Last Post for 2024

And there should be a first post for 2025 tomorrow as well, but meanwhile, I've just finished the wool stats for 2024 so I'm popping them on here before I forget. I could wait until midnight, just in case I manage to finish something else, but actually I'm not in a knitting mood so I'm drawing the line for the year now. 

Wool in in December was a massive 2306g which is difficult to believe but then I did have three yarn advents, one of which was my Christmas present from my husband, and my quarterly clubs and it being Christmas I was gifted some yarn too. 

Wool out was 736, which is not impressive, but what is impressive (to me) is that I have knitted up my Yarn Artist advent into the suggested lap blanket, and all it needs now is a border. Which I had thought about doing today, but I don't want to rush it and I still haven't decided between a knitted or a crochet one. 

Overall the stash reduction for the year was 5852g and I hope to do better still in 2025. 

More about other goals for 2025 tomorrow. 

Advents - Last Call

So here we are at the end of the advent calendars. There was no jam today as Door No. 24 yields a special gift. Last year it was a sweet little wooden house, now residing in the Scandi Forest and I was rather hoping for a repeat of that, as last year's battery has given out and we're not sure if we can get a replacement - it's teeny-tiny. But anyway, it wasn't a little cottage it was a bauble. Quite a nice one though. And the candle, naturally enough, was Christmas Eve scented. 

Since we've had a few blue skeins towards the end of the Van Gogh advent, I was really hoping for one based on Starry Starry Night today but it wasn't, it was another self portrait 

Not saying it's not a pretty colour, because it is. I have to say I've been a bit disappointed with this Van Gogh advent. Partly it's the bad taste left in my mouth by all the kerfuffle over the non arrival of the proper project bag; and I have to say I saw someone doing Vlogmas on YouTube who had actually got the bag and it was lovely. A really good size and the fabric was Starry Starry Night. I wish I hadn't seen it really.  So that got it off to a bad start and then there have been too many same-y colours and when they haven't been a variation on olive, mustard and pale blue there seems to have been no thought given to where they will end up if you are doing her suggested mitred square blanket, and how they will play off the colours next to them. You'll see what I mean when I've finished it. Six squares behind currently, but given that I have knitted one and two half fingerless mitts AND a pair of socks as well as doing 18 of the squares I'm not beating myself up about that. I'm not sure if I will get another daily advent next year, but if I do, it won't be from The Yarn Artist. In any case I think the weekly ones suit me better. 

I did have the unexpected pleasure today of meeting up with a friend who I don't often get to see and we, (the friend, the OH and I)  combined that with a visit to our local cafe which was open today but then is closed until March. It was  a last minute arrangement, to catch her while she was on Mainland Orkney, and I wasn't feeling very well so it was a rocky start. But once we started chatting it took my mind off other things and we had a good catch up.  We left reluctantly about one, when we decided we couldn't really justify hogging the table any longer when people were starting to come in for lunch. 

I took a couple of pictures by my front door today; sunrise and sunset. It seems appropriate to sign off with them as I wish everyone who reads the blog a very happy Christmas. I have no idea when I'll be back ( that doesn't mean I'm thinking of giving up, just that I don't know whether I'll come here and blog about Christmas presents tomorrow, or give myself some time off until the New Year, but until I take up my metaphorical pen again here are the photos; reflecting once again the serene time of advent that I hoped for but, this year, so didn't get. 

Sunrise ....

.... sunset

 

with apologies for the Fiddler on the Roof earworm! Happy Christmas everybody. 

Isn't This Pretty?

 

Well, yes, it IS  pretty which is why it is a great shame that I am going to have to pull it out and start over. This is the week 3 advent yarn from LayFamilyYarn which came with a basic pattern for some fingerless mitts and I was really enjoying knitting them until I tried them on after starting the top rib and decided that they are just too big. They were fine to start with but there is no shaping as you go up the hand ( which is normally OK , but not in this instance as the cast on just has too many stitches.) I had already done a decrease before starting the rib but it wasn't enough so at some point quite soon I am going to have to pull all this out and look for another pattern that is a better fit and use that instead. I have a couple of contenders in mind, but really I could have done without wasting my time on knitting something that was going to be no good. A lesson to check and double check when things are one size I suppose. 

