Sarah’s Baby Blanket – Finished

Well, the blankie’s done, wrapped and delivered.  But I forgot to take a photo 😦  I’m kicking myself!  However, I think everyone’s got a good idea of what it’s like from the WIP photo I posted the other day.  It’s the same only a bit bigger and, obviously, cast off!

I did some baking earlier on today (more on that tomorrow) so popped a wee something for the adults into a box and took them too as Sarah won’t actually appreciate her blankie but the grown-ups might enjoy a little nibble of something sweet!

Sarah’s Baby Blanket WIP

Sarah's Baby Blanket

This is a Crafty and a Thrifty posting – don’t you love 2-for-1 offerings?

My friend (LH) and I often get together to knit.  She’s a master-crafter and is always encouraging me to try new things.  I generally resist but, with my new Thrifty hat on, I’m going to be more receptive.  This, however, is another blanket project for my upstairs neighbour (DB) who has just become a Gran for the first time.  Mother and baby are both doing well and I’m knitting little Sarah a blanket.

Why is this Thrifty?  Well, LH and I decided to visit a new Stitch’n Bitch group on Sunday.  The group meets from 10am – 1pm downstairs in Borders, Glasgow and a very friendly group it is.  LH and I were warmly welcomed and spent a very pleasant couple of hours stitching (cat blanket for me, baby cardi for her) and singing along to The Beatles.

While we were working, the Organiser asked everyone to clear some space on the table and then produced a huge bag of stitchy goodies which had been donated to the group.  There was yarn-a-plenty, patterns and embroidery and cross-stitch kits, many of which hadn’t even been started.  Many thanks to the lady who provided them – I’m so sorry I don’t know your name.  My share of the goodies was eight balls of pink, 20% cashmere, 80% extrafine merino wool yarn, some of which is going into Sarah’s blankie.  And that’s why it’s a such a Thrifty gift – what I’m actually giving is a few hours of my time and no pennies.

According to the ball-band, the yarn knits to 14st and 20 rows for a 10cm x 10cm swatch with 6.5mm needles.  I’m a loose knitter (which sounds terrible!) and I’ve put it on 7mm needles so it’ll be light and airy for little Sarah.  I’ve cast on 42st so it’ll be +30cm wide.  There’s a 10 row band of garter stitch to start and then it’s stocking stitch but with the first and last seven stitches always knit (surely there must be a better way of writing that?) so that it’ll have a garter border all the way round.  I’ll work till it’s big enough and then finish with another 10 rows of garter.

So far, I’ve only worked on it for about two hours and I think it’s half-way done which is good since Sarah was born a couple of weeks ago.  It’s wonderfully soft and I’ve managed to keep it away from the cats – always a problem in a house full of blankies!

What are you working on?

Craft & Thrift

It’s a beautiful day here in Scotland.  From the window, I can see blue skies and little-fluffy-clouds.  It’s also a bit chilly but, hey, it’s September!

This Blog has two new additions today, although they’re both in their infancy.  I’m going to be working on the Craft Section today, I hope (I also have nine kittens to look after so time may be short!) and there’s a new little heading up at the top for ‘Thrift‘.  Things will be happening there shortly so do Watch This Space!

Other than that … I’m feeling much better.  I’ve a bit of an upset tum and am a bit headachey but, really, it’s nothing to write home about.  My Slimming strategy has changed so that’s another update I need to look at (it goes along with the Thrift).  Studying hasn’t been happening but the books from the University have been delayed so I’m not too concerned about that as I’m nearly at the end of what I do have and can’t get ahead until the new stuff gets here.

My Big News of the week is really getting wi-fi here at home.  I love, love, love being mobile with my laptop!  I thought having a laptop and moving the modem occassionally was good – I mean, if I was sick I could unplug everything and get it all set up again in the bedroom – but, really, I had no idea!  This is the way to live.  And surf.  And blog.  And email.  But not shop – because I’m thrifty.  Obviously.

I suppose what I’m really trying to say is, ‘I have a whole lot of updating to do and not enough time right now to do it.’  So I shall go, eat lunch, deal with kittens and see what’s left of the day after that.  Have a good one, folks!

