Bye 2021, Hi 2022

Hello again my dears, I hope you've all survived the nomans land of twixtmas with minimal damage to anything save your waistline.

It is currently 9:45pm on New Year's eve, I'm drinking tea, watching The Last Leg of the Year, and updating my blog.  Best of all, I'm not even sad about this fact!  I'm comfy, I'm warm, the loo is clean, and there's plenty of loo roll, there's fizz in the fridge for later, and we won't have to re-mortgage the house to pay for a taxi home at 3am!

So first of all, let's do an update on the regulars:

FO's

Hand Knitted socks in blue and purple self-patterning yarn.

I made these for my sister as a Christmas present, so obviously I couldn't show them at all until after she'd opened them on Christmas day.  I've never made socks for my sister, and she's never sent me her measurements either.  Fortunately, she has basically the same sized feet as I do.  She also suffers with Lipoedema, and because her profession means that she has to be on her feet a lot, she suffers far worse than I do with Lymphoedema too.  So I made sure that the cuffs were extra stretchy.

The pattern is my usual sock pattern, and the yarns are West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-ply in the colourway "Blueberry Bonbon", and King Cole Zigzag in the colourway "Bilberry Pie".

Hand knitted socks in green, black, and white self patterning yarn.

These ones were for Stephen, and he's actually wearing them right now!  I started knitting these in November, and fully expected to have plenty of time to get them finished, as Stephen was in the final weeks of a huge project at work, and therefore expected to be in the office every day until his birthday at the end of November.  He then had a week off to celebrate, when we intended on going on holiday, and expected to be back in the office for the whole of the week after we got back too.

Well, if you read my post at the end of November, then you know how that turned out!  With Stephen unable to work, for a month, I had little enough time for knitting at all, and even less time when Stephen wasn't around to see what I was doing.  Yes, I know that his eyesight was badly affected, but not quite enough that I was willing to risk knitting his Christmas present right in front of him!  So I basically ended up working on these while Stephen was in the bathroom, late at night after Stephen had gone to bed, but also when I was so knackered that I could, in fact, mess up knitting even this pattern that I have knit approximately 60 times before! Or, when I was in hospital for an afternoon, when it turns out that knitting with a canula in the back of your hand is remarkably difficult!

Knitting socks while in hospital.

I think I managed maybe half a dozen rows in the 3 and a half hours I was there.

I did manage to finish them in time though, and without any late night Christmas eve knitting too!

The yarn for these was Zwerger Garn Opal Rainforest 4-ply, in the colourway "9904".

WIPs

Well, WIP.  There's only one yarn craft project that I've been working on in the last week.

T-shirt with partially knitted lace neckline.

I've not made a lot of progress on my Skein Austen t-shirt amendments.  I'm almost finished the neckline, then I have the sleeves to do too.  I'm still hoping that the lace blocks out nicely, so hopefully I can show you that in my next update.

This is adjustments I'm making to a t-shirt made by Skeinhead, simply because I find normal round necklines on t-shirts quite uncomfortable.  So I've cut a much wider neckline, and I'm adding lace edging according to a motif from The Magic of Shetland Lace.  The yarn I'm using is Mothy and the Squid Superwash Sock, in the colourway "Water like a Stone".

Stash Acquisition

Made by Penguins 2021 Advent Calendar.

First, although you've seen them all individually already, here is the full glory of my Made by Penguins 2021 advent calendar!

Christmas present yarn!

These were a Christmas present for me off Stephen!  Finn did try to open this present for me, but Stephen managed to rescue it before any damage was done.

These are both King Cole Zigzag, and the colourways are "Dragonfly", and "Bumblebee".

Finn

Klepto pup causes chaos.

This is how I wake up most days.  With a cocker spaniel, and a pile of "gifts" that he's brought for me.  Most of those "gifts" come from the baskets on the bottom shelf in my yarn cave, or the shoe pile in the front hall.  On this particular day I have been bestowed with 2 tangled balls of merino, an empty project bag, and one of Stephen's Tiger 2 slippers.

Can I play too?

One of my gifts to Stephen for Christmas was a card game called "Canine Kleptomaniacs", which seemed appropriate.  Here we are learning how to play it, while Finn considers stealing some of the cards, but realises that he can't do that while he's carrying his rubber caltrap around.

New Rabbit Hole

Christmas Haul.

These are the things I was given for Christmas.  I'll show some of them in more detail in the next section.  However, I need you to be aware of one thing in this photo, and that is the Epoxy Resin Kit.

