Hello! I hope the end of the calendar is going smoothly for you and yours. It always feels a bit frantic in December, doesn't it?
I've been doing my best to distract myself from the usual anxiety brought on by an extra-busy schedule and finishing work projects, etc by making more. I don't know if this is a particularly good strategy, but it's an enjoyable one!
I finished knitting myself a new top/jumper from some local yarn I bought back here. The cone of black yarn was un-labelled except for a tag that said 'cashmere blend'. I couldn't resist that of course, but the yarn felt more like a cotton to touch. So I thought it would be fun to experiment with it, and I used it to knit the Ranunculus pattern by Midori Hirose. You can see my project notes and modifications, etc here on Ravelry.
I'm really pleased with the finished garment, which is quite boxy and cropped, and I think it will be great for wearing over summer dresses, etc. I like the design so much I'm considering making another in a summery yarn (maybe a cotton/linen blend?) and another wintry one for next year.
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In the first photo above I'm holding a lovely little gift sent by my friend Elizabeth. It's a small glass frame for holding pressed flowers. It's now hanging in my bedroom window but i think it would make a great necklace too! And luckily I always have lots of pressed flowers waiting in books around the place.
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I feel like i post these links every year. But it's the last week of school for the kids and that means gift-making time. They've been helping me make sweets and biscuits to package up for teachers and school friends. There are no doubt hundreds of good recipes for the things we make, but here are our favourites:
apricot truffles (vegan, gluten free)
shortbread (all the childhood memories!)
chocolate fudge (only three ingredients)
chocolate crinkle cookies (kinda like brownie-cookies)
lemon-barley syrup (great for summer cocktails! and mocktails)
russian fudge (unbelievably sweet but kids love it.)
And I think that's it!
Wishing you a very peaceful and happy week, whatever it may bring. XX