Yesterday disappeared into a rush of the last first class posting day before Xmas and going to the supermarket and so, here we are with Tuesday musings again.

The weather in my neck of the woods:

Chilly. There is still snow and ice on the ground and I’ve got the heating running most of the time, but it doesn’t half eat gas credits. A house with proper heating and insulation is high on my list of new year wishes.

Some of my simple pleasures:

Playing the Settlers of Catan dice game that we picked up when xmas shopping on Saturday (its utter madness to venture into town, seriously!).Hmm, I wonder if Settlers is where my hexagon obsession started? Oooh I could knit Catan coloured hexagons…oooh.

A nice cup of tea to warm up cold hands.

Getting Christmas presents wrapped and under the tree.

On my bedside table:

The first and third books of His Dark Materials, bought second hand at the weekend. I need to find a copy of The Subtle Knife before I dive in though. Nothing worse than finishing the first and having the third that you can’t read because you need to read the middle one..

On my TV:

Lots of Xmas goodies; Muppet Xmas Carol, Royal Institute Christmas Lectures, Cranford Xmas specials, Wallace and Gromit, Victorian Farm repeats, Victorian Farm Xmas, and many other goodies.

Am looking forward to watching The Snowman, Dr Who Xmas Special Part 1 and 2,  and various Xmas films.

On my Mp3 Player:
I am currently listening to Dreams Underfoot by Charles De Lint, and am finding interesting learning some back story for some of the characters I’d already met in The Onion Girl.

I had to format my Mp3 player recently – it had seized up – so it gave me the opportunity to refill it with music, ranging from Ezio, to a couple of Enter the Haggis songs, to Dar Williams, Emile Autumn, and a whole host of singles from the 80’s and 90’s from pop, to rock. Perfect for dancing in your head.

On the menu for tonight:

Left overs from last night. I made a big (huge even) dish of Pasta, Bacon and Carrots in wholemeal mature cheddar cheese and herb sauce. It will last a couple of days and its good, filling and takes some of the stress off.

Its a variation on a dish my mum used to make me and the rest of the tribe, which had broccoli and cauliflower in it as well.

On my To Do List:

• Take some project photos

• Wrap presents and put them under the tree.

• Knit on my cowl

• Make my doll some clothes.

• See the doctor yet again.

Done from last weeks To Do List:

Nothing. Am starting afresh this week.

New Recipe I’m trying this week:

Am making Rabbit and Stout Stew with Dumplings for our festive meal this year. I can get prepared rabbit from the butchers.

In the craft basket:

My craft basket overflow’eth. Therefore I am focusing on my current knitting which is a garter stitch cowl, and then I will focus on at least making my rag doll some underclothing.

Looking forward to:

Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. I’ve always been particularly fond of Christmas Eve. Its when all the excitement and things associated with Christmas really happen.

Lesson learned the past few days:

Entering the Borders (UK) closing down sale was utter madness. As I said at the time, anyone who believes in Chaos theory should go observe.

The weather in my neck of the woods:
I’ve not been outside in days but am assuming from the temperature its not warm or dry out there.

Some of my simple pleasures:
My simple pleasure the last few days has been feeling up to picking up my knitting, working a row or two, and then having to put it down again. But doing that repeatedly meant my knitting grew a little.

On my bedside table:
Charles De Lint’s The Little Country and a book of Arrow words. A notepad – am making notes for my xmas letter – and my meds. I never claimed to be interesting.

On my TV:
We rented a box set of series 2 of 24 last week and are attempting to work through it.

On my Mp3 Player:
Am listening to The Onion Girl again; I should get an Audible credit soon and am buying another Charles De Lint book. If only his books were easier to find! You can find them on Amazon but with shipping they work out very expensive. I shall have to carry on keeping an eye out and generally asking for them for birthdays and things.

On the menu for tonight:
Scrambled Eggs and Pancetta bits, possibly with sauteed new potatoes..also known as Scrumbly Jumbly in this household.

On my To Do List
Get through the week and start the list afresh next week.

