Six courses?!

Our Christmas dinner this year was at The Royal Oak restaurant in the Leicestershire village of Kirby Muxloe. Upon arrival we discovered that what we'd assumed were starter choices were in fact amuse bouche, soup & fish courses...

Altogether I had a goats cheese & beetroot crostini; cauliflower & Stilton soup with mushrooms & truffle oil; smoked salmon blini with horseradish cream; spinach & feta filo pie, roast parsnips & potatoes, buttered carrots & Brussels sprouts with chestnuts; cheese with rye bread & chutney; and finally coffee & mince pies.

I think I'm going to die of food. Someone carry me to the purging suite then lay me carefully on the soft cushions!

Happy holidays!

Nothing says holidays like reindeer. These guys are probably worn out by now, if myths are to believed.

I made these! Baby hat and booties; hot water bottle covers

I've been having a run on making things. Mr G's colleague is leaving on maternity leave on Monday and I made a hat to go with the booties I made earlier this week:

I've also been making hot water bottle covers for the girls who work in my team. I wanted to give them something hand-made and wintry. These are such a good way to use up oddments of yarn from the stash and work up to a finished cover in about half an hour!

So there you have it. And so to bed!

I made this: sock loom booties

The first thing I've made on my new sock loom! A pair of newborn booties for a colleague of Mr G who is of on maternity leave next week. Beware, friends growing new humans. You may be inundated with these...

Work in progress

This is my current project. When it grows up it'll be a massive afghan with a diamond bobble pattern. I'm making it with a 5.5mm hook & wool blend Aran DK that has flecks of auburn & chestnut in the fibres. It has it's own bag & I'm carrying it everywhere with me. I have no idea what I'll do when it grows. I've no idea how I'll cart it around!

Reconnecting with the sky

The past few months I've been staring at my feet. I've been unable to look up, incapable of seeing the middle distance let alone the horizon. This weekend I spent time watching the clouds mill across the sky & saw the sun sink and paint the clouds with a palette of beautiful hues. I don't ever want to wait that long to see the sky again.

Angels come to comfort some people; squirrels come to comfort me

That kinda night

There are few things about which I get sentimental. However, I am very sentimental about certain totems that remind me of who I am and how I got here. My engagement ring went missing, presumed stolen, in Mexico three years ago and I still grieve for it. Tonight I thought I'd lost my wedding ring in the floorboards of our house somewhere. Seems there are few things that make me inconsolable like the misplacement of something I hold dear. Oh, and this mascara is the runniest, pooliest mascara I ever owned.

Up close & personal with Alf

Alf, @medusa1001's Westie, has been poorly. Poor little thing had brain surgery last week to remove a tumour that was making him fit and probably giving him one heck of a headache. He's recovering well & got right in my face on Friday to say hello.

Succulent strawberry

I looked at this longingly for a long while before I actually ate it. So juicy.

The fence

Be careful when sitting on it. It can be quite uncomfortable.

A shadow I know to be taller

Late afternoon light thrown against a wall

Death at the supermarket

Murder was not by the same hand as The South Wales Soft Fruit Massacre.

My rock

I went out for a walk yesterday and scarcely looked up from my feet the whole way. It was one of those days. But by looking at the ground, I spotted this piece of split sandstone that I picked up & brought home with me. An actual rock to remind me of the human towers of strength that anchor me in my life.

I made these! Rainbow cupcakes for @lickle_pickle

Vanilla cakes topped with smooth "butter"cream icing & rainbow fizzy strips

There & then, here & now

Now as ever, important as all hell. Stand at my shoulder?

From beneath the mindful tree

James Gibbons Ltd.

I made these! Felt purse, birthday card and gift bag

Here's something I made... that's not made of yarn! I know, I know. It's a bit of a shocker. Still, it's nice to branch out.

The finished product is shown below, but for anyone who's interested in the detail or the making of the bag can see some more pics after the jump...

Consumerism is an addiction

I made this! First square of Emma's baby blanket

One square down, 147 to go...

Make me

I made this! Sampler of broomstick lace

I’ve been trying my hand at teaching myself how to make broomstick lace. I’m going to use it to make a baby blanket for my cousin, who I’ve just learned is pregnant.

Obviously it would look better if I blocked it, but I still think it’s pretty :)

Mural

I'm not sure if this was commissioned or graffiti. Either way, it's lovely

Beethoven confusion

Discarded collection

I made this! Crocheted cowl

For today's trick, I have pictures of a cowl I crocheted over about an hour and a half this weekend. It's a mobïus and made from the softest yarn spun from silk and baby goats [Rowan Kidsilk Aura, if anyone's interested]:

 It's a very simple pattern if anyone was interested, one that I just made up on the spot. Chain 203 using a size 5.5mm hook. Then, starting with the fourth chain from the hook make one treble crochet in each chain and with a turning chain of three, do the same again for five rows, finishing with a row of single crochet. I twisted it once to make a mobïus and closed the end with a slip-stitch seam.

 I have enough yarn left for another one if anyone wants one. Hands up!

I made this! A baby blanket & card, ready for posting

I know I already gave the stats on this one but I liked the card I made and thought it looked cute with the crocheted ribbon I did to go with it.

Art therapy

Well, it's certainly getting those emotions out there...

I made this! A crocheted blanket for a tiny human

After nearly three months work, I'm pleased to present a blanket for a good friend of ours who had a baby in January. Sorry it's so late, Audra! I hope Evelyn still finds a use for it.

The blanket is a pale yellow colour [started before we knew what gender baby was going to come out as, but 'blue for boys and pink for girls' is just crap anyway]. The yarn used was 100% cotton 4-ply and I hooked it with a 3mm hook. It measures 50" [almost] square, which I think is a good size to swaddle a baby up in.

The whole thing is worked in a simple shell stitch...

...with a simple border of double crochet.

Working on the principle of string vests, it's all holey but having spent many an evening with it draped over my knees while working on it I can confirm that it is really warm!

So there it is. Another project complete. Blanket for a tiny human, soon to be shipped off to its new home.

The bright night sky

With a moon so luminous it gives tall shadows

What beast is this?

Pawprints spotted while walking yesterday. They're too elongated in the pads for a dog. Any thoughts?

Maxi, sleeping

Orange cat on a red footstool in front to a red curtain

View from the battlements

Grille

The dark

A moonlit night with clouds racing across the sky. Swirling and beautiful.

Grey Sunday

The day before Blue Monday

A space

This place means a lot to me. I've got my perspective on it. It makes me dizzy.

From where I hide

I can only function around other people for so long. After that I need a place to be where other people are not. This week it's been even more crucial and the hiding quite literal. I'm not saying where this is because I need that place. I don't want you to find me.