Putting to good use

Today’s edges are just a little tinged with sadness memories. When Suzie was still with us, she loved to chase Frisbee. We would buy Frisbees for her by the dozen as they either took flight into the sea, were lost in the barley next door, or simply wore out. When she died, we had a few unused Frisbees remaining. Nell does balls, not Frisbees. When a call came out from a local animal charity for Tombola prizes, it was quite obvious to me what to do with the unused dog toys. They are due for collection today and I have added to them, with two large cat travel boxes, no longer needed now that we have only one cat and not three.

So today I am looking at these items and recalling mad playtimes and insane journeys, house moves and cat traumas. Feeling sort of sad and joyful at the same time. We all had a good life together and the house feels all but empty now, with only Nell and Ted for company. Not that there is any “only” about either one of them! Both have full-on characters and both are very demanding. Bless them. *sigh*

Ted’s bladder issues seem to be resolving at last – I no longer seem to spend every five minutes drying out his litter tray. Hurrah. If the weather plays ball and we can get to the vet later this week, I am hoping he gets a clean bill of health and no further need to return.

On the knitting front – the new yarn was dispatched yesterday.  I think it will be OK, time-wise – Warriston turned from an amorphous brown blob into something resembling an actual sweater last night. I have 9 of 16 decrease rounds completed and should reach the cowl neck this evening, all being well. I shall be  happy enough if I can cast the neck off by the time that the new yarn comes and will be OK with stashing the sweater away before finishing it. It will need the  underarm gussets fashioning and the pockets sewing up, plus a few ends to sew in (though I am joining the yarn as I go, using a Russian Join, spit-felted for double security) – those tasks can wait until the Bloke Sweater has been given.

I was a little disappointed in Mr L’s choice of pattern as I was hoping to knit some nice cables.  Alice Starmore’s Na Craga would have been my favoured option. In short, I find myself ready for some knitting complexity. Sir Lancelot is only mildly engaging. A plan is forming – I need lace in my life. Do not let me start something new!  If you see signs of yarn or pattern lust and itchy new-project fingers at work – shout at me. I need to take something from the UFO pile and I feel at this stage that might be Lisianthus, which makes no sense at all as it scarcely counts as a UFO and is in fact barely begun and could easily be frogged and abandoned yet. I would be better completing my Windswept shawl, that Pi blanket that has been waiting forever for me to decide how to edge it or even the ill-fated Evenstar (Rav  project notes idiotically deleted and irrecoverable!) – none of which meet the itch in my fingers to be working with something very fine. I could return to some doily-knitting but the yellow doily is in need of a couple of inches of complex de-knitting and Hannelore is not speaking my language right now.

Yes, it is Lisianthus calling my name out loud but I hope to resist and to complete Windswept as the more sensible Show-ready course of action. Lisianthus is a large task and knowing me and my habits, will not be done in one single stint of work. I’ll get bored and want to do something new and more exciting… as always. Familiarity breeds contempt – how could anything be prettier or more exciting than one of Romi’s shawls? I should get a grip.

I have a chicken and bacon pie in preparation for lunch. It is smelling gorgeous as the filling cools ready for its pastry lid. We bought one of those huge bargain packs of bacon mis-shapes from the local shop last Friday. So far it has provided amply-filled Bacon butties for brunch on Friday plus a topping for a couple of Pizzas on Sunday. This pie will see the end of the bacon, married to one small chicken breast from the freezer. A useful £1.95’s worth all-told. I was going to hold some bacon back for a pea soup but decided in the end that I was being too niggardly and also risking food poisoning by over-stretching the pack’s life. Yes, I could freeze, but I dislike the taste of bacon that has been frozen.

Tomorrow being a Fast Day, I hope to report on some exciting culinary experience involving a cabbage. Don’t all rush at once.