Done from last weeks To Do List:
Nothing. I missed my doctors appointment, and between the fella being ill and then my catching it, very little has happened.

New Recipe I tried last week:
None.

New Recipe I’m trying this week:
I’m ill so the urge to bake is upon me. Biscotti want to be baked…damn recipe books…

In the craft basket:
The socks are still there – toe socks made with two sets of needles from opposite ends of the ball.
A scarf cowl thing to match mitts and hat already done…really need photos.
Hexagon knitting – ever present.
Bloomers – body still not finished…

Yeah. I know, I still need to get on with it all don’t I? Perhaps I should add elements on each to my to do list?

Looking forward to:
Getting better again. Unspecified flu like illnesses suck.

Favorite photo from last week:
This one from Farmgirl Fare – its amazingly textural.

Favourite blog post from the last week:
Its been around for a while, but I’ve only just seen it. I WANT this house.

Lesson learned the past few days: That if Fella, who NEVER gets ill, gets sick, then I WILL catch it no matter how many jabs I’ve had and tablets I’ve taken.

-X-

Fever Dreams
Along with the medication I take, having had a temperature the last couple of days and sleeping a lot has made my mind come up with some very odd things.
The oddest dream its given me?
Well; I had my own airship – that in itself is not that strange – but people from DS9 lived on my airship. Dax was the first mate, Kiera was Captain and the lovely Dr B was in the engine room. Even stranger? My cabin was heaped with exquisite yarn and fabric in lovely colours; rich emerald greens, deep reds, peacock teals, plummy purples, marled beauties, stunning greys, jet black, and yarns with sparkles in it.
There was beautiful wood and patchwork everywhere, and it was very nice but a little strange.

And my job on my airship?

To make pretty things. That would be such a cool job. Why isn’t that my job?

We were flying along doing whatever it is you do with an airship; I don’t think we were skypirates, but who knows; and met a giant raven who blew us off course with her wings and we ended up in a strange land…and then I woke up.

And I wasn’t worried about the strange dream. I was annoyed I hadn’t got to explore the strange land.

I worry about me sometimes.

Temperature seems to have abated for now which means slightly less odd dreams for now…but still, I better go to bed. Night All.

(Written on phone so formatting decidedly wonky…)

As I said on Monday, I was in the process of aquiring a sketchbook after being bothered by the fact I’ve stopped drawing.

Well, a little while ago my new sketchbook arrived; a A6 Seawhite of Brighton Classic Artists Travel Journal. They are pretty similar in style to my favourite notebooks, Moleskines. They have oilpaper covers, elastic closure bands and a useful little pocket at the back.

I’ve used Seawhite Sketchbooks since I was at college. They were a standard of paper expected by my tutors and lecturers so it seems somehow suitable that I would start drawing again in them.

Only problem?

I really have absolutly no idea what to draw. Inspiration has fled, and I don’t know where to start.

That blank page that haunts writer and artist alike.

I shouldn’t even been thinking about drawing. The fella is ill; he’s running a temperature and feeling horrible.

For the moment I’m escaping symptoms.

Let’s hope it stays that way, huh? Mild for him could be bad for me…

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!

The weather in my neck of the woods:

Cold, very very cold. It was so frosty last night that I had to wear socks and a jumper to bed…and today I am wrapped in blankets, and have a hot water bottle and a wheat bag.

Some of my simple pleasures:

My honey lip balm from my friend Debs company Scented Alchemy. The smell just makes me feel comforted and loved and it makes my lips feel lovely.

I cashed in my money box and bought myself a new winter cardigan – its long, chunky, its deep deep purple, it has a shawl collar,  and it has pockets

On my bedside table:

Robin Hobb’s The Ship of Destiny, part of a trilogy.

I’m slowly reading it, as its heavy and my hands ache at the moment.

On my TV:

Tonight I’ll be watching Paradox, which is an utterly ridiciulous show, about detectives solving things that are yet to happen after getting photos from the future via a astrophysics lab.Its just so out there, I can’t not watch. It is a serious suspending your disbelief show though.

