Cold and without!

It has been bitterly cold today though we are lucky not to have had the snow that they have had in other parts of the country. However it was very windy and wet as well so not a good day to be without my car. I kept telling myself, as I walked to work, that the walk was doing me so much good and that it would be perfectly possible for me to have a mince pie with my coffee which I wouldn't have done if I'd driven. Well it worked for me! And thankfully I was able to collect my car this evening as I will need it for the class tomorrow morning. The amount of stuff I take is legion!

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There is a lovely roaring fire downstairs and I really didn't want to come up into the cold spare bedroom to check my emails but I made myself do it. And then I had a little play with the colours in the challenge in one of my paint packages. This was fun but I was too cold to do much. It is hard to keep to the exact colours and I wasn't working in Photoshop where I could have used the colour numbers or the dropper tool to get the right colours. However they are close. I quite like the idea of ragged edges and shapes. I wonder if this would work with layering and then free machine quilting round the shapes. I also spent some time looking at pictures of water and oil pollution and got some ideas there as well, in case I want to do a more factual piece. One thing I will say for this challenge is that it is making me think! However the cold has defeated me tonight and I must away to the fire and my knitting! The rocking chair beckons!

NB The strip at the top is the colour control panel!

This and that!

I spent some time today looking through my stash for fabrics which matched the 'challenge' colours. Some I was able to get spot on but the eau de nil colour second in from the left was difficult and the piece I've got is more turquoise. It was the best I could do so I won't use a lot of this. I have made a rule that I am only going to use what is to hand so if I can't be exact then the nearest match will have to do. Also I found some interesting yarn and beads that might work in well. So far so good! Now to think of the 'what'. I might pull some photos out of my album for inspiration. I'm still thinking water. It doesn't help that the printer has not caught the colours exactly as they appear on the screen. But I feel a start has been made.


I have given up on the socks. I think this wool was too ambitious for a sock knitting beginner. So it is now being knitted into a strip. I'm not calling it a scarf as it might end up as a luxurious hot water bottle cover. If it makes it to scarfdom then it will be very soft and cosy. It is easy to knit with and I am using big wooden needles so it should grow apace. I hope so!
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I have continued with the clearances and now have a wonderfully tidy sock-stocking drawer, scarf drawer and lingerie drawer; and my makeup is all tidy and findable. We went into Truro this afternoon and I was again beguiled by the sales and bought some more tops which had been reduced even further and some small 'really useful' plastic boxes in several sizes. I will be so organised soon that I just won't know myself. Long may it continue. Back to work tomorrow and I have to walk as my car is at the garage being fitted up for its annual M.O.T. But we won't talk about that as it is a fraught subject.