Finished objects sighted

Two, to be precise. Just under the wire before I go back to work tomorrow.

The first is a small felted project bag for me to carry socks etc in while they are in progress. I made it from 1 skein of my large stash of Twinkletoes sock yarn. I may try more felted projects from this as it worked out well and I still have lots of the stuff left. I felted it in my washing machine and dried it into shape over a plastic cereal container.



It's lined with a lovely piece of Kaffe Fassett fabric. I love the fabric but am trying to reduce the amount of pattern I have in our house as it easily feels cluttered, so I'll confine it to small things like linings.



Next up is my Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap project bag. I've enjoyed making the bag, which is done in Wendy Fusion and lined with Liberty tana lawn in a knitting print. I haven't had as much time for the other swap activities as I would have liked and I'm worried that I may have annoyed the organisers with my lack of participation in the treasure hunts and quizzes, but I haven't had time.





The bag is off to my swap partner with a skein of hand-dyed Ravenclaw yarn (apologies, I can't remember where I bought this), a set of stitch-markers I made myself and a set of Lantern Moon sock stix. I hope she likes the kit.



*****

Back to work tomorrow. as usual, I don't seem to have got half as much done as I wanted to this week. Never mind. Is it 6 weeks until Easter?

One of the things that has been occupying my thoughts, work-wise, recently has been the fact that the post, to which I have been seconded, has been advertised as a permanent vacancy. It came up shortly after I started my secondment, allowing very little time for me to make an informed decision about whether to apply for it or not. If you have visited here any number of times in the past, you will realise that I don't do change!

Anyway, since I had started to do the job already I decided to apply. The interviews (2 days worth) are in a week, so I've still got some time to work on my ideas and presentation.

A hint of Spring

Well, it's now much warmer than it was at the start of the week and I am quietly optimistic that winter might finally be easing itself out.



We finally got the living room put straight after having new carpets laid; much trauma and heartache invested into finding two matching curtain poles that would fit the two (non-matching) windows in this room without having to buy the hideously expensive largest size and saw great chunks off them. I am finally knitting again.

I have pulled this back about 4 times now, being unhappy with the shapings. I wish I was knitting it from the top down...



It's not pink. It's red.

Global Warming

Our December and January have been mild and uneventful, in terms of weather, and then mid-February winter finally seems to have hit us. This is the second morning of freezing fog. A drive to the beach (we stayed in the car) reminded me so much of Ilona Wellman's images (see above). Yesterday the temperature didn't get above -2 all day and today looks to be the same. It's all relative, I know. Some people have been buried under the winter snows for months now. We watch Ice Road Truckers, so we know all about the cold. Nevertheless, winter is seldom a problem for us, so we take it personally when it does visit.

J has been taking it extremely personally. Every morning he hares outside to see what damage has been wrought on his tender plants. Most of them are wrapped up and huddled together on the perspex-covered deck for the winter, but he's been rushing about with armfuls of straw all over the place.

I'm on holiday this week - half term break. Very welcome it is too. I've been avoiding posting about the new job, just in case anyone who might know me finds this blog. It's unlikely, I know, but better safe than struck off :)
It's a challenge. Bits of it are extremely tough and we have a lot of work to do. It has been consuming most of my time and energy - hence the thin-ness of the blogging recently.
This week we are renovating the living room a bit. J has finally caved in under the pressure of my gentle, but regular remarking and concedes that our 15 year old carpet may merit replacing.
The problem is, you see, that it is a really, really good carpet and was really, really expensive and has lasted really, really well. It is also really, really heavily patterned and really, really dated. If you are of a nervous disposition, turn away now.



The upshot is that it is going to have a second life on top of a compost heap or something and we're getting a plain carpet. You wouldn't believe how many shades of beigey-brown there are out there! We can't have white or cream because our family is not good at avoiding spills, drips and coming in from the garden without taking our shoes off...



I have got some knitting in. Work continues on the Chinese Lace Pullover. Red is hard to photograph with a flash. I tried this morning and got a red blob. I'll try again in natural daylight if we ever get any today.

A flying visit

Oh boy. Long time no post. So much to do lately. Nevermind - a whole week's holiday now so I will catch up.

In the meantime here's the answer to the Hufflepuff quiz:

"Then you should have died!" roared Black. "Died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!"

Quidditch quiz

1. What was Harry dreaming about the first time he woke up with his scar on fire?
b. Voldemort and Wormtail plotting to kill him

2. What is the problem with leprechaun gold?
a. It vanishes after a few hours

3. Why did Mad-Eye Moody turn Malfoy into a ferret
c. Malfoy attacked Harry when Harry's back was turned

4. Sirius warns Harry to be careful around Karkaroff because he had been a Death Eater. Which one of the professors at Hogwarts, who also used to be a Death Eater, is frequently bothered by Karkaroff?
Snape

5. Voldemort could have used the blood from any foe to make the potion that revived him work, but he held out for Harry's blood. Why?
c. The special protection Harry received from his mother would also pass to Voldemort

6. How old would Frank have been on his next birthday?
d. 77

7. Amos Diggory works for?
b. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

8. Who shared a carriage with the three friends on the way from the train to Hogwarts? Answer: (One Word)
Neville

9. What date in October did the delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrive?
a. 30th

10. What color were Percy's dress robes at the Yule Ball?
a. Navy Blue

Mr. Ollivander


Mad-Eye Moody


Cedric


World Cup Tournament


Dark Mark