Knit and Natter Friday.

It’s been a nice week. The sun has shone and late Summer is here. On Monday Mr E went to a car boot sale, and whilst he trawled the stalls for cheap bargains (none ), I had a walk round the village. Then we went onto a plant fair at Newburgh Priory

Turns out I had a lot of plants that were on sale already, so I was not tempted to buy. We had coffee and cake , homemade lemon cake,  super delicious, and then a walk round the gardens.

There were some quite lovely views across the fields.

Yesterday we went to the moors for a heather hunt. Too late in the season as the heather was well past its prime. But we were rewarded with a steam train at Grosmont on our way home.

Knitting has gone well this week. I have two finishes. A cardigan for Little Miss F, which I am sure is too small.

I think she will like the buttons.

And Morgana, who is turning out to be a fairy with attitude. I knew it.

She thinks she should feature in every post I do from now till the day she goes to live with Little Miss F.

She quite got the hump when she saw she didn’t make it onto the post about books, after all she said she started life in a book. She is trouble.

I have finished the 7th tile on my crochet blanket. If I can I will crochet tile 8 next week and will have the second row completed to show you.

The jumper for Master T is growing quickly. Not sure he is going to like the colours or the style, but I think a little sister might.

Front done and back nearly done. The colours are even brighter than in this picture.

The weekend looks promising for us with a traction engine rally. I do love traction engines.

Oh and I am off to the Quilt Show in Harrogate shortly. Just to look you understand. Absolutely no shopping. No , none, really, none, nothing, no not even thread, zilch.

So do you have any plans for the weekend? I so look forward to reading all the comments. I shall be back this afternoon, completely empty handed.

Have a great weekend,

Be Happy

Cathyx

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Knit and Natter Friday.

‘Fraid so, another Friday has arrived. Bank Holiday weekend for us in the UK. When I was at work that extra day at the weekend made such a difference. Now I hardly notice it, except to feel a little sad that I don’t have my library shift to do on Monday, which I love doing so much. Don’t get me wrong for the few hours I am there it is hard work, with computers, books, photocopying, tourist information and goodness knows what other queries to keep us busy, but gosh I do enjoy those hours.

Been a quiet week here. If you don’t have children the school holidays are quite empty in some ways. Normal life is in suspension. I have been using the cooler weather to catch up with things. Cleaning, sorting, tidying things, necessary and therapeutic in some ways. I assembled all the papers I need for this years self tax assessment, not that I trust myself to complete it, but everything is neatly filed for the accountant to complete it for me, only she is on holiday..

The theatre trip- The 39 Steps- was great. Very funny. The production goes on tour now to Wales.

Mr E had a good follow-up appointment yesterday, all is progressing fine. Such appointments exhaust us both.

I sorted out a book-case. I looked at the old paperbacks I had rescued from Dad’s home, over two years ago and decided it was silly to have them when it meant my own books were on the floor where I could never find them. I actually had to argue with myself that just because he had scribbled his initials on the front page of one with the words Newcastle 1976, didn’t mean it was worth keeping or that my sons would want the battered Alistair Maclean book just for the inscription.. Anyway those books have made it to a carrier bag and one day may get to a charity shop.  Meantime I have a wonderful shelf of knitting and craft books. Not all of the knitting and craft books I own, because I have two more shelves full, but at least there are no more on the floor.

But enough natter. Knitting is going well. The fairy, ah the fairy. Quite a going on getting her face right, it was the ears you see. One went beautifully, but the second ear was a disaster, nay a catastrophe. I decided to remove the ear and begin again. Only I had stitched it down so well I had to take scissors to it whilst being careful not to cut her face. Course I then had to make another ear.. All is well. Her hair though I say it myself is rather grand. All she needs is wings then she is done. She is a fairy with sass. Can’t wait to see show her, but she demands that she is not being photoed till she is ready.

I found myself on the way to the hospital yesterday noticing people. Look at that lady with the green hair and the black dress and leggings, she would make a great looking fairy, even down to her black and white trainers. And as for the lady with the red hat, pink dress and red shoes, she was crying out to be a model for a fairy.

