Dairy free chocolate cake and new knitting project in Bergere de France Magic+.
100% wool hats for cold water swimmer. Bright colours and bobbles as requested . . . !
The autumnal garden.
Halloween
autumn
A bit of a muddle
Well, the garden’s looking absolutely lovely. Autumn has always been my favourite time of year, and this October it’s just beautiful.
However, there are a couple of minor irritations going on in the background. First let’s deal with the car.
My car is very old. 18 years old to be precise, and although it’s fine, and still runs ok, it sounds a bit clanky now, despite its recent annual service. And a little while ago, a few weeks I think, the display on the stereo stopped working. It’s apparently a common thing with the one I have (a Kenwood, with a detachable fascia). Now, that’s not too much of a problem, because I know what radio stations are attached to which numbers, and I can listen to my MP3 player once I’ve sorted out the “source”. However. And this is a pain in the proverbial neck. Somehow or other, buttons have been pressed (by me, nobody else drives my old jalopy), which mean that Traffic News has been set up. That means that I’m singing along loudly to my MP3 player, and all of a sudden, traffic news interrupts. Not only that, but when the traffic news has finished, I get a lot of DJ inanity and at least half a track of some music I’m not particularly into.
So I have enacted a cunning plan. Don’t want to spend too much money but am fed up with the TN interruptions. I have ordered a fascia from ebay, total cost £7.99. We shall see what transpires.
Next thing is my knitting. Gaaaagh! I have been knitting away happily for grandchildren for Christmas, and one of the garments is a lovely pale yellow with dark grey heart shaped buttons. Another garment is a dark green variegated yarn. Soaked them both, prior to blocking, in separate bowls. Rinsed and wrung them out, separately. Carried them both upstairs At The Same Time. Epic fail. Dark green yarn has bled randomly onto pale yellow yarn. Dark green garment has been rinsed in the washing machine and looks great. Pale yellow garment is comprehensively f*cked. Tried a number of ways of getting the dye out, and now the fabric is all to buggery, because it’s been rubbed so much. So I cut off the buttons, stayed relatively calm (no stamping about, shouting or swearing out loud), and put it in the bin. I’m off to the knitting shop shortly, when I’m actually showered and dressed, to get some new yarn to knit exactly the same garment again. Not pale yellow, though, variegated I think, and with garter stitch instead of ribbed welts. So I am going to try really hard to see this as a Learning Opportunity. Grr.
I really thought I’d broken the back of all the Christmas knitting. But no.
Ah well. Definitely First World problems, so I shouldn’t complain, when there are people so much worse off than me.
Was it really 3 months ago?
Goodness me. I have been meaning to blog for a while now, but life has been just slightly fraught here.
Have just read Harry Potter No 8 – The Cursed Child – amazing! am planning to go and see it at the theatre somehow or other. Really, really good.
Lots of medical appointments, including osteopath for wonky back (me), for both of us.
Visits from family – absolutely wonderful to see everybody, just lovely. It’s hard to believe that the oldest two grandchildren are 15 and nearly 15, and the youngest are nearly two years old, and seven and a half months old. All just delightful.
We had a date for the boiler service but the man never turned up, and it proved to be difficult to say the least to re-book. So I wrote a fairly snotty email and it’s being done on Friday morning, and they’re paying us £30 for the inconvenience. So that’s ok then (sort of).
We also had a date for the man to assemble and fit five cupboards in the utility, but he didn’t turn up either. We did try to contact him (two phone calls, 10 am and 7 pm, and a text message), but no reply at all. Strange, as he was very enthusiastic about how wonderful we were to work for (he did the refurb of our kitchen). However. New plan in the making. Frustrating though, as we’d stripped the room for him. But it would be worse if we had taken time off work . . . .
This week has been particularly fraught and busy, and we are both really tired. But next week looks much less manic, so we can relax and catch up with ourselves. I really thought retirement would be restful! but then I thought having a baby would involve four hourly feeds and sleeps in between. How wrong can a person be.
