Thursday

 No garden happy today, a craft happy instead.  I've finished the practice blanket.  It was hard to photo and I couldn't get the sides straight - they are just too soft.  However, I noticed that Diana, the creator, didn't get her sides absolutely straight in the book either so that's OK!

Phew - there's a fair bit of learning in this effort.

No, it's not brilliant.  For a start, I didn't use the same type of yarn throughout and that makes a difference.  Also, the colours are not amazing.

I need to focus on my tension - it's a bit loose, I think.  I've never done much crochet, focusing on knitting instead; my knitting tension is fine.

And when it says something like 'mark every seventeenth row' - DO IT.  Don't assume it is not strictly speaking necessary.  It is!!

However, it's soft and snuggly, definitely cot sized so usefully substantial, and I will be so pleased to wrap it in a bin bag and pop it in the Sally Army recycling so it can go to a family that needs it.  That makes me happy.

These are the 'real' colours.  Aren't they lovely?  I will get great pleasure from working with them and, fingers crossed, won't make the mistakes that I doubt you can see but I know are there.

And, fingers crossed, the granny square joining will be loads better too.  :-)

Good morning, everyone.  It's a deceptively cool-ish, slightly misty start to the day.  Mornings are starting to have quite an autumnal vibe to them.  I don't kid myself that it will stay cool for long - the forecast is for plus 30C temperatures for the four three days so it's back to closed curtains and fans on.

It doesn't look anything like as uncomfortable as the last very hot spell when the temperature hit 40C so no complaints from me!

Yesterday, I went to the circuits class and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  The old hip was aching a bit by the end but it is fine today.  I was careful, avoided twisting and there were no problems.  Three cheers!

Then I came home and spent the rest of the day in idleness with a bit of work from time to time.  As a result, the blanket got finished.

Today starts with Chris coming over for our usual Thursday coffee and chat and after that I am off to M&S and Aldi.  I have Dave and Anna coming round for supper tomorrow and I need to make some of Delia's vegetarian sausage rolls for our girls' afternoon tea on Saturday so I have some things to get for that plus some fresh fruit and veg.  All being well, I can make the not-sausage rolls and the basis of Friday's main course this afternoon.  The former can go in the freezer unbaked (so I'm making a whole batch) and the latter in the fridge.

I do like to be prepared!

For crafting (which is definitely keeping by brain off food and my fingers out of the cheese box!), I'm going to start the little socks from the pattern Jen sent me, having cleared away the remnants of the blanket project.  I have leftovers of sock yarn in my stash.  Fiddly but fun!

I have washing to do but, as I don't want to set the line up until after our chat (in the garden), I won't put the washing in yet.  If I can get it out around eleven, it will be dry, ironed and away before evening.  It's so lovely to be able to dry things properly outside at the moment.

In between bits of writing this, I've watered the tomatoes, cut off the lower leaves and picked some.  The mist has now burnt off and I noticed that last night went down to around 11C which is nice.  I doubt tonight will be quite so cool.

I'll sign off now, get my second coffee made and do my Facebook duties before starting the day with a quick tidy up.

Have a really good day and stay cool and hydrated.  As Lindsey says, drink more water than you think you need!

xx

Edited to add - Eileen is back.  Yay!!