A bit of knitting

Well, quite a bit of knitting, but all very simple. I sent these scarves off to a group helping homeless people in Edinburgh - hope they helped keep someone warm over the last few weeks. I've got a couple more scarves and a couple of dog jumpers part-done as well but I've been cross-stitching a bit more recently.

Mrs Duck is nearing the end with just her jumper and a couple of arms to finish, then I'm going to concentrate on Jackie's Mum's design, which I'll take a photo of once I've done a bit more.

Blogging resolution

I know I say this every year but I really do want to write in this blog more often. Admittedly, I'm not doing much knitting or stitching at the moment but I've already read a 10 out of 10 book this year!

A Discovery of Witches was recommended to me by my friend Jackie and as I decided to treat myself to a Kindle (not the snazzy Fire, just an ordinary bog-standard one!) I also treated myself to ADoW. It's a brilliant book, certainly not to be confused with the Twilight series, which I've never read but as the first film made me want to shake the main female character, I'll probably never read the books :-)

 

 

Although a love story at heart, A Discovery of Witches is so much more, full of wonderful characters and though there are obviously supernatural elements with witches, vampires and daemons, it all somehow seems very real. There's danger, mystery and love for Diana, the main character who just happens to be a witch, and I especially enjoyed the parts where Diana's powers grew and developed. I loved Deborah Harkness' writing and I flew through the 700-odd pages. This was one of those books which I really didn't want to end, though luckily it's the first in a trilogy :-)

 

I've still got Mrs Duck to finish and I've finally started a design for Jackie's Mum. Although I'll keep doing cards throughout the year, I've promised myself not to start a medium or large piece until I've finished at least five UFOs! Let's see how long that lasts...

 

It's been snowing virtually all day here but I've made sure that the birds have got plenty of food .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sad end to 2012

My last post was to do with losing Toffee in September - this one is about losing Pepsi just after Christmas :-(

He had congenital heart failure and went very quickly in the end, with my lovely vet coming out to the house to put him to sleep. He slipped away very quickly in my arms and though I had tears streaming down my face (and do now, typing this) I know that I did the right thing. He had less than two hours of discomfort - I don't think he was in pain - but he was also quite scared and tried to hide away but then came out to lie by me on the floor. He's buried in the garden, which is more than I could do for Toffee, so is still very near to me.

He had over 10 years with me of eating, cuddles and purring. Pepsi was a very chatty cat - he quacked rather than miawoed - and just looking at him would start him purring.

The house is so strange now, there's no-one to welcome me home or give me cuddles on these cold evenings. I've decided to adopt a couple of cats around Easter so that I'll have a long weekend for us to settle in together but Pepsi and Toffee will have a very special place in my heart for ever.

 

 

Love you Peps, hope you're now cuddled up nice and warm with Toffee.