Little Miss F’s short-sleeved cardy which looks far too small for her, just needs buttons.

Which means I have made a start on the this jumper for Master T.

The colours are even more vivid in real life.

When you have 17 projects in the pipeline all complete with yarn and pattern, how do you decide which to do first? I decided the best way was to start at the top of a bag of stash and just work down. Love to know how you decide which project to work on and when.

Right that is me done for today. I appear to have reserved no less than three books at the library, which are ready and waiting for collection, in addition to the three I  have already borrowed, so I may be reading rather a lot this weekend. As well as freezing plums. We have a good crop this year.

So, what is everyone up to this weekend? Do join in the natter. Last week was wonderful, we went off in so many directions, I loved it, especially as two of you found you lived in neighbouring states.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Be Happy,

Cathyx

Knit and Natter Friday.

The British Wool Festival I went to last week was small but utterly wonderful. Held in the Livestock Auction centre in York,  it was a good venue with lots of car parking spaces and some truly wonderful exhibitors.

Not only was there wool, there were  real live sheep too.

Aren’t they wonderful, and rabbits  too, Angora rabbits to be precise.

I had no idea how soft their fur was, no wonder Angora yarn is so gorgeous.

There were lots and lots of yarn stalls, but I kept clear of them as I did not want to be tempted to buy more yarn. However, there were so many other exhibitors to see I didn’t miss visiting yarn stalls, and plenty of opportunites to talk about wool.

The U3A, they had made twiddlemuffs and you got to choose your favourite and the one with most votes would receive a little prize. Look carefully at the middle row, right had side, the green one- it was a football pitch with a ball etc. So clever. Next door to them.

The Embroiders Guild, and some fabulous work in wool and mixed threads.

I loved this stall

Lone at Mad about Wool (It’s a facebook page , no website) .Lone told me she has three other chairs like this, only different, one was a seaside theme , but I forget the other two. She was knitting while we chatted, I have never seen anyone knit quite so fast.

Isn’t it wonderful?

In addition there was

rug making

weaving

spinning,a group called the Ludites and  another – the Vikings, demonstrating historical skills.

soaps, hand creams etc made from wool fat

the Rare Breeds  Association and the St Nicks recycling centre from York, and I am sure things I have forgotten to mention.  Whilst I was extremely good and didn’t buy any wool , there was a little retail therapy going on.

The pink fluff in the box is for a needlefelt fairy, the buttons for book marks and  some little pieces to embroider. All in all a very enjoyable outing.

Meantime my knitting is coming on again. The fairy is under construction

Next stage is a face and some hair, then the wings ,then all done.

The cardigan for Little Miss F is going well. I was shocked how once it cooled down and my brain was fully functional ( for me) the lacy pattern became a doddle. Now half way up the back. It may even be worthy of a picture to share next week.

The second tile on the second row of the Eastern Jewels blanket is done too. Ends still need tidying though.

And that is about it for the weekend.

We have a theatre trip tomorrow- The 39 Steps at Scarborough. I got the tickets as part of Mr E’s birthday, hope he enjoys it.

Other than that, not much happening for the rest of August. I have a place on the bookbinding workshop, but that’s not till September.

So, over to you, do tell us your plans for the weekend, how are you crafting in the heat/ cold/ just right temperatures?

One of my many paid jobs I had was to visit the elderly, stock question to ask was ” what do you know?” meaning tell us the news!

So what do you know? And thanks for dropping by,

Be happy,

Cathyx

 

 

 

Knit and Natter Friday!

Do you ever try to do too much at once and feel as if your head is in a spin? I don’t know which way is up at the moment. Trying so hard to focus on one thing, then I go off at a complete tangent several times, aagh! How do I stop myself from creative melt down. So many questions too, so I go on-line , and then get side-tracked by You tube.

Can someone please tell me what is Gesso and what is Mod Podge, and when do I use them? I have looked on-line, but everyone and every thing seems to know what is what already, and I don’t.

