December 14th and 15th

Hello my dears.  I'm still here, and still keeping going.  Yes, I'm struggling.  Physically, mentally, emotionally, but I am surviving.  So is Stephen, although his eye is causing him pain, irritation, and anxiety.  We're both getting many licks and cuddles off Finn, which helps immensely.

I hope that you are all managing to keep going, and to find ways of keeping hope, and compassion alive.  I would like to send you all a big virtual hug!

Advent

December 14th

Yesterday, my Advent of Change donation helped:

The Helen Bamber Foundation, who help the survivors of extreme human cruelty, usually refugees and asylum seekers.

Behind the doors, and inside the packets of self-indulgence on the 14th I found:

Lindt - chocolate square

Hotel Chocolat - tiny chocolate slab with Santa Claus on it

Charms - clear faceted crystal stitch marker

Yankee Candles - Candlelit Cabin scented candle

Imperial Candles - white soy wax melt, still no idea of the fragrance

Cath Kidston - Gardener's Club Pink Mint Lemonade Hand Wash

Bird and Blend - Gingerbread Chai

Made by Penguins - the bottom mini-skein, in the colourway "Dusty Orchid", which I absolutely adore!  It's an advent exclusive, so this is all I can ever have of it.  I need to make good use of it!

Vicki Brown - the top mini-skein, in the colourway "Sugar Cookie".

Gamer Crafting - the middle, sparkly mini-skein, in another colourway that immediately made me think of Becky!  Bright pink and purple.

He's just such a good boy!  Even though most of these photos of me giving him his advent treats look exactly the same, I still have to share them, because he's just so cute!

December 15th

Today, my Advent of Change donation has helped:

James' Place, a small organisation who are part of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance.  James' Place work specifically with men who are struggling with suicidal thoughts, as currently in the UK, adult males are the most likely to commit suicide, and the least likely to be offered help.

Behind the doors, and inside the packets of self-indulgence I have found:

Lindt - chocolate square

Hotel Chocolat - tiny chocolate slab with a snowman on it

Charms - decorative cross stitch marker

Yankee Candles - Christmas Cookie scented candle

Imperial Candles - dark pink soy wax melt, I'm not certain which fragrance this is either

Cath Kidston - Christmas Village Cuticle Cream

Bird and Blend - Peppermint Cream oolong tea

Made by Penguins - the bottom mini-skein, in the colourway "Chaos", plus 2 stitch markers, one with rainbow crystals, and the other with a little heart.

Vicki Brown - the top mini-skein, in the colourway "Strawberry Cooler".

Gamer Crafting - the middle, sparkly mini-skein, in a gorgeous plum-purple colourway.

See!?!  So Cute!!!

With the exception of his gradually building Millennium Falcon, these were the contents of Stephen's calendars today.  Obviously, I like the stylised penguin chocolate.

The Regulars

FO's

I've really not got much to show you here, as I've mostly been too exhausted to knit :(  This is the only thing I've finished, a single Christmas bauble in Made by Penguins advent yarn.  I do quite like this photo mind.

WIP's

When I made the blue socks for my eldest niece, I asked my youngest niece if she would like something too.  She said no, but my sister told me that she has a slight obsession with really fluffy things, and might like some fluffy bed socks.  My youngest niece will be 4 on Christmas day.  So I'm making her some fluffy socks. 

My sister also told me that my youngest niece prefers long socks, so I've made these nice and long for a 4 year old.  Yet again though, I'm rather concerned that I'm going to run out of my chosen yarn before I finish, which is why I cast on the second sock before finishing the first.  I'm knitting one pulling from the centre of the ball, and the other unwinding from the outside of the ball, hoping that I'll finish both before the yarn meets in the middle.  You can see how little yarn is left, therefore how unlikely this is.

Sadly, this is a discontinued yarn, and I can't find a spare ball of this colourway for love nor money.  I have managed to track down a couple of balls of a completely different colourway, so I've ordered those just in case.  It's ok if the socks have contrasting toes, as long as they're still super fluffy!



That's all for now my dears, I'll be back in a day or so.

December 12th and 13th - The need for Charity

Hello my dears.  Please forgive the lack of update yesterday.  I'm afraid that after the exit polls results came in I gave in to despair, decided there was no point to anything, and went to bed. If you're not from the UK, and wonder what I'm talking about, this country has just elected an extreme right-wing government with a significant enough majority that nobody can stop them doing whatever they want.  This same party has been in partial control for most of the last decade, and during that time they have decimated social and community services across the country, leading to the situation where record numbers of people are homeless, or living in poverty, and where even working families find themselves reliant on foodbanks to feed their children.

