The crafting NTO

It's been a while since I last wrote a crafting blog entry.  I've been busy with the other love in life Basketball.


Some of you might know that I will be a NTO (National Technical Official) at the Paralympics.  I am extremely honoured and excited to be doing this.  Today is the opening ceremony of the Olympics and I am really excited for my peers who will be attending in my home town of London.


I have had the privilege to officiate at a number of tournaments over the last few years, one of the biggest being the World Wheelchair Championships 2010 in Birmingham.  I got to meet lots of great people from all over the world and I also started knitting again.


So in between my games I would be knitting, I would get a few strange looks but it kept my hands busy so my nerves were kept at bay.  Fast forward to 2012 and I have been planning what to knit over the Olympics and Paralympics.  I have decided to knit socks and a shawl as well work on my long-term sock yarn blanket project.  I have called on friends to help me choose what patterns and yarn to knit.


The socks I am knitting are called Mixalot by a fabulous designer called Rachel and the yarn is from The Knitting Goddess.  The shawl I am knitting is Meandering Vines, this pattern is the same pattern I knitted two years ago at the worlds.

The socks have been started.

I am so excited about my involvement in the Paralympics and watching the Oylmpics that I could burst.  I am fully aware sport is not everyone's cup of tea but these events should be seen as positive things.

Mandeville & me

I thought it would be fun to get a mascot for the Paralympics.  My Mandeville mascot has been on his travels and I have been tweeting the pictures.  

 His first trip was on the bus in the West Midlands.

Then he went to MAC for a spot of knitting. 

After that he went further afield when we arrived at Stoke Mandeville train Station.

We got to find out more about how and who set up Stoke Mandeville.  This is Ludwig Guttmann.

The statue wasn't very tall or was that me that isn't very tall. 

Mandeville managed to watch some of the action at the European U22 Championships. 

He even made friends.

He did want to help me officiate, but I had to say no.

After the action we went out in the sunshine and met a carbon fibre Mandeville.

  

I thought I would get out of the way and leave Mini me to the limelight.  Can you spot my Mandeville amongst all his mates?

After a long week of officiating Mini me relaxed and helped with some knitting and jewellery making.

  

Woodland Wilf wanted a race in Stafford so Mini me couldn't say no.  It was a tight finish but Mini me won against the garden gnome.

Mini me whilst in Stafford managed to do some scrumping of apples.

He was rather successful and will be turning these into apple sauce.

On the day of the day of the opening ceremony Mini me enjoyed a late lunch in the West Midlands.

I hope you have enjoyed the story so far.  To be continued……………………….

Catch up

How many times do you hear "We must catch up?" and then you don't.  Quite a few I reckon, well since my last blog entry I have been kinda busy.


Near the beginning of June I officiated a tri-nations wheelchair basketball tournament. Then straight after I held my first creative networking event.  After listening to Rebecca from The Creative Careers Coach, it was so exciting to see people mingling and talking.  I can't thank Rebecca enough and everyone who came.  I will be holding another one but once my London 2012 commitments are over.


I have also been busy taking pictures of poppies as I have decided to update the website with some images.  One of my dearest friends got married and I got the chance to see some friends and old work colleagues I haven't seen in ages. 

I've also been sewing and knitting, I am now known to be knitting when I get downtime at Basketball tournaments.  So I thought I would try and get organised and made a case for my interchangeable knitting needles, I am really pleased with the final case.  I didn't follow a pattern but a knitting friend gave me some great advice and I followed it.

I have been knitting but as a lot of knitters will know I have lots of WIP's (Work In Progress) so no pictures at the moment.  I have made some new items for the website but I have not been happy with the photos so watch out for updates.