I have fished out all my craft supplies and fabric and paper, inks, paints, it’s all over the floor and bits of things are drying everywhere. I can’t move.

And it’s June, which means it’s time for Go Wild. ( month in which you try to do something nature related or go outside, for 15 minutes a day). I wrote down everything I thought of doing, going to, making and realised I would still be at it 12 months later.

Trying to slow down, I am commited to nothing, I just want to do everything, now.

I even have nature themed knitting projects to do, but first I really absolutely want to finish this cardigan for Little Miss F. I have even found the perfect dress from M&S to go with it,and Summer is nearly upon us.

Only the front bands to do, sew up the seams, embroider some flowers ,buy and stitch on some buttons. The flowers are at least vaguely nature related, I suppose.

The problem is I have been reminded of my own mortality this year. I’ve just deleted the sentences that followed. Let’s just say we are not out of the woods re Mr E yet, just when we thought we were. Decisions,implications and fears rush round my head chasing the paper and the yarn thoughts.

Enough.

One thing at a time. Today. Shall I go shopping and buy a christening present and then go a walk, or shall I visit a tiny castle and a nature reserve on my way home?

Tell me does anyone else get in a complete muddle with what they want to do, and how do you calm yourself down?

Tomorrow a nearby village is having Open Studios, and I really want to go there, quite a nice churchyard too, and a cafe.

Sunday, Scampston Hall has a plant sale. Monday is library day. We think we might use out bus passes to go to Whitby next week too..

After all it is the most scenic bus route in Britain. –officially!

Do check out the video in the link above and look out for the Hole of Horcum

and Goathland

and know that I only give you the best of Britain on my blog!

Feeling calmer already just having a natter with you all. Thank you for reading.

Love to know your weekend plans, and how do you stop yourself from getting a r ight old dither?

Be Happy,

Cathyx

 

Knit and Natter Friday!

Wasn’t the weather last weekend just wonderful here in the UK? The view from through the French windows  early in the morning with the sunlight playing on the hedge just filled me with joy.

As did my son and Mr B and his fiancée Miss G. They were lovely visitors. Encouraged Mr E ( who is doing well) with laughter and words, and helped me so much in the garden, chopping down ivy from the garage roof where I couldn’t reach and helping me with scary new lawnmower which turned out not to be scary at all. They deserved a cuppa in a local cafe.

After they left on the Sunday I took some flowers to my Dad’s grave. It would have been his birthday this week and I wanted some quiet moments of reflection.

Then I took a walk round the village and browsed an antique shop as you do, and GUESS WHAT. I found a WW1 sawdust heart, priced £75 , way beyond my pocket.

But it shows everything I had been reading about them. The use of preprinted pictures. The circles are called coloured wheels, there are sequins and beads, and the edging has braid and tassels. The only surprise is that it is actually much bigger than the one I have to make.

So this week I have added seed beads to the letters on mine. These just got lost in the felt. Next I tried adding sequins, but try as I might I couldn’t get them legible across the heart, it is too small and if I made the letters bigger the word Remember no longer fitted in , added to which they just looked garish. Out they came. However, I must say I can see why they were used for soldiers with shell shock, pushing the sequins, beads and pins in was very therapeutic.

So I settled for adding yellow to the stitching and made a composite stitch. I added just three sequins on the front, and now I am living with it , to see what I think. Across the back I added a short row of sequins to join the backing fabric together. I very much wanted to have some sequins somewhere, as per the instructions, to pay homage to the occupational therapy for the soldiers of WW1.

Yarn and Pencil wrote a wonderful post about junk journalling. Oh my does it look good , but also such fun. I admired her creativity. I looked at the materials. I thought I have kept oodles of paper and well stuff from other crafts and bits and bobs pulled off everything. Could I make one? Cue, massive rummage through all my boxes of goodies. Then a rummage round charity shops. Then a trip to the craft shops. Now the floor in the guest bedroom is littered with , well , junk. All I need now is the courage to get going.