Today I'm not much better, and have spent a large amount of the day in tears, but I have at least decided that if I'm going to be a statistic, it won't be one that can be brushed off as "many contributing factors cause depression and suicide."  I want my statistic to be a slap in the face for the government that kills me, so when I die because I can no longer afford the medication that keeps me alive they cannot say that they were not to blame.  It's not much, but it's a reason to stay alive right now.

I have seen a lot of despair today.  I am not the worst off of those affected by the last decade, and I won't be the first to die due to the effects of the next 5.  All I can do now is try to do the best I can for those worse off than me. In a world that is fair, charity is not necessary, but in the absence of a fair system of wealth distribution, charity is all we have.  So please, be charitable.  Look out for those less fortunate than you, for the poor, the persecuted, and the vulnerable.  Show people that you care about their troubles, that you want to help, that you have empathy and compassion.  

This winter is set to be a very bad one for many, many people.  If you're reading this, you're in the privileged position of having access to technology, and leisure to read for entertainment.  You may not have much, but anything you have to spare could save a life.  I'm not only talking about money here, but time, and energy.  If you can, please donate to your local homeless shelter, or foodbank, if you don't have spare money, but you do have spare time and energy, then volunteer instead.

Here are some organisations that are helping the people worst affected by Austerity:

Shelter - help homeless people put a roof over their heads.

Crisis - give homeless people a place to go when they have nowhere else.

Trussel Trust - provide food parcels to people who can't afford to feed themselves or their family.

The Hygiene Bank - provide personal hygiene items such as soap, toothbrushes, and sanitary pads to people unable to afford to buy their own.

Disability Rights - help disabled people fight against the constant discrimination they face.

Mind - help people with mental health issues at all stages of their illness.

Advent

I'm not going to apologise for starting this post entirely off topic.  Empathy and compassion are desperately needed in these times we live in, and since these qualities are entirely lacking in our leaders, we must work so much harder to show them ourselves.

However, this is a blog about knitting, penguins, and for this month, advent, so that important message shared, here's what you came here for:

December 12th

Yesterday, my Advent of Change donation helped:

Wood Green, who take in unwanted pets, and provide them with all necessary care until they can arrange for them to be adopted into a new forever home.

Behind the doors, and inside the packets of self-indulgence yesterday, I found:

Lindt - mini Lindor truffle

Hotel Chocolat - tiny chocolate slab with Santa Claus on it

Charms - Christmas tree stitch marker

Yankee Candles - After Sledding scented candle

Imperial Candles - white soy wax melt, which I still haven't identified the fragrance of.

Cath Kidston - Gardeners Club Body Lotion

Bird and Blend - Blue Raspberry fruit infusion, which changes colour if you lower the pH.  The most sensible way to do this would be to add a few drops of lemon juice.

Made by Penguins - the bottom mini-skein, in the colourway "Orange", and a teeny, tiny penguin stitch marker.

Vicki Brown - the top mini-skein, in the colourway "Sunset Party".

Gamer Crafting - the middle sparkly mini-skein, in a lovely green and blue colourway.

Finn being a very good boy, and my floor looking increasingly in need of a vacuum cleaner :(

December 13th

Today, my Advent of Change donation has helped:

South Warwickshire Welfare Trust.  I'm afraid I can't tell you a lot about this charity, or what they do, as my anti-virus software won't let me view their page. As a registered charity, I think it's unlikely that there is anything malicious on their website, unless it's been hacked, but do be aware that it is a possibility if you follow this link.

Behind the doors, and inside the packets of self-indulgence I have found:

Lindt - mini Lindor truffle

Hotel Chocolat - tiny chocolate slab with a penguin on it

Charms - stitch marker with a smooth, bi-convex disc with the word "Peace" on both sides

Yankee Candles - Pomegranate Fizz scented candle

Imperial Candles - lilac coloured soy wax melt, I'm not sure of the fragrance.

Cath Kidston - Plant Pots Hand Cream.  Finally, more hand cream!  I'm washing my hands so much just now that I think I've used nearly half of this tube already.

Bird and Blend - Bonfire Toffee flavoured tea

Made by Penguins - the bottom mini-skein, in the colourway "Love Birds", plus a seed pearl stitch marker, and this excellent button badge.

