STASH-BUSTING #13

Unlucky for some…

The weather has been glorious today. After mowing the lawn and pulling up some troublesome stinging nettles I have enjoyed an hour’s al fresco knitting. All that vitamin D should help my immunity πŸ˜„

I have been working on the first sleeve of my nephew’s cable aran.

Half a sleeve is better than no sleeve!

Please ignore the dying primula in the background. The warm weather has taken me a bit by surprise and I haven’t really got into a watering routine yetπŸ˜•

So back to the sleeve. Another 20 rows to go on the increase sequence and then once it is the desired length I will start on the raglan shaping. He’s not going to get it for chilly spring days but he does live in Scotland and there is generally a chill all year round πŸ˜†

Woolly wishes,

Jane β™‘β™‘β™‘

SELF-HELP IN 2021 #2

Now I’m not a book review sort of girl but…

I probably haven’t read a book in over a year with all the pandemic pandemonium I have been unable to focus but I have just finished The sixteen trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting and what a read!!!

The story is about 16 very old walnut trees that grew in the Somme, were poisoned which made the wood very beautiful and desirable and then disappeared. Ok I hear you thinking?

Actually the trees impact 3 families in the 20th century. Starting with massive loss in the First World War, with tragic consequences in the Second World War and devastation in the early 1970s and finally unearthing the mystery of the trees towards the end of the century.

The action takes place in Norway, Shetland, Scotland and France. We find out about potato farming, all kinds of woodwork, sailing, war and the Resistance. And of course love and loss and the reasons men make the choices they do.

A thoroughly good read, well worth putting my needles down. I don’t think my review has done it justice though πŸ€”

Back to some knitting in the sunshine.

Woolly wishes,

Jane β™‘β™‘β™‘

SELF-HELP IN 2021

A bit like Cinderella…

Places have started to open. I called into Hobbycraft yesterday but was so overwhelmed by the choice I didn’t buy anything – very good for the stash!

I have managed to book a hair appointment, not until 30th April but so excited πŸ˜‰

We visited N’s granddaughter on Sunday, her first birthday. We sat in the garden while it snowed but so good to visit.

N’s daughter had some slippers which I thought wow I could make some of those.

I have made one so far. So like Cinderella I only have one slipper πŸ˜„

Woolly wishes,

Jane β™‘β™‘β™‘

AWOL

Very little yarn craft ….

I have been absent from these pages for a week or two. Work has been horribly busy and I have hardly had a chance to click my needles together and I have to admit to missing the benefits.

I have made this storeage basket.

It’s a very chunky yarn that I bought from Aldi a couple of years ago and a size 10mm hook. I have actually managed to hook this in the round. I think the thicker yarn and hence bigger stitches helped me with my counting. I made it up as I went along but ended up with 96 stitches.

It’s going to be a toy basket. Tyson the tiger looks quite comfy in it.

Hoping that the next week or two will be less hectic and I can get a bit done on my nephew’s cable aran.

Woolly wishes,

Jane β™‘β™‘β™‘

STASH-BUSTING IN 2021 #7

And so it begins….

Just thought I would offer a sneaky peak at how my nephews cable knit jumper is coming along.

So we have a single rib, some cables over 4 rows, the diamond twist pattern done over 24 rows and the textured stitch which I think is called blackberry stitch or perhaps I’ve made that up because it looks a bit like blackberries πŸ€”

I have worked just over 100g of the Paton’s wool blend and I am liking the finish πŸ™„

The sun is out so hoping for a lovely weekend after a tough week at work. Hope the weather is as kind to everyone else as the sun certainly lifts my mood.

Woolly wishes,

Jane β™‘β™‘β™‘

STASH-BUSTING IN 2021 #6

well not really as I have a new addition to the stash…

Look what arrived today, she writes shaking with excitement πŸ˜€

Eleven balls of Patons wool blend aran (63% wool). I am embarking on an aran cable-knit jumper for my nephew. I have gone for a wool mix because of the laundry πŸ˜ƒ

N is pulling his hair out at I spent a lovely afternoon yesterday going through my yarn jumble. So when this arrived this morning he nearly dropped his cuppa…

I also potted up a planter with primulas and tete a tete which I’m hoping will look pretty for Mothering Sunday ⚘⚘⚘

My fingers are tingling as I’m very keen to get my new project on my needles. Progress will be sharedπŸ˜‚

Woolly wishes,

Jane β™‘β™‘β™‘

MORE RIVER NEWS…

What a difference a couple of weeks make!!!

I shared a picture of this view last month with the flood defences holding the river back but now look at it 😊

However, look what the river has left behind…

It’s nice to be able to use the bridge again πŸ˜‰

Woolly wishes,

Jane β™‘β™‘β™‘

AND HERE WE GO AGAIN!

The Severn is in the garden again!

I sat on that bench to drink coffee last Saturday!

Bewdley bridge built by Thomas Telford back in the day is closed to traffic for obvious reasons!

The flood defences are being defended!

And look at my garden!

The river is due to peak here in Bewdley late tomorrow night or early Sunday morning. And they are currently saying that the river will be higher than it was last February 😣

Time to dig out the wellies again.

Soggy wishes,

Jane β™‘β™‘β™‘

STASH-BUSTING 2021

Posted yesterday, received today so I can show and tell…

The chunky cardi is off my needles and away πŸ˜ƒ I have actually made 2 of these for N’s daughters. Sadly one of the girls had a bit of a wait for her’s but I finished it on Saturday, blocked Sunday and posted yesterday🎁

I bought some better hangers for Show and Tell purposes but N and B have squirreled them away for their own outfits – BOYS! So I had to make do with one that the dry-cleaning came back on 😣 It doesn’t hang that wellπŸ€”

The pattern came from Let’s Knit and is made using Stylecraft chunky, parchment. The pattern is worked over 10 rows:

Rows 1-3 Knit, rows 4, 6, 8, 10 k2, p5, rows 5, 7, 9 Knit

The nice thing about chunky knits is they knit up quickly although as I was nearing the end not quickly enough. And then there was the issue of buttons!!! Happily I bought enough when my local wool shop was open between lockdown 2 and 3!!!

Celebration time, all ready for packing up and posting 🎈🎈🎈

A couple more items to finish and then the Christmas knitting is all done and then I can fill my head with something new πŸ˜„ But my knitting basket looks almost empty now the chunky cardi has goneπŸ˜‰

Woolly wishes,

Jane β™‘β™‘β™‘