tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-326099162024-03-13T11:30:00.084+00:00KnitoramaPaulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.comBlogger566125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-18154344311366388522021-01-21T08:45:00.003+00:002021-01-21T08:48:30.087+00:00Some finished projects<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KF5LDEOmva4/YAk6f6tIQwI/AAAAAAAAomU/HhliBhlbxJ4zNwzmOLUp2lS-NfvtC-wqgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20201010_085019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KF5LDEOmva4/YAk6f6tIQwI/AAAAAAAAomU/HhliBhlbxJ4zNwzmOLUp2lS-NfvtC-wqgCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201010_085019.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">Socks for Myla-Rose.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s8AuOMECBRk/YAk6f9fvSDI/AAAAAAAAomU/eihiSXvqy1UaAF_d5J2w3KpKun3dD-_nACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20201120_115750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s8AuOMECBRk/YAk6f9fvSDI/AAAAAAAAomU/eihiSXvqy1UaAF_d5J2w3KpKun3dD-_nACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201120_115750.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">Cat cake for Willow.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bsMzSzPillk/YAk6f5GdhrI/AAAAAAAAomU/n-nHVAak_y8qe06-GtKJLqOFnIg1YR3vACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20201123_092537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="241" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bsMzSzPillk/YAk6f5GdhrI/AAAAAAAAomU/n-nHVAak_y8qe06-GtKJLqOFnIg1YR3vACPcBGAsYHg/w321-h241/IMG_20201123_092537.jpg" width="321" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">Knowe, design by Kate Davies, for me.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xlqyqkbtLEc/YAk6f-RgFiI/AAAAAAAAomU/n99Igcs3aaQkZTlwTz4gMhstqf3mVH3KwCPcBGAsYHg/s4623/IMG_20201123_092431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4623" data-original-width="3460" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xlqyqkbtLEc/YAk6f-RgFiI/AAAAAAAAomU/n99Igcs3aaQkZTlwTz4gMhstqf3mVH3KwCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201123_092431.jpg" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--VIqW8AO-BY/YAk6f8W2TCI/AAAAAAAAomU/YEBRHSEpSKAlsz_Yl6lO4UN3FEUogEfiACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20201127_143445_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--VIqW8AO-BY/YAk6f8W2TCI/AAAAAAAAomU/YEBRHSEpSKAlsz_Yl6lO4UN3FEUogEfiACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201127_143445_1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">Cardigan, for me.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eKbFz7T-vHo/YAk6f9hyWpI/AAAAAAAAomU/tfMlje68HCsX0JEYtrC0FYVo2gi_p3LqACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20201127_150126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eKbFz7T-vHo/YAk6f9hyWpI/AAAAAAAAomU/tfMlje68HCsX0JEYtrC0FYVo2gi_p3LqACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201127_150126.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">With buttons.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHzmL8GsnDU/YAk6f2T69ZI/AAAAAAAAomU/qe0vDGfU3M8ERDbAWUI7ZiYPFW-gcrupgCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201127_151723.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">Same cardigan design, gorgeous cherry-red colour, also for me.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHzmL8GsnDU/YAk6f2T69ZI/AAAAAAAAomU/qe0vDGfU3M8ERDbAWUI7ZiYPFW-gcrupgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20201127_151723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;"></span></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMxH3mc2_Zc/YAk6fwlgH1I/AAAAAAAAomU/9i8a_kxWYJgwYOsbc8g6FVz-4ogdoLImQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20201127_163153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMxH3mc2_Zc/YAk6fwlgH1I/AAAAAAAAomU/9i8a_kxWYJgwYOsbc8g6FVz-4ogdoLImQCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201127_163153.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">With buttons.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LfpBBD3guNQ/YAk6fxidovI/AAAAAAAAomU/kO0uuaHsiMA-G8Q2BhAPWifw_nVmu34WACPcBGAsYHg/s3024/IMG_20201203_214545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2791" data-original-width="3024" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LfpBBD3guNQ/YAk6fxidovI/AAAAAAAAomU/kO0uuaHsiMA-G8Q2BhAPWifw_nVmu34WACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201203_214545.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">This is the beginning of Knowe, intended to be a small neck-warmer, and it works, just doesn't look stylish when it's on. But I still love it.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ci5xMbwW1E/YAk6f5DL96I/AAAAAAAAomU/lw2DxDd5vS4lVlbR9GyN75-36w712twBQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20201209_120043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ci5xMbwW1E/YAk6f5DL96I/AAAAAAAAomU/lw2DxDd5vS4lVlbR9GyN75-36w712twBQCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201209_120043.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">Socks using leftover wool from other projects.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r9dE-WfiiTA/YAk6fyjlrjI/AAAAAAAAomU/6KRzBalf1IEwBSq3HwV-en-INlhkY_XhQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20201211_202204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r9dE-WfiiTA/YAk6fyjlrjI/AAAAAAAAomU/6KRzBalf1IEwBSq3HwV-en-INlhkY_XhQCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201211_202204.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">I made my own Christmas cards this year using lino print.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CZmsspqxe-U/YAk6f_4NT9I/AAAAAAAAomU/9y6rdrfiZPIdMKeJwL6r0l8ZZ4cK72-PACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20201219_170300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CZmsspqxe-U/YAk6f_4NT9I/AAAAAAAAomU/9y6rdrfiZPIdMKeJwL6r0l8ZZ4cK72-PACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201219_170300.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">A gay Christmas ball.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFwILyLZvxo/YAk6f7cjwKI/AAAAAAAAomU/G9W3BjsZJPQYYEM2uSthDbWzJ5D80dezACPcBGAsYHg/s3144/IMG_20201219_220611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3144" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFwILyLZvxo/YAk6f7cjwKI/AAAAAAAAomU/G9W3BjsZJPQYYEM2uSthDbWzJ5D80dezACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20201219_220611.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">Or two. I used the Arne and Carlos template.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYDo9Rf7BnY/YAk6f3uACJI/AAAAAAAAomU/EkuvRPyZbFgmKrXLw8LYlf7LK2xkDDcWgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20210102_170632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYDo9Rf7BnY/YAk6f3uACJI/AAAAAAAAomU/EkuvRPyZbFgmKrXLw8LYlf7LK2xkDDcWgCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20210102_170632.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">I actually made a few mini Christmas Balls this year. Different designs. I'm sure I have the photos somewhere...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xq5E39DoHr8/YAk6f3Ufc4I/AAAAAAAAomU/voL6GG4CsZ8ZUBPt4vrpNtLBC2xncLTSgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20210110_210535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xq5E39DoHr8/YAk6f3Ufc4I/AAAAAAAAomU/voL6GG4CsZ8ZUBPt4vrpNtLBC2xncLTSgCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20210110_210535.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">Mittens, for me, using the basic mitten patten from the Folk Mittens book.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IR2Q7Mw1VKw/YAk6f1727nI/AAAAAAAAomU/_jIt0oarP0cJtKMFQJ4bxzHl7fxqsypBwCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20210112_214259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IR2Q7Mw1VKw/YAk6f1727nI/AAAAAAAAomU/_jIt0oarP0cJtKMFQJ4bxzHl7fxqsypBwCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20210112_214259.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">With thumbs.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AeXMNT8AtzY/YAk6fwBD1PI/AAAAAAAAomU/MylvCiI1vkoXDyfbhbeRK7YdHQekwRxZgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20210112_214144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AeXMNT8AtzY/YAk6fwBD1PI/AAAAAAAAomU/MylvCiI1vkoXDyfbhbeRK7YdHQekwRxZgCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20210112_214144.jpg" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmOTpoXKKgc/YAk6fxqf7pI/AAAAAAAAomU/l7qSnZoDUaInskKRjTb4N08xj73PNYWSACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20210117_144914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmOTpoXKKgc/YAk6fxqf7pI/AAAAAAAAomU/l7qSnZoDUaInskKRjTb4N08xj73PNYWSACPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20210117_144914.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: arial;">And just finished - at hat, for me. Pattern is by Kate Davies. I got another Sirdar Colourwheel (below), which I love. It's 80% acrylic, 20% wool. I don't usually use synthetic fibres, except when I buy sock wool, which usually has 15% synthetic fibres for durability, but I was given a Colourwheel a couple of Chistmases ago and it feels so soft, and light, but warm. And I love the changing colours. Never quite know what the finished items is going to look like. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HwMprhqY-38/YAk90rPh8TI/AAAAAAAAomk/P14Lkuh-wnkugqanxMrMy55GojaJZS_KgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20210113_110929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HwMprhqY-38/YAk90rPh8TI/AAAAAAAAomk/P14Lkuh-wnkugqanxMrMy55GojaJZS_KgCPcBGAsYHg/s320/IMG_20210113_110929.jpg" /></a></div>I've been in a knitting frenzy over the last month or so. While everything else is being thrown about in a tornado above my head, knitting is soothing, calming, focusing. And I am re-calmed every time I wear an item I've made.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-33916206241995785912020-08-26T13:27:00.008+00:002020-08-26T13:58:34.897+00:002020<div class="separator"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, what to say about this year? It isn't over yet.</span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Hagos was somewhere in Scandinavia when the first waves of Covid-19 started to wash across the world. He was on tour with Ash, and they drove from Scandinavia to Germany, chasing cancelled gig after cancelled gig before finally on Saturday, in Hamburg, there was an urgency to return home, as fast as possible. They booked a flight for the following day, but even that was in doubt and as the enormity of the situation revealed itself, they ended up driving overnight through Europe to London (in their tour bus), then hiring a car to drive from London to Edinburgh (dropping Mark and Becca off in Northumberland en route).