In the Bleak Midwinter

Ok, so we had a lovely low-key New Year's Eve. My sister and her family came round for a meal - Sea Food, Steak and Chips, followed by Simon's Chocolate Brownie and Chocolate Ameretto sauce. We played some very rowdy games of Uno, then the children went off to do whatever they do, and we sat, chatted and had a few drinkies. Mom and Dad had been to their friends for a meal, so they all came and joined us at about 11, and we saw in the New Year.

New Year's Day, I woke to this view from my bedroom window...


A very, very hard frost.


Then, this morning, this is the view...


Lovely blue skies. Oh, and while I was hanging out of the window taking these photos, resident cat, Charlie Moggins came to help...


This is his preferred method of entry and exit, especially at night. He goes out of the bedroom window, along the window ledge, jumps onto the conservatory roof and descends to the garden via the fence... Or, as this morning, the conservatory roof was still a little frosty, he slides down the length of the roof sideways, before coming to an ungainly stop in the gutter! So far, he's never actually slid right off the roof.

So, back to New Years Day, we had a Pyjama Day, with us girlies spending most of the day sewing these "Mini Kittens", from issue 1 of Sew Hip! (a sewing magazine)


Mine's on the left, and Luu's is in the right. Phoebe's is nearly finished, and a similar version, but simplified for a ten year old who has never really hand sewn before - pics to follow shortly. They were fairly easy to make, although they did take hours. But, there was lots of chat and laughter and watching of TV at the same time. Oh, and they are smaller than we expected, do things always look bigger in photos?

We've been out and about today, and bought ourselves some more felt. Phoebe bought herself some more Fimo, and Luu spent her Christmas Money on some very snazzy watercolour crayons - so think there will be some more makes in the next few days. Oh, and I bought myself a crochet hook - eek! I've already tried to do something more than the chain stitch I already know - but somehow managed to get stitches along the length of the hook, too much knitting lately, methinks. My second attempt does look more like crochet, if a little untidy. Something to practice in front of the telly, I think.


Sarah x