Day 17

As you know I decided that 31 days of knitting was not going to be consecutive days, if it had been so I would have failed. As my son says, failure is not an option so I changed my specification.

Knitting hasn't been a priority, we are considering extending our downstairs cloakroom to include a shower, this project will involve filling in the gap between the back of the integral garage and the utility room. The designer emailed the drawings today; two builders know of our proposals so the talk has been of heated towel rails and whether the shower screen should have obscure glass. The three waterbutts occupying the space will need to be rehomed, the pedestrian door to the garage relocated and slightly recessed.

As to knitting, more hexipuffs have been made, the cushion cover squares have been washed, blocked and are ready to sew up.

Not very clear picture, sorry folks, taken with my iPhone, emailed it to myself as am compiling this blog on my laptop then somewhere lost it for it didn't appear in the photo gallery. The knitted squares are on the cushion pad secured with one pin, the ones for the back are beyond and it all needs joining up. Quite pleased with the rustic look, all from yarn obtained from Freecycle, hence washing it as not sure of its provenance. Once the cover is complete I will need a better picture for my Ravelry project picture. Haven't even put it on as a wip.

Have enough square to make a second cover, need to pop into John Lewis to buy another cushion pad, originally was going to make the squares into a throw but have changed my mind. Also there's plenty more yarn, will knit some finer wool using double moss stitch for another cushion cover.

Day 16.

Knitting update: yesterday evening worked on socks, ready to start heels, this time intention is to make them very neat so will take time.

Have been working on squares from recycled wool, almost at the end of the cream so completing last square with mitred corner. This square has so many joins, what I think is a complete ball of yarn has breaks in the middle but will need to use all to complete the cushion cover. Will sew in ends, wash and block squares before joining up to make the cushion cover.

A little more hexipuff knitting in odd moments too.


Today is a special day as 30 years ago I was at Queen Charlotte's hospital, our lovely daughter Martha was born there at 12.02 pm. Thanks to Face Talk we had a chat with her this morning, tea was being drunk to celebrate. Lots of greetings on Facebook from family and her many friends demonstrate what a super person she is.

Day 15 of 31

mmmm, nearly half way through talking about knitting.

Just to say yesterday I decided I wasn't happy with the standard of knitting around the heels of socks so whilst chatting to son and daughter in law undid the socks to way back, think just above the ankle when I was nearly at the toes. Have put both pairs back on the needle, one ready to go, other one needs to be tidied up, stitches untwisted and perhaps stitch below to be knitted too.

Haven't touched socks yet today, did some hexipuff whilst on phone.

Notice 'yet'. when I've been asked if I have visited somewhere my answer is either 'yes' or 'not yet', thus combining a sense of optimism with an acknowledgement of how much I have travelled. Great way of annoying our beloved offspring is to shout 'been there' at the TV or radio when a specific town or place is mentioned. Between us, these parents can clock up a few miles!

There aren't too many places that I yearn to visit, Montecello has been on the list ever since my OU studies: the Settle to Carlisle railway appeals but more often travelling is to visit people rather than places. Today, someone was surprised that we hadn't been away on holiday this year, well apart from a weekend in East Anglia, but that was based around joining other bloggers for a lunch party. People not places, it was so lovely.

Back to sock knitting and catching up on Bake off spin offs......

Misty Monday

Day 14 of knitting is just more progress on a hexipuff in odd moments of time. I had intended to take up the socks again whilst watching the Masterclass from Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry, had assumed an 8pm start but discovered it was an hour earlier. Still there is always iPlayer.

I wore my pink socks with my winter boots yesterday and have realised that I knitted the feet a little big and made the boots uncomfortable so switched to the first pair I ever made which were a better fit. this time I shall try the new socks on when I reach the length indicated. Both pairs of winter boots require socks inside, my feet and legs are slim but boots are made assuming everyone has fat legs.

Looking at this picture the feet do look longer than the legs. Still ok for wearing around the house though!

Yesterday's church service back here was a complete contrast to the previous week but none the worse for that, for I came away knowing I will remember some of the teaching about service - as opposed to a service - and the pleasure of seeing some of the rather elderly ladies of the congregation participating in "Simon Says"! Yes, it was the monthly service for the younger age group but it was done so well it was right for all. How good for the children to be around the altar, to see what the priest does at the Consecration and sensing the importance and reverence.

This is why when we go away Ian and I try to attend the local church, although once in a village near Skipton we were accosted as newcomers, nearly signed up for the PCC and flower arranging before we could escape back to London. Visiting other churches gives a fresh insight into faith, a different emphasis on a familiar form of worship, learning something new and being able to look at one's own church on return to compare and contrast. The same benefits accrue when the vicar goes away for the four Sundays he is apparently allowed off and we welcome visiting clergy. Many years ago a priest who had been a teacher, or a school chaplain, not sure which, maybe both, used to cover and his sermons were like RE lessons, so much information about the background to Jesus and his life and about the world of St Paul.

As part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Guide company a presentation of their activities at a muddy PGL centre recently was screened. Guiding is just another world now, looks so much more fun and relevant. Like domestic science at school, much of our guiding seemed to assume being wives and mothers would be the most important part of our lives, the badges, like Little Homemaker reflected this.

