October round up

A really low spending month

 Card from Lidl, for use on Christmas cards

For measuring socks

It been a really low spend on my stash/gardening month, I was lucky daughter Su paid for two plants for my early birthday gift, but this time of year my spending is always lower.
I popped out shopping for an hour today, and picked up the book of coloured card and the glitter card, both perfect for card making, it's included in the monthly total above.
The sock measure I purchased with some early birthday money, I am finding it great for hubby's socks, ensuring both are the same size. I am almost finished, which is very pleasing.
Hubby is doing well, resting and eating small meals, not trying to do any banned activities, we are enjoying time together, plus are cats are much happier. Daughter popped in with Will for a short visit today, which cheered both of us up, our little man just knew his Grancha was not well and was so gentle.
Daughter also brought a portion of chilli for hubby, it's something I do not eat and find it very hard to cook.
I am not looking at saving any money in the coming weeks, heating is on all day to keep the house warm, I will purchase anything hubby fancies to eat, he is eating so little.
I have to admit I am not missing the drives to Southampton each day. Even with the parking discounts, I spent over £200 on fuel and parking, we are lucky we have the spare cash, it must be horrible for anyone on low income.
But I am enjoying restful days at home, even though I am doing everything in the house, I am feeling much calmer, and enjoying reading time.

Normal life

My flowers are still lovely

 Not sure if you can see it

but there is a 3rd stalk with babies growing
this spider plant loves it's new home

 1st run for my Christmas cards

I'm pleased with my Christmas card, it's not quiet there, but a good start, I am going to add some more snowflakes, some will be raised from the card. I have a few special ones to make, each one made for the recipient, I have some special thank yous this year.
I have also purchased the ingredients for our Christmas cakes, I just need to soak the dried fruit over night and bake.
I am thinking now of knitting a couple of jumpers for Will, I already have the yarn in my stash, enough for two jumpers. I have yarn for fingerless gloves, and some hand dyed yarn which I would like to make a soft light shawl.
Do more to my ripple blanket, I have neglected it for a week, I am again near the finishing line, also it keeps me warm as I am working it.
My sister purchased all my bags, she had her first craft stall last Friday, so I now have some cash for other stash purchases, at this time there is not much I need, so it can sit in my bank account until required.
I am cutting out bags, these are smaller, simpler, with just one strap, when hubby was attached to monitors and drains, he was given a bag to put everything in, which helped with going to the loo, and walking about, the hospital is always in short supply of these bags, so I am making some to send in.
I drove hubby home yesterday  it was the slowest drive of my life, 20 miles, most of it motorway, he's happy to be here, so it's not the end, its the start of his recovery, and bless him he understands he is to do nothing. I am just so pleased to have him at home. My support network including my blogger friends have got me through the past couple of weeks, it's lovely to know you are reading and understanding everything.

Clicking

Front

 Back

Nothing much happening here, I am knitting like mad, every spare moment, I am trying to get these finished before hubby gets home, last night I finished the second heel, all I have to do now is pick up and knit the gusset, once I have picked up the stitches, it's simple knitting. Hubby takes a size 11/12 shoe, so this part is long, but the changing colour of the yarn keeps it interesting.
Hubby was much better when I visited yesterday, the antibiotics are doing their job. Two others left the ward, but they are hanging on to hubby, I don't expect the beds to stay empty for long.
I managed to do some cooking yesterday, made a few meals for when he is home, it will be nice to give him a choice as he is not eating much.
Had the first garden firework display last night, it was close by, Purdy cat sat at the patio doors watching, Grace sat on my lap, it was close and noisy, I suspect there will be more in the next couple of weeks.
I managed to change all the clocks back one hour, a few of them changed themselves, it's is always hubby job, the cooker was fun, but I worked it out.

