Knyttwytch's Crafts and Stuff

One month in

and things are going well! This is how my year list looks so far

1. Read 218 books (31/218)
2. Read the Sheila Connolly Orchard series (2.5/11.5)
3. Do 13 new recipes (4/13)
4. Go to Clinique for a make up lesson
5. Finish red on Winnie the Pooh
6. Finish brown on Winnie the Pooh
7. Finish lavender on Winnie the Pooh
8. Finish pale pink on Winnie the Pooh
9. Finish yellow on Winnie the Pooh
10. Cut out patchwork bag
11. Stitch 1st section of patchwork bag
12. Knit shrug - in progress
13. Pick up and do the shawl collar on purple sweater
14. Knit 13 sampler squares (3/13)
15. Wear make-up at least 13 times (1/13)
16. Only have alcohol on a Friday and Saturday nights (apart from when we are away and our Wedding Anniversary, birthdays, Christmas and New Year’s Eve!)
17. Work on Shawlette
18. Knit a hat and/or scarf - done a hat

 

1. Finish red on Winnie the Pooh
2. Finish brown on Winnie the Pooh
3. Finish lavender on Winnie the Pooh
4. Finish pale pink on Winnie the Pooh
5. Finish yellow on Winnie the Pooh
6. Cut out patchwork bag
7. Stitch 1st section of patchwork bag
8. Knit shrug - in progress
9. Pick up and do the shawl collar on purple sweater
10. Knit a sampler square
11. Knit a sampler square
12. Knit a sampler square
13. Knit a sampler square
14. Knit a sampler square - done
15. Knit a sampler square
16. Knit a sampler square
17. Knit a sampler square - done
18. Knit a sampler square
19. Knit a sampler square
20. Knit a sampler square
21. Knit a sampler square - done
22. Knit a sampler square
23. Work on Shawlette
24. Knit a hat and/or scarf - done hat

This is the hat I knitted for Dr Wytch

As modeled by Dr Wytch :D and next the shrug as it stands so far.

and you may just be able to see Toby taking a great interest in the yarn (I managed to grab it before his teeth did!)

So now I just need to crack on - ideally I would like to have the knitting on the shrug finished this week - a lot depends on my energy levels though.

 

 

Getting there slow but sure

A slow nibble away at the tip otherwise known as the living room! But the main thing is that most of the stuff is now in the filing cabinet (one more box to go through)

My knitting bag is currently on top of two of the three going to the charity shop this weekend.

The coffee table is still dire! But I have done some of the shredding (a heck on a lot more to go though sadly, but I have emptied the shredder so I can do more tomorrow)

Dr Wytch bottled the wine so the demi john is now empty at least even if it is still on there.

I know it is sort of the same thing but this one has Toby (and a bit of Hamish) in it :)

Then the sofa (ah yes the sofa!) again this hasn't really changed much (oops)

The Ham known as Hamish got in this shot as well!

Finally my desk

A little bit has gone but again not much (I did say it was a nibble at the tidying!)

Not so much clearing but to show how small our house is for some US and Australia based friends!

I was stood with my back to the front door!

 

Clutter city!

Yeesh the living room looks bad! I really do need to knuckle down and get stuff done in here (but with my pain levels at the moment that isn't really happening!)

By the side of the desk - I hope to get rid of the file boxes this weekend/start of next week so that should help a LOT,

my desk, needs a general sort out - that is something that can be done gradually over the next day or so,

the sofa again needs a gradual nibble away to get things into the right places - hopefully this can be done by the end of Friday,

the coffee table, probably looks worse than it is! Once I clear the shredding (under the very large ball of yarn) and do a general sort out that should be a lot better.  So basically it is the side of the desk and that I need help with - so hopefully the next photographs will be better (a lot better!)

Finally because I can - a gratuitous Cairn Terrier photograph.

I can tell I haven't been well

For the simple fact that around my desk it is a total and utter MESS! So yesterday I started to sort things out - slow and sure will be the key to this I think.  Anyhow the three starting photographs are as follows :-

The sofa

To the left of my desk (with the new filing cabinet)

and finally my desk itself

I have been chipping away at it but I am not 100% sure that there will be a huge difference in the current photographs!

First off the sofa again

The main thing is the box been emptied and flattened ready to go out to the recycling bin later in the week (that is the cardboard you can see at the back), the shortbread was a gift from our neighbours as we let them use our drive for a couple of weeks to erect scaffolding so they could safely get their roof replaced, but with both myself and Dr Wytch trying to lose weight this may end up either at the Doctor's surgery to say thank you for all the care they give me - or more likely to Dr Wytch's work where it will be well and truly appreciated :D

Next the left of the desk as it stands at the end (ish) of today

The red file box you can now see at the back next to the filing cabinet has been gone through, the items sorted out and re-filed in the aforementioned cabinet - that is now ready to go to the tip.  As well as that I have started working my way through the bottled water - so that has been taken out of the packaging and put ready for use (eventually I want to get to the stage of only having the water in front of the cabinet), also I have consolidated the pile of "stuff" that was at the front and on top of the cabinet - that bit is a work in progress though!

Finally the desk shudder

Hmm not the clearest photograph (and the battery was packing in so I can't really re-take it just yet!), basically though I have gone through the letter rack and cleared the catalogues from it the rest of the desk .... err very MUCH a work in progress! I may be able to get a bit more done tomorrow - but at the moment I am happyish with the general getting thereness of the whole thing.

Adding some snoozy Cairn Terriers (because I can lol) and I am hoping to get back to knitting before too much longer! So there maybe another post with some crafting before Yule (well a Wytch can hope can't she?!)

