Happy Families

Often, when I look in the mirror these days, I see my mother looking back at me. Maybe it's because I've lost a little weight and wear my hair short and straight. Maybe it's the glasses. Maybe it's just genetics.

Sometimes, I catch myself wearing an apron and leaving it on after I've finished cooking.

Recently, I found myself buying a pair of loafers from Lands' End.

Sometimes, I find myself worrying about having developed attitudes and opinions, as well as physical attributes.

I'm turning into her.

She died in 1995, so I don't think anyone else has noticed yet. However, I'm meeting up with my brother this week so I wonder if he'll spot it. If he mentions it, I shall brandish a photo of our father from the early 1970's and show him how much he has turned into Dad.



J's Dad came to visit on Boxing Day. (Read, J had to drive over, pick him up and take hime back.)
He wouldn't have anything to eat while he was here and complained about the temperature of our house. We had turned the thermostat down as soon as we knew he was coming and were wearing polo necks indoors.

J's Dad has an internal, unspoken rota for playing his children off against each other. This week, he is raving about one of his daughters' new bungalow, accompanying it with such comments as 'I expect you lot will be stuck here for the rest of your life.' Nice.

We talked about our forthcoming trip to California. It is, apparently, 'a shithole'. Nice.

He laughed at his grandson's height as he left the house. Nice.

Nevermind. There are 364 days until next Boxing Day. Nice :)

Merry Christmas!

All I could wish for:
a quiet day with the men in my life;



enough warmth, food, drink and comfort;





relaxation and some good movies while I worked on my cardigan.



Merry Christmas!

Ooohhh nooo Knit Fail!

I should be glad that this doesn't happen to me often.
I bought some yarn - a greeny/turquoise aran weight - safe in the knowledge that there would be enough to make a sweater for me.
I started to make a cardigan, but didn't like it when I'd finished the yoke and frogged it. I left it in a bag to mature while I waited for inspiration. This eventually came in the form of Anhinga.



I love Nora Gaughan's designs.

Anyhow, I cast on and knitted the back and left it to mature again. I think it was the colour that wasn't really doing it for me. This holiday that guilt got to me so I picked it up and knitted the front. And ran out of yarn! I went to the yarn shop to buy some more for the sleeves and neck but the colour isn't the same. The dyelots match, but the new stock is definitely more green!

I admit defeat.

I'm frogging it and giving the yarn away.

(Anyway. I bought 1600 yards of purple aran to restart the original cardi.)

Minus 3

We cleared the snow off the car and headed out through Seal Sands to the beach this afternoon.
The light was lovely.
It was minus 3 degrees and the snow is still lying on the sand. Doesn't happen very often here.


















Ewe boots and Wollmeise socks, how I love thee:

The north wind doth blow

and we certainly do have snow. It's a rarity to get this much, these days.