So here we are - another year. Another one. Couldn't we have stuck with the old one for just a smidge longer?* The wildlife pond has frozen over. There's nothing like replacing the calendar that hangs on your kitchen wall to bring on a reflective mood. When I was younger, I struggled with all sorts of "Another-year-and-I-STILL-haven't..." angsty thoughts at roughly 11.59pm every 31st December, no matter how much fun the NYE party. Now that I'm 46 (ouch) and various life stuff has taken Continue Reading
And Then Suddenly, Dinner Was Ready.
Gosh, thank you for your kind words on the crocheted garden. I'd best get on with the next section, then... Meanwhile, let's talk about food. Way back in April, I promised you dinner. Yeah, yeah, you've probably worked up quite some appetite by now: sorry for the delay. Well the good news is that dinner has finally finished growing, muchly helped by this mad sun-rain-sun-hail-sun-apocalypse-sun weather we've been a-having. Even the clouds have been a little crazy. Here's a few I snapped during Continue Reading
Mutants! Mutants Everywhere!
I saw the weirdest thing today (whilst knitting, obviously). There I was, flicking through a perfectly normal gardening catalogue, thus proving through one simple action that I've left my youth behind forever, when I came across the most spooky mutant plant thingy that I've ever seen. The TomTato. And I'm not even joking. Look:- How spooksome is that?! You plant this oddball in a pot, and whilst above ground you get a lovely crop of cherry tomatoes, below ground the roots are busy making... Continue Reading
Dinner Is On Its Way
Just as I love to be able to turn any ol' yarn into something you can wear, or sit on, or fly from the flagpole atop your roof, I also love to be able to pop a vegetable seed in the ground and wait for it to turn into DINNER. OK, you do have to wait months for that dinner to even be ready to cook (just like you have to wait weeks for the cardigan to be ready to wear), but hey, it's good to work up an appetite, no? Last spring was a wash-out on the growing things front (final unsuccessful IVF, Continue Reading
English Landscape In Yarn
I've been quiet these past few days because the cough/lurgy descended even further into Dickensian melodrama, whilst I descended deeper amongst the sofa cushions. The one thing I did do was attend Blogfest in London, but I'll leave that for the next post, because I promised you pictures of the finished Cladonia. Look! The Burrow and Soar yarn is beautiful, and was a delight to knit. The main colourway that I used for the non-lace section was named 'English Landscape In Yarn', which rather Continue Reading
Autumn Outdoors
It's a satisfying time of year to be outdoors, clearing away a season's-worth of overgrown undergrowth whilst it's still mild enough to work unencumbered by eight layers of clothing. Also the colours, of course. Ah, the colours:- Many times before, I've mentioned this village's long cherry-growing heritage, and now the few remaining cherry orchards are in their autumn livery. I'd been feeling guilty about 'growing' yarn vegetables in the garden of my big-crochet-house-project whilst Continue Reading
When Did ‘Doing Something’ Become Such A Thing?
So it’s our first ever school holiday, at the end of the twinnage’s first ever term of school, and the boys and I are embracing the gentle art of pottering. Unscheduled, routine-free time suits us far too well, and it’s entirely possible that I’ll forget to send them back to school next week. The only downside is that I can’t go running, because the Stoic Spouse is at work and the boys are with me whenever I’m not at work. But anyway. Tempting though it is to stay home and crochet whilst Continue Reading
We have a winner! (And autumn colour is lurking.)
And.... we have a winner for the signed Arne and Carlos books giveaway! Chosen randomly by the helpful algorithms at random.org, the winner is entrant number 58:- ...which on my list of entrants translates to Mary Beth Wiggins' entry over on Facebook. Wa-hey! Congratulations. :-) I'll be in touch to get your address, and then two lovely shiny signed Arne and Carlos knitting books will be winging their joyful way across the globe to you. Thank you to everyone who entered - you made it Continue Reading
Mostly Outdoors
This summer, the toddler twinnage and I are spending lots of happy time (and a fair ol' portion of grumpy grizzly Mummy-I-Want-To-Go-Home-NOWWWWWW time) outdoors. Much of this hasn't been compatible with knitting/crochet, but the toddler twinnage seem to be under the impression that I should actively parent them. So we've been to say hello to the rescue donkeys (where we met a pig who, rather confusingly, kept saying 'woof')... ...and I knitted my way to a music Continue Reading
Spring has sprung, the grass is ris… so the poor ol’ Stoic Spouse had to get the lawnmower out
Yes yes yes, kind followers, the ridiculous afghan is nearly done. But I'm at the stage where a single round of stitches takes well over a 50g ball of yarn. That's a lot of stitches, and I've got three more rounds to go. Anyway, the blighter might've been finished already if I hadn't also been doing sneaky preparation for a couple of other projects alongside the magnum opus. Projects of much colour and fluffy fairisle loveliness, I hope. Also the yarn-bomby-housey-thing. And a little (or big) Continue Reading