WOYWW 655 Crochet, chocolate and good wishes

Hi all, here we are in the last Wednesday bloghop before Christmas. 

I’d like to start by wishing you all, my dear friends, all the best for Christmas and for a happy and healthy new year for you and all your family. 

On the crafting front, I’ve finished the back of Brian’s slipover. 

I’ve started the rib for the front, which takes forever as I have to frog it if I get the stitch count wrong, but I really like the effect. Much more  structural than knitting ribbing. I hope it will all be finished for his birthday at the end of Jan. 

You know how sometimes bought chocolates don’t quite have the flavour you’d like?

The other thing I’ve made this week is a ridiculously easy chocolate pavé with pistachios and ginger. It is delicious and not too rich. I added salt flakes but was too cautious as I used salted butter. Another time I’d put in more, chop the nuts and ginger more finely, which would make it easier to cut up as well. It makes an enormous amount of chocolate. Below is maybe a quarter of it! It goes a lot further than the 2 bars of dark chocolate needed. 

The recipe is here: Chocolate pavé recipe

I added less sugar than it says, about 20g. I’d also reduce the cream and butter next time. We’ll do it again but do a half quantity, maybe with almonds and chopped apricot? I used Green and Blacks 70% chocolate. 

I received a mask I bought today, a Frida Kahlo one I bought off Etsy. I’m ridiculously pleased with it!

Gracie and Bella send all your cats purrs for Crispmouse. They’re hoping for Dreamies and Lick-e-lix. (They always do!)

Gracie is quite set in her ways. This is a photo of her telling me it’s time I went to bed so she can snuggle up next to me. 

  

Bella seems very keen on watching the penguins on BBC’s Spy in the Snow. Maybe she’s making sure they can’t come and steal her treats!

She’s not keen on the polar bears though! 

And finally…

I’ve a big choice of cartoons this week. I’ll start with this one as my physiotherapist gives me acupuncture. I’ve an osteoporosis fracture in a vertebra, apparently, and the consultant has booked me in for an MRI in January. Joy😏. Why MRI scanners have to sound like someone beating the hell out of the dustbin you’re in I don’t know. Oh well. 

Happy Solstice all. Remember the days start getting lighter from now on! Stay safe, and enjoy any crafting you get time for

Hugs

Lynnecrafts x

WOYWW 654 Colours, cats and the Christmas tree

Hi all, back again for our weekly blog hop, courtesy of Miss Julia. 

I haven’t done much crafting this week, between (nervously) putting up the Christmas tree, plus visits to the physio, x ray dept and doctor. I may have pulled a muscle in my back at respiratory rehab, but with osteoporosis it always has to be checked if it’s a fracture. Fingers crossed it isn’t. 

I’m still working on the slipover. I didn’t take the picture early enough for the colours to show up but I’ve added in a dark green that seems to work ok. 

My nerves about the tree are just because this is our first Christmas with Bella and Gracie. You hear such stories! I’ve left off the particularly fragile glass baubles but so far they’ve been fine, in fact have permitted exceptionally “butter wouldn’t melt” poses. 

Gracie

Bella 

Then, when Gracie came in wet the other evening, she was so determined to have a cuddle, she jumped up over Bella on my lap to get dried, growled at her after a minute, and jumped off. Bella just rolled her eyes at me. In general they seem to be getting on a bit better.   

On the way home the other night we went up Mount Pleasant Close, known locally for ultra-bright Christmas decorations. 

The little boy who went past made it for me. He was shouting “Look! There’s another one!”

I wasn’t feeling at all Christmassy till I heard a brass band in Hythe on Saturday. Thank you brass banders everywhere, including you, Jan! 🎺🎷🎺. (Sorry, no tuba emoji). 
And finally…

Bella and Gracie here. We’ve instructed Hoomum to put out this message. No more mention of pumpkin hats, alright? 😹😻

The lengths we have to go to…

Purrs to all you cats 😻😻

Take care and happy crafting!

Hugs

Lynnecrafts x

WOYWW 653 Herringbone and beach glass

Hi all, back again for our Wednesday bloghop care of Miss Julia at the Stamping Ground

I’m still crocheting the slipover. Funny to think that I barely did crochet before lockdown and now I don’t ever feel like knitting. These are my yarns. The multicoloured blue- purple is the one that didn’t work with my cat stitch shawl. 

It's coming on quite well. My husband's birthday is at the end of January.

I’m doing it in herringbone stitch which is really easy but makes a nice change from half-trebles. You just slip the first loop like a slip-stitch then finish the half- treble as normal. 

