November round up

Having been good for a few months with my craft purchases, I have gone a bit mad this month, almost everything purchased is for projects, so they should be used in the coming weeks. £17.29 was for needle felting needles. Garden is never a huge spend at this time of year, and with the refit, there is very little I want, I did get my rhubarb crown. I still have a garden centre voucher and some more birthday money, which I can use once everything is done.

We did purchase a new Christmas jumper each, mine is years old, and we had a do which required such jumpers, nothing else. I have had my eyes tested and the cost of new glasses, which can't be helped. 

We spent a bit more this month, but we have now finished the few Christmas gifts we give, most of the grandsons get money, we don't keep up with their taste as they live so far away. As for Black Friday (which last for weeks) passed us by, nothing purchased, nothing wanted.

We have increased our standing order for gas and electric this month, it's crazy how much power is still costing us. Our heating is on, but we are being careful not to boost it so much. 

No food waste, as always being really good on what we purchase and ensuring it's all used up, I have stocked up again, in hope we can avoid all the madness of shopping in December. 

I've lost a few pounds this month, all due to the bugs I've had, steps are averaging just over 6000 each day. 

Christmas baubles

 Loads of people use different things inside their needle felting items they make, the rovings when used can soon add cost to projects, I have this huge ball of yarn leftover from knitting, so I had a go at making a centre for a bauble, yarn, well wool works very well, using my 3 needle tool, the strands bind together very well, and I was able to make them truly round shaped, I made 6.

Without plans I looked at what fibres I had, I would liked to have a few of these as extra little gifts this Christmas, I wrap the rovings always in the same direction, it makes the basic ball look neat. I do have a few ideas for these using different colours.

Next was time on Internet, see what others had done, watch a couple of videos, checking what colours I have and deciding on the designs. Two are the start of robins, the red ones will be Santa's, the blue I will use for my sister, and the white, possibly a snowman. I not sure these will be finished anytime soon, I'm hopeful I can get going with them.

I have been using small biscuit cutters for these star shapes, I always wanted stars on the blue bauble, my sister loves blue, making one of the red's into Santa is fun, I'm not sure you can immediately guess it's him, I have a bit more to do. By now I hoped to have them all finished, but I'm not feeling up to crafting.

These took much longer than I wanted, I required some new needles for my clover branded triple handle, the best price we could find was on Ebay, hubby ordered 3 packs and then the problems started, nothing arrived, seller ignored hubby's messages, speak to Ebay, seller sent replacement, wrong size arrived, seller ignored hubby's messages again, speak to Ebay, who sent hubby return label, just waiting now to see if we get a refund. I found another company who sell them (still much cheaper than from Hobbycraft), they arrived as promised. Finally we have our refund, it's been a pain, and just makes me realise why I don't use Ebay. 

My desire to craft is very low, I have in the past two days picked up my knitting, I've finished one sleeve, these are for me easy designs to follow, I am not reading, I have a book but it's not calling. Luckily I don't have any crafting to make for Christmas this year, so no pressure, I've not touched my cakes whilst I have these bugs, I hope to marzipan them all soon.

Hubby has piled my Christmas boxes in the spare room, I don't have plans on when to start, I normally get it all done in one day, this year I will take my time.

This post was started weeks ago, the issues getting replacement needles and then these horrible bugs have slowed it all down. I will keep going as I do love them, I have in mind a project I want to start needle felting in the new year, I also now know how to finish my wet felting project, which I did a course back in July

Flowers for Christmas

These are Amaryllis bulbs 1 and 2 on right hand side, lovely long leaves but no flower bud, I have popped them behind the sofa, trying to see if they would grow a flower spike, I rested all my bulbs over the summer, storing them in paper bags, in shredded paper in a wooden tray, at the time I was going on instincts, later I read it was the correct thing to do. The others are bulbs 3 and 4, the 5th bulb is in the garage, I'm keeping it cold to hold the growth back, I am expecting these only to regrow leaves, as I can't get any of my bulbs to flower a second year. 

So recently in Tesco, I gave in a purchased this bulb, I am hoping the white will look good against our green walls. If the above bulbs don't produce flowers this year, I will compost them. I will plant it soon, I have hyacinth bulbs in a couple of pots and a white Christmas rose from last year, so I will have some fresh plants, I will also get a bright red cyclamen for inside.