On my Mp3 Player:

I seem addicted to audio books at the moment and I have The Onion Girl by Charles De Lint on there at the moment. I am a member at Audible and get one download credit a month.

He’s a Canadian writer who is credited with popularizing the gender of urban fantasy – that is fantasy set in a modern(ish) urban environment. I’m particularly enjoying a series set around a particular imaginary city called Newford and wish more of his books are available as audiobooks, or in the UK.

On the menu for tonight:

Hoisin Duck Pancakes from the supermarket. I am making all other dinners for the rest of this week from scratch so I can get away with a couple of nights of ready meals.

On my To Do List.
Make some more hexagons.
Iron patchwork fabric.
Print and Cut Out paper hexagons.
Take some photos for the blog.
Make my xmas present to myself.

Done from last weeks To Do List:

Work on my rag doll – I’ve finished her hair!
A couple more hexagons made.

New Recipe I tried last week:

That salad I was talking about a few weeks back? Well, I made some and it was a success. Bulgar Wheat, Pomegranate seeds, and the piece de resistance; slow cooked butternut squash braised in thyme and apple juice based on this recipe here.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup apple juice – I used pressed apple juice
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 cups 1-inch chunks peeled and seeded butternut squash

Combine all ingredients in the insert of the  slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 2 – 3 hours until the squash is tender.

The orginal recipe contained added sugar but I left it out again. It really didn’t need any additional sweetness.

I used the apple juice it had been cooked in, with all its scented wonderfulness to cook my bulgar wheat in. YUM!

Will be making it again at the weekend.

New Recipe I’m trying this week:

I’m trying a couple; Slow cooked garlic and herb pasta, and Irish Stew, both from a cookbook the fella bought me a couple of months ago.

In the craft basket:
Start some socks for myself – I’m making some toe socks! I’m even doing the two socks at once method; 2 sets of DPN’s and making two cuffs, making two legs, 2 heels and so on. I’ve got them done as far as the legs at the moment.
Hexagon papers to cut out for quilting.

Looking forward to:

Having a decadent film evening on Saturday while the boy is out with his mates. Am thinking a musical (possibly Rent) ,Little Women, and Young Victoria, some knitting, a duvet, a box of chocolates,  a pot of tea or two, slippers, pyjamas and an unplugged phone.

Favorite photo from last week:

This one from Farmgirl Fare – Donkeys Daphne and Fernando with an empty treat bucket. I just love the look they are giving the camera “Why are you taking our picture when you should be filling this bucket, hmm? Well?”

Favourite blog post from the last week:

Posy has been on a trip to York. Lovely pictures.

Lesson learned the past few days
That fairy lights really can make a place feel warmer and cozy, especially on a Christmas tree.

TTFN!

I’ve been very ill the last couple of days hence no posts but am hopefully going to resuming normality soon.

That sweet little newborn donkey I posted a link to on Monday didn’t survive the week. She was named Flitta for she flitted in and out of her lovely owners lives, and I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to lose an animal who’s birth had been so looked forward to and anticipated.

I’ve only ever lost my beloved childhood tabby cat (it was a mixture of old age and a tumour) called Pudding (her brother was called Pie – a ginger tom who fathered a whole host of ginger cats who live in the cemetery near my parents house). My parents had had her since before I was born. She and her brother were found as stray kittens. She was a glorious grumpy beautiful cat who moved into the outhouse by choice when I was bought home from the hospital. The tumour meant she had to be put to sleep, but it was starving her to death and she was odviously in pain. I still miss her, and I was sure for a long time I could still spot her out of the corner of my eye.
I got such a fright one day when a new tabby cat from down the road, who looked just like her had wandered into the garden and decided to sit on the windowsill in puddings favourite spot – it was an old wooden sill so it must have been in the sun a lot of the day.

She was an old cat and it was her time unlike poor Flitta.

When I live somewhere I can have a pet I really really do want to have a cat again.

