Feeling the February

 Eileen - It's a blanket, and I am just loving the colours. 

Bless - the wind was pretty fierce. I'm making another blanket. I don't think that this will be fit to donate, though. The cast on is very poor and there are tails everywhere. I'm having so much fun knitting it, though.

Yesterday was a trial. Every time I was about to write something down, I was interrupted. It could be bear, DH, friends, someone at the door, phone - everything! I had no chance of keeping a train of thought. So here is something that I meant to put in yesterday.

Happy Imbolc, Candlemas and Groundhog Day. Did you know that that one of the stories of Imbolc, the old Celtic festival that celebrated the start of lambing and the farming spring, was that the Cailleach would gather her last lot of winter firewood at Imbolc. If the winter was nearly at an end, the day would be overcast as the Cailleach would stay in bed. If there was a lot of winter still ahead, she would arrange a bright, sunny day to make collecting lots of firewood easier. With Groundhog Day, if the day is bright and sunny, then Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow and the winter will continue for another six weeks. So the traditions carry on down the centuries, just in different forms. Apparently someone has studied the weather patterns and it doesn't seem to have any foundation in truth, but why let that spoil a good story?

I didn't get a pic of something that made me smile as it was a crow hurtling past with what looked like a crab apple stuck on its beak. The crow wasn't entirely happy about not being able to get the dratted thing off, but at least it kept the morsel from the other crow following it. So instead here is this.

We were all snug and cosy in the study, all hanging out as bear killed things in a computer game, DH practiced chess and I knitted. It was the only light on in the house, and there was a candle. It was incredibly snug. The heating has been on for an hour, but quite low and just to air the house through, so it was very much a little oasis of cosiness. Then bear went to bed, nipping to the kitchen for a treat first. So that was the living room light, the kitchen stairs light, the dining room light, the walk in cupboard light and the landing light all left on after he went to bed. I may have to have words. We are now pretty much out of all the Christmas goodies, so I will start picking up a bit here and there again. 

Writing stuff - Today I've revisited one of my favourite Lady Freydis stories here.

Hugs and good health to all.