When I struggle to sleep, I usually watch videos on YouTube until I fall asleep.  Most recently I've been watching videos about casting dice from resin.  So as well as pretty yarn, Stephen got me a set of moulds for making dice, and a resin starter kit.  Which goes some way to explaining why I've done so little knitting in the last week!  I've been playing with resin casting instead!

My first home made dice.

These are the first things that I've ever cast from epoxy resin, and I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out.  It's not as easy as it looks in most of the videos, but because I did a lot of research, and my background in chemistry means I'm familiar with some of the techniques necessary to ensure a successful cast, I think I did ok.  They're not perfect, there were a few bubble voids, but they were small enough to fill, so these are perfectly useable dice.

So depending on how long my obsession with this particular craft lasts, there may be occasional photos of my resin craft creations.

Penguins!

Resin Penguins.

With the resin kit there were a selection of dyes, but I also learned that there is significant crossover between resin crafting and nail art.  I had already decided that I should make a selection of colour references so that I'd know exactly what each dye looks like when it's in the resin, as I am well aware that the colour in the bottle, or the colour in wet resin, doesn't necessarily bear any resemblance to the colour in cured resin!  I thought that I should also do some references for some of the glitters and pigments that I already had amongst my nail and makeup kits.  

Since I had a penguin silicone ice mould that I don't use because the penguins are too small, and melt too quickly, I decided that I should use that, then all of my colour references would be penguins!

Penguin shaped resin colour references.

This is the full collection of reference penguins for every dye, glitter, powder, and pigment that I have so far!

Lego Penguin.

My gift from my lovely nieces was this brilliant penguin Lego kit, which I then spent a fair amount of Christmas day afternoon making, when I wasn't cooking anyway!

Penguin presents!

It is a tradition for 2 of my godchildren, Krissy's kids, to spend December hunting down their favourite silly penguin related items to be my Christmas present.  I am especially pleased with what they've foraged up this year!  Penguin chocolates, penguin mashmallows, a pen with a penguin topper, an RNLI felted penguin decoration, and just about the most 2021 item imaginable - penguin hand sanitizer!  I love it!

Now, it is 11 minutes past midnight, and therefore officially 2022!  (I did pause for a while in the middle of the Lego penguin bit so that Stephen could First Foot for us, and so we could do First kisses and cuddles of the year.  So now I intend on watching the end of Jools Holland, eating my bite of game pie, and my slice of stollen, drinking my prosecco, and chilling for a bit. I shall make an effort to post my Goals for 2022 sometime in the next week.

Here's hoping for a happy, healthy, and more hopeful year than we've had for a while for all of us.

Advent Adventure 2021- Christmas Eve

Hello again my dears, and Happy Christmas, or other midwinter festivity of your choice to you all!  

I am very aware that this year's Advent Adventure blog has been singularly lacking, and I can only apologise for that. I'm afraid I've just really struggled to keep on top of the essential things in life this December, so keeping a proper record of my little bits of Advent joy has largely had to be abandoned in favour of more important chores.  Fortunately, Stephen has recovered the majority of his vision, and I have recovered from the side effects of having an iron infusion last Friday, so Christmas day itself should theoretically go according to plan.

I have continued to take photos of everything, so I can show you what was behind the doors that I opened over the last 10 days.  However, in the interests of me getting to bed at a not completely unreasonable time, I'm just going to show you the photos for each day, and give a link for the charity from the Advent of Change calendar.  Finn's advent calendar will be summarised by a selection of photos of him losing all patience with my desire to take pictures later on.

So here we go...

December 14th

Today you have helped a person who is homeless stay healthy by ensuring they have access to the medical care they need.

Groundswell - a UK charity offering help to people who are homeless.

Mini-skein of yarn in tonal greys, square of chocolate, super star anise teabag, yellow wax melt.

December 15th

Today you have helped a person know what to say or do when someone they know has lost a loved one.

Hospice - a UK charity that helps people facing the death of a loved one.

Sparkly mini-skein in light pinks, 2 mini chocolate truffles, Chai Charge teabag, blue wax melt.

December 16th

Today you have helped train a teacher how to spot, support, & empower dyslexic children in their class.

Made by Dyslexia - a global charity that works to help the world understand dyslexia.

Sparkly mini-skein in purples, pink, and white, a mini chocolate truffle, Ghostly Green teabag, and pale pink wax melt.

December 17th

Today you have helped fund a coaching session for 15 young people, giving them the tools they need to overcome unemployment.

Resurgo - a charity that aims to create social change through education and training.

Tropical Lemongrass teabag, small chocolate teddybear, and a pale pink wax melt.

I am going to comment on this one, as you'll notice the lack of yarn.  Remember a few days ago I had 2 mini-skeins behind one door, and I didn't think that was intentional?  Well the door for the 17th was directly above that days door.  So that little mystery has been resolved!

December 18th

Today you have helped offer a family escaping domestic abuse somewhere safe to stay this Christmas.

Pathway Project  - a small charity based in the UK midlands who offer help to people who have suffered sexual, or domestic abuse.

Sparkly mini-skein in sky blue and white, 2 mini chocolate truffles, Peachy Keen teabag, orange wax melt.

December 19th

Today you have helped an elderly veteran live independently by contributing towards a specialist stair lift.

ABF The Soldier's Charity - are a charity who help soldiers, former soldiers, and their families.

Mini-skein in white and teal, with splashes of yellow, and burgundy speckles, White Wonderland teabag, 2 mini chocolate truffles, and a red wax melt.

December 20th

Today you have helped create an education system where anyone can thrive, by bringing young people, parents, educators, and employers together.

Big Change - a charity aiming to change education so that it prepares children for real life, rather than just teaching them how to pass an exam.

Mini-skein in pale pink and blue, mini chocolate truffle, Happy Holiday teabag, and a blue wax melt.

December 21st

Today you have helped fund a call to a dedicated support line from someone who is struggling to cope with the effects of spinal cord injury.

Spinal Injuries Association - a charity that offers help to people who have suffered spinal injuries.

Sparkly mini-skein in deep, dark blues, Holiday Boost teabag, small chocolate teddybear, and a purple wax melt.

I actually opened all of these on the 22nd, as I was too sick on the 21st to do much other than lie about feeling sorry for myself.

December 22nd

Today you have planted a hawthorn tree in a UK farm, helping to absorb carbon and tackle climate change.

Possible - a UK charity committed to finding ways to combat climate change.

Mini-skein in shades of teal, small chocolate teddybear, Festive Spice teabag, and a green wax melt.

December 23rd

Today you have helped a healthcare worker in Colombia reach 4 times more patients by contributing towards a specially designed bicycle.

World Bicycle Relief - a charity devoted to making distances easier to cross in developing countries.

Sparkly mini-skein in pale pink and grey, Post-Party Refresh teabag, chocolate square, and red wax melt.

December 24th

Today you have helped to make sure that an isolated older person has a friendly phone call on Christmas day.

Reengage - a UK charity that aims to prevent loneliness among older people.

2 sparkly mini-skeins, one in shades of red, the other in shades of pink, a larger chocolate teddybear, Winter Balance Teabag, and a green wax melt.

Finn

Stephen trying to make Finn think he was going to steal the advent treato.

Good Boy.

Sooo hungry, I just nibble your finger a bit.

It's been 2 whole days!  Need treatos now!

Maybe I can get away with just stealing this one on the edge?

He really is the most adorable creature in the world!  I've been very bad this advent, as I've not been insisting that he sit like a good boy.  It makes for funnier photos, but I'm sure that I'm going to suffer for this later when I have to re-train him!

FO's

Yes, I have finished something, and it's even something that I can show you!

Bad selfie.

Unfortunately, I can't find a decent angle to show this shrug properly when I'm wearing it.  Despite the very short sleeves, it's actually really cosy!

This is the shrug that I knit from my own hand spun yarn, and I'm really pleased with it.  I may not have completed it in time for the actual Fluff to Stuff challenge, but I have made a wearable item from stash that was still fluff at the start of 2021.

The pattern is based on the Speckled Shrug, by Lion Brand Yarns.

WIPs

Skein Austen t-shirt with in-progress lace additions.

Last year I wore my Skeinhead Treble Maker t-shirt for Christmas day.  I had made alterations to that by changing the neckline, and adding crocheted details.  I had hoped to have this Skeinhead t-shirt ready to wear for Christmas day this year.  Sadly, a combination of losing 3 days this week to side effects of medical treatment, plus forgetting that lace grows a lot when you block it until I'd knit half of the neckline and realised that I was going to end up with an exceptionally voluminous frill unless I ripped it all out and started again with fewer stitches.  So I'll have to find something else to wear, and I can sit and knit this after we've had our Christmas dinner.

I'm using a lace edging motif from The Magic of Shetland Lace Knitting, and the yarn is Mothy and the Squid Superwash Sock, in the colourway "Water Like a Stone".

