frayed at the edge

Turning the tables

This morning we hit the sales ....... but not for me to buy 'bargain' clothes that would look wonderful once I shed two stones/grew six inches.  I was on a mission to find a small table to sit beside my couch, one large enough to accommodate all the bits and pieces I keep on my table, with room underneath to store my knitting basket.  The table I had was a little round wine table, that Malcolm's dad gave me for Christmas years ago - a lovely little table, but as politicians love to say ' not fit for purpose'.  I would have shown you a photo of it, but while I was making lunch, Malcolm installed the new table and put the little one away!  So here it is ...... my lovely new table

 

 

On it I have ......

 

....... my current reading.  I think there is a niche in the market for books 'for people who find dummies books bafflingly difficult' (ie me)!  I love Marian Keyes books - I was hooked from the moment I started reading 'Watermelon' many years ago.

 

 

........ the tidy bag that I made last year - it is very handy for all the odds and ends of thread and wool I generate.

 

 

........ my coaster - needs no explanation!

 

 

....... the owl notebook which was one of last year's pressies - as it has a magnetic catch, it is a good place to keep the scissors safe.

 

 

....... my reading specs - I wear them in the mornings when I read after breakfast (for the rest of the day I wear varifocals), pencils for doing crosswords, keeping track of knitting patterns etc, and handcream ...... I have tubes and bottles of handcream all over the house, as my hands get very dry in the winter.

 

 

....... I thought I should tidy out my knitting basket - these socks have been languishing at the bottom for months waiting for ......

 

 

....... the holes in the toes to be darned.  I knitted this pair four years ago.  They have been washed so often they are almost felted!

 

 

All tidied up!  I've added my current magazines under the books, and tucked in next to the knitting basket is my big camera, ready to snap visitors to the bird tables .....

 

 

The dark side of the moon

This morning we had a lunar eclipse ...... I think this may be the first one I have seen, as usually these momentous events are obscured by clouds!  This first photo shows the lights of Hawick to the left, and the shadow part way over the moon

 

 

Then this photo shows the shadow further over the moon

 

 

But I can't show you any more photos because ...... it suddenly got cloudy!!  Later, when the post arrived, I was delighted to see this envelope ......

 

 

....... as I knew it would be fron my lovely bloggy friend Lynne.  Enclosed with her Christmas card was this gorgeous crocheted snowflake

 

 

I think I might put it in the middle of my mittens bunting (don't worry, the flames are fake!!)

 

 

After having starlings in the front garden for the first time yesterday, there were two new birds outside the back doors of the studio today.  I had to consult the bird book for both birds.  I knew this first one was a finch, and the bird book confirmed that it is a bullfinch.  The colours are stunning ..... finally a bird to rival the fantastic birds that Karen has on her blog!

 

 

 

 

Then later in the day, there was even more excitement when three of them appeared, although I only managed to capture two of them (and one of them is hard to spot at the top of the photo!!)

 

 

But the biggest thrill was this bird - although it took me a long time to get  photos of it!  There was actually a small flock of them in the tree, but they kept flying off whenever I crept up to the door to try to snap them.    After a long consultation with the bird book, I decided that they are redwings ..... birds that neither Malcolm nor I have seen before

 

 

Once this one had finally sat still long enough to have its photo taken, it then hopped round and faced the other way, for this final photo

 

Fruity!

I remembered before dinner that I had forgotten again to take photos of the petit fours, so I nipped through to the kitchen to put that right. They will look lovely on the Christmas cake .....

 

 

....... Lorraine pays so much attention to detail (and Malcolm assures me that they taste good too!)

 

 

I put the Christmas tree up yesterday afternoon.  It was only when I looked at the photos on the laptop that I realised that I have cut the head off the fairy on top of the tree!!

 

 

The Gnome brothers and sisters love having more Christmas things on their chairs (click on the photo to enlarge it)

 

 

I also put another two wallhangings on the hall doors.  I bought these as kits the first time I went to Houston - they were the first of many things that I bought!

