I sometimes feel the need to qualify these sorts of sentences with statements such as 'but not as cold/bleak as it gets in Canada' (happy Canada day, by the way if you're from there). But it gets cold for here.
We are starting days in eerie dark, blanketed in other-worldy fog; we are going out at lunch time, clutching our coats to our chests, pushing forward into tunnels of frigid wind; we are coming home when it's dark again, hair flattening sleet driving us on to where it's warm.
The evenings are cosy, sleepy and, in some instances, productive.
We were greeted by a picture of cuteness earlier this week though, in the form of a puppy newly adopted into my brother's family.
I'd like to introduce Manfred.
Part Maltese terrier, part poodle, he was my brother's 30th birthday gift from his girlfriend. Manfred, as is no doubt predictable if you know puppies, went straight for any bit of stray wool when he was here on Tuesday night. I gave him a hastily found scrap of Cleckheaton Country and he went to town with it. This photo was taken in a moment of stillness. There weren't many of them as all the blurry photos I didn't publish would attest.
Every other night this week has seen me pushing forward on the WIPs in order to make room for the Tour de France knit starting on Saturday night.
I made reasonable progress on a new kimono for Baby Alice, who is fattening up nicely and threatening to outgrow the knits I've clothed her in to date. It's closer to finished than this photo demonstrates.
Bendigo Rustic in Pink Opal.
I made good headway on Ishbel #2. What happened to Ishbel #1 you may well ask? That's a story for another day. This one's made from Wensleydale the ever lovely Kylie brought back from the UK for me.
And on the bus I've been working on Lacy Mock Cable socks in Colinette Jitterbug. Pretty huh?
And finally, I swatched. Rowan Kid Classic. For the Garter Yoke Cardigan.
So really, I'm good to go. I'm ready to wrap up this dark week and head to Sydney to hang out with my sister at our annual day out at the Good Food and Wine Show. We've been counting down for weeks and now it's here. See you at the end of the weekend with a wrap up of a day I'm very much looking forward to, not least of all because we'll get to check out Gordon Ramsay who, it has to be said, has been amazingly quiet following all the scandal that's dogged his visit down under.
Bells
And on the bus I've been working on Lacy Mock Cable socks in Colinette Jitterbug. Pretty huh?
And finally, I swatched. Rowan Kid Classic. For the Garter Yoke Cardigan.
So really, I'm good to go. I'm ready to wrap up this dark week and head to Sydney to hang out with my sister at our annual day out at the Good Food and Wine Show. We've been counting down for weeks and now it's here. See you at the end of the weekend with a wrap up of a day I'm very much looking forward to, not least of all because we'll get to check out Gordon Ramsay who, it has to be said, has been amazingly quiet following all the scandal that's dogged his visit down under.
Bells
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