Oh No - It's Snowing Again

As I am writing the blog today the snow is coming down thick and fast in large flakes. When I took the photo half an hour ago the snow wasn't really sticking on the ground but now it is starting to coat the pavements. I am glad that I stocked up food wise as I won't be going far in this snow although I do have a GP's appointment tomorrow afternoon that I will have to keep. Thankfully I still have my crutches as my scooter doesn't like snowy hills.

My Sister in Law brought me the Paperwhite Narcissus bulbs for my birthday and they are now growing quite well. Hopefully I will have some lovely blooms just after the Christmas period.

I have finished all the pieces of the black jacket but still have to stitch everything together. I have started the second boy's jacket but still have the first one to stitch up. I think that this afternoon will be a stitching up kind of day. The first of the crochet jackets just needs a collar and some bands and that too will be ready for stitching up. I must confess that stitching things together is not my favourite pastime which is why I keep leaving things until there is a few to stitch.

Thank you for all of your complimentary messages about the Kings Arms Knitters Christmas tree. I have passed the messages on to the members. I think that I can say that we are all pleased with the results of our labours. As several pub regulars have expressed wishes to buy the ornaments it might be a good idea to start earlier making ornaments next year and then we can sell them in aid of the Kings Arms knitters chosen charity of Breast Cancer. We do take part in several projects for charity during the year and I believe that Rachael has some plans for the New Year. We try to do our bit for local worthy causes or to raise money for Breast Cancer research.

Oscar the cat came in today very wet and bedraggled from the rain that came before the snow started. He was in a stand off with a magpie when I shouted him in. The magpies are very bold around here and terrorise the local cats rather than the other way around as you would expect.

The sound on my other TV in the dining room keeps fading on and off so that will be something else that I will have to replace after Christmas. It is an old TV as I put the newish one in the lounge. I have had my money's worth out of this TV so I can't grumble. It used to be the TV that my son had. The PC is in the dining room also so I like to have something to watch when I am on the PC. Hopefully there will be some bargains in the January sales and I can get someone to go and get me a new one or take me to where I can buy one myself.

I still have two presents to start and another one to finish knitting. After that I just have two people that I haven't yet bought presents for. All I need now is some wrapping paper and a few cards. I don't send cards as a rule. I just send a couple to people that I don't see because they live far away.

I will get the Interweave Crochet, Beverooni, but as I subscribe my copy always arrives much later than the ones in the US do. I don't think that the UK edition is due until the 30th. I have seen the previews online though.

Whilst I have been typing the snow has stopped so I hope that the flurry that we had will be the only one. I was surprised to see snow, although it was forecast, as I didn't feel that it was cold enough for snow.

Time for a coffee and then it is back to the stitching up whilst it is still daylight. Then it will be blocking time. I can't stitch the buttons on yet as my other niece bought some buttons for it and I won't see her until the weekend.

Santa And The Snowman

I knitted these a couple of weeks ago but as I didn't have any stuffing they have been backwards and forward to the Kings Arms and to Rachael's house. They got mislaid for a week but finally I stitched them up today as I now have a bag of stuffing. It has taken me all afternoon to stitch them up and underlined my hatred of all things amigurumi. I just do not like fiddling about with tiny bits of knitting or crocheting and trying to stitch and stuff them. Give me a big sweater any day. Father Christmas looks a bit weird as he doesn't have a face but that is the way that he is on the pattern. It's not right is it? Santa without a face!

I have spent today washing bedding, throws and cushions. I have hoovered everywhere and gathered up enough hair to jam the vacuum cleaner hose. It's a wonder that Buster isn't bald with all his missing hair!

Today I woke up to snow. Not much by the US standards. Maybe only an inch or so but as we are so unprepared for snow in the UK everything grinds to a halt. It was the bin day and whilst the glass recycling and paper recycling wagons made it up the hill the normal refuse wagon didn't. Luckily I don't have that much in my bin so there is plenty of room to wait until next week. It's hard for the people with families though.

I think that I can safely start knitting and crocheting dark colours now. I might,however, finish off the long on the needles beige jacket that I am making for one of Louise's boys. I only have the hood to knit now. It has been on the needles for so long that it will now fit the smaller boy instead of the larger one. Do you ever have projects that you just completely go off in the middle of making them and take ages to restart them - or am I the only one? I try to knit or crochet things from start to finish. Well perhaps I have 2 or 3 projects on the go. I don't like having too many W.I.P as like the beige jacket they tend to get put in a bag or a drawer and forgotten about. After that happens I lose the urge to ever finish them.