Yesterday I went to Stitch and Sip at the local yarn shop, and it was lovely! lots of laughter and banter, and I actually got some knitting done. Excellent. Also a couple came in with their nephew. The couple were 101 and 102 (he was in a wheelchair), both as bright as a button, their (chatty and funny) nephew was 74 and there was a carer too. The 101-year old woman lives nearby, and knits as well as crochets, so we tried really hard to persuade her to come to the Stitch & Sip sessions. She was born in 1915. We were all trying to work out all the changes she’s seen in her life. It would be great to see her at the group.
Been knitting loads for Christmas, no pictures yet of course, and a little cardigan for a baby boy due this month. Just started a cardigan for my friend Charlie’s little girl. I made her one when she was 3, and she still wears it! a little on the small side now of course . . . and the one I’m knitting now is in a sort of mermaid pale green.
The garden is looking ok too. There is a large phormium which isn’t terribly well placed, too near the washing line, and hubby sometimes finds he’s been poked in the eye by one of the leaves. So I’m getting it moved to the back of the garden, where there is a dead pieris which needs digging up. Phoning for quotes tomorrow. Also have some “Seeds for Bees” which I’m going to plant soon, and once the phormium has been moved, I’ll plant some bulbs and a small ornamental grass (which won’t poke hubby in the eye) in the space left. Exciting.
The sweet peas I grew from seed eventually came up trumps, but next year it’ll be small plants rather than seeds. The dwarf rudbeckias also eventually grew, but what a faff. I do like them though, bright yellow really cheers up an autumnal garden. Along with the bright pink sedums (though not adjacent to each other). The purple smoke bush (cotinus coggyria) is lovely, and the leaves turn a beautiful colour before they fall.
Watched “The Danish Girl” last night. Melancholy, beautifully shot, and a lovely, if very sad, film. Very brave of the actors I think. Equal weight was given to both the husband’s and the wife’s feelings about what was happening.
Have recently discovered nail “wraps”. Yeah. I’m absolutely crap at putting on nail varnish, partly because I’m just clumsy, partly because I have a tremor. So it’s a major faff, and then within an hour or so I’ve smudged or chipped it. However, nail wraps are just the job for me. Have a look here and see what you think. I have some samples, so I’m just trying to get my hands into a suitable state (the nails are ok, but the skin round them is dry and flaky) and I’ll have a little practice. My friend is having a “party” on Saturday night and I’m hoping to go.
I can’t believe that’s all. But it is for the moment.
It’s October already?
Goodness how time flies.
Planted up the winter pansies – they’re lovely. Also lifted two lavender shrubs and moved them to a bed with more room.
New project – to repaint the kitchen. And here’s why.
Note hubby’s expression. Not sure he actually likes it. When he opened the box, he said “Red? . . . . . Red? . . .?” ha ha ha. He didn’t laugh. I did.
That’s not the only reason, though. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I’m fed up with the peach coloured walls, and love red. So I’m off to B & Q tomorrow for some tester pots. I’m not going to paint the walls red, though, no no no. A step too far. Probably a mid-grey. It all needs washing down first though with sugar soap, and in fact there isn’t very much wall to paint really. Updates as it progresses . . . which will be slowly so I don’t crash.
Lovely weather today, and set fair for most of next week too. Excellent. Washing can probably go out tomorrow.
Made a blackberry and apple crumble the other day and it’s in the freezer waiting for the end of the month, when ES arrives to stay for a couple of days with his entourage (girlfriend and his three children). Can’t wait. Cakes to make too and possibly a trifle.
Lost another battle with a spiky tree today and bled profusely. Looks ugly and bruised and horrible. Long sleeves tomorrow I think.
Had our flu jabs on Saturday so we’re all ready for the winter now. Bring it on!
That’s about it for today.
Time to blog.
Not a lot has been happening, really, but I thought I’d have a little blurt on the blog.
