Rearrangement

I've just found my friend Lyn's new blog, and it has stimulated me to review and renew my blog sidebar - so the list of blogs I read and podcasts I listen to, while not exhaustive, is at least up-to-date. 

I've had a stimulating week or so, as my life goes - I received an exciting parcel on Friday, with beautiful arm-warmers (which seem to be known as gauntlets here - to me, those are gloves with large, wide arm parts, but whatever) knit just for ME and fitting perfectly, a champagne bottle cosy WITH A BOTTLE INSIDE IT! AndreaOD was the thoughtful sender of the parcel, part of the 3rd Aussie swap through Ravelry. She wrapped all the elements in green tissue paper, and also enclosed chocolate and wine glass charms. 

I need to get pics of the arm-warmers/gauntlets in the light of day, and actually on my arms - they kept me nice and warm all evening after our Christmas in July meal, for which I thank you, Andrea (the Champagne warmed me from the inside...).Sorry 'bout the dark pics, Andrea. It was night-time!

The Christmas in July went well - though the oven was a bit slow for the spuds (I've never come across a gas oven with centigrade, only gas marks. We're not convinced, whatever it says, that it ever reached 200*C, let alone 220!) Still, we enjoyed Turkey (Nigella's super-juicy one; I recommend the prior brining as it really didn't get dry, though I'm unconvinced that we'd have noticed the lack of allspice berries et al in the water), gingerbread stuffing, roast spuds and parsnips, red cabbage, bashed neeps, sprouts with chestnuts and pancetta, Cumberland sauce, lovely gravy... not sure what I've forgotten. I knocked up a few mince-pies (channelling Han, I think) and Kris brought delicious pumpkin pie. (Which C and I had for the next two breakfasts, and I have to admit, I had for lunch as well yesterday). Yum!

My knitting is zooming along at the mo - the Oriental Lily has up-sized pretty well, I hope, for a not-very-huge six-year-old (my currently-toothless niece A); the original is for a 2yo. I'm using some Fyberspates very brightly variegated superwash 4ply I bought as a huge 250g skein at Unravel in October 06, with a vague plan to make Hecate-pec a cardigan; however, she didn't seem too keen on the colours, so it has marinated in the stash (plus, her grandmother knitted her two cardigans so her need was small!)

Discussion with Shelley, my s-i-l and A's mum, suggested that I should go for a pinafore dress of some kind, as she misses the lovely one my Mum made her when she was littler. So I'm holding this 4ply together with some 'A+E' (=amethysts and emeralds, not casualty) superwash sock yarn from my good friend Barb of Lost Flock Fibers. Working beautifully so far. I'll take pics tomorrow (ish) in the light of day.

What I do have a couple of photos of is the new house. Here goes: