DECEMBER ROUND-UP

2020 done and dusted. ..

Happy New Year to you all! 🍻

I was very quiet on the blogging and knitting front during December. We are into a new year and I am still plodding on with my Christmas knitting 😶 My bad back has really set me back but happily I am much more mobile now and can sit for longer and knit yay…

Nothing completed in December so sadly no show and tell.

The river was rising just before Christmas. It is slowly going down, leaving very muddy footpaths along the banks. We have had snow this morning but not enough to cause problems.

And just look how close to the river wall the swans are …

Resolutions :

Finish the Christmas knitting and get it posted with suitably grovelling notes.

Pay more attention to blogville.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

CHRISTMAS WISHES

An empty Christmas stocking…

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas day. It was very quiet here and the river is going down a bit. However there is more rain on the horizon so no doubt it will go up again 🌨

I have had a lot of lovely gifts.

I have a very pretty felted garland and hand felted soap, all from the Welsh Woolshed – must look them up in the new year.

And a mini knitting kit from Santa 🎅

A little cup cosy, that will make for a pleasant evening in the new year.

Still battling on with my Christmas knitting. A couple of my gifts will be arriving in the new year.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

STASH-BUSTING #44

Pom pom joy…

My back is starting to feel a bit more like it so I have managed to start knitting again in short bursts. The Christmas knitting will be late this year but as the government cancelled Christmas yesterday I don’t suppose it will make too much difference 😥

I have had a lovely afternoon watching the Royal Ballet The Nutcracker on an arts channel – Christmas starts with the Nutcracker. While watching the ballet I have been having fun making pom poms!

Not sure if I can rescue this one though, don’t think there will be much left if I start trimming it!

Hopefully my posts will be less haphazard now I am more mobile.

Woolly wishes everyone,

Jane ♡♡♡

NOVEMBER ROUND-UP

A bit behind…

December is well underway and I am well behind with the old Christmas knits😶

In my defense I have pulled something in my back so I am currently hobbling around like an even older lady than I actually am!!!

Sitting is a problem so hence behind with my knitting.

Didn’t actually complete anything last month so the WIP list is growing:

2 beanies awaiting pom poms (I normally can’t wait to start pom pom making)

Knotty cowl still awaiting a few more centimetres (putting that one off because of weaving in all those ends)

The chunky cardi still needs a bit more work.

The pink Guernsey just needs sewing up (never my favourite task)

The colour work is complete on the top of the Christmas stocking just the leg, heel and foot to do.

LKKNITALONG is on hold until the Christmas knitting is complete.

But on the bright side I did make B a birthday cake 🎂

So it is December – bring it on!!!

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

CHARITY KNITTING

Stash nibbling for a good cause 💟

I was delighted to hear from Jo at Age UK this week. She advised that the Big Knit was back on and would I help out.

She didn’t need to ask twice. Trendy little Innocent Smoothie bottles will be sporting little woolly hats again at the beginning of 2022 and Age UK get 25p for every one sold😉

Check out http://www.thebigknit.co.uk

*Here’s one I made earlier, well on the last campaign!!!*

So once my Christmas knitting is done this is how I will be occupying my needles and what a great way to use up those yarn ends 😊

Woolly wishes

Jane ♡♡♡

SELF-HELP #38

Casting on for Christmas 🎄🎄🎄

Christmas is going to be very different this year. Even before the government’s big announcement we had decided to postpone the festivities until Easter when, hopefully, it will be safer to get together with family. N’s granddaughter will be one, so loads of fun getting into everything😉

I will, of course, be knitting for Christmas. Any gifting will be done via the post. Deliveries will probably be both sides of the big day, depending on how I get my act together.

N and I are planning a nice dinner which will be dropped off at his parents’ kitchen door. Hopefully it will be a dry day so that we don’t get soaked chatting in the garden. Our priority is keeping our oldies safe.

Being mindful and filling my head with stitching patterns.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

A RANDOM BAKE

Or an icing sugar storm 🌬

It is B’s birthday today🎂 Can’t believe my little cherub is now old enough to drive! I thought I would try to be one of those yummy mummy types and make him a cake 🤔

Now in my defence I haven’t done any proper baking since B was small when we used to bake together. In recent years I have made brownies and the like with my good friend Betty Crocker. And I have had a very temperamental oven and baking on my own was never much fun😯

But I have a new oven so thought I would have a go. I measured the ingredients from memory, probably not one of my better ideas😋 I made an 8oz sponge mixture but new baking tins so think I probably should do a 10oz mixture. And new oven so need to experiment with that. My cake looks a bit flat and is a bit crisp around the edge but it did have a nice spring to the touch. I have sandwiched it together with raspberry jam and vanilla butter cream.

Note to self:

Soften the butter before attempting to cream it

Make sure the mixer is on its lowest setting when using icing sugar – everything ended up with a fine dusting of the stuff😉

I don’t think I will be doing the Great British Bake Off any time soon….

I am going to stick to my knitting. Anyone for a cuppa and cake?

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

STASH-BUSTING #43

Supporting a good deed…

One of my son’s primary school teachers spends her Christmas day each year putting on a Christmas spread for ex soldiers who would normally spend Christmas alone. She asks for gifts.

A couple of beanies nearly completed. I feel the excitement of pom pom fun on the horizon 😉

They will be packed along with toiletries and chocs.

How is everyone’s Christmas knitting coming along? 🎅🎅🎅 yo ho ho!

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

SELF-HELP #37

Fresh air and a bit (of knitting) on the side….

The blog has been somewhat neglected over the past couple of weeks. Autumn is in full swing – cold and damp with the occasional frosty morning. Work is frantic. Exercise and knitting are struggling for space in my itinerary! !!

I was walking by the canal a few days ago in Kidderminster. This photo is taken just round the bend from Caldwell Bridge. I love the rust colours of the leaves but not the shorter days. Less likely to walk in the dark 🌜

On the knitting front I have started working through my Christmas gift list – no details available at the moment 🤔

But I have been picking up the knotty cowl from time to time for a bit of stress relief. I have another 15cm to go…

*The knots aren’t as evenly spaced as they should be 😄*

But look at all the ends to weave in! That is when the stress will start 😉

Getting back on track!

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

OCTOBER ROUND UP 🎃

Stormy more than spooky…

The month has been windswept and interesting. Quite productive on the home made front.

N has been busy preserving and he has presented me with the little mug this morning, claiming that my friends from the coven left it – cheeky so and so!!!

But look what it does when you make a cup of tea in it

I am easily entertained…

I am planning making pumpkin and chilli soup this afternoon. My lovely dad has been keeping busy growing veg so it would be rude not to use them🎃

On the knitting front I have completed all of the parts of the chunky cardi so looks like I will start November putting it together. The knotty cowl is coming along, about another 12 inches to go and then all of those delightful ends to work in 😥 And I have just got 5 squares to complete the KAL well behind everyone else but I am getting there!

Planning my Christmas knitting list, it will be a thrifty homemade festival this year but need to get a crack on as most will need to posted as no big get together this year 😷

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