Entirely Unrelated to Knitting in Any Way

Zebra Strong - EDS Warrior hoodie.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll be aware that I suffer from a condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, plus a number of other conditions that are common co-morbidities of EDS.  I'm not the only person who is regularly mentioned in this blog who has this condition either.  My sister, which is to be expected, as the 13 different Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes are all caused by genetic mutations, therefore most likely also my 2 nieces, although they are too young to have a diagnosis yet. Krissy, my friend since high school, and her daughter (my eldest godchild), and Lisa-Lou, who you'll know better as Made by Penguins.  Not to mention several of my other friends, including Becky, who have no diagnosis of EDS, but definitely demonstrate symptoms of some manner of Hypermobile Spectrum Disorder.

Most types of EDS are quite rare, but the type that I have is not nearly as rare as most medical professionals believe it to be. Still, we call ourselves Zebras, because in the medical profession there is a saying: "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." which loosely translates as "Whatever the most common explanation of these symptoms is, is the most likely explanation for these symptoms, so don't consider the less likely causes."  It's not a helpful mind set to encounter when you are a zebra.  Honestly, there are times when you'd think that doctors think that we're actually unicorns - that is, mythical beings.

Anyway, due to my EDS, my shoulders are more-or-less permanently damaged, weakened, and very painful, which has made putting on my penguin hoodie to keep me warm an absolute nightmare so far this winter, because my penguin hoodie is a pull-over type.  Turns out, most hoodies are the pull-over type now.  I've been searching for a suitable zip-up hoodie for months.  Until someone on one of the EDS forums I follow shared these!  It's so cosy!  I never want to take it off!!!

Penguins!

Christmas cards on the mantelpiece.

I don't send Christmas cards as a general rule.  I'd rather the trees remain growing and making the oxygen that we breathe, than have them turned into bits of paper that we display for a month and then throw away.  We still receive the odd few though, often just because they have penguins on them!

Many penguins on a duvet.

Finally, the thing that I wouldn't show you earlier in the month, our new bedding!  

I have to thank Demi for this.  She and Gemma got the same set a few weeks back, and Demi sent me a photo.  I immediately went to see if it was available in king-size, and how much it would cost.  Within minutes of knowing of its existence, I had ordered ours.  Tonight will be our first night sleeping in this bedding, because I wanted to save it for Christmas.

Now it's 03:20 on Christmas morning, so I'm going to go and climb into that lovely, clean, cosy bed, next to my lovely partner, and with our beautiful pup snuggled up on my feet.

Sweet dreams everyone, I hope to be back before New Year's day.

2021 Advent Adventure - Days 8 - 13

Hello again my dears, I am back with an update on the contents of my advent calendars!  I'll also be sharing a few little things that I've made over the last few days, and I finally have a WIP that I can actually show you!

Let's start with the advent calendars:

December 8th

Today you have helped cover the cost of a face-to-face session offering vital support to someone who feels life is no longer worth living.

The Advent of Change charity for this day was The Listening Place, a charity who offer talking therapies to people suffering with suicidal depression.  I find it so disappointing that charities like this are necessary, because I firmly believe that in a fair and well supported society, the government will provide all that is needed to help those with mental health issues, the way that in civilised countries at least they aim to provide for those with physical health issues.  I also believe that in a fair, and well supported society fewer people will suffer with depression and anxiety related conditions, as the perpetual stress of trying to make ends meet, "keeping up with the Jones's", and worrying about the state of the planet that we're leaving for the next generation, simply wouldn't be as bad in a world where resources were more equitably distributed, and where excess consumption was not actively encouraged.

That's just my opinion though.  

Yarn, teabag, wax melt, and empty chocolate wrapper.

I, errm, ate my chocolate before I remembered that I hadn't taken a photo of everything yet.  It was a tasty chocolate.  The tea was called "Happy Holidays", and it tasted like spiced apples.  Pastel pink yarn, and a pastel pink wax melt match very nicely.

Impatient doggo nibbling my thumb.

Finn really wanted to get at his treats, but he knows he's supposed to wait until I've taken a photo, so he went for just gently nibbling at my thumb.

December 9th

Today you have helped a city child enjoy time in the countryside by contributing towards craft materials for a forest school.

Farms for City Children is a charity that works with kids from disadvantaged inner city areas, allowing them to spend time on a farm in the countryside, learning about nature in a way that would not be possible in their home communities.

Yarn, teabag, chocolate teddybear, and wax melt.

