Sunday: Day 68

Just saying, I am isolating still as per that letter, so hope this blog isn’t too boring for the readers.  I’m pleased to say that DH is going out for a walk locally, avoiding close contact and shops. We are learning how to navigate Sainsbury’s online shopping list, I thought I’d purchased packs of 1 litre fruit juice, turned out to be 200ml cartons, substitutes are another problem, a block of mature cheddar cheese was requested, instead we were sent a small pack of grated cheese was substituted, we asked for sardines in olive oil, instead sardines in sunflower oil was listed so DH asked the very pleasant delivery man if the cheese and sardines could be taken back, they were. The other item that was substituted was chocolate but the alternative was so similar it was acceptable.

From time to time I am annoyed with myself for not achieving much, however I have been decluttering old knitting and crochet magazines, found a 10 year old pattern in Yarn Forward for January 2011,

for a girl’s beret, I had the Rowan wool to make two, this is my effort at Lief beret, blue is Big Wool, cream colour, called China Clay, is Rowan Drift. Not easy knitting with 10mm circular needles and such thick wool it worth the effort. Whether Alice likes them will be another matter, at 3 years old she has very definite ideas about what she will wear, or not, she has a habit of taking all her clothes off.

The lockdown has led to small changes in our lifestyle, shopping by post, as I said above using grocery delivery service, learning to use Zoom, following church services on Facebook and using Chromecast to view on larger TV screen. The streamed church services, 9.30 on Sunday to Thursday mornings and Saturday evening prayer has given us a structure to our day, although pleased it isn’t Zoom when we are in pyjamas.

A few years ago we extended the downstairs cloakroom into a shower room, the shower is an electric one, our upstairs bathroom has shower over the bath, takes the hot water from the tank, we had a different system for each bathroom. The downstairs shower was mostly used when the family stayed, DH realised he preferred the spaciousness of freestanding shower so effectively we have our own bathrooms now.

Our dining room is at the front of our house, in normal times we just have meals in there and spend rest of time in lounge/sitting room/drawing room/parlour/back room (what is the correct name?) or in kitchen, now we use the dining  room more, we can look out in the street, feel less cut off, see people, some of whom even admire DH’s front garden. Another change after clearing the larder to use up food lurking at the back we found a packet of ground coffee so we retrieved a cafetière from the depths of a cupboard,  read the rules and I will have proper coffee now on instead of instant. So flavoursome, the feeling of power and style pushing down the plunger is silly and fun.

Oh,  in case you were wondering about present project, just making more cotton face cloths using up yarn, these will be for face washing grandchildren, preferable to using disposable wipes. Picture of one made earlier, just garter stitch, cast on one stitch, increase in front and back of second stitch, knit to end of row, knit enough rows to diagonal of square and then decrease by knitting second and third stitches together.

February

So, what has been achieved when Dennis prevented us from our visit to the South Coast. At last I’ve used up all the stash of Rowan Big Yarn making four cushions for our kitchen chairs. Slight problem in that I haven’t enough yarn  left to do the border on the last cushion as the odds and ends of one colour have different dye numbers, even to my untrained eye there is a slight difference in shade. At the Costa knitting group last week I was offered some Big Yarn, if the donor doesn’t come back to me  I will see what John Lewis’s haberdashery can offer on Saturday, will be there for Knitting & Crochet Guild meeting. JL are being difficult about the use of their Community Hub so difficult to plan ahead, nor is it easy to find an alternative venue in Kingston.

Not easy to see the edges need tidying up, also sorry, one side the stripes are north south, the other side are east west, actually all the cushions are rectangles  made with treble crochet stitch. I’m pleased with this stashbuster. Next project will be to finish Ian’s socks, the Tramlines sock pattern I have made before very successfully, I left the socks in favour of the cushions and the crochet blankets as they needed less concentration than turning heels.

Last Friday we were able to see the grandchildren, who had a day trip by train to London, a visit to the Natural History Museum, along I think with every other child on half term to see Andy’s Clock, apparently seen on BBCs children’s TV.

Family posing with the clock behind, I’m not sure even now why it is important, also children were beginning to tire, they are only four and a half and three years and one day!

We had shuffled around the dinosaur displays, I think a few opportunities for ancient grandparents to sit for a while would have been appreciated in this great hall, I admired Alfred Waterhouse’s architecture more than the dinosaurs, clever as the exhibits were.

Fibre 4 Fibres

I’m partial to reading blogs especially those of the yarn community, many of the Bloggers are on Ravelry too. Once such blog is http://theknittingexploitsofjosiekitten.blogspot.com/
it started in 2008, in the last couple of years Helen has been diagnosed with myositis, a rare autoimmune muscle disease,  she has carried on with generously giving away beautiful yarn to fundraise.

