SELF-HELP #36

Being mindful in a muddle…

I believe those of us who knit have such an advantage in these uncertain times. An hour or so knitting before bedtime certainly clears the fog in my brain that has built up during the day. The night before last, for one reason or another, I ran out of time and didn’t manage a single stitch before bedtime and what a rotten night’s sleep or lack of sleep I had. I tossed and turned with all the trials and tribulations of the day running through my head. I went to work on auto-pilot yesterday. I had a good night last night – down to the hour and a half knitting beforehand but still feel a bit drained from the night before 😴

I am working on the chunky cardi. The back and left side are complete and I have just placed the pocket on the right front. Love this stitch sequence worked over ten rows, not too complicated but just enough to keep rhe mind occupied. And the chunky yarn knits up so quickly 😉

But like so many of you I like to have a few projects on the go – the pink Guernsey is ready to be sewn up so that has been put to one side for the moment and the KAL tends to be done at work as small and slips in my bag – so I have been looking around for something else to do.

The pattern is for a cowl but the sequence worked involves knotting pieces of work together. Lots of holding stitches on needles or holders and cable needle so I could get in a right pickle but nothing ventured nothing gained🤔

And added bonus you need to have a couple of extra small balls of wool to join in on your work so I have spent an hour this morning on a tangle from my stash and not or knot to worry if I couldn’t undo the mess I could use the scissors 🤗 although I will not enjoy sewing in all the ends if I complete it. But yarn from the stash bag so no extra expense!!!

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

THE MINDFUL GARDENER

Or keeping him busy….

The garden is looking a bit like a building site at the moment. We have had new guttering as the old stuff was woefully leaky! This entailed moving lots of stuff around to get ladders and things in place to access the guttering.

Him indoors has also taken an interest in the garden since lockdown and has decided to build some raised beds. So we have planks of wood everywhere!

It is interesting trying to mow the lawn around this lot….

Hopefully in a week or 2 the boxes can be put in place ready to fill up with earth and then a few winter veggies. I am hoping that he doesn’t lose interest as gardening keeps him moving and occupied. Still if he does lose interest those boxes will look great filled with flowers! It is so important to keep busy during these uncertain times.

I have my knitting to keep me busy and, of course, I have worked through so other than I have saved a lot of money by not going out for coffee all the time my routine has not changed that much.

Hope you are all keeping safe and well.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

HOLIDAY UPDATE

Fresh air and the bins…

Look at this beautiful view I have been greeted with when I wake up each morning

Sadly we are going home tomorrow. Don’t get me wrong we have a lovely view of the river Severn at the bottom of the garden but this has been so restful and fascinating watching the estuary fill and drain. Unfortunately there was a train derailment on the otherside of the estuary the day before yesterday. The locals have been advised not to pick cockles in the estuary as there is a risk of diesel seeping through the river into the estuary 😣

It was bin day today, something of an obsession of mine. I have been sorting as per local recycling policy. Household waste, food waste and plastics were taken today. Really impressed that they take food waste and all plastic😏 Because I didn’t know which waste was being taken today I put it all out, I bet the locals thought “bloody holidaymakers “! I have just brought the bottles, cans and cardboard in to stash away safely in the bin store.

It will be the holiday clean up this evening but in the meantime

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

HOLIDAY DRAMA

Storm Francis was blowing…

And we decided we would go out for tea. Sadly the only places to eat were outside so we came home.

Unfortunately we had locked ourselves out but Jane came to the rescue. I climbed onto a wall and then up onto the balcony where, ever security conscious, we had left the door unlocked. I let myself in and then went downstairs and let the men in!

I like to think if I had had my knitting with me I could have quickly knitted up a rope or the like to make it easier😉

We ordered in pizzas for tea 😂

Anyway the wind has died down today and the sun is trying to come out. Back to knitting on the balcony😎

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

HOLIDAY SNAPS

Somewhere in Wales…

We have come into Wales for a few days break. I had been counting the days since the end of July, not sure if restrictions would be tightened again but here we are. The cottage overlooks an estuary which fills up with water twice a day.