There are 1000s of You Tubes on the subject, mostly from the USA, so I have been trying to figure out which glue does what. And what is the difference between junk journals, scrapbooking, art journals, smash books etc. I am now over thinking the whole thing. And although there are all these You Tubes, there don’t seem to be any books or very little written down anywhere. I really do like the idea of putting all my stuff to some use. Watch this space as the saying goes. Have you ever tried jounalling and have you any handy tips to pass on please?

Sandra at Wild Daffodil posted an update on her coastal crochet blanket, which is lovely btw, but resulted in a flurry of comments, culminating in a visit to Nudinits webpage. Oh my! I did laugh. Do check it out for a good giggle, thank you Sandra.

From there it was a short hop over to Amazon, where I thought I might buy the knitting book, till I read that only two characters were in the book. But Amazon don’t let you go that easily. “Here are some books others looked at.” they say. WHY, did I fall for that old chestnut? Needless to say two books are now on their way to me, which come on, I really don’t need. Have you seen my cupboards, floors, corners of all the rooms? Do I need some sort of therapy? I wonder is there a book for that…. no, don’t go there.

You see I have a reputation to live up too now. It was St George’s day this week and Little Miss F’s nursery was doing all about St George and the dragon. Miss F just had to take in

You know who. Apparently, and I have this on good authority via the teachers and Mrs T, that Little Miss F said ” MY NanaCathy made this. She can make ANYTHING”.

So of course I need oodles of stuff don’t I?

Which is all a very long way of saying there is not much output to share this week. The Sunday scarf is a bit longer and a lot wider. And the Eastern Jewels tile blanket has a corner and a triangle and part of the next tile.

And a few more ends to stitch in.

A gal can’t do everything now , can I? Unless anyone knows a way of making all the things and have a clean house and food on the table and a pretty garden.

One last picture to finish with.

You just can’t beat a picture of blossom and blue skies. Who knows the rain may hold off a little this weekend , so we can enjoy more of the same.

Love to know your plans for the weekend, mine include,yarn, paper, glue, thread oh and maybe some floor cleaning. That would be me using the stuff I have, it counts as tidying doesn’t it, if I lift it off the floor and do something with it.

Have a great weekend and Be Happy,

Cathyxx

Knit and Natter Friday.

Once again thank you for all your good wishes and kind words for Mr E. I am delighted to say he came home on Monday , and we are both learning to adapt to the new reality. He is doing great.

The weather has helped. We have been basking in glorious sunshine in North Yorkshire. Nature has gone into over drive. In the space of a week the frogs have laid spawn and we have tadpoles; bees and butterflies have reappeared, and I am told that swifts and swallows are here. I shall keep looking for them. Spirits have lifted. Mr B and Ms G are coming to lend me a hand this weekend. We may even figure out how to use scary new electric lawnmower, between the three of us. All new gadgets terrify me, especially if they can fuse the house soon as look at you.

With spirits lifting the urge to create has returned. One Unicorn now on its way to Wiltshire.

She wouldn’t tell me her name, she says she will whisper it to Little Miss F, who I am sure will be delighted with her as she only eats chocolate apparently. I suppose that’s what happens if you are made over Easter.

I completed the first tile for my blanket.

Not at all certain I followed the instructions correctly for the cross over double trebles but heigh ho, who is going to know?

I decided I better  get a wriggle on with my WW1 sawdust heart. I decided I would cover it with  a pillow cover type thingy, incredibly I did manage to follow the instructions for this. I spent a long time thinking about what I wanted to say with my heart. I remembered a few lines from a poem by Laurence Binyon entitled For the Fallen. This is the verse.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

I have previously made some felt of a sunset and done nothing with it. It seemed right to use this.

I wanted the words remember me to be included within the sunset. However I think the effect is too subtle. Now the point of sawdust hearts is that they are decorated by using sequins and beads pinned into the heart. Should I use seed beads to go over the letters do you think, or embroider the letters with a more contrasting thread. Thoughts and ideas please.