The weekly advents are now all fully open; this is the one from LayFamilyYarn this week, which is a sock set. The colour is a bit blown out; the one that looks vaguely like a pale minty green is actually cream  and the other mini is a pale apricot colour. I wouldn't use either of those in socks with the main skein because I don't think the apricot 'goes', and really a cream toe or heel is just asking for frustration in the laundry department. They're all pretty colours though, just not together for socks for me. 

here is the final one from Skein and the Stitch, which is the Queen of Hearts

again, not 100% convinced about the 'toning' mini but I love all the colours in themselves. 

And here are the latest few days from The Yarn Artist - at last we have moved away from pale aquas, olive greens and mustard yellows! 

Well I now have an appointment with the ironing board, which coincidentally lives in the same room as my knitting pattern folders....

Another Good Book, a Nice Surprise, and a bit of Advent catch Up.

So this week I read the third of the four books I had loaded up on my reading devices when we went to France - the fourth still languishes, half read, as it has been for ages. But this one I raced through. 

It was The Wanderer by Michael Ridpath. I hadn't come across him before which seems odd as I like crime fiction and I have a soft spot for a  lot of ( but by no means all) crime fiction set in the Nordic countries, so I'm surprised a series  about a half Icelandic detective set mainly in Iceland has passed me by really. No matter, I have 'found' him now. The Wanderer is quite  a long way through the series but the fact that I hadn't read the previous books didn't detract from the experience of reading this. The plot driver is the making of a TV series about some of the Icelanders who, according to the Sagas, sailed to America, and back, and there's an interesting mix of credible characters in there; historians, archaeologists, tv people and of course police personnel. The action moves between Iceland and Greenland, there's just enough description of the environment to inform and delight, without it becoming like a travel book,  and the resolution of the plot is very satisfying. I will be on the lookout for more Ridpath, that's for sure. 

I haven't blogged much recently, mainly because I have been busy but with non-blogworthy stuff - I can't come on here for several days in a row and say 'we managed to put up a few more decorations, I wrapped a few presents and the OH is a bit better than he was yesterday'. Well I could, but it wouldn't be particularly interesting. However, one of the things I have been doing is having pre-Christmas coffee with friends and exchanging cards and presents, and yesterday the friend I was meeting brought us a delicious 'extra' 

Mozart Kugeln. They're lovely and I was delighted to get them. I think I brought a small bag back from Prague in 2021, but I certainly haven't had any since then. 

I am totally confused with where the advent reporting is; I knew that would happen if I didn't keep up on a daily basis, but anyway here is Skein and the Stitch's week3 which got opened on Monday. I love it. I had expected something more vibrant, if not positively neon, from the inspiration card pictures, since this is Mad Hatter week, but it's much more subtle than anticipated. and I love the stitch marker in the shape of a cup of tea. 

Today's advents were as follows

cinnamon sticks and guava. We sampled the guava with our morning toast, because I was keen to taste it. I remember Prue Leith saying on the Bake Off one time that guava was delicious 'even the tinned ones'. Sadly the Kirkwall Tesco does not run to tinned guava so guava jam is as close as I am likely to get for some time. Possibly it doesn't give a very accurate reflection of the flavour, as it tasted mainly of sugar. 

And here is the Yarn Artist mini for today 

I haven't managed to keep up with the lap blanket project using this advent  because I was on a mission this last week to knit something else for a Christmas gift, a bit of a last minute decision really, but I finished that yesterday - photo tomorrow I expect - and so I now have time to catch up a bit. Currently on Day 17. 

Back tomorrow - I hope!

Bits 'n' Pieces

 It's a bit of a scattergun thing today I'm afraid. 

First off I have to record an afternoon disappointment. We went into town to see the Royal Ballet's current production of Cinderella at the cinema, only to have it cancelled on us just before it was due to start. This was because of some technical problem with which the fuzzy faced youth behind the reception desk was not particularly au fait; all he knew was that he couldn't sell tickets because the showing was cancelled. We took with this  as good a grace as we could muster, having driven 15 miles  through some very blustery weather with the  OH still not functioning at 100%, but the woman behind us in the queue was last seen demanding of the aforementioned youth who was in charge, because this had  happened to her once this week already? She was trailed by a quite grown up daughter uselessly whispering 'Mum it's not his fault', but we felt we couldn't linger to watch the whole thing play out, entertaining though it might be, and we came home, via Tescos. 

Secondly I have a photo of a completed jigsaw. Before we went to France I was doing some old ones again, and then my sister, having spotted this one on my Christmas wish list said she already had it and she would send it on if I'd like to borrow it. I said yes, and because she could send two for the price of one postage -wise, she sent another one along too. This one  took me ages. I don't know whether it was more difficult than previous ones by the same artist or whether my eyesight was letting me down again, or whether my powers of concentration were a bit limited due to the time of year, but it wasn't the quick finish I had envisaged. Anyway here it is.

Lovely image (if you like that sort of thing, which I do) but a pain to do. 

Putting up the tree and decorations has been a bit of a half hearted affair this year, or at least it took ages. The OH had put up the tree and the lights before falling ill, and had also looked out the tinsel which I draped around the tree every so often. A couple of days later while he was still basically out of it, I dug out the plastic crate of decorations and put half a dozen things on the tree whenever I felt the urge to do so, with the result that it was just about done by the time the OH rose from his sick bed. But it wasn't until yesterday that we really got our heads down and did all the miscellaneous stiff, and even now there are five garland type things that still need hanging up. Maybe tomorrow. I'm not stressing,  because left to myself I'd have a tree. some scented candles and the cards on display, but Some People in the household prefer a little more Christmass-y ostentation. Anyway here's the tree

I took two photos; this is the one without the back view of the cat; if only the winner of Portrait Artist of the Year had shown the same restraint in regard to the back view of Lorraine Kelly's dog ...but that's another story. 

Then we have our Scandi windowsill; this is the normal, cheerful end where happy people sing carols, wander off to the Christmas market, calling  Christmas greetings to all they meet , and generally spreading Christmas cheer and goodwill.. .

and this is the much more sinister end 

where ghostly horses lean against dark forbidding trees, and giant mice and weird gnomes lurk, awaiting the approach  of the unwary .....

I may have got a bit carried away there. 

Advents I am behind with I know. Here are today's

amber and sandalwood candle, plus golden plum jam

the yarn artist day 15. I've just realised you can't see the tag with the relevant picture. Also I forgot to take a photo of it in the bag but the sticker had Christmas lights on. 

And this is the Lay Family Yarn weekly advent, Week 3. I was rather surprised by the colour as I had thought they were all going to be based around hot chocolate and mulled wine, but anyway this is Christmas Carols at Midnight or something and there is an included pattern to make fingerless mitts. Which is great because I like knitting those. And wearing them too. And who knows, some of this advent stiff may show up in a December's completed projects post. Hope springs eternal. 

Chambery The Town

I've been MIA for a few days I know. Partly because I've been busier than usual because the OH is still not 100%, partly because last week I was out twice, almost unheard of these days, having coffee and a chat with a friend, and partly because the week just gone saw a huge push to get the last of the parcels and the cards posted. Which I managed so I hope I can now get some of that calm advent that I was originally anticipating. 

Tomorrow I can play catch up with the advent posting, but for today here are some of the photos I took during our wander around Chambery. According to the OH , who knows about these things, lots of it was bombed to pieces by the Allies in WW2, as there was a German Forces railway hub there. Luckily some of the medieval bits of the town, those away from the railway line presumably! still stand, as does the chateau which was one of the seats of the Dukes of Savoy. 

this is the door of the Art Gallery. It doesn't have a spectacular collection but there were a few nice paintings in there. My DK inspired fascination with interesting doors continues ...

