The snow is still lying deep and crisp, but not very even. It has frozen overnight, making it difficult to move about. Black ice lies in wait on the lane. H2 and I walked to school, well wrapped up against the cold and made it without being too late. The school bus couldn't get to all the children and had to turn back, much to the delight of those aboard, no doubt. There were only 17 children in school yesterday, and probably not many more today.
In the evenings the temperature plummets and we all feel it inside the cottage. I am not one for whacking the heating up too much, so instead we drag our quilts and blankets off our beds and snuggle up on the settee, usually with a dog or two wedged in between.
I love this kind of weather. It offers a bit of excitement to the usual routine and being a homey type person, I love doing things to keep us warm and snugly. However, now that two of my children are teenagers, they don't take much notice of my efforts to keep them warm. H1 wanders about without any socks on and Pea will wear a thin top that exposes her tummy when she moves about. I keep banging on about how they will regret such behaviour when they are my age, but to no avail. H2 is following suit and even the dogs reject my attempts to wrap them up. Oh well.
This snowman was wearing more clothes than my children.
A little bit of love to warm the heart, even if the body is still frozen!
Back indoors, a little bit of crocheting was in order. About 5 years ago, I taught myself to knit. Well, when I say I taught myself, what I mean is I borrowed Pea's Beginners Knitting book and got myself in a right ravel . I asked the lady next door who told me I'd been knitting backwards. Hmm, not sure how I managed that, but never mind. Next mum had a go at helping me and eventually, with a lot of practice, I got the hang of it. I made a few things and still wear the cardigan and jumper I made. Knitting is all very well, but it made my arms ache and I found I wasn't that keen on following a pattern; too many things could go wrong, leaving me feeling inadequate at best. I had a go at crochet and liked this craft much more. One hook, one stitch; perfect. Reading the blog 'Vintage Magpie' got me hooked on sewing and I haven't stopped crafting in one form or another since. Thanks Nicky!
I had a go at making this coaster/doily, from issue 20 (I think) of Molly Makes. They are really gorgeous and not too difficult, once I got the hang of what they were on about. I'm not too thrilled with the edge though. It looks a bit square and I prefer round. I will have another go later.
Another thing I have been doing is making candles.
As you know, I love candles!
I plan to open an Etsy shop within the next month and have a go at selling my candles, so at the moment I am very busy making enough stock to warrant having a shop in the first place. My friend came to see me last week and I warned her that I would be busy. It was lovely; she sat in the kitchen drinking coffee and chatting with me while I worked. I couldn't do that and sew, or paper cut, or crochet. It is the perfect craft for me. It doesn't give me awful back ache from sitting down too much, I can stand and move about, which I like, listen to the radio and talk to the dogs or anyone who happens to be about. Yesterday, my neighbour came bearing a very odd gift. He put something into my hand and grinned. The mind boggles.
A moment of mild panic ensued, before I realised it was an
egg. Poor hen! He then very kindly gave me four beautifully formed freshly laid eggs, which I used to make a huge cake with.
It may be cold outside, but friendship and kindness in all it's forms keeps us warm inside. Now if you don't mind I'm off to finish my coffee and get my crocheting hook out again. Practice makes perfect.
Have a lovely day and keep smiling. xxx
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