that you will have the decoration 
in time to hang on your Christmas tree in early December!

 

  Have a lovely week and don't forget to get your photos ready for Green Day on Friday

43 comments:

Ellie Foster said...

Dear Fiona
Please enter me for your giveaway. After all the lovely things you said about me, it would be rude of me not to enter!
Best wishes
Ellie

Claudia Moser said...

The knitting project looks good, the colour is great! And I would love to have a chance to win the giveaway, maybe I will be lucky :) cannot wait for Green Day!

Chloe grice said...

Hello Fiona, I haven't joined Green Day for a while now, sorry! I haven't been on talking terms with my camera as it's refusing to behave itself which limits my photography a little... hopefully Santa might pop something in my stocking this year if I drop enough heavy hints in the right elvish ears....

I would LOVE to win your ornament to give to my MIL as we're having Christmas at hers this year :-)

I hope you give your knitting another go, I don't have any patterns but I can recommend a good beginners book "Knitty Gritty" I can't remember the author, but you should be able to find it: I'm pretty sure there's a sweet pattern in there for a little shawl come to think of it... I find successful knitting depends entirely on nice yarn and good needles - I'm a big fan of bamboo!

I love your blog, and I'm surprised you ONLY have 250 followers! You always spread a little sunshine with your lovely posts :-)

xx

Tangled Sweetpea said...

I think your knitting looks fabulous Fiona! Knitting is on my ever growing list of things to learn :) beautiful giveaway too!
Victoria xx

Giga said...

To wspaniale, że syn ma pracę i własne pieniądze. Twój blog zasługuje na bardzo, bardzo wielu Obserwatorów. Oczywiście, że chce brać udział w losowaniu gratisów. Pozdrawiam.
It's great that your son has a job and her own money. Your blog deserves to be very, very many watchers. Of course he wants to take part in the raffle giveaway. Yours.

joy said...

Hello Fiona, well done for your 250 followers, thats great. I would love to be entered in your giveaway, thankyou. My son has been job hunting since June, with no luck so far, its so hard for them, isn't it. Well done to him. I haven't knitted for a while, have been doing crochet instead for the last three or so years, and this year, with a new sewing machine, I've started sewing again.
Best wishes,
Joy x x

Linda said...

Hi Fiona, keep trying with the knitting and you will get the hang of it. Here is a nice
easy garter stitch shawl you might want to try.

I would love to be entered into your give away of that adorable ornament.

valerietilsten59.blogspot.com said...

Congratulations Fiona on your son getting a job.. I wish him well..its a hard world out there..
Your knitting looks more like a scarf! finish it.. it will look good.
I could never handle 250 followers.. whew.
but well done.
Here goes.. please put my name down for your lovely give away.. nice to hang on the christmas tree.
happy wed eve Fiona.
val

Ivy, Phyllis and Me! said...

Hello Fiona, Your giveaway looks wonderful.... is it a replica of an old record player with a horn attached? You'll never guess, I have an old record player, but it doesn't have the horn attached, but the needle is like a tack, you can't imagine records being played on it. It was given to us when we married by George's uncle. We did have a stack of 78's, but we bought them, put them in the car and the car was broken into and away went the 78's. Hey ho!
Just a thought, maybe check the tension of your knitting, see what the pattern says. Usually they write "x" amount of stitches measures an inch, although it will be a lovely scarf.

Take care, Best Wishes Daphne

Sofia said...

Sofia takes part in this give away of course!

oldthings said...

These are the good news ! The young people are the hope of each country and yours found a job!Congratulations to your lovely son and of course to his mother that she tired to grew up him !I liked the colour of your knitting !I wish to you many -many followers !I take part me too !
Olympia

Sandra said...

I love your blue scarf, Fiona. Great colour! Keep at it, you might surprise yourself. There are fantastic knitting and crochet blogs out there. All you need to do is type the name of the product you want to make and dozens of designs come up. You can also check out Ravelry.com for a wonderful choice of patterns!
Well done for your son getting work!
Happy knitting! Sandra

Heidi said...