If anyone has received a strange e mail from me yesterday then I can only apologize. My PC apparently got some kind of a virus and sent everyone on my e mail list an link for some kind of fake Viagra! I have now run a complete virus check and have hopefully got rid of it.

Guess Who Is Coming For The Weekend?

My fur baby Buster is coming for the weekend. In fact he is coming for this weekend and next weekend. I just hope that my knees behave so I can take him out for a walk this time. Last time I looked after him he could not understand why we weren't going out for a walk. I felt so guilty as he kept looking through the window and sighing loudly. I am hoping that with my stronger pain killers I will, at least, be able to walk him tomorrow. He will be OK today as my son will have walked him before he arrives here this afternoon.

The Kaftan cardigan is finished and washed although it's still a little damp so any photos of me wearing it will have to be on another day. I need to reposition one of the buttons though as it is slightly off and is making the band pucker. I think that I have fallen in love with raglan sleeves again. I am short and squat and I hadn't realized how much drop shoulders or set in sleeves added bulk to my shoulders. When I tried the cardigan on before washing it fitted me perfectly. Sorry Bev it won't be coming your way ;)

I spent last night pattern searching. That took up most of the evening as I do tend to get sidetracked when I am browsing. A little while ago my friend Sue gave me the lilac and pale green cotton. While browsing in the wool that I got given to me I found 5 balls of white Linen Look. As there was not enough in either colour to make anything except a baby cardigan I found this pattern so am going to try to make it. I do hope that it doesn't look too obviously striped as I can do without any added width. I will have to adapt the pattern as I am a ball short of the white but have more of the colours. I will not make such a long ribbing nor will I made a doubled neckband. I can make up the overall length by knitting a couple more stripes that the pattern suggests. I doubt if I will be knitting much over the weekend as Buster likes a lot of attention so it's knit a couple of stitches, throw a ball, knit a couple more, throw it again. Still I will be glad of the company.I wish that I was fit enough to keep him on a full time basis as before. Maybe one day when my knees are fully fixed. Until then he is in good hands back with my son and daughter in law.

I woke up to snow again this morning. There is not much on the ground but the sky looks full of snow so I expect that we will have more snow to come. I think that the poor spiky plant will not survive this winter. It is looking decidedly brown and droopy. I just hope that it will revive in the spring. I think that I should have over wintered it in the garage out of the frost and snow but I just could not lift the planter.I am not much of a gardener as you have probably guessed from the state of my garden. I did use to try but since my spinal and knee troubles it has reverted back to nature a bit. I do manage to mow the lawn in the summer but that is about it.

Out In The Snow

Yesterday I braved the elements for the first time in almost 2 weeks. I needed to collect a prescription from the doctors and a few things that I had forgotten to put on my order from Tesco that should be delivered tomorrow. I don't think that I will be repeating the trip as is was rather hairy in parts. As I have said before I live on a hill but there is a walking shortcut but it involved a set of cobbled steps which of course hadn't been cleared or gritted. I managed to get up them by clinging onto the handrail on the way up but with a heavier trolley on the way back I was doing a great impression of a learner on ice skates.

My knees hurt like hell but they are better for the walk. I know it sounds weird but walking does seem to ease some of my circulation problems which have added to my knee pain whilst I have been cooped up at home. I wish that this snow would go away as I am getting really fed up with it now. I asked the pharmacist for something for my leg eczema and she said I needed to see a doctor as she doesn't think it is eczema but more something linked to my circulation problems or possibly toxins in my system. I am going to see my knee specialist next Tuesday so I will ask his opinion and then book an appointment with the doctor after that.

I wore my crochet socks inside my boots for my trip up the village. I must have sensitive feet as when I wear handmade socks it is like having an exfoliation and a massage when I walk on knitted or crochet ridges. I prefer bare feet but it's not very hygienic inside boots.

The shawl hasn't progressed much as I was tired last night due to my bad night's sleep and kept nodding off in front of the TV.

I haven't been over busy and made the waistcoat as well. That is a vintage cotton one from when I had the shop. I had been wearing it and it was drying on the radiator so I thought that I would do a Doris Chan type blog when she puts what she is wearing today. In my case it is what I was wearing at the weekend. I was wearing it with black trousers and over a polo neck sweater for some extra warmth. It is made from Patons Classic Cotton. I have several garments in my wardrobe made in this and it is such a shame that it is no longer made as it was a lovely mercerised cotton that washes and washes as you can see from the condition of my ancient waistcoat.

