Winter pursuits

This is the first time in quite a few years that I haven’t been able to escape up north for some warmer weather. Two reasons for this: firstly, I spent too much on my Andalusian trip and secondly, I was awaiting a medical procedure. Like the Royal Family, I’m not going to reveal details (except to say it was in a part of the body we don’t talk about in polite company). I’m just recovering now and have this little reminder of my time in day surgery:

This is a good time to concentrate on my crafts. My wrist warmers in the Arne and Carlos yarn go nicely with one of JL’s merino jumpers that I’m making use of. 

My blue bed jacket in a retro pattern is almost complete. The very first thing I knitted (aged 10) was a pink bed jacket, done under close supervision by my mother. I wish I still had it. My mother taught me to knit and my grandmother to crochet. I am really grateful for both. We used to do it over the Christmas holidays when everyone was bored with too much food. I wish I could pass on my skills to my daughter and granddaughter, but they seem to have other interests.

I will put my bed jacket to good use when I sit up in bed with a cup of tea on cold mornings, catching up with emails and YouTube videos that I follow. Among other things, I enjoy Rachel is Knitting and Little Miss Drop Stitch as well as lots of videos about campervan travels.

For knitting inspiration I keep looking through this book, purchased when I was in Margaret River:

Now for some quilting. This is a project that has been going on for too long. It’s supposed to be one of those covers that hotels put over the foot of beds: very difficult to photograph. It’s based on fish motifs from JS’s balcony railings in Exmouth, together with a few Camino touches:

A small amount of preserving has been done, in the form of red onion chutney. It’s delicious on a cheese sandwich. The jars are sitting on one of JN’s handwoven tea towels; weaving is not one of my accomplishments:

Finally, there’s always time to go out for a coffee. Have you ever seen them do a seahorse?