...February fog and flying fingers

In stark contrast with 2018's 'Beast from the East' blizzards, last week we experienced some of the hottest days on record for a British February - long misty mornings followed by sunny afternoons - which gave our weekend walk at the park a dreamy, ethereal feel. I can't really cope with the feelings of anxiety that plague me if I dwell too long on the underlying reasons for this extraordinary weather, so I've been trying to think along the lines of the Serenity Prayer - 'change the things I can' and 'enjoy one moment at a time'. In other words, I'm doing what I can as an individual to look after and respect this planet we live on (and hoping that if enough others do the same then we will all be ok) which, in turn, allows me to really enjoy the unexpected beauty of a foggy - not frosty - day in early Spring.

Quick knits continue to occupy most of my spare time at the moment. For a friend's new grandchild I adapted this dear little garter-stitch jacket pattern slightly, with an i-cord edging down the front (to create a neater finish)...

...and this charity shop rescue doll received a new cardigan too. I'm going to sew her a matching dress and have been pondering a facial repaint to make her look a little less scary. I think her expression is meant to convey 'mischievous and feisty' but given that people seem to instinctively recoil when they see her, I think 'menacing and  formidable' is possibly more accurate. She has scrubbed up very well so far (her hair was a matted mess when I bought her) so a friendlier expression to accompany her new clothes might just give her an even longer lease of life.

I've broken my own (self-imposed) rule about always finishing one thing before starting another, and have two projects currently on the go: on the left is a scarf for my mother-in-law's birthday this week (she admired the colour of my 'Around the corner' shawl and hinted very heavily that she would like something in the same yarn), and on the right is the start of an adult sized Beloved bonnet, requested by my mother. I love them both - the colours are just gorgeous!