Sun, Sea but no Sangria

But we did have mulled wine!

Just had the most brilliant few days away over the 'festive period'. Finished my Winter Berry Stole which was done as an Advent KAL, a clue a day and I managed to keep up, finishing at lunchtime on December 24th - wore (unblocked) to throw pebbles on Seaton beach....not much sand there, but the sun did shine if only for a very brief period.















Managed to lose a screw, I know I have had a screw missing for years, but this was the very important screw that holds one of my front castors in place, so we had to curtail our walk, although by the time I noticed it was missing we had 'walked' from one end of Seaton esplanade to the other - a couple of miles, so no chance of finding it.......

Castor fixed, we had another long walk on Boxing Day, admiring the picturesque architecture of South Devon - well actually peeking into other people's houses, (a hobby of ours) after which we rewarded ourselves with some more mulled wine................


I have finally filled one of the big bobbins on my Hansen Mini Spinner with combed Polwarth - phew! A whopping 12ozs - having n-plied the first 100 grams - 630 yards, this I have calculated equates to around three and a half miles of singles on one bobbin............


















Also took Mr S to Axminster Tools to choose his pressies - well after the hash I made buying the lathe in the first place, I thought better of surprises and settled for 'pick your own'! While in Axminster we found the most fantastic pizzeria serving gluten-free food - well you can't turn down the opportunity of a meal out - so for our Christmas treat we had pizza - straight from a proper pizza oven - delicious!

The Sun is coming back...

Yesterday was the shortest day, so today is the start of the new year! From today the earth starts to tip back on its axis until in June we get the longest day...... and I know which day I prefer. It's the lack of natural light I find depressing, particularly having the lights on at mid-day because it is so gloomy, although today the sun is shining so we are generating electricity! Probably not enough to run the two PCs currently powered up, but some and that can't be bad.

December and all the festivities is a marmite situation, you either love it or hate, I hate it and long for the relative peace and quiet that January will bring - I dislike the constant drone of the Christmas 'pop' music in the shops - did a quick shop for tonight's supper in a well-known large supermarket and we could hardly hear each other speak - quite understand why Internet grocery shopping is growing in popularity - shame that the nearest Waitrose doesn't deliver to us yet!

This year I have joined in a Knit-a-long - an Advent Scarf/Stole, and its has certainly helped - rather than dreading the impending 'day' I have been drawn along eagerly awaiting each day and its clue - this could be the answer to December blues -














Although it has been rather costly in needles - up to now I have used Knitpro interchangeable or fixed circulars, but breakages have become more commonplace - three 2.75m fixed circular needles broke in the last month, one after only a week - not good! So I thought I would canvas opinion on the best alternative - Addi Lace, Chiaogoo, Hiya, Denise, Kollage Square and dream on Lantern Moon.

A friend lent me a set of Denise, not keen they don't feel very substantial and I don't like the twist that attaches the cable to the needles - plus the join isn't very smooth - so a no

I bought a couple of Chiaogoo red lace cable needles and they are certainly very nice to use, the cable doesn't kink and the join is very smooth - so a contender!

Hiya - not managed to get any as yet, although I have just found a UK supplier so will order some after the holiday if they have the right size - why aren't there any 3mm, US 2.5, Old English size 11s when I want them?

Addi Red Lace, obviously picked up on the Chiaogoo with the red, but actually very nice to use - they are nickel plated brass and the join is so smooth - and I am using these for the Advent Stole KAL

The square needles feel strange although the tips are the usual round, a good needles, but the cable on the smaller sizes is so thin, I'd be worried that it would break and I'd lose the stitches

Lantern Moon - well I haven't tried them - and at £23 each I won't trying them for the forseable future unless a kind someone would like to put some in the raffle???

When is a want a real need?

We joke at Spindyeweavers that there is no such thing as 'want', need is the word of choice.

There is a big difference between want and need, in today's consumer society we are pressured into needing/wanting all sorts of luxury items. I don't mean washing machines and dishwashers because they are essentials (well I think so because they let me get on with the more important things in life), but the latest gaming machine or the gadget advertised as this years object of desire aren't needed, just wanted, and this is a created want. Advertising creates wants the only real needs are food and warmth, everything else is a bonus you could say. This is getting very philosophical, but there is a reason for delving into need vs want.

Generally I can upgrade wanting something to I really need that! Well on small things and anything to do with spinning there is a real feeling of need, but yesterday I saw parked in Chepstow something I that I lust after - a pink car, not a pale or nearly pink, but a in your face pink - I want, please Father Christmas I have been a very good girl this year - honest!

Teeth Who Needs Them?

About a six weeks or so ago our cat broke one of her lower canines, no idea what on as she doesn't really have hard food, but broke it she did and kept the fact to herself for a couple of weeks. I only discovered the fact when she squealed when I tried to wipe her mouth because she was dribbling............a visit to the vet confirmed that she had an infection in her lower jaw and needed dental surgery asap. In fact she had 24 teeth removed and certainly felt very sorry for herself when we picked her up in the evening

As you can see she had a pretty pink bandage, where the canula had been, and because of this she limped around until I managed to take it off, when the limped stopped................... We had antibiotics for 10 days and a painkilling liquid which she took with a little protest and on the check-up a week later her jaw was back to normal and she was eating well.

So well that when she had her jabs last week she had put on 200 grams in two weeks, she has started grooming again and playing with her toys - obviously she had been suffering for a lot longer than a couple of weeks, but kept it to herself, and we had put it down to age!!! The vet said that she had definitely drawn the short straw when it came to teeth - and that we couldn't have known because cats hide this sort of thing so well, but I still feel so so quilty..........but she seems to have forgotton all about it now and is quite happy bite with the remaining eight if she can catch you unawares...................


Oh and I am still waiting for the insurance to pay up - hopefully they will as each tooth extracted cost £18.30!!! - but she's worth it and she knows she is..