I know cats and knitting probably don’t mix but still, I still want one – another tabby, silver or tortie.

I was originally going to write this post purely to help myself decide on whether to carry on the toe up sock I’m knitting.

I’m enjoying the process but I really don’t like the fabric the yarn is producing. I’m using King Cole Zig Zag and the fabric it produces is thin and has no smoosh to it, and smoosh is important in socks. Plus, I don’t have the energy these days to make things I may never wear.

So, do I frog it?
Does anyone want the yarn?
Or do I just pull the needles out and throw the yarn away?

Before I launch into the promised update on the things I’ve been working on I just wanted to say that my blood tests are all clear, which means I am a step closer to getting my M.E. diagnosis moved from provisional to official.

Anyway, onto the knitting

I’ve made an executive decision that, in light of my current health problems I need to limit the number of projects I’m working on at any one time.

I’ve worked it out to 4.

• 1 ongoing project – my hexagon blanket
• 1 large project – like bloomers, a jumper/sweater etc.
• 1 sock project – self explanatory really.
• 1 portable project – hats, mitts, scarves etc.

Tsuki has kindly offered to teach me some crochet stitches so I may be adding a crochet project to the list.

Hexagon Blanket
I’m up to 60 hexagons now, which is a respectable amount but not enough. I have lots to go, obviously. This blanket is going to be big and snuggly so I need to make more, but I like marking off these milestones of 10 hexagons.

I tried pinning a few of them out the other day and it gives you a bit of an idea how they will look when blocked. The photo is a bit odd as they are pinned to a cushion, but I wanted to see how they looked.

I’ve decided how I am going to join them all. I want to crochet around the edges of them all with black country style DK and then crochet them together. I found a really useful tutorial.

Yes, I’m crazy and this is most definitely a labour of love but I can see it in my mind and it will be finished eventually

Bloomers
This yarn is gorgeous. Seriously.
The legs are complete and I’ve joined for the body, and am working the decrease rows for the waist section. Its a slow knit due to how many stitches are needed to go round my enormous behind, but when they are done they are gonna be beautiful.

Although the legs and body are almost done, I think the ruffle and lace are going to take just as long as the legs and body.

Swap parcel
I joined a Journal swap on Ravelry a month or so back. It was my first swap on there, so I wasn’t sure what to expect but  I got paired with a very cool lady in the wonderfully named Berryville, Virginia, USA. My swap partner Bette really spoilt me rotten. She runs a really cool yarn company called Beyond Basic Knits.

In my parcel, carefully wrapped in that wine coloured tissue paper,  there was:  2 notebooks one of which is made from something called sweet-paper that’s made from leftovers from sugar processing, some green tea (hidden), some Chai tea, and some Christmas tea (yum!), a pink pen, a smiley card (not in the photo), a book called Creative Journal Writing which I’ve hardly been able to put down and the most gorgeous purple sock weight yarn.

The yarn is the most AMAZING purple. Its sitting there, in its twist, whispering sweet nothings to me, just wanting to be made into something.

Trouble is, I can’t decide. I want more mitts and a hat and a cowl, and there might be just enough there…or socks obviously..but what kind? Toe socks because I want to make some and it would make Thene squee?…Plain to show off the gorgeous yarn?….ankle socks?… Its just going to wait till I can decide!Damn my indecisiveness!

If you want to see what I sent her she’s posted a photo over at her blog here.

Socks

I’ve finished my Industrial Rose Socklets and will photo them when I’m not wearing them. They are so comfy! I may use the design again when I can work out the loose stitch issue when changing from purl to knit.

And I’m still working on my toe up socks. Actually I need to put some needle time in on those. and photograph them.

Other Stuff

Now, in the kitchen I have bulgar wheat, pomegranate seeds, and a butternut squash and am going to try and make that lovely salad I mentioned the other day. Then its time for another nap.

So, what do you think of what I’ve been making?

The weather in my neck of the woods:

Wet, and cold,. There has been much rain this morning, and if the weather people are to be believed, more to come this week.

