Autumn Leave Table Runner

This is the table runner I have made as a gift for my parents'  50 wedding anniversary.

Tour de Yorkshire

The name 'Tour de France', as the name suggests is a tour of France, but this cycling competition also takes in parts of neighbouring countries from time to time.  This year, the cyclists will be spending some time in England - Yorkshire to be exact.

There are many good French-English dictionaries available, but I haven't seen a single French-Yorkshire one.  Some kind soul has translated a few key phrases to help.

Manx Cottage

There were many cottages like this on the Isle of Man at one time, now there are few.  This is Rose Cottage in Cranstal, Bride.

Autumn Leaves Quilted Table Runner

My parents have almost been married for 50 years.  This table runner is a wedding anniversary gift for them.

First there was 'the plan' - an autumnal rainbow of colours.  Half of the leaves would be in very saturated tones, and the other half in almost pastel colours.

I am on holiday for 10 days and yesterday was a half day.  My hope is to make three rows of the pattern each day. This is what has been made on days 1 and 2.

Individual Cheesecakes

400g soft cream cheese (eg Philadelphia) Brick Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 eggs
150g gluten-free biscuit crumbs

60g butter

Melt the butter, and add the biscuit crumbs to the butter.  Mix and put into individual ramekins.  I use ramekins which hold about 350ml, and the recipe fills 4 very nicely.  Gently press the crumb base flat.

Place 1/2 cup of icing sugar in the bottom of a mixing bowl, and then add the cream cheese. Blend well.  Add the eggs, one at a time, until they have been combined with the cream cheese mixture.  Pour the mixture into the ramekins.  Bake at 180C for 25 to 30 minutes.  Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Note to Self

Dear Maghouin Beg,

It would be immensely handy if you could index things properly by use of  'labels'. Some words make excellent search terms. 

In this particular case, when you know that you have posted your recipe for Chocolate Brownies, the 'excellent search term' is 'recipes'. It makes life so much easier, well, the baking element of life, so much easier when you think to label a recipe for gluten-free Chocolate Brownies with the keyword 'recipes' .  It doesn't take anywhere near as long to search for the recipe.

Best wishes,

Yourself.

Rainbow Socks

If you are paying close attention, you might be able to recognise some of the colours in these socks with the colours of the mitred squares.

Mitred Squares in Sock Yarn

After knitting a few pairs (cough) of socks, I seem to have a few (cough) little balls of sock yarn left over.  This is what happened when I started trying to use up some of the yarn.

I haven't quite decided what I am going to do with this fabric as yet.  It might become a cushion cover, but it might be a baby blanket.  Who knows?

Spring Cakes

A few lemon cup cakes with fondant flowers and leaves.

Candy Stripe Socks

After the bright, bright pink socks, here's a toned down version - Candy Stripe Socks.

Minion Time

My delightful children are asking for interesting birthday cakes.  Here's the latest.

Sock it to April!

February had the hat-a-thon, and April has been designated 'sock month'.  April is also my elder daughter's birthday, and she has a love of hand knitted socks in bright colours, but with no pattern.

The leader of my choir always has cold feet, and last week I asked if she might like some woollen socks.  There was a resounding 'Yes'.  It just so happens that pink is her favourite colour, which is rather handy as it means I can use up the remains of the sock yarn from my daughter's socks.  One sock has been made, but I don't want to start the other one just yet.  S needs to try on the first sock to ensure it fits well before I start the second sock. I'm fine about ripping back one sock, but not two. :o)  

Yarn no longer whispers; it shouts!

It used to be that yarn would whisper to me, singing a quiet gentle song of soft, warm, tender love.  Now the stuff is starting to shout! This might be because it has been left on a shelf, in a box, in a bag, discarded, forgotten. 

February was the hat month - a marathon of 26 hats.  I thought that I was hatted out, but it seems not.  A lovely friend was in need of a new hat.

And this has brought hats back to my attention, and a certain little ball of yarn...

The yarn was originally bought to make a pair of socks, but the left overs were set aside.

The left over yarn had enough of being neglected and unloved, and started shouting at me "Knit me!  Knit me.  I want to be a hat."  Therefore I duly started knitting it into a hat.  I was fearful of not having enough yarn to make a complete hat, so I added in some love dark, dark navy yarn.  And one hat was finished (the one on the left).  There was still yarn left, and it was shouting. Hat two was made.  And there was still yarn left over!  Hat three was made, and there was only 15cm of yarn left.  At last the yarn had stopped shouting.

These hats will be added to my charity box, and will most likely be given to the Southern Befrienders for their Christmas gifts.

Something woolly has happened to Douglas!

The Manx Yarnies have been doing a little bit of spring decorating.  

Cold Sheeping

Sometimes knitters, and other crafters have a little problem when they buy materials faster than they use them up.  The crafting stash grows and grows out of control.  Last month's Hat Marathon was a reaction of the vast amount of yarn I have.  Making 26 hats used up an amount, but there is still a way to go before my stash is down to a more manageable level.