Today I feel a bit more refreshed as I managed to get a few hours sleep last night. Hopefully I will get the shawl finished today although my stash does not seem to have gone down one bit even with a shawl's worth of wool missing. Must think of more stash busting ideas. I have found some purple random chunky so I think that a knitted hat will be the next project.

The Amaryllis Is Blooming

The amaryllis is blooming. Yesterday evening when I was washing the dishes I noticed that the flowers were starting to open. It was funny really. The plant must like the dark as every time I went into the kitchen during the course of the evening to make a drink of coffee it had opened a bit more. This morning it looked like this photo. It is a really delicate colour but pretty never the less. I had it in my head that it would be a darker colour but obviously they come in all colours.

I have finished one sock. It looks rather a funny shape but as you can see my ankle must be a very funny shape as the sock fits really well. I can't stand socks with tight tops or long legs as they irritate my eczema and if they are shop bought socks the elastic leaves ridges around my swollen ankles. The pattern is very slow going but I must admit that there is something mesmeric about crocheting round and round with the same stitch that I have found very soothing.The sock did feel very comfy when I tried it on so I think they will be a hit with me. the only problem is the wool was a ball that I bought some time ago and had part knitted into a sock. The label is missing so I can't buy another ball even if I wanted to. I think that it was sold as a 4ply but is is very fine and is working up more of a 3ply.

I hope that the weather clears up as I have put in an food order online to Tesco and the delivery date is Thursday. The snow seems to be clearing slightly although it did try to snow again yesterday but only a very light sprinkling. I decided that it was worth the £4.50p delivery cost as I need quite a few heavy items like washing powder, comfort, cordials and soft drinks as well as some tins of soup which I would have found hard to drag home through the snow with my trolley and I can't ask my neighbours (who are also walking) to carry heavy items home for me. It would have cost me as much to get a taxi to and from Tesco so why not have it delivered.

And Then There Were Two

Not being able to get out because of the snow has it's compensations. I am making small steps into reducing my stash. I now have 2 pairs of red bed socks and am looking through my stash to see what other small projects I can make next out of my bits and pieces. The full packs are OK I can find uses for those at a later date but it's the odd balls that drive me mad. I could start some socks from my sock wool stash but I am still working my up to 4ply and fine needles. Not quite in the mood for it yet.

I will probably make some more bed socks, slippers or mitts. Things that I can pass on if there are too many for me. I haven't made a new winter hat this year so that is something else that I might try. I will see what my stash says to me when I take another dive into it. I am glad now that I took the time earlier in the year to stash my odd balls into colours so I can see at a glance how much I have in one colour theme. I have a huge bag of purples, lilacs and dark pinks that is probably going to end up as another All Shawl one day.

The sun is shining at it looks quite pretty outside but the street is ominously quiet and no-one is stirring outdoors - not even the children. I think that the novelty of snowmen and snowball fights has worn off and they are preferring Cartoon Network, DVDs and electronic games to playing out in the snow. One of the senior schools must have gone back as I saw one brave soul yesterday valiantly trudging his way through the snow wearing his school uniform at school end time so I presume that he had been there all day. The cars that moved off my street yesterday have not returned so I only hope that they are parked somewhere up the hill and not stuck at the bottom with the Tesco home delivery van that got stuck there a few days ago.

I still have food supplies in and the only thing that I will soon be running out of is milk. My niece said that she would try to call down on Saturday and bring me some. There has been no long life milk anywhere local for the last couple of days. Today I think that I might make some corned beef hash as I still have some potatoes, onions and carrots. That will be nice and warming and will last for two or three days. On days like this all thoughts of dieting go out of the window. All I can think about is nice warming stews and soups.

The amaryllis that I got as a Christmas present is thriving. I have forgotten what colour it is supposed to be as I recycled the box so am looking forward to the day that it flowers.

Time for a cup of coffee and a think about what to start next. The only thing that I have on the needles is a 4ply white baby cardigan that I started ages ago and didn't like so it doesn't inspire me to finish it off. The pattern is boring to knit and doesn't even look good in the pieces so I am not drawn to finishing it off. I can see an unravelling stint one day but probably not today.

More Snow Today

I woke up this morning to the utter peace that only snow can bring. It was winter wonderland when I opened my curtains. I had optimistically put my dustbin out yesterday before all of the snow but I seriously doubt that it will be emptied anytime soon.

