Colouring our world.

All the colours

 2nd ball of each colour

I have finished my 2nd 5th of the blanket, so I have used each colour at least twice, I have used white and black more, as I have extra balls of both. I purchased 2 balls of each colour, I worked out that would be enough, plus I had some left over from the blanket I sold to my sister, in the basket is the last of the yarn from the 1st ball, once these have been used I will start on the 2nd ball in the net bag.
This blanket is again random and different than the last rippled blanket, even thou they are made using the same colours,  I do not plan too many colours in advance, I just decide what colour looks good next to the one finished and work from there, keeping an eye on what I have done so far to ensure I don't repeat myself.
This blanket is getting heavy and with the milder days I am very warm whilst working on it. As it gets colder it won't be any problem.
Both hubby and I love how it looks on our spare bed, it is just the burst of colour I wanted for the room, I have an African theme going on, with loads we have purchased whilst on holiday in Africa, and with the yellow walls and the deep red painted on the window wall, the colours only enhance the look I am wanting.
My cat Grace is a lap cat, but I don't allow her to sit on my work, so I am getting boggy looks from her, but she does have a warm cosy basket to sleep in.
This is a pure form of enjoyment, I can do loads whilst hubby is reading or watching TV, on the downside, I am not reading too much.

Weekend

This is the first 5th of this blanket, I am truly happy with the size, it will cover this bed as I wanted. I have enough yarn to repeat these colours another four times. I have put all the balls of yarn from my bag back in the basket to use them again.

 Up close

I love this yarn, it feels good to use, it drapes well and is soo soft. 

Saturday I took both Josh and Sam out for a pub lunch, just the 3 of us, we then drove to Lee-on-Sea, but is was wet, so they used all my spare cash in the amusement arcade, younger brother Sam won loads on one machine, shared his winning with Josh and enjoyed their gaming time. Later the boys enjoyed ice-cream, whilst I had a coffee. A really wonderful afternoon. 

Sunday was a sunny day, so after my morning pop into blogland, I wrapped up warm and spent time in the garden, I picked up all the huge leaves, another big bag, then a quick tidy around, I'm now pleased everywhere looks good.
PS, leaves everywhere again this morning, I will pick them up later, the best thing is our tree is almost empty.
Later we finished our shopping list for Asda, we already have most of the chocolates and biscuits we require, I have been picking them up when I see them on offer and hiding them away. Soon we will drive to a huge out of town branch to walk around. We do not intent to visit another huge supermarket this year.

Another catch-up

This is much wider than my first blanket, 

but it is growing at a nice speed

 I made this bag for holidays, but we cancelled our main holiday

so I have found another use for it

 Once I have used a colour on my blanket I pop the yarn in here, 

this way I don't use the yarn twice in the same block. 

Sunday we popped out for some potting compost and this plant came home with me, it was on my shopping list. The china pot I already had. 

£10 from Wilkinson, perfect for my raised bed in the greenhouse

Hubby paid for it as a gift to me. 

We are still spending most of our time at home, every morning I am picking up leaves from our Magnolia tree, there is about 1/3rd left on the tree, it does not feel like a chore again, I have always loved this tree.
I did alot of cooking over the weekend, we had a roast dinner Saturday, with enough for a second meal for hubby on Sunday, I took a curry out of the freezer for myself.
Saturday we sold our campervan, it was sad, but we really did not get out in it enough, every month this year we were tied up, we have wonderful memories from our trips, and loads of post on here, we sold it for almost the same price as we purchased it, we just lost out on servicing and the small internal refit. I have taken a few items out, which we can use at home, but the rest went with the van, the man drove it away very happy. We have no desire to purchase another one, we are already looking at city breaks, I really want to get to Liverpool next year. We are also planning a holiday next spring, we are checking prices but will probably purchase in January.
Sunday we have a wonder around a garden center, not one we go to often, it was gearing up for Christmas, making space for Christmas trees, there were a couple living ones, we were tempted, but walked past them. Rest of the day was spent at home, with crochet hook in hand.
Monday we popped to Fareham for just a bit of shopping and a light lunch, this year we decided to suggest to each other what we would like for presents, so hubby got me a lovely black leather bag and a garden kneeling stool (reduced at a brilliant price), I got hubby a drone with video camera, who knew he would want one!

