Knitting my days away

Good afternoon from dank and dreary Cambridgeshire. We have yet another wet day. It is July isn’t it?  I’m guessing the only good thing is my plants are watered and guilt free knitting days. 

I cast on the shawl which I’m calling the Southsea shawl as that is the name of the colourway. I also cast on and knitted three hot water bottles, still to be completed. 

This is where I’m at on both projects. That’s just plain water in the glass btw, bit early for anything else.... 

The shawl will be similar to the one I made but instead of decreasing, this will be a sideways triangle and I will do a knit-on border along the cast off edge.

We have Jessica for the next two days while her Mum has to go into work so I’m sure there will be lots of crafts and baking on the cards. 

Take care and remember that mask x

Getting about

It’s three and a half weeks now since I damaged my knee and I’m finally working ways to get stuff done. Walking a bit further every day but am a long way from kneeling yet, how do I know... let’s just say I tried and it hurts, the language was none too sweet, just as well I was home alone. 

The garden is now tidy and new plants have been added. We had a trip to the garden centre and the market for some plants to see us well into autumn. It’s funny when you look at the garden, think it’s full, then you can just manage to find some holes that need filling. That’s my excuse as I shoehorn more in. I love a full border. Shrubs are ok, they have their day, then they are just boring green backdrops to the perennials and bulbs. I’m still not totally happy with the back fence area but if I make the border any deeper I’ll be in trouble. I already have my eye on the base of the pergola for a border. Just waiting for hubby to get bored with trimming round the climbers!

My second pair of socks are finished. They were such a quick project while I waited for some yarn to arrive. 

This yarn will become a shawl for one of my Instagram followers, she admired the last one I made and after a few private messages I decided if she got me the yarn I’d knit it up for her. I’ve currently not got much on knit wise and clearly don’t need anymore shawls myself. The yarn arrived this morning and I’ve already cast on.  I will post some photos of my progress as I go along. I still have a few hot water bottles to finish so the projects will run in tandem

It’s been a stormy afternoon which in some respects is good as I won’t need to water the plants this evening.  Right back to my knitting, enjoy your weekend and don’t leave home without your mask x

Playing around

I cast on another pair of socks, this yarn was originally a cardigan which I wore for a bit then decided I didn’t like it. That’s the good thing about knitting you can always rip out and start again on something else

I also made some videos from my photographs.  The garden always makes for great viewing

And I had planned to see all my shawls and scarves in one place. There are some I’ve not worn and others that are worn to death. There are patterns I will knit again hope you enjoy x

Easy like Sunday morning

Good morning, another day in paradise!  I’ve had my coffee and news catchup (depressing) in bed. Checked in on Instagram. Updated Ravelry with my finished items and now considering what to do with the day. 

Yesterday I spent the morning in the garden having a tidy up. Then the afternoon with my knee on ice!

I did get to finish my book and then a project I was working on, though all the while looking at what I didn’t get to outside. It will keep the garden isn’t going anywhere and neither am I - well not fast!

The project was a very quick pair of socks knitted in Lion Brand Amazing. Really Aran weight yarn is the way to go. I see lots more of these in my future. Instant gratification. 

The pattern was a supplement in a Simply Knitting magazine, the only change was to add length to the leg and I’d go longer on the next pair

I have a new book to start today, have you read it? My husband and eldest daughter have and say it’s very good. So that is what I will be doing with part of my day, I also need to start a new knitting project- maybe I’ll do the last of the hot water bottles for the Chateau. 

Enjoy your Sunday, keep well, stay safe and don’t leave home without your mask x

Under the sea

My shawl is done and I’m happy. 

250 grams - 100% cotton - yarn cake - 4ply/fingering weight - 4mm needles 

Cast on 6 stitches and increased at the end of every right side row until half way through the cake then decreased to form a triangular shape. Go with whatever stitch you fancy

Love it

Thoughts for today

The world today feels so alien and yet we are all trying to get to a new normal

I was thinking about the last 17 weeks and felt the need to write some words down 

There was joy and sadness in equal measure

traffic silenced - birdsong - muted voices - distanced smiles - tidy cupboards - gardens found - imaginative meals - WhatsApp, FaceTime - new skills - Grands behind glass - breaking hearts - tears - missed hugs - waves from a queue - expanding waistline - hair in need of a trim - fears - frustration - confusion - conflict - loss - grief - relationships tested - home school - reading - crafts - to do’s - masks - changed plans - long distance chats - thankfulness - rainbows in windows - Thursday claps - virtual world - news - no news - visitors missed - sunshine - family - kindness of strangers - walking - nature - time - slowdown - gratitude - friends

ALIVE

In the garden

Finally we have had a dry day. I worked out how I could weed the front garden with my poorly knee. Not perfect, and Peter had to follow along behind me to get the bits I couldn’t reach. My step stool proved to be the perfect height. I spent a good 2 hours out there and I’m sure I will pay for it. Still lots to do in the new front beds and drive but it’s not going anywhere so will keep for another day. 

