Jabs, Happy Mail and Advent Day 2

 Yes, today was the day we were scheduled for our Covid and flu jabs so we drove into town to get them. It was bitterly cold and when we came out of the hospital it was even snowing for a short while. Just as well we didn't have anything else to do, bar a quick top up at the supermarket, and could come home and snuggle in front of the fire. I have got a bit of a sore arm, which is only to be expected and I had a head that hurt for  a couple of hours but so far no other ill effects. 

Postie came really early today i.e. just before midday and when I said so to him he just grimaced and said 'Problems with the plane, just for  a change'. I didn't care, since he had just brought me a parcel of books that  I bought from a Ravelry destash about a week ago. 

There was Rachel Coopey's A Knitted Sock Society, A Tale of Heather and Stone which is a collection of patterns from various designers inspired by Ireland and which is a book I have looked at in the past without ever being able to bring myself to buy it at full price, and Margery Allingham's Mysterious Knits. Now I was  a huge fan of Margery Allingham when I was a teenager and I've recently started to rediscover her so I was very taken by the idea of this book, and even more pleased  when I actually unwrapped it. It has eleven knitting patters in it, but also nine essays dealing with various aspects of Allingham and her work and I'm really looking forward to having a proper read of it. 

Blogger is being a bit unco-operative this evening, especially when it comes to loading pictures so I'll try and keep the rest of this short. 

Jam and candle advents day 2 - chocolate hazelnut spread and pine and sage scent

The Yarn Artist Van Gogh mini for today 

Plus here is yesterday's knitted up 

The missing project bag problem is under investigation but as she says she had none left when all the advents had gone out it would seem that someone has got a very valuable free extra. I'm not surprised she hasn't got spares as she would have ordered the exact number she needed because  they were exclusive to the advent but it's a shame something went wrong and I missed out. She is trying to find out if the person who made the bags for her has any of the fabric left, and we wait to hear. I appreciate she is doing her best to rectify the mistake but I'm still a bit disappointed. 

As regards the non-working code for the weekly advent I heard back from the designer with a suggestion and that worked; seems like some people write their 2s like the letter Z. Or I read their 2s like a letter Z. Anyway I now have the pattern, I have looked out the right needles, and I have wound the skein of fluff into a ball. So I may get started on that tomorrow. 

I do have another weekly advent which was a last minute purchase with some of my wool sale proceeds. I had been sorely tempted by an advent with an Alice in Wonderland theme but by the time it was announced I had already decided on the Van Gogh one and it had been ordered. So I was resigned to missing out on that - which, you know, wasn't the end of the world because I was thrilled by the idea of the Van Gogh one. However when I got an e-mail saying there were still two of the weekly sock yarn advents left I caved in and bought one. In fairness to myself I waited for three days thinking someone else would leap in and save me from myself by buying them but no-one did. This one opens on Mondays so today was the first one. Here's the rather beautiful  box

which opened to reveal this 

The postcard shows the four characters behind the skeins; Week 1 The White rabbit, Week 2 Alice, Week 3 The Mad Hatter and Week 4 The Queen of Hearts. That meant today's was the White Rabbit and here it is, complete with a lovely little stitch marker extra

I know I will not be able to keep up with all three of these this month so the Alice ones are being put away for January. To be honest I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up with the other two, but I might, especially once all the cards and presents have been bought/written/wrapped/sent. I'm certainly going to give it a try.