I should add that I making this in memory of my Great Uncle from Liverpool who died in December 1917 of wounds.

Finally I have been doing a little knitting, on my Sunday Scarf, which is asymmetrical and the pattern is just two lines long and is copyrighted by its owner on pain of something absolutely awful happening to me should I divulge how you make it this shape. The best thing is I can knit this  whilst being too tired for anything else.

Hoping so much that this warm weather continues for a while, it makes everything feel just that little bit brighter.

May the sun shine on you this weekend,

Be happy

Cathyx

Knit and Natter Friday!

Good Morning Everyone. February has arrived and with it the promise of Spring to come.

At least up here in the Northern Hemisphere. The snowdrops are popping up on almost a daily basis. Just lovely.

My lion is looking resplendent behind the tubs of primulas.

It’s been wonderful to read the posts from those who took part in the RSPB Garden Bird Count. I meant to include  a picture in my post of the rather ingenious feeder Mr E made from a plastic bottle.

The bottom part  he made on the 3D printer. Just as brillaint is the funnel he made from another plastic bottle with another 3D printed connector to the feeder. Clever chap all told.

He’s poorly still I am afraid with what turns out to be the late-term effects of the cancer treatment he received nine years ago. Long story short, he is due an operation next week to see what can be done to help improve things. Hoping it doesn’t get canceled at the last minute. We only found out the date 6 days ago , so trying to get our heads round it all. Meantime we soldier on.

I have enjoyed reading some posts recently about people who signed up to various craft/crochet boxes. Once a quarter or once a month through the post comes a box of goodies, a little project or two, a tea bag, something tasty to eat, maybe a picture. Oh they look nice thinks I , but I don’t need any more projects, but I can do the rest my self. So I found a nice picture postcard in the newsagents and some hyacinths in Morrisons and an ornament of Mums, so all I need is a mug of Earl Grey , a tasty biscuit and some small project and I am away.

Thanks for all the help with the crochet bag last week. I honestly don’t know where I would be without you. I have stitched in all the loose ends and although the joins are less noticeable I think I shall go with the Snails idea and crochet extra flowers to cover up the seam that isn’t.

Meantime the dragon progresses.

Left wing done. Right wing awaits construction, then back feet and claws front and back. Maybe I will get him/her finished this weekend. Stand by your beds for the big Tahdah moment.

I have been swimming three times in January and have so completed the 17 swims for 2017, just four weeks late. I am still working on 14, but I resolved the 15 books read from the heap by the bed. If you recall I had faltered after 12. I had a long hard look at the ones that remained and bagged them up for the charity shop. Result, no more heap by the bed. I know some brave souls are doing 18 for 2018, how are you getting on? No goals for me this year and that is good, no pressure!

Quiet weekend for once coming up. May get out in the garden. I had an hour outside on Wednesday and chopped down more ivy. The sun was shining but the wind was positively arctic so I gave up and came in.

This morning I am off to the hairdressers, I can’t see out from under my fringe, high time for a trim, and then who knows…..

What are your plans this weekend, do tell please.

I love your comments, please do join in with the natter love to hear from you all.

Have a good day, and Be Happy,

Cathyx

 

 

 

 

Knit and Natter Friday!

Well Gosh is all I can say. And that’s a fib for a start as I have lots to say,, but hasn’t the last week just gone by in a great big flash, and gosh again, it will be 2018 next time I write a Knit and Natter post. So, did you all have a super Christmas? I have loved seeing all the Secret Santa posts this week. It’s clear we all love the research and the plotting and planning and making every bit as much as the anticipating and squealing and squishing and being bowled over by our gifts. And did your nearest and dearest love everything you gifted them I wonder.

Baby J does not look too impressed with my contribution, and as for that dog Coco, he of the unmentionable smells

He had pulled the beak off the duck by tea time, not that I made that but.. well honestly. Dogs!