600?

I’ve just looked at my Google Reader list.  I’ve not been reading much online while I’ve been engaged in having a Very Bad Time and I now seem to have over 600 posts to read.  Well, I’m an honest person.  And reading 600 posts just isn’t going to happen – especially when people are writing more every day!  So I’ve had to hit ‘Mark all as read’ and resign myself to missing a big chunk of bloggy goodness.  So, if I usually read you and comment and haven’t it’s ’cause, well, I haven’t …

An Update-y Posting

I’m sorry I’ve not been around BlogLand very much recently. Unfortunately, I’ve had a fairly horrible time and it’s taking a while for me to sort myself out and resume something approaching normal service. I don’t handle change well and I’m having to make a lot of changes – some of which I like, although that doesn’t really make it any easier. I guess I’m just not a very flexible person – and in more ways than one at that!

You know, I was going to try and tell you what all has gone wrong over the past few weeks.  But I don’t really want to revisit it and it wouldn’t be the most uplifting thing for you to read.  Actually, it would be downright depressing.  So I’ll say that I’ve had some personal problems, then a bit of a family crisis and now I find myself with reduced finances for a bit.  You can insert whingeing noises (or violins) if you like!  Me, I’m quite happy listening to the clock tick.

At the beginning of my trials and tribulations (I’m such a Drama Queen) I did well.  I stayed close to God.  I went to Mass and Adoration and spent a lot of time praying the Rosary.  Then, when the problems didn’t go away and had the temerity to get worse I fell away and into my old coping mechanisms of binge-eating and smoking.  I’m trying not to berate myself for this – at least I got it right some of the time.

Things are starting to go better now – some of the problems are resolving and my mental-state (which has been depressed) is lifting so I’m better able to deal with the ones that aren’t.  Having Sammy purring on my chest as I write this is helping lots too.  No, really – I love my boy and it’s not as uncomfortable as one might expect.

I’m ready to start picking up my life again – and that means living with the consequences of my actions.  I need to quit smoking again (which will happen later today).  I need to get back on my diet.  I need to work out my priorities for the next few (financially difficult) months.  I need to get back into my studies.  I need to catch up with work and paperwork. But most mportant, I need to get myself back into prayer, the Bible and Church.  It’s do-able.  Not all of it is fun.  But it’s do-able.  And that’s really all that anyone can ask, isn’t it?

Book Reviews

• Sarah Dunant – The Birth of Venus

Ditch the Disposables!

It’s a while since I’ve made much of an effort with this kind of thing.  Speed and convenience has been winning.  And that’s not a good thing.  So, for the rest of September and all of October, I’m going to take a deep breath and ditch:

• Facial wipes.

Want to join me?  Visit Crunchy Domestic Goddess.

Humility

I’m really not very well at present.  So I’ll just drop in and point you towards this post at My Chocolate Hart.  Isn’t it beautiful?  And don’t I have a long way to go.

A Thankful Woman’s Book of Blessings

1. Sunshiney days which make me feel alive.
2. Friends who’re cheering me on.
3. Eucharistic Adoration – I went for the first time today.
4. Cheeky-faced kitties who entertain me.
5. Central heating which is being serviced today, ready for the coming winter.

These are the things I am thankful for today.  To see what other people are thankful for, visit A Thankful Woman’s Book of Blessings.

Bricks of Life

What do you see when you look at your life?

Maybe you see home, husband, career, kids, mum and dad?  There’s a dog, a car, a holiday-home.  You have problems and decisions.  Happiness and sadness.

I see bricks.

I’m given bricks at every junction of life.  Will I get up this morning or have a lie in?  Have a brick.  Will I take time to cuddle Coda or get busy with my day?  Another brick.  Will I mend a quarrel or sit on my dignity?  Brick!  Will I shower and dress, ready for Adoration before Mass?  Bricks, bricks, bricks!

There’s no choice over what bricks I get but I always have a choice over what I do with them.  Will I build a thing of beauty?  Will I build a wall to hide behind?  Will I build something that belongs in the Kingdom of God?

What will I do with today’s bricks?  And what will you do with yours?