Well Hello There ....

Fantastic Menagerie Tarot

Wow.

So I think this needs a soundtrack, don't you ?

Something classy but a little unusual and unexpected, like me.




 
Yeah ... I swear it was just last week when I posted, not nearly 4 months ago ! My 2 year tenure as co-Chair (with my Good Twin) of TABI ended, I went to Witchfest for the first time in years to read tarot with my Eviller Twin, I had a temporary Christmas job which I loved, and a little sideline making tea cosies, and then I lost my blogging mojo. I'm not quite sure it's 100% back yet, so no empty promises, let's be spontaneous and uncommitted and see where the breeze blows us. 

Yes, I was a small child in the 70s, why do you ask ? It left me with a morbid fear - nay, phobia - of wide lapels, flared slacks, clompy ugly shoes and bowl haircuts done by my Mum. I can barely control the shudder.

This year looks like it might be mainly crochet - I have lots of cushions to make to replace the well-used manky ones currently on the sofas, and at least two blankeys - one of which will be a BAMCAL (Block-A-Month Crochet-A-Long) with the aforementioned Eviller Twin. As far as I am concerned, it will be impromptu, because I don't want to know her Plan.

So this is a 70s-influenced post for sure - free spiritedness, crochet, and our house.

'Afghan Reincarnation'

And guess what - even more 70s-type colors:

Cow Parsley Afghan Square

Square 24 from '99 Granny Squares to Crochet'

The 2 above were made using King Cole Value Chunky and Hayfield Bonus Chunky: with a 6mm hook, they were super-quick to do, and using Chunky meant the squares came out large enough for a 16'' cushion.

TABI 10th Anniversary Conference 2015: Summary

Spiral Tarot

Well ! I had NO idea that so much time had passed so quickly and that I have been silent for over 4 weeks; I am so sorry, my dear friends - you'll find the tissues to dry your tears right over there.

I had got sucked into the vortex that is the end of term, feeling like a visitor in my own home as I spent so much time away from it at various school events - two separate sports days, a 'Wimbledon' and other stuff that I've already forgotten; then weekends currently tend to be full of child/cricket club-related activities; and then I lacked inspiration, and thought that perhaps the knitting project posts were all a bit samey and clinical; and then of course I have actually been away !

As in, got on a train and went somewhere !

I know ! It felt odd to me too, I have become such a sad homebody who uses too many exclamation marks, it seems !

But I went to TABI's 10th Anniversary Conference, held at the Aston Conference Centre; superbly organized by my Good Twin Alison Cross and the Treasurer Caroline Blackler, all I had to do was eat, drink, socialize and take photos - I was quite open that I wasn't there for the educational aspects, although some of it seeped in despite my best intentions: Alison's own talk on how to use elemental dignities to aid interpretation of reversed Court cards, Jane Struthers' very useful talk and spreads on relationship readings; and my friend Andy Boroveshengra's introduction to reading Lenormand, which I am convinced made it appear deceptively simple, but is actually just the mere tip of the iceberg. Caitlin Matthews' sung blessing at the beginning of her talk added an unexpected New Age touch to the Conference, and ensured everyone was awake ...

I came away with quite the swag bundle, as you can see:

A custom souvenir tarot bag from AniaM:

 And lastly - and which connects my tarot to my knitting - the thoughtful thank you gift I received for doing nothing:

A gorgeous yarn bowl from the Stone Penguin Pottery.

But the best part of the whole weekend was making so many new friends, and meeting up with old ones:

The Good, The Eviller and The Evil Twins

 

The Interim Lull

Whimsical Tarot

Well, have we snoozed for long enough ? Or shall I tuck you back in under a snuggly blankey and we'll roll over and snore some more ? Winter, cold temperatures and having the family all home just exacerbate my hermit tendencies, I'm afraid. And because Titch has been home, I am using him as the excuse for not posting - I can ignore the kids with no problems, but he takes up too much space for that.

We had an organized (read: calm and peaceful) Christmas: the kids got what they'd asked for, we visited both my sister's family and Titch's family, we hosted Belo and Uber Cool Brother for Xmas lunch. We have played charades and Scrabble (which Destructo Boy doesn't like as ''I'm so crap at this even Dad is beating me'').

My Twins seem to have a Christmas during which much cookerly experimentation was successful - I am happy to reassure you that the Eviller Twin was far less Blumenthal this year, but the Good Twin continues to espouse Ottolenghi and the consequent need for bathroom extractor fans - and they liked their gifts (always a bonus). 

Hello Kitty Tarot

 I can't tell you how much of a warm support and embracing retreat they have been for me this year, always there to provide emotional and mental support, on top of everything else. I did call them and try to tell them, but I didn't haz no words to convey my gratitude.

It's OK, don't run away, come back - that's it for the overly gushy warm and fuzzy emotional ick for now, I promise.

Whimsical Tarot

Over the next few days I shall be pondering my goals for next year - some seem to be rising to the top of the queue - for example, conquering the rigid and sweaty anxiety attacks caused being in any car doing more than 20 mph. But then again, how badly to I need to get anywhere that's far enough away to require a car trip ? Online grocery shopping has never been so welcome. 

