frayed at the edge

Almost there!

I'm getting quite excited about my big day tomorrow.  I can't believe that I've been doing this for two years and have done so many posts!  I am sure when I started Malcolm thought it would be a nine-day wonder and that either no-one would read it, or that I would get fed up with it and give up.  I think that's why he wasn't bothered about having a pseudonym ...... he never thought he would become famous all round the world!  Over the two years, I have made so many friends, mostly online, but some I have met in 'real' life, including the furthest flung one Lee, whom I met in September 2009 when we were on holiday in Sydney!

There was great excitement this morning when the post arrived - well, who wouldn't get excited about receiving a parcel in a purple envelope!

 

 

And it only got better when I opened the parcel - three gorgeous balls of sock yarn (oh dear, do I need to get out more if the highlight of my day is sock wool?!)

 

 

I had to buy the wool online, as my local shop doesn't stock Opal wool - I got it here.  I don't know why the labels are in French, but I think it adds to the name of each colourway

 

arlequin

 

 

dompteur

 

 

trapeziste

 

There was a little extra something in the parcel as well - a cotton bag to keep my knitting in

 

 

If you look at the ball bands on the wool, you will see the pattern that each one knits up in, so if you win the giveaway and choose socks, you now have an idea what they will look like - you can pick which yarn you want.  Remember you still have another week to leave lots of comments to give you lots of chances in the draw!!

 

It's the first Friday of the New Year, which meant we had the first cake of the year at patch'n'chat this afternoon.  It was one of Annette's wonderfully light sponges, this time filled with apricot jam

 

 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend - it looks like we will be having another cold one!

Love Anne

Strange time

I woke up through the night and looked over at the alarm clock (it's on top of the chest of drawers on the other side of the room).  Four eighty seven, I thought, as I turned over to go back to sleep.  Then my brain obviously woke up a bit more than my eyes and I thought, that's a strange time.  This started a rather weird train of thought ...... recently we watched the film Local Hero, which has a wonderful scene, where two elderly gents are standing at the side of the village hall, each clutching a dram, during a ceilidh.  They are discussing how much money they will get when the oil company purchases the village.  One says to the other 'Strange times, strange times', as they shuffle in time to the music.  Thinking of the film then lead to a little lusting after one of the actors Denis Lawson ( he may not be very tall, but as we say 'guid things come in sma bulk').  Now for two things you may not know about Denis - first he was in Star Wars, and second, his nephew is Ewan McGregor, who was in later Star Wars films.  Then, as I frequently do when I wake up and the time is some time after four, I sang (to myself) a quick chorus of It's Four in the Morning.  (The time, of course, was four thirty seven!)

 

Right, that's enough blethering, time for a photo!  Every year when I pack up the Christmas things, I always find something that I've missed.  This year I was determined that wouldn't happen.  I double checked, and when Malcolm came home I got him to have a look round - everything was packed away.  Then when we were having breakfast this morning, Malcolm pointed to the bowl in the centre of the table ......

 

Yes, I had forgotten the pine cones and (plastic) mistletoe!  The autumn squash actually stay in the bowl all year round, as I love the colours.  The paler one at the front has been in the bowl since 2009!

 

Although we had some snow yesterday, it didn't stop us from heading out this morning ...... I was desperate for a change of scene.  Since the end of of November the furthest I have been is Kelso - which is only a thirty minute drive away!  We took a run over to Duns, and after a quick stop to buy the newspapers, we headed for .....

 

 

........ where we had a cuppa, and shared the most wonderful cheese scone - possibly the best one we've ever had (and we've had a few!)

 

 

We had a browse round our favourite gift shop, although we managed to be good and not buy anything - although I was very tempted by some angels made with wire and ribbon

 

 

Duns had a lot more snow in December than we did, and there are still great piles of it.  This one is about six feet high!

 

 

On the way home, for once there was a lay-by to stop in when there was a photo opportunity!  It was a bit of a grey day, but in the far, far distance, the sun was shining on the snow on the Cheviots

 

 

When I was getting ready to go to knit'n'natter yesterday, there was just a slight problem - I didn't have anything on the needles!  So I looked out some plain sock wool, and while nattering the afternoon away, I made a start on one of my standard socks - I've knitted these so often, I only need the pattern when I get to the heel

 

 

Of course if you win the giveaway and choose the socks, they won't be plain, boring ones like this one, but jazzy ones in a colourway of your choice.  All you have to do is leave a comment by Friday the 14th, and you will be in the draw.

A wise old owl told me .......

........ that owls are very fashionable just now, and we had a bit of an owl theme with Christmas presents.  As well as my headphone owl, Malcolm also gave me .......

 

 

this exceedingly cute denim owl, which opens to reveal ........

