"THESE BOOTS ARE NOT MADE FOR WALKING"

These boots, whilst not made for walking, will hopefully keep my feet warm next week when the temperatures are apparently due to plummet.

The gorgeous legs are indeed mine. I did say to Michael when he was taking the photo for me this morning that I only wanted a picture of the slipper boots, not my legs. The photo turned out to be more of my legs and less of the slippers, so after much cropping and enhancing this was the best that I could manage.

I was a little disappointed that my writing smudged on the very last letter but overall I'm really pleased with the slippers and very glad that I knitted the children's size and not the adults!!!!

Also yesterday I've purchased/ordered the wool that I need to make the blanket for our bed as I mentioned in my last post. I'm looking forward to getting started on that. 49 x 10" squares to knit and then my worst nightmare 49 x 10" squares to sew together. It'll be a breeze?

My kitchen saga continues, it just seems to get worse and worse. Tomorrow I have a man coming to scrabble my kitchen floor with some sort of machinery which I've got a feeling is going to make a hell of a mess. Although the insurance company have said that they will cover my new cooker, other appliances and seal my new cupboards, we have been advised that it might be best to empty them.

 What a lovely job for a Sunday afternoon?

I'm just really hoping that once this is done tomorrow, the floor will be able to dry out and the process of restoring the kitchen can go ahead. Fingers crossed!

SKY SCARF UPDATE

My new year's knitting challenge, the sky scarf is coming along nicely. Now that I've sorted out my system for keeping the balls of yarn as tangle free as I possibly can, it is only taking me a couple of minutes each day to complete the two rows.

 My scarf is fairly wide, I'm working on 54 stitches to correspond with my age. I got that idea from a blog that I was reading. Thankfully I'm not 90, otherwise I could eventually end up with a sky blanket!

Talking of blankets and throws, I'm hoping that is going to be my next project. Hopefully later this year we are going to decorate our bedroom, that's when and if the kitchen is finally sorted following the leak from the soil pipe which came to light in November. However that's all another story and I've decided to keep me sane I need to focus past that and concentrate on new projects around the house.
I have had a lovely pattern book of blankets and throws for sometime and I'm quite eager to get started. I just need to sort my colour scheme and find and purchase the wool.

Also, the slipper socks I wrote about in my last post are literally coming together, my plan for this afternoon is to get them finished.

Now, going back to Friday. I don't know why but I had this urge to make a meat pudding, I haven't made or eaten one for years. So yesterday I gave it a go.

This

after several hours, became this

and unbelievably turned out onto the plate

perfectly.

The only problem was there were only two of us to eat it!

Lots of left overs, hope the birds are hungry!!

KNITTING

The only problem with knitting in my mind is that eventually at some time during the project I have to turn this -

into this!

Today, I have reached that stage, well for one of them from the pair.

I could go on merrily knitting the second of the upper legs but then I'll have both boots to sew.

Trauma of traumas that would be!

You may have already guessed that I don't like sewing. I think it's because however much I try, I can't seem to do it very well.

So, rather than sit with a cup of tea,  make the most of the last of the daylight and at least pin the pieces together, here I am keeping up to date with my blog instead.

On a more positive note my sky scarf is coming on very well. At least no sewing involved with that!

I'll post a photo nearer the end of the month.

Another day tomorrow!

NEW YEAR, NEW KNITTING CHALLENGE!

What a difference in the weather on Bank Holiday Monday!

Maybe it felt a little on the chilly side but with a clear blue bright sky it was an ideal day to get out walking again.

We decided to stay nearer to home, so along with many others took ourselves up into Maldon to the promenade which is a  lovely park on the banks of the river Blackwater.

This statue is of Byrhtnoth who stands looking out over the river right at the very end of the promenade, he is there to commemorate the Battle of Maldon and a very nice chap he looks too!

Now life is getting back to normal after the christmas holidays I have decided to take on a new knitting challenge. Having read Tizduster's blog I will be joining her in knitting a sky scarf. I have just ordered my wool, hopefully it will arrive in a day or two and then I can begin. I've made notes on the colour of the sky up to now since Sunday so i'll be able to catch up and get going asap.

I'll also keep you updated with my progress!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We always like to take in some sea air over the Christmas holidays. This year we chose Clacton and yesterday parking in Holland on Sea we walked along towards Clacton pier. There was a chill in the air and as you can see by the picture it was a fairly dull day, but we enjoyed it. It's nice to get out and get some exercise, blow the cobwebs away as some people say.

Here is one for the album, Clacton pier in all it's festive glory.

 I remember going on the pier when I was a child. My Mum nearly had a panic attack when she found out that I was using the pennies she was giving me to take thrilling white knuckle rides on the rickety roller coaster. She thought I was having sedately rides on the ghost train or frightening myself in the hall of mirrors. 

I know, what can I say, I was an only child and she worried about me!

 Michael also used to have family holidays in Clacton when he was little, staying in the Butlins Holiday Camp. That, obviously is now no longer there, houses stand in its place.

We didn't go out on the pier yesterday, instead we headed up under the bridge towards the town, in search of a coffee and a bag of chips! Michael can't go to the seaside without having a bag of chips, so that's a bit of a ritual in our household.

When we got home we cooked sausage and mash for tea and so by the end of the day we were completely "potatoed out."

Sorry, apparently "potatoed' isn't a proper word, I've invented it, according to spell check but I'm leaving it in because I think it describes us perfectly.

Thank you to those who have dropped by my blog this year. I wish you all a Happy New Year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Charlotte and I decorated the christmas cakes on Wednesday.

The first one is for Charlotte & Jessica to share with their Daddy---------- and their Mummy if there's any left!

This one's for Peter, (Kate doesn't eat a lot of cake!)

Got to look after him well, he's now moved up in status to son-in-law in waiting as he's just proposed to Kate while skiing in Andorra. 

Looking forward to seeing them both and the ring tomorrow when they pop round for breakfast. 

Congratulations to both of them!

And finally this one is ours, no grand piping in this house, I'm pretty useless at that, but I thought I did manage to tie a fairly neat bow on each!

So, we're ready.
Shopping done, presents wrapped, too many vegetables in the garage and too much food in the fridge and freezer. Just the butchers to visit yet again for the turkey and then that's it, sit back, raise a glass of champagne or a gin and tonic or have both the champagne and a gin and tonic and chill out!

Merry Christmas to you all!

FEELING FESTIVE

 I've definitely tried today to get into the festive mood!

As I hadn't much to do today I took the opportunity to decorate our christmas tree.

Now having written about the pro's and con's of buying a tree in my last post I felt I must tell you about my own experience.

Heading towards the garden centre last Friday we could see in the distance some most peculiar coloured clouds and  so at the very point of reaching the huge choice of trees, the heavens' opened and we were caught in the middle of a hail storm.

Michael held the first tree up and said "This one?" I shook the hail from my hair and said "Oh no!"

"This one?" he asked as I run for cover. "Oh yes that one looks perfect. Let's get it!"

Not realising until we got home that it's trunk is somewhat deformed and my poor husband had a hell of a job trying to get it in the pot in such a way that it doesn't notice.

Anyway here it is looking very festive.

I've really tried to stick to colour schemes this year, so we have gold in the lounge, silver in the dining room and red in the hall.

So now at 5pm I'm pooped and decorated out. I've been up and done the loft ladder so many times, do I have a need for a gym membership?

Coupled also with the constant drone of the dehumidifier drying my kitchen and the heat its giving off, I really think a cuppa is now the order of the day and then I'll tackle the ironing and cook dinner.