WOYWW 766

Gracie died on Saturday. We are heartbroken. 

I write about her here: https://lynnecrafts.blogspot.com/2024/02/gracie.html

Here’s my still life from last week’s art class. The pomegranate was from last autumn so I’d better retire it now. 

This week we will start a landscape but, as some people only joined this term, a lot of the class will be taken up with sizing up from a photo. The painting will only be done after half-term. 

I got a long way up the latest jumper when I realised I hadn’t kept the left edge straight and it had become way too big. So this:

Became this. This wool is a bastard to frog but I managed, in two days:

With Bella’s help. She sends purrs to you all. She doesn’t seem confused by Gracie being gone. 

And finally,

Take care and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

Gracie

Gracie had been ill for the past few weeks. The vet diagnosed cancer in her kidneys and liver, prescribed painkillers, steroids and appetite stimulants.  

For a week she seemed a bit better, though getting her to take the tablets was an ordeal at first (wrapped in treats, wrapped in cheese). None of them worked for long. 

At the end of a grim day, she came up to me and sat in my lap. I told her I’d loved her since the day we brought her home from the cat shelter, when she jumped up on my knee and licked my nose. She looked up and licked my chin and I felt forgiven. 

I then found I could crush the tablets into Lickelix and she’d take them. 

She often slept curled in the crook of my arm. On Friday night she lay across my lap till about 2am, but on Saturday she stopped eating. We went shopping for cat food etc and came home to find her in such pain, she growled if she turned over, despite taking her painkillers earlier. 

We took her to the emergency vets and at first they suggested palliative care, but couldn’t get a cannula in. She often took on such a stubborn air, we said she was channelling my mother. 

It became clear that the only kindness was to put her to sleep. She lay on my lap, on a blanket, Brian cradling her head, fighting even that for a while. 

We still have Bella, a bright, sunny cat, but Gracie has taken a piece of my heart with her. 

WOYWW 765 cats and colours

Hi all, just a short post

At art class we’ve started a fruit and veg still life. 

Our tutor is very precise about drawing from life so it resembles the subject, so there’s a lot of drawings and rubbing out at first. 
 

I’ve changed the blue to a cooler one in my crochet jumper project, and am adding more contrasting colours. 

Most of my time this week has been looking after Gracie, who’s been diagnosed with tumours on her kidneys. She’s on pain meds, plus steroids and appetite stimulants. I found one way for now of disguising the pills by wrapping them in cheese, but cheese stopped working this morning so now I’m grinding up the tablets in a liquid treat she likes, Lik-e-Lix.

I won’t put her through chemo with lots of vets visits and injections as a single vet visit stresses her out, so it’s just a matter of time till she’s in more pain than reasonable. 

Here she is with Bella on the bed. 

We’re making a fuss of Bella too so she doesn’t feel left out. 

Yesterday was B’s birthday so we went to the recently refurbished Kings Arms nearby. B is clowning outside - one too many photos 😉

They gave him a ‘happy birthday’ plate with extra ice cream. 

And finally…

Take care and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

WOYWW 764 Colours and crochet

Hi all, my watercolour class last week had us mixing colours for our own colour wheels. It’s harder than it looks to get the correct gradation of shades! At the end we had a much better idea of what colours we can make with our paints. 

We’re only supposed to use a warm and a cool red, yellow and blue plus the earth colours and viridian green but I snagged these Daniel Dmith colour samples in the sale, so I have them in my bag. 

This week we’ll be starting a fruit & veg still life. 

I’ve now started another jumper, using leftover Hobbii winter glow yarn. The pattern is Onward and upward

I like it because the stitches are simple - three trebles then a front post double treble. The placing needs watching but I get to mix colours. The rib is a mauvy blue in reality, but I’m still not happy with it so I’m starting again. 

Gracie has picked up a bit and is asking for food again rather than licking at it a bit when it’s put down next to her. I’ve talked to the vet but I’m not taking her yet as it stresses her out terribly. 

We’ve been trying not to laugh at Bella, who reached up and almost hooked a bit of lamb steak off Brian’s plate this week. We’re VERY disappointed 🤣. 

And finally…

Take care and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

WOYWW 763 Cowls, cakes and Watercolour

Hi all, hope you’re keeping warm! It’s still glacial here. 

My desk this week was at my art class, where we’ve started this term’s watercolour with learning different techniques: wet on dry, wet on wet, dry brushing, lifting out etc. 

I now understand why ‘cauliflowers’ or runbacks occur (adding wet to dryer sections), although I’ve accidentally made them for years. This week will be colour mixing then we get to do a paint project. 

My Twixtmas cowl is now finished, and very welcome in this weather!

I’ve now worked out how to use one of my Xmas presents. It needs to hang freely to spin, so it’s suspended from knitting needles poking out of my craft shelf. The cats aren’t sure about it, but they know the rule, only Lynne plays with yarn in this house. 😉

It stops my yarn running away, anyway. 

I’ve just finished baking Seville Orange and almond cakes. I saw this recipe in Macknade’s site and felt like making a seasonal cake. Theirs doesn’t have almonds but I do like them in a cake. It’s a nicely tangy cake but I’d reduce the amount of sugar next time. The recipe has icing but I leave that out. 

Bella loves her Crispmouse mouse! Gracie sometimes shows an interest. They both send purrs to you all. 

And finally..,

😻😻

Take care and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xxx

WOYWW 762 Cowl crochet and colours

Hi all, I hope you’re keeping well and warm. It’s freezing in Kent this week (not on a North American scale but cold for us.)

I’m re-reading Bill Bryson’s wonderful Notes from a Small Island at the moment and he reminded me: “A blizzard is when you can’t get your front door open. Drifts are things that make you lose your car till spring. Cold weather is when you leave part of your flesh on doorknobs.” 

I know, Bill, but I feel cold, apart from when I’m helpless with laughter at your antics in a Dover guesthouse or at you drunkenly trying to get back through a revolving door into the Adelphi in Liverpool. 

My cowl is progressing and I like the variegated purple against the green, as well as the lighter border. 

Bella is helping me, here, while Gracie practices radiator worship. 

I’m getting ready for my watercolour class, which starts on Thursday. 

I’ve had a list of which colours and brushes to bring, but there are a few extras in the tin of tubes, just in case!

And finally…

Stay well and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xx

 

WOYWW 761 Happy New Year!

Hi all, I wish you all an amazing new year, full of good health, wellbeing and great creativity, as Neil Gaiman says:

Well, I struggled and struggled with that horrible sorry cowl pattern and eventually decided I just wasn’t enjoying it so I’ve learned a new stitch, and have started a different one an American pattern from:Crocheted simplicity

I’ll get round to undoing all these dotty cowl bits at some point. 

There are more important things to do than struggle with such badly written patterns. 

Gracie and Bella send you purrs but they’re virtually hibernating at the mo!

And finally…

Take care all and happy WOYWW 

Hugs

Lynnecrafts xxx