Face Scrubbies and Pom-Poms

Hello All.

Mr Clicky has been back to the UK for another week working, it's getting a bit odd to have him here.    I am currently packing my bags because I'm off next Saturday to spend the next four weeks with him in Chicago.  It's still cold with him -15 degrees and snow forecast for the day I arrive, here we have sunshine, blue skies and (+) 15 degrees, although we are forecast to go cold again in March.  The tabloid press are using words like BATTER! and SNOW! so probably a bit of rain and sleet. 

Miss Clicky and I are friends on Pinterest, so when she pinned a crochet face scrubby ~ did she do it so I would see it I wonder? ~ I knew I had to give them a go.  The idea is you use them instead of cotton wool for removing makeup, wash and use again.  As we all know in the crafty world, there is something very satisfying about making something useful, so I hooked up seven for her with some cotton that was lurking somewhere in my stash.  They were quick to make, about ten minutes each, pattern here if you're interested.

As with all crochet, they became additive and I had a lot of fun stacking them up and taking pictures.

 I even found a free downloadable label.

But are they any good I hear you ask?  Well, I made a couple for me too and I can report that they are brilliant with whatever you use, cleanser, eye makeup remover or micellar water and because of their bobbly (but soft) texture you feel like you've had a facial every time, so for me, a hit.

Which brings me onto pom-poms.  As you know Miss Clicky is getting married in July, the reception will be held in a marquee in a field and we need to decorate said marquee.  It is not small.  We have been offered lots and lots of bunting to decorate but we are also stringing up pom-poms.  We've all been making one or two here and there ~ in the pub or waiting for appointments ~ and I decided the other day to do a pom-pom audit.   Now looking at this pile it doesn't look that big but I counted them and there are about 180 so far.

I went through them all and gave them a trim ~ because who wants a square pom-pom? ~ and soon had a bucket full of multi-coloured fluff.  The boxfull can now spend some time in the attic until needed, but the pom-pom treadmill continues and we are still making.

Lastly I am making a triangular scarf/shawl in Stylecraft Batik Swirl.  A 200g ball of striped yarn, I have the Blue Ocean colour way which I really love, but I have come across a knot. Knots make me cross, I have joined the yarn in at the proper point and pulled some out but............ 

Well, that's me for now, if you need me I'm 
womanhandling a large box of pom-poms into the attic.....

Have a great week.........Clicky Needles.

Snow Clearing

Hello there!

Today Master Clicky and me have been clearing snow so he can get out of our driveway and road safely to get to work tomorrow.   My car is a 4 x 4 so no problems there but for his little Kia is a bit trickier.  When we started it looked like this.

We were met with indignant shouts from next door's 5 year old. "MUