Hi there! Almost through first month of 2021 and nothing major has happened. A small delay in returning to the office meant I got to spend a couple more weeks at home with John. COVID is still out there but Dan’s strict measures meant we got through lockdown unscathed! A good start to a good year. The disease is still out there so hopefully the Australian Open doesn’t spark a new wave. Fingers crossed.

I still haven’t done any textile work which, marks 6 months of no knitting, spinning, weaving, crochet or even dyeing. I think my mind is worse off, I can’t unwind properly and it is doing me in a little. I have replaced that with the ukulele, it is not quite the same but the good news; I’m improving my technique. I still have trouble with bar chords and I dispise the B chord, but practice makes progress, right?!

The weather has been a bit stupid of late, 37°C one day, 19°C the next. I can’t even pack away my winter clothes! It is nice getting the summer rains though. My Sunflowers and Nasturtiums are doing great. So are the boys out back. For the most part, Ozzie loves being visited and enjoys his cuddles. Chaser is slowly coming around… slowly being the emphasized word! From mid next month I will contact the shearer and have him visit for a haircut and pedicure!

I have been re-reading the Dresden Files and enjoying it still. I have also watched some good DVD’s. It was slow to begin with but Picard was an enjoyable watch. I loved Good Omens (a blast from the past), we also watched Doom Patrol Season 2, Westworld Season 3, Stargirl Season 1, NCIS: New Orleans Season 6 and some Andromeda (Andromeda is a little predictable but it is not too taxing on the old brain.)

Well, that about wraps it up for now. I am wishing you all a fantastic year, remember: No matter where you go, there you are!

Purple garnets on a sterling silver ring with gold embossed sunflowers. ? 

We never deny magpies food when we are out and about.

What? It is already half way through the month and I haven’t updated my blog. Sorry. It has been a weird month. Visits to the hospital, birthdays and the completion of the many baby blankets at last. I think I have finished doing things for others and will now concentrate on just one thing for me! Well, 2 maybe. I appear to have used and misplaced many knitting needles of the circular kind so I have to go hunting for them. I opened the addi click bamboo set and was amazed I have even misplaced one of a pair of tips, what was I thinking. The t-shirt I was planning on knitting from the yarn I got from Djuve Knits. Will go on hold until I find the needles. I just love Crofter but she has so many other nice yarns to choose from. I thought, in the meantime I would start a crochet t-shirt and guess what. I have managed to split the yarn I have in 2 lots and I have hidden one lot… I can honestly say, since working from home, I have become so muddle headed I don’t know which way is up. This pic is the beautiful Elias With his C2C.

The plus side to working from home is I spend a lot more time with John. Together we get to watch some amazing sunrises while we eat breakfast. I also get a bit more time with my boys. They never cease to make me smile. With the colder weather we are feeding them a bit more and hoping it keeps them warm. While I spend the days navigating the perils of Skype and Zoom, trying hard to keep my face from them both, I look forward to the evenings doing gentle crafts while keeping the company of an amazing person named John. Isolation isn’t bad and it isn’t really much different from my every day life. In fact, it gives me so much more time with those who matter.

I was shopping today and thought to myself; these last couple of months have changed the ways we shop and live. Melbourne seemed to think last weekend wiped the past couple from history, people hugging and kissing in the aisles at the supermarket, no one counting how many people were in the store, shoulder to shoulder. By Tuesday, 17 more cases of COVID19 some restrictions have been eased but not much. I noticed that most toilet paper was in bulk packets now, yeast was available by the half kilo and even some favourite biscuits were now available in triple packs.
Yes, we have become a nation who purchases things in bulk and large businesses take it for granted that now, a rush delivery will take at least 3 weeks. I purchased Johns birthday present two weeks ago and I only just got an email to say they will “ship it when they can”. So that Leaves me asking the question: what are they doing with my money? Who is making money on what I have paid up front for?

Ok, enough negative. I finished the blanket for Hugo’s new addition. Her photo is darling, now just 2 blankets to go. I am getting way too many ideas and I just wish I had the time to make them all. I almost had the courage to start warping up the Inkle loom but today, John just wants to watch some movies and heck, it is his birthday so why not? I can crochet as I watch movies.

The weekend at dads was fun and yes, that overgrown garden is still providing us with beautiful vegetables. I am hoping the next visit I will plant some brassicas. Until them, I am hoping the possums don’t eat the seedlings I took with me. I took no knitting or crochet. I tried to just focus on the loom but falling ill didn’t help and it sat in my car, untouched. Ok, I have the loom, the cottons, the heddles have been made… wish me good luck. Today is possibly the day I take the leap. I hope I find it as enjoyable as spinning. I hope to make Linda ( and mum Linda) so proud and happy they influenced my crafting so much.

Ok, I will leave my ramblings here and spend some time paying attention to the movie and of course, darling John! I hope his 60th birthday is at least a little more fun then he was expecting. This is Squirrel signing off, until the next chapter.