Writing the year off

What a December. K had stroke on the 3rd, only just made it home for Christmas. The house is totally cluttered with two zimmer frames, a perching seat, new bath board. Extra stair rail fitted Christmas Eve, wearable pendant landline system set up today in the most inconvenient place in the hall because of where the phone line comes into the house. Added to this, E went down with chickenpox when mummy went to Dubai for a conference, and passed it onto daddy on 22nd Dec, so their Christmas was wiped out as well as having to cancel flights to Japan booked for the 27th. My back is killing me, the weather is awful, we won't be able to book any hols at all for 2014 because of travel insurance, or perhaps ever again. Can't wait for Wednesday, so we can say goodbye to 2013.

December already?

All Christmas presents bought or made and wrapped up, cards written. Why am I so early this year? Partly because of upcoming babysitting trip to London, which will double as present exchange. The Snow Dog was the most difficult thing I have ever done. Can’t see the stitches with this yarn, but it was the ache in my left arm after only a couple of rows that made it such a tedious job. Plus I hate stuffing. However, ‘tis done now, and on its way to a toddler who I am sure is going to love it. The fondants came out quite nicely, plus this year I have splashed out and bought three silicone chocolate moulds. No good for setting fondant shapes though, they don’t set/dry out sufficiently underneath to come out.

Oh dear. Lost a glove in Victoria Station. The Brighton Line. "To lose one glove is unfortunate, to lose two would have been carelessness". Immediately set to to make another pair, changed the colours a bit. have also been inspired recently by the family Coat of Arms.

Harvest time

What an incredible summer and early autumn it has been. Never before in the UK have I been able to sit outside on my birthday! Even the sweetcorn ripened, ten cobs in all. More climbing French beans than we know what to do with, ditto courgettes from just one plant, and cucumbers still growing strong (again only one plant!). The freezer door hardly shuts. I have reluctantly had to yank out the late-planted and still flowering Virginian stock in order to plant spring bulbs in the new bit, otherwise it will look very empty come Spring.

I've been progressing on the Walnut and Wensleydale project. the jumper is almost complete and it is going to be a tight fit! Also managed to make a doll's cot for E's birthday which is imminent. We are all (that is 20 family members) going off for a Country House wee3kend near Hereford. really looking forward to this (if not the drive down)

Garden finished

The extra 8 ft given us by the Council (times 50 foot) has now been fenced, weeded, seed and sat on. Didn't leave much time for knitting, and now it is too hot.

Heating now okay. Electrician reckoned we needed the rest of the house re-wired, but out of the question financially. Went on hols to France in May, but probably for the last time due to creeping health problems on Keith's part, and the horrendous travel insurance costs. Hey ho. The council gave us a strip of land 8 foot wide at the back of our house. Times 50 foot, this is a lot of weeds and rubbish to dig over. Hard work, but the weather is not too hot (in fact, not warm at all for June!), so attacking it slowly. Have got a tonne of gravel, a tonne of sand and 70 paving slabs sitting on the drive, all to be shifted to the back and incorporated. Went to Coventry for a really nice CSM day, nine of us, able to study machines and techniques in depth, and talk to everybody.

Will we have heat tomorrow?

Electricians finished this morning. Can't tell if the heating will actually come on until the Economy Seven kicks in overnight. Totally run out of logs due to continued snowy weather, bought small bag from Co-op and they are damp. Tomorrow is the first of two Lambing Days at Long Whatton. Bet it's cold in the tearoom with the door open. But they are always so nice to me there, that I try and put on a good spinning display. In the meantime have been knitting handwarmers like mad. Did I mention I dropped the sock machine on my foot? That was 6th March. Bruised two tows but broke the yarn carrier and damaged no fewer than 17 needles. I was trying to fix the machine to a cheap jardinière I had bought, in the hope of making a stand to take to shows. A travelling case from the States is 339 dollars basic plus a whopping 451 dollars carriage via Fedex. Local furniture man not prepared to make a one-off. The museum helped me sort the poorly machine but it has reverted to being very stiff to turn, and have to have the row counter stuck up in the air. I was asked to do more days in the Griswold Room - how could I refuse? First one will be Easter Monday - and mighty cold it is going to be in that room as well!

Fun February

Well, the rest of the heating packed up. Three electricians have come and gone, the result is total re-wire from heaters to fuse box, even beyond to a new Economy Seven meter. However, when or how much still remains to be seen. Really fed up of being cold. And it snowed again. And the left click button on the computer stuck down. And I have to have new glasses. It goes on and on, thank goodness February is a short month. Took the dress down to Erika, along with Heritage hat and a small herd of elephants.

End of Janaury

Glad to see the back of this month. K in hospital for reaction to bp tablets. Snow for over a week (at same time - journeys difficult!) Social outings cancelled because of snow. Storage heaters started packing up, K says beyond him to fix them any more. Running out of logs. Apple tree has to be cut down. Howver, got some sewing and knitting done .

Cardi that is not a bit SHY

Keith bought me the Shetland Heritage yarn for Crimble, couldn't wait to get started on it. Ran out near the end so had to wait four days or so for more to arrive - what an excellent postage services it is from Shetland. Quite surprised to work out that cost of wool alone for this project was over £50. Postage was over £10 on the two parcels. Knitting ain't a cheap hobby anymore. Anyway, at last, a deep red cardi to go with all my deep red silk blouses.

Doll shoe loss solved!

I have been knitting this little doll for over 50 years for just about every female family member. I gave up adding shoes early on as they are so tiny and are rapidly lost. However, yesterday, I shared a bus journey with a little boy whose mitts were on a string through the sleeves of his anorak. Eureka! I have added mock socks to the dolls' shoes and a long string threaded through her knickers.