I have finally managed to plant the tulips – found a huge pot which took all 14 of them. They’re apricot and I can’t wait for them to grow. I’ve wanted to plant apricot tulips for a long time, but there’s just no space in the garden beds! The garden is actually lovely at the moment, the rudbeckias are really cheerful, and I’ve managed to plant the daffodil bulbs as well as some – lots and lots – of annual poppies too. Fingers crossed they grow.
Last thing I’m going to plant are winter pansies. Dark purple ones look wonderful on the front of the house as it’s cream-coloured. Just need to pop to the garden centre and buy some. I have everything else I need to plant them.
The pain in my hand is still there. Not all the time, but when I try to straighten my hand out, to pick up a glass of water, say, or something like that, I can feel it grinding and it cracks very painfully. But I’ve seen the doctor, told her I’m no longer on the Tramadol, and she’s prescribed Co-codamol. That’s ok and helps with the pain, but makes me very sleepy, so I’m only taking them at lunchtime and bedtime, or else I’m asleep all day long.
Knitting is going well. Have finished two Christmas presents, am on a third, and plans for more. Each project takes a week or two, and I’m not planning to knit as many presents this year, so I won’t feel I’ve failed if I don’t get round to them for whatever reason. Is it just me, or do we all (women) set ourselves impossible targets then beat ourselves up when we don’t achieve them?
Made a new sewing needle case today. The old one was very old and boring and falling apart, so I found a scrap of fabric and made myself a pretty new one.
Also set up another Christmas present – a sewing project this time. All ready to go now, but enough is enough for one day.
We have fixed the kitchen sinks and taps this week. The sinks have “basket waste strainers” or some such technical term, and although the washers are detachable, you can’t get the replacements. So we went to B&Q and found something that will do, and instead of buying new “basket waste strainers” for £12.50 each, we spent £2.50 on two new washers that will fit. The taps needed new “insides” – don’t know the technical term for that – you can’t get just washers for the sort of taps we have – but we fitted those ourselves and they’re wonderful now. It’s like having a new sink!
I’m about halfway through Christmas presents. Some are hand-made, some I’m buying, but I don’t have plans for all of them. Need to check Amazon wish-lists (yes, mine is all up to date) and contact parents. Children’s wish lists are a false friend – they don’t update them, so you end up buying them something you think they’ll love, and they already have it. Yes, it’s happened to me.
The cat has completely recovered from her abscess under the eye and the fur has all grown back. You’d never know she’d had anything wrong with her. Bless her little heart.
I’ve been reading a lot of Bill Bryson books lately. They always cheer me up, no matter how dreadful I’m feeling, and I frequently laugh out loud. As a result, I have been thinking about what would constitute a perfect small town for me, and mostly it’s where I live, although I would be very happy to do without the McDonalds. There are bookshops, several libraries, a local yarn shop (7 minutes walk for me, yay!) a pleasant shopping area, but a few too many chain stores. More independents would be nice. But hey, you can’t have everything. I always go to an independent shop whenever I can – Woolmans rather than Notcutts, Stitch Solihull rather than anywhere on line or Hobbycraft, and so on.
Can’t wait to cast on part 2 of my current knitting project tonight. Always exciting. And the yarn is fabulous – Opal Sweet and Spicy – you just never know what’s going to come up next colour-wise!
This and that.
We had our alarm system serviced on Wednesday morning. Wednesday afternoon it went off, all by itself. The man came back and sorted it out. Or so we thought. This morning it went off again, at 6 am. It wasn’t set, hubby was awake and out for a walk. I dragged myself out of bed, down the stairs, and put in the code, and it stopped. Harrumph. So they are coming out again with a special “thing” to stop it doing that on Monday. Fingers crossed for the next three nights . . .
