January

I thought, why make a present for a friend's birthday when I can give her the ingredients to make it herself, and dress it up as a 'learning-to-knit' chance?

So that's what I did, but last weekend no progress had been made on the two starter rows I'd done back in November, so I took the whole thing back and knitted it myself in a week. The wool is Rowan Alpaca, and I love the shade, and the ombre effect. AND, a slight annoyance, the hat only took one skein of wool but the pattern said two, by which time I'd already rolled the second skein into a ball to make it easier to knit with. So, I'm now knitting a second hat and may keep it myself/may give it as a present. 

I baked a loaf of bread for the first time in months. Really enjoyed making and eating it. I wonder if using a dough hook would make it lighter and more elastic though? It has a very short crumb (is that correct? I'm trying to use the lingo of the GBBO). I like it, anyway.

I love this photo of Squeaky Cheese, an Ancona, and Rosie II, a Legbar. They look great against the snow. Squeaky Cheese lays squat, creamy-white eggs, and Rosie lays pale blue eggs. 

My sewathon continues. Apart from the hat, which takes no effort whatsoever, I've been sewing rather than knitting since Christmas. This is me laying the pattern for the Tilly and the Buttons Delphine Skirt. I've finished it yesterday morning and will photograph it and post it later, but I'm really pleased with it. I chose a fine cord, which cost £9 a metre, and one metre is all the skirt requires. I usually sew things in one sitting but I made this over several days, though I could easily have made it in one sitting. Tilly's instructions are super-clear, and I think this may be the best invisible zip I've ever sewn. The only thing I would do differently next time is to sew a stay-stitch along the material that ends up being cut on the bias. So the skirt is an exaggerated A-line, which means the cord s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s when sewing the front and back together. I even put my walking foot on my machine, but it still stretched one side longer than the other.  

We had a Star Wars film afternoon and our friends and Godson came over. We prepared a small film-picnic. The present in the middle is Lynsey's hat wrapped up. 

I love the contrast of these three eggs: Georgie's (a Welsummer), Rosie or Duck (Legbars) and Squeaky Cheese, (the Ancona). This was the last Georgie egg we got, a couple of weeks ago. She must be laying outside of the henhouse. We did talk about doing a stakeout of the chickens this morning but a lazy morning was more appealing. We have previously followed chickens to discover where they're laying their eggs!

Our break from the world has kind of continued into January. Instead of doing stuff we should be doing on a Friday, we've been going up town, parking and shopping in John Lewis (haberdashery), walking to Wagamama's and having lunch. We have mini-cheesecakes for dessert. Haggis likes the passionfruit one, but I like the white chocolate with ginger sauce! Oh, I could eat a WHOLE cheesecake of that.

I've spent quite a lot of time with our goose, Swann, this weekend. He is an amazing animal. Really good fun. He has lots of little habits and loves company. He has a baby bath that he bathes and splashes around in. And a couple of mirrors to look at his own reflection. He is very vocal and chats away. My favourite thing in the morning when I let him out, is racing with him along the pathway from his home to his bath (about 20 metres). He runs and shouts and flaps his wings and sometimes takes off (just!). And this weekend I think he is going through a frisky phase (I know nothing about the sexual cycles of geese!). Either that, or he has finally come to trust us. On Friday I crouched down to hold a small piece of bread out for him to eat. He ignored the bread completely, walked round to my side and tried to climb on my lap with his feet. I made the mistake of trying to pick him up and was punched in my lip with his wing. I was actually disappointed the following day that I didn't have a thick lip as I was looking forward to telling the anecdote. Anyway, on Saturday I sat on the grass next to him (on a stone) with my legs stretched out in front of me, and he jumped on my wellies and started tugging at my feet. Then he turned round and started trying to climb up my body. I got up quickly because he is big and strong. Anyway, the rest of the weekend he's been letting me stroke him and cuddle him and he follows me around when I do anything near the henhouse. He is just adorable and I wish he (and all of our chickens, and a couple of pigs as well) could live in our house with us. That would be so cool. 

Holiday

I wanted a holiday from the world over Christmas/New Year, and apart from partaking in Christmas Day familial celebrations that's what I've had.

I've had the best part of three weeks off work, and it was much-needed and SO good. Good to turn off the work chatter and remember who I am. And good to POTTER, and let the days drift.

I knitted a few Christmas baubles. They're addictive and satisfying.

We spent a few hours over New Year's Eve with our friends at their house. I was the designated driver, so we left around half past midnight. I had a mouthful of prosecco as we watched the Edinburgh fireworks from the upper window.

I had thought I might DO lots of things while I was off, but actually I rambled from one interest to the next: I rediscovered playing the piano and it hasn't taken me long to get back into it. It's so beautiful and meditative and my coordination is excellent.

I have been reading, and sleeping and walking every day; hanging out with the chickens, cuddling Meg at the kitchen table in the morning as I drink coffee; hanging out with Hagos, which has been really great; and SEWING.

This is me hand finishing my Turkey feathers skirt. Meg decided she'd had enough neglect and sat on the skirt in protest. She knows exactly what she's doing.

I have cut out the linings of the three other skirts and hope to finish one or two more by Sunday. I am determined to sew and knit my way through my projects until they are all done. No more wool or material buying until then. It will take me a while! 

A few moments after this photo I grabbed Meg and we went through to snuggle on our chaise longue. She is too adorable.