It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Well sort of.  

The tree is up but not decorated, all the Christmas decoration boxes have been stacked in the conservatory since Saturday waiting for me to find my enthusiasm to start, but I can't shake the 'can't be bothered' attitude.  But I know already that most things will stay in the boxes this year, as I get older as well as getting grumpier (ha ha), I'm also finding I want less 'stuff' around me. 

Anyway, I haven't been around for a few weeks and I've probably put most of you off reading the rest by moaning 🤣 

Yesterday was my middle daughter, Joanne's birthday, she turned 38.   The girls have money for birthday's, they are all grown and can go and treat themselves or put the money towards something.  She has Wednesday's off work so we went into town, lunch and cake was on me and she also picked out a couple things she wanted for Christmas, we also got some bits for the kids stockings.

I also made her a cushion, which wasn't for her birthday really but as It's Christmas/Winter, it was the right time to give it to her.  She bought a cushion front years ago and never got round to making it, when she moved and was having a clear out she gave it to me saying that she would probably never get round to It.  That was two years ago and I've just got round to it 🤭

I had to buy the piping but that's all, the backing fabric was also in with what she gave me, I think it was once a shirt of hers, and the inner pillow I already had.

I made a simple envelope back and I think the fabric is perfect for it.

I've never put piping on a pillow before, it's not perfect but the perfectionist in me thought It was pretty good for a first attempt.  She liked it, and I'm glad a couple bits of fabric are gone out of my stash, so win win.

I leave you with a picture of my un-decorated tree, It looks ok as it is to be fair, but I'll get round to making it all pretty in the next few days, when I can locate my enthusiasm.

-X- 

 I have no idea how November came around so quickly, the days, months and years are going by faster than ever, must be an age thing because time never seemed to go this quickly when I was younger, It's scary when you stop and think about it.  I try to be busy every day and fit in things I love doing too.  

I haven't crossed stitched much at all this year but I did enjoy stitching this little pillow ornament.  It's an older Lizzie Kate design, I stitched it on 28 count blue evenweave with the recommended threads and used chenille for the trim.  I think it came out cute, It won't be staying with me so I hope the recipient likes it.

The crochet granny square blanket Is nearing completion, I finished putting all the squares together last week and it has now been passed on the other woman, (Chelsea), to work the boarder.  You may remember from my last post that we were both making this for someone who's blanket had been destroyed by a neighbours dog.  Hopefully the recipient will have his blanket very soon, I hope he likes it.

Yesterday we made the most of the dry weather to do the leaf collection and tidy the garden.  We filled our green bin, (the council green waste bin), toped up the open compost bin and filled our compost dalek bin AND made a leaf pile in a corner of the garden for any critters that might be around.  It took about three hours with the two of us working on it, you could clear from one section and five minutes later it was covered again, that's how fast they are falling at the moment.  Needless to say the garden today looks like we did nothing yesterday!

This morning's view after yesterday's leaf clearing

It's a thankless task but I'm not as fussy about leaf collecting and a tidy looking garden as I used to be, I've finally realised that It really doesn't matter In the great scheme of things.  I still like them collected up a few times a week, we would be knee deep if we didn't and the grass would be ruined, but It doesn't bother me as much as it used to.  

I took a few photos while we were out there, still some colour to be seen and the Autumn colours look lovely in the sunshine. 

Even the things that are dying back look pretty when the sun shines.

I'm glad we spent time outside yesterday, today has been wet and not very bright at all.

-X-

Not my colours but a joint effort

 A few months ago someone called Lee put an ask on our allotment craft group page, they wanted a granny square blanket made for someone they know who attends a special needs centre where he manages the IT.   

This guys blanket had blown off the washing line into the neighbours garden and their dog had trashed it.  He was gutted because I think he had had it years and was really attached to it.

I suggested we all make a few squares so that we could get it made quicker, despite there being a good few people who could crochet only one other person was onboard with the idea, so we made the squares between us two.  

Lee, (who put in the request), bought the yarn after talking to the gentleman who the blanket is for, and he chose orange and black.

I made the black squares because I've never worked anything in black yarn before, It wasn't too bad but you do need good light so I'm glad they are all finished now the days are darker.

I'm going to crochet them all together and the other woman is going to work the border.  We've used The Women's Institute yarn from Hobbycraft, it was on 3 for 2 at the time so was affordable and it washes well too.