</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The year had started so well with a New Year's gig in Dublin.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sRf8TATIOhs/X0Y5zfSJ0GI/AAAAAAAAlH0/bYG7Jc_YG_w0zuURlxgx-Jmp0xREY--dQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20191231_222834.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sRf8TATIOhs/X0Y5zfSJ0GI/AAAAAAAAlH0/bYG7Jc_YG_w0zuURlxgx-Jmp0xREY--dQCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20191231_222834.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eVKGa08yrno/X0Y5zQDQj_I/AAAAAAAAlH0/Jwcw6W97bXYgMqtgYEnrs6YBlEbeicwkACPcBGAsYHg/s4623/IMG_20200101_003437.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4623" data-original-width="3460" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eVKGa08yrno/X0Y5zQDQj_I/AAAAAAAAlH0/Jwcw6W97bXYgMqtgYEnrs6YBlEbeicwkACPcBGAsYHg/w245-h328/IMG_20200101_003437.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-myPD5lk6G9g/X0Y5zfFwyQI/AAAAAAAAlH0/by7VYfFal88SBfgyGYyicsvWe1mI0VaUQCPcBGAsYHg/s4623/IMG_20200101_001255_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4623" data-original-width="3460" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-myPD5lk6G9g/X0Y5zfFwyQI/AAAAAAAAlH0/by7VYfFal88SBfgyGYyicsvWe1mI0VaUQCPcBGAsYHg/w245-h328/IMG_20200101_001255_1.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z8ELwiNg1P0/X0Y5zRoEg3I/AAAAAAAAlH0/dic03WdOkEsdJwt3P_UkP_jxaLyFZOS7wCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20191231_180354.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z8ELwiNg1P0/X0Y5zRoEg3I/AAAAAAAAlH0/dic03WdOkEsdJwt3P_UkP_jxaLyFZOS7wCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20191231_180354.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It was so much fun.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What I've appreciated this year, and has helped my mental health, has been nature. Our bird feeder has fed a woodpecker family and a magpie family, as well as lots of little birds. My favourites have been the long-tailed tits who swarm en masse and are so cute. We also had a yellow hammer, which we'd never seen before. And a nuthatch family.</span><br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3moLh7xHgOU/X0Y8Y0yPkfI/AAAAAAAAlIA/XCM7wpeg2eAXEgmV4nziIVXle-8MdDUMQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200602_102437.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3moLh7xHgOU/X0Y8Y0yPkfI/AAAAAAAAlIA/XCM7wpeg2eAXEgmV4nziIVXle-8MdDUMQCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200602_102437.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A mix of nature and growing vegetables:</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yfv7kp_xfUM/X0Y-o3tR-tI/AAAAAAAAlIM/C6PQXBbiqgclo6BVUkBytsDF5LCcDsalgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200825_101422.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yfv7kp_xfUM/X0Y-o3tR-tI/AAAAAAAAlIM/C6PQXBbiqgclo6BVUkBytsDF5LCcDsalgCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200825_101422.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-at-nZ14NTpw/X0Y-o_heW7I/AAAAAAAAlIM/JGp5bocDcEgYEvi6nJc7TKTJCOho6A0PACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200822_151854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-at-nZ14NTpw/X0Y-o_heW7I/AAAAAAAAlIM/JGp5bocDcEgYEvi6nJc7TKTJCOho6A0PACPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200822_151854.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_9KLEA_Hisw/X0Y-o1-5UqI/AAAAAAAAlIM/A_iLj1uwY_Ue1YiAe9MsNBeHXhPsXcSugCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200821_130549.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_9KLEA_Hisw/X0Y-o1-5UqI/AAAAAAAAlIM/A_iLj1uwY_Ue1YiAe9MsNBeHXhPsXcSugCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200821_130549.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vpNOWOcaVN8/X0Y-ozBBzwI/AAAAAAAAlIM/nQ1TdGsCMwsENaFvmKJ0GhEWcQlkLIA6gCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200613_164913_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vpNOWOcaVN8/X0Y-ozBBzwI/AAAAAAAAlIM/nQ1TdGsCMwsENaFvmKJ0GhEWcQlkLIA6gCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200613_164913_1.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rug4iI3RD2k/X0Y-oxoWgqI/AAAAAAAAlIM/R48V_1l7Hkkw8PEzXFV9tvGM5BUd00fZwCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200613_163713.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rug4iI3RD2k/X0Y-oxoWgqI/AAAAAAAAlIM/R48V_1l7Hkkw8PEzXFV9tvGM5BUd00fZwCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200613_163713.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UZCbqM4N8-w/X0Y-o3SaL3I/AAAAAAAAlIM/p09uN7py0mMxmZW7sXqKHaExeTD-UTDWgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200325_173517.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UZCbqM4N8-w/X0Y-o3SaL3I/AAAAAAAAlIM/p09uN7py0mMxmZW7sXqKHaExeTD-UTDWgCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200325_173517.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And finally being able to see friends and family again. The animal friends have been crucial.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hiQKIbhwG4o/X0ZASbVbrUI/AAAAAAAAlIc/i1SA-U2q-94pJtofkMnl7fX3UpAg8vM2wCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200822_150327.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hiQKIbhwG4o/X0ZASbVbrUI/AAAAAAAAlIc/i1SA-U2q-94pJtofkMnl7fX3UpAg8vM2wCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200822_150327.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INVC3mk0ces/X0ZASeAqSWI/AAAAAAAAlIc/zhlI7kCVlRgsKmovm90EAmjGdQWYZiPVQCPcBGAsYHg/s7969/PANO_20200815_162537.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="7969" height="82" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-INVC3mk0ces/X0ZASeAqSWI/AAAAAAAAlIc/zhlI7kCVlRgsKmovm90EAmjGdQWYZiPVQCPcBGAsYHg/w328-h82/PANO_20200815_162537.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fDUOdwOTQ34/X0ZASdpAM7I/AAAAAAAAlIc/kvvPYRzveOAkSP1_yuSHVSlUyggU-jT-gCPcBGAsYHg/s4623/IMG_20200517_081147.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4623" data-original-width="3460" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fDUOdwOTQ34/X0ZASdpAM7I/AAAAAAAAlIc/kvvPYRzveOAkSP1_yuSHVSlUyggU-jT-gCPcBGAsYHg/w245-h328/IMG_20200517_081147.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--N6h_DCq_NE/X0ZASYhO46I/AAAAAAAAlIc/IzjM1D61hPwx-3biz-Eo3O59E4WEQZ9kgCPcBGAsYHg/s4623/IMG_20200501_132655.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4623" data-original-width="3460" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--N6h_DCq_NE/X0ZASYhO46I/AAAAAAAAlIc/IzjM1D61hPwx-3biz-Eo3O59E4WEQZ9kgCPcBGAsYHg/w245-h328/IMG_20200501_132655.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">We even managed to film a music video! If you Google Donkey Sanctuary, Kill Kill Daffodil you'll see a fun sight and a great tune:</span><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dp2lZrf3ljs/X0ZJO5E-KBI/AAAAAAAAlIs/r207KYphiEwgWmjgAC4ZvETX2r2PChhqgCPcBGAsYHg/s1080/IMG_20200423_142933.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="995" data-original-width="1080" height="302" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dp2lZrf3ljs/X0ZJO5E-KBI/AAAAAAAAlIs/r207KYphiEwgWmjgAC4ZvETX2r2PChhqgCPcBGAsYHg/w328-h302/IMG_20200423_142933.png" width="328" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I have managed a few craft projects: hand warmers; <i>masks</i>, of course; socks for my newest great-niece Myla Rose; a keyring for Rick (embroidered drawings by his daughters) Merchant and Mills Fielder dress, which I made from cheap Ikea fabric, dyed and then knitted the cuffs and neckband for (pinned on for now, still to be sewn on); kids' masks for Willow and Freya; bean bag chickens for two friends; a knitted phone cover for my work phone; and I've almost finished the second sleeve of the yellow cardigan. Mostly small projects, but I've made more than I realised.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fECFc4_n5Rk/X0ZfXeKMijI/AAAAAAAAlI4/mF_se93V7PMF7yYj9hvsS9n44facT1JSQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200816_010309_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fECFc4_n5Rk/X0ZfXeKMijI/AAAAAAAAlI4/mF_se93V7PMF7yYj9hvsS9n44facT1JSQCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200816_010309_1.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pBVm07NtMxk/X0ZfXeaynwI/AAAAAAAAlI4/N2XjIDIGAYEw_zUZtYkPLn0Z75IdLKPcACPcBGAsYHg/s3024/IMG_20200814_152106.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3009" data-original-width="3024" height="326" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pBVm07NtMxk/X0ZfXeaynwI/AAAAAAAAlI4/N2XjIDIGAYEw_zUZtYkPLn0Z75IdLKPcACPcBGAsYHg/w328-h326/IMG_20200814_152106.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VcS44YlamQ8/X0ZfXZUqx9I/AAAAAAAAlI4/G_rZ1Pe-07cUT6topoGNQAzf0YFeXxhEgCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200504_022914.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VcS44YlamQ8/X0ZfXZUqx9I/AAAAAAAAlI4/G_rZ1Pe-07cUT6topoGNQAzf0YFeXxhEgCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200504_022914.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rhNV_dzeJnI/X0ZfXVlZ6tI/AAAAAAAAlI4/NiJixECSXskLWHii_tgVI00fLosD8pqzQCPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200410_073909.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rhNV_dzeJnI/X0ZfXVlZ6tI/AAAAAAAAlI4/NiJixECSXskLWHii_tgVI00fLosD8pqzQCPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200410_073909.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x6J-nkBzpDY/X0ZfXduPe3I/AAAAAAAAlI4/8wo88ioEQ-sePLeFjmnoavoHHbOCRaYaACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200402_111635_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="246" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x6J-nkBzpDY/X0ZfXduPe3I/AAAAAAAAlI4/8wo88ioEQ-sePLeFjmnoavoHHbOCRaYaACPcBGAsYHg/w328-h246/IMG_20200402_111635_1.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">And finally, we bought a piano just before lockdown. We did a crazy all day drive to the Midlands to pick it up. We were sold on it when we saw the seller's dad playing it in a recording. Lovely man. I've just started at the beginning of The Complete Piano Player, trying to erase bad playing habits and instil good ones.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWeunUKTgIk/X0ZhvD41T7I/AAAAAAAAlJE/G28z6tK5eN8vhRQyqJb3JzaN07kWHdvzACPcBGAsYHg/s4032/IMG_20200201_173152.