tiny happy

Hello from a sunny Sunday in autumn. I hope you are doing well, wherever you are.

I thought I'd share a few of my recent projects, and some things that are bringing me happiness these days.

You might have seen the other day that I published my first knitting pattern to Ravelry – for a pair of simple fingerless gloves or hand warmers. I'm calling the design 'Seashell mitts' because the simple lace pattern is a bit shell or even wave-like to me, and because I love shells and their shapes.

I've made two pairs and for the second I used some beautiful merino-linen yarn I bought from Bonnie at Union Fibre. The colourway name was 'Limpet' but it makes me think of faded pink hydrangeas – it's very autumnal and lovely, I think.

You can find the seashell mitts pattern for free download in my previous post, and the design's page on Ravelry is here.

Other than that, I've been working on a few other projects, namely small items for expected babies, and I've also cast on something very colourful (and slightly unusual for me) as a gift for someone else. More about that in due course! 

Work on my crochet granny square blanket continues at a slow pace – I like to work a round every now and then when watching Netflix or listening to a podcast but it's nowhere near the size it needs to be for a bed! I've also found it's really yarn-hungry, so I might just keep working until I run out of the two yarns I'm using.

Over on my Instagram 'stories' I'm trying to share my non-work-related reading, as I finish books. These stories are saved as a highlight on my profile page. It's been a great way for me to keep track of the things I've read and what I thought of them. I recently finished Vesper Flights by Helen McDonald. I thought the writing was deep and beautiful and I'm still thinking about it.

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Do you like flapjacks? My Mum used to make them often when we were kids and we all loved them, but I just don't seem to be able to recreate her version, which was not too buttery or sweet, but rather dense, deep and chewy. I've made a few batches in the attempt, though, which haven't been too bad, using this recipe (simple but super sweet, and easy to over-cook!) and this one (also good but still not quite how I remember them in childhood). I need to keep practising. Please let me know if you have an excellent recipe!

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Would you like two and half minutes of mood-lifting jazzy deliciousness? I discovered this piece recently and you might like it too.

XX – Melissa