Vicki Brown - the top mini-skein, in the colourway "Coco", and a relaxing herbal infusion.

Gamer Crafting - the middle sparkly mini-skein, in this gorgeous pink and blue colourway.

Our adorable boy, who has given us so much comfort today, and gives me a better reason for living than waiting to die in a manner that embarrasses the UK government.

Merry Slothmas!  Today's offering from Stephen's 12 days of Sockmas calendar.

The Regulars

FO's

3 more baubles made from my Made by Penguins advent calendar yarn, all hung on our Christmas tree.

WIP's

A tiny bit more progress on my Mitred Squares Blanket (1 more square to be precise)

Stash Acquisition

My December Knitcrate Sock crate arrived this morning.  Guess what?  I forgot to change my preferred theme from "Energise me!" to "Chill Out".  At least this is a reddish orange!  I've submitted my request to change theme for next time today!

Penguins!

So, a miserable woman with a penguin obsession walks into a supermarket to do a Christmas foodbank shop, and spots a shelf full of Christmas decorations that have been reduced to clear.  One of those decorations is this guy.  Of course he was going to come home with me!

Right, that's it.  It's late, I'm desperately tired, and I have to be up early to make Stephen swear by putting stinging drops in his eye, and walk Finn.

Night Night my dears, stay strong, and don't give up hope.

December 9th, 10th, and 11th

Hello again my dears, and my apologies for the delay in getting us up to date.  You may, or may not have noticed that the URL for this blog has now changed.  Fundamentally this change makes absolutely no difference to you or I, but it does mean that I can now safely share my posts on Facebook and Instagram without their algorithms automatically classifying my writing as spam.

Stephen has had his operation, a day later than originally planned, due to the fact that the NHS is chronically understaffed, and under-funded.  This has meant early starts, and rush hour driving in the centre of Sheffield for 3 days in a row, and a 4th again tomorrow so that I can take Stephen to his postponed interview.  I am desperate for Friday, when all I have to do is walk Finn morning and evening, make dinner, and sleep.  I am currently well into using Christmas's spoons, and I've got another 2 weeks of being unable to delegate any chore that involves Stephen needing to move his head, which is to say every chore, except for making an occasional cup of tea.  He is just as frustrated by this as I am, especially as he can't even shower, or wash his own hair.  I have to run him a bath, help him in and out of it, and wash his hair while he holds his head perfectly still, and tries to keep water out of his eye without actually touching the area around his eye at all, but it is what is necessary if we hope to save as much of his sight as possible.

Needless to say, I have not had much time or energy for knitting, and in the not too distant future, there will be a post that reveals my tendency towards comfort shopping when in stressful situations, regardless of affordability, has not changed.

Anyway, here we go:

Advent

December 9th

On the 9th, my Advent of Change donation helped:

The Rainbow Trust, who help children suffering from serious illnesses, and their families.

Behind the doors, and inside the packets of self-indulgence I have found:

Lindt - mini Lindor truffle, with a milk chocolate shell, and white chocolate ganach.

Hotel Chocolat - tiny chocolate slab with a penguin on it.

Charms - little reindeer stitch marker.

Yankee Candles - Snowflake Cookie scented candle.

Imperial Candles - light blue coloured soy wax melt.  I'm afraid I really don't have the energy to attempt to determine what the fragrance is supposed to be.  Sorry.

Cath Kidston - Bath Fizzer.  I put this in Stephen's bath earlier tonight, it turned the water a beautiful blue colour!

Bird and Blend - Mulled Cider flavoured tea.  

Made by Penguins - the bottom sparkly mini-skein, in the colourway "Grape", which I love!  Plus several stitch markers, one with a tiny elephant, one with a star, one with a number 5 on it, which makes me wonder if numbers 1-4 are behind the other doors somewhere, and the last one with seed pearls.

Vicki Brown - the top mini-skein, in the colourway "DibDab".  I used to love those sherbet sweeties when I was little!

Gamer Crafting - the middle sparkly mini-skein, in this outstandingly bright orange and pink colourway.

Finn now gets a bit sad if I open my own advent calendars, but forget to open his!  He's waiting patiently for his treats, and for me to put my dog-walking shoes on and take him out in this photo, as he's already done a round-trip to Sheffield in the car with us while I dropped Stephen at the hospital.  I don't want to be leaving Finn at home on his own as much as would be necessary right now if I didn't choose to take him in the car with us.  Partly because it would upset him to have his routine changed *and* be left alone, but also partly because with everything else to do, I'm just not physically capable of keeping on top of the housework as much as I'd like to.  I don't think there is anything lying around that he might get into that he shouldn't, because we're generally careful to avoid that, but I'm not willing to risk him accidentally eating chocolate or something because of something I missed by being exhausted.

Day 9 was a sock calendar day for Stephen, but he put them straight on, and then we went straight out, so neither of us took a photo.  I think they had Christmas trees on them.  Instead, have a photo of Finn carrying Stephen's hat around.  Sometimes when he misses one of us, he picks up an item of our clothing and carries it around with him for a while.

December 10th

On the 10th, my Advent of Change donation helped:

Women for Women, a charity that helps women who have had their lives torn apart by war to get back on their feet, offering support and education, so that they have all of the skills they may need to recover, and return to a successful and rewarding life.

Behind the doors, and inside the packets of self-indulgence I have found:

Lindt - mini Lindor truffle, with a milk chocolate shell, and white chocolate ganach.

Hotel Chocolat - tiny chocolate slab with Santa Claus on it.

Charms - beautiful snowflake stitch marker.

Yankee Candles - Evergreen Mist scented candle.  This is probably my favourite this year, but not as good as Perfect Tree last year.

Imperial Candles - Spiced Orange scented soy wax melt.

Cath Kidston - Gardeners Club Cucumber Spa liquid soap.  

Bird and Blend - Brighton Rock minty tea.

Made by Penguins - the bottom sparkly mini-skein, in the colourway "Frozen".

Vicki Brown - the top mini-skein, in the colourway "Crayon Box".

Gamer Crafting - the middle sparkly mini-skein, in this super bright yellow and orange colourway.

Slightly impatient Finn yesterday, but then none of our calendars were opened until after I brought Stephen back from hospital, as Finn and I had spent the day with Becky, who had offered to keep me company, and provide me with tea, while Stephen was in surgery.  Thank you Becky!

No photos of Stephen's calendars again, but here's a photo of Finn snuggling with me while I do some knitting instead.

December 11th

Today, my Advent of Change donation has helped:

The End Fund, who provide much needed medical care, and treatments, for the millions of people, usually the world's most impoverished people, who suffer from neglected tropical diseases.

Behind the doors, and inside the packets of self-indulgence I have found:

I'm sorry that this photo is out of focus.  When I took it I was literally so tired that I couldn't tell if it was in focus or not.

Lindt - mini Lindor truffle.

Hotel Chocolat - mini chocolate slab with a snowman on it.

Charms - tiny little Christmas stocking stitch marker.

Yankee Candles - Cinnamon Stick scented Candle.

Imperial Candles - pale pink soy wax melt.  Once again, I'm sorry, but I don't know what the fragrance is.

Cath Kidston - Cottage Patchwork Body Lotion.  Not that I dislike any of these things, but I did choose this calendar because it looked like it would have a lot of hand cream in it, and we're almost half way through Advent, but still only 1 tube of hand cream!  I desperately need to be using a lot of hand cream right now too, because I'm scrubbing my hands several times a day so that I can safely put several different types of eye drops in Stephen's eye, 4 times a day, plus gently wipe away any sticky residue with sterile water a couple of times a day.  Not to mention my normal borderline obsessive over-washing of hands.

Bird and Blend - Snowball flavoured tea.

Made by Penguins - the bottom sparkly mini-skein, in the colourway "Romancing".

Vicki Brown - the top mini-skein, in the colourway "Yarnicorn".

Gamer Crafting - the middle sparkly mini-skein, in another really bright colourway of yellow and green.

Finn only had to wait until a little after midday for his advent treats today, although calendar opening was delayed longer than expected by Finn also needing a bath after thoroughly enjoying this morning's walk in that special spaniel way that involves getting as muddy as possible.  Then we all went for a snuggly family afternoon nap.

Stephen's socks today have penguins on them!!!

Regulars

FO's

3 more Christmas baubles completed, although Finn thinks they are just small tennis balls.  I've started hanging my knitted baubles on our tree, and fortunately, once I do that, Finn seems to forget about them.  Once he had a brief try at stealing the one on the lowest branch, but decided it was too difficult when there was an actual tennis ball in his toy pile.