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="328" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWeunUKTgIk/X0ZhvD41T7I/AAAAAAAAlJE/G28z6tK5eN8vhRQyqJb3JzaN07kWHdvzACPcBGAsYHg/w246-h328/IMG_20200201_173152.jpg" width="246" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">And now, the swallows are swirling in the sky, getting ready to migrate again. Always sad to see the swallows leave. The wild raspberry, strawberry, redcurrant, blackcurrant, and gooseberry bushes have gone over and are bare. We're waiting for the blackberries to ripen, along with the apples for cider-making.</span></span><p></p>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-89828884704491506402018-08-21T23:50:00.001+00:002018-08-21T23:50:41.081+00:00Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iSu8LZeyvOQ/W3ycEs8-OaI/AAAAAAAAY7I/3seL_8kJ1gYxa_2ygtkCn0H-cLoJ_RpQgCLcBGAs/s1600/39760664_10155876056118099_915680026710507520_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iSu8LZeyvOQ/W3ycEs8-OaI/AAAAAAAAY7I/3seL_8kJ1gYxa_2ygtkCn0H-cLoJ_RpQgCLcBGAs/s320/39760664_10155876056118099_915680026710507520_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(7, 55, 99);">I have been on a much-needed two week holiday from work and have spent my time reading, attending Edinburgh Book Festival events, walking, sewing and knitting. It has been FAB.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made the Merchant and Mills Fielder dress and I absolutely love it. It was such a satisfying make, partly because, finished, it could easily be a Toast creation, which sell for £80+. This cost me £16 in total in materials. The fabric was from Ikea, two metres at £4 per metre, and one metre of funky ribbing from the Merchant and Mills website, which cost just under £8. I'm already dreaming of making more. I'd like a black one next.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The blue is actually more of a petrol blue than the photos have captured. Warmer. And the photo doesn't show, but it also has side pockets. Actually, that's the only thing I would change next time I make it. I will insert the pockets slightly higher in the dress. They are about an inch too low, though still perfectly workable.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also finished this pair of socks. I don't remember the make of the wool but perhaps I mentioned it in my last post? I will be buying more of it because it was also good value at £8 a 100g ball and I expect to get two pairs out of it. There is nothing like hand-knitted socks. They are the ultimate in cosy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a silly, quick project, I also sewed myself reversible bookmarks. I'd like to make more as I often use bus tickets or a post it note as bookmarks and it somehow detracts from the reading experience. I love both of these. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My edge-stitching was better on the second one I made (the snowman/skater one). It's (silly) fun choosing the ribbons for the top too.</span> </div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm looking forward to Autumn, though for the first time in years I properly enjoyed the warm summer. I went for a walk a few days ago and noticed the cooking apple tree had begun to drop its apples already. The apple trees in our garden are still holding onto all of theirs. The next day I returned with a bag (and my friends and their daughters as helpers) and collected LOADS. We barely touched what was there. I hate seeing home-grown stuff go to waste. I promised the girls I'd make them apple pies, so will do that sometime this week. Part of the objective was having a project for the girls to expend energy, because they have a LOT of energy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have LOTS of plums on our plum tree this year, and while I'm <span style="caret-color: rgb(12, 52, 61);">pleased to have so many in its third year, I'm disappointed with their size. They're barely bigger than large grapes. Maybe next year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are lots of brambles forming, but I found one wee patch that were ripe already, so I picked them and had them with yogurt. Delicious.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always take the Book Festival off work, and I spent most of the first week attending events. I couldn't get tickets for a few events as they'd already sold out, but I took it as an opportunity to branch out and I'm so glad I did. Val McDermid was the most mainstream writer I saw. I've only read one of her books and should try a recent novel, I think. She's such a good speaker and is always intelligent, good-humoured and insightful.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hagos bought a 10 foot pool and it was a huge hit with all of our child friends. Even though the water was COLD, they were in the pool for hours! I mostly <span style="caret-color: rgb(7, 55, 99);">enjoyed floating on the lilo when it was really hot.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(7, 55, 99);">Heading into Autumn I'm looking forward to the new Kate Atkinson novel, Transcription, that is published in early September, as well as Strictly being back on TV, and Bake Off starting. </span></span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-73373750166045979072018-04-16T11:51:00.001+00:002018-05-12T08:30:31.149+00:00Makes, and my birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I turned 50 on Saturday, and I feel good at 50. We had a wee house party, and I ate a lot of cake and sugar and drank Champagne.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I like this photo of me and my wee friend Willow. We are around 46 years apart in age, but very similar in our appreciation of silly fun.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I haven't done much sewing and knitting this year as I'm working on making something else, but this wee chicken was a quick, silly, satisfying make.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Progress on my cherry red cardigan is slow, but every so often I have a spurt of activity and it grows.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been looking for sock yarn for ages, and I finally found this in John Lewis in Glasgow one day when I had time after going through for work. This photo was taken at night in artificial light and doesn't at all convey the rich, gorgeous purples/yellows/greens. Plus, it's so lovely to have hand-knitted sock(s) again. I forget how luxurious and cosy they feel. I have one pair of hand-knitted socks left and they are very worn. I love the yarn (I don't remember what it is but I'll be buying more this week). And, self-striping equals no effort so that's a win.</span></div>
<br />Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-56798817504288050102018-01-07T10:36:00.000+00:002018-01-07T10:40:01.287+00:00la fin de l'année<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were able to hold our Christmas Carol Singalong this year, as Hagos and Rick were both around. I think we last held it three years ago. It is basically anyone who can play an instrument (and I use the term 'play' in the very loosest of terms) accompanying the singers. So we have Hagos playing guitar and trumpet (he can actually play), I play piano, Lynsey plays flute and Pete plays guitar. Rick did play guitar and possibly a drum(?) last time but not this year. We also have jingle bells and shaky eggs etc for the kids to make a racket with.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was a riot this year! Summed up in Freya's facial expression above. What a cacophony! But it was great fun. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hagos and I drove to Dumfries on Christmas Day. My nephew and his fiancée had offered to host this year and they did a great job. It took me a while to adjust to my sister <i>not</i> hosting. For most of my life my parents hosted Christmas, until my sister took over just a couple of years before my mum died. Moving to my nephew's house meant adjusting to accommodate my niece-in-law-to-be's parents as well. It was great to see my great-nephew and great-nieces, and I think my dad really enjoyed it as well.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Christmas dinner was amazing, and Martin and Stacey had obviously gone to a lot of effort to make it lovely for everyone and they did a fantastic job. Everyone loved it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We also had about four days' worth of SNOW!!! Oh, it was so great to get up in the morning before anyone else was about, and to walk to the top of the hill behind our house and SLEDGE down it. I had such fun. I managed four runs before being unable to climb back up the hill for a fifth go. The view is - just - breathtaking. I love it up there.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Covered in snow at the bottom of the run.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was the final morning as the snow was beginning to melt. You can see the bottom of the Pentland Hills turning green in the distance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My friend Janie and I try to meet once a year now that we live so far apart. We became friends when we both lived in Tufnell Park, London <i>many</i> years ago. It doesn't matter how long we spend together we just chat chat chat chat chat, from the second we meet until the second we part. We love meeting in York because it means we can go to Bette's tea rooms. This year we were mega excited to get a table in the window in the corner. Luxury! You can see 'Bette's' reflected in my Champagne glass.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't think anything could top last year's new year. BUT, we went to our friends Lyns and Pete's house and started a fairly standard game of Pictionary that ended in a RIOT! There were two teams of three, and one team of two; we all eventually ended up on the last square, where it's an All Play, and the team 'owning' the go wins if they win that All Play. Ownership of the go kept ping-ponging between the McMonkeys' team and Hagos and Pete's team. My team (with Lyns and Jay) didn't get ownership for ages. But when we finally did WE WON!!! At one point it was so tightly contested that an innocent recording I took was forensically examined to determine who had shouted '<i>nostril</i>' first. I think we watched the clip about eight times.