Saturday 12 February 2022

Saturday 12th February - Going Postal

Terry Pratchett fans will get the reference, but as I am the only member of my family who hasn't read all the books several times over I have no idea how relevant the title is.

It's the old story of taking letters for a walk.

While is is so cold, I'm not going as far as the post box at the moment. In fact I'm not going out today at all. It is what people call 'window weather' (Thank you, Ang) - it looks lovely out there, bright, crisp and clear, sun and blue sky. But that wind must be coming straight from Siberia. As the old saying goes;

 East West, Staying home inside is best.

There were a couple of postcards and a small parcel to be posted on Wednesday; himself usually drops them in one one of the several post boxes he passes on his daily yomp around the local streets. But alas, he went without them, but very kindly, on his return, went straight out and posted them at the nearest box.

Thank you! I heard that the parcel arrived the next day!

Once again, on Thursday, there were a couple of letters waiting to be posted. Now here's the thing - Himself was so focussed on taking a photograph of a post box 'hat' that I hadn't seen

Knitted by the local WI

that alas, he forgot to take the letters out of his pocket. They weren't as urgent, and have gone this morning. That's how I know that the sunshine is beguiling and deceitful - he came back frozen.

The fattest letter contained a knitted wristlet, for the recipient to try on for size and  and also let me know if she would prefer a thinner wool. You will probably recognise the colours; it is the same as my socks and also the mittens. And also, back in 2019, a shawl which I later ripped out. There's still quite a lot left for the wristlet's partner in due course. If she would prefer something else, I will put the pair into the Christmas Shoebox Appeal.
 

The picture isn't very clear, and I can't take another one now. The four zip-up bags in starry cotton have been under construction for a couple of weeks, and are now doing a fine job of corralling all my double-pointed and circular knitting needles. I spent some time hunting for a set of 3mm needles that I had lost, but last night I remembered where they ere; you can see two of them poking out of some blue-grey knitting half-in, half-out of a blue patterned bag. February's knitting project is a pair of Real Socks, but they will take longer than a month, at the rate of less than an inch per day.

I have fetched out a sewing kit that I abandoned last year, or was it the year before? 


I became disheartened because the circles were so wonky, compared to the picture in the kit. I have decided to embrace the wonkiness, and after a trial bit of stitching (the heart) I set to work and completed the circles. 


Next is some lines of decoration, and then assemble the whole thing into a little sewing pouch. I have ordered a pair of embroidery scissors and a 'vanishing pen', which, with a needle-threader, needle case, and a small ruler, will complete it nicely.

 Yesterday I stood in the garden to do some sewing, in the bright sunshine, where there was almost no wind. I went out briefly this morning (which is why I know it is cold!) and was pleased to see several crocuses coming into flower, and the yellow petals on the miniature daffodils under the bottom hedge just beginning to show.

8 comments:

  1. I LOVE the wonkiness of the circles. I too live with an ardent Pratchett fan, so recognised the title (but haven't read it myself) Feeling bad about knitted socks. I have the pattern, and the wool. And my daughter lent me her fancy circular needles kit*. But I have put the needles Somewhere Safe. And I cannot find them! (* different length cables, and different sized "points" which screw together to make dozens of arrangements of gauge and length. All in a tidy wallet)

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  2. I have a feeling that dpns might be easier than very short circulars for socks. I practiced with dpns making hats and mittens on thicker yarns and needles before attempting socks. Dpns are pretty cheap too, but that doesn't solve the 'where have I put my daughter's lovely set of circular needs' conundrum!

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    1. Just popped over from Ang’s blog and I wondered if you had tried the magic loop method with a long circular needle for sock making - I don’t like short circulars either. Magic loop is easier to watch on YouTube than it is to explain and it’s not such a fiddle as dpns.

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    2. I've tried a couple of times, I'm at the stage of 'yes, I can do this, oh, maybe I can't' so need to give it a few more goes.

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  3. DPNs definitely easier on my hands than the very short circulars. I also like the wonkiness!

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  4. Thank you for encouragement about wonkiness! (the knitting on the socks has its wonky moments too)

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  5. Just popped over to visit your blog from the link from Ang's, will be interesting to see your swap and stitch project through the year. Then I went back and found you are a Persephone fan too! I don't have anywhere near as many as HeavenAli but do scan charity shops for those grey covers - sometimes I'm lucky, mostly not. You've reminded me to look to see what their most recent publications are and to register again for the Persephone Biannual - if they still do it.

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  6. I'm about to fork out a fiver for the current catalogue; I've got the one for the first 100 books but I think they are way past that now.

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