Self-help #10

It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring …

Well my old man snores a lot!!!

So very rainy yesterday. No Ashes (yippee!), sadly it is back on today. The old man has stopped snoring 😅

Spent most of yesterday with a young man who was very reluctant to go outside in the rain so we made pom poms – as you do!

Also a funny little rabbit that will need a string to hang it from. Might hang it in the garden to ward off evil bugs 🐌🐌🐌

Only managed a mile yesterday due to the appalling weather 🤐

A couple of miles today. Just had to get out of the house AND AWAY FROM THE CRICKET!!

An evening spent on my own with my knitting needles… # stash busting ♡♡♡

Self-help #9

Knitting and Mrs Tiggywinkle…

The 50 miles in August is not going particularly well – 12 1/2 miles to date and a few of those have been walking to the pub or the wine shop??? Now sums was not my best subject at school but even I can work out that about a mile a day in a 31 day month is not going to result in 50 miles 🤔

I have pulled out a few more nettle roots on the other side of the garden fence. I am starting to recognise some of the people who stop for a little chat , I think I said there was a public footpath that runs past the garden fence. Anyway, apparently I am not as snooty as some of the neighbours because I will spare the time for a little chat. Two thoughts: my slothful nature, any excuse for a break, plus I love people; the neighbours employ gardening contractors so they don’t have time to chat, it is their livelihood 😆

I spent a morning this week volunteering at a hedgehog rescue centre. Prickly but cute 🐗 It was a fab experience but my goodness don’t they produce a lot of poo 💩 The hedgehogs were cared for and when fit and healthy they will be let out in the wild. So many that had been attacked by family pets 😣

This morning I called in to see the Monday Girls. I have not been to Knit and Natter for a couple of years so it was nice seeing everyone again. I am sure Wyn is still working on the same scarf she was working on when I was last there. Mind you she does enjoy a chat over a cuppa and then a fag outside bless her♡

I didn’t go empty handed I took the little cardies and a baby blanket so that the group can pass them on to the premature baby unit.

So exhausted from work but very happy with my endeavours out of work.

STASH-BUSTING #7

Teeny-tiny ♡♡♡

Not a great deal to show for my dabbling with needles and hooks this week. I have used up some ends of colour lots on these tiny cardies. I will take them to my local knit and natter group on Monday to pass on to the premature baby unit.

The funny little rocket is a children’s craft project at my local museum. I popped in with a colleague yesterday and we asked if we could have a go they were so sweet. So we have both painted a rocket tea-light holder. I plan to put mine in the garden but not until the bad winds have stopped. I don’t want it being blown over and broken! We spent the afternoon making pom poms, sadly I left them with her so don’t have any pictures to share.

A very childish day I know but fun ☆☆☆

SELF-HELP #8

Crikey… too much cricket!

Not a great deal of knitting has been done this weekend due to the heat. The boys have been glued to the Ashes. I have to admit I find it rather dull, they would say the same about my craft I suppose. 🤔

I have been busy trying to reclaim a piece of land the otherside of my garden fence. It does belong to the property but we have never done anything with it as a public footpath runs through it but all of the neighbours have tidied their bits up. My tangle of brambles and nettles was letting the side down – definitely not cricket!

My lovely dad came and chopped down the nettles and brambles and I have since been pulling out old roots. This is going to be a big WIP. Hoping to have something to talk about next year.

On another note I have signed up to do 50 miles during the month of August with my slimming group. I know to some this does not sound like much but SMALL STEPS… A friend signed up to do 1000 miles this year and has already achieved this. I have a long way to go.

Hopefully, the weather will freshen up again so my needles won’t be as sticky.

Sadly another 5 weeks of the Ashes 😣

STASH-BUSTING #6

A good old rummage…

I am visiting nooks and crannies around the house that have been neglected for years. Hence …

A number of years ago I bought a load of cross-stitch kits to make my own Christmas cards. I remember doing a few and I remember the delight on parents’ faces on receiving them but, sadly, they were very time-consuming so the bulk of them were stuffed into a cupboard and forgotten about 😣. I have done a couple in the hot weather, good advice from Mildlygranola who suggested sewing was a more bearable craft during a heatwave 🌞.

On the WIP front I have nearly completed a baby blanket.

The interesting colour scheme is due to the fact that I am using ends of balls. Another 2 rows of trebles and a couple of rows of doubles to finish off ♡♡♡

And of course…

there is another scarf on the go.

Clickety click best get knitting ♡♡♡

Macrame Monday #2

Knotting not knitting …

Occasional posts on my dabbling with macrame!

I have completed the macrame market bag (Hobbycraft pattern 0160).

Now I am not going to get all of my market shop in this. It is a strange narrow affair. My son did ask whether I had done any width by depth calculations? My bewildered expression lead him to comment it is quite good for a first attempt…

Well that is how I am going to look at it. I actually really enjoyed the criss-cross pattern and in the end I was quite proficient at square knots. Sat on the floor cross-legged knotting away with just the sound of the river in the background was quite therapeutic. I am still not convinced about my gathering knot and would certainly not want to carry anything heavy in it for fear the bottom gathering knot would give way! 😕

Anyway it is the perfect size to carry a bottle of wine…

So yes I will have another go but meanwhile chin chin 🍷…

STASH-BUSTING #5

Sticky needles 😡

Not much progress on the stash bag. It has been far too hot to wrestle with wool and needles so they have been cast aside for the last week or so. However, the weather broke yesterday so we had a joyous reunion!

Neglected olive hiding another scarf…

So I finished another scarf last night, just so that I could feel that buzz from having finished something. 😃

Current WIPs:

Fingerless mittens x 2
Bed / wellie socks
Baby blanket
Baby booties

And that is just what I have dug out plus I have loads of cheap and cheerful yarn that I have done absolutely nothing with. 🤑 I seem to have an awful lot of baby wool – all those good intentions that never materialised…

So back to working my way through it all…