Monday Musings

The weather in my neck of the woods:

Chilled. But its December so what do I expect? I’ve been keeping warm, and knitting things to help keep me warm too.

Some of my simple pleasures:

Friends. I remade contact with a very good friend this week; we’d both ended up in odd places and had lost contact – changes of email etc -and shes like a light come into my life. Its so very good to have her back.

On my bedside table:

My phone, tablets and a bottle of water. Have been too tired the last couple of days to read before sleep  so for the first time in a long time, there isn’t a book on my bedside table…plus I need new books..

On my TV:

Firefly mostly. The fella was out with his pals at Rock City in Nottingham at the weekend so I had my film evening, but it turned into a Firefly Marathon instead, but knitting was done, chocolates were eaten and relaxing happened.

On my Mp3 Player:

3 Daft Monkeys and Emilie Autumn. They are just about keeping me going at the moment.

I want some Abney Park albums to put on there….

On the menu for tonight:

Takeaway as I am DETERMINED to make it to knitting group for the second week running.

On my To Do List.

• Take some project photos

• Write some letters.

• Iron patchwork fabric.

• Find where my 3mm DPN’s have got to…have I lent them to anyone?

• See the doctor yet again.

Done from last weeks To Do List:

Make some more hexagons – 2.5 made
Print and Cut Out paper hexagons.

New Recipe I tried last week:

Slow Cooked Garlic – delicious. Slow cooked in wine. Goes sweet and soft. Got rather lost in the rest of the ingredients suggested so just going to use it on its own next time.

Irish Stew – Not as nice as it could have been…you could barely taste the lamb in it and as I had used good meat it was a shame.

New Recipe I’m trying this week:

This week is a week of ordinary meals; tried and tested recipes. The pre xmas rush is upon us and therefore no added complications is essential.

In the craft basket:

• The socks are still there – toe socks made with two sets of needles from opposite ends of the ball.

• The mitts I am working on – photos soon

• Hexagon knitting – ever present

• Bloomers – body still not finished…

• Yarn waiting to be made into something in particular…

• Hexagon papers to cut out for quilting.

Yeah. I need to get on with some of that don’t I….

Looking forward to:

Getting the Christmas presents sorted out so I can relax.

Favorite photo from last week:

This one from Knitting Iris. I don’t know why. It just appeals to me. It may be the owl mug…or the honey, and the pomegranate in the background or the light. I’m not sure. It just appeals.

Favourite blog post from the last week:

Belgian Waffle. Her humour amuses me.

Lesson learned the past few days:

That if you stop doing things you start to lose the skills. I was watching a program last night about Kit Williams and realized I don’t even have a sketchbook in the house at the moment, and I haven’t drawn properly in…several months,  if not over a year. As someone who spent her entire teens working towards being an artist thats scary and somewhat worrying…

Acquisition of a sketchbook is being worked on….I didn’t study for all those years to lose these skills, dammit!

TTFN!

This and that…

I’m curled up on the sofa under a duvet writing this on my phone.I’m dosed up on ibuprofen and strepsils and am smothered in vapour rub. I spent just under two hours yesterday morning sat in the walk in clinic waiting room to be told that I have a virus which is making me congested which is affecting my balance and making my lymph glands hurt like anything; mainly down one side of my body which is making me feel all lopsided and wobbly.

I’ve been ill for literally weeks now and I am understandably fed up.

On the upside not being up to doing anything means that last night I finished “THE SOCK” ahead of schedule which means the pair are completed, done, finished, finito with 3 days to spare and I can knit something else, journal properly (“THE SOCK” and illness had taken over) and think of creative projects again without adding – when I finish THE SOCK – to the sentence. I’ll get photos when he tries them on properly on his birthday.

In other news; I actually won something…I never win things!

I entered Cosymakes draw to win one of her hat patterns…In this instance the Snow Cat Hat…mainly on a whim. I thought the pattern was cute.Well, I was amazed to find the pattern appear in my inbox, and I have a few things to make first but someone I know is getting one of these for Xmas. Thanks Cosette!

I’ve had an unfortunate fortnight crockery wise and the demise of my new birthday tea cup and my favourite mug mean I’ve been looking at teacups and mugs online. I’m rather taken with theÖDMJUK series from IKEA, which would be a beautiful tea service to own but I’ve fallen in love with a particular range of cat related items called Cats in Waiting.

The mug that got broken was from this range and so it seems somehow meant to be to be wanting the teapot/teacup for one set.

Tea is important to me, or at least the little rituals that tea can involve. Its been part of my healing “program” for my anxiety; part of my efforts to get better; part of my cushioning myself from the world when things get too much and an excuse for leaving the house – a bit like my knitting.

Cabin fever has somewhat set in and I am becoming far too well versed in the intricaties of daytime tv; I’m struggling with pain and energy levels all the time at the moment, and just hoping I’m going to start getting better soon.

Thanks for listening to my small rant/whine thing, but unfortunatly it appears to be nap time again.

TTFN.

Monday Musings

The weather in my neck of the woods:

Clear and sunny outside but I know if I go outside there will be a windchill factor going on…brrr!

One of my simple pleasures:

Seeing people at knitting group tonight.

On my bedside table:

White Crow by Mary Gentle; one of my favourite books. A real comfort read.

On my TV: Tonight: Flashforward, Generally;Around the World in 80 days,  True Blood, Have I got News for You, and the umpteen Star Trek repeats on Virgin1.

(BTW, am I the only person on the planet who hasn’t seen any High School Musicals or has neither read or watched Twilight??!?)

On the menu for tonight: Fish and Chips, the boy will do puppy dog eyes at me otherwise.

On my To Do List:

Finish THE SOCK!!

Done from last weeks To Do List:

Knit the Cuff of the Second sock –Blogging about it last week obviously spurred me on. Cuff and first repeat of pattern is done…only 5 more repeats, a heel, and a never-ending foot to do on THE SOCK……
See the doctor and find out why I’m not better yet – done…
Try out my new Slow Cooker – done and blogged about!

New Recipe I tried last week:

Lemon Herb Roast Chicken

New Recipe I’m trying this week:

Autumn Sausage Casserole from A Year of Slow Cooking. The fella even says it sounds nice. Other reviews I’ve read even say its nice cold in pack lunches…perhaps I shall have to make extra…

In the craft basket:

Everything crafty is on hold till THE SOCK is finished.

Looking forward to:

Sipping a hot chocolate at knitting group, chatting and getting that damn sock finished.

Favorite photo from last week:

This one, showing  a hexagon rug/blanket. Its from Knitting, Vintage and Rosy and someone sent it to her to show the inspiration behind the blanket they are making to the same pattern I am using.

Favorite blog post from the last week:

This one, from Domestic Goddess in Training, partly because I want her rolling pin, and partly because the recipe makes me go YUM!

Lesson learned the past few days:

That I really hate the sock pattern I am knitting, and my lack of energy.

TTFN