HIMP week 3

We're in Brussels for the 3rd part of our management training. A few of us arrived last night so we took the chance to go for a walk before everything started this morning. There are some beautiful buildings nearby and I'm looking forward to exploring more over the next few days.

I'm ready for a proper night's sleep now... it feels as though it's been a long day and I've just had a big dinner (Flemish beef stew - I didn't fancy a full plate of mussels).

One day down, 3 to go...

His constant love

I've been feeling a bit anxious/panicky about travelling this week (partly after having a difficult few days at work and partly just not enjoying the M6). I was able to get to church for the first part of the meeting though and it was very helpful. First I could feel God saying that last week is in the past and next week is still to come so I need to concentrate on now and enjoy Him in the present.

We also had a very powerful contribution from a lady who is suffering from cancer. She's survived it in the past but now it's back and not so easy to beat. She spoke about how she's questioned whether God loves her as much as people who are healthy, or whether she could earn a longer life by doing more useful things... but she's realised that her hope and future are in God and that His love is eternal and constant. We were all close to tears but the next song fitted so well:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I won't give up, I know you are near
...

Oh no, You never let go
through the wind and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
You never let go of me

I don't remember all the words right now but it was amazing the way we could celebrate God's constancy in difficulties.

This lady's testimony was so powerful because she's in such a hard situation and yet she knows God is there. I believe in all she said, and have come to a similar conclusion myself, but she's truly testing it.

In my own, much more trivial, challenge I was so grateful not to feel panicky on the car journey. I only felt peace and I know that was from God.

Mid-week catch-up

1.  A potentially tricky situation at work seems to have been resolved quite easily this morning... now to sort the other challenges out!  (there are a few...)  I'm encouraged that I feel so much more confident these days than when I started this role, and that we're being recognised as doing a good job.  I still get to do some of the technical stuff but I also quite enjoy managing the team.  It helps that they're all quite easy to work with though.

2.  Should I be happy that housegroup has been cancelled tomorrow?  It would have been nice to see everyone but this means I can relax more this evening instead of choosing songs for tomorrow, and I won't need to rush home after work to get out again.

3.  I've nearly finished the 2nd fingerless mitt I started last week.  Unfortunately, I realised at the weekend that I've managed to make 2 left-handed mitts... it was too late to unpick to the critical row but I couldn't face frogging it so I've pressed on to complete it and will need to make at least one more right-handed mitt (if I manage to concentrate at the right time).  Ho hum!

Sunday

1. My first time playing bass this year. I'd love to be able to play more interestingly but thankfully what I can do is good enough. I enjoyed playing anyway.

2. Sunday lunch with A's family - delicious. I counted the calories up afterwards (almost 1100!) so maybe it's good that it's not a frequent event... everything balances out though and I'm still about 3lb lighter than 2 weeks ago.

3. I've enjoyed having a quiet weekend. We've not wasted it but relaxed as well as getting a few things done.

Saturday jobs and relaxing

1. A very slow start to the day... and our only chance for some time. It felt good to take it easy and stay indoors on a stormy day (even if I was reading a work-related book for some of the time). We popped out at teatime, but not for too long...

2. I spent a short while filling some of the holes in the wall plaster in the bedroom, so it's almost ready to paper now. Just some sanding needed first - perhaps I'll get round to it next weekend. That's another baby-step taken anyway...

3. I've finally seen the last episode of Sherlock. Even after the spoiler on the radio yesterday I don't know how the final twist was done. Just have to wait for series 3 I suppose.

A good end to the week

1. Housegroup yesterday was good - we had time to catch up with each other and to have a proper discussion. I didn't play in the end, but will make sure I'm prepared for next week.

2. The bathroom floor has been fitted. It took a bit longer than I'd hoped and hopefully the noise didn't annoy the neighbours too much. We're happy with the result though - now I'm itching to get some fresh paint on the walls.