 

....... a miniature manicure set

 

Should you win the giveaway for my blogiversary (remember to leave a comment to have a chance of winning), your parcel may be sealed with this sticky tape

 

 

But I will only be using tiny bits, to make it last, as I like it so much

 

 

But I wasn't the only one receiving owl related gifts.  I saw this fabric in Borderland Fabrics and decided to buy a metre, planning to make something for Malcolm. 

 

 

I had just paid for it, when Cathy produced this fabric ....... and I bought half a metre of it!

 

I ran out of time to make anything with the fabric, so Malcolm was a bit puzzled to open a parcel with two pieces of fabric in it!  We haven't yet decided what to make - perhaps some things for the kitchen ...... which leads me neatly to my next photo!

We had porridge for breakfast this morning - served up in our new bowls.  Malcolm had honey with his, and I had a (large) spoonful of my homemade apple jelly ....... a wonderful way to start the day!

 

 

But to return to the owl theme to end ....... I went to Kelso today for knit'n'natter, going early so that I could have lunch in the garden centre beforehand.  The Christmas decorations were all half price, so I bought two - and yes, owls have even crept into Christmas!

 

 

ps - it's snowing again!!

 

 

Lofty ambitions

As I will be out tomorrow and Thursday, I decided to pack Christmas away today.  Most of the decorations are put into boxes, but all the fabric ones are put away on the top shelf of the wardrobe.  The smaller things go into the bag at the back, on the right.

 

 

Given my recent dental woes, I won't be eating any of the candy canes ......

 

 

....... although I could keep them until next month to make hearts for Valentine's Day

 

 

In the dining room I took the Christmas runner off the dining table ......

 

 

....... turned it over, and put it on the sideboard!

 

 

I put away our Bangka tin angels, which we got in Indonesia (sorry, I wasn't able to find anything online about Bangka tin, other than it comes from the Indonesian island of Bangka!)

 

 

As I got everything packed up, I stacked it in the hall ready to go up in the loft.  Malcolm was out, and I did think about doing it myself, but decided that was perhaps a little too ambitious, and waited until he got home ........ he went up into the loft and I handed the boxes up to him, which meant the job was soon done.

 

 

The birds are enjoying the new feeders, so this morning I set the camera up in front of the window in the front lounge, ready to snap them whenever I came into the room

 

 

 

 

And finally ...... a reminder that if you would like a chance to win the very special giveaway for my upcoming 2nd blogiversary/600th post, then simply leave a comment before the 14th (leave a comment every day, if you want .... the more you comment, the more chances you will have)  The prize?  I will either knit a pair of socks or make a small wallhanging for you!

A double celebration!

As the weather has been a little bit better, we went for a walk on both Saturday and Sunday, and on both days I took my own advice to look up for things to take photos of.  On Saturday in Hawick I was rewarded with this beautiful stained glass window, which I think I might adapt into a wallhanging

 

 

 I was also looking down, and spotted this first sign of better days ahead - daffodils just peeping through

 

Yesterday we went to Melrose, and on an old building which is now home to the Scouts, I spotted this (I think the Duke of Buccleuch is the richest man in Scotland, Malcolm thinks he is the biggest landowner .....perhaps he is both)

 

 

Then Malcolm saw this wonderful date stone, which looks as if it could have been carved yesterday, not a hundred and eleven years ago!

 

 

This clock is magnificent ...... wouldn't it be good if more buildings had such decorative things on them!

 

 

It's almost time to take the Christmas decorations down, and if you would like some ideas of things to do with your cards, then have a look here at a tutorial I did this time last year.

 

So, finally, we come to the reason for today's heading!  Saturday is a very special day ....... not only is it my second blogiversary, but it will also be my 600th post!!  That can only mean one thing ..... yes, a giveaway.  I wanted to make it a special one, so I have decided that I will either knit a pair of socks or make a small wallhanging for the winner.  All you have to do is a leave a comment between now and Friday the 14th, when, as always, I will ask Malcolm to randomly generate a number to pick the winner - who can then decide which prize they would prefer.  There may be second and third prizes as well!  All you have to do is leave a comment between now and the 14th ...... the more comments you leave, the more chances you will have in the draw, so why not leave a comment every day!!

Shadow Shot Sunday

Happy New Year everyone ..... I hope it is a healthy, wealthy and happy one!

 

It's good to be back after missing last week's fun, so I'm looking forward to catching up with all my fellow shadow chasers over at Hey Harriet .... why don't you pop over and join in the fun too!

 

Today's photos were taken during the recent freezing weather ...... I was busy sewing when Malcolm stuck his head in the studio door and shouted to me to bring the camera, as he had spotted these frozen spider webs on the summerhouse - if you look closely you can see the reflection of the snow-covered house in the first two photos

 

 

 

 

And now ladies - this is it - the very last photo of the braw laddies!!  We've had such fun every month seeing these handsome men bare all for such a good cause.  I've had to employ a little bit of ribbon the preserve their modesty ..... they were showing just a little bit too much!!