This is the town's most famous landmark; the Four Elephants Fountain. 

the chateau. Sadly I couldn't get a photo without cars here ....

...or here which is obviously not the chateau but a nice building nonetheless. 

the Cathedral

It was an interesting little place, with the accent very much on the little; even had the chateau been open and we had gone inside both it and the Cathedral I doubt it would take longer than a day to see what there is at a reasonably relaxed pace. Glad I went though.  

Look at this beautiful card

 

received yesterday , and stitched by my sister. That won't be going into the recycle bin after Christmas.

I finished an advent project today, photo tomorrow maybe. I'm very pleased with it anyway.

Meanwhile todays advent goodies were

mango raspberry and lime jam - sounds a bit of a mish mash but we'll see what it tastes like. The candle was another Wild Orchid, and that has a lovey scent.

The miniskein 

Still with the blues and yellow-y greens ....

And yesterday I made  a mistake when I was talking about our first dinner in Chambery,  as the OH wasn't too poorly to point out.  It wasn't rilette we ate, but tartiflette. I sit corrected and am happy to own my error. Funnily enough tartiflette turned up in a question on Pointless today. A bit of a coincidence. 

Chambery - The Conference; and today's advents.

I had decided that Nottingham was going to be my last conference which was a shame because it was generally a pretty awful experience. Not long after I got back from Finland a friend, who had also been at Nottingham, asked me of I would submit  a paper for a small conference she was co-organising in Chambery; she promised it would be small, very research focussed with good participants and lots of wine and fondue. Who could resist? So I submitted a paper on my second string as it were; the Canadian writer Alastair Macleod, who fitted the theme of the conference 'Voices from the Edge' rather better than George Campbell Hay and when the time came, off we went. 

It was a lovely conference. As she had promised, high powered academically, but collaborative, wide ranging and interesting. We also had two lovely dinners in local restaurants and attended a performance of the play 'The Tailor of Inverness' which formed an integral part of the conference itself although the two performances were open to students at the University, and it was well attended. So if Chambery turns out to be my last conference it will be a happy memory, unlike Nottingham would have been. That said I have been thinking about maybe taking up some new research projects in the new year, so we'll see...

A few photos

the set for the play

and dinner on the first evening. The OH and I had rillette that time ,which is a local speciality of cheese, bacon and potato. Very tasty although the portions were far too large! 

And the advents 

sage and silver pine and caramel with vanilla

and the mini skein is back to the almond trees. I'm hoping for some with a few less pastel-y shades as we move through the month; Bedroom at Arles, Starry Night, Irises etc

Two books I enjoyed recently - and the advent catch up.

Just about the most sensible thing I did before we went off on our trip last month was download four books from the historical crime section of Borrowbox, accessed through our brilliant local library. It was something that stood me in good stead during our enforced stay at The Gatwick Hilto, not to mention the hours we had hanging around in airports and on planes. . 

I have only read two and a half of them so far, but I really enjoyed the two I've finished so I thought I'd report back. I didn't do much choosing, just opened the program at that subheading and stabbed my finger; I didn't exactly just borrow the first four, but it was close. I wasn't sure whether I would love them or hate them but I wasn't feeling particularly judgemental at that point. I just wanted some stuff to read. 

Anyway the first one was Murder in an English Village by Jessica Ellicott. Ellicott was new to me but I gather she has written lots, and this is the first of a series about two maiden ladies, one English and one American who join forces after World War 1; the Englishwoman needs the money the American provides as a lodger and the American has no desire to return to her Prohibition homeland until she's legally allowed to drink there again. They get embroiled in the case of one missing and one murdered girl. It  wasn't great literature, but then again that wasn't what I was looking for. It was well written and well plotted and I was able to overlook the occasional unimportant anachronism. I wouldn't buy any of her books, but I'd borrow more from the library. 

