Thrift and November; or, I'd rather be making and creating

How are things in your neck of the woods? Here it has been one of those grim, grey November days when the sky feels low enough to touch and the world sapped of light. I found myself much in need of the Making Winter cheer of Emma's lovely mosaics.

Dreaming of sunshine and sofa time

And contrary to Nancy's good advice, I have spent the day inside slaving over 103,000 words and trying to find somewhere in the house light enough to be able to read without turning the lights on. Like so many thrifty practices, there is a downside, and in this case my efforts at being thrifty have led to collateral damage in terms of aching eyes (not such a good idea) and a certain weariness of mien.

A happy place

I should also have remembered my previous attempts at knitting in the dark and not tried to be thrifty on the illumination front as last night this led to my ripping back my Ten O'Clock scarf twice over (and it is a very simple pattern, honestly), so that all I have to show for an evening's work is one small repeat (possibly thrifty, definitely stressful).

So what on earth am I going to show and tell in my Christmas Challenge weekly progress report? Oh dear . . . One week in and I am already falling behind. Not a good start.

Unbirthday presents

Rather than revving up for the smooth run to Christmas I have been sidetracked by a sudden influx of remunerative work, which of course is a Good Thing, but the trouble with paid work I find is that it eats into knitting and stitching time something rotten, which is quite a dreadful thing to say, but as part of the decluttering involved in redecorating, I have had to give up the dark and gloomy yarn cupboard in the corner of the sitting room, and now my yarn stash is awaiting a new home. Which means it is sitting on the bed behind my desk smiling and calling to me as I sit at the computer ostensibly working and trying not to roam the corridors of Ravelry looking for free patterns (thrifty? Hmm . . .).

I made them all by myself

And there have been unbirthday presents (not to mention birthday presents). I have a habit of being so pleased with myself when I make something presentable that I cast around for someone to give it to, so my two Pleated Pouches (the pattern is from here) rather than remaining in stock for jolly old Yuletide have found their way to new homes, the flowery one as a thank you for being a friend to Princess Bunchy, and the spotty one as a thank you for my dear Mamma.

Fun with velcro

But all is not lost - I have finished one book today, and with luck the next one won't arrive until the next day, and maybe even the sun will shine tomorrow, and I can sit and knit and sew to my heart's content, and who knows? Perhaps I may have some lovely Christmas presents to show you tomorrow . . .

Stitch, stitch, stitch . . .?

Credits: sofa pincushion and My Happy Place fabric from Amy at During Quiet Time; fabric for Pleated Pouches - Tanya Whelan Grand Revival Ava Rose.