Look at the little teddy bear chocolate!  This is the first major difference between the teddy bear advent calendar, and the Lindt advent calendars that we've had in previous years. The tea is called "Holiday Boost", I don't recall feeling any more boosted than I usually do after a cuppa, but it was nice.

Let's try Good Boy Pose again.

I mean, he gets the treats eventually, no matter what, but the most efficient course for speedy acquisition of treatos, combined with praise from mummy and daddy, if the Good Boy Pose.

December 10th

Today you have provided a grieving child with an activity book that helps them to understand and cope with their thoughts and feelings.

Winston's Wish is a charity that works with bereaved children, and their families, to help them cope throughout the grieving process.

Yarn, chocolate teddybear, teabag, and wax melt.

Another teddy bear chocolate!  I thought the one on the 12th was a special chocolate for half way through the count down, but I was wrong!  Of course, after I said this, Stephen pointed out that on the back of the calendar it tells you how many of each type of chocolate there is!  I don't look at the "spoilers" though.  I like surprises!  I love this really subtle colourway for the yarn too, super pale grey and yellow.  The tea is called "Festive Spice", and it tasted a little like mulled wine might taste if it didn't have wine in it, if that makes sense?

For some reason my phone charger cable wasn't attached to my phone when I woke up on this day.  Maybe I forgot to plug it in, or maybe I caught the cable in the night and unplugged it, or maybe Finn did, as sometimes the cable gets caught on the edge of his bed (which is right next to my side of our bed).  Whatever the cause, I had very little charge on my phone.  So I left it plugged in in the bedroom for most of the day, and didn't get a photo of Finn "opening" his advent calendar, as there is no way that you can convince a "starving" spaniel to wait for his special treat until your phone is charged enough to take a photo!

December 11th

Today you have helped to buy the cement needed to build a sand dam, bringing a local supply of clean water to a rural community in Kenya.

Excellent Development are a charity that work with people in developing countries to enable sustainable improvement to peoples lives, in particular through the use of Sand Dam technology that provides access to water, while conserving soil in dry lands.

Yarn, teabag, chocolate, and wax melt.

Back to normal sized chocolates today, although this one had a milky white filling.  The tea is called "Post-Party Refresh", and it smells a bit fruity, but also somewhat medicinal!  I'm saving this one for Boxing day, or maybe New Year's day!  The yarn is subtle pale pinks, with bold splashes of dark purple, on a sparkly base.

Quick mummy!  Before daddy takes me out!

The 11th was a Saturday, and Saturdays are busy days in our house at the moment.  As Stephen can't drive, and my body can't always be relied upon, we are currently playing host for our weekly Table Top Role Playing Game. This means that we need to make sure that our house is as fit for guests as we can make it.  I usually do a bit of tidying on the Friday, but I save things like vacuuming for Saturday afternoon, just before our guests arrive.  As Finn does not get on well with The Hoover Beast, we prefer the Stephen take him out for a walk while I do battle with the accumulation of hair in our carpets.  Stephen had his coat on, and was getting Finn into his collar and harness, but Finn was mostly concerned with not missing out on his advent treat!

December 12th

Today you have enabled a seriously ill child shielding at home to take a special virtual trip to the zoo.

Well Child is a charity that works with the families of seriously ill children to ensure that as much as possible, they can be cared for in their family home, rather than in hospital.  

These last 2 years have been especially hard for those with serious illnesses.  I've felt it myself, and my conditions are comparatively mild.  Still, this year I have been very aware of the fact that we have been continuing to limit contact with other people, wear our masks, and wash our hands much more frequently than "before", while it has very much seemed as though the majority of people in the UK have been behaving as though the threat was totally over.  For those who are seriously ill, perhaps too ill to be able to tolerate being vaccinated, or still at significant risk of complications despite being vaccinated, these last 2 years have been all but a prison sentence.  For a child I cannot even imagine how hard it must have been.  For parents of children who are unlikely to survive into adulthood, who want only to make the most that they possibly can out of the few years they have together, I can imagine few things more frustrating that what we've just been through.  Virtual trips and visits are a true lifeline for these people.

Yarn, teabag, 2 chocolates, and a wax melt.

Two chocolates!  These are my favourite!  The tea is called "Winter Balance", and it's another one that smells a bit medicinal, although it also smells a bit like Indian spices.  I think I might try this one tomorrow.  I didn't really fancy it yesterday or today. The yarn fades from white through to a bright emerald green.  I've been very into my greens and blues recently, so I'm liking this very much.

No waiting, treato now!