The second one, and the one which has reignited my interest in Margery Allingham and her Mr Campion books was Mr Campion's Fox by Mike Ripley. This is a Campion mystery set in the 1960s; as such Campion and his wife Amanda don't do much rushing about, leaving the active side of investigation to their son Rupert while they look fondly on from the sidelines and given him the occasional nudge in the right direction. I did find Ripley's constant references to 1960s things; music, fashion, food etc irritating, but a younger reader might not mind that. I wouldn't have minded it either had there been less of it. |It smacked a bit of, 'Do you remember this?' or perhaps even 'I was astounded that my research threw up this' but in the end I decided to let it all roll over me and just enjoy the plot and the characters. Ripley has certainly managed to take larger than life characters and slightly off key situations and combine them in a story that is slightly off kilter without ever totally slipping into the surreal, something of which Allingham was a mistress. You think that people like this surely couldn't; exist but there is something in you that says ' oh well maybe they could ....' I am hoping to go back to the original Campion books over the next few months but I certainly wouldn't object to reading more of Ripley's Campion take. 

And now for the advent catch up. Yesterday was Day 8 and we had cherry honey (?) and bayside cedar 

 this was the mini skein

It was also the day for opening Week 2 of the Lay Family Yarn weekly advent 

The thing at the front is a pom-pom. I am not really a pom-pom person, on hats or anywhere else, and there wasn't a hat pattern included, which I was sort of expecting, but no matter. I spent some time this afternoon looking at patterns on Ravelry for a hat ( with or without a pom-pom) using DK weight and suri alpaca fluff. There were quite a few. My eyes get bored after the first half page - don't judge me, there are 48 patterns to a page the way Ravelry is set up on my computer. The colours of the yarn are deeper than shown, it's difficult to catch them properly when I'm taking the photos in artificial light. 

Today we had 

Blueberry and maple syrup ( that's the jam!) and black cherry, whicc is the candle. 

The miniskein

the famous sunflowers make their inevitable appearance.

It was also the day for opening my Skein and the Stitch Alice weekly advent and that looked like this. It's Alice. 

Ant then postie brought me this. It's not the bag I should have had with my advent but it is a van Gogh themed bag from the same dyer and made by the same supplier. It's a standard item that she has in stock from time to time so not the exclusive-to-the-advent one I should have had, but there was none of the fabric for those left. In addition to sending me this the dyer refunded the money paid for the exclusive bag, so this one was free,  and  also  gave us a code for  a discount on the next order so she has fallen over herself to put things right. 

And last but not least here is the Van Gogh blanket and it's still up to date, and in fact I shall be finishing today's square later while catching up with Masterchef. 

I'm not totally convinced about the much brighter blue that was the starter square but I'm keeping the faith and assuming she knows what she's doing. 

well here I am, back

It has been a very fraught few days with a very poorly husband on my hands, and although I am cautiously optimistic that he is now on the mend he's certainly not firing on all cylinders. More like one of four. However compared to how he has been it's a huge improvement, and as long as it's a sign that he continues to get better I'll take it. 

Thank goodness my phone stores photos by date, otherwise I wouldn't have  a hope of catching up on the advents with any accuracy at all, and although what I'd really like to do is rant about our local hospital  I'll save that for a day when I have calmed down a bit  a lot. So if  little bits of wool, tea lights and tiny jars of jam aren't your thing, I'm sorry. I will blog about other stuff over the coming days just not today.  

Day 5

candle is amber and sandalwood and the jam is pineapple and passionfruit.

the mini skein 

Day 6 

candle is Wild Orchid and the jam is orange, yuzu and grapefruit.

Day 7 (which would be yesterday)

spiced rhubarb and Christmas Eve

no picture of the bag because I was too frazzled to take one, but the sticker had a pixie

This is a picture of progress on the cowl from Week 1 of the Lay family yarn Christmas Market advent. I haven't got as far as I would have liked i.e. I would have liked to finish it this week, but it hasn't been a week when I've had a lot of time and I've been prioritising the advent blanket. Which now looks like this

I have somehow managed to keep up with it despite everything, it's probably about the only constructive thing I've managed since Tuesday. My corners are not as well aligned as I would like but I am cutting myself some slack on that front. 

And now I must take myself off to do other constructive things. Back, I hope, tomorrow.