 

 

 

I have been working on my mini mittens.  I have now now completed eight - the next step will be to crochet a string to put them on

 

 

I received an email from a friend this morning, seeking Malcolm's advice on levelling her new shower on her old, uneven floor.  As Malcolm is both practical and a (retired) engineer, he has not only come up with a solution, but has also drawn a little diagram for me to email

 

 

There is a tv programme called 'Challenge Tommy', where builder Tommy Walsh solves viewers problems ....... perhaps I could get Malcolm a similar job!!

Purple potatoes!

The Christmas Fair finally went ahead on Saturday.  We did fairly well, but not as well as we hoped.  It certainly wasn't as busy as the last two years.  We got there early, to give us plenty of time to set up our stall - we were sharing with my friend Lorraine - two tables between the three of us.

 

all our lovely goodies

 

 

Malcolm's super woodwork

 

 

some of my things ......

 

 

..... the rest of them

 

 

Lorraine with her yummy wares

 

 

yes - it's me!!

 

Oh dear, I've just realised that I haven't taken a photo of the fabulous marzipan petit fours that I got from Lorraine for our Christmas cake.  I don't like marzipan, so I only put icing on the cake then decorate with the petit fours, so that Malcolm can still have some marzipan.  However, I do have a food related photo - these wonderful potatoes that I bought when I did my usual Monday morning shopping

 

I have never had them before - of course there will be a full report with photos when I cook them!  When I was in town this morning, I was heading for the footbridge to cross the river over to the supermarket, when I saw .....

 

..... a heron!  Usually they have their heads tucked in, but this one had his (or her) neck stretched right out

 

 

Last week I had ordered some cards from my lovely bloggy friend Gretel.  Our post has been all to pot because of the weather, so they finally arrived this morning.  They are pictures of the fabulous, fantastic needle felted animals that Gretel makes

 

 

Gretel also included a present for me in the parcel -  a set of beautiful cards which show off her other talent as an illustrator

 

Thank you very much Gretel, for such a lovely gift!

 

Malcolm was supposed to be getting woodworking tools for his birthday and Christmas, but he couldn't make up his mind what he wanted.  However we recently saw a demonstration of woodturning and he decided he would like a lathe.  After some online research, he finally chose which one he would like and I ordered it last week.  It was delivered today, but for the moment is still in the box

 

everyone will get a table leg for Christmas next year!!

 

A quiet life!

Oh dear ..... this weather is seriously affecting gathering subject matter for the blog!!  We ventured out this morning - although, at minus nine, there was ice on the inside of the car windows!  Once we finally got defrosted, we set off rather gingerly down the road, as it hasn't been cleared or gritted since the last snow on Monday.  By the time we had walked from the car park to the shops, we were so cold that we had to go for a cuppa (and perhaps we shared a scone!).  It didn't help that I had forgotten my gloves ..... on the way back to the car I popped in to an outdoor clothing shop and bought a pair before my poor little fingers froze completely.  My hands had just warmed up when I had to take one of the gloves back off, so I could use the camera.  This first photo shows the River Slitrig, which has partly frozen ......

 

 

....... and this is the River Teviot, also partly frozen

 

 

These icicles are quite spectacular - the beautiful building they are hanging from was once a bank, but is now a wedding dress shop!

 

 

The snow mountain in the car park is getting bigger

 

 

But at least that means that the main routes through the town are clear

 

 

I spent the afternoon out in the studio making miles of bunting (ok, it wasn't really miles, but it was yards and yards!).  Here it is all packaged ready for the Fair

 

 

If the Fair gets cancelled again this week, I will throw the biggest and hissiest of all big hissy fits (then I'll sit in a corner and cry!)  I have an appointment at the hairdresser tomorrow, but fortunately Malcolm has offered to drive (my hairdresser is in Kelso) as he knows I am very nervous about driving on icy roads.  Should the weather get worse and I can't go, I will have to take the scissors to my fringe, as I can hardly see for it .... and it refuses to be swept to the side!  To finish on a cheerier note, I am going to choose a folder of photos at random, and then hopefully find a photo of something gorgeous!!