Last Sunday I donated to the raffle to win this
http://theknittingexploitsofjosiekitten.blogspot.com/2020/01/fibre-4-fibres-preview-giveaway-8_24.html

There is not only yarn to make the Contoura hat designed by Woolly Wormhead but two 100grams of Schweppes, these will be used to make socks for Ian, the colours are just so right for him.  I like the hat so will be making it for myself. Helen posts on Instagram as josiekitten, do go and look at these and details of the next virtual raffle.

The fundraising is for MyositisUK, a small charity run largely by volunteers, I like to support small charities, not those with well paid staff and expensive London offices, if there is a craft and cat link so much the better. Below my photos of the great yarn, earnings and pattern.

So what else is news, I have been working on weaving in ends on the third crochet cushion cover using up stash of Rowan big wool in an absolute random pattern.  A 8mm hook and such chunky yarn has meant the work grew quickly, weaving in ends is taking rather a long time, I still have to decide whether to put a double crochet border around the edge before sewing it up.

Cushions, crochet and other thoughts.

One reason I do not go to yarn shows like Unravel, Wonderwool is because there is so much yarn in my stash, because I have plenty of projects on which I’m working, like two Attic24 blankets, a second pair of  Tramlines socks by Maria Higgs, and so far two new crochet cushion covers using Rowan big wool and 7mm crochet hook.  Crochet eats up yarn, especially Big Yarn that is just what I need to clear my stash with the intention of just buying yarn for the next project.

These cushions are for our kitchen chairs to replace some purchased through eBay chosen for their swan silhouette design, the fabric has worn, different colours and designs have been used for the crochet covers, linked by use of treble stitch each time, the design is governed by colours of yarn available. The blue cushion fits the kitchen colour scheme - so what - for the golden one and others yet to be made rogue colours add some fun. The starting chain was about 70 stitches.

So what else has been happening at Pixie Towers? Marmalade making, about 20lbs of oranges have been purchased, 5 batches have been made so far,  maybe one or two batches to finish for this year depending on quantities of lemons added.  This year I’ve made the marmalade thicker, not so runny more set. As we made many jars of damson jam last summer more jars were required for marmalade, we cleared Staines branch of Hobbycraft out of these jars. These have ounce markings in the glass, 12 oz at the top although they will hold a greater amount than this.

Must add, we’ve started digging into this jar, I did fill it right to the top, tastes even better when spread on bread made by Ian. 

Reasons why.

There are many reasons why I haven’t blogged, main one is we have been busy helping family, DS has been away from home for work so we have tried to help DIL with childcare and domestic stuff. Important work, here is Ian dealing with bedtime reading, important as GS at 4 years, 4 months has suddenly cottoned on to phonics so reading is beginning to take off although he seems to prefer STEM topics, surprised his reception teacher by recognising a hexagon, although not taught that concept at school.

Knitting and crochet continues apace, still working on second pair of toe up socks for Ian, progress has been made on the two Attic 24 blankets especially the Moorland for DIL as grandchildren like to help by holding the yarn, sometimes a bit too tight whilst we talk about colours and stitches.

I have a new project, our kitchen chair cushions have become worn, I have quite a quantity of Rowan big wool so I’m crocheting new covers using trebles, 6mm hook so the fabric produced is quite dense, work grows very quickly, should wear well without needing lining and I’m using up lots of stash. 

It will be made up envelope style, maybe if it is a bit narrow for a 40cm cushion I can add a border to frame it. Colours look a bit dull in picture, when complete will attempt to photograph it in daylight. 

Mmm, should I mention Christmas? Although a religious festival I dislike the intense commercialisation of a Christian festival, let the Solstice and coming longer daylight be celebrated by the non-Christian. It is not easy for me to just switch on a happy and jolly gene for the sake of it, I visited a lovely great aunt on Boxing Day to find  her dead in her chair, my Father-in-law died on Christmas night 35 years ago. With black humour DH says at least he waited till the credits went up on Raiders of the Lost Ark at 9.50, as requested the hospital had rung DH, he and his brother then had a 2 hour drive to Kent to break the news to their mother.  My father died suddenly 33 years ago today. 

It is not just these anniversaries, it is the big build up beforehand, then after Christmas nothing 'happens as all celebrations are before the event. Twelfth Night is just a date by which decorations come down, of course one could leave them up till Candlemas on February 2nd. I worry and become stressed over the most silly things, even to whether the Christmas card is right for the intended recipient, the printed words seem hollow for a recently bereaved friend, ‘merry’ to me implies rather tipsy, jolly or enjoyable Christmas would be an alternative.  

Don’t wish to sound miserable or Scrooge like, I’m saying how it is for me, a feeling going back to childhood when I remember being bored by TV so would be knitting or reading, the extra work load on my mother who stayed up late on Christmas Eve knitting dolls clothes for my sister’s new doll. I must have been an odd child, I had a doll too and used to wonder what I was supposed to do with it! 

If anyone is reading these scribblings may I wish them the opportunity to enjoy Christmas in the manner they would most enjoy and appreciate, thank you for commenting on my blog, I’ll try and return the compliment.