WIP's

Bauble number 8 in progress, sitting on top of what I've achieved so far on my mitred squares blanket, which is little more than I showed you a few days ago.

Now it is well past time I should have been in bed, as tomorrow is another early morning.

Night Night my dears.

December 6th, 7th, and 8th

Hello again my dears.  I am returned from my trip to Newcastle, and I've opened all the doors and packets that I missed by being away.

I was hoping to write this update somewhat earlier today, but life never works quite the way you want it to, and so I have instead spent today walking Finn, recovering from walking Finn, seeing a friend who we don't see often enough these days, taking Stephen to A&E, bringing Stephen back from A&E several hours later, walking Finn some more, and collapsing on the sofa in exhaustion.  This is because Stephen has somehow managed to detach his retina, so tomorrow, instead of him attending a job interview, as originally planned, he'll be attending hospital for surgery on his eye.

All of this, plus I've still had no response from either Instagram, or Facebook, on the subject of allowing links to this blog.

Anyway...

Advent

December 6th

On Friday, my Advent of Change donation helped:

Sustrans, a charity that helps to make urban areas healthier, and more pleasant, through the creation of footpaths and cycle-paths, and through helping to create policies that encourage people to walk or cycle more.

Behind the doors, and inside the packets of self-indulgence marked "6" I found:

Lindt - chocolate square

Hotel Chocolat - tiny chocolate slab with Santa Claus on it.

Charms - faceted blue gem stitch marker.

Yankee Candles - Christmas Cookie scented candle

Imperial Candles - lilac coloured soy wax melt that smells fruity, I think this might be the "Celebration" fragrance.

Cath Kidston - Plant Pots Body Scrub.

Bird and Blend - Pink Grapefruit fruit infusion.

Made by Penguins - the bottom sparkly mini-skein, in the colourway "Peacock Blue".  Genuinely in love with this colourway!  Also, a crystal stitch marker in traditional Christmas colours.

Vicki Brown - the top mini-skein, in the colourway "Purple Mint".

Gamer Crafting - the middle, sparkly mini-skein, in a lovely semi-solid purple.

More tasty little stars for Finn :)

December 7th

On the 7th, my Advent of Change donation helped:

The Willow Foundation, who arrange special events for young adults suffering from terminal, or life-limiting illnesses, to give them, and their families, a break from the stresses of living with such illnesses, and special memories to treasure.

Behind the doors, and inside the packets of self-indulgence marked "7", I have found:

Lindt - mini Lindor truffle

Hotel Chocolat - tiny chocolate slab with a snowman on it.

Charms - faceted green gem stitch marker.

Yankee Candles - another of those spicy scented candles that I think might be "After Sledding".

Imperial Candles - another white soy wax melt, and I've still no idea which scent this one is!

Cath Kidston - grapefruit and ginger cuticle cream.  I am going to love this for after I've painted my nails!

Bird and Blend - Salted Caramel Lebkuken flavoured tea.  I LOVE lebkuken!  but I'm not supposed to eat them, as they contain gluten.  This might be an excellent compromise!

Made by Penguins - the bottom mini-skein in the colourway "Christmas Tree"

Vicki Brown - the top mini-skein in the colourway "Pumpkin Juice"

Gamer Crafting - the middle sparkly mini-skein in delicate pinks and lilacs.

I'm not sure if Finn is being less patient here because it's Stephen giving him his treats instead of me, or if he's just so excited to get 2 days worth of treats in a row!

Stephen forgot to photograph his advent acquisitions, but he did put the socks on straight away, so I took a photo of his feet when I was back from Newcastle and settled back down.  Covered in dog hairs, of course, because he'd been wearing them all day.

December 8th

Today, my Advent of Change donation has helped:

Dellaglio Rugby Works, who work with teenagers that for whatever reason have found themselves excluded from mainstream education, using Rugby as a focus, they can help these people get back into school, or find employment.

Behind the doors, and inside the packets of self-indulgence I have found:

Lindt - mini Lindor truffle

Hotel Chocolat - tiny chocolate slab with Santa Claus on it

Charms - little Christmas present stitch marker

Yankee Candles - Candlelit Cabin scented candle

Imperial Candles - a deep pink soy wax melt, that could be Festive Cranberry, or possibly Mulled Cider.

Cath Kidston - Green Apple Lip Balm

Bird and Blend - Fairytale of New York flavoured tea.  I love this tea, I bought a whole box of it at Nottingham Yarn Expo.  If you make it up cold, with milk, it tastes like baileys.  If you make it up hot, without milk, it tastes like spiced coffee.