One of my simple pleasures:

The softness of my blankets and the warmth of my wheatbag.

On my bedside table:

I’m still reading Court of The Air by Stephen Hunt. I’m working through it as energy allows and am really enjoying it. It has wonderful edges of steampunk, penny dreadfuls and daring adventures. Perfect escapism.

And I’ve just discovered he’s written  more books! Oh me, oh my!

On my TV:

Last night, it was Dr Who; The Waters of Mars. I make no attempt to hide the fact that I am a huge Dr Who fan and I am sadly watching the run up to the leaving of my favourite of the modern Doctors, but I am interested in seeing where they go with the New doctor.

We watch a lot of vintage Who in this household and I find Peter Davidson’s oddly comforting, Sylvester McCoy’s amusing, and Tom Baker’s is just great.

On the menu for tonight:

Garlic Crumb Chicken with Lemon and Coriander Couscous, Peas and Carrots.

On my To Do List:

Get blood test results.
Make some more hexagons.
Iron patchwork fabric.
Take some photos for the blog.

Done from last weeks To Do List:

Make some hexagons towards the blanket.
Work on my rag doll. I’ve neglected her too long.
Get better.

New Recipe I tried last week:

None this week. Its been a getting from day to day week.

New Recipe I’m trying this week:

Last week, in one of my foraging trips to my little street of shops, I went to the amazing little deli we have The Good Food Shop and bought some Bulgar Wheat with Butternut Squash and Pomegranate. I’ve never tasted anything like it. It was amazing; nutty bulgar wheat, butternut squash that was cooked to perfection – cooked through, but still maintaining its texture and the amazing and unique flavour of the juicy little pomegranate seeds/kernels…what do you call them?!

I want to try and make some myself

In the craft basket:

Hexagons, hexagons, and more hexagons.

Knitted ones. 2 more to go and thats 60 done Only another 100 or so to go after that! More on that tomorrow

Paper ones to cut out for patchwork. I had to rip out all the ones I’d already done as most of them weren’t true hexagons, and then I can restart once I’ve ironed all the little squares of fabric.

Looking forward to:

Getting my blood test results back.

Favorite photo from last week:

This one from Posie Gets Cozy. Shes one of the blogs I read regularly.

I just love the colours, and intricate but still simple texture of the crocheted motif.

Favourite blog post from the last week:

Farmgirl Fare posts a weekly dose of cute and this Sunday posted an extreme dose of cute ; A new born donkey.

I’ve loved donkeys for years. They have such personality. Go look. It really is adorable.

Lesson learned the past few days

I’ve learnt two:

Blood tests can give bad bruises – I forget everytime. This time, she was digging around for a vein so have a huge bruise.

That if I want to learn crochet I need proper lessons; saving up has commenced.

TTFN!

My blogging fu hasn’t been working properly the last week or so.

I’ve still not been well,and so very tired, and this week has been busy with doctors, assessments and blood tests.

On Monday, after a lot of thought, I went to see my doctor about the fact my current illness wasn’t going away and I went armed with a list of my symptoms and how long I’ve had them.

After some discussion with my doctor He’s given me a provisional diagnosis for M.E.

I have to admit that I’d thought about my having it several times and that it could be the underlying issue under my other health problems.

Yesterday, I went for a reassessment for therapy and am being referred for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and today I’ve been for blood tests to rule out other causes of my symptoms. I left feeling a bit like a pincushion and have those odd bruises you get on the inside of your elbows that do nothing but ache.

I’ll get my results next week, and see the doctor after that and in time I will get an official diagnosis and start learning how to manage the illness.

All this has been very tiring; both physically and mentally which means I’ve been sleeping a lot, and not really been in the headspace to blog but I do so want to get back to it. I just need to work out how to take better photos and what I want to take pictures of.

I have a swap parcel to show you (such lovely things), there has been some progress on my bloomers, and have managed a few more of my hexagons for my blanket.

Does anyone know any good photo tutorials?