How much can I squeeze in today?

Time off is precious so I like to make sure I make the most of it. Lists! that's what's needed. I have a little book that I carry round in my handbag for just such things:

I always write everything I want to do knowing that there are too many things to accomplish but I don't think I've failed if they aren't all done, I just don't run out of things. On my list today:

• Finish stitchery bag and pattern (both close to completion)
• Write pattern for June Mini-Quilt
• Start July Mini-Quilt
• Prepare shortbread base for lemon squares  from Once upon a Chef
• Translate recipe to English measurements and write in cookery notes
• Iron clothes
• Vacuum (I only have carpets upstairs and a rug downstairs so can do on one charge)
• Clean one kitchen cupboard 
• Wash kitchen floors
• Dust the bookshelves and lampshades in the sitting room
• Sweep the back terrace
• Sort recycling for tomorrow's collection
• Order yarn (tick! - did that before breakfast - you have to get your priorities right)
• Check and answer emails and messages
• Pull out sofa to get all the things Max has thrown behind including my go-to thread colour (favourite pastime, chucking things about)
  
• He is wearing a nappy - no bare pictures on this blog!
• Vacuum behind sofa (don't recoil at the amount of dust and detritus hidden there)
• Go to work (this is where the some computer work gets done when John has long appointments so there aren't loads of people checking in and out - an hour tonight will give time for some pattern work.
• Put ice on back as often as possible - suffering at the moment, dammit.
• Blog

Not all will get done but it is lovely to tick things off.  The yarn order?  Well I saw this irresistable  blanket to crochet on Fifty Shades of 4Ply. I need a project for the flight to Spain in 5 weeks. OMG 5 weeks. 

I only ordered enough to test and will make a cushion cover if I decide not to make a blanket. I've never used the yarn before but I'm in lerv with the colours. I'm getting on well with my no-brain crochet blanket (for those moments when your hands want to do something but your mind can't cope)

I've started the third ball so when that is finished I will know what size the blanket will be. I think it will be about 45" square.  With Corner to Corner crochet you increase every row until you have used half the yarn then start decreasing - no calculations. Sadly you can't see the richness of the colour in either of these pictures, although the second is much closer

I have learned one lesson though, start a new ball at the end of a row.  This yarn is impossible to unpick. It is so fluffy that it 'welds' itself together and won't budge - you have to snap it which would pull the stitches tight. I thought the yarn gradations would follow on from each other but they don't - hence the half a stripe in the middle of the green/blue sequence. I was expecting it to morph back into the rust colour but is went green again.

By the time I press 'publish' I'm hoping to have got a good way through the list so I better get started as it's 8.40m and I have only ordered yarn.


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 later in the day.........................So... I got most things done, not the back terrace, not the bookshelves and notably not the bag finish.  Max has hidden the piece of fabric that was laid out ready to to the lining. I've searched high and low, in cupboards, behind sofas, in between books. It is nowhere to be found.  If I can't find it before I go to class I'll get some more - the missing fabric will turn up and I have another plan that it can be used for. Anyhow I'll leave you now with a little piccy of the strawberries and cream cupcakes from last week.

I think I might do a tab on the blog for recipes I use for the class and for 'cake Friday' at work, or maybe rather just the ones that people ask for. Sometimes the experimental ones are not too repeatable!