My Week

There was a turn in the weather at the start of the week, and I suddenly found myself back in full winter hibernation, and the only way for me to hibernate effectively is with tea and a increasingly large stack of granny squares. My blanket is growing, and I am trying to pull my socks up and make the most of these chilly days. 

Taking Stock - February

Playing along with lovely Pip at Meet Me At Mike's, and taking a moment to have a think about the passing month!

Making : blankets and socks, my most favourite things to make!
Cooking : I assisted with a fruit cake, and as always I'm handy at chopping veg
Drinking : tea
Reading: Finished Philip Pullman "Grimm Tales" yesterday
Wanting: to cosy up on the sofa with a kitty and read
Looking: at tiny crocuses peeping out in my garden
Playing: Allo Darlin', Pearl and the Beard and a little bit of Morrissey 
Deciding: if it's wise to pay a visit to the yarn shop when I close up my stall today
Wishing: the world was a little less complicated, or that people were a little kinder to each other
Enjoying: the feeling of spring approaching
Waiting: for the weather to be warm enough for picnics
Liking: my pretty Bow scarves - vintage patterns are the best
Wondering: if it would be acceptable to start a new pair of socks when I already have two pairs on the needles...
Loving: our little house and weird little animal family
Pondering: on colour combinations for squares for my blanket
Considering: my next tattoo
Buying: Books. So many books.
Watching: Just finished rewatching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in it's entirety, and started "Reaper" last night
Hoping: that my little car is finally fixed and enjoying the freedom of pootling about
Marvelling: at how fast blankets happen these days!
Cringing: at how mean people can be to each other
Needing: more cake
Questioning: if I will manage to get my book pile under control this year
Smelling: Daffodils
Wearing: lots of lovely frocks and woollens 
Following: my own path and taking a bit more care of myself
Noticing: that driving seems a little less scary as I practise a bit more
Knowing: that I always try my best
Thinking: that I really want to learn to bake
Admiring: the strength of people that I know, who get up and get on every day when life can be so very cruel
Sorting: out priorities, trying to make improvements
Getting: tickets for bands that I loved as a teenager, because they all seem to be touring again
Bookmarking: Dock and Nettle
Coveting: pretty vintage brooches and lovely dresses
Disliking: second-sock-syndrome, which afflicts me every so often
Opening: books before I've closed the one before
Giggling: at being called "knitting mad" in the local paper
Feeling: like we're coming to the end of a very long winter
Snacking: on homemade crumpets (my husband is ever so clever)
Comforting: lots of people at the moment, there must be something in the water
Helping: to plan lots of exciting things

My Week...

There were so many adventures and fun things last week that I barely know where to begin. We went to the Theatre, and the Seaside, to new favourite cafes and old favourite cafes, to a museum that we'd never been to before, visited three towns in one day, and did quite a lot of charity shop mooching. 

I managed to squeeze in some craftiness - I finished a pair of socks (they'd been on the needles for ages and I'm rather pleased to have them finished), added a row to my 2015 blanket, made another bow scarf and fancified the one from last week. My best crafty moment of the week however, was not my own - happiness of happiness, my mum finished her first ever sock! It's utterly glorious and I hope I have started her on her way to  a sock addiction to match my own. 

My Week...

Last week was a thoroughly crafty week. My mum is making splendid progress with her first ever hand-knitted sock and I'm enjoying helping her, and working on socks of my own at the same time. My granny square blanket is growing, and rather cosy, and I had a bit of time to try out a vintage bow-scarf pattern, I love it so much that I'm planning to make more in other colours. 

I am also very pleased to see that my succulent plant is still growing away happily, and that I haven't managed to kill it yet. It's a huge achievement for me and my "underwatering-then-overwatering-to-compensate" ways. It's progress.

Ponderings On Happiness...

Lately there has been a flurry of blog posts that have resonated with me, and got me thinking about the nature of happiness, finding the small pleasures in each day and the importance of putting various electronic communication devices to one side and focussing on the now. 

The winter blues hit me hard this year, and I'm trying to take a day at a time, finding the little moments to treasure. Today has already been full of lovely things, and I thought I would share some...

• This morning started with a cup of tea in bed from my lovely husband, in my shiny new Cath Kidston mug - it has the Painterly Rose pattern that is so delightful, I can't stop looking at it. It was a good cup of tea, expertly made (soya milk and one sugar in case you wondered...) by the person who knows me best.

• I have one of my favourite dresses on, and pinned on my cardigan a bright blue deer brooch that I made myself, which never fails to make me smile. 

• I had hot buttery crumpets for breakfast, while I watched the birds bobbing about and having a chat with the chickens out in the garden. 

• I packed my bag, ready to go off to my little shop, and it's full of sock knitting to take along when I visit my parents this afternoon, because I will be helping my mum turn her very first heel on her very first pair of hand knitted socks. 

• On my way out of the house I had to search under a fluffy cat who had decided to hide my keys, I'm assuming his plan was to keep me at home so he could cosy up on a blanket next to me.

• A lady that also works in the market stopped me on my way up to my stall to show me her knitting, she's made a pretty scarf and I was thrilled that she showed me. I also had a chat with a fellow sock-knitter about yarn and lovely colours. I love spending time talking with other crafty folks, we're quite a friendly bunch. 

• My dear friend just gave me a bag of knitting supplies that he knew I would like. There's circular needles, row counters, stitch holders, lots of knitty goodness. I feel so touched to have such kind and thoughtful people in my life. 

So all of this was before 10am, there's lots of loveliness to be grateful for today. 

The blog posts that I mentioned earlier were from Her Library Adventures, Vintage Sheet Addict and Meet Me at Mike's (the links are to the actual posts, so they're easy to find!)

Readings... January

With all the excitement of January coming to an end, I forgot to share my reading for the month.

I read...

• Joan Didion - Slouching Towards Bethlehem
• JK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Richard Ayoade - Ayoade on Ayoade
• JK Rowling - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I always plan to read the Harry Potter series from start to finish, but find invariably that I get distracted by something else around "...Goblet of Fire", so this time I started at the end, with the last three books. I am halfway through "...the Deathly Hallows" now, and so pleased that I've done everything the wrong way around. 

I think I may have started in the wrong place with Joan Didion though. I hadn't read anything else she'd written, and although "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" is famous for being a good representation of the time, quite honestly it was too much of it's time - essentially before mine - for me to understand the context or some of the references. I will persevere though because I loved her style. 

"The impulse to write things down is a peculiarly compulsive one, inexplicable to those who do not share it, useful only accidentally, only secondarily, in the way that any compulsion tries to justify itself." 

Joan Didion from "On Keeping a Notebook"

My Week...

Last week was one filled to the brim with adventures and crafty making! I visited Liverpool for the Tate and shopping, went to the theatre for date night, bought a vintage embroidered cushion from a lovely trader in the market, had cake with a dear friend, and got very excited at the arrival of Harry Potter tour tickets. I've been working hard on my granny square blanket, and finished the second full row of my year-long blanket, and tried to make progress with the three (!) pairs of socks that are on the needles. 

My Week...

Last week was quiet and full of yarn and craftiness. 

The postie delivered a wool winder to me, and it's been the perfect little device for neatening my stash.