I haven’t been locked up but these are the views from the balcony where I have found a cosy spot to sit and do my knitting. Breathtaking 😎

So back to the powder pink Guernsey that I am working on.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

JULY ROUND-UP

A bit if finishing off…

I was a bit of a procrastinator last month. In fact I did very little yarn work but my stash only grew by a small pack of coloured yarn that was a free gift. Therefore I can say temptation did not get the better of me – I really must be off my game 😁

No new projects started in July but I did finish the honeycomb rim beanie and the blue baby cardi. Both of which I had been dabbling with for months so yay 😆

I have also been continuing with the Let’s Knit KAL although I do have a bit of catching up to do with this🙄

Work is keeping me busy but here is hoping that August will be more productive. I really need to empty my mind of the stress of work and daily survival and fill my mind with woolly thoughts – my goal for the month.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

SELF-HELP #33

An evening walk …

I have just returned from an evening walk after a day at work. It has been baking hot all day but it has cooled down a little this evening.

Scorcio 🌞

Since the announcement of a slight easing of the lockdown the world seems to have come out to enjoy the sunshine and get drunk. I was walking past a local playing field where a group called out offering beers. I politely declined. It is a worry because so many are going to have to continue shielding for a long time to come!

Anyway back to my walk. Look at these lovely dog roses.

And the blackberry blossom

So my walk is not as peaceful as it has been and there are certainly a lot more cars on the roads 🚗🚗🚗

Anyway back to my knitting!

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

BANK HOLIDAY BLUES…

For some members of the family but not me 😎

Bank holiday Monday but frankly all the days seem to merge into each other. We have done some gardening as a family and sadly the bottom fell out of the pot that N was moving. He was not a happy bunny as he got covered in soil and then horror of horrors there were snails on the side of the pot 🐌

I came to the rescue, more for the sake of the snails than N 😂

My son, bless him, has sawn down a couple of shrubs for me while I have been pulling up nettles on the river bank. My arms are quite tingly now but I am pleased with the results and I got to chat to lots of walkers 😆

But most exciting of all my wool has arrived for the Let’s Knit KAL:

I am so happy and excited – I obviously need to get out more!!!

I am happy with my trellis shell square so will be knitting those up in this lovely merino wool but will have another go at the windmill square with yarn from my stash!

Wishing you a lovely Whitsun.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

STASH-BUSTING #31

Still knitting …

Although I have hit the knitting doldrums I am still knitting – phew!

I have been using up some of my baby yarn stash and also passed on some girlie coloured yarn to a client who has been having loads of pom pom making fun 😄

I have 3 incubator blankets ready to post to the warm baby project but as I mentioned in my last post I am on the look out for something new!

I have persevered with the lacy square from the Let’s Knit KAL and I have a finished square that I am quite pleased with. It is rather grubby as this was my fourth attempt and I used the same yarn each time but practice makes perfect. I will say that this square has confirmed my suspicion that I may have missed a couple of rows on the windmill square!!!

Anyway I am going to take the plunge and buy the yarn to make the blanket. Obviously I will use wool from my stash to practice the stitches first and will do another practice run of the windmill square 😂

So still looking for knitting inspiration but will be taking a walk to the post office tomorrow to post my incubator blankets.

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡

ADDING TO THE STASH

Temptations…

My knitting mojo is suffering from angst! I have nearly completed 3 incubator blankets, 5 inches to go on the ladder blanket.

I am still working so have structure to my day but all of the fun activities I take my clients to are closed. We did attempt zumba via zoom yesterday which was not entirely successful. I jumped around to Europop anthems but my client was not keen!

I have found that I am better off at the moment – not putting as much petrol in my car, not buying coffee and not trawling wool shops. So I have treated myself to a couple of craft magazines. Now the problem with buying these is they are all wrapped up in plastic to protect the exciting free gift but this means you can’t flick through to see if you actually want to have a go at anything in the magazine…

I have bought a Mollie Makes which had a rainbow kit as a freebie. I was very excited unwrapping it but was sadly disappointed with the contents. A broad spectrum of crafts on offer but I probably won’t attempt any of them 😔

I have since bought a Let’s Knit which I have read from cover to cover. I feel inclined to do the monkey freebie and have taken an interest in the KAL. So much so I have priced the yarn on line and practiced the first 2 squares on wool from my stash. The windmill square is complete needs blocking but I think I missed a couple of rows!!! The lacy shell square has been thrown across the room and frogged twice, so nothing to show for that one!!! Probably just as well yarn shops are closed I might have rushed out and bought the wool to linger in my stash for months, possibly years 😂

I will reflect on the KAL. The benefit of doing it would be to learn how to do more lacy stitches but I might be unbearable to live with 😝 In the meantime I have started a beanie with a rather nice honeycomb brim and I have dug out some little Christmas card cross stitch kits. Variety is the spice of life so they say!!!

Woolly wishes,

Jane ♡♡♡