Candlelight

I haven't shut the curtains in the living room yet as the candle looks so cosy in the little house! I don't suppose it's visible from the outside as there's a motorbike in front of the window... 

We took the dog out at half past one today, which is just ridiculously late, but after I had to drag him down the stairs on Wednesday to get him to come out at 9am, I've just left till he gets off Elder Son's bed. I do not need extra stress right now!  And there was freezing fog this morning, which is no good for my asthma lungs. When we had freezing fog in... November? (I'm sure it was late November rather than early December) I found it so hard taking the dog out. I can manage fog or I can manage low temperatures. But not both combined. 

Anyway, the point is that there was still ice at the side of the river then. Just a bit chilly today.

And misty. 

I was taking Younger Son's socks off the clothes horse the other day, and noticed they were getting thin on the soles. These are shop-bought socks, so the yarn is too thin for me to darn them. Then I was putting away the Christmas mugs, which I keep from bashing into each other by keeping them in old odd socks, and I noticed the old socks feel thicker than the newer ones. Which I guess explains why they thin so quickly on the soles. 

My other handy hint for the day is that if you're trying to fold a pvc tablecloth to put away, and it just doesn't want to cooperate, leave it in the airing cupboard overnight.  Then it will easily fold into a tidy shape, ready to put away for next Christmas.  

I did think about putting it in a charity shop bag - we didn't use it this Christmas, nor at home last year. But I did take it to church last year, to put over the refreshments table when I helped do the mulled wine and mince pies after the crib service on Christmas Eve.  (Other refreshments were available.) So I'll keep it till we can do such things again...!

Ooh, I meant to say, I had a lovely gift yesterday! We'd taken dog out and dropped off lemon curd and lemonade at my sisters' houses and at my parents' house. When we got to Middle Sister (I gave her the last bit of her birthday present, but I can't show it to you till I know she's opened it), she gave me some dairy-free chocolate for mother and for me! 

I'm lucky to have lovely family nearby. 

My jumper is misbehaving at the moment... I'm making Lykke number 2, and started with the sleeves this time. I'm nearly finished with the increasing for sleeve 2,and counted the stitches to check I was were I thought I was. I had 72 stitches when I was expecting 71... Have I made 1 extra stitch somewhere? Have I done the next increase round without marking it off but only done 1 of the 2 increases? I don't know. I need to measure the sleeves against each other to get a better idea of how much further I need to go and to see if this extra/missing stitch is detectable. But I'll have to clear off the kitchen table first... 

I'll go and join Winwick Mum's Winter Haven KAL 2021 instead, which means a new project as Christine asks that one uses (if possible) one of her patterns or some of her yarn.  And I didn't prepare for this before lockdown, so had to see what yarn and needles I have that I can make 1 of her patterns in.

Are you joining in any Knit Alongs? Or Crochet Alongs? There might be Cross-Stitch Alongs, or Weave Alongs as well, I don't know.  That would be so cool.  Not that I can weave and cross-stitch is tricky with my ridiculously short-sighted eyes that need me to hold it about 4cm away from my eyes...