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I absolutely love this photo. It was one of those moments where I spotted the girls sitting in the window of Cocoa Black in Peebles (a <i>sublime</i> chocolate/coffee shop) and had the presence of mind to nip outside to take their photograph. 💚</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-36342942850733422282017-12-31T07:15:00.000+00:002017-12-31T07:15:00.799+00:00Alpaca Mittens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After bumping into a bunch of alpacas while out on a walk with friends, I was pleased to hear the place, BobCat Alpacas, had started selling undyed yarn from their fleeces! I was determined to buy some.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went with my friend to her daughter's school's Christmas fair where BobCat Alpacas had a stall and after much deliberation decided Petros was the alpaca for me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found a basic mitten pattern in my Folk Mittens book and off I went. It took me a while to get the gauge right and I had to opt for the 'large children's' size with a couple of amendments. It was only when I'd finished knitting both mittens I realised I had mis-read the pattern and used 4mm needles instead 3.5mm! (US size 4 = 3.5mm!)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From a 100g ball of alpaca, I have 38g left. The yarn is really soft and beautiful.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm pleased with the finished results and will definitely wear my mittens out. Brown isn't really my colour though and I don't have any other matching brown accessories so they'll probably just be worn on local walks.</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-51740966206367212232017-09-12T19:27:00.000+00:002017-09-12T19:27:23.134+00:00Slow Knitting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still not much knitting or sewing around here. I'm aiming to finish the second sleeve of #5 Chickadee cardigan. Then I'll pause it to knit some fun, quick things like Arne and Carlos's Christmas Balls. Maybe some mittens.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My wee friend Willow likes to play Duck Duck Goose when we're in the garden. She likes the fire pit lit too, to toast Marshmallows, - or Marshwillows as she calls them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These three get on remarkably well considering the age gaps. Willow, the wee one, adores JJ the biggest one. JJ is so considerate and great with both of the girls. Here he is indulging Willow eating a lot of his ice cream. It doesn't seem that long ago since he was the wee one attempting to eat other people's food.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This toad has been living in our wood shed for about a month now. He has a friend, who hides under a log every time we open the shed up. But this one just stays still. I love all animals so much and love having these two sheltering in our shed. </span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-35567685743377607472017-08-20T09:11:00.001+00:002017-08-20T09:11:59.261+00:00Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've done very little sewing or knitting this year. I've been reading and writing more. Out of necessity, I made these two phone covers for myself and Hagos. Hagos likes the Kaffe Fasset black material, so every time his phone cover wears out I make him the exact same cover. I like to change my phone covers, so when mine wears out I choose from all the scraps I have. I love this material. It reminds me of petals, or pistachios, or ice cream, as my little friend Willow thought they were.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also did a massive clear out of all of my wool and fabric leftovers. It's been a job I've been meaning to do for ages. It took ages as well and I had to be really honest about whether I would ever use some of the scraps I had left. I think I was fairly realistic with what I would never use again (10 year old Halloween fabric). Sorting the wool has been great though, and it's let me see what I have to work with. I have a few full balls as well as scraps, so will be able to turn those into mittens and socks and Christmas balls! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been on holiday from work this last 10 days. It's been bliss! I had booked a whole fortnight off over the Book Festival, but Hagos ended up being away on tour so I didn't want to use all of my annual leave while he was away, but I really needed a break of more than a few days from work so I took a week, which with my usual Friday off gave me 10 whole days. I went to a couple of Book Festival events - Eimear McBride and Garth Greenwell was the first. It was an event in conjunction with a MOOC (massive open online course) run by Edinburgh University called How to Read a Novel, which I've been doing. Both books were shortlisted for the James Tait Black Memorial Prize (McBride won). The second event I went to was Denise Mina. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I've been home alone for the past five weeks. One more week to go before Hagos returns from tour. The photo above is at Shepherd's Bush Empire. You can just see Hagos in the bottom left corner at the mixing desk. This was with Kate Nash. I went to the KN gig in Edinburgh, first time I've seen her live. I was impressed by her vocals (I've been to lots of gigs - not all singers can sing!), and by her audience engagement (some bands enter and exit stage without acknowledging the audience is even there!). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hagos then jumped straight onto the Ash tour. Their second gig was at Party at the Palace at Linlithgow, so I went along with my friend Noosh, the drummer's wife, and their daughters. This is us setting off!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was the first time Willow had seen her dad play a gig. The girls had a friend there too and they all had inflatable microphones to play with, which distracted them for a while, along with the smoke machine, which they loved. Towards the end they were dancing around.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love this photo Noosh took of Willow with Ricky Wilson from the Kaiser Chiefs. Moments before she had tried to get a selfie with Gok Wan, who was NOT in the mood. But Ricky was very obliging and good fun. I love that Willow just wants her inflatable microphone back. Don't forget who the real star is here, Ricky!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is me soon after being forced to climb up and then slide down a huge inflatable slide. The girls wanted to go on. The man with the slide assured me Willow wasn't too wee to go on it. Of course she got stuck almost at the top of the inflatable steps and the man said to me, it's fine for you to go and help her! Nothing except rescuing a child or animal in need would have made me climb up those steps but by this point she was stuck in the side of the steps with no way of getting up or down, so up I went, got her to the top thinking I would just get her to slide down and then I'd climb down by myself, but she wouldn't slide down by herself, and there were so many kids piling up the steps and then THROWING themselves down the slide, so down we both slid. Of course as soon as we were at the bottom she started climbing straight back up again, so up I went again, and down we both slid again. Thankfully by this time our time was up as it had taken so long to do two runs! I was starting to enjoy it after the second slide. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rest of my time has been hanging out with the animals, and re-watching Christmas Bake Off from last year. Made me a bit nostalgic, it was so good. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm looking forward to Autumn proper. Summer is my least favourite season. I like the light, and I like that I can wear just a skirt and top to go out, but I love Autumn and Spring the best, love seeing the seasons and countryside change, and I like cosying up too. </span></div>
Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-24463393668519089302017-06-12T12:45:00.000+00:002017-06-12T12:45:32.469+00:00Knitting, and Under the Sea<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been months since I did any real knitting (or sewing). Just lost the urge. But at the weekend I pulled out the Chickadee red plain cardigan I started knitting before Christmas and continued with the sleeve. It's a good TV-watching pattern so I expect to finish it in about a month's time.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On Sunday we went to see my great-niece Lucy performing in her Drama Club's production Under the Sea. She played a jellyfish and her costume was top secret until the day. It was a small theatre with probably around 50 seats, obviously filled with family of the cast, and Lucy's relatives took up two whole rows because she had her grandparents and great grandparents from both sides of the family, as well as aunts and uncles, cousins, siblings and parents. She is such an exuberant, infectiously happy girl. She was at the front for the final dance number and was just a joy to watch. We love her so much.</span></div>
Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-81767839810240339402017-05-21T19:17:00.001+00:002017-05-21T19:20:51.272+00:00Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have done virtually no sewing or knitting this year. Instead I have been thinking about time, and reading, and writing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My Granny had bluebells and hydrangeas in her garden, along with trees. I've been thinking of her increasingly over time. She was a very jolly, very loving woman. Kind and patient, with a good sense of humour. She was also a beautiful crocheter and would crochet cardigans for all the babies and toddlers in her life, as well as their dolls. I wish I had been interested in knitting/craft then so I could have learned from her. I would like to resurrect my Granny, and in resurrecting her my mum and aunts would also be resurrected.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For my birthday this year we went to Loudon's again. I love the atmosphere in the place, as well as the food and especially the cakes! And I was pleased my Edinburgh friends could come along to join me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The older I am, the more I love being outdoors. I especially love being outdoors with my husband. I love seeing nature change with the seasons. There are so many aspects I look forward to each year - the snowdrops, the daffodils, the potato-chitting, the swallows and house martens arriving, the long days and the LIGHT in Scotland in summer, BBQs and blossom and greenery and the smell of clothes dried in fresh air, bicycle rides, and then the cooler weather coming in, the leaves turning and falling, snow, sledging, cosying up in front of the fire. I feel happy outside. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two of my favourite younger friends. These two get on remarkably well, regardless of the age range. And they have a special affection for each other too, which is very sweet to watch. They are both amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Cool girls on bikes."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">THIS has become my favourite breakfast meal ever. I have always loved Weetabix, and happily had it every day, until I thought I'd try Weetabix with Chocolate Chips - WOW!! Whoever invented this deserves recognition. I could eat it all day, every day, forever.</span></div>