Made by Penguins - the bottom sparkly mini-skein, in the colourway "Pink Robin", and another crystal stitch marker in Christmas colours.

Vicki Brown - the top mini-skein, in the colourway "Rhubarb Pie", and a chocolate coin.

Gamer Crafting - the middle sparkly mini-skein, in colours that just screamed "Becky" at me!  I think she'll be jealous of this one!

There was just too much going on today I think, Dave arrived just as we were getting back from an extra long walk, with extra ball throwing, and Stephen was getting increasingly stressed about how much vision he was losing, so although Finn did sit nicely while Stephen opened the door on his calendar, then I opened the little packet with the treats in, by the time I tipped them into my hand he couldn't contain himself anymore!  Hence the slightly blurry photo!  He was still super gentle taking them off me, one at a time though!

I'd like to add at this point, that Finn is currently laid on the rug in front of the fire, having been curled up right next to me until he dropped the stinkiest fart you can imagine, then got up and left me alone with his butt stench!  So yes, he's adorably cute, but sometimes he is also Disgusting Hound!

Regulars

FO's

I'm only using the yarn from my Made by Penguins calendar to make baubles, otherwise I'll end up with far too many!  Some of them are also going to be gifted to friends and family who like to use Christmas decorations with memories attached to them, and let the kids loose decorating the tree, rather than do tastefully themed, but really rather boring decorations.

I'm mostly using the Scrappy Christmas Baubles pattern by Rachel Kluesner, although obviously I'm just working the entire bauble in one yarn, rather than adding any colourwork.  I would rather let the genius of Lisa-Lou shine through in the colours of the yarn on it's own.

I've also experimented a little with the pattern, and if you look *really* closely you might just about be able to tell.  The pattern describes a M1l increase for the increase rows, so that is what I used for the first bauble that I made (Day 1 yarn, Coconut Ice), but once I'd finished that, I thought that actually, a M1r increase would look neater.  So I made the second bauble using that type of increase (Day 2 yarn, Pink Blush), and it does indeed look neater, however, it's even more fiddly to work.  So then I thought I'd try a Kfb increase for the 3rd bauble (Day 3 yarn, "Crocus"), and that was the easiest of all to work, and looks nearly as neat as the 2nd bauble.  So I'm using Kfb for all of the rest.

I've also used DPNs to make these, which if you're a regular reader, you may know I usually hate.  I nearly always use circular needles.  Mostly because my grip is not reliable, and if you drop the end of a circular needle, it's still attached to your work by the cable.  I've already had to retrieve my working needle from down the side of the sofa, down the side of the drivers seat of Stephen's car, and off my Step-dad's floor, several times.  However, once you begin the decrease rounds of these baubles, you put a foam ball inside to hold the shape, and have to work around it, and I don't think that would be possible on circular needles.

Here is the first bauble in progress so you can see what I mean.  I was knitting in the car because I had Finn in the car, and didn't want to just leave him there on his own.  So my sister went to do a bit of shopping while I chuntered away at Finn, repeatedly dropped my needles, and made a bauble.

The first couple of baubles on our tree.  Can you tell I'm quite proud of them?

Bauble number 4, in yarn from Day 4, colourway "Evergreen".  It looks very similar to the colours of Day 3, but in reality Day 3 has a lot of yellow, and this one is entirely shades of green.

WIPs

I've finally picked up my Mitred Squares Blanket again, and started adding some of the yarns I've got so far.  I'm not adding these in the order I get them, because I always try to mix up the colours and not have too many similar ones next to each other.  Also, some of the Made by Penguins yarns are singles, rather than plied, which means they feel softer, but aren't quite as sturdy as the plied yarns, so I want to keep the squares made out of singles spaced out in order to maintain the structural integrity of the blanket overall.  This is going to have to stand up to years of use on our bed eventually!

Penguins!

I have no idea what I'm going to do with these yet, but when I was in the craft shop looking for 5cm diameter foam balls for my baubles, I found bags of felt penguins for only £1. It would have been pure foolishness on my part to have left those on the shelf.  

Right, it's just gone midnight, and I have to be up and functional at silly O'clock in the morning in order to get Stephen to hospital for surgery on his eye, so I'm posting this, then going to bed.  

Night Night my dears, hopefully I shall be back tomorrow.