I still don’t feel very Christmassy but I’ve bought some beautiful earrings for a couple of goddaughters from a really good glass artist, Julie at Beach art glass.com. Aren’t they glorious? Which do you prefer?

She’s from Malvern. 

If I might be permitted a little boast, I heard this week that a fantasy short story I submitted for a Writing Magazine competition has been short-listed. I didn’t win but it’s only the 2nd time I’ve entered a writing competition so I’m really chuffed. I’ll put it on my writing page. It’s called the 99 Sorrows and came from a dream. Send me an email to lmcollis_at_icloud.com if you want to be added to the readers.

Onward and upward! Thanks Jan for forwarding the link to the Discoveries competition for the 1st 10,000 words of your draft first novel, run by the Women’s Prize for Fiction Trust. My submission went off last night. The key part of the prize is being signed on by an agent. Many publishers won’t even consider submissions that haven’t come via one.

Here are some pictures of Bella and Gracie peacefully reclining together. I still occasionally threaten them with pumpkin hats tho 😹

They adore the log burner. We had someone in to replace the back plate and sweep the chimney yesterday. I contribute to a fun page on Facebook called Larry for Prime Minister, and complained on her behalf. A few of you might have seen it. 

“ Dear Larry and the Catinet. I really must register a ‘plaint. Firstly the sunshine door has gone. Where? Why? Intolerable! 

Then Hoodad made a nice warm place with what he calls a log burner but today even that has gone, and a strange man has come with a nasty noisy thing that’s poked up the burner. I’m forced to shelter under a blanket with Hoomum.  Gracie is hiding upstairs. You just can’t get the staff!”

Gracie snuggles  up on the bed as soon as I’m up. I love this photo of her, she’s sitting on my lap ignoring me telling her I can’t get up and cede the warm spot to her till she moves.😻

Believe it or not, it was sunny enough last Thursday for a walk by the canal, but very cold. 

And finally….,

Take care, stay safe and happy crafting! 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts 

WOYWW 652 Painting yarn

Hi all, I’m back for our Wednesday blog hop care of Miss Julia at the Stamping Ground

I’ve put my cardigan to one side for now as I want to crochet a slipover for my better half. 

It’s a mix of yarns (like my cat shawl). In fact it’s based on a violet blue ball I bought for the cat shawl but it didn’t fit. The colours are brighter than the photo. 

I tried doing some fair isle type pattern but it looked as if a seagull had flown past so I gave it a miss. I’m enjoying weaving the colours, as if I’m painting it. 

I don’t feel very Christmassy but. I bought these fabulous Advent calendars from our Wipso to send to my 2 year old grand- goddaughter (my goddaughter’s daughter), and for my cousin’s 3 year old granddaughter. 

Aren’t they great? 

Gracie is very keen on keeping warm. 

, . 

Bella took a turn on the cat tree for once! 

And finally…

Take care and happy crafting 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts x

WOYWW 651 Borders

Hi all, back for our weekly blog hop courtesy of Miss Julia and Mr Linky.  

I’ve been thinking about borders for my cardigan. I don’t like the effect of the little squares so I’m trying a textured border as shown below. I’m hoping it will bring it together and not look too fussy. I’ve left space for button holes. I’ll close up the holes more once I’ve decided on the buttons. I’ve ordered Willow pattern ones made in Australia   - hope they look as good in reality as they do on Etsy buttons. 

I’m a sucker for Willow pattern!

I’ve been doing lots of sewing up as well and carefully not sewing Bella into it 😻

Here she’s modelling the left front border for me. 

Both cats have been happy when I sit with them. I guess I make a good heated cushion!

But this week I started rehab (NOT like Amy Winehouse 😏). It’s pulmonary rehab after my hospital stay in the summer. It’s basically an exercise class run by pulmonary nurses. They hold it in a large, airy church hall and there are only 5 of us, so not too scary. I wish I knew their vaccine status though. 

So my cats, I’ll have less time to spend as a cat cushion. 

And finally…

Take care and happy crafting!

Hugs

Lynnecrafts x

WOYWW 650 Sews and woes

 Hi all, back again for our weekly blog hop, care of Miss Julia. I’ve done some building of a border on my cardigan, and some sewing up. 

Most of my time has been spent on computers since Bella walked on my laptop keyboard and it started spitting Ccccccs everywhere. 

Seeing my manuscript disappearing in cccccccs was a bit terrifying. Lots of efforts with a local repairer but no joy so I bought a new laptop and have been setting it up. 

It felt critical at the time, although I haven't lost much and at least I have the resources to sort it out.

Of course both Bella and Gracie are happy when there’s no laptop at all on my lap  

And finally

Stay safe and happy crafting!

Hugs

Lynnecrafts