Again this plant is in full bloom, it sits in our bathroom, once the flowers have dropped I will move it to our kitchen, which is next door to the bathroom, there we can see it throughout the day. I won't move it before as I don't want to disturb the blooms. The windows are next to each other, so only a small move, this plant gives me blooms at other times of the year, but not as many as now.

Last year when in Newcastle, I shopped in Fenwicks and got the ceramic tree at the back, I got the other ceramic tree on a shopping trip to Tesco, and decided I loved it and would get a couple more for Christmas gifts for friends, whilst there I saw the glass tree, so that now lives with me, I do a tree display each year, these will go nicely. All have candles inside, once I got home I realised they all had 20% off, I am already burning the glass tree, as I have some battery pretty lights I can pop into it when candle is done. 

Christmas is in my thoughts, I have finished purchasing the gifts, we don't get so many anymore, the grandsons are old enough to prefer money, I swap with just 1 sister and 1 brother, and a few friends, most everyone we know says the same thing, they don't want anything. We always have Christmas day with daughter, SIL and their 3, so we have gifts for each of them. Our store cupboards are full, and we have a few little extra's, only really need to think about fresh meat, dairy and veg, hubby is already making list. I played my Christmas song list on Monday, it's an complete mixup of sounds from through the years, and I love it, really festive. 

Thank you for your comments on my last post, I'm feeling much better, still have the awful cough which always hangs on after bugs, I am beginning to get back my taste buds, hubby has made some lovely soups for me, which was enough for me to eat when unwell. I'm not going to sign group today, I don't want to pass on bugs, so many of you understood my views, it is easier to walk away rather than try to explain and risk any unpleasant comments, the neighbour has been in the group longer than me.

Our landscaper popped over, he's very happy with the work we have done, and has no problem with the one small change we would like. We should soon start receiving supplies, which we have plenty of space for, he's looking forward to creating our perfect garden.

The electric's and solid wood floor is on hold until after the festive season, neither of us can face the work required, and the knowledge we will need to check the electrics in other rooms and replace if they are loose under the floor boards, I wish we had them looked at when we moved in, the sockets were checked, but not the wires. We have lived here for 14 years, so a few more months won't matter, will it? 2024 is going to be the year of the electrics.

Darn

I was given this book to read and honestly I almost gave up twice, but the lovely friend will ask me about the book, our reading taste are very different, it was a sweet book about a simpler time. Book 35 read this year.

In my last craft post I said I was popping this cardi to one side and doing more squares for my blanket, but somehow it stayed by my chair and I have done the button band and worked the collar, which is now bigger than the design, I have the buttonhole band to do, which I will sort next and then the sleeves. The sides still needs sewing together. 

We have had a issue with our 2 electrical sockets in the extension which is our sitting room, they intermittently stop working, we called a local electrician, who could find no issue with the sockets or consumer box, (the big fuse box), we have emergency cover for our electrics, so we called a man in, he checked everything throughout the whole house. His report says he thinks the issue is with the joining of the electrics from the old ring main to the newer extended part of the house, and strangely, this was done he thinks under the floorboard in our dining room, which would have been acceptable back in 1982 when extension was done. Our issue is our hard wood floor, it needs to be lifted in one corner to check and then lifted to find the joins, it's been down almost 14 years, and everyone has said, we can lift but it won't go back down. The wooden floor is through the sitting, dining rooms and hall, it's bumped and marked, but as a natural product it still looks good, we dont have any spare boards, for now we will put everything on hold, and stopped using the sockets (which is a pain), decisions will have to be made next year. 

I have also decided to stop going to sign group, it is a morning which I really enjoy, we all get along, but sadly for me, my neighbour across the road, who I have been car sharing with has become very outspoken on the journeys, in our last journey she was extremely rude to me. I can't see anyway I can stop car sharing without others making comments, as the neighbour would ensure the issue would be placed back on me, so rather than cause any issues within the group, I will sadly fade from their numbers. I am sad, but I don't like confrontation, and I don't want her to have the journey space to be so horrible, I already see less of her, which she has already complained to everyone I'm ignoring her. Why is life so painful and why does the horrible people have the loudest voices. 

I am still full of bugs, and general feel yuck, these bugs are not going anywhere, I have slept better in the last two nights, I'm hoping it's the start of feeling better. 

Sorry for a negative post, but for now it's our life, the new year will bring loads of changes for us. I think it's time to think only of Christmas, it's almost time to get the decorations out.