No-one seems to have even attempted to get to work which is probably very wise of them. Two of my neighbours called to see if I needed any shopping which if lovely of them. They don't want me to go out and slip in this snow over ice.My next door neighbour said she fell full length on the way up to the shops this morning and so said that I had to stay put. I don't need much persuading to do that.

The All Shawl is finished and is blocking out. I had to change the edging as I was running out of wool and with all of the snow I was not going out to buy another ball and as I didn't want to undo all of the edging to take a row back on the plainer bit I just adjusted the last row.As the lady that it is destined for has never seen the right version then she will be none the wiser that it is wrong.

I started knitting an aran cable and moss stitch jacket for the boys from Debbie Bliss The Baby Knits book. I thought that it looked a bit large for an 18 - 24 month size so I looked at the actual measurements and it said chest 80cms, Now I know that this is an outdoor wear jacket but surely 31 1/2" is one super obese 2yrs old! Needless to say I have unravelled it and will wait until I can buy some double knitting which I think will bring the garment back down to a baby size. I will use the aran for something else.

I spent most of the evening pattern browsing but have yet to settle on something else as yet. I think that I am in a restless kind of mood so I may make another All Shawl out of stash bits and pieces whilst I decide.

It's Snowing Again

I opened the curtains this morning to see snow flurries coming down. Although we do not have the amount of snow that Bev does in the US it is still enough to grind my hilly street to a halt.Foot traffic only this morning.I live on the flat top part of the street but it slopes steeply down on the left of the photos.

I didn't get around to crocheting any beginner slippers but I still have time as there is no way I am walking up to the Post Office to post my niece's parcel until the snow goes away. I have plenty of food in the fridge and freezer as well as emergency tins in the cupboard so this lady is going nowhere today,

I concentrated on knitting a bit more on the boy's sweaters and I have finished knitting Charlie's and knitted the front of Finlay's but as you can see I have left my least favourite job of sewing up until the end. I think that is why I am such a lover of seam free crochet. I don't mind the making but the stitching up gets me every time.In the past I have been known to throw finished items in the work basket where they can stay for weeks until I brace myself to stitch them together.

Today will be a washing day. My mother always had this superstition that you should never do chores (except essentials) on New Year's Day as it meant that you will be doing them every day for the rest of your life so I haven't done any washing over the Christmas period so today is the day. I saw somewhere a saying that you should finish off any projects by New Years Eve or that means you will have unfinished projects for the rest of the year but as any knitter or crocheter knows that is a foregone conclusion anyway. A crafter who actually finishes off ALL of her projects - Get Real !

Last Of The Snow

Most of the snow has gone from near my house. My son managed to get here yesterday. Where he lives they still have compacted snow covered by ice and as their street gets very little sun then nothing is melting yet. He brought me some DVD's and heated wheat slippers (tried them and they are great) and a card made for me by my great grand daughters.

He helped me to set up my new phones. I had them charging up since Christmas Day but didn't know how to link them together once they were plugged in. He just picked them up and beeped a few buttons and hey presto they were working. Just like a man - no need of manuals or anything. I had read the manual and not made head nor tail of it!

Lots of photos today from my subscription copy of Crochet Today Jan/Feb to cover up for the fact that there has not been much in the way of knitting or crocheting done in this house. I think I crocheted and knitted myself to a standstill and am now having a break. I have started a plain crochet scarf but that's about it.

Some of the things in the magazine I would not make like the cushions, dolls and doll clothes, ring box, coasters and big love afghan. I like the earflap hat but doubt that I would ever wear the headband. The mitts are cute but as I have not yet mastered the long length of a tunisian crochet hook they are not on my list at the moment. The pale blue turtleneck is pretty and whilst I like the men's crochet socks I do find crochet socks to be a little uncomfortable in wear. I feel like I am walking on ridges. A great shame as they are so quick to make.

The baby sweater pattern will get used but I doubt if I will embroider the snowflakes.The cover sweater (see previous blog for photo of cover) is very nice but at my size stripes across the yolk are not a really good idea so I think I will give that one a miss also.

I send my congratulatulations to a fellow Knitting Nora, Sue, who became a grandma again on Christmas Day to a little girl named Freya. Sue is another snowed up lady up on the hills in Darwen. I have another friend up in Darwen and he said thank God for 4 x 4's in this weather.