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<br />Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-56171179823909604042017-04-10T09:56:00.001+00:002017-04-10T20:44:36.897+00:00Knickers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I haven't made much recently - either sewing or knitting-wise. I've been doing slow rows on a pair of mittens, but otherwise, nada.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So when I needed a quick fix last night (I like to feel I've achieved something in a day - washing endless dishes doesn't count) I remembered this pair of knickers I'd <i>almost</i> finished but couldn't quite be bothered to elastic all the edges before putting it away last year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It probably took about an hour to sew the elastic on. I've sewn with elastic before while making my pyjama bottoms so am used to handling it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The finished result is ROUGH, but I set out with the intention of them being a test pair so wasn't too bothered. I was more interested in the mechanics of making them than the aesthetic of the finished product (polka dots aren't my thing).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Overall I'm really pleased with them. They fit! And they're fairly jolly. I toyed with adding an embellishment, but for now have left them plain. The elastic on the inside shows the stitching so next time I'll colour match the thread on both sides. And I'll raise the top of the knickers by about two inches! I like my knickers to come up to my waist. I have so many leftover bits of fabric that I will definitely make more. I also bought FOE (fold over elastic) recently so am excited to try that out. I can make a pair of knickers with off-cuts and FOE costing £1.50 per pair, which isn't bad. I could source some cheaper elastic and make each pair for 75p. I'll see. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The kit I used was this from The Makery. It contains everything you'll need. A fairly hefty price at £15 a box! But I was in need of cheering up at lunchtime one day and John Lewis haberdashery is always guaranteed to do that for me so it was £15 well spent.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yesterday I wore my daisy skirt with my hand-knitted moss jumper. I really love both of them, and I love being able to wear stuff I've made myself. It makes me so happy! I'm keen to wear all my summer skirts as the weather has been sunny recently but it is still actually cold, so I was glad I'd worn leggings as well.</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-60777687086385168962017-03-21T19:36:00.000+00:002017-03-21T19:36:40.149+00:00Wee Chickadee #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I finally finished knitting my great nephew Curtis's Wee Chickadee cardigan. I only had one sleeve to finish in the lead up to Christmas, but when I discovered I wouldn't be seeing him on Christmas day I stopped knitting. And only started again when I was heading to my great niece's birthday party at the weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was so happy that I finally found buttons I like, which happen to be a smaller version of the same buttons I attached to my own Chickadee cardigan. My cardigan, and Curtis's, have turned out to be the same design, and I'm really pleased with both of them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meg had to get in on the act when I was photographing them. It's all about <i>her</i> after all.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The secret to my dieting success is all about SNACKS! I'm very interested in my snacks and think about them throughout the day. The Digestive Thins and the Oreo Thins are really great for 1 1/2 syns each biscuit. I could have ten a day if I wanted to. And the mint flutes are great for 1 syn each. I have two with my coffee at work in the morning and they sweeten my mood before the chaos begins! (My work frequently feels like I'm having a bun fight while standing in a hurricane on a moving platform... Sometimes that's fun, and sometimes it's just tiring.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our hen Georgie has started laying eggs again, after a break of <i>months! </i>I wonder if it's because we have a cockerel now??? (I don't know anything about cockerels re-invigorating hens, it's probably just a fantasy.) Anyway, she lays gorgeous deep, reddy-brown eggs so they really add diversity to our egg colour palette. Both green egg layers are laying again too, the blue egg layer never stopped laying, and the girls who lay light brown eggs are laying well too. The wee eggs at the front are from my wee pal Tiger, who is a bantam hen. She has just gone broody again, which is a shame as I've been having two tiny Tiger eggs for tea every Friday night. And when I needed 4 1/2 eggs to make a cake recently I used her egg as the half.</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-70018543101018336992017-03-06T16:11:00.001+00:002017-03-06T16:11:50.002+00:00Slimming World vs Weightwatchers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQVOk55GbgU/WL17rUH1HdI/AAAAAAAAQow/SmiLN4WFH6ozXt5rxO98iEUAYd0lFKXAQCLcB/s1600/17097236_10154472062508099_4017500875209496654_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jQVOk55GbgU/WL17rUH1HdI/AAAAAAAAQow/SmiLN4WFH6ozXt5rxO98iEUAYd0lFKXAQCLcB/s320/17097236_10154472062508099_4017500875209496654_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been doing Slimming World for just over three months now, during which time I've lost 17lbs. It works on a really simple premise whereby certain groups of food are 'free', i.e. rice, pasta, potatoes, beans and pulses, fruit and vegetables. You're then allowed two 'healthy extras' each day - I always choose Weetabix and 350ml of skimmed milk - and everything else has a 'syn' value attached (chocolate, for example), and you're allowed 5 - 15 syns a day. It's an amazingly easy system to follow and I'm <i>never</i> hungry. Above is noodles with stir fry vegetables (all free). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About 7 years ago I lost 2 1/2 stone with Weightwatchers. I lost half a stone a month, and found the Discovery Points system fairly easy. On Weightwatchers everything is weighed and has a points value attached. When I did the Discovery Points system, I was allowed 16 points a day. Although I found it easy at the time, because I was determined, I felt hungry and had to pace myself through my food allowance for the day. Above is my version of Eton Mess - made with Muller Light yoghourt and Sweet Freedom Chocolate Shot. 3 syns.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I actually tried going back to Weightwatchers a couple of years ago, during which time they had moved onto the ProPoints system, which had more flexibility than Discovery Points. However, I found Weightwatchers no longer inspired me. I was bored of counting and weighing everything, and I was bored of being hungry while trying to lose weight.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when a work colleague had noticeably lost weight and I asked her how she'd done it, she explained the Slimming World plan to me and I joined soon after.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Between the two systems I much prefer Slimming World. Not being hungry while losing weight is a big bonus! It's also motivated me to <i>cook</i> for the first time. It means planning meals a bit more. With Weightwatchers it was easy to go into supermarkets and pick up a ready meal.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of my syns go on treats. I don't drink, so don't have to allow for alcohol. Above is a Fibre One chocolate fudge brownie (4 syns) and three Mint chocolate flutes (1 syn each).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have (temporarily, I hope) become a bit obsessed with following other Slimming World social media instagrammers who post everything they eat each day. It's a good way of picking up ideas and tips, but it's also really motivational to keep on track.</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-8541293139996365412017-02-25T10:02:00.002+00:002017-02-25T10:02:40.038+00:00Knitting, sledging, and getting into the new year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a slow start to the year. We were so busy at the end of last year that we've taken every opportunity to rest and slow down in January and February, though there have been busy pockets nonetheless.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I finally cast on the second sleeve of my great-nephew, Curtis's, cardigan yesterday. I haven't felt like knitting or sewing until now. I've been reading more, and writing. I'm knitting it in age 2, and he's currently 15 months' old, so it should fit him still and it won't take long to finish. I finally found buttons I like in John Lewis. I thought John Lewis was winding down its button selection but happily they'd replenished the stock when I went last week.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the finished cardigan will be exactly the same as my adult Chickadee snowflake cardigan. Same colour, same motif, same (smaller) buttons. I love these transparent, perspex, colour-tinged buttons. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've had a couple of snowfalls this month. Last weekend my friends and their girls visited and there was just enough snow left to go sledging! They hadn't been sledging before and they were so excited! We had a few good runs. It doesn't look like there's enough snow here to sledge but actually it worked out well as it wasn't as fast a run as when there is proper coverage. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And my wee companion. Hagos has been on tour this month, and Meg and I are such good friends. I absolutely love her. She's very cuddly at the moment. This is her exploring my fabric shelf in the kitchen cupboard.</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-20342802463590138132017-01-10T09:56:00.000+00:002017-01-22T19:35:10.427+00:00New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We had the most amazing new year at a castle in Northern Ireland. This is the view from the drawing room. It was a friend's 40th birthday. He hired the castle and invited sixty of his closest friends and family.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our friends Noosh and Rick were also there, along with other people we knew. Tim had also hired an amazing catering company to cater the whole weekend. We were first to arrive for the informal NI Afternoon Tea on the second day. We sat at the table and didn't move until we'd had our fill of soup, meringues, shortbread and cake. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our cottage was a short walk from the castle next to a donkey field. The donkeys were obviously used to charming people as they came running to get the apples we fed them. They were very cute.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first night we had a meal followed by a ceilidh. The second day was FULL of activities, a couple of which we ducked out of to get some rest, as in the evening it was the Rock-aoke! As the birthday boy is a musician, and a few other musicians had been invited, the other guests had all been asked to submit a song request, which the supergroup would play live. Above - Noosh and Rick's rendition of Parklife! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hagos, accompanied by Heather and Mike doing a glitter song (with appropriate head gear). In total Hagos played on thirty songs! It was mega.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We are both now recovering from the most horrendous flu ever. Four days of blank existence, punctuated by a hacking cough. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Noosh and I did a duet on Knowing Me, Knowing You, by Abba. The whole point of doing it was to do this video selfie during the middle eight. Our backing Supergroup consisted of, Hagos (Lodestar/Senser), Tim and Rick (Ash), Nathan (Snow Patrol) and Keith (We Are Scientists). It's all about the Instagram :)</span></div>
Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-9398600877483100422016-12-27T10:50:00.001+00:002017-01-14T09:55:18.439+00:00Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I only made two Christmas presents this year. The pink Wee Chickadee by Ysolda, for my great-niece Kelsie (in her Baby Claus outfit below), and a blue snowflake Wee Chickadee for my great-nephew Curtis. I finished sewing the buttons on Kelsie's cardigan on Christmas Eve, and only managed to knit half of one sleeve on Curtis's cardigan. It turned out I wouldn't be seeing him on Christmas Day so I decided to put it aside and finish it for the next time I'll be down visiting and give it to him then. I think the whole of Kelsie's cardigan works really well. I love the colour combination and the dark pink sparkly buttons.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I decided, three weeks before Christmas, to join Slimming World. I did Weightwatchers successfully a few years ago and lost two and a half stones in five months. I kept it off for a good couple of years, then with life changes put a stone and a half back on again. I did briefly return to Weightwatchers a couple of years ago, in which time their programme had changed, but somehow never really took to the new Propoints system. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Every year I get to December and feel sick of the glut and over-indulgence that is happening in the run up to Christmas. And when I noticed a colleague had lost weight I asked her what she was doing, and she explained Slimming World to me. It caught my imagination and I joined a couple of weeks later. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having done both now, I would say Weightwatchers is easier if you need to grab ready meals (most supermarkets do a range and it's easy to work out how many points there are in a product) but I actually much prefer Slimming World now. It is making me cook for the first time ever! (And actually the results are delicious!) It means planning ahead a bit more, but essentially there is no weighing and counting on lots of food I already really like and eat. The only thing I have to count is a few treats a day. There are 5-15 syns available each day, and, of course, I spend all of mine on chocolate and sugar-related items. The mince pie is home-made and only three and a half syns each, and the Mikado chocolate stick is half a syn. The violet cream is three syns (and totally worth it). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is Kelsie in her Baby Claus outfit on Christmas Day. She is nine months old now and is turning out to be a sweet girl. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She loved the Chocolate Yule Log when dessert was brought out.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today is the first day in a long time that I don't have to go anywhere or do anything (except clean out the chickens!). I'm fighting off a cold (sore throat, heavy head) and have a twitch in my eye that I only get when I am extremely tired. I don't intend achieving anything today except for sprawling on the couch, maybe reading a book, or listening to the vintage Christmas murder mystery I downloaded from Audible, drinking hot tea and letting everything go. (Like Elsa in Frozen, which I watched for the first time today.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">**Update - Kelsie wearing her Wee Chickadee cardigan and looking gorgeous in it. </span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-79543904939533616822016-12-05T20:42:00.000+00:002016-12-05T20:42:17.266+00:00Scarf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This scarf took only a few evenings to complete. It's knitted in Rowan Cocoon. Really soft and luxurious. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I forgot I'd knitted 2x2 rib at the first end and duly knitted 1x1 rib at the second end.I <i>un</i>knitted rather than ripping back, so all the stitches would remain turned the right way when it came to <i>re</i>knitting<i>.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love the colours.</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-3152824134670362552016-11-30T19:24:00.001+00:002016-11-30T19:29:26.515+00:00Knitting Frenzy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I finished the charcoal Chickadee. I've still to sew on the buttons but the (very few) ends have been sewn in. I love it, and I'm glad I decided not to include a motif. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's impossible to photograph the buttons to full effect but they're great.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been in an absolute storm of knitting recently. I can't stop. As soon as I cast off the charcoal cardigan, I cast on this gorgeous, luscious red cardigan. Another Chickadee. I go into a trance. I knit when I'm happy, and I knit as therapy, to distract myself from difficulties.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And somewhere in amongst it I knitted two Christmas balls. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The heart ball was knitted on 3mm needles, the snowman ball was knitted on 2.5mm needles. Half a millimetre obviously makes a big difference in size! The heart ball is too big.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I decided to park the luscious red cardigan when I got to the point of knitting the sleeves, so I could knit this scarf. My coat and jacket are purple this winter, and my handbag is purple and yellow tweed, really cheerful colours, so I decided to knit matching accessories. The wool for the scarf is Rowan Cocoon. I got it from loveknitting.com and coincidentally ordered on a day it was £6.60 a ball, instead of the usual price of just under £10! I also ordered 4 ply to knit matching mittens too. The scarf has only taken 3 evenings of not much effort to get over halfway.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has turned frosty at last. Whole days where the sun doesn't thaw certain parts of the land. I like walking to see what has changed in the countryside. There are many moments of beauty.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And this great friend of ours. She is very busy these days. She has found a cache of big, fat mice over the back wall, and she spends a lot of time out there hunting (and bringing them in - dead and alive). She is jealous of anything I give my attention to (that isn't her) and has taken to sitting on my knitting patterns so I have to STOP and pay attention to HER. And with this much beauty, why would I want to look at anything else?</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-28483378307567346512016-10-10T09:58:00.001+00:002016-10-10T09:58:15.180+00:00Chickadee progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My plain charcoal Chickadee cardigan is at the coasting stage. All the fiddly bits of knitting have been done (until the rib cast on) and now it's just knit knit knit until the bottom. I'm glad I didn't add a motif for this. However to pep the cardigan up I found THESE buttons:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black, glittery - I had such a job getting them. I found the buttons I liked in John Lewis but they only had two in stock. So they offered to order me some from another store and post them direct. Great. Except when the buttons arrived they were the wrong size. So I went online and two separate companies posted me glitter buttons that were the right size but the wrong glitteriness. The first company, to be fair, advertised them as silver glitter on black. The buttons were too silver with no black glitter on them. The second company had a photo and they definitely matched the buttons I had, however they also turned up too silvery and not enough black. I finally found the last company, Marriner Yarns, and their photo matched the product that arrived. So I was very happy. I think the glitter buttons will add just enough sparkle and interest to an otherwise plain cardigan.