Sunday 25 December 2011

2011 END OF YEAR HOTCHPOTCH

Jonathan has tinkered about with the computer to try and make it go slightly faster so this is all hit and miss on an unknown format for Blogger.
Anyway, I bet you are either beginning the slog in the kitchen or gathering everything to go visiting - my Christmas was 23rd with Stuart and his family and yesterday with Teresa and Jonathan so I'm back to normal, whatever that means!
A few days before today my parcel of wool arrived from a lady I found on eBay but this was, in effect, a private purchase. I'm pleased with all these bright colours and can't wait to start using them...
This is my current crate of wool which is holding the remains of already used balls so the colours above are a real boost.
These are four balls 'in waiting', so to speak, including two of those multi-coloured efforts; I don't know what the trade name is for these. The muddled one at the top right is something Kath gave me before she moved, a ball of oatmeal/beige which I use to crochet the strips together on knitted blankets. I had to make a new band to hold it together as the previous one was spoiled. I'm always taking in tucks on the bands so they keep holding the outsides together - I start from the middle - being Lazy Libra I know this means the wool unravels (usually!) without any problem such as falling over or needing to be twitched back into place. James, Stuart's son, gave me 5 balls of wool to add to my stash, bought by himself, too, very brave for a 22 year old lad...
This is a batch of 48 Granny Squarres which have d-o-z-e-n-s of tails waiting to be stitched in and then, when I can find enough wool of one colour, will have an edging round each before I try crocheting them all together in an 8 x 6 formation to make another blanket - plus an ouside edging, of course.
Here's the afghan/throw I made for Sarah's Christmas present after she said how much she liked the charity blanket I made. It measures 40 x 52 1/2 so larger than the previous one, and it has a fancy edging, too. Didn't take long, crochet grows exceedingly fast...

Now for something completely different -
This morning I went down to the bottom shed in the gloom to fill up some of the sunflower seed holders and saw these signs of spring arriving - a few spidery crocuses just poking through here - and
daffs under bracken with an out of focus spray of cat mint- and

some pretty and tiny fungus growing on a stump, left over from when Gillian and I chopped down a viburnum  but couldn't get out the last few inches of the stump (which, cross fingers, hasn't resprouted, yet).
More daffs by the badgers hole under the fence and
the ones I spotted first, beside the shed door, which made me look for more signs of Spring-come-early.

Finally, I have to finish on another notice with a problem...

Have a good day, see you again later.

Just a quick 'Hallo, Ria' to Jonathan's Mum who doesn't speak English but looks at the pictures - she's really into the gardening side of things, but I hope she sees her name and knows she's remembered.

7 comments:

Helsie said...

I'm so stuffed I can hardly waddle to the computer. We are not long homefrom our family Christmas celebration but I've been stretched out in my recliner chair since we stumbled back through the door!
I'm not moving much tomorrow... or eating again either ( famous last words ?!!)
Cheers

Marigold Jam said...

Hope your Christmas is peaceful and enjoyable even if your are "back to normal"! Signs of spring everywhere aren't there?

Sylve said...

Hi Helsie,
You sound as if your Christmas went very well - I wonder what the temperature is like in Oz? I I saw on our news that Melbourne has had - was it hail?
Just caught it briefly earlier today.
Happy New Year. Take it easy!

Hallo Marigold,
My daffs aren't out yet, unlike yours on your blog, but what daft seasons we get now - daffs at Christmas!!!
Hope 2012 is less stressful for you.

Kath said...

Hi Silve, loving the granny squares.
J pulled off a splendid lunch while we all walked up the (windy) Tor with the dogs. I'm sure Sarah loved her throw!

Bernard said...

I thought - shall I turn the computer on or not? - It's Christmas Day and a Sunday to boot - everyone will be too busy to blog. Well, I've been busy (not) out all day, feedin, drinkin, sittin, and being really bored with TV.
Good food & company, but nice to be back home to lonely Wes. He has just polished off a great big plate of turkey and gone off into the night.
Sorry Sylve, I know nothing about Granny squares except I do have one of the largest Granny square 'blankets' I have ever seen.
They are called "Throws"???
I can hardly lift mine, it weighs a 'ton' and was made for a 'King-size' bed. One day I'll get round to counting the squares. (I bought it some years ago in the hospice shop - I thought the cats might like it!).
Ha,ha! Trust Kath to give you a knotted old ball like that! He,he.
(Only joking Kath. :D )
Cheers.....bloated Bernard

Sylve said...

How nice to hear from friends on this particular day - I thought everyone would be too 'busy'...
Kath, Jim cooking the lunch while you're out with the dogs sounds a bit like officers serving the troops - role reversal!

I don't know the different between afghans, throws and blankets unless it's something to do with size, Bernard. Feedin, sittin and drinkin's nicer than huntin, shootin and fishin, one of which will be around today - the unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable - Oscar Wilde?
Did you need a wheelbarrow to bring your Granny Squares blanket home? And how do you wash something that big? Stuart still has the one I made when he was about 8 or 9, perhaps, and Teresa thinks she still has hers in storage. If you're a 'maker' you just can't stop, as Kath would acknowledge. PS. That wasn't a knotted old ball, just very loose - as if Kath would give me something grotty!!!

Bernard said...

Wash it!!!
Do you mean they have to be washed?
There were no washing instructions with it. In fact there was no label.
Anyway, it would probably shrink, like all my woolie pullies do!