Yesterday I hit my 60th day at Cold Sheeping (buying no yarn at all).  I have been awarded two 'clips' for my abtention.

 

I have realised that it is not for me. I am a Moderate Merino (limited yarn purchases) lass through and through. My plan for the rest of the year is to work through as much stash as possible. But I will be allowing myself to buy some new yarn to make gifts for others, and if I have been really good, to make an odd gift for me too. :o)

Today is my first day as a Moderate, and my first act is to buy some yarn for two projects.  This yarn is to make a hat for a good friend, and as a highlight yarn in a shawl for myself.

Borromean Cowl

Materials

3 colours of Double Knitting yarn, approximated 30-50g of each.

5mm circular needle.

Directions

Ring  1: Holding yarn A  double, cast on 100st, join. Knit 10 rows. Cast off. Weave in ends. 

Ring 2: As Ring 1 using a different colour of yarn (yarn B).

Ring 3: Holding yarn C double, cast on 100st. Do not join.

Arrange Ring 1 and Ring 2 as shown.

Weave the circular needle under Ring 1, over Ring 2, under Ring 1, and over Ring 2.  Join.  Knit 10 rows.  As you knit move Rings 1 and 2 out of the way.  Cast off, and weave in the ends.

Shoulder Exercises Log

Thursday, 27th February
Shoulder Flexation 10, 10

Scapula Setting 5, 3

I have been doing these exercises for a week on and off.  The benefits in mobility and stability I have experienced have convinced me that they are very well worth it.

Currently, it is easy to get the walking stick all the way over the top, but when my arms are almost on the bed, my arms start shaking, and it is very evident that my muscles are working.  I'm having low grade grumbling discomfort from the arm muscles - but it is less intense than it was before I started these exercises.    The first two scapula setting repeats are easy, but by the time I get to 4, I'm working hard, and 5 is a huge struggle.  Often I don't manage to count to a full 10 in the 5th repetition.

Shoulder Exercises

I have social shoulders - they pop out to visit from time to time.  Over the summer, my left shoulder partially dislocated, and the muscles covered for the shoulder.  There was no real pain, but a lot of mild discomfort and a reduction in the range of movement. The reason behind the partial dislocation?  I had been trying to strengthen the muscles around my shoulder to help prevent future dislocations! 

After using the tried and tested method of 'do absolutely nothing' for a few months, I started seeing a chiropractor, and this has helped my whole grumpy body feel better.  One downside is that as my shoulder muscles have learned (slowly) to relax again, it has meant there has been a time when my shoulder has been dislocating on a regular basis.

However, I think we have turned the corner, and the chiropractic manipulations, massage and exercise are stacking up against the dislocating tendencies!

This is a place to record my progress through the physio exercises.  These are a mixture of the ones set by my chiropractor, a former physio, and the exercises in an NHS booklet Rehabilitation after shoulder dislocation.

Shoulder Flexion  My first exercise is to lie down on my bed, with a walking stick between my hands.  The hands are shoulder-width apart.  Starting with the walking stick on the stomach, lift the walking stick up and over the head, until the upper arms are lying flat on the bed.  Hold for 5 seconds, and bring the arms back down.  Repeat 10 times, four times a day.

 

Scapula setting exercise Stand close to a wall.  Lay the forearms on the wall, fingers point to the ceiling.  The upper arms should be at shoulder height, and perpendicular to the body.  Draw the shoulder blades back and down, causing the muscles between to be squeezed. Hold for 10 seconds and release. Repeat 5 times, 4 times a day.

I've been doing these two exercises for a week, and the improvement is great.  There is so much more movement.  But there is still a long way to go.  As these exercises get too easy they will be replaced by other ones.  The shoulder flexion exercise can be made harder simply by standing up.

 

Leftover socks

"Leftover socks" are socks made from leftover yarns.  These socks were made from the leftovers from turquoise and teal socks I made for my DM-wearing daughter.  Two balls of yarn is just enough to make three pairs of socks for her.

The joyous news is that my next two balls of yarn are pink and red.  This will great a gloriously awful combination. But, as I happen to love the daughter-child, I will not inflict this combination upon her.

Project 38

The Hat-a-thon has been completed!

The stash that was overwhelming me has been reduced.  Twenty six hats have been made!  

Behold, a photograph of 25 hats. 

The 26th one has already been sent to it's recipient.  (This is now the recipient.)  It has been given to a friend who works at the airport and de-ices planes. It is cold work. He asked me for a baklava to keep him warm. I explained that as I’m gluten-free, I don’t make baklava. He explained “I can’t say balaclava, so I’m asking for a baklava.” I hope he won’t be too disappointed when he gets a balaclava.

It is very warm, and looks perfect for robbing a bank. It might also be good for wearing at the airport on cold shifts. But I worry that there are strands of my hair knitted into the balaclava. He gets up to some crazy stuff.  Just in case, can you all be my character witnesses?

37 Projects completed - I'm now at 70% of my 52 in 52 challenge.