More than half-way through January

I've finished the socks that have been on the needles for over a year. I've deliberately made the legs short so they don't cut in, as the last ones I made gave me deep lines round my legs, and swollen ankles.

I've also made a start (see left) on a counted cross-stitch embroidery that I've had for at least 10 years - I bought it as one of several when a shop in Harrogate was closing down. The pic below is from the front of the packet and shows what it will eventually look like. I did 2 very similar ones many years ago which are now at the flat, so I'm hoping I can find a matching frame.

The cold weather has prevented us going to Poole this week as various roads are closed or restricted, so we'll have to save that pleasure until next month.

Winter Draw(er)s On

 ...yes, I know that's an old chestnut but it still raises a smile. 

As often seems to be the case, it has been some months since the last post, and we've begun to get out a bit more; we've both had our 3rd 'booster' dose of Pfizer. We've been to the flat a couple of times, and we went to The Castleman again for Mr Bufo's birthday. 

This was the breakfast table 

And this was the lounge the night before.

We've also been to Eastbourne - hence the sunrise in the top picture. 

Now we're making plans for Christmas and the year will soon be over - we already have some appointments in on the new calendar for next year!

Still knitting and crocheting, too - a blanket (this is the centre section, there is more to come)...

...socks...

...and I've made a Christmas cake, which has now had 3 (of the 6) weekly feeds of brandy!

   

Catch-up on the knitting

Time for another knitting post. I've been getting on with several things over the last few months, including finally finishing something that has been a bit of a millstone, and starting a fun blanket. Meanwhile there are always socks, and I've embarked on my first top-down cardigan.

The blanket is a Knit-Along (KAL) that started at the beginning of January, though I only got going at the end of Jan- but I've caught up now. Patterns are released every 1, 8, 15, and 22 of each month, leaving the extra days at the end of the month for sewing up the four squares produced into a larger square. At the end of each quarter we get the instructions for sewing the quarter's 3 larger squares into a strip. 







So far I have one strip




















plus one month's large square









and a couple of weeks' squares from this month 

The plan is to end up with 48 squares and 'weeks' 49 and 50 will be the final assembly and border.



The 'millstone' is a cardigan for Mr Bufo that I started two years ago. The pattern was not well-written - to start with, the opening of the pattern stated it was 'Small, Medium and Large' But the actual instructions were for 4 sizes. 
I had a long gap when I had put it away for the summer, as being too hot to do in the warmer months, and when I came back to it in the autumn of 2016 I couldn't find the bag of new balls of wool! So I did other things that winter, and it wasn't until sometime last year I found the bag with the extra in. 
Then when I thought I'd nearly finished I discovered that the cuffs on the sleeves I had knitted according to pattern would not go over Mr B's hands, so I ended up picking up the stitches from the armholes and knitting down.
But now it is done, it doesn't look too bad, and I think he's quite pleased with it!




And then we come to socks ...




I bought 2 balls of sock yarn in Lille at Christmas
















... and knitted up the red and blue for Mr B














Then I made a start on the purple and grey for me, but haven't got very far yet.

And I keep being tempted/distracted by other things, like this Sirdar Colourwheel














...with which I've started the top-down cardigan 







So that's most of it - I've done a few shawls and other bits and pieces along the way, of course! 

Marching on ...

Just a quick update - still no probate but signs that it won't be much longer; hoping buyers are happy to wait another couple of weeks. 

In the meantime, I haven't touched the yarn I showed in the February post, because I've been seduced by Mystical Lanterns and show some of my motifs below: 

These were the first three and so each of the twelve colours has been used once. Then all the balls go back into a bag and get picked 'blind' to give a different selection for the next three 'lanterns'













And here are all twelve colours, plus the thirteenth, joining colour - the pale peachy one at top right

Also finished a pair of socks (as always, 2-at-a-time and toe-up) from this pattern - sock yarn bought in Lille last summer.

More knitting ... and other things

Another several months have slipped by, and I sometimes think all I've done is knit .. and watch a bit of tennis on the box ... oh, and edit a couple more reprints. Life seems quite full at the moment despite this seeming inertia, so no apologies for the hiatus in blog posts. 

Instead, some pictures of what I have achieved!

The February title

The June title 

The blanket completed in June 

The April cat for an April baby

The June cat for the Cleeve weekend raffle

...and the bottom three of these 4 pairs of socks

So I haven't actually been idle!

And TMOH is much better now; thank you to everyone who has asked.