Yarn

Using the leftover wool

 Random at it's best

Unimpressive knitting on my shawl

These last 4 rows have been unpicked 6 times along with my attempt on the lace section,  I have rewritten the pattern into a format I can understand, but somehow I have managed to complicate this beyond belief.  So far, the best I have gotten to is pattern row 7. Each time I drop a stitch or get myself so muddled. So it's packed away until I can think straight, because the pattern is right, it's just me.

 Again this morning more leaves, I picked up leaves 3 times yesterday, and there are still loads on the tree. I love this Magnolia tree and normally nothing is a chore.

I am tired, did not sleep too well last night, my ongoing issues with my left shoulder and side are full on, it's nerve damage, so very little can be done, and almost nothing I can take which does not turn me into a zombie. I have been living with it for 6 years, so I can on most days deal with it, but today is going to be a long day, plans are being shelved.
I have got to a point where everything is a chore, the tiredness has been creeping up on me, plus all the brain fodder with the last 4 weeks, I taking today as my selfish mini-meltdown time.
4 weeks ago hubby was being prepared for surgery, today he is up about and walking well, his huge wounds are healing, bruising have almost disappeared, how wonderful are our bodies, he still can't lift or pull, but he is doing loads for himself, and together we do the rest.
On the plus side my 1st wool order has arrived, so I will be doing more to my ripple blanket, I find the ripples relaxing and calming, which is just what I require today. 

WOW, I finished

Whilst I love this ripple blanket, I'm not completely happy with it, I used all the colours three times, and had enough to do more rows, I am not happy with the size. The first photo shows it on the bed it's was made for, and you can see it does cover the bed but with very little falling down the side showing and even less on the other side. When I started, I measured the chain row across the bed slightly stretched, as I thought the design would lay flat, BUT I did not allow for the ripple effect which shortened the width.
I kept going because I did not want to unpick, and I still won't unpick. I loved the random way I have used each colour, never planning more than two colours ahead, it has been very fluid all through. As the biggest project I have made, I have enjoyed every moment.
So last night I sent photo's to my sister asking if she would like to purchase it for her craft stall, for just the cost of the yarn as a one off item. She loved it and wanted it for her sitting room, she has new sofa's and would love this to drape, so I have sold it, now I am going online to order more yarn, this time I will get two balls of each colour, not including the 4 colours I already have, I am staying with Patons, Baby Smiles, 4ply, I love the feel in my hands. The extra yarn will allow me to make it much wider and the full length of this bed.
I have nothing to add to my stash list as the replacement yarns are just cheaper than the amount my sister is paying for this, because without the sale, I would not be purchasing yarn to redo this blanket.
I am pleased and excited to be starting another ripple blanket, and at this time of year it will keep we warm as I am making it.
I'm getting a bit fed up with all this rain!!

Almost there.

Another nice mixture of colours and shades

 This is almost as tall as I am, so not too much more to do

 Not many of my yarns left, enough to finish this blanket

 I purchased extra colours, but these will be left over for another project. 

 Another good book, I have a couple titles left to read. 

We are still not doing much, I drove to our village yesterday in between the showers with hubby, he walked to post some cards and we popped into the Co-op, it's nice to see him out and about. We have no plans for today, but he is getting bored, so I think we will probably go out somewhere.
I am reading again, and enjoyed another story in the Roy Grace series, I have another book to read which is on my iPad, then I just have his newest book to get. I have also seen a few other authors I like have books out, so a trip to our library is planned.
Yesterday afternoon I did some more to my ripple blanket, I love the colours in this blanket, but as it gets bigger, I find myself wishing I had made it wider, it does cover the spare bed, but I just wish it was bigger. When I did the chain, I forgot to allow for the ripple effect of the chain, which made it smaller.
We are waiting for a PPI pay out, from a bank we used years ago, they have confirmed all the details by letter,  until recently we did not have any details for this mortgage, but a couple of months ago I found some old paperwork and sent it off, the banks pay interest on the amount being refunded and they deduct tax, but as I do not pay tax, I will be arranging for a refund of that as well, at the time the mortgage was only in my name. A nice windfall just before Christmas, but I won't be using it for presents, it will booster our savings.

Catching up on real life.

In the garden

This pot all ready for winter months

 Olive bush back in the greenhouse

 Peppers drying in the greenhouse

A few cut flowers from the garden

 My ripple blanket, 

I do a few rows each night, a little bit of normality.

