Winter garden

December last year was bitterly cold. This year it has been very mild - so the garden is far greener than usual at this time of year.



Braving winter

I went out to see what was flowering in mid-winter and nearly missed this little flower.

Winter flowering

As someone who only feels really alive in a hot summer, I have huge admiration for those plants who come into flower in the depths of winter - and look so pretty with it.

Primulas

Primulas look so fragile - and are so amazingly robust. Nothing seems to worry them even in the worst weather.

Winter view

At this time of winter the view from my window can often look like a charcoal drawing, but today there was enough weak sunshine to give a little colour.

Cardigan - abandoned

Sadly, I have had to abandon my cable cardigan and will frog it in due course. I just didn't have enough yarn and couldn't find a fudge I could live with. However I love the pattern so will try again with a different yarn - once I can decide what to use!

Cardigan -sleeve started

I've started the sleeve using one strand of the body yarn together with the soft white cashmere I have. It is not ideal though the effect varies according to the angle and the light. But I don't have enough of anything to knit the whole cardigan - the cables really eat yarn! And I am housebound and not fashion conscious so no one much sees me. And I badly need a warm cardigan. So this seems the best fo some not very good options. I do find that once the oil is washed out and the yarn has been washed a few times the colour generally softens a good deal - which would be a good thing in this case - fingers crossed!

Cardigan - both fronts finished

I've got both fronts finished - and I most definitely do not have enough yarn for the sleeves. Grrr!

Growing up!

Sunny again!

Merry Christmas!

Two foot tall Christmas tree - the sum total of my decorating for Christmas.

Blanket

I started a modular mired square blanket recently so I would have something easy to knit when I am tired.

My husband's orchid

His orchid is doing so well - he is very proud of it!

Ginger's ear

 

Ginger's ear has healed but it still looks odd.

All three together!

My husband managed to get a rare picture with all three cats in the same shot!

Yes?

Sunny has really deep copper coloured eyes.

Tigger

Hasn't he got huge whiskers!

Lovely!

Sunny is now 8 months old but still barely 3 kilos in weight - which didn't stop her catching, killing and bringing in a grey squirrel recently. She dismembered it all over the carpet - oh well, I was planning to shampoo the carpets anyhow!

Changing sheets - with help

I was changing the bedding when Sunny decided to help me. That is the clean duvet cover she has burrowed into!

Cardigan - first front finished

I have finished the first front and attached it to the back. I slightly altered the neck line to suit my figure better. The one problem is that I am using a lot more yarn than I expected and am not going to have enough. I can certainly finish the other front and then I will need to decide what to do about the sleeves - I will need to add some other cashmere yarn, but am not sure which yet.

Cute

A reminder of Sunny when she was still a blue-eyed baby.

A reminder of summer

It is a cold morning after a wet night, and with a storm promised. So here is a reminder of tranquil summer days.

Sniffle

It is cold and grey and I have a head cold - so here is a lovely reminder of warm summer days from my garden.

Fisherman's Cardigan - first front started

Here I have started the first front. I like the integral brioche stitch band.

There are several different things going on at different rates - which is why I have 3 different colours of markers. The band has short rows after every 6 rows. The green markers mark pattern where the cables cross on rows 5 and 11 of a 12 row repeat, the purple markers mark a pattern change on rows 2 and 8 of this 12 row repeat. The 12 row repeat and 6 row repeats are out of step with each other.

And I want to work 107 pattern rows, so I have a peg board with 3 different count-ups going on at once. Top left is the 6 row repeat, bottom left the 12 row repeat and bottom right the total starting above the rib section.

I have made one change, starting all the cable patterns at the same point instead of having one start part-way up the ribbing.

Fisherman's cardigan - back finished

I have got the back finished, lengthening the upper section to accomodate my spinal curvature. It is going to be lovely!

I thought I was ready for bed

I thought I was all ready for bed. I'd checked the back door was locked and the gas was turned off. I'd brushed my teeth and my hair. I came in to get into bed and found I had a problem!

Doesn't Tigger look comfy! I love the way he had managed to turn back the duvet to provide a pillow.

My husband's orchid

My husband bought this orchid in flower in the spring. When it finished flowering he was determined to see if he could get it to flower again - and here it is, this morning, in flower again!