 

One of my beautiful orchids - definitely gorgeous!!

A little bit of snow ......

...... and a lot of crafting!  We perhaps had another two inches yesterday and today has been bitterly cold, so it was another day at home.  Malcolm had thought about going to Hawick to get the newspapers, but the road was really icy, so he thought it was far more sensible to stay at home!  So I spent the day in the studio ...... I know, it's a hard life!  I cut out and quilted another two cushions - but I'll just show you the backs today and I'll show you the fronts when they are finished

 

 

 

I then decided to make some more bunting  using a pack of Christmas papers that I have had for years (this bad weather has been very good for helping me to use up my stash!!) and a bigger template than I used for the last bunting

 

 

I was able to cut two diamonds from each sheet of paper

 

 

It was quite relaxing folding all the pieces, while listening to the radio

 

 

I then sorted them out into piles and cut lengths of string

 

 

I finished one length before it was time to head back into the house for dinner

 

 

It was bright and sunny today (but as I mentioned already, bitterly cold!), so I thought you might like some more snowy photos

 

 

 

 

 

To finish ..... a little Christmas decoration has crept into the kitchen - isn't she cute!!

 

Beauty and the beast

Yesterday, we went out to the garden centre for a cuppa.  The main roads were clear, and the snow looked lovely

 

 

 

 

 

But when we were in Hawick this morning, we saw the other side of all the snow we have had

 

 

 

 

The snow is slowly being clear by bulldozers and large lorries ..... and this is where it is ending up - in a very large, dirty mountain

 

 

Although the main roads are clear, our road is still a bit nasty to negotiate in places

 

 

On a brighter note, I have baked the Christmas cake .......

 

 

...... and Alison's cushion is finished

 

 

 

And a bit of good news to end with - the Christmas Fair is on this Saturday ....... weather permitting!!

So much fun!!

No - I lied, we haven't had much fun today!  We woke this morning to find that the electricity was off.  And just to cheer us up ....... it was snowing!  Our table now has an amazing 15 inches of snow on it - which probably means we have had more than that, as it will have settled a bit

 

 

After Malcolm worked so hard yesterday to clear the drive, he had to shift about another 3 inches today

 

 

I slithered, slid and slipped out on to the road to take this photo - it looks as if it is in B&W!!

 

 

I thought I would check the forecast for the rest of the week - now I wish I hadn't bothered!!

 

 

I much preferred the forecast for Pollensa in Majorca, where we had our wonderful holiday in May

 

 

Then I had a bit of fun with 'Talking Carl' ..... he repeats everything you say to him, he complains if you poke him - but tickle his tummy and he laughs!!

 

 

I love my ipod touch, which is my birthday/Christmas present from Malcolm.  I am finally getting to grips with all this new-fangled technology ..... I managed to set it up myself, put music on it, get apps for it (then I had to lie down in a darkened room for a week!!)  I can also use it for email, which is great, as it saves booting up the laptop.

We have had quite a lazy day (apart from Malcolm clearing the snow!)  We watched a film this afternoon.  I started on my second sock and knitted the toe, then I finished the first Christmas cushion

 

 

I'm going to show you one more snowy picture  .......and I'm not going to have any photos at all with snow in them tomorrow!

 

Breaking news......

.....it's snowing again .... and again ...... and again.  This was this morning's depth check

 

 

and this was the scary view from Malcolm's study window - snow sliding off the roof

 

 

But enough snow for the moment, let's have some knitting instead!  I couldn't show you these mitts before, as I knitted them for a swap with my bloggy friend Lynne.  She had admired the mitts that I knitted recently and had asked about the pattern, as she wanted to knit a pair for her daughter.  However, when she said that she wasn't sure if her knitting skills were up to it, I offered to knit them for her.  That was soon organised into a swap and she is going to crochet a mat for me.

