Knitting madness

 It's been a little while but I have been busy, perpetual motion at times.

The greenhouse is ready for this coming spring, always supposing that it does arrive.

The polytunnel is almost there, I do need new catches on it as one of the infernal storms got a toe hold and the original ones were damaged.

The garden is a bit windswept but nothing that a good afternoon pottering can't sort. The net tunnel has stood firm and done its job of protecting the onions, shallots and garlic.

Seed potatoes and a few other seeds have been ordered and are on their way. Pots and seed trays are clean, compost is stacked and all is ready. all I need now is the right weather at the right time. Hahahaha, that's why there is a tunnel and a greenhouse.

I have been knitting through the stash and I know that it is shrinking, it just isn't obvious.

Patricia Dursley's double eyelet socks by Erica Lueder. 

A made up pattern using scrap yarn.

Vanilla socks for my daughter.

Close to you shawl by Justyna Lorkowska

Reyna shawl, the designers name escapes me.

I am still struggling with this new version of blogger, more practise needed.

The font size has a will of its own and I am constantly changing it, sometimes I miss it.

There are many more projects finished and at least 15 works in progress, as you can see socks are popular, all of my family wear hand knit socks now so there are always a pair on the needles. right now there are 3 pairs, colour work for solitary knitting, patterned for when we are chatting and vanilla for tv time.

I will share some of the WIPs next time and more of what I have planned for the garden.

The news is dire, the outlook is up in the air and the prattling fools who keep demanding a timetable for "getting back to normal" irritate me to the 'nth degree.

I am still sewing masks for whoever needs them. at the moment I have some Rasta Flag coloured fabric in the peace symbol print for a neighbour on the sewing table. 

I am happy keeping to house and garden with a good walk with the dogs as the weather permits. I do not see it changing much this side of August, if then. Even having the vacine will not encourage me to go out and about as there are so many variants that may or may not be covered.

Stay safe wherever you are and be Idiot Aware at all times.

                    TTFN                                                        Pam

Making my mind up

 Trying to at least.

My Asda order is delivered every Wednesday, I selected a mid week slot for a couple of reasons.

1, It was one of the cheapest options.

2. The new deliveries of fresh products should have hit the shelves after the weekend frenzy had emptied them.

I go into my order page and stick in the basics and then on Tuesday refine to just what I need and a few things for the cupboard if I need to bring it up to the minimum amount for free delivery.

I have a list fixed to the boiler and as I take an item from the pantry/fridge/freezer I note it down. That way I (hopefully) do not run out of anything. There has been the odd failure but I can swap things around if needs be.

I find it all to easy to err on the side of "buy it regardless of stock level". Thats why I have just decanted the last from a bag of pasta that I bought early last year. It was vac packed with an oxygen absorber and was well in date so no issues. Apart from the fact that we were fed up with Fussilli. I know it all tastes the same but I like to eat with my eyes, and it is nice to have a pasta which has hollows to hold the sauce. I did buy a bag of Penne at the same time and that went much faster.

Some of my friends will not consider on line food shopping, I was right there with them at one time. Now I am used to have all the hard work done for me and accept that the in store shopper will not have the time to hunt for the freshest and or largest item. I have returned a few things and a complaint about a miniscule swede got me an apology and a refund even though I kept it.

I have seen and heard comments about the poor quality of Asda food, the ready meals may well be poor but I do not buy them. The fresh food is quite satisfactory and I have no complaints regarding shelf life or quality. I have been in to other supermarkets and seen fruit and veg on display that I would not touch with a barge pole. 

The big plus factor for me is that I have my slot for a year and will renew it for another. That is not to be sneezed at, I get an email that allows me to select my own subs if something is not available. My order has only been late once, due to weather, and only once was an item missing and that was credited within a couple of hours.

Thats all for today, I will tell you about my 12 cast ons next time. With photos as far as possible. 

Take care and stay safe.

                            TTFN                                                                   Pam

And about time too.

 Well, its been a long while.

I took time out and it stretched to the 'nth degree.

I have run the gamut of emotions, high and low and have emerged hopefully stronger and possibly wiser.

I have stopped baying at the moon about the stupidity of people. having snarled at one too many shoppers who thought that it was fine to lean on me as they reached to pick an item off the shelf, I no longer go into any shop. 

There is a notice on my door telling all delivery persons to ring the bell/bang on the door and step well away. I have chewed the ear off a postman who wanted to hand me my parcels and made a formal complaint the second time.

I have nothing but praise for the various people who deliver my Asda grocery order and am thankful that we have a marvellous meat supplier who delivers and follows the correct procedures. The local free range egg supplier has set up contactless collection and is on my regular dog walk route. I am thinking about getting rid of my car and carrying on for the forseeable future as i do not miss shopping one little bit.

I have got over the uncomfortable/embarrassing fact that I am enjoying lockdown. My time is filled with whatever I fancy doing whenever I wish to do it.

The only downside is not seeing family in the flesh, video calls and zoom sessions are good but nothing like the real thing. Having said that there are many families that are scattered across the world and rarely or never meet in person. 

Michael has plans for the good weather, both for house and garden, so much so that he has decided not to take on any work for at least 2 years, if ever. We are enjoying working as a close team and want it to continue.

At the beginning of December I looked long and hard at my crafting supplies. I will not be buying anything for this year, with the exception of mask making materials. I am still churning those out, just at a slower rate.

I joined an online knitting community, yarn n yarns based in Penarth, South Wales, and am taking part in the "12 cast ons of Christmas", This is helping me work through the yarn stash, gathering patterns, yarn and  ( making more project bags) matching up what I have is theraputic. Some of the projects are reasonabley medium term but a few were quick makes and as I have emptied a bag of its finished item I have cast on another to take its place. In this way I hope to run the stash right down. There are also 2 projects ongoing to work through any leftovers. I have just finished the second scrappy Flax Light in sock yarn and have a dk crochet blanket on the go. 

The sewing is nowhere near as productive as it is based in the dining room. I prefer to be in the living room with Michael so that we can chat as we work on our various things. Once the warmer and drier weather arrives this will change. We will spend more time outside working together and time indoors will be separate, he with his planned projects and me sewing.

The garden has vegetables in it still and 3 beds are filled with garlic and summer onions. The polytunnel has my flower planters in it but they will be moved out ready for lots of edibles. The greenhouse has some brassicas (thriving out of the wind) ready for harvesting and these will be replaced with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in due course.

There are 3 new blueberry plants that will provide a small harvest this year, my established bushes fruited really well last year, so lots of purple porridge is in my future. The fruit trees all look healthy and we will be building a cage over the Jostaberry and  Black Elderberry. That of course is "the royal we" I will be making coffee and cookies as my contribution. 

All that seems to be a bit smug and self satisfied but it has required, and will continue to do so, planning and some hard work. It was no easy task to dig out and make a level area for the tunnel on our sloping garden.

Herbie is thriving, thankfully he has stopped growing, and loves having Revi and Poppy during the week, a no contact handover takes place at each end of the day and their owner is as careful as us on a daily basis.

I think that I am all caught up now and I plan on being here a few times a week now, when I have something worth sharing. 

My thanks to anyone who is still there and my hopes that you are all heathy and well.

Take care.

                 TTFN                                                                                           Pam