So that's over for another year. And look! I'm just a few stitches off completing both sleeves of Glitter Glam. Then there's just the collar and the assembly to do. Anyway, Christmas happened. A rotund and elderly chap dressed in red broke into our house via the chimney. But instead of stealing stuff, he left little chocolatey gifts around the place, hidden inside old socks. All normal rules of not-accepting-sweets-from-strangers were off as the twinnage tore the foil wrapping from Continue Reading
Christmassing Inexpertly
It's a tricky time here at Twisted Towers. Christmas has completely unexpectedly lumbered into view. I know that some of the wiser amongst you might argue that the fact it's on the same date every single year does lend it a certain predictability, but I'm telling you, we've been caught totally off-guard. Also, we're not very good at remembering to water the Christmas tree, so the poor thing is shedding needles so fast that we face gathering round a be-baubled Christmas stick on the big day to Continue Reading
So Shall We Find Out Which Lucky Folk Have Won The Giveaway?
I know. It's been a fair few days since the gong sounded, marking the end of the It's A Stitch Up giveaway. (To be fair, the gong didn't sound particularly loudly, since it's made entirely of yarn.) In meagre defence of my tardiness, we've had the inspectors in at the hospital where I work this week, and I had to pop across the Severn Bridge into south Wales, in order to go and endure the viva exam for my MPhil degree in (novel-)writing. The viva went surprisingly well. And no, the novel has Continue Reading
Don’t Try This At Home, Folks…
YES! THE LOVELY, YARNY GIVEAWAY IS STILL OPEN FOR JUST A FEW MORE DAYS! ENTER HERE! Meanwhile, would you like to make some super-easy Christmas decorations? See the links under the photos throughout this post. It has been brought to my attention by my children, as well as via the subtlest of hints on social media, that it's nearly Christmas. Now I realize that you and I may be sitting on opposite sides of the table regarding the matter, but personally I have a very strict routine for Continue Reading
Christmas
So for those of you of a Christmassy persuasion, how was your festive season? As usual we hosted here at the brewery, but I confess that I wasn't really feeling it after the fire (and some further sad events) at work. Instead, I had an urge to creep away to a quiet corner and think about stuff, which obviously wasn't going to happen with small, excited twins in tow. Fortunately the Stoic Spouse did a sterling job of feeding us all to the point of near-bursting, whilst I was in charge of Continue Reading
Christmas? Also Mega-Yachts
Christmas is ages away, right? There's still l-o-a-d-s of time? Yes? What's that you say? No, no, I'm not speaking in a high-pitched, hysterical voice: I've just... got a bit of a cold, that's all. But everything's under control round here. Absolutely everything. Far be it for me to play chicken with the last posting date before Christmas... again... More seriously, thank you for all of your kind words after the shock and sadness of last week's fatal fire. Everyone at the hospital (patients Continue Reading
The Week My Knitting Needles Fell Silent For A While
It began with a birthday: mine, as it so happens. A few days ago. How old? Let's just say that my age is a number that provides the twinnage with the impression that they're geniuses for having successfully counted so very high. Yeah, thanks boys. In my head, I'm still down wiv da kidz. But then, my 96-year-old grandmother said to me the other week that she still feels young until she remembers that her own daughter is now a grandmother. That fact makes her feel very old indeed. (None of us were Continue Reading
Semi-Actively Christmassing
If you're on Facebook then you'll know about that feature where they show you things that you posted on this date however many years ago, and then give you the option of making a nostalgic repost of your drunken shenanigans or baby photos or heartfelt plea for the rights of narwhals. Well apparently, this exact time last year I was grudgingly acknowledging that I would need to begin thinking about Christmas at some point this month. Plus ça change. (No, I didn't accept the repost option today: Continue Reading
Christmas Decorations To Knit And Crochet
Now, being a finger-on-the-pulse sort of blogger, I'm well abreast of all things sparkly and nowish. Oh yes indeed. (I'm also immeasurably modest.) I keep my ear so close to the ground that earlier today I was head-butted by a worm. But you'll be completely gobsmacked to learn what I've discovered this time. Honestly, this one is big, so big that it was almost worth enduring the worm-butting. Almost. Are you ready? Yes? Knitters and crocheters of the world, apparently it's nearly Continue Reading
More Crocheted Christmas Decorations
OK, here's one for those of us who are - ahem - not yet quite fully sorted on the Christmas festivity front, despite the fact that guests are starting to arrive tomorrow and the house is a squalid tip. Also for those at the other end of the spectrum who are so blisteringly well-organised that you're already getting busy with coordinating the table ornaments for Christmas 2017. If you're a member of the latter group, please understand that I'm ever so slightly scared of you, so if I don't quite Continue Reading