Brrr it's cold

1st frost of the season

 I have just 2 pots to move as the frosty mornings start

Socks

I was surprised to open our bedroom curtains to a frosty start, we have blue skies, it's a sunny but COLD start to the day, it's dry which is important, I can cope with being cold, but I hate cold and wet.
These socks will be a Christmas gift, so for once I am ensuring they match, well as much as they can with the random yarn. They are knitting up lovely and I think my hubby will love them, they should look good with his jeans. I love knitting in the evening it passes so much time.
I have purchased online some Dies for my card making, and I have been thinking regarding my Christmas cards, I have an idea forming in my head, it's built around a stamp I love 'A snowflake is a winters butterfly', I have used it before. I also plan to make 2 Christmas cakes next week, it will be nice to have the spicy smells in our home again.
Hubby had hoped he would be allowed home yesterday, but he has picked up a bit of an infection, so we are waiting for the Doctors rounds to see what they say. Hubby is desperate to get home, I too want him home, but without too many risk's. The unit is full, so if they have any emergencies, they will be looking at bed blockers. Everything is ready here for him to come home,

Crafting

 The heel is done, 

All the stitches picked up and shaped neatly

 Almost finished. 

Knitting on small circular needle 

I have plenty of knitting time, nothing much else to do, so far I had no desire to go out or do anything, my sleep patterns were all over the place. I got up sort the house and garden, and then I would knit. I visit hospital leaving here at 2pm and return around 7pm, (depends on how hubby is feeling or if they are doing things with him). When I get home I knit again, it is lonely in the house without him, even our cats seam out of sorts.
Yesterday hubby was sitting in a chair some of the day, which is helping with the cough he has, he has also been for his first walk and was moved to a ward, to say I'm pleased is an understatement.
On Tuesday I went for morning coffee with some of the girls from sign class. One neighbour gave me the lovely flowers and I spent an hour last night with another neighbour Chris and a friend Gwen, who is back for a visit after moving north. Youngest daughter visited hospital, so I could have a relaxing evening.

I don't think I will ever take normal life for granted again. 

Catching up on real life.

In the garden

This pot all ready for winter months

 Olive bush back in the greenhouse

 Peppers drying in the greenhouse

A few cut flowers from the garden

 My ripple blanket, 

I do a few rows each night, a little bit of normality.

I have sorted the garden, SIL has helped moved all the heavy stuff to their winter home, and we will cover the wooden garden furniture, on a dry afternoon, so no jobs for hubby once he is home.
I have done some ripple blanket, it's simple to do, but now I am going to try and finish the blue socks for hubby for Christmas, I have a few more rows before I pick up stitches around the heel to form the foot. Now my stress levels have dropped a bit, I will sit later and try to do them neatly.
Hubby's operation went to plan, he had 2 days in ICU, and is now back on the Cardiac High Dependency Unit, their care is wonderful, there are more medical staff than patients, I can see his strength coming slowly back.
I am just thinking of everything, ensuring when he gets home there is nothing for him to do, saving his favorite TV programes so we can watch them together. I plan to pop to the library to pick up a couple of books for him. Plus ensuring he has all he needs whilst still in hospital.
The cost going to visit Southampton hospital is huge, the hospital is 20 miles away and not on  an easy route to get to, unless you have a car. Twice I paid £8.50 and once £10 for day visiting hubby, plus the fuel, it was starting to get expensive. The unit nurse gave me a form to allow me to purchase a ticket for long stay for one week, it cost £18, so much better, it has to be used in the car park furthest from the hospital, but I enjoy walking.
Thank you everyone for your kind comments on my last post, it was a huge shock, I dropped hubby at our local hospital, expecting a call mid afternoon to come and get him, so when my phone rang just a bit earlier, I was not expecting to be talking to a doctor.

Going blue

Another start

 Heel done, ready for the gusset 

Couple of good reads 

I have done very little almost no crafting, and not too much reading, anything which requires thinking is packed away.  

This week my darling husband went for a procedure in our local hospital and had a heart attack, he was rushed to Southampton General, and has had heart surgery yesterday, needless to say I'm in free fall worried sick and scared. The hospital has a great record in the cardiac department, and their care is wonderful. I just wish we had a switch to turn off thoughts for short periods.

With a difference

The difference is the handles are shorter and wider, these are not for shoulder straps, plus I made a small bag for it is sit in, whist not in use. I had great fun making this little set, I did it last Sunday, whilst we had a day of rain. I had not shown before as it was a gift and it needed to get to a lady Sue, Snooze, I think it's fair to say 2018 is not her families best year. She had requested the bag, just before I began to feel blue, so it took much longer for me to find my mojo and make it for her.

When it rains

I craft

 I wanted a bag for December, made from two tea towels

 Will loves his Easter bag, 

so here is one for Christmas, I used the 3rd tea towel and some Christmas fabric from my stash, I love these little bags. 

One sock knitting finished

 2nd sock, I still think these colours are bright

I finished knitting my first sock and did not want to stop knitting, so I started on the second sock, knitting one at a time means each sock is quick to knit. Later I will finish the toes and weave all the colour change ends.
I have been able to knit some of hubby's sock, but there is not much to show, so photo's another time, the finished pair will be put into his Christmas stocking, so a complete surprise for him.
I have also found out the pattern for a jumper for Will, I purchased wool earlier in the year, enough to make 2 jumpers, and hopefully a hat to match, which I not sure he will wear, we purchased him a hat with a tractor embroidery on, which he is wearing everyday.
As you can see the garden is now taking less of my time, these days we sit in our warm home and watch the birds come to the feeders, and enjoy what colour we have around our tiny plot. The weather is now true to the season, the temperature has dropped, we had huge amounts of rain on Sunday, so everywhere is still lush, but summer plants are now fading.
My sewing machine is out again, I do enjoy sewing, I did finish one other project, but I can't show it here yet.

In the pink

Brilliant read.

I am enjoying using 4DPN's and I never thought I would say that, now I have sorted my tension and I'm knitting tighter to the needles my finished knitting is looking good. This is my 3rd pair of socks and I really pleased with the heel, everything is looking tidy. I knew using the two colours would highlight any faults with my work, so I knitted without any distractions when I was home alone, and it worked.
In truth I'm not sure about the colours, I'm not a pink and red person, so if I can finish these as neat, they might become a gift for someone close.
I am also thinking of knitting my husband a pair of socks for Christmas, his shoe size is 11/12, which is huge, I have found a pattern and have wool, I just need to knit when he's not around.
I'm not reading much at the moment, I'm enjoying my crafting, well knitting.

More exciting these have just arrived, and they feel and look wonderful.

Ripple update

48"long

I am loving my ripple blanket, I have used most colours 3 times, and totally random, I have not planned any colour placement, for me it's a completely free way to work. I have enough wool to do another set of colours, so I'm not sure at this stage what it's finished length will be. My other two ripple blankets had the colours in neat rows repeated until I made the length required, so I am enjoying being free with the design. My photo's show it on my kingsize bed so you can see the whole of my work, I am making it for our spare bed which is a queen size, smaller than a double but bigger than a single, sometimes called a 3/4 bed. I am using PatonsBaby Smiles 4ply, which I have used for every blanket, I love the softness of the yarn, it's also a nice weight, not too thick.

Pink and perfect

My 2nd pair of socks finished

 For my sock leftover blanket

 Next pair

Started already

I made the tops of these socks shorter, they do feel better on, my blue ones were too long. I used Drops Fabel, superwash sock yarn, which is 75% wool and 25% Polyamide. I am allergic to lanolin and I don't normally wear wool, but my feet are tougher, so these should be OK.
I knitted on the magic loop until I got to the toes and then went back on 4 double ended needles, I enjoyed the loop once I got my yarn in order. I am now knitting tighter, I normally knit loose, so using the 4DPN's was much easier, but I loved knitting both socks together, is saved having to count a second time, and all the way through I knew the socks matched.
I have already chosen my next colourway, I wanted to come away from the self striping, and choose the pinks, I will make the top, heal and toes in the bright pink. I will have to do these on 4DPN's as I only have one ball of the deep pink.
I will use some of the lighter pink yarn to finish off my leftover yarn squares, to hopefully be made into a blanket at some time in the future. That will make another 5 squares made, this idea I copied from Jo at Through the keyhole.
I may have ordered some hand-dyed yarn this week, I place the blame with Jo and Pam, they keep showing me their wonderful yarns and finishes