Yak .. but it's really nice

The weather has not been ideal today for the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, we really should have done it yesterday when it wasn't raining.

 

RSPB official logo

 



I think the birds know which weekend it is and go off on holiday! 

 

Nowhere near as many different birds that come to our feeders as usual but we still have a good count that we have sent off online and it's always good to take part. 

 

I wonder what will be the most popular bird seen this year?

 

Chinese New Year began this weekend too.  The year of the Rat.  Celebrations planned in the city starting today until Feb 8th, many organised by Cosmopolitan Arts.  We have a large multi cultural population at our university and many come from China to study here.

 

I found this lovely depiction of the Year of the Rat online.  It really caught my eye. 

 

Wouldn't it make a great cross stitch project?

 

 

This past week I've been knitting, no stitching still. 

 

DH bought me this surprise hand dyed sock yarn for Christmas. 

The two other items were included in his parcel for free from Snuggly Stars Yarns.

 

 

The wool is a 70%Merino with 20% yak and 10% nylon, it really is so soft to knit with.

 

I took a picture earlier this week to show how it was knitting up ....

 

 

but before I posted, hey presto and sock number 1 is finished. 

 

Not sure if this is the left or right sock!

 

 

Thank you for visiting and welcome to the new readers, I see there have been a few this past week.  If you leave a comment I can come and visit with you .....

 

Some online friends are going through some tough things healthwise at the moment, sending {{hugs}} and love in support to you. 

 

Wishing you a lovely week ahead, next weekend we'll be moving into a new month!!

 

Love and blessings to all

 

Julie 

 

 

Cold hands, warm heart ... isn't that the saying?

I think I have said on here that DH is waiting for a heart operation. 

He was admitted to the hospital, in bed in the gown all ready for the procedure, soon after he was getting dressed again and we were heading back home. 

The Manager and Matron had decided to cancel his operation due to lack of intensive beds after three emergency admissions that morning. 

He's on some special medication, one of the side effects is suffering with very cold hands and feet.  He already wears hand knit cosy warm socks.  He asked me if I could knit some hand warmers for him to see if they help.

This weekend I've done just that and these are what he's now wearing and yes, they are keeping him a little warmer he says.

As for his procedure, we await another appointment.... got to love the NHS.

Love and blessings

Julie

Gifted Gorgeousness ~ JANUARY

It's time for the first Gifted Gorgeousness post of 2020.  The brainchild of Jo over at Serendipitous Stitching which has been running for a while now

A post to share anything that you have gifted to others or that has been gifted to you.

Since I knitted my first pair of socks (back in 2012 I think it was), I've amassed quite a collection of sock wool oddments.  Lots of the socks have been knitted and given as gifts and some of the wool used was sent to me by knitters who having tried to knit them, given up and passed on their unused wool. 

Over the Christmas holidays I got all the leftovers together and made a start on a large granny square lap blanket.  Every single little ball used up and a border added a couple of evenings ago here it is completed.  My first finish of the new year.

No plan of what colour to add when, just dip into the basket and grab another ball randomly.

It's turned out really nice and DH is loving having it across his legs to keep him warm and cosy especially in the recent nasty stormy weather we have been having the past couple of days.

A lovely surprise envelope arrived last weekend. Justine kindly sent some unwanted stash for our craft groups.  There are a wide variety of people who come along, some just want the company, others are there to learn a new skill.  These goodies will be put to good use by the members.  Thank you Justine for your kindness.

What's in your GG post this month?  I'll come and have a look if you are in the link-up on Jo's blog.  If you have not taken part before, pop along and read all about it and see if you would like to join us.

Love and blessings

Julie 

Caring and sharing

Our weekly knitting group met again after the holiday break on Friday and it was lovely to see the ladies and the 1 gentleman who knits.   Yet more Christmas food eaten as one of our group is a WI judge and she had made a Christmas cake for us to try - it was delicious.

I had a surprise, a serendipitous surprise.......

Catching up on blog reading earlier this week, I saw over at Winwick Mum that Christine blogged 19th December that she had an exclusive booklet in Knit Now magazine Issue 111 for socks and not wanting to forget added it to my shopping list to purchase a copy when I went to do the weekly shop Friday afternoon hoping that the issue was still available.

I'm all for saving money and a bargain but I wasn't expecting what happened at the knit group, i did not get to buy the magazine in the end.   One of the ladies had the magazine bought for her and she is not a sock knitter.  She offered me the booklet and sock blockers that were the cover gifts as she would not use them. 

 

We have such a wealth of talent at our group.   Another gift that came my way was a bookmark which looks right at home in my new read.

 

A close up of the little charm on the end shows knitting pins and a little jumper. How cute is that? 

 

 
As this post is a knitting one here are some Christmas gifts I knitted.  The pattern is free at Ravelry.  You can find it under Susie Rogers' Reading Mitts.   They were a hit with all who received them.

 

 

 

Enjoy your weekend
 
Love and blessings
 
Julie

 

 

 

Start as you mean to go on

On this first day of the new year - 2020 will be a leap year so we get an extra day - we had a late start, the fireworks outside had kept us awake till very late last night (or should that be this morning).  There is always someone who thinks it's a good idea to set them off well after 1am... i hope they had a nice party.  I was reading my book in bed till it finished after a quiet evening at home just the two of us.

A phone call from my friend over the road this morning to ask if I would like to share a cuppa and a catch up chat on New Years Day, yes please I said. 

When I walked across the road to share said cuppa and munch a rogue mince pie - it did lessen my friends Christmas leftovers - a lady I didn't know was crossing the road coming towards me and smiled.  "Good Morning, Happy New Year to you" I said as I smiled back at her.  "Thank you" was her reply "you've made my day".  It felt so spontaneous and natural and has kept me smiling all day. 

As I get older I do tend to open my mouth and say things to strangers.  I had a conversation with a lady at the garden centre just before Christmas about the beautiful nativity scene that was on show and how it is so sad that a lot of schools no longer do the traditional school nativity due to multi cultural faiths.  We parted wishing each other a Merry Christmas and i'm sure we both felt more cheerful for the little chat.

Do you speak to strangers or are you more aware of 'stranger danger' like the schools teach children, as DH reminded me when I came home and told him why I was grinning from ear to ear this morning.  Is there an age when its acceptable to randomly chat to people? 

I need to be more cheerful this year and find more fun and laughter in my life, last year was not a good one. This sounds like a good plan for the year to come so I think i'll give it a try. I just hope I don't come home with a black eye one day when someone takes offence!

Love and blessings to all

Julie