 

 

Of course, I didn't just knit a pair for Lynne's daughter, but a pair for Lynne as well

 

 

I also popped a couple of extra things in the box (this is now a well-travelled box, as Meg sent my birthday present from Italy in it, and it has now gone to Germany!)

 

 

I have almost finished my first sock

 

 

I just have a few more rows of rib to do.  I think I prefer this toe-up method ...... no dreaded kitchener stitch to finish to toe, and no picking up stitches from the heel flap

 

 

I have had another day in the studio - I don't know when I last did so much sewing!  I have done some more quilting on Alison's panda cushion

 

 

I have almost finished the Christmas cushions - I found a fat quarter to use for the binding .....

 

 

.... and fabric from a sample curtain (I get them from a shop in Hawick) to use for the back

 

 

I watched a dvd this afternoon while I handstitched the binding on the back

 

 

And now, back to the snow.  Malcolm made a start to clearing the drive this morning - as you can see, there was rather a lot of snow on it!  Fortunately our neighbour Billy the farmer (brother of Jim the farmer who gave me the apples and plums) arrived with his tractor and moved a lot of the snow for him.

 

 

These horses had been turned out of their stable for the morning and were enjoying the freedom ......

 
 

 

....... even when the snow started (yet) again

 

 

Don't worry, they hadn't been abandoned in the field .... the owner, her children and dogs were all having fun too

 

 

I have taken lots of snowy photos, but I can't compete with this one taken by my Roving Reporter (aka Stuart!!).  He was unable to get to work, so this afternoon he walked along to the Falkirk Wheel, and took this from the canal bank above the Wheel.  You can see that the canal is frozen!  In the distance, the Ochil hills are covered in snow - remember you can click on the photo to enlarge it.

 

 

Looking on the bright side of this enforced staying at home - I haven't been out since Saturday, so I haven't spent any money!!  I have also been very strong and haven't succumbed to all these wonderful deals on Amazon for things I neither want nor need!!

Inclement weather!

Well, what can I say .... it's still snowing!!  This morning I stuck Malcolm's yardstick in the snow on the patio table ........

 

 

....... so how much snow have we had?

 

 

The birds were on the feeders from early in the morning, but they had to wait until I had showered and dressed before I put more food out.  However the robin found a stray seed

 

 

Having had the disappointment on Saturday of the Christmas Fair being cancelled (it might go ahead this Saturday), I was anxious about my dentist's appointment this morning (I've got toothache again!).  We had decided that we wouldn't go, but before I could phone to cancel, the receptionist phoned me.  She spoke to Malcolm, as I was in the shower .... he asked when I could have another appointment and she said that it would be sometime in the New Year!!  He then explained that I was suffering some pain, so her advice was for me to phone for an emergency appointment as soon as I can get there.  But as this was the state of our road this morning ...... I might have a long wait!

 

 

However, I have been making the most of my time at home!  I went into my stash of Christmas fabrics, and found this panel

 

 

I decided to cut it up to make small cushions.  This is the first one, ready to quilt

 

 

I decided to use YLI invisible thread for the quilting ...... I don't usually use it, but I am pleased with the result.  Here is a detail ......

 

 

....... and here is how it looks on the wrong side

 

 

I had asked Stuart for some ideas for Christmas presents for Alison.  Amongst other things, he said that she likes pandas.  I could picture a magazine that had a panda block on the front cover, and for once I found it quite quickly (usually when I am looking for a specific magazine it's the last one in the pile!)  It didn't take long to make the cushion front

 

 

After my success using the invisible thread, I decided to use it on this cushion too - here is a detail

 

 

and here is the back

 

 

I have been busy kntting as well - but I'll save that for tomorrow!