3. Our first knit and natter of 2012. 5 of us were there and it was just a lovely way to end the week. One lady couldn't get over the small dpns I was using...

relaxing, playing and reviewing

1. It's been good to have an evening in tonight - we've enjoyed some of the veg chilli I made for the freezer a couple of weeks ago, with a glass of red. Yum.  A few more calories than I was aiming for, but I'm not being too strict - it's all been pretty low fat, and is still a lot less than I'd been having over the last few weeks...
2. I've dug out my guitar again, to have a practice before housegroup tomorrow.  I played through some of the older songs which I'd forgotten.  Not sure what to use tomorrow evening yet, but we'll see.
3. I've been looking back over the knitted makes from last year.  I started a list of makes on New Year's Day to see what I made last year - I'd only got as far as the baby gifts, so now I've finished part 2 with knits for the home.  I'm enjoying looking back at my makes and reliving them.

2011 makes - part 2

Knits for the home
After all the baby blankets, I decided to make a grown-up version.  I started with 3 colourways of the same yarn (James C Brett Marble Chunky) and began knitting square blocks but then realised that they didn't all go together as well as I thought. So one blanket became 2, with the blue/grey/brown and brown squares making up the 1st blanket and the silver grey squares put aside for a 2nd.

The blue/brown/grey blanket is finished, and has been given to a friend as a house-warming/birthday/Christmas present. And it also has the most stylish Finished Object photo I've managed yet:

Cabled Blanket

5 blocks by 4, alternating colourways, with each block in both colourways.  I tried to get a balance between chunky cables and more "dainty" patterns, and very much enjoyed knitting the different squares.  I was pleased by how quickly they knitted up and surprised by how much less painful it was to sew together than I'd expected.
The edging was my first I-cord edging, which I tried with all number of stitches, but settled on 3 wide.  It also took a while to get the right tension for this, but I was fairly happy with it in the end.
Finished August 2011


The silver-grey blanket is still WIP. 
I also bought some pink-purple yarn of the same type, thinking it might go well with the greys.  It doesn't, so I've started a 3rd blanket - this time based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's garter stitch blanket.  So far, 3 pieces have been finished, and the 4th is about 1/3 done.  Hopefully it'll be finished in 2012.
(and I'm still short of yarn, even after all the extra purchases... I need another grey and another pink/purple ball - at least!)


Ballband Dishcloth
a quick knit just for fun...

I love the Mason-Dixon knitting book, which has this design in it. Their knitting philosophy is lovely, and I just enjoy their attitude.
This cloth is being used in our kitchen, and brings a wee splash of colour to routine work.
Finished February 2011

Hexagon Washcloth

Also from the 1st Mason-Dixon book, and just for fun.
We're using this one as a potholder (and to catch the drips from my teapot when I'm pouring in the living room)
Finished February 2011

Making progress

1. My Pilates class this evening was hard work, but I'm encouraged that I'm able to do so much more than I used to be.
2. My new eating patterns are starting to take effect: I feel much less full (bloated!) and I'm relearning how much I actually need ...and I'm regularly getting at least my 5 portions now.
3. The start of this year feels quite positive so far: lots to do but we're finally making progress.

restarting

1. The clearout continues... we took some more junk to the skip on Sunday (this time from the garage) and the brown bin is full of branches.
2. My own sorting-out has started too... I'm trying to relearn how much I should eat each day, and maybe lose the stone I've gained in the last year or so.  Not a diet (honest!) but "recalibrating" my thinking to know what a reasonable level is - I'm hoping it will help me to readjust so that I can stabilise at a good level.
3. And I've restarted knitting again after a long break over the Christmas holiday.  There's a 2nd mitt to finish after its friend was made last December, and the last piece of the garter stitch blanket when I don't want to concentrate on counting stitches.  And I've got 2 takers for handmade items in Pay it Forward 2012.

Satisfying

Quite a happy day today...

