Wednesday, January 28, 2015

A year of Tawashis

In 2013 I took part in a year of dishcloths, making one a month with the Dishcloth Mania group on Ravelry. I've still got most of them, slightly faded but still doing their job. So last year I didn't join in at all. However, this year alternatives are being suggested each month - still for washing up but Tawashis as well as dishcloths and that's something I could do with, so here is January's 
                             
                                                              Two Tone Tawashi
KnIt on 4.5mm needles with purple ( yes it is purple really) acrylic Aran and two strands of a thinnish DK cotton for the contrast 

Thursday, January 01, 2015

Goodbye 2014 and welcome 2015

Lots of my friends and colleagues have been saying that 2014 was a fabulous year for them or a dreadful year depending - as far as I'm concerned 2014 has just been a year. 
I've been very fortunate that nothing bad has happened, quite a lot of nice things happened too, but nothing that I would class as fabulous.
I had a very pleasant cruise to Norway in May, went to Woolfest for the first time and had an enjoyable holiday in the Lake District in June/July.  DD is much happier at this end of the year having given up her very stressful job as a shop manager (and believe me, it can be stressful) to become a Nanny to a lovely family who have taken her into their hearts. I was awarded overall Customer Service team member of the month at work, not bad when you consider the number of people in Customer service - and the best bit of that was having a car parking space for the whole of December! 
And I finally bought a spinning wheel - something I had been wanting for ever.
I have my health, though there have been minor hiccups with ears and balance along the way but my brain scan showed that I do have a brain! and that it is "normal (for my age)" Cheek, I'm only 51! 
My family remain well, independent and active and there are the same number of us at the end of the year as there were at the start .......

So maybe it has been a good year after all.

I always keep a record of the books I read to post in the last post of the year, (or in this case the first, since yesterday disappeared in a cloud of work and helping DH with the most fiddly of construction techniques on a model air plane all evening) so in keeping with tradition, during 2014 I read...

  • Watch over me by Daniela Sacerdoti
  • The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer
  • The Enemy Within by James Craig
  • London Calling by James Craig
  • Another Cup of Coffee by Jenny Kane
  • #Youdunnit:Three Short Stories by Nicci French, Alistair Gunn & Tim Weaver
  • Take me Home by Daniela Sacerdoti
  • What Dies Inside by James Craig
  • The Shadow of Death by Tim Ellis
  • The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
  • Buckingham palace Blues by James Craig
  • When You Walked Back Into My Life by Hilary Boyd
  • The Hand of God by James Craig
  • The One You Really Want by Jill Mansell

Fourteen books, which just goes to show I'm fairly consistent as I read the same in 2011, and 15 in 2012 and 2013. 

And finally, a blog post should always have at least one picture (IMO) so here is my first attempt at spinning on Terri the Traveller using some Jacob Tops I bought from Wingham Wool Work.
                             

Happy New Year to one and all and may 2015 be fabulous !