Advent 2020 Days 11-13

Hello again my dears, I'm back online after another busy few days, so it's time to get us up to date.

Regulars

WIPs

I've decided to do a little section of the regulars, because there's a few things that fit best in that format.  No finished objects, but a bit of an update on a couple of works in progress.

Progress on the Mitred Squares blanket.  I've just reached the end of a row of squares, and if you look carefully, you'll be able to spot all 12 Mothy and the Squid colourways from this year's advent calendar up to yesterday.

I'm very sorry, but I can't actually show you the project that I'm putting most of my energy into right now.  I only cast this on on Friday night, because I suddenly realised that December is rapidly disappearing.  You'd think I would have noticed before now, with all of these calendars counting down the days! but I only just consciously recognised that this means I don't have very long to finish my Christmas knitting, especially the knitting that I can't deliver in person.  Anyway, this is to be a gift, so I can't show you anything more than this.

Stash Acquisition

I promised I wouldn't buy anything new, so you'd think I wouldn't have anything to put in this section...

I have not been shopping!  

My lovely friend Heather is having a destash, and sent me a parcel of smooshies.  I have quite a lot of other colours of King Cole Merino Blend that I bought several years ago with the intention of knitting a "My Favourite Things" scarf.  Of course, it's still on my list of things I'd like to make, but I've never got around to casting it on.  More colours are always useful for this sort of pattern.

Penguins!

It's not a new penguin.  This sweater was a gift from another lovely friend, Annie, several years ago.  I'm only showing me wearing it on here because Friday was Christmas Jumper Day, and because I've no other new penguins :(

Advent

December 11th

The  Advent of Change charity on the 11th was Henry, a charity that helps new parents with all aspects of their new family life in order to ensure that babies get the best start possible.

I feel the need to voice my own views regarding this particular subject, as I'm not 100% comfortable with all of the things this charity says it does.  Now, admittedly, I don't know many details, as all the information I have about them is from reading the website, but there's just something about the way they phrase things that jars a little for me.  

Of course, if parents are struggling, if they need help in understanding how best to raise their child, then it's important that there are resources available for them.  However, I am concerned that this is a charity that offers workshops in parenting skills and healthy eating habits to parents working 5 jobs between them and still barely earning enough to cover the rent. 

Yes, Finn stole one of the towels I was using to block my niece's blanket and dragged it all around the room.  It's amazing how he can be simultaneously annoying and adorable!

Made by Penguins - 20g, 4-ply mini-skein in pink, peach, and orange shades that my phone camera just cannot do justice to!  These aren't usually colours I would choose, but this yarn looks like a Mediterranean sunset!  It's beautiful!

Mothy and the Squid - 10g, 4-ply mini-skein in neon yellow and green, with darker green speckles, on a green drawstring bag.

T2 - Lemongrass and Ginger herbal tea.

Lindt - mini Lindor milk chocolate truffle.

Just because it was so beautiful and atmospheric, I thought I'd show you all a photo taken during my walk with Finn on Friday afternoon.  This is the lake at Langold Park.  Finn loves this place!  He's always so excited when we go here, and it's just lovely to see :)

Yes, there is tea in those cups!  Well, actually it's a herbal tisane rather than tea.  This is another brew that I already have in the house, and I'm sure I've made it for Stephen before, but he tried it and immediately pulled a face.  Safe to say he doesn't like it!  Fortunately, I love it.

December 12th

Yesterday's Advent of Change charity was City Harvest London, and this is a charity that I fully approve of.  They use surplus food, that would otherwise go to waste, to provide for people who would otherwise go hungry.  Amazing as it seems, in the worlds 6th largest economy, a quarter of people in the UK will spend this winter in food poverty.  Meanwhile, we throw away millions of pounds worth of food uneaten, much of it still perfectly edible.  Charities like this one, who work with food suppliers to collect useable, un-sold, yet unsaleable food, and distribute it to the people who need it most provide the dual benefit of being better for the environment, while saving lives.

He's just such a good boy!  I love him so much!

Made by Penguins - 20g, 4-ply mini-skein in white, and pale pink, with a bold splash of dark red/brown.

Mothy and the Squid - 10g, 4-ply mini-skein in deep shades of pink, in a pale pink drawstring bag.

T2 - GoGo Goa tea.

Lindt - mini milk chocolate lindor truffle.

Most of the teas from the T2 calendar work best on their own, without milk, or sweetener.  This one suggests on the sachet that it works best with a splash of milk, and a drop of honey.  I think it tasted better brewed a little longer than suggested on the sachet.

Santa Claus came to visit our street!

A local branch of the international Lions club; Maltby Lions, organises these appearances by Santa every year.  Usually he stops on each street so that kids get a chance to sit in the sleigh and have photos taken, but obviously that isn't allowed this year because of Covid.  It was so lovely that he still came though, playing Christmas songs at top volume so that you get plenty of warning that he's coming, time to put shoes and coat on and go out in the street to wave him on, and drop a few coins in the collecting buckets.  

Each local branch of the Lions works with the local community to help fund whatever is needed.  They also work to fund joint global endeavours that affect all of us, such as the environment, hunger, and cancer research.

December 13th

Today's Advent of Change charity is World Bicycle Relief, a global charity who provide bikes to people with a need to travel long distances on a regular basis, but no other means of transport than their feet.  A bike might allow a doctor or Nurse working in Africa to travel between several villages in a day, helping more people than they could do on foot, or allow a student to make it to college on time, and without being too exhausted to study.

Rather than show you another photo of Finn in good boy pose, waiting for his advent treats, I thought I'd show you him staring at me, trying to tell me that I shouldn't be tippy-tappying in my lappy-top, I should be paying attention to him!

To be fair, it's very hard not to agree with him!

Made by Penguins - 20g, 4-ply, sparkly mini-skein, in shades of bright purple and pink.

Mothy and the Squid - 10g, 4-ply mini-skein, in shades of blue, with pink and purple speckles, in a lilac drawstring bag.

T2 - Gorgeous Geisha green tea.

Lindt - mini milk chocolate lindor truffle.

Not exactly right now, but this is a very recent photo, of me working on this blog post, while drinking today's tea, which is a very pleasant, and refreshing brew.  

Stephen definitely liked this one, as he asked for a refill before I'd finished my first cup!

That's all for now my dears.  I'm off to lie in bed listening to to sounds of wind and rain, knowing I can enjoy them without fear of waking up to leaks from the roof!  But also hoping that they stop before tomorrow, so that I can get my garden lights set up, as they arrived today. As a child, I always wanted trees in my front garden to put fairy lights in, but our front "garden" was barely big enough for a single plant pot!  A couple of years ago I did get lights to put on the tree in Stephen's garden (before I moved in here), so I'd planned to put them back up this year.  However, they weren't in the decorations box.  So either I've put them somewhere stupid, or more likely, I've forgotten to take them down last year, and this year the tree has been allowed to grow more-or-less unchecked, so the lights are probably still in there, somewhere, among the foliage!  So I've ordered some new ones, which I will remember to take down before I give the tree a thorough pruning in the spring.

Don't worry about me, or more likely whoever I get Stephen to hire to do the gardening that I can't manage, catching any wires with the hedge trimmer by the way, both old, and new lights are only powered by a couple of AA batteries!

Night night my dears, and sweet dreams.