I got up late yesterday, because I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole on Saturday night after our game (more on that later), but Finn was absolutely desperate for his advent treat by the time I was up and awake enough to be doing the calendars.  There was no way he was waiting for a Good Boy photo!

December 13th

Today you have helped make sure that everyone's needs and rights are met equally during the ongoing response to Covid-19.

Equally Ours is a UK charitable organisation that brings together the work of the former Equal Opportunities Commission, Commission for Racial Equality, and Disability Rights Commission.  They aim to push society towards a more fair and equitable future by influencing the public, and government, using an evidence based approach.  To be honest, this sounds like exactly the sort of charity I would like to be involved with myself, and I can't believe that I'd never heard of them before opening this door on this calendar.  It's a safe bet that I'll be looking into the work of this charity in much greater depth after this!

2 mini-skeins of yarn, chocolate teddybear, teabag, and wax melt.

TWO mini-skeins!  I don't know if this is an accident, and I'm going to find an empty chamber behind a future door, or if this is deliberate, I just know that I love both skeins!  One  has a white base, with lots of splashes and speckles of green, yellow, and burgundy.  The other is half palest green, and half a purple so subtle and delicate that you think it's white until you look really closely, on a sparkly base.  The tea is "Gingerbread Treat", which I thought it would be, as I knew there are 12 different flavours of tea in this calendar, and Gingerbread Treat was the tea I had on Day 1.  Then there's another chocolate teddy bear, and I'm looking forward to being able to use this wax melt, as it smelled amazing as soon as I opened the little door!

OK then, Good Boy Pose it is.

With everything being a little less disrupted today, Finn managed to restrain himself and sit in Good Boy Pose for his photo again.  Then I hid a couple of these treats in Stephens pocket, and Finn spent the next 20 minutes trying to get his whole head inside the pocket!

That's us up to date with Advent stuff, so now here's a little update on my craft projects:

FO's

D20 Dice Jail Pendant.

I deliberately said "craft" projects, rather than knitting, as although I have finished one knitting project, I can't show you that.  Instead, what I've made that I can show you is a Dice Jail Pendant for naughty 20-sided dice.  It's made from 11mm red anodised aluminium rings, and 5mm silver jump rings, joined together rather like chain mail, but with a few missing links so that the top can be opened up, and the "rehabilitated" die can be removed, and replaced with a different die that may have been misbehaving.  The top can then be closed using a lever clasp in place of a jump ring.

I got the idea for these from some similar items that I saw on Pintrest, although all of the ones that I saw there used larger rings.  I only chose 11mm rings because that's what I happened to already have in my craft kit!  

D6 Dice Jail Pendant.

First I made the D20 version, which is the most easily found version on the internet, presumably because most people using these play D&D, which is a D20 based system.  However the system that we're currently using for our long running campaign is GURPS, which is a D6 based system.  I couldn't find any dice jail pendants of this type for 6-sided dice on the internet.  So I made one.  I also made a simple beaded necklace for it to go on.

This is what I meant earlier when I said that I'd "fallen down a rabbit hole".  I do occasionally become momentarily obsessed with an idea, and I can't rest, or do anything else, until I have pursued that idea to some form of conclusion.  In this case, it was determining first if I was capable of creating a dice jail pendant, and secondly if I could make one for a D6. It was very definitely "tomorrow" by the time I'd reached a point at which I felt able to stop with this idea.  It's not finished either, more anodised aluminium rings have been ordered...

WIP's

Knitting in progress.

In November I showed you the handspun yarn that I'd finished as part of my own personal Fluff to Stuff challenge.  This is the beginnings of a simple shrug that I'm knitting with that handspun yarn.

The pattern is based loosely on the Speckled Shrug by Lion Brand Yarns, and the yarn is handspun, approximately DK weight.

Finn

As if you hadn't had enough photo's of my dog already, here are some more!

Finn "helping" me to knit.

There's not much in the world that's more cosy than knitting with a cuppa next to you, and a dog resting their head in your lap.  <3

Finn sniffing the Christmas Stockings.

We tried putting some early stocking fillers in the stockings.  It didn't take Finn very long to notice this.  The presents were quickly removed and hidden elsewhere until Christmas eve.  If they go missing now, I will blame Stephen rather than Finn!

I'm afraid I have no penguin items ready to show you, although I have acquired another penguin related item in the last few days.  I feel that in order to show it off properly, I will have to delay the reveal.

So that is everything for today.  Sweet dreams my dears, speak to you again in a few days.