Ossianknits

The Children's Book

I have spent the afternoon on a walk before sorting my yarn with my German friend Kerstin, who is up visiting from Leeds this weekend. She is a knitter too. We sorted it by colour this time. I have a lot of green yarn, and a jumper's worth of blue New Lanark DK. Must make something out of that. Something with a yoke, I think. I'm still knitting on my brown cabled jumper - more than halfway up the sleeves now, with the body done up to the armpits. Hopefully I'll get another nice burst of knitting in tomorrow - we're thinking of going down to see the fishing villages, but I'm sure we'll find time to sit around and knit. We knit this evening while watching, first, Zoolander, and then later Night at the Museum. Neither of us really likes Ben Stiller or his sense of humour, but they were funny enough.

Since I've been living by myself I have settled down to a nice before bed routine: turn heater on in bedroom (plug-in), boil a full kettle for my big hot-water bottle (to hug) and half a kettle for the wee one (for my feet), place both in bed, get ready for bed, optional mug of hot chocolate, read a chapter or so of the new A.S. Byatt book, The Children's Book. I bought it as an airport paperback (I'm quite fond of these) on the way home at Christmas, and read about 50 pages or so of it, but then got distracted by the latest Diana Gabaldon screw-me novel. I then had to leave the Byatt one at home - wouldn't fit in my luggage - and had to wait for my mum to send it on, which she did about a week ago. I'm now about halfway through - 300-odd pages into it - and it's shaping up to be a very enjoyable, and surprisingly dark book. I enjoyed Possession way back when I first read it, but found myself skipping the poetry. I must admit I find myself skipping the fairy tales in this one; it's not that they're not interesting, as fairy tales go, but I keep wanting to read on to find out what happens to certain characters.

I really like the cover:

It's good, isn't it? Fake Victorian/Edwardian, art-sy, natur-y. The title in gold lettering, not the author's name. I usually pick up books that I read for fun because of their cover; if the cover doesn't appeal then I probably won't even look at the blurb on the back. And I'm not usually wrong. The ones I pick tend to be ones I like (though I could, of course, be missing out on some great ugly cover ones).

Out with the old...

... and in with the new!

I've been back in St Andrews for just over two weeks now. The first week was spend working working working (mostly paid, with lots of extra hours), and last week was spent thesisising, tidying, thinking, and making. My flatmate moved out and for the first time in almost five years I'm living by myself. I love it - utterly and totally love it. I rearranged the furniture and now have a bedroom, a living room and a study! There is yarn all over the flat, and lots of other crafty things displayed strategically. And for once my shoes are all out, lining the hallway. I think I may have too many pairs (I'm *not* going to tell you how many), but they're all nice. I have a cozy living room with lots of lovely lounging space, a lava lamp, a record player, and too many books. A bedroom with (finally) enough wardrobe space, and a bed in the centre of the room. A darkish study with a desk, a spare bed, an overflowing bookshelf and a coat-wardrobe. I love working in the dark, by candlelight or by the light of a single desklamp, and the new study is perfect for that. It's also small, and double-glazed, and easy to heat with a portable heater (my flat doesn't have central heating). I'll share some pictures when it's all nice and tidy.

For now, though, I have some knitting to share. I forgot to take pictures of all my Christmas knits, including a hat I made the boy for St Nicholas'. He didn't have a knitted one, so I made him a lovely blue cabled thing:

 

It's a very nice hat, even if I do say so myself.

But it's not quite warm enough for the arctic winds we've been having, so Peter asked me to make him a warmer one, and I did:

 

It's a very simple hat - but it's very warm, because it is so snug and because it is made from two very warm wools: Drops Alaska and Rowan RYC Soft Tweed.

He's been wearing it every day since I finished it. And, being the geeky and busy boy that he is, has promptly left it in the library over night. But luckily it was still there Monday morning, snugly settled among the Art periodicals (per N):

Happy New Year, everyone.

Dear all,

Apologies for neglecting you in December. I was busy, mostly with finishing my contribution to this, and with preparing for this:

 

I left St Andrews on the 16th (via Dundee and Birmingham with fly.be; highly recommended) and spent most of my time there watching this:

 

turn into this:

 

We ended up with more than seven inches of snow - more than we've ever had (I think). Enough to go sledding, and to make snow angels:

(this is my mother making an angel. I made a far superior owl).

I also enjoyed looking at our ornaments while knitting.

 

 

 

 

 

I also took a few pictures of my grandparents' tree and pyramid:

They always have tons of silver tinsel on the tree - which we proceed to take off, roll up into little balls, and throw at one another. Good fun.

 

 

 

I left for Walesshire on the 28th, where I've mostly been huddling close to this:

 

The fire. It is glorious, and woody, and warm, and lovely. And has a very comfortable chair next to it, where I've been knitting, playing the Wii (favourite Christmas present, no question), reading, writing my paper for the conference next week, and napping.

There was a bit of this:

Snow in Walesshire... from Kristin Ott on Vimeo.