Hudes Tarot

However, I'm not sure I'm ready yet to drop the reclusive hermit-ness I have been practicing in RL - I am still burned out on people, generally speaking. I have one big main Plan for crafting/knitting next year, which I will, of course, be telling you all about at a later date. Do you feel enticed ? 

I am even feeling like I must pull out all the Stash and sort it out properly - it has got a bit mixed up what with sneaky additions and hiding Xmas presents, but I think that must wait til Titch has gone back to work - he already doesn't believe me when I say I want to make X, or Y, but that I haven't got the right yarn for it and so must buy more. If he saw what was actually there, I would have no chance at all ....

Have you got Plans for next year, knitting and/or personal ?

The Kindness of Strangers

This colorful 6 of Pentacles from the Tarot of Trees is to exemplify the kindness of strangers. I have been very fortunate to receive some lovely things this year - sometimes simply for the asking, and at other times, wished for but unasked - from people I have never met except online.

Quite some while back my Alabama friend Sara of Lazy Knits & Purls was having a clear out and, amongst other things, was getting rid of some Brittany knitting needles; tongue-in-cheek, I suggested that I was a worthy beneficiary.  Lo ! what showed up in my mail a couple of weeks later:

At around the same time, my Fen friend Susie from Useless Beauty was itching to jettison some Malabrigo Lace in a lovely colorway, . She didn't like the feel of it: I know ! Not in her right mind, obviously. D'you think I took advantage ? Why, yes, yes I did - I nominated myself as being is dire need of it, and Lookee ! what my postman delivered a bare few days later:

One skein of which was sent much later to my friend monkey Mimi so as to share the love, and the other I transformed into the Waves of Leaves shawl (blogged about here, here and here):

My Good Twin, Alison of Hestia's Larder, sent me - apropos of nothing - a deck I'd been quite keen on for a while, the Fenestra:

 My Evil Twin, Ania of AniaM, sent me a bunch of ebooks, mainly crime - murder mysteries. I wonder what she's trying to tell me ? By the way, I have actually met my Twins in real life.

And just this week, mi amiga Janine of Where the Nodding Violets Grow not only emailed me with a lovely comment about my last post, but said she'd found one more ball of the Sirdar Sirocco she'd gifted me, and would I like it ?

Also this week, I was surfing my Ravelry friends' activities, and noticed that m'amie Steph had posted pictures of her completed Karise shawl. Why yes, it is green (again) - why do you ask ? Since her alter-ego's name must be Kermit ....

I asked her if she might lend the pattern to me, and - Whallah ! - there it was, gifted to me and sitting in my Ravelry library ! 'Course, that means that now I really do have to knit it.

So take that Bainbridge Scholars Mister Kitten, for all those posts where your thrift shop finds made me weep and wail.

Back with a Bang

Well, the festive period meant a longer than usual blogging hiatus, since both my DH and my father were at home - my father after an unplanned stay in Houston, and then via Schiphol and the ferry to Harwich (without any luggage, as it was all lost in transit - so much for the extra security regulations about unaccompanied luggage) rather than flying in to Heathrow, because of the snow.

It was good to meet my father's fiancee and two of her children, although I did pity them for their obvious sufferings in the cold temperatures here. Santa visited our house and left my children thoroughly spoiled, having received every item they had asked for: but, to be fair, their lists were not extensive, and Mini Diva's did include a request for catnip for the cats ...

And I was also very spoiled - you met my main Xmas present already; and as DH realized far too late (as in, Christmas morning) that he had not got gifts to/for me from the children, the ensuing guilt was much to my advantage, since it resulted in a lunch out and this:



3 skeins of Araucania Ranco Multy in shade 351, bought from the lovely Karen over at Twist in Woodbridge (who also has some lovely Fyberspates laceweight that I managed to resist, as well as some fantabulous Manos del Uruguay silk yarn which I will go back for next time DH has put himself in the dog-house ...)

I don't often spend that much money - even when it's DH's guilt-money - on a yarn, but my friend Ania had gifted me a beautiful pattern, also for Christmas: the Starflower Estonian Lace Baby Blanket, by Hazel Roots; it won't be a baby blanket, but it does deserve some special yarn - hence the Araucania. It may be some time til I start it, as it does involve a couple of techniques new to me, and I am an old dog when it comes to these kinds of things ....

Since we are speaking of special people, and special yarn, the two combined for me this year in this unexpected and delightful Xmas gift from my friend Mimi, which arrived most appositely on Xmas Eve, in spite of snow-caused backlogs:



This 440 yards of 4 ply superwash wool was hand-dyed especially for me, and so, in addition, is totally unique. I can't tell you the buzz that is to me - I imagine it's somewhat akin to having a rose named after you. However, I can tell you that I am filled with a gloating satisfaction when I look at it. I am told it would make a nice pair of socks, but as I have mentioned before, that is an addiction I refuse to engage with.