Hello Fiona,
Please enter me for your lovely give away.
Glad your son found a job, great news.
See you on FB.
Heidi

chica said...

Claro que quero participar;Posso, mesmo sendo do Brasil ou é só pra quem mora perto? beijos,chica

Unknown said...

Hi Fiona,
Please enter me for your giveaway. Congratulations to your son getting a job :) He must be delighted also. I spent some years supporting my daughter before she got a job, even when I lived over here...but that's what you do for your children. Boy was she happy to get a permanent job.
Lovely colour on that yarn.
Have a lovely week you too!
Hugs,
Eva

Anne said...

Hi Fiona! Delighted to hear your son got a job:) Lovely giveaway! Hope you are having a good week!
~Anne xx

Ayu M said...

Hello Fiona,

1st. So happy to hear that your son is getting a new job.Now days it's hardly to get a job. He is so lucky then.
2nd. COME..ON Fiona..your craft sooo great,showcase to us your handy made.your scarf look fabulous...I can't wait to see more of your kniting.the yarn color so nice.

congratulation for your give away that you have won.pretty bracelet

250 followers?? fantastic! I am so happy for you, for my blog I think it's hardly to achieve ha;)

PLease enter me on your give away, love those silver.
C YA on green day

have a great week

Lynne said...

Not sure what happened in your knitting project. It looks more like a scarf than a shawl to me too.

I would love to be entered for a chance in your giveaway . . .

I have a few easy scarf patterns if you are interested?

Marie-Anne said...

Hello Fiona!
Great news for your son! Both my son and my daughter are still unemployed, you know how difficult it is especially in Greece!
I tried to learn knitting when I was very young but I never achieved anything...I prefer crochet. Keep on trying if that pleases you.
Congratulations for the nice gift you won and for your 250 followers!
Please enter me for your giveaway. Your Christmas decoration is lovely!

inge said...

I am delighted that your son has got a job. Such great news

Ellie said...

Wow, 250 followers - well done!!!!
I think your shawl looks lovely. As you know I am knitting a baby blanket at the moment but if you had seen the amount of rows I have had to take out due to making mistakes, phew!!! I sometimes feel I am undoing more than doing, lol.
I would love to win your christmas decoration it does look lovely :))

My Little Home and Garden said...

Hi, Fiona

I think that it is great that you're knitting again. If it turns out to be a scarf, so be it! It really is a beautiful shade of blue and your work looks lovely. I hope you don't give up just yet.

Have you considered joining Ravelry? It's a free site people who knit and crochet, there are some free patterns available if you do a search, and people from all over the world join: https://www.ravelry.com

I'll be sure to put a link on Facebook for your giveaway of the beautiful ornament, but there seems to be a big discrepancy between the number of followers and the number of people seeing the post.

Congratulations on all of your followers!

Bye for now,
Karen

Pamela Gordon said...

What a lovely give away gift! Don't give up on your knitting. The blue is a lovely colour. Blessings, Pamela

eileeninmd said...

Hi Fiona, I love the blue color you have chosen for your knitting. I have not tried knitting myself so I would not be much help. Congrats to your son on his new job and for your 250 followers!

Avril x said...

Oh Fiona, I love your blog - it always puts a smile on my face. Loving the fact that mum's bank is not needed for your son any more and the sock fairy…janey mac - she's been busy in our house too! Hope you have a great week and I'd LOVE to win that prize…love the Newbridge decorations and it would remind me of home - being a Kildare girl and all that. Avril xx

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to your son, Fiona! How proud you must be!

For the record, I think your knitting is looking quite wonderful! I could never learn to knit!

I love visiting your blog - I always smile when I read your posts and I LOVE your photos, especially those of your beautiful patio. :)

I would like to be entered in the drawing for the ornament if at all possible (I'm in the USA) and if you can't ship all the way, I completely understand!
Hugs

orchid0324 said...

