So cold!

It's very cold here in Liverpool. My house is generally a cold building so when the temperature drops it's not much fun. The living room is above the garage so cold air from the garage comes up through the floor. It's nice in the summer but sooo cold in the winter.

I've been going to redecorate the dining room and living room for the last 3 months and eventually decided to do the dining room on Sunday. I just gave it a few coats of white paint and removed some of the junk that had accumulated there. It looks a lot cleaner and brighter and the new light over the dining table looks good too. I'm not going to get the living room done before Christmas now so am planning on working on it early on in the new year when I am on my own in the house.

Ds is coming home from London on Friday and I'm looking forward to seeing him. He's back until the new year when he's going straight to Rotterdam to work on the Rotterdam 6 day track race. I think he's looking forward to being back even though his new house share is pretty good. His girlfriend is coming to visit between Christmas and New Year so that should keep him happy.

Monday Update

I've been busy working on the garden and the allotment the last couple of weeks in between the spells of wind and rain. The garden's looking pretty tidy now although I don't like to leave it too tidy as all the little creatures need some leaves and other debris to overwinter in. I've planted loads more bulbs, more tulips which I love, daffs, and some dwarf irises and more bulbs whose names I can't remember.

I started making a path to the shed two or three years ago and never finished it. I'm making it using the sandstone blocks I dug up out of the front garden with Cathy and Susie (my friendly neighbours) a few years ago. There was an old manor house on the site of the 14 houses in our close and our houses were built when it was pulled down. All of our gardens are full of stuff from the big house. I found two old irons in the back garden and my next door neighbour dug up a complete wheelbarrow a couple of years ago! Anyway I'm planning to finish the path tomorrow. It's a kind of stepping stone path from the patio area to the shed. It's desperately needed in the winter as the soil is very clayey so it's too wet to walk on all winter. It's probably too wet to do it now but I'm just going to have to get on with it regardless.

It's Christmas gift making time again, and I am working on knitted gifts for the family again this year. I will post what I make after Christmas as I know this blog is watched by gift recipients. I'm only making 7 gifts this year so it's not too much to do. I've finished one completely, about 95% of another, and probably about 50% each of a couple of others. That probably means I'm about half way there. I'm planning on finishing off the ones I've got started this evening and tomorrow evening. I'm stitching 'n bitching tomorrow so should manage it. Then it's just three more to go!

Monday Update

I've not done much knitting this last week. I just seem to be jumping from one thing to another and not really getting anywhere. My plan this week is to finished my Composed Mitts and also my Handpainted gloves. There's only a couple of hours work to do on each of these maximum, and it would be good to get some projects out of the way. Also I could do with wearing them as the temperature seems to have really dropped in the last week or so.

I've been in the garden today and dug out my Miscanthus Zebrinus. It had got huge so I decided to move it and split it into 3 or 4 new plants. I managed to get it out. It has only got a very shallow root ball as it seems to have hit a pan of clay where it was sited. I've chopped one chunk off it and planted it against the fence where it looks pretty good and it will get full sun there which they seem to like. The soil there is much better too so it should do well there. I am going to split the rest of the plant into two. One of these chunks will be planted near to the one already in and the other one will go out front in a gap between my garden and the neighbours. I'll have to do that tomorrow as I've run out of light now.

My Current Projects

I started my Bressay Hap Shawl in August almost the instant I received my copy of Rowan Magazine 42. I like knitting shawls and blankets and had enough Rowan Yorkshire Tweed 4 ply in my stash (bought for another project never started) to substitute for the Scottish Tweed 4ply.

I knitted one of the border panels very quickly and then as usual became distracted by other magazines , patterns and projects. I decided to start work on the shawl again last Friday and completed the second border panel first thing Tuesday morning. Just working on the third edging section today. I did a little yesterday but got distracted by my Jaywalkers yesterday evening and did a few rows on them instead. I'd been working on my Jaywalkers on Monday evening and when I got up Tuesday morning I discovered the sock on the floor, hanging off the needles, chewed and damp. I think Viola must have been fighting with them during the night. Hid them last night to aviod a repeat performance.

Ravelry

I'm completely obssessed with Ravelry. I've got about half my stash on there now and the same with my projects. I keep meeting people there who I've met in knitalongs and other groups. It's great to see other peoples interpretations of designs.

I haven't put up all my wips as it's just too embarassing (and time consuming). Maybe I'll get round to it soon.

I'm trying to finish of a few of my UFOs but don't seem to be getting far as I keep jumping from one to another. Today, for example I've done a few rows of a cardi I'm knitting in Jaeger Roma and have also been working on my Bressay Hap Shawl. The cardigan pattern is good and the yarn feels great but I'm in stocking stitch hell with it. This is always the point when I abandon a project. I've only just starting to realise that this could be the reason for some of my UFO's. Although I think the main reason is that I have no will power and cast on the instant I see a fab new design.

The Lovely Vi

Here are the photos of Viola being cute as usual. She's always on the lookout for new sleeping spots. When I saw her eyeing up the shelves the other day I decided to put her red blanky in a spare spot and see what happened. It didn't take long before she was in there and asleep.

I'm Back

Well it's been a horrid couple of months. The shop closed in the middle of September which was not pleasant. I really couldn't go on any longer with it though as I just didn't have enough customers or the support I needed at home. Coinciding with the shop closure, issues in a close personal relationship came to the fore and I had a very unpleasant and emotional month.

I'm trying to get back on track now. I'm looking for some work and have started working on the allotment again. Thought I'd take the opportunity while I've a bit of free time to get that knocked into shape.

I got some good photos yesterday of Viola, my lovely cat, sleeping on the bookshelf in the living room - very cute. I'll post them here later.