We agreed on rounds and the size of the square, I crochet quite tight so ended up going up a couple of hook sizes to get the size she was getting but now they are all together I thing we did pretty well with the sizing but I'm going to block them before I put them together just so they lie a bit neater.

Lee wanted to pay us for making the blanket and one of the other members of the group suggested timing the making of the square and charging minimum wage.  Neither of us was comfortable with that idea, Lee was buying the yarn out of his own pocket and doing something nice for someone he didn't know that well, so how could we put a price on it?  

In the end we said he could buy us a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine if he wanted to, but no pressure.

The blanket certainly would have been made quicker if others had joined in, but it's surprising how many ignored the request once they knew we weren't charging.

I guess the allotment community spirit was absent that day 😒

-X-

Some finishes and a start, all from stash

 This first pair of socks I cast on for Christmas in July but didn't actually cast them off until sometime in August.  I used a Christmas yarn from Crafthouse Magic that had been in my stash for a couple years at least, it's called fairy lights, so pretty with the different coloured flecks.  For the contrast cuffs heels and toes I used a West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply, again from stash.

The flecks do remind me of the lovely multicoloured vintage fairy lights.

Another pair of socks was completed in September, this time in an Autumn colourway from Biff Sugar Yarns called Maple, (or Maple Leaf?  I've misplaced the ball band but I'm pretty sure it mentioned Maple). Again I used a West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply from stash for the cuffs and toes. 

You might have spotted my third finish in the photos above.  It's a baby blanket.

Knitted because I wanted something easy to pick up and work on that I didn't have to think about.  I haven't washed or blocked it yet but it's already a decent sized crib blanket. 

The pattern is the Western Hills Blanket by Julia Stanfeild, and is a free pattern on Ravelry.  I used a Batik Swirl in the colour forest which was again from my stash and I used up the whole 200g ball.  Great pattern and very easy to memorise.  

I've been pretty good this year about not adding to my yarn stash, it feels good to be using what I already have.

On Sunday It was the Quarry Bank stitchers day retreat.  I haven't been stitching recently so thought a new start might kick start my mojo, but I wanted something small that I could get a relatively quick finish on.

This is what I got done at the retreat, and I have to say I really enjoyed making those little x's again.

Everything, chart, threads and fabric was from stash.

I'm feeling rather pleased with myself that for the last few months I've been making things I love and using what I have. 😇

-X-

Ladybird Ladybird fly away home

I'd seen mentioned on Google news that the UK was experiencing swarms of ladybirds.  It's that time of year when they look for somewhere warmer to hang out for the Winter and it's not the first time we have had them settling down in the window casing.  Strangely It only ever seems to be the windows at the back of the house, typically the back bedroom and bathroom.  

I discovered these in the bedroom window when I opened it to clean it yesterday so I thought I'd better check the bathroom and sure enough they were hanging out there too, but probably twice as many as you can see above, ugh.

They don't venture inside en mass, you might see the odd one trying it's luck but unless you open the window right out you wouldn't see them like this, and I know they are a very beneficial garden insect but I really would prefer them not to hunker down in my window frame thank you very much.  So they have been evicted.  I've seen the odd one or two today so no doubt they will try again so i'll keep checking.

Did you know that a cluster of ladybirds is called a Loveliness, or a bloom?

 I hope the ones I evicted will find somewhere else to bloom- in do their loveliness 😉

-X-

September's book round up

It was a better month for reading, I've managed six and a half books.  Well obviously i'm not counting the half read book in my totals.  It was a Pudding and Book club read, Under The Whispering Door by TJ Klune.  It actually sounded ok but was very disappointing, (almost everyone agreed), anyway I chucked the towel in about half way through.  

I enjoyed everything else I read.  The library reading group I go to has got better with the book choices recently, The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde was Septembers book..... The story crosses two time lines, 1959 and present day.  I enjoyed the modern time line more than the earlier one although I did think the author did a good job of distinguishing the two, when you were reading 1959 you felt you were there in that era.  The story is centred around a house, Applecote Manor, empty for a time and recently purchased by a family, who have their own set of problems to overcome.  1959 sees four sisters go to stay at Applecote Manor with their aunt and uncle for a time where they become become intrigued about their cousin, Audrey's disappearance. It's quite a slow read but beautifully written.  It made for a great discussion at the book club.

