Saturday

 Good morning, everyone.  It's still very cold, the snow is hard frozen on the flower beds and the grass and is lingering in the guttering but it's not cold enough to give my boiler any more nervous breakdowns, thankfully!  It looks as if it will be a bright enough day, although Beeb says it won't get up to zero.  Tomorrow, back into positives by the looks of it, will feel pretty warm in comparison and that will probably be the end of winter around here!

After careful consideration of my yarn and knitting up swatches, I have discarded two of the possible yarns as too chunky although one more, the pink one in the photo, knits just like the real arans so that's in.  I discarded one ball of Aran as not quite the right colour although it is lovely and, as it's quite a soft ball, I might make a child's something or other at some point.
Having decided that, I needed one more colour so I went onto Deramore's and found a blue that I think will go.  It's called storm blue and it's a sort of bluey-greeny-grey colour that I think will go nicely.  I also found more of the same shade of cream which I needed.  A different dye lot, obviously, but as long as I keep the two apart. it will be fine.  I now have the choice of doing the border in either the cream as per the pattern or the green which is the same yarn as some cushions.  I won't decide that until  I've got all the squares fitted together.

Here's the colours I have.  The 'blue' second from the left is actually not blue at all, it's much more lilac-y than it looks there and is a sort of 'tweedy' mixture.  I think I'd really prefer the red to be a little darker but I have a huge ball of it, 400g, plus a smaller ball, and I'm not wasting it - the point is to use up stash, after all.
I think it will be a very nice effect when all done, brighter than the original, and very satisfying to knit.  Depending on how much I have left of each colour, I might be able to make some cushion covers by either piecing together nine of the squares or taking each pattern and enlarging it.
Plans, plans, plans!!

Today is a day in.  No chats, no visiting, not a lot of housework, so I am planning a lazy day with, maybe, a walk later on.  I can knit, crochet, read and watch telly.  I'm still working my way through the Voyager episodes although the end much be not too far away - they are now in monthly connection with the Federation via a micro-wormhole created by Barclay.  It was jolly nice to see him and Deanna in a few episodes and, as I've never watched any of these episodes before, it was a big surprise.
(if you don't watch Star Trek, just ignore the above)

Well, it's past eight o'clock (on a cold and frosty morning - cue music) so I'd better stop and get the rest of my updates and regular posts on Facebook done.  Have a lovely day, whatever your plans.  Stay warm, stay safe and be happy.  xx