Epic, Creative Salad

Today's challenge was to make an "epic, creative salad". I made a salad, and there were creative touches. But I feel I failed to achieve epic proportions. The  salad started off with romaine lettuce, and some batons of celery. Next came radishes and tomatoes, topped off with a a few types of cubed cheese, and blue cheese dressing. A long strip of red cabbage was placed over this, and then hearts cut from radishes.  

And that's where it had to stop. Time was up, and the salad-eater had to leave for work.

I'm going to try this challenge again, and nudge up the epic-osity of it all.

Flip Top Mittens for Elder Offspring

Notes: My first pair of Flip Top Mittens were made for me, and I have wide hands, with short fingers. Wee and wide. The Elder Offspring borrowed my flip tops, and later tried on a pair of wrist warmers, and asked if I might be able to adapt the wrist warmers into flip top mittens.

Yarn: Deramores Studio Anti-pilling DK
Composition: Acrylic 100%
Colour: Wine 70045
Pattern: Flip Top Mittens
Size: Adult
Needles: 3.75mm
Started: 2nd December 2018
Finished: 29th December 2018

Cast on 40sts on 3.75mm needles. Join.

Work 20 rounds of 2x2 rib.

Increases for thumb
1. K1, kfb, k to last stitch, kfb.
2. K (and every second round).
3. K2, kfb, k to second last stitch, kfb, k.
5. K3, kfb, k to third last stitch, kfb, k2.
7. K4, kfb, k to fourth last stitch, kfb, k3.

Continue in this manner until there are 54sts on the needles. Then work 12 rounds of stocking stitch. Knit to last 8 stitches, and transfer the 8 stitches to waste yarn. Also transfer the first 8 stitches of the next round to waste yarn. 36st will remain on the needles. Work 10 rounds of 2x2 rib.

Right Mitten
Cast on 18sts, then pick up 18sts from the front of the glove, starting about 3 rows below the transition from stocking stitch to rib. Work 10 rounds of k1, (p2, k2) x5, knit to end or round. Then switch to stocking stitch for 10 rounds.

Decreases for fingers
1. (K1, ssk, k12, k2tog, k1) twice.
2. K.
3. (K1, ssk, k10, k2tog, k1) twice.
4. K
5. (K1, ssk, k8, k2tog, k1) twice
6. K
7. (K1, ssk, k6, k2tog, k1) twice
Graft the remaining 16sts.

Thumb
Transfer the 16st for the thumb from the waste yarn onto needles. Join and knit 13 rounds in stocking stitch. Knit two together eight time (8sts). Knit one round. Break yarn, leaving a tail, and thread the yarn through the stitches to fasten off. Draw up tightly and weave in the end.

Left Mitten
Cast on 18sts, then pick up 18sts from the reverse of the glove, starting about 3 rows below the transition from stocking stitch to rib. Work 10 rounds of k1, (p2, k2) x5, knit to end or round. Then switch to stocking stitch for 10 rounds. Continue with instructions for Right Mitten.

Take a Break from Social Media

Ooops. Today was meant to be 'taking a break from social media' day, and I didn't realise until after I had been social med-ing. Time for a switch around. Tomorrow is social media day, and today in 'set short term goals'.

This is something I do every month, and it really helps me get stuff done. When things get a bit manic and there's so much going on, I find my 'To Do' to 'Ta Da!' lists are brilliant. It gives me the chance to pause and write it all down.  This really helps me remember what needs to be done, and then get it done. It's so satisfying moving items from the 'to do' side to the completed tasks.

My goals for today are to knit a Christmas tree square, and to start the Elder Offspring's flip top mittens. Oh, and cook the salmon I defrosted the other day.

----

Well! That was way harder than it should have been! This is obviously something I need to do on a regular basis.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

This is my new long-term project - a knitted Christmas tree. Over the next year I'll be knitting green squares, 15cm. They will be attached to a conical form, and decorated with garlands of mittens and gloves. After Christmas the squares will be formed into blankets, and the whole lot sent off to refugees in Lesvos.