March already!

Hmm and I still haven't finished the comfy sweater! But after a couple of weeks of serious stress I knuckled back down to it yesterday and today and I am cracking on again.

This shows how long it will be as that is the completed side then

This is it as I started off again and finally

Close of play today - I reckon tomorrow I should be able to get up to the cast on for the sleeves/start of the pattern and if I work on it then I SHOULD have it ready to sew up early next week! 

After that is sewn up I want to concentrate on the needlepoint at home (until the better weather when my hand will be able to use the smaller needle for the cross stitch ... I hope!), although I will take the heather sweater to the pub and get the shawl collar done on that - and then I want to work on more of the knitted sampler squares.

So crafting plans are sorted out more or less, I need to try and get more stuff sorted in the house and some coats etc sorted out and out of the house! I need Dr Wytch's help with that though.

No I am NOT planning on drinking the 2nd from a pint glass! I am on a bit of a Malbec kick at the moment, fruity, rich and drinkable - works for me!

Finally Toby and Hamish because they are cute and I can!

Just a quick update

Firstly no wine since last Saturday and I haven't missed it! I think it had become more of a habit rather than an enjoyment, but I do plan on having some tomorrow which I will enjoy I am sure! Speaking of wine we had an organic fruit box as well as an organic veg box for a while (we canceled the fruit bit and kept the veg box!) we started getting a glut of fruit and so we set off some Sweet Orange Wine a couple of weeks ago! Next time I have the camera out I will take a photo of it as it is at the moment (currently still in the demijohn)

My knitting is on hold as I mucked up the Heather sweater and seem to keep mucking up the comfy Caribbean sweater (picture of what it should end up like below!)

Finally a shot of Dr Wytch and the Cairn Terriers 

and a snoozing Toby

Dogs, weather and an update

1st off the dogs, once a quarter they go to a local groomer to get handstripped (ooer Missus!), they look very smart when done but at this time of the year I am sure they are glaring at us!

Both dogs pre groomer (and staring at a hand with treats in!) then Toby on his own before

and after

Very sleek! and then Hamish before

and after

Almost Strawberry Blond heh, heh. heh!

Then the obligatory wine shots! One from the Co-operative near to hubby's work

and one from an Independent Wine and Spirits shop

Hopefully on the next update I will have a knitting picture - I am getting on well with it thanks to Yarnscape - but I haven't taken any photos - next week or even before would be good!

Just general stuff!

Okay the first of another month, so how am I doing on my list for the year?

1. Read 216 books (175/216) - well ahead of the game here
2. Read the Inspector Morse books (13/13) - DONE
3. Finish stitching Medieval Dog - hmm need to crack on with this so that I can ...
4. Start stitching Medieval Rabbit - see above!
5. Finish Winnie the Pooh year (0/12) - err right, yes well ..... *cough*
6. Start stitching Map of Cambridgeshire - dependent on the above being done!
7. Finish small Crewelwork piece - hope to have this done by the end of July
8. Get knitting done to over half way - HELP!!!
9. Knit 13 sampler squares (2/13) - might take these away and get them done in the mornings after a swim
10. Knit a cowl - third times the charm - about a third of the way through again
11. Go to a Clinique counter and get my skin assessed! - hope to get this done either in June or very early July
12. Wear make up 26 times (15/26) - sort of on track
13. One day get to 2,000 steps (this one will be tricky) - DONE!!
14. Do 13 new recipes (12/13) - yay! nearly there!
15. Have a facial and back massage - booked for this month
16. Blog weekly (or more often if possible) (20/52) - on track with this

So the crafting has slipped a bit (LOT) so that needs to be my focus I think

Me wearing a new top, in a larger size than I would like but I think it looks okay (close up follows!)

oh and this is how the knitting is third time around

Getting there and this week I seem to have the "oomph" to actually crack on and get it done!

Finally as I was taken very promptly off the tablets that meant I shouldn't drink alcohol I can post another couple of bottles of wine that we tried :D

Both very pleasant and well worth getting again (particularly the Madiran), right time to have some lunch and then more knitting will be calling my name!

Oh and a gratuitous dog shot (Cairn Terriers RULE)

Clearing, knitting and more wine :D (oh and Cairn Terriers)

Hmm a quick check in - with mainly photos *grin*, I needed to get my head space right - I know this because my desk and the sofa looked horrendous, first off the before of the sofa

okay with a ginger Cairn Terrier! and this was the problem when I tried to take the after shot

First off Toby got in the way 

and then Hamish! and finally

Okay still with Hamish but at least you can see that things are getting straight! Then there was the dreaded desk

This is still a work in progress but I hope to have it sorted by the end of the week.  Then the most recent wines we have tried

These two are quite hearty Rioja wines - ones for Autumn or Winter (or cold Spring nights!)

This one again was a lot lighter and one I will think about for the Summer (I am not a great lover of white wine)

Then we have the knitting as it was at the end of today 

a close up which show the colours quite well (and I am really looking forward to finishing this and wearing it! Yarnscape did some fantastic colour blends), and finally a gratuituous double Cairn Terrier shot!

Contented Cairns

the old dog bed had packed in once too often! and so Dr Wytch bought a dog cushion, which IS big enough for two Cairn Terriers to lie on together on occasions!

Other news, still nothing more done on the cross stitch! More has been done on the knitting and needlepoint (will add photos next week when I have done some more!), book reading is ahead of target (go me!) and the saving/money stuff is on track.

I just need to get my head around a better me!