Dearest Fiona,
Many Congratulations to you☆☆☆ 
Happy news your son had a job and I smiled to read that "no more Mum's bank", oh, I wished to have a child (long fertility treatment didn't work when young, ^^;)
What a wonderful winning of giveaway♡♡♡ And congratulations on your over 250 followers; wow, I think it proves your great contributions to us♬♬♬
I don't have any talent for handwork or crafts; I am always enjoying other bloggers works. Good Luck for the knitting!!!

What a wonderful giveaway(^_^)v My Japanese house is really small and don't have a tree to put it, so I'll leave the other wonderful your followers to the great chance. How thoughtful of you♡♡♡

And again, I am SO sorry about not to have read your last week post of green day well. I should have been more careful! I will be able to link up tomorrow.

Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*



Grandma Barb's This and That said...

Fiona, Congratulations to your son and to you for your 250 followers. Your knitting looks great to me. I tried it many years ago and just couldn't get the hang of it.
Would love to win the ornament.

Life, Loves and...... said...

250 followers. that is amazing....I would love that. Knitting is something I have on the project list, bought the wool and lost the knitting needles...lol. they will show up sometime
will you enter me in the competition,please!
J
http://lifelovesand.blogspot.ie/

DIMI said...

Hallo Fiona!Congratulations on your son getting a job!
Your knitting looks more like a scarf! But i like it!Congratulations for your 250 followers! Please put my name down for your lovely give away!
Wishing you a lovely evening!!
Dimi..

LindyLouMac said...

It must be such a relief to you all that your son has found a job. I am not a craft person plus I cannot even knit!

Southhamsdarling said...

Hi Fiona. What a very generous giveaway you are hosting, and, yes, please may I be included? Thank you! I am absolutely delighted that your son has got a job. He must be thrilled as well. It's such a worry for the youngsters these days, isn't it? That was a pretty giveaway that you won. Hey, congratulations on getting to 250 Followers. That's wonderful. I'm with you - much as I would love to be, I'm just not a crafty person at all :( Take care.

Suz said...

Scarf or shawl, whatever it is, it is a beautiful color. I'm in for the giveaway if you ship to the US. It is the sweetest silver ornament.

Maria Luiza said...

Olá, Fiona, seu post está lindo e muito interessante. Se eu puder participar eu gostaria! Parabéns pelos seguidores! Minha filha faz essas pulseiras também! Um abraço!

Unknown said...

Your knitting looks wonderful. Maybe your tension was to tight that it was small.. I would love to entered into your giveaway

E. said...

Well, Fiona, this must be one of the most interesting Christmas tree ornaments I've ever seen! :)

Memaria said...

Congratulations to your son..
I would like to take part in your giveaway..
I will post it in my facebook too..

Little Dotty Bird said...

oooh lovely ...please count me in! I meant to do a giveaway on my 100th post but still haven't got around to it! Aww i can remember when you first started out with just a few little followers so you are doing something very right indeed! 250 is fab! xx

Pat MacKenzie said...

Hi Fiona. I'm pleased to be part of your 'little' family of followers.

Your knitting project looks lovely. Keep going and it may turn into the shawl you want, or a crib blanket, or a scarf. I like the pattern and the color certainly is right.

I'd love to be included in the draw for the beautiful silver ornament.

Crafty in the Med said...

Hello Fiona
Please enter me for your generous giveaway.....I'd love to have that silver trinket hanging on my Christmas tree all the way from Ireland. I'm a follower already as you know and I'll post a button and link to your giveaway on my blog after posting this comment.
Great to hear your son has found a job ....thats not easy to find nowadays!
Love the photo of the swan so regal!!

keep well

Amanda xx

Busy Little Chicken said...

Hi Fiona, could you enter me for your giveaway please? Unfortunately, I have had probs with keeping up with green day Friday just lately, but should be back on track soon! Will add this link to my blog as well! :)x

an ika said...

Amazing giveaway!Thanks for the chance.
Pretty bracelet.
gfc-ne-knopka

Anna

ksurty@aol.com

an ika said...

pin-http://pinterest.com/pin/48765608436633277/

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