Today my car has gone to the garage for a service and MoT test. I take it to Westley Garage, on Station Road, in Acocks Green, and have done for several years, on the recommendation of a friend. They’re good, trustworthy, friendly, and know me by name. The only thing that’s complicated about it is that this garage was my Dad’s. Walking up the forecourt, going into the office, all of it, brings back childhood memories, not all (or even many) of which are happy. In fact, today I got quite tearful as hubby drove me home in his car.
The staff working for my Dad were lovely, kind and funny and nice to my sister and to me. Just the smell of the cars being fixed brings it all back. The guy in charge now remembers when my Dad used to run it. Mm.
Knitting – going well. Have finished Antarktis and am absolutely delighted with it. May well knit another one in the Sweet Georgia Cashluxe turquoise I have. Currently knitting a sock as an experiment for hubby. He wanted plain brown or black, but I just said no, that’s too boring to knit. It’s grey-blue and self-striping, very muted and sombre. If he likes this sock, I will knit him the pair, but am not knitting two socks before he tells me he doesn’t like them. I’ve also bought some Sirdar Chunky yarn to knit him another slipover top. Also fancy knitting another Pimpelliese shawlette.
Sewing – Christmas project all finished now. I am pleased with it. I don’t sew clothes, just curtains, cushion covers, and oblong or square things.
This morning I’ve baked some chocolate chip cookies (dairy free of course). Hubby is off to do some leafletting – about keeping our NHS public.
Gardening – I’ve dug up all the aquilegias from one of the beds. I do love them, but they’d gone absolutely bonkers and were trying to take over the world. They’re a pain to dig up, though, they have long tap roots just like dandelions. Now there’s room to plant some daffodils, and when those are in, I have some annual poppy seeds to sprinkle on top. There’s a lovely red ornamental grass with lovely fluffy-looking seed heads which is going in a pot, and I have two pots ready for some miniature daffodils, which, when they start to sprout, can go each side of the front door.
The rudbeckias are lovely. I used to think they were gaudy and horrible, but they really, really cheer up an autumn garden.
I also pruned two of the buddleias really hard back, and the wisteria which, despite being cut back to its trunk, is going wild again. There’s another buddleia in the front garden which is going to get the treatment next time I’m outside with a pair of freshly cleaned and WD40’d secateurs. And it’s not actually raining.
Love these Michaelmas Daisies too.
There are two hydrangeas here, but one of them has flowers in both blue and pink. Love it.
And love these sedums too.
Just booked the train for a weekend in mid-November to go and stay with ED and her chappie. Can’t wait. They’ve decorated their lounge this year and I really want to see it, and them of course, and their crazy cat JR. I’ll take knitting to do on the train, but can’t knit in their house because JR just can’t cope with it. “what’re you doing? what’s that? why is that stringy stuff wriggling about? what are those sticks doing? can I play?” No. Just no.
Mainly Knitting
Finished hubby’s top today. It took ten days, which is absolutely amazing, until you realise it was chunky/bulky yarn, on big needles. He’s very pleased indeed, and so am I. I sewed it up at the Sip & Stitch today, to general acclaim.
Next up – Sweet Georgia yarn, wound off skeins into cakes, and ready to knit. Red one first, and this is what I’m going to do with it. I’ll cast on tonight. I’m very, very excited. The yarn is absolutely beautiful, really saturated with colour, and very, very soft.
The red yarn is called “Tough Love Sock” but is much too nice to knit socks with. The actual colour is much more of a deep red than the pink in the photo.
The turquoise is called CashLuxe Fine and is even nicer. This is what I’m planning to knit with that. It’s also much more turquoise than the blue it looks like.
But after the “Glam Shells” I’m going to knit a pair of socks for hubby and see how that goes. Lots of projects in my head, lots of ideas, lots of lovely yarn in my stash.
The weather is much cooler now, although still sunny. There’s an autumnal feel to the air. I love autumn, it’s always been my favourite season. I need to do some gardening soon – planting daffodils and annual poppies, digging up the aquilegias which have gone absolutely bonkers, but will wait until I have a bit more energy, the daffodil bulbs, and the time.
loonyfeminist 