It was my turn to host the reading group today, back went the Salmon Fishing in Yemen, in came White Truffles in Winter. Those of us who haven't read our free copy of Oliver Twist in this Dickens year were given a gentle reminder of the delights of this author. Am planning to download an unabridged audio so I can knit and listen.

Well enough of my waffle, busy week ahead.

PixieMum goes out west.

Right, let's get the knitting for Day 13 over. Have done half a hexipuff, then noticed had 19 instead of 20 stitches so will be undoing it. (Please insert your own mild swear word if you like) 

More success in completing one of the large Freecycle wool squares whilst having a chat on phone.

Right. Now the reason for not knitting or blogging was that I was away with the Strollers walking group. The name is becoming more and more apt, at times I found the pace a little slow and was glad to be at the front, striding ahead and then having more of a break and a photo opportunity.

Big difference this year was that I went without Ian. Now I know plenty of women of my age have no one with whom to go away, live on their own, don't wish their husbands to join them (or vice versa of course), but we tend to come as a package. However, Ian's OU maths exam was last Wednesday so there was no way he could lose three days revision so we thought it would be a Good Thing if I went without him so he could revise in peace and quiet.

Yes friends it went fine, I missed him terribly at odd moments, during the Sing Praise we have before Saturday's dinner, at the end of dinner where I suddenly realised that if I didn't go and fetch my coffee I wouldn't have any. Another time was on Saturday afternoon walked into Shaftesbury, it was odd pottering around a strange town on my own. Did consider walking down Gold Hill, but I opted out as I would have had to climb up again to return to the hotel. I had just about coped with the two walks I'd done.

The view of Gold Hill on Sunday morning after church at St Peter's Shaftesbury. It was very misty in the distance, clouds as one sees them from a plane obscuring the views.

Rather pleased that I managed to attend the 8am service, especially as it was BCP, said reverently, clearly with the correct emphasis, no servers to distract. I was amazed that I remembered all the words of the prayers so familiar from my teenage years onwards until the 1980s Series 2 and now Common Worship which can seem banal. BCP makes me think about what the words really mean, and this service, the worshipfulness, the peace and calm emphasised what is missing in my church back home. Additionally the excellent  talk by the priest, without notes, so apt, the church was celebrating Harvest Festival later at their 9.30 service so it was in that context.

Looking back over the weekend, there were some arduous walks as it was so muddy, there was slurry as we walked through a farmyard, there were stiles in a variety of styles and wobbliness and some steep inclines all of which has convinced me that I need more regular cardiovascular exercise and confirmed by the nurse discussing the results of my blood test.  I feel far less breathless than before I went away so we have an appointment next week to see what the local gym offers these old crocks. It has taken a few days to catch up as I have felt very tired, it has been suggested that I may have Delayed onset muscle soreness, nothing that time and paracetamol won't solve.

Just an example of the lovely views we encountered.

On Sunday, we breakfasted after church, group photos were taken before some departed for other destinations but the rest of us convoyed to Stourhead to find the place heaving. Had every National Trust member on Wiltshire and beyond chosen to go there on that beautiful sunny day? Admired the kitchen gardens, checked out the NT second hand bookshop and walked around the lake but no time to go into the house but am encouraged to return on a weekday.

After Stourhead, drove to my Friend-from-junior-school-days, so lots of catching up and chatting before I drove home on Monday. Both drives, on Friday and Monday were nearly two hours non stop, I used the Sat Nav successfully, before I have left it to Ian to set it.

Good night everyone.

Day 12.

Very brief note about my knitting journey, then after I have cleared the ironing marathon, will attempt a chat about the weekend away. With my walking boots I wore the very first pair of socks I knitted, on my return home socks needed a long soak to remove the mud. Worth it, feet and legs were dry and comfortable.

No knitting done until Sunday evening, but then just a few rows of the hexipuff during the advertisements on Downton Abbey.

Then, next knitting was during British Bake off but again, TV took preference; yesterday just knitted one of the  big squares for the throw whilst talking on telephone, so good to have loudspeaker on handset.

Not the muddiest part of the walk, I haven't asked permission to put photos here of other Strollers so that precludes some muddy events. Even though I doubt they are aware of my blog it would be bad mannered of me.

Right, off to iron, then a chatty blog later.

Day 11.

Just briefly after yesterday's huge photo, can say that the socks have grown because went to Royal Brompton yet again.

Have come away with a nebuliser, saline solution and slight confusion when I read the cleaning instructions. What with controlled breathing techniques, all the medication and now a nebuliser I shall have to be up early to do all this. Then most of the schedule is repeated again in the evening, I reckon we are talking a little shy of at least one and a half hours each day.

I should be fitting in some form of regular exercise into the day, walking to the High Street to collect the paper really isn't enough, especially as this activity depends on the weather.

Much knitting was done both on the train and the hour's wait for the pharmacy to provide the saline solution. Still have doubts about completing socks to wear at the weekend even though I am taking knitting with me to Home Group in a few moments.