We were in London with my son Mr J and family and had a jolly nice time. A lovely walk on Christmas Eve on Epsom Downs followed by a Christingle service, which was nice but so crowded, still I did get to sing my heart out and was thrilled that Master H appeared to know all the words and sang like a trooper. But when did churches decide that prams were a fire hazard and all babies had to be removed  from their snuggly nests. Baby Jesus, they sang had a bed of hay, but not so the little children of the congregation, they can just freeze. I mean honestly how unwelcoming is it to be told babies are a fire hazard. Never mind the d**m candles they can be lit, but ….. sometimes you do just have to wonder.

One of the joys of being the older generation is you don’t have to cook the turkey. Oh you can lend a hand with the table, and the sprouts and give an opinion on whether something is cooked, but you get to sit down and relax and then Voila a feast is set down before you. I thought I would miss being in charge and the centre of the steam, but no , not one bit. Being the older generation , and “you just sit there”, turns out to suit me well. I taught my sons well, as the chef was my boy Mr J.

Gifts, did you receive something divine? Mr E had listened to me, which might be a first.

I had really fallen in love with this book from the RSPB, and then I had this too

Oh my, from Attic 24, I have gifted these to others but had never received one myself, so happy.

But first to finish the two crochet blankets. First the one from left over yarn which will be donated to the Repair Cafe as a raffle prize. The speed I was going just in the cafe itself it wouldn’t be finished for ten years, so I have got on and done the granny squares at home, now they just need joining together, after which I shall do the border and sew in the ends at the cafe.

Happy with the red, now not certain about the two yellow squares bottom left.

Last year I rather succumbed to making a lot of yarn purchases, mostly I blame the gremlin in the computer, but some of them were definitely just me. I thought I was over the tinsel yarn madness, turns out I am not.

You will not believe me if I told what these were for. So I won’t, but you can try guessing each week from now on.

Over to you now for some nattering, love to know if your hand-made gifts were appreciated, and if you received something that brought on a happy dance. What are your plans for creating this weekend? I read a blog a week or so ago which suggested we plant more flowers.

That sounds good to me, I have some primroses to put in tubs, am I mad in these temperatures? We have a sprinkling of snow and more forecasted. Never mind I shall just have to sit down and do some knitting or crochet or cross stitch, well someone has to..

I want to thank you all for joining in with my Knit and Natter posts, it is the natter that has made them so pleasurable to me to write and I hope for you too.

All the best for 2018,  remember the night is darkest before the dawn if the year is not starting out as you would wish, and if you are on a high right now, enjoy it every bit .

Be Happy,

Cathyx

 

 

 

 

Knit and Natter Friday

in which I am a complete numpty!

Last Friday evening there was a social event for the library volunteers. Off I toddled with my dips and veggie sticks as my contribution to the shared feast. The main door to the library was closed as it was after hours , so down the dark side alley to the back door I went. This is a bit spooky I thought , starting to compose a detective story involving muggings and dark alleys in my head whilst hurrying on to get into the warmth.

Next thing I know my feet have a mind of their own, I am grabbing for the hedge to catch myself and then wallop my face appears to be on the pavement. I sheepishly pick myself up and take myself into the ladies at the library, couple of grazes to the face which I wash and relief floods through me as I see number one best trousers appear unscathed. I emerge rather Bridget Jones like to the gathering and begin socializing with what I hope is the amusing anecdote of my misadventure. You know says Lorraine my co volunteer your forehead is beginning to swell. A little later Sue informs me I shall have a black eye by tomorrow.

Well of course they were both right, and Saturday morning was spent in A&E whilst I was checked out. A waiting room is conducive to the most incredible conversations. The chap opposite wanted told me about his operation on his prostrate, as he said not enough men talk about their prostrates.

All the world passes through A&E you know. I was very touched by a professional carer who was there with an elderly lady, she was so gentle with her and held her hand and stroked her head and talked softly and reassuringly with her while they went in and out of cubicles and back again.

One elderly lady told us that she had survived Lung Cancer and now she was Eighty. In part she attributed it to the fresh coastal air and the lovely people in the town.

So the two and a half hours passed quite quickly really. And I was pronounced ok too. But oh boy do I have a right good black eye. Only it’s the left one.