• laughter at work
• progress for the QC improvements
• good plans for activities in the conference I'm arranging in April
• Andrew has been working hard in the garden
• 4 wheelie bins filled and ready for collection tomorrow
• the mini-skip is almost overflowing
• one batch left for me to do next weekend
• and then a relaxing evening at home

Encouragement for interesting times...

encouragement from this morning's songs:

"We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes, You're the giver of life"

and

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,

His mercies never come to an end.

They are new every morning,

new every morning,

great is Your faithfulness, O Lord,

great is Your faithfulness.

based on Lamentations 3:22-24
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him"

first week back...

• quite busy at work
• but I've been encouraged that we've been able to get on well together while pushing to do better.  I love feeling that I know so many people there and that when I walk around there are lots of smiles.  We work hard, but it's a good place to be.
• back to the routines (mostly)
• my prayer triplet met again for the first time in 3 weeks, and I was back to my Pilates class too; thankfully our teacher was quite gentle on us for the first session after Christmas - next year may be tougher!
• we had friends over for tea last night
• Andrew made beef in Stilton sauce, which was delicious
• Caroline had made a German apple cake - also delicious!
• and today we set up some more bits and pieces for the house
• a roofer to look at our roof and the rendering at the front of the house
• new curtains for our spare room
• more old stuff cleared out which was hidden in the desk drawers
• the skip is arriving on Monday to start clearing our garden of rubbish
• and I also got new headlamps for the car - they hadn't failed, but they looked pretty close!

Moving forward

I started the day feeling quite low - I'm not keen to get back onto the treadmill of working full-time and trying to keep up with life... But we took another baby-step forward by arranging to sort out our bathroom floor, and we've sorted out a load more stuff to move on. As much as possible is going to charity shops but some of it is just beyond usefulness. Now we just need to work out what the crack is behind my bit of the wardrobe... (and replace the cladding on the front of the house, and fix 2 windows, and get the roof checked out...)

One step at a time...

2011 makes - part 1

Baby-boom
I started the year half-way through making 4 baby blankets for friends who were expecting new arrivals. The first was born in Autumn 2010, one on the 30th December, his cousin in January and one nearer Easter. It's a bit of a cheat showing them all as 2011 makes, but I was so pleased with them that I can't resist...

Bliss Blanket No. 1

made for baby Tim, and my first attempt at entrelac. I loved the simplicity of the design, and enjoyed making this blanket (I must have done, because I started another afterwards). The yellow yarn was slightly thinner than the other 3 though, which made for a messy transition to that row each time, but not so that anyone else would mind.
Finished October 2010.

Patchwork Blanket

made for baby Grace, and probably my favourite of the 4... I loved the mitred squares, and that the stripy sock yarn made the blanket so much more impressive than it was difficult. I'll happily do another one day.
Finished late December 2010.

Mitred Square Blanket

made for baby Robyn. I enjoyed making the squares (using a pattern from the Mason-Dixon book), but found the edges were curling up quite badly when I sewed them all together. I tried putting a reverse-stocking stitch border on to see if it would balance out and it was just-about ok once I'd blocked it twice. Quite frustrating though, as I loved the colour of this yarn.
Finished January 2011

Bliss Blanket No. 2

made for baby Simeon (who's mum is a talented knitter). This time I learned from the yarn-weight difference and used two shades of the same sock-yarn. The picture doesn't quite do it justice, but I was pleased with how it worked out.
Finished February 2011.

I also made my first Baby Surprise Jacket for the first-born of a friend at work.

I did much of this while travelling to/from London by train for a few days' holiday. The garter stitch meant it was a good pattern for knitting on the move, but there was plenty to keep my mind occupied with the shaping. I loved the way the yarn striping worked out (Sirdar baby crofter) and I'll happily make another of these one day. Next time I might see if I can work out the I-cord edging.

how to start the year

Two fabulous ways to start 2012:

• watching the New Year's Concert from Vienna
• we've applied for the draw for next year's concert tickets... you never know!
• climbing Barrow Fell with our friends
• it was very windy at times, but didn't rain
• the views were well worth it
• and it feels good to start the year in the fresh air