Archie The Wonder Dog

Well, it’s that time of year. Although, as someone who went through (and then worked in) the English education system, this is completely the wrong time of year to be getting or writing an end of year report* but I’ve always thought it made sense to tie the academic year to the calendar year so I’m embracing it.  *Fortunately, we don’t have to participate in sports day/end of year plays/school discos but there can be Toy Day and Big Toy Day if you fancy. Don’t bring anything with lots of small parts or which is very expensive or very new. You are entirely responsible for making sure you have all the correct toys and all the component parts with you at home time. I’ve been trying to decide how to write my report and have decided that I will stick with pictures, for the main. It’s at this point that I am making a note to 2023 me not to delete photos of finished objects until I’ve written my Fettle Those Finishes Report. In this instance, tidying as you go does not make life easier. S...

  Furtle (v): to have a rummage or delve into the contents of something Hello, and welcome to the final Furtle of the year! (How? How?! ) I finished the socks I started last month and they are now (although perhaps not literally) on the feet of their owner. These are they (socks not feet): There’s enough left over leftovers to  make her another pair so once I’ve finished my current pair, I’ll set to. This most recent pair takes my sock count for 2022 to sixteen. I also finished the top I’d started last month: And made another: which I temporarily turned into a Christmas top with the addition of some red seed beads: Those take my tops count for 2022 to fourteen (eleven short sleeved and three long sleeved). I did loads of quilting on my Winterkist quilt, loads more than I planned because the fleece behaved so well (about time too) that I quilted all the ditches and not just those running from one edge to the other. I’ve now got a plan for the rest of the quilting: I’m going to ...

Furtle (v): to have a rummage or delve into the contents of something Hello! November feels like it’s lasted sixty days rather than thirty and, upon looking in my Furtling photo album (I add photos in across the month in an attempt to remember everything and make writing this post a little easier), I find I have squeezed in a lot of knitting and sewing so perhaps it really has been twice as long as usual? I finished the scrappy socks I started last month : Isn’t it amazing how you can take small balls of left over yarn  and turn them into a pair of socks which look deliberate?!  Speaking of deliberate, the fleece backing for my Winterkist quilt  continues to be deliberately (and impressively) obstreperous but I got it pieced into the right size and shape for the top towards the end of last month and then tacked down all the seams (so they didn’t flip over during layering) and have, with the help of the same friend who’s been helping me fleece wrestle throughout this ...

  Furtle (v): to have a rummage or delve into the contents of something Hello! It’s finally woolly sock weather, hooray! And it’s almost long sleeves weather, which is my favourite type. I’ve finished the two tops I’d started last month and have been able to wear them rather than them going in my wardrobe for next summer, which is nice. Again, both are the Lou Box top (with alterations): Fabric is from Pound Fabrics but it’s out of stock Fabric is from  ByGraziela I’ve also finished the socks I was knitting for a friend and they fit. Phew! Yarn is Opal Red (5180) And knitted a pair for another friend: Yarn is ‘Unicorn’ from  Made By Penguins  mystery skein sale In September, I drafted a long sleeve for the tops I’ve been making and I’ve made a wearable (and very warm) toile out of some sweatshirt fabric from The Cupboard Of Possibilities: And as the sleeves are fine, I can get started on these two now: Yes, I did cave and get the dachshunds in black ( from he...