I came in, we had lunch, then Peter got the tape measure out, upstairs he went. Our neighbour goes to work around 6:30 every day and regularly wakes us up as we sleep in the front. No longer, last night we tried the back bedroom and it was perfect, though a tiny bit smaller than the front. So there we are, me with my strapped up knee, he with gout in his foot moving bedroom furniture between us!! Mad I tell you. But we did it. I still need to swap some drawers around, a job for another day. I love our new room and I get to look out on the garden when I wake up instead of the road. The back garden, I still need to tidy and deadhead but it looks pretty enough. Another job for another day 

On the go

Morning to you all. I’m currently having fun with a yarn cake that I picked up last year in France. There is this brilliant shop in Le Mans called Sostrene Green - they do a bit of everything for the home and crafts. I have bought yarn from them on a couple of occasions and it’s been great. Normally 100% cotton. 

I decided this would make a great shawl - there is 250 grams - 1000m, so it’s going to be a big one. 

I’m not using a pattern, just making it up as I go along. I cast on six stitches and increase on the right side three stitches in from the end to make a border. After 24 rows of garter I knitted  6 rows of a simple mesh and just kept going. Once I got well into the ball I weighed it and decided that at the halfway mark I would do a 18 row mesh then start to decrease on the right side to turn my shawl into a regular triangle. 

I’m now well into the blues and the dark blue is just putting in an appearance. This shawl is making me very happy. I do have another cake in a different colourway which I think is destined to become another shawl. Free styling is the way to go!

Strange world

Good morning from a grey and wet Cambridgeshire. We’ve been back 6 days now and life just feels blah. It’s rained pretty much the entire time, give or take the odd break. 

Have you rushed out to the shops/pubs/restaurants yet?  Or are you still staying home, staying safe?  I have absolutely no desire to venture to any of the above, preferring to just hide at home. I know at some point I need to get back out there. 

I am busy working on my shawl, catching up on vlogs, listening to books on Audible whilst I wait for the garden to dry up and my knee to mend. 

Working through the holiday photos yesterday made me feel sad for the parts of our trip we didn’t get to take but grateful that we at least got to experience the parts we did. World travel seems a scary proposition now in this world of ours. I will do a post soon on our week in Auckland, which considering we were in lockdown enjoyed immensely. We had only been due to spend a day and a night there, instead we had 8 days. Here’s a little taster for you

Retirement Trip - things start to go pear shaped

Week commencing 16 March - the last week of normality.  The news wasn't making for great reading and we tried to carry on with our trip without letting it spoil it too much, but lurking in the background was that nagging doubt.  We drove the Thermal Loop, visiting a couple of ski resorts, saw Mount Doom, rode a cable car lift, watched a live volcano puffing .

We visited the Thermal park at Waiotapu, made a quick stop in Rotarua - not impressed, continuing along the coast to overnight in Ohope on the Bay of Plenty.  Questions were asked about our arrival in the country, people were now being asked to quarantine.  

From there we headed along the coastal road 35, watching the infamous White Island out at sea throwing out its plumes of steam into the air

19 March - first communication from Trailfinders regarding the fact that we might want to go home

20 March - TF start looking for flights

21 March - time difference was proving to be a problem with getting hold of each other - they'd call in the middle of the night when we were asleep, then leave messages, but then we couldn't call them back

22 March - no flights to be had, advised to contact the British Consulate.  Felt completely abandoned. We decided at this point to give up the camper van, campsites were closing or not letting you use their facilities.  Wifi was very poor and it was stressing me out not being able to get a reliable connection

23 March - Auckland - We visited the British Consulate which was awful, lots of people crammed into a small office, no one taking charge, waited around 30 minutes then someone came out and basically told us there was nothing they could do at that point and to go away!! We took back the camper along with practically everyone else, it was chaos and quiet upsetting.  I managed to get online whilst awaiting a taxi into Auckland and got us booked into a hotel for two nights.  It had a kitchenette and washing/drying facilities so we thought that might do.  On arrival we were offered a package to extend our stay if we needed which was comforting.  The receptionist took us to a small supermarket where we got some provisions then went and found a restaurant for a last meal.  Everywhere was closing down in preparation for lockdown

24 March - Visit the British Consulate again - IT's CLOSED - lots of very cross/worried/scared people.  We did manage to talk our way into the lobby where we were able to register our email/phone number and basically await and prepare for an unknown duration in lockdown.