Merry Christmas Everyone

I seem not to have blogged for a while! I have been busy knitting but neglected to photo stuff that has already gone. I did finish the Fabel Socks however



and have started another pair in 6ply Fortissima Socki in a lovely autumnal colourway.



Needless to say IT got the better of me but I am old enough now to know when to give in to the inevitable. So Christmas knitting was put aside for the weekend as I was hosting the Spinning Group on Sunday and needed to tidy up. (Believe me Emma you WILL get your Gryffindor sweater!) It was really fun getting 11 people and 5 spinning wheels into the yurt!

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We had a Secret Santa too with lots of fibrey presents.

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But the gift that caused the most envy was a little sheep that pooed M and M's!



I have been updating my Etsy shop lately and still have alot of Opal 6ply to put on this week at a really good price ($11 for a 150g ball), but I like to spend the week between Christmas and New Year to tidy up loose ends and think about what I want to achieve in the next year. I have duly sorted out all my UFO's and I have (gulp) 25. So I want to see how many I can shift before 2008. Serendipitously I came across the Knit Warriors group on Ravelry. Check it out at on Lime and Violets blog. It should encourage me to get organised knitting wise.

Frost and Fire

The temperature has really plummetted in the last couple of days. Even at the late hour I get up the frost is still everywhere and as the sun rises every weed and fallen leaf is rimmed with rime frost.

So I had to take some photos. Click on the top image to see the next.

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It reminded me of a quote I once read to the effect that the Celts believed that the mundane was the edge of glory. A lovely thought - that the sublime can be glimpsed in the ordinary. The Buddhism of everyday life.

Where does the time go?

I feel like I am running around chasing my tail at the moment, but if you asked me what I have done, I would be hard pressed to tell. However I have spent the best part of today trying to figure out why my internet connection was cut by my ISP. It turns out they added an extra 99 euros to my monthly standing order, my bank refused (and of course charged me for the privilege) and Tiscali cut me off. It turns out I hadn't returned a faulty modem because they had told me not to send it to the address that was on the return label and I thought they would send me a new prepaid address label. They didn't and I forgot all about it. Then out of the blue... no internet. Why is life so complicated? So then I had to compose a scathing letter and get a friend to put it into scathing french for me.

I just want to knit and events are conspiring to stop me! However I have finished the hat to go with the pair of Fetching for my SIL



The handspun is three ply that I dyed as roving, part superwash merino and part Blue Faced Leicester. Lovely and soft and silky. The hat has a little repeated lace motif, the pattern is from a Twilley's Freedom booklet and I adapted it to knit in the round. So one more thing crossed off the Christmas list.

I also have another pair of socks nearing completion with some of the yarn my SP11 sent me.



I have spent an inordinate amount of time this evening listing DVDs for sale on Anglo Info and ebay, in an attempt to declutter and make a bit of cash.

20 muddy paws and my carbon footprint

It feels like it has been raining non-stop for at least 2 weeks.

Incessant rain + 5 cats = 20 muddy paws. I would knit them socks but they would only get them muddy and try as I might I can't get them to wipe their feet when they come in. They always look so hurt as well if they jump on you with cold wet paws and you act less than welcoming (this is usually when you have just changed to go out or put your pajamas on etc)

I have been to the UK for 5 days to see my son. It was such a relief to see him looking so well after seeing him last with his hair falling out in hospital. He has finally had an all clear on his molecular test. Once he gets another all clear they will harvest his bone marrow to store against the eventuality that he will need a transplant in the future.

I am glad I went but I have had to salve my conscience about my carbon footprint as I flew with Ryan Air. They started flying into Bristol (where he lives) in November and I managed to get a return flight for £20 (including airport tax and baggage fees). The ferry would have been nearer £200 and a complete no-no.

As a move towards offsetting I am making a determined effort to not use the electric kettle which I have a tendency to do despite the rayburn being lit. So I only use it a few times a week now first thing in the morning and make sure I only put a cupful in. Of course I should have been doing that anyway. I was also told that eating less meat has a dramatic effect on reducing ones carbon footprint. I haven't eaten any for 3 months as part of an anti arthritic diet (which is working very well) so I feel a bit better about flying and might consider it again next year. It was very quick and much less of a strain than the long drive and ferry crossing.

I have been very bad about blogging lately but spent quite a lot of time in Ravelry updating projects etc. So here are some FO's

Flower Power hat for Finch who has now gone back to Toronto.



Cabled beret for his mum Amy. I think the pattern was called Pumpkin and is a Twilley's Freedom pattern that was in Knitting magazine a couple of months ago. I made it in some chunky yarn from Ally Pally and knitted in the round on 8mm dpns.



A felted hat that was destined for me and stolen by Keith, in 2 skeins of Noro Kureyon. An improvised pattern consisting of a doubled over 'cuff' knitted as a rectangle and sewn to a crown.



The doomed Gryffindor sweater. I have some DK yarn now and have borrowed a knitting machine to try and complete this (sacrilege I know but needs must...)



Fetching in my own handspun. I have completed this and started a hat to go with them. Pictures next time. Also a pair in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. I needed to use a little contrast yarn as I like a few more rows on my version.



Dancing Poppies scarflette in handyed aran weight silk.



Woolly wormheads cabled cap in alpaca. I finished this ages ago but made it too big and was to lazy to frog and reknit. I bought some shearing (spelling?) elastic and threaded it round the brim. Fits ok now, but is very warm!