Friday Smiles 2025 # Week 7

 It has been another quiet week here but it was not without its positives.

For one, the sky has been blue every day so despite a cold wind, it is uplifting to look out of the window. I am almost always cold but I think that is mainly down to one of the medications I am on, and I just wrap up in a blanket whenever I need to.

I have finished my pink blanket and on Wednesday I handed them both in to the lady who collects them for food bank families. So right now my crochet is a bit in limbo. I need a few small projects that don't involve a big expense of more yarn, but will keep my hands busy in the evenings.

I have made a start on some cross stitch (just). I found a kit that didn't get packed when I was sorting out. It looked complete but when I opened it I found a piece of even weave linen, and my eyes are just not good enough to work on that. So I sent for a pack of four pieces of 14 count aida fabric. I had spent ages working out how many stitches were in it at the widest part, so what width of aida I needed, but when it came I realised that, although the design would fit onto it, there was only about half an inch spare all around - not enough to strech the finished work over backing card! So once again I went to amazon and found 14 count aida in a big piece and sent for that. The mistake was mine so I paid for it with good grace. The new piece was rather stiff, so after trying with a small square,  I decided to wash the piece I am using. I pegged it out and it was dry in an hour. Last night I found the centre and worked one line of green stems. The only needle I could find that fitted through the holes was so tiny I couldn't feel it or use it properly, so today I googled what size of needle is required for 14 count fabric, and ordered a set of them. They should be here tomorrow. I am obviously out of practice. I usually have "all my ducks in a row" beore I start a project, but hopefully I am on track now.

I treated myself to a new magnetic bracelet this week and I am very pleased with it. I have had a copper one for quite a while, but it only had one magnet at each end. This one has forty-four of them, all along the inside of it. Also the old one was an open circle and I was always getting it tangled in my clothes, or laying on an end and getting a bruise. This one is much better. I am not sure how much good it does you, but anything is worth a try.

One bit of good news is that I am pretty sure I have found a good home for Leo. It is with a family who already have two maine coons, plus two dachshounds, so I hope there is no jealousy, but he will be very loved, and get plenty of attention. They also have twelve year-old twin girls who love him already. The family came to see him yesterday, but the lady works all week and wants the weekend to make sure he has settled OK, so they are collecting him on Saturday. It will be a big wrench for me, and I will miss him so much, but it will be better for him, and that is what counts.

Once again I have exhausted the books on my Kindle, so I am going to upload a few more, and then sit outside in the porch if it is sheltered enough, and do some sewing while the light is good.

But first I must prepare this ready to link up with Annie's Friday Smiles tomorrow.

Friday Smiles 2025 # Week 6

Well we are right into February now, but I still seem to be on a bit of a 'time-out', with little desire or inclination to do much more than sit on the porch with a book, and do a bit of crochet while watching TV in the evenings.

However we had a couple of days of storms and even some significant rain on Monday, so I have been at  my computer some mornings. I have a thirty day free trial on another editing programme so I am trying to learn what it can do, but I don't think it is really for me. I have another couple of weeks to decide.

I have also done a bit of playing with my lazer cutting but nothing to show as yet. I had a bit of trouble with soot forming around the nozzle but I have given it a good clean now so hopefully it will work better next time.

Crochet wise I have almost finished my second blanket with the pink squares, so hopefully I can show that next week. I have no idea what I can do after that!

So I only have one photo today. After all the rain earlier in the week I was up early for clinic appointment on Wednesday, and I watched the sun rising between some pine trees. There were a few puddles still on the muddy carpark and I wanted to catch a reflection of the rising sun in one of them. But I couldn't get in quite the right position, nor wait for the sun to rise a little higher or I would have missed my appointment, so I took what I could, and I was quite pleased with this one. There is a clear reflection of the trees, and you can see the sun through them in the background.

Now I am going to take my book and sit out on the porch to read, where it is considerably warmer than it is in here.

But first I will prepare this to publish tomorrow and link up with Annie's Friday Smiles.