I have sorted the garden, SIL has helped moved all the heavy stuff to their winter home, and we will cover the wooden garden furniture, on a dry afternoon, so no jobs for hubby once he is home.
I have done some ripple blanket, it's simple to do, but now I am going to try and finish the blue socks for hubby for Christmas, I have a few more rows before I pick up stitches around the heel to form the foot. Now my stress levels have dropped a bit, I will sit later and try to do them neatly.
Hubby's operation went to plan, he had 2 days in ICU, and is now back on the Cardiac High Dependency Unit, their care is wonderful, there are more medical staff than patients, I can see his strength coming slowly back.
I am just thinking of everything, ensuring when he gets home there is nothing for him to do, saving his favorite TV programes so we can watch them together. I plan to pop to the library to pick up a couple of books for him. Plus ensuring he has all he needs whilst still in hospital.
The cost going to visit Southampton hospital is huge, the hospital is 20 miles away and not on  an easy route to get to, unless you have a car. Twice I paid £8.50 and once £10 for day visiting hubby, plus the fuel, it was starting to get expensive. The unit nurse gave me a form to allow me to purchase a ticket for long stay for one week, it cost £18, so much better, it has to be used in the car park furthest from the hospital, but I enjoy walking.
Thank you everyone for your kind comments on my last post, it was a huge shock, I dropped hubby at our local hospital, expecting a call mid afternoon to come and get him, so when my phone rang just a bit earlier, I was not expecting to be talking to a doctor.

Ripple update

48"long

I am loving my ripple blanket, I have used most colours 3 times, and totally random, I have not planned any colour placement, for me it's a completely free way to work. I have enough wool to do another set of colours, so I'm not sure at this stage what it's finished length will be. My other two ripple blankets had the colours in neat rows repeated until I made the length required, so I am enjoying being free with the design. My photo's show it on my kingsize bed so you can see the whole of my work, I am making it for our spare bed which is a queen size, smaller than a double but bigger than a single, sometimes called a 3/4 bed. I am using PatonsBaby Smiles 4ply, which I have used for every blanket, I love the softness of the yarn, it's also a nice weight, not too thick.

Catch up

These balls are now much smaller

 and the blanket is much bigger

 Don't you just love a ripple. 

I have been given a couple more books to read

 Hubby purchased these books for my iPad

Thank you for all your recent comments, they helped cheer me up, I don't get the blues too often and normally I pick up again quickly, this time I was wiped out as was hubby. A couple acts of kindness has helped, people can be brilliant, we moan at peoples failings, but we should celebrate their good deeds.
I had a good morning on Tuesday with our sign language class, it's just a small group, not an official class just learning together, we laugh alot and share lunch. It's a really good couple of hours.
We met our new neighbour this week again, she was measuring up and hopes to be in before the end of October, exciting to have some in the house, it's been empty for almost two years.
Hubby and I are away for a few days, we both needed a break, so we are in Ilfracombe, hotel by the sea, weather is not important, time together is.

Its the perfect opportunity for us to relax, heal and laugh, sat on our bed watching the tide come in, what more can I ask for.

Colour through grey

I am pleased with these colours

 I am using each colour for the second time

 Folded into quarters

This is the only crafting I am doing, I have loads of sewing ready to stitch, a pair of socks over half way and I've almost finished my cross stitching. But I am on empty when it comes to crafting, well on most things.
I do have loads of joy in my life, my supportive and loving husband, wonderful grandsons, and daughters. But like the weather there is cloud everywhere, life is grey. I have never felt so low, things around us this summer have weighed heavy on me, I am a strong woman, so I have never felt this before, I can see where I need to get to.
The garden is being done, simply because if I don't sort things before the cold weather, I will lose plants and not have any colour early next year.
I am out into the greenhouse to finish my project at the back, at least this brings a smile. B&Q had the slate and stones I wanted, plus some primroses and cyclamen both reduced, if it ever stops raining I can do my pots. I have added the cost to my list.

See how they run

Growing in size and colours

 A few days later

The rows are really long, but they do flow, and it's relaxing to make, once it gets longer I expect it to be more time consuming, moving it along my lap, but it will keep me warm through the winter months. Now I feel I'm sorted on the construction, I can start doing more of my other crafts.
Our garden is taking a beating from the tail end of storm Helene, nothing like the terrible weather in North and South Carolina, China and The Philippines, so I won't moan too much, but we are planing time this weekend in the garden.
We are away for a few days in Somerset, sadly a family funeral to attend, but we will see both hubbies sons, it's not often we see them together.