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I finished Curtis's cardigan (except the sleeves, but they won't take long to knit). It's very sweet. I still have the buttons to choose for this. Not sure what I'll go for. I saw Curtis yesterday and he is a big boy. The cardigan is knitted for a two year old and at Christmas Curtis will be one year and three months old, so I hope it fits him okay!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And these are the pink sparkle buttons I got for Kelsie's cardigan. I might get darker pink sparkly buttons if I can. These seem a bit too light.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have many other things I'd also like to be knitting - Christmas baubles, for example, but I'd better finish these first.</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-337734798920949352016-10-01T17:06:00.001+00:002016-10-01T17:06:53.831+00:00Pockets!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the runaway success of the pockets in my pyjama bottoms I decided to make a skirt with pockets. I love pockets, particularly pouch pockets (good for egg collecting), but I was so impressed by how easy these were to sew, and how effective they are.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pattern is Bettine, by Tilly and the Buttons. Bettine is actually a dress pattern but I'd seen a skirt version online and as I only had enough material for a skirt decided to do that. I thought it might make an easy slip-on skirt for work.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I had to take a couple of chunks out of the side seams as the tulip shape made it too puffy, but that was easy and I will definitely make more.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The material is lightweight cord from John Lewis.</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-2979121421727878982016-09-03T18:02:00.000+00:002016-09-03T18:02:25.738+00:00Sewing Tetris (almost)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_IMQunOkuRQ/V8sGw0DKqdI/AAAAAAAAPBg/LOBDZSvVuI00cOddt0dyuOFj3pVNA_l3QCLcB/s1600/P1090568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_IMQunOkuRQ/V8sGw0DKqdI/AAAAAAAAPBg/LOBDZSvVuI00cOddt0dyuOFj3pVNA_l3QCLcB/s320/P1090568.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I so love my new pyjama bottoms. They are 3/4 length, because I only bought a metre of fabric. I didn't plan the staggering of the pink tents across both legs, they just worked out that way - a happy accident!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, I decided to insert side pockets! I got the pocket pattern from the Tilly and the Buttons book Clemence skirt pattern, and also the instructions.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ue5uwQ_TYqI/V8sGtvChlwI/AAAAAAAAPBc/xdXLtkU3srEucRonQR8-LkqG3gf2o4QDgCLcB/s1600/P1090570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ue5uwQ_TYqI/V8sGtvChlwI/AAAAAAAAPBc/xdXLtkU3srEucRonQR8-LkqG3gf2o4QDgCLcB/s320/P1090570.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They are very silly and were fun to make.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I always struggle to tell the front from the back, I added a wee 'hand made' ribbon.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NUvSUmCqf9U/V8sHDk5QhHI/AAAAAAAAPCA/PAfzIXmDqm4HN7OW46wfXuvbrPz0lMFogCLcB/s1600/P1090574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NUvSUmCqf9U/V8sHDk5QhHI/AAAAAAAAPCA/PAfzIXmDqm4HN7OW46wfXuvbrPz0lMFogCLcB/s320/P1090574.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up, I hemmed my apple tree skirt. Love it too.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, I also made pyjama shorts! I really love these. Haggis brought me back one metre of this material from Japan, hoping I could get a skirt out of it, but it was only 112cm wide, not 150cm, and initially I didn't even think I'd get pyjama shorts, but with very careful pattern-placement I managed it. I stupidly ran out of pyjama elastic so they are all hemmed just waiting for the elastic, and just in time for.... winter!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have looked at this material and these patterns for ages and finally pressed the 'buy now' button when my online shopping basket had them in. I love the aesthetic of the Merchant and Mills patterns. So functional.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weather is decidedly turning autumnal. We went for a walk last week and ended up on the scout bridge.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meg looking cute and cheeky.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span id="goog_836270186"></span><span id="goog_836270187"></span>I love the countryside around here.</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-91487601396699067422016-08-19T20:38:00.001+00:002016-08-19T20:38:06.977+00:00Chickadee Tetris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my touring days, when I travelled the world with my husband's band, I played a game called Tetris, to while away travelling time. Shapes would fall from the top of the screen to the bottom, the object being that once a line was complete that line would disappear, making room for new shapes/lines.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this is an apt analogy for my Chickadee-knitting obsession. I realised I had <i>so many</i> almost/partially complete/just started Chickadee cardigans on the go, that I had to stop and finish what I could before continuing with/making room for the others. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I finally put buttons onto the Devil's Beeftub cardigan. Choosing buttons for knitwear is extremely important. There is a right button for every project. These purple coconut-shell buttons spoke to me. I loved the (kind of) woody nature of them, and the colour perfectly matched the cardigan. I sewed in the few loose ends, sewed on the buttons, et voila - cardigan complete. I love it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought I had finished this cardigan, until I wore it out one day and found wool dangling out of the sleeves. I hadn't sewn in some ends. It didn't take long, but it's been in my 'to finish' pile for ages.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Button detail. I love these transparent-with-a-blue-tinge buttons.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so to the unfinished cardigans. My charcoal, plain cardigan now has a sleeve. But then I saw the Wee Chickadee pattern, thought of my great-niece and great-nephew and bought the pattern and some wool.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is for my great-niece Kelsie. It took so little time (comparatively!) to knit this. I was spurred on, wanting to see what the yoke looked like, then wanting to see how knitting the body compared with the adult version. I really love this. As you can see, just the sleeves to knit and it will be finished. In the wee version the body is knitted before the sleeves. I've already chosen sparkly pink buttons for it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vhcedEdb1gU/V7dpyplhwyI/AAAAAAAAO_g/IHyYlkzsFTYwizYYmWpQmlly11IkIp8dQCLcB/s1600/P1090564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vhcedEdb1gU/V7dpyplhwyI/AAAAAAAAO_g/IHyYlkzsFTYwizYYmWpQmlly11IkIp8dQCLcB/s320/P1090564.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I then put the pink Wee Chickadee on hold so I could start my great-nephew Curtis's cardigan. I've decided to knit snowflakes into his, instead of the birds. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meg, of course, was keen as always to be where the action was.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next post - sewing tetris! Which will consist of: one pair of pyjama shorts, one pair of 3/4 length pyjama bottoms (both cut out but not yet sewn), one skirt <i>to hem</i> (I mean, that will take no time at all, why haven't I just done it yet?), and one new phone cover to make from scratch. I lost my last one. I loved my last one. I found it again, all covered in black marks from being out in the rain for a week. Will probably re-make it in exactly the same material. I might also make a back-up phone cover as well! </span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-32700823220489449852016-07-05T14:03:00.000+00:002016-07-05T14:03:22.174+00:00Cast Off, Cast On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think this is my favourite make EVER. My Devil's Beeftub cardigan. My interpretation, in knitted form, of the drive from my home to my Dad's. Such stunning, inspiring, breathtaking scenery. The cardigan made me gasp when I finished casting it off. The heathery-purple, the tree motifs, the buttons. I love it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tree motifs in detail.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They worked out well, after a lot of fiddling with charts and researching on the internet. (Buttons still to be sew on).</span> <br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coincidentally, I finished my Apple Tree skirt at the same time, It is the same design as the daisy skirt in my last post, i.e. an altered Amy Butler A-line skirt, front and back cut on the fold, invisible zip at the side, and shortened. I think they go well together! Definitely a future combination for an outing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every so often I CAN'T STOP KNITTING. And I'm in one of those phases again. I couldn't wait to cast off the purple cardigan, so I could cast on the charcoal cardigan. It is the same pattern but I think this time I will knit it plain and not add any motif. I have red wool ready to knit the same pattern as well, but I thought I'd save the red wool for WINTER.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I actually love dreich, drizzly, cool Scottish days. They remind me of my childhood in Scotland, after living in the south of England for 25 years. London had what felt like its own thing going on, but I never felt comfortable in the Norfolk landscape. It was too flat. There was no relief in the land and it had a psychological impact! Whereas I love the Pentland Hills, and the countryside and weather and light and nature of where I live now. It all feels nutritious! Perhaps everyone has an inclination to their childhood environment (if that environment was healthy). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up on the sewing table will be pyjama bottoms made out of the egg material. I don't think I'll ever buy pyjamas again. Making them is too much fun.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Followed by a Bettine dress made out of the blue and brown Amy Butler material that I got in a sale a couple of years ago. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Iw61izJQ4o/V3uVKzSHwXI/AAAAAAAAO84/f30nOjKi62YnvEFD1LOV5fTsYqiDC-i6gCKgB/s1600/P1090542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Iw61izJQ4o/V3uVKzSHwXI/AAAAAAAAO84/f30nOjKi62YnvEFD1LOV5fTsYqiDC-i6gCKgB/s320/P1090542.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not a shoe person, but I do love my new Converse trainers.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have been absurdly busy lately. My work takes a lot of mental energy. And we have been doing lots of drives to visit elderly relatives. And now Hagos's work is upon us as well. There are some days it feels like we go from one thing to the next without any rest in between. So when we do get a day off it feels very luxurious. </span></div>
Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-60687680893907951822016-06-04T14:55:00.000+00:002016-06-04T14:55:04.631+00:00June progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K0L1maoZd64/V1LmyOD-i-I/AAAAAAAAO6Q/h0G_EXXcOTkz7m7ht1aOjGuKsbBz49w7ACLcB/s1600/P1090526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K0L1maoZd64/V1LmyOD-i-I/AAAAAAAAO6Q/h0G_EXXcOTkz7m7ht1aOjGuKsbBz49w7ACLcB/s320/P1090526.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I haven't quite finished the Devil's Beeftub Chickadee cardigan. But almost. It's such a satisfying knit, and the finished product feels so comforting. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--El-6pGB8ZU/V1LmyKlG33I/AAAAAAAAO6M/90bM687cZ0sdjTgVq0OafEK15ns2nyJBACLcB/s1600/P1090528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--El-6pGB8ZU/V1LmyKlG33I/AAAAAAAAO6M/90bM687cZ0sdjTgVq0OafEK15ns2nyJBACLcB/s320/P1090528.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This skirt is my quickest make ever. I amended Amy Butler's A-line skirt pattern, cutting both the front and the back pieces on the fold, and inserted the zip at the side. I also shortened it to knee length. Instead of lining it (because it's decor weight) I've done matching waistband facing. Then it just needs to be hemmed and that's it! The material is by a Finnish company. I love the daisy pattern.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TmZOlZ25DoE/V1Lm_HI997I/AAAAAAAAO6s/PPrk5vuWZOsaZBMIm_Z-g0atiXfFq4IhwCLcB/s1600/P1090517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TmZOlZ25DoE/V1Lm_HI997I/AAAAAAAAO6s/PPrk5vuWZOsaZBMIm_Z-g0atiXfFq4IhwCLcB/s320/P1090517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've been gardening when we can, trying not to overdo it. In this bed we have our brussels sprouts, cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli. We've grown sprouts and broccoli before but never cabbage. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And in here we are growing pea shoots! It's something I first saw years ago, I think on Gardeners' World, and have been meaning to try ever since. They take three weeks from sowing to harvesting.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These strawberries pretty much died during a busy period, but I cut out the dead bits and repotted them and they seem to be thriving again.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n2InIePpYSM/V1LnCrhcXOI/AAAAAAAAO60/40G_quEkJSweFUlmyS7X9JmxzMSeeT0tACLcB/s1600/P1090521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n2InIePpYSM/V1LnCrhcXOI/AAAAAAAAO60/40G_quEkJSweFUlmyS7X9JmxzMSeeT0tACLcB/s320/P1090521.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This, according to a friend who knows, is a woody peony. I love the dramatic flowers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gpzE-cJ66c0/V1LnCwB1OuI/AAAAAAAAO64/KUF2lFFfqBoN9lF_zN6RKNQPekb_hi05QCLcB/s1600/P1090523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gpzE-cJ66c0/V1LnCwB1OuI/AAAAAAAAO64/KUF2lFFfqBoN9lF_zN6RKNQPekb_hi05QCLcB/s320/P1090523.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And these are our carrots. I sowed them from seed, then planted them out a couple of weeks ago. They're a mixture of small, round orange carrots, and purple carrots! I mixed them up when planting them so we won't know what we're pulling until it appears. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zjZsCLdoqB0/V1LnDK3pZPI/AAAAAAAAO7A/hINJB70J8j8NWiMxrV8V6FRfuJxJ81MXwCLcB/s1600/P1090522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zjZsCLdoqB0/V1LnDK3pZPI/AAAAAAAAO7A/hINJB70J8j8NWiMxrV8V6FRfuJxJ81MXwCLcB/s320/P1090522.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I love this photo. Haggis and our wee cat friend, Cherry. She loves hanging out in our garden. Our weather has been good for the last week, and every day after I got home from work, Cherry and I would sit out companionably enjoying the heat (and shade).</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32609916.post-13453903049256933662016-04-03T07:28:00.000+00:002016-04-03T07:28:02.706+00:00Paula's Projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsSXFmVmYGY/Vv_tv8nKbUI/AAAAAAAAO3A/X8e80FvlSAMutR8mgv9vkWNZtsCv4k21w/s1600/12932844_10153594178613099_9170250344440287890_n-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WsSXFmVmYGY/Vv_tv8nKbUI/AAAAAAAAO3A/X8e80FvlSAMutR8mgv9vkWNZtsCv4k21w/s320/12932844_10153594178613099_9170250344440287890_n-2.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I seem to be in a phase of accumulating projects, rather than finishing them. The second sleeve on my Ysolda Teague Chickadee cardigan (with my own modifications) took ages. Anyway, now I'm on the body and it should be fairly swift from now on. I anticipate finishing it in two months' time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During one particularly challenging day at work, I headed to the haven of John Lewis haberdashery dept at lunchtime. It usually does the trick. Mostly I just browse, looking for new fabric I might like for future projects, or new wool or pattern ideas. I came across this knicker making kit, and, it being something I thought I'd like to have another go at I decided to just buy the (extortionately priced) kit.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Polka dots aren't my thing at all, and I'm fairly sure the fabric isn't 100% cotton, but anyway, I decided to press ahead and use it as a tester. The construction is easy, though lining up the front, back and gusset to sew showed me they weren't all the same length (I think they're meant to be?). Perhaps I'll understand better once I've sewn the elastic on. The instructions have revealed to me what I did wrong all those years ago when I made knickers before (without a pattern or instructions - I traced round an existing pair as a pattern). When sewing on the elastic a zigzag stitch is used, instead of straight stitch! This is (now obvious and) revolutionary! Of course.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While browsing the VERY DANGEROUS website M is for Make, I came across this material and before I knew it my online basket was full and I was pressing the 'buy now' button. I'm thinking it will make a good Amy Butler A-line skirt, knee length. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then on A Million Dresses' Instagram I saw THIS material made into her Emery Dress. Oh, I just love it. It has the same pull for me as the synchronised swimmers. So I searched the internet and found a company that sells it online and bought it. Hoping to receive it on Monday in the post. I'm thinking a Megan dress. Not sure. Definitely a dress. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then my husband came home from a work trip to Japan and brought me THIS. The top material will be for pyjama shorts, the bottom two materials are thicker and will make knee length A-line skirts. I love that he went to the effort to get me material. And the reason he chose the bottom two because the apple trees reminded him of our cider-making activities every year, and the daisies reminded him of how our garden looked (before the chickens turned it into a mud bath). (We are working on restoring our garden to its former glory now the chickens are back to their original hen house.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The accumulation continued after I wore my blue snowflake cardigan for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I loved it so much and felt so proud of what I'd knitted, I went straight online and ordered more of the same Wendy Ramsdale DK from Loveknitting. I haven't even finished the purple trees cardigan yet (top photo) and I'm already lining up the next one. I've been thinking of what I could use as the motif on this red cardigan (the wool is a deeper red than the photo shows - it was taken on a bright sunny day in the car). I thought perhaps white wool but can't decide on the motif itself. And then I wondered if I should knit a straightforward red cardigan with no motif. ??? There's time to decide! I think this will be my winter knitting project for this year.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Managed to re-stock my pyjama elastic. I always like to have some ready!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last couple of weeks we've been watching our neighbours' cat, and looking after the chickens too. Cherry Pops (as I call her) is an absolute sweetheart. She loves hanging out with people (and the chickens - they're not so keen on her) and accompanies me morning and night to let the chickens out and put them to bed again. And she follows me on daily walks as well. And she comes when I call her. She's very fluffy and is a smart wee thing. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've taken a few days holiday over the course of April. It's been lovely being at home with my husband and animal friends, especially my favourite animal friend, Meg. She is high maintenance (very demanding and vocal) but of course totally worth it. I love her. She's a great wee friend.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, introducing Kelsie Sylvia, my great-niece. She was born on the 19th March. I cried all day when my sister told me my nephew and his partner had called her after my mum and even now it still makes me cry. My mum would have been DELIGHTED to have her great granddaughter named after her. I love that she's covered in knitwear in this photo. It bodes well. Perhaps I'll get a little knitting buddy in a few years' time. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the moral of this post is - STOP BUYING WOOL AND FABRIC! and use all the wool and fabric I already have to make stuff. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes.</span>Paulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01365647451693698972noreply@blogger.com0