Eleven "little coat squares" I've hooked up from Lucy of Attic 24's version of Sidsel J Høivik's pattern in odd moments just to see how they look.
Experimenting with different colour combinations. I have a thrifty little plan for these that is not dissimilar to Lucy's own coat-upcycling (which you can read about here if you haven't already). A good back-burner project that is keeping me sane in the busyness of this season, without siphoning off time I don't have.
Twelve bottles of blackberry gin, decanted this week from their maturing jars in the larder, and strained through clean muslin into bottles, to give away as Christmas presents.
It's a beautiful colour and tastes - well, of blackberries! It has a good flavour now but may well improve, as these things do, over time.
Thirteen lovely balls of Aran weight yarn, a few new ones, but mostly ones from my stash, waiting to be made into an infinity scarf like Astri's here, or possibly a cowl in the happy oasis that awaits after Christmas Day when work is finished, visits have been made and things slow down for a bit.
I find I am wearing a cowl or scarf almost all the time, as the weather gets colder and I try to continue to resist turning the heating on all day. I really like having a project to look forward to starting After Christmas - on no account must it be started beforehand. Tides me over the unsettlement of the New Year. Anyone else find this?
This is the calm version of 11/12/13 - I don't think you'd enjoy the other version which is a bit stressed and frantic - lists of "to dos" as long as my arm, domestic frazzlement (a technical term that those of you with teenagers, who live by last minute.com with commensurately vague notions of finalising any kind of arrangements, will know what I mean by) and a work agenda that makes me wonder whether I have a streak of insanity in me for agreeing to. Add to the mix, managing to fall headlong off a five foot bank, into the road yesterday and the consequent bruises and stiffness that make me realise once and for all, I am No Longer Young and it's not quite such a serene scenario! I prefer the calm version, myself!
Now where's my hooky and yes, perhaps a tiny taste of the blackberry gin, just to see if it's still OK!
All is calm!
On one level, anyway - I hope it's going to permeate the other levels now!
Wishing you all a happy and serene 11/12/13
E x
I hope you are ok after you're tumble, wow that gin is such a gorgeous colour, I look forward to seeing you're coat, Lucy's was fab. Take care
ReplyDeleteClare xx
.....all is bright...lovely colours so cheery when much cheeryness is needed on these grey days...bestest to you
ReplyDeleteDaisy x
I'm SO with you on needing a Festive crochet project to look forward to! I've got mine all sorted, as of last night....I'm going to make in Indoor Poncho, in other words, a wearable blanket. I am hugely excited about it :o)
ReplyDeleteHappy 11/12/13 to you ♥
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Hope you're not too bruised after your fall. Your blackberry gin looks very similar to meths in the candlelight but tones in beautifully with the yarn in the photo below!
ReplyDeleteI have the yarn for a jumper waiting quietly for the lull after Christmas - at the moment I'm furiously knitting small things like fingerless mittens as gifts.
No more consecutive dates until 2103 I suppose. Goodness.
"All is calm! On one level, anyway" Too many sips of the blackberry gin and nothing will be 'level' lol Helen
ReplyDeleteGood heavens, it's all been going on hasn't it? I hope you're not to damaged after your fall, it's shocking how we can't spring up like nothing has happened like the good ol days isn't it? I love your squares, I did see them on Attic24, so pretty. Can't wait to see what you do with them!
ReplyDeleteS x
Dear Mrs T
ReplyDeleteJewel-like colours abound in this post! Blackberry gin - ooh, there's a rather lovely thought! Then there are the beautiful colours for your wool project and the bright colours of the crochet...
Not so good falling down a bank though - hope you are OK. Getting older is rather a sobering thing, isn't it?
Best wishes
Ellie
I sure hope you are feeling better today, hope you are not sore and that nothing is seriously hurt. These are crazy times, teenagers just add to the mix. Love our yarn and hopes for a beautiful after Christmas projcet. Astri has made some beautiful scarves. Hugs, stay warm and best of luck with this time of year.
ReplyDeleteMeredith
Blackberry and gin, the perfect combination I think! Love your little squares! :) x
ReplyDeleteOuch! I do know the franticness of life with teenagers only too well, but falling down a bank on top of everything else......when I fall down as an adult I remember oh, this is how it felt when I was a child, only I'm a lot further from the ground now and it hurts more! I do hope you are feeling better now.
ReplyDeletePoor you, horrible to take a tumble like that, I do hope you are feeling easier soon! This is a very full on time of the year isn't it....somehow despite efforts otherwise, its always chaotic and disorganised every year in my house. I wish I could just let it all wash over me, but I seem to like to add more to the list and almost make it impossible...ah well....I guess it makes it Christmas for me!
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling better. So glad you did not break your neck in that fall,
ReplyDeleteYour delicious looking gin could help any bruise.
Oh my, I think that gin is just the ticket for curing those injuries. So sorry to hear you were hurt. Mend well and soon, please. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe jacket will be exquisite...I can't wait to see.
Thank you so much for linking my cowl..yours will be incredible in those colors. I'm hoping one of the yarn colors is named blackberry gin!
I can't comment much on the crochet - I am admitting defeat, it really is a closed book to me - but ooh, blackberry gin ... those larger bottle look like giant jewels!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness I love your choice of colors! Speaks right to my heart! Lovely! :-)
ReplyDeleteDear Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteYour "last minute.com" reference rang so true! A couple of weeks ago, my older son and five of his friends somehow managed to attend a college football game at a huge stadium in uptown Charlotte. The actual logistics of this activity changed minute by minute throughout game day--the boys toyed with the notion of buying tickets online, trying to use some free passes that might or might not have worked, or purchasing tickets from scalpers. They also changed their transportation plans--a state of affairs that varied as each set of parents said, "No!" to allowing teen drivers with provisional licenses to drive in city traffic. Dennis was tearing his hair out and yelling by the late afternoon, but, somehow, miraculously the boys made it to the game and bought tickets from some guys standing outside the gates. Needless to say, we were relieved to hear the key in the lock at 1:00 a.m. Of course, there is all sorts of other seasonal madness to add to the teenaged mix. Your blog posts are so beautiful and act as balm for my frazzled holiday spirits. The blackberry gin looks wonderful!
Oh yes, I must know exactly what my next project will be or I do get quite twitchy. I am hoping to make some progress on a knitted cowl and a crocheted blanket over the holidays.
ReplyDeleteI do sympathise with your level of busy-ness; this time of year can become quite frantic, it really can, and it's very important to find a moment of peace, as you've done with your crochet and blackberry gin! Mine aren't teenagers yet but I'm already feeling the "lastminute.com" stresses - 48 hours notice from Angus's teachers that they were having a "Christmas Jumper Party" on the last day of term. Of course there were no Christmas jumpers left anywhere in the shops by then so I was up until midnight on Thursday appliqueing a reindeer onto a long sleeved t-shirt...like you do. x