My first square has been made. It's DK yarn, and I've cast on 34st on 4mm needles. It's being worked in stocking stitch and the first stitch of each row is slipped. This gives a beautiful edge and makes sewing up far easier. 54 rows were knitted, and then the stitches cast off.

The second square has been started. 12sts were cast on and joined. The first row was knit, as were all the odd rounds. The second round is (k1, yo, k1, yo, k1) x 4. The fourth round is (k2, yo, k1, yo, k2) x 4, and the sixth is (k3, yo, k1, yo, k3) x 4. This pattern is maintained until it's (k17, yo, k1, yo, k17) x 4. Then cast off.

December Goals

Me
exercise 5 days a week

Vestibule

• declutter
• remove shelf
• wash walls
• wash window
• paint walls
• hang coat rack
• hang picture

Crafting

• 2 flip-top mittens
• 2 Christmas stockings
• Christmas Tomte
• Christmas tree quilt
• cushion covers

H and L would like Christmas stockings similar to this one. 

Declutter Your Room or Desk

This is a tricky one for me. my bedroom has been decluttered recently, and my ... Oh! I haven't finished decluttering my craft room.  I'll spend some time in there today, making it a bit better.

The challenge for Day 11 is "Enjoy the sun - eat your lunch outside". This might indeed be the biggest challenge on the list. My plan is to slip this challenge in when ever there is sunshine rather than waiting for the correct day to come along.

November Goals - Review

Personal/Home:
I didn't lose another stone, but I have managed to remain consistent. This is good. Illness prevented daily cycling. I start of so well, but get interrupted and fail to get back on the metal steed. The kitchen is being kept cleaner and tidier month on month. It's still not always where I want it to be, but it's better than it was.

Crafting:

• finish Doctor Who scarf ✓
• knit 4 hats for charity ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
• complete mitred square baby blanket ✓

• knit purple wrist warmers for H ✓
• finish or frog 5 UFOs ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

The needle case and scissors cases have been started, but aren't finished. This will happen in the next week. The hot water bottle cover will also be made. Then the following week, I'll make the cushion covers.

My holiday in England disrupted my crafting plans, but I did manage to make two more pairs of wrist warmers and two hats.

November Craftings

Mitred Squares Blanket

Started: June 2014

Finished: 1st November 2018

Doctor Who Scarf
Started: 3rd October 2018
Finished: 5th November 2018

Chocolate and Paprika Hat
Started: 5th November 2018
Finished: 6th November 2018

Black, Wine and Paprika Hat
Started: 9th November 2018
Finished: 9th November 2018

Black and Paprika Hat
Started: 9th November 2018
Finished: 9th November 2018

Aubergine Wrist Warmers
Started: 6th November 2018
Finished 14th November 2018

Blue Socks
Started: pre-2014
Finished 16th November 2018

King Cole Smooth Cardigan and Hat

Started: ????

Finished: 16th November 2018

Twilleys Freedom Hat
Started: 16th November 2018
Finished: 18th November 2018

Wine Wrist Warmers
Started: 22nd November 2018
Finished 23rd November 2018

Teal Wrist Warmers
Started: 23rd November 2018
Finished 25th November 2018

Happy St Andrew's Day

A happy St Andrew's Day to all Scots, those who live in Scotland. Also to those who have a connection to Scotland, who wish they had, or even just who like a bit of tartan.

Eat a Scottish food, eg shortbread, haggis, stovies, Athol brose, pancakes... Or have a wee dram of whisky, or a raise a glass of Irn Bru. 

Scotland is a pretty fine place, and as the traditional toast goes, "Here's tae us? Wha's like us? Damn few, an' they're a' deid!"

Call Someone You Love

"Call someone you love" - the person I love most, and who doesn't live in the same house as me is the Elder Offspring. I shall phone her tonight. I've not seen her since the start of the week, and I'm missing her. It's three and a half weeks until I can hug her again.

