Wednesday 25 March 2020

Yarn along March 25th 2020: Silver linings

Hello from my dining room! I'm having a break from my living room today while I work and my husband looks after/home schools the kids. School's shut now for the foreseeable future and my husband and I are both working from home. The current instructions from the UK government are that we should all stay at home, only going out for exercise once a day and shopping for essentials when we absolutely need to. We're both very grateful for family, for the internet, for streaming services, for hobbies, for video calls, for outdoor space and for sunshine!


While it's hard logistically having all of us at home all of the time, there are definite silver linings. We're getting to spend quality time with the kids (I've done several work outs with them), and I've gained hours back by not having to walk them to and from school every day, and not having to act as chauffeur for all the extra curricular activites. This has freed up time for sorting all the boxes of magazines - I now have a nice pile of patterns I want to keep, and all the half magazines have gone to be recycled. I also found three books I'd mislaid, including Custom Socks, which is my favourite book to use when I'm designing socks.

I've had time to cut out fabric to make a dress for my youngest daughter, and once that's stitched, I'll see what calls to me next from the fabric pile. Long-abandoned knitting projects have started to lure me back. My Starfall jumper has told me repeatedly that it doesn't want to be finished, so while the yoke is beautiful, the fit is terrible, and the yarn is soon to find a new lease of life as a Sugarplum Sweater.

Knitted jumper yoke in grey, yellow and teal

My current active project is a new sock design, knitted in MillaMia Naturally Soft Sock,* which LoveCrafts sent to me last year for review purposes. I was inspired by the colour, and am knitting some bamboo-patterned socks. The pattern will be coming soon... Patrice the Panda approves!



Another advantage of the current situation is that the libraries are closed and fines suspended, so I might actually have time to finish the library book pile before any of the books get recalled! I'm starting with Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney, which my friend Amy recommended recently. The book is about two friends, Frances and Bobby, who were once lovers, and a couple, Melissa and Nick. I'm enjoying it so far, in a low-key way. The writing is keeping me going and I want to see how the releationships between the characters evolve.

I hope that you and your loved ones are keeping well. What are your silver linings at the minute?

*Affiliate link.

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