BLESSED SPEEDY

What a productive second half of the month Ive had! And considering that we have had heat wave conditions - I think 7 days of over 42 degrees celcius in a row, Im pretty pleased with what ive got done Firstly this pair of socks - the yarn and pattern was a gift in the Ravelry Christmas Yarn ball swap - the yarn is Regia sock and the pattern is 7265 estene sock pattern by regia Next is some cards I made at Julianas recent card day and I really like how they turned out - some were quite tricky And finally these two wash clothes that were an easy knit while watching the tennis - yarn is jo sharp 8 ply cotton leftovers and the pattern is Chinese Waves dishcloth (but I use them as face washers) Ive also been trying to reduce my crafting stash and in particular my fabrics and quilting things I have a reasonable size pile of bits and pieces leftover from quilts I have made, I made these tablerunners and place mats from them Even used up some leftover binding and wadding too - so real...

Well my "word" or "intention" for 2026 is gentle so Im being gentle to myself of not being up to date in the first month of the year However heres is what Ive managed to achieve for the first half of January 2026 First off is the habitation throw - I used the Louie and Lola advent kit from 2024 (its DK weight) and the pattern is by Curious Handmade Perfect pattern to work on while watching tv and I love how the colours turned out Next are two washers and I used yarn that is probably been languishing in my stash for almost 15 years - and I used it all up except for a few inches so that was very satisfying Up next is reading - Fabuloulsy written dystopian story of Wren who is part of the rebel (or Mods) in a military governerned world. She can speak telephacilly as well as other skills. She is sent to train for silver elite against her wishes and encounters Cross who is both her commanding officer and becomes her love. Very Divergent, Fourth Wing vibes A definit...

So here we are half way through January and Im doing my start of 2026 post! All good and it actually fits quite well with my "word" or "intention" for 2026 I found a quote on the net which describes how I want to show up in 2026 pretty well "The word "gentle" is a popular choice for 2026, representing a desire for softness, intentionality, and self-compassion in a world that feels rushed, often used as a personal "word of the year" to guide actions with kindness, slow pace, and balance, rather than force. People choose "gentle" to mean being kind to themselves and others, embracing realistic expectations, and moving forward with care and strength, contrasting with aggressive goal-setting." Yes Im a busy person and yes I do pack a lot into each day, but Im also not good at being kind to myself which then makes me just a little bit cranky when others ask too much of me Yes Im happy to help others and to be kind to them b...

Ok Im yet to finish anything craftwise - but I have finished christmas - its all packed away so I thought I would do a reading update Here we go Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid This book came with lots of people saying how good it was and I wasnt disappointed! Its set in the 1980s and tells the story of Joan Goodwin who has always wanted to go into space as she is obsessed with stars and finds herself in the astronaut program at NASA It takes us through her training, the friendships she makes and the challenges she faces And yes there is a suprising but lovely love interest Did I cry at the end Yes! A huge 5 stars The Cosy Croissant Cafe by Jane Linfoot My daughter gave me this to read and it was such a lovely easy book to read Its the story of Betty and her pony Pumpkin and they time in the village of St Aidans Yes there is baking, and small village life and of course a gorgeous man An easy relaxing read and 4 stars Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness (via Audible) Boo...

My good friend and helper Molly (also known as Molly by Golly, or Good Old Girl) has gone over the rainbow bridge She gave us 16 years of love, friendship and devotion to her work She was really good at talking too! She was also super fussy - would only drink water from the water trough at the top of the drive way (in her last days she drank from my hand so that felt special) She didnt like to eat out of dog bowls that much -preferring to eat off the ground And she liked to keep Buster and Monty in line (goodness knows what will happen now) We will miss her greatly, she was a lovely dog Rest well Molly - a life well lived