And the moral of the story is, when walking down dark alleys watch where you are putting your feet and do not spend the time pretending to be Agatha Christie. Although the dark alley would make rather a good location…

Enough. Let’s have some knitting, which is why you are here.

So we have the super cute baby flower grab toy. See the cabling. I groaned when I saw it, but it was done in a trice, well two evenings, turns out I can manage 14 stitches and two repeats of cabling without getting myself in a tizwaz. And the other side looks like this,

Bobbles! I can do bobbles too and not get lost on seven stitches. I shall just have to knit patterns in long thin strips. What next you ask, well I did ask for something yarn related for Christmas and I did happen to notice a squishy parcel arrive which wasn’t opened by Mr E on arrival. Maybe , maybe something for me…. In the meantime this came for me

Secret Santa came, I have not opened it, I am sitting here just loving the box, a Christmas box, I never saw a Christmas box, my cup is over flowing already. Oh the treasures I can keep in it.

I posted off my Secret Santa too , I so hope it has arrived safe and sound. I can actually feel a bubble of excitement just looking at that box. A huge big thank to Sheila for organising this.

Are you busy cooking, or baking, I am baking, it’s so good to have the time to make homemade deliciousness.

Mr E requested homemade peanut butter biscuits. He even found the recipe on the internet. The mix made 58  biscuits. Fifty Eight! He says he shall eat them all. I think the words greedy wotsit might be appropriate.

I am off to bake some ginger chocolate coated Florentine biscuits now, much more to my taste.

So my lovely friends I wish you a very Happy Christmas, may the family not squabble, the dinner be perfect, your dreams come true, your parcels be squishy, your efforts be appreciated  and the tree remain upright.

Be happy,

Cathyx

 

 

Scrap Happy, Knit and Natter Friday.

Kate hosts the Scrap Happy Posts on the 15 th of the month, and as my knitting/ crochet this week has only used leftover yarn I thought I would share the link with everyone.

I am still knitting the baby toy. It will be finished before Christmas

It will be a flower grab toy!  I have to concentrate on the increases and decreases and the pattern and after three petals my brain seems to melt down, so I have been adding some crochet squares for the Repair Cafe blanket which was making slow progress when I only did at the cafe sessions.

I could see my natural tendency to stick to the same tonal range of colours was rearing its head again so added in some red which should liven it up a bit if it doesn’t completely wreck it.

Meantime while the rest of UK had snow we didn’t, which is just as well since we had a great big hole in the wall on Monday while the new door was fitted.

So much warmer now.

The Boxing Day Chutney was made on Friday, rather a lot of it. I wrote out 27 labels, but the jars are small. Here’s a link to the recipe.

Sorry about the picture , but you can see how pretty and pink it is. Just make half quantities!

Mr B came and sorted out his belongings. The dustbin is full. The shredding bin is full. I have been to the recycling centre, what else can you do with video tapes, and on Wednesday took 7 boxes of teenage paraphernalia to the charity shop. I have four bin bags of teenage t-shirts etc also to go to a charity shop, and for our pains we have a few empty shelves in a wardrobe and a bit of space on a bookcase. Not certain how he crammed all the stuff in.

Meantime I had a happy package in the post from the lovely Claire. Thank you so much Claire, so very kind of you.

Meantime thank you all so much for your kind words re Mr E, the medical appointments continue, but so far so good.

Today will be a day of little jobs about the house, bed linen changing, washing, a bit of shopping and so on.

One of the favourite things I undertake at this time of year is choosing the photos for our calendar and the ones which will go into our photo albums. It reminds me of all the happy times we had, from the big events of holidays and weddings to the lovely walks we took. My calender arrived this week and a big mountain of photos, so my happy task this weekend is to put the pictures into albums, I have separate ones for all the grandchildren, so that one day I will be able to give them an album of their childhoods. I love being able to look back on the year and recall the good times.

Hoping that amongst the business of this time of year you too have time to reflective  too.

Have a great week and Be Happy

Cathyx