She Didn't See It Coming -   Bryden is supposed to be working from home, her husband, Sam, gets a call from daycare to say that she has failed to pick there daughter up and on arriving home he finds that his wife has gone, all her personal effect are still there along with her car, phone and laptop but she is nowhere to be seen.

I listened to this on Audible and almost finished it in a day, it kept me guessing almost right to the end, worth a read.

Ask For Andrea - This was an unusual idea, three women all murdered by the same man, an online predator, come together in the afterlife determined to make him pay and to stop him murdering again.  I think the idea of the murdered women as ghost's, for want of a better word, was a good one, but it felt as though it could have been made even better.  I've seen Ask for Andrea on posters in pubs and restaurants, It's a code phrase that women can use to signal that they feel threatened or don't feel safe on a date and need help, I always wonder, would all the staff know what to do If someone approached them and asked for Andrea?  Luckily in this case they did, and it made a good read, I read this on my kindle.

The Liar I Married was another Audible listen  - A dual timeline phycological thriller told from the point of view of Jessie, the wife, after she awakes from the coma she has been in for a year.  Jessie isn't sure who she can trust as her memory starts to come back but as things start to become clearer she knows that her life is still in danger.  - I did enjoy this one, there were a few times when I thought It was contradictory but I can forgive that because it was entertaining.

  

The Lost Apothecary - A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them - setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.  

1791, at the back of a dark London alley is a hidden apothecary shop, Nella is waiting for her newest customer, she was once a respected healer but now Nella uses her knowledge to sell poisons to desperate women who can see no other option but to kill the men in their lives to be free.  When twelve year old Elia Fanning comes to collect her mistress order the friendship sets a string of events in motion that puts them both in danger.

In present day London Caroline, an aspiring historian is spending her tenth wedding anniversary alone after discovering her husbands affair.  When she finds an old apothecary vial while mudlarking she cant resist trying to find out more.  

It started off well and I liked the two time-lines, especially 18th century London, but Caroline in the present day was just a little bit too far fetched.  An ok read for me.

I saved the best for last.

Yellow Face - June Hayward and Athena Liu have been friends since meeting at collage, both are aspiring writers but while June's debut novel receives little recognition Athena's brings her fame, money and attention.  So when they meet up and June witnesses Athena's death in a freak accident she acts on impulse and steals Athena Liu's recently completed novel.  Realising that this could give her the fame she so baby wants she set to work making edits and passes it off as her own.

I've had this one on my TBR shelf for a while and I had a feeling It was going to be good, and It didn't disappoint, loved it, definitely the best book this month by a country mile.

Have you heard of Book Bub?  I'ts something I recently discovered and if you read on kindle it may be of interest. If you just google book bub it should come up.

Have you read any of these?

 -X-

(edited to add, please excuse all the links! I accidently clicked on add google links and don't know how to disable it, grrr

The Autumn Show, Malvern

 

We've been to the Autumn Show at the Three Counties Show Ground a few times, we gave it a miss last year though as it is much the same each year but as we have our caravan stored on a site not far away from Malvern we decided to make a weekend of it.  

Obviously the weather is cooler now, especially at night, but I'm happy to say that the heating in the caravan works a treat and we were lovely and toasty.  We plan on having another weekend away towards the end of October when we will make sure everything is ok and put it to bed for the Winter months, although the site it's stored on is open all year, so potentially we could still go and stay.

We had a lovely day at the show, all the usual things were there, I love to see the giant pumpkins and the other large vegetables.  Now I'm growing things myself I do wander how on earth do they grow them so big! - 

Here is the pumpkin winner and second place

Some of the other giant vegetables, but I have to say that I think the swede win was a bit wrong, it's obviously several plants that have morphed together, you could quite clearly see that.

I have parsnips growing, don't think I'll be able to compete with these bad boys though, lol

There are various halls with stall holders selling a variety of things from cards to jewellery, cheeses and speciality gin and vodka  as well as things to see and entertain as you walk around, it's a great day out.

I didn't look to see who the speakers were over the weekend, it's not something that really interests me, but in the tent behind this display Monty Don did a talk which we just missed, I would have gone to that if I'd realised

I did make a few purchases, of course.  A collection of seeds for next year including some broad beans to over winter which I will have to get into some cells this week.  I also got a few small metal containers for the two tables in my garden and a cute metal spade with a robin sitting on the handle, (no photo of these, I have already put the ornament in the garden and plants in the containers).

So that was my weekend, I hope you had a good one too.

October is just around the corner so I'll catch up with you then.

-X-