Walking the Dog

It has been incredibly easy to follow the Day 3 challenge: take a walk outdoors. A lovely, very hairy pooch is almost always ready to go for a walk. She is happy to have an adventure at any time.

20 Day Mental Wellness Challenge

I saw this yesterday, and the thought of going to be an hour earlier was lovely. The reality was even better than the thought.

Day 2's challenge is to write about 10 things I'm grateful for.
1. I am so grateful for a loving family.
2. I'm grateful for the time we spent together in England, laughing, telling stories and having fun.
3. I'm grateful to the reaction we received when we collected her from the kennels. She was overjoyed to see us.
4. I'm grateful for friends.
5. I'm grateful for squishy packages full of fabric, receiving them and sending them.
6. I'm grateful for the ability to craft. My sore wrist yesterday reminded me how grateful I am.
7. I'm grateful to be home and sleep in my own bed.
8. I'm grateful for good food.
9. I'm grateful I have lost weight and so improved my health.
10. I'm grateful for awesome resources available on-line, from tutorials in how to make fondant pigs, to learning about quantum physics.

Home Again, Home Again, Giiggity-gig

Travelling home has been a bit of an experience. I managed to toss the sheet of paper with the booking for the ferry. It was only after we had been driving for about an hour I realised what I had done. Returning to collect it was not an option.

Then, there were at least three different sets of roadworks. Driving at slow, slow speeds was incredibly annoying. To add a little excitement, The Beloved mistook the check-in time by an hour and was getting more and more wound up, but didn't say anything. We arrived with 15 minutes to spare according to his reckoning, but in actuality, we had 1 hour, 15 minutes!

Whilst on board the ferry thing got a little bumpy. The image above was taken at the same time we travelling, but at Port St Mary. Yup, a little bumpy.

It was glorious to get home again.

Big Delight with Stripes Hat

Yarn: Drops Big Delight

Composition: 100% wool

Colour: blues

Colour: 12

Dyelot: 1113

Yarn: John Lewis DK

Composition: 100% acrylic

Colour: black

Pattern: Super Chunky Hat

Size: Adult

Needles: 10mm

Started: 26th November 2018 

Finished:  28th November 2018

Big Delight Chunky Hat

Yarn: Drops Big Delight

Composition: 100% wool

Colour: blues

Colour: 12

Dyelot: 1113

Pattern: Super Chunky Hat

Size: Adult

Needles: 10mm

Started: 24th November 2018 

Finished:  26th November 2018

Teal Wrist Warmers

Company:  The Women's Institute

Yarn: Soft and Silky

Composition: Microfibre acrylic 100%

Colour:  azure

Pattern: Ribbed Wrist Warmers

Size: Adult
Needles: 3.75mm

Amount used:  30g

Started:  23rd November 2018

Finished: 25th November 2018

This is such a popular design, and the ribbing stretches to accommodate the broadest to the narrowest hands.

The yarn claims to be a 4ply, but it is a very thick 4ply.

These wrist warmers really are finished. The ends of yarn in the photograph are from the piece of yarn used to hold the wrist warmers together.

Pigs in Mud

Pink fondant pig playing in a mud pond of chocolate ganache. The pond is sitting on top of vanilla sponges sandwiched together with whipped cream and ganache. The gluten-free Kit-Kat substitutes are glued in place with more ganache.

Happy birthday, birthday people.

Wine Wrist Warmers

Company:  Deramores

Yarn: Studio DK 

Composition: Acrylic 100%

Colour:  wine

Pattern: Ribbed Wrist Warmers

Size: Woman
Needles: 4mm

Amount used:  30g

Started:  22nd November 2018

Finished: 23rd November 2018

I'm using up the remains of the yarn from the Doctor Who scarf. This will be a Christmas present.

Norwegian Sweater

Whilst on the ferry, I bumped into a man wearing a beautiful Norwegian sweater. 

A quick "Oh, your sweater is beautiful!" Followed by I'd love to make one for my husband. May I take a photograph?" yielded good results. I must come across as a non-threatening, but slightly crazy crafter.

And Relax!

Time to kick back and relax.