Bad and good

I haven’t posted as much as I would have liked recently because the last week and a half has been difficult. I’ve had a car accident and water leaking through my ceiling. Then, I got home last night after spending New Year with OH to find someone had kicked out the glass pane in the front door to my block. This made a hole large enough for an adult to crawl through but my neighbours had only covered it with cardboard which was flapping about uselessly. OH came over straight away and we boarded up the hole securely. I was hoping that Christmas would be a restorative break, but honestly I feel drained after everything that’s happened.

However, this post is not about bad things, but instead to remind me of all the good things in my life. I’ve taken the idea of 7 loves from Jane’s excellent blog (hope you don’t mind, Jane). I’m not including people in the list, although I have a fantastic OH, supportive parents and wonderful friends to be thankful for. Here are my 7 loves:

1. Knitting – an obvious one, but since I started knitting again in 2007 it has come to mean more to me than I could ever have realised. I love the feeling of yarn moving through my fingers. The rhythm of making stitches has a meditative quality which soothes me. I like the fact there are always new techniques to learn, so I never get bored. This EZ quote sums up the therapeutic effect knitting has on me.

From 'The Opinionated Knitter', Schoolhouse Press

2. Books – I’ve always loved to read and did so constantly as a child. I studied English Literature for years before I became a librarian, so consequently my flat is full (and getting fuller) of books. I can’t imagine life without reading, it’s just not possible for me to go for a day without picking up a book. Even better my love of knitting and books combines in the glorious world of knitting books! I bought myself a couple with some Christmas money. Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard – I hope this will help me understand the construction of sweaters better and teach me to customise patterns for a better fit. Socks From the Toe Up by Wendy D. Johnson – I’m a confident top down sock knitter, but I’ve never tried knitting from the toe up and I’d like to give it a try.

3. Tea – my favourite drink is tea. It has to be weak and milky and my preferred everyday brand is PG Tips, but I like Twinings English Breakfast or Darjeeling for a treat. I was delighted to get this teapot, cup and saucer for Christmas from OH’s mother. Isn’t it splendid? It’s exactly what I would have chosen for myself. I find drinking tea from a special cup makes it taste even better.

Jaunty!

4. Technology – I’m not a tecchie, but I embrace technology and gadgets enthusiastically. I couldn’t live without my laptop or my wireless broadband at home. I bought myself an indulgent present with my remaining Christmas money – an iPod Touch. I’m not too bothered about using it for music, as I’ve already got an iPod, but I wanted it for wifi browsing and downloading apps. I love it already. I can see how useful it’s going to be for knitting – I’m testing out the Knit Counter Lite and KnitBuddy apps. Plus, I can browse Ravelry and watch tutorials for techniques on YouTube. I’ve also downloaded Stanza, which is an ebook reader app. You can access free ebooks from Project Gutenberg. I can see that being very useful indeed on long train journeys.

5. Bed – I love my bed. I look forward to snuggling under my thick duvet every night. I like to add a hot water bottle in the winter for extra cosiness. For me, an early night with a cup of tea and a good book is heaven.

6. Sea – I grew up in a seaside town and, apart from my years at university, I’ve always lived by the sea. Living further inland makes me feel trapped. I live 10 minutes walk from the sea now and for that I feel profoundly grateful.

View from the pier

7. Bags – I can’t even explain to myself why I love bags, but I do. Perhaps it’s because they always fit and so it doesn’t matter if you put on weight. I have many, many bags. Some of them cheap, some of them (far too) expensive. My current favourite is my Namaste Laguna in ‘eggplant’ because I like the company’s ethical stance, the bag is HUGE and it’s also versatile – you can carry it by the handles, on your shoulder or cross-body.

What are your favourite things? I tag anyone who wants to do this too!

Christmas present

I’ve bought myself a Christmas present. I’ve been a good girl all year, so I deserve it! I’ve ordered a copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman’s The Opinionated Knitter from I Knit.

picture from Amazon UK

I’ve been reading The Knitter’s Almanac and really enjoying her writing. If you haven’t read it, it’s a mixture of no-nonsense knitting advice and personal reflections. I was reading the chapter for December in bed last night and there’s a moving passage where she writes about taking down the Christmas tree, putting away the ornaments and wondering where you and your loved ones will be when they are next unpacked.

I had a nasty incident driving to work this morning. The slip road which leads into my workplace hadn’t been gritted and as I drove along I skidded badly twice. The first time, my car mounted the pavement on the right of the road which brought it to a halt. The second time, it veered into a barrier on the left of the road. Thankfully, there doesn’t appear to be any serious damage, although the wall of the right front tyre is squashed in slightly. I feel very fortunate there were no other cars or pedestrians around at the time otherwise it could have been much worse. I’ve never driven on ice before and the feeling of totally losing control is horrible.  I hope everyone out there is safe in this weather.