The days leading up to Christmas were busy. There was a miniature production line in operation as I raced to get 9 candle jars assembled and ready...
...and revealed in all its non-curly glory. I really love this pattern. I like the fact that the ends are different, the main body stitches are easy to memorise (making it perfect for combined knitting and TV watching), and the overall effect is simply rather elegant. It reminds me of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's art nouveau designs, and I will probably end up making one for myself!
There were four more candle jars to complete before the weekend, by which time I was well and truly over them! So one ended up with a green lid...
...and a completely different design. Mass production is really not my thing!
Yesterday we had a walk at the park with the XXSCat dog, which made me realise just how out of shape I currently am. The gentle slope in the photo below felt like a mountain as we walked up it, and although my new bionic hip coped ok, the other non-bionic one was grumbling horribly. Given that there are over 4 million people currently waiting for joint replacement surgery in the UK, and given how well the first operation went, I've decided to talk to my GP about going back on the waiting list to get the other hip done sooner rather than later. No more stoicism and "soldiering on" this time around - I really don't want to get back to the point where life doesn't feel worth living any more! In the meantime I'm also hopping back on the weight loss bandwagon to help ease the pressure on that arthritic joint.
I believe it's quite common for people to feel a little out of sorts and deflated in the hiatus between Christmas and New Year, and I'm nothing if not quite common! I'm back at work on the 6th of January, so I feel like I 'should' be making the most of my precious time off - but all that racing from one festive family gathering to another combined with an accumulation of sleepless nights (husband snoring like a train after succumbing to the cold that's kept me awake coughing for the past two weeks) has left me decidedly lacking in get up and go. I think the photo below sums things up rather nicely. There's a lot just lying dormant (bare clematis stems and Minions half-buried in dead leaves in the garden), there's a fair bit of boredom and inertia (half-finished teddy jumpers and mittens), but there's also the knowledge that life goes in cycles (orchids come into flower, bulbs send up shoots from the bare earth) and the hope that there will always be something to rekindle imagination and inspire (Christmas Snork-maiden awaiting a flower garland, skeins of colourful yarn, a gorgeously illustrated book of cleverly constructed sweaters). Here's to 2020!
Hi Amelia, thanks for your visit earlier. Well done for completing all your Christmas projects - I know what you mean about mass production - it gets too repetitive after a while - on the other hand, it takes out the guess work and you can go on auto pilot but I guess some of us just lose interest at that point. Enjoy the rest of your holiday. Wishing you all the best for 2020!
ReplyDeleteWow Amelia, awesome post! Your scarf has come out absolutely fantastically... I had to laugh at your comment on my blog (for which many thanks), saying you couldn't do intarsia! I can't do lacy patterns to save my life. I always go wrong and the whole thing looks like a web spun by a drunken spider. Each to their own, I guess. I haven't seen a blocking mat before and think it's a brilliant idea. Must look into this! I usually use the carpet. Your candle holders are stunning. What a production line!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your valiant effort in reading right through my marathon end of year blog post! Most people probably haven't got the mental stamina or the time for that! I was thinking I hadn't really done much this past year, but looking back, and actually getting it down as a blog post, I realised I'd achieved more than I'd thought. It was a really busy year. So glad you liked our baby kitties! Who could resist them? They continue to be quite adorable but I do miss their kittenhood when they were so cute! At least I've got loads of videos of them at that stage (all on Youtube).
I hope you enjoy the rest of the time off work. Love the picture of the park where you walked the dog! I do hope you get your hip operation sooner rather than later. What you are going through is NOT fun.
Happy New Year and happy WOYWW,
Shoshi x