Sunday and what I am knitting right now

A couple of garden happies . . .

The one apple from the new Braeburn tree.  There were three but the other two fell off unripe.  I did try them and urgh!!  This doesn't seem to want to come off quite yet but it can't be long!

The tomato season really is over now.  There were a few fruits ripening when I got home but not nearly as many as I'd hoped and there are some green ones that are obstinately staying green.  

I am going to look out for a green tomato and apple chutney recipe, hopefully well spiced.  I probably already have one in the appropriate folder - I know Sue sent me a good one but I'm not sure that features apples as well and green tomatoes.

(These are the not-Sungolds and I wish I knew what they are because they were really lovely )

Anyway - good morning, everyone.  I'm so behind things this morning having slept until past seven and then pottering about.  After a gloriously warm and sunny day yesterday, today is dull and damp and a bit chilly again.  Oh, well, at least yesterday was gorgeous!

Suzanne set off back home round the M25 yesterday but the journey wasn't great.  What neither of us had remembered was that there was a rail strike starting and the M25 was very, very busy.  She got home eventually and, like me, set off to stock up again.

I went to Sainsbury's where I found pretty much everything I wanted except for some pak choi; Suzanne had brought some on holiday and I, who has never knowingly eaten any, really liked it.  I stopped off at Morrisons on the way back and they had some there.

The first load of washing had done by the time I got home so I hung that out, put in the next load and started putting the food, etc, away.  Then I sat down, got out my knitting and started catching up on all the telly and YouTube stuff.  Would you believe we didn't turn on the TV once all week?

I may have said last week, I can't remember, that I had started knitting a little jumper, 18" chest, using some of the yarn I got at the summer festival but I realised I didn't quite have enough yarn so undid it and started a different pattern.  This is the finished product and I'm very happy with it.  It was not challenging but I could knit and chat easily.

This was the first pattern, a really old one that Mum and I shared and used many a time.  It's one of those usefully adaptable patterns that goes from 18" to 30" chest and very easy to make larger.

Mum used to make jumpers for refugee children and for other charities that requested such things and often used this pattern.  It holds memories.

Anyway, once home I thought about it, remembered that I had a fair amount of yarn left from the crocheted blanket and had what I considered a couple of mini brainwaves.

The first was to use that yarn, make it for the expected babe and pop it in with the blanket but it would be a while before it could be worn (it is a while before they are 18" size) and anyway I already have several little items as well as the blanket.

And then I remembered Elmer.  You must know of Elmer the Elephant.  The books were a great favourite in my classrooms.  So I'm doing this and I'm going to hunt out either a cheap set of Elmer books or the first one in the set, put them together and that's Christmas sorted.  I know beyond any doubt that books will be treasured and valued in that family.

So here we are - this is the front and I'm well into the back.  It is a pattern that grows quickly and I'm doing the size 18" so it's not huge anyway.  Hopefully, it will be unique too.

Today started late and is continuing very lazily but Alex is definitely round for Sunday lunch and I'm doing a roast chicken dinner.  Apart from that, I am hoping to carry on catching up with telly, especially Strictly.  I watcher the start up programme and last week's one while yesterday's was recording and am trying to avoid spoilers.  I can knit at the same time or I can do some ironing at the same time ( but not all three )!

How do you spend your Sundays?  Busy, lazy, staying in, going out of a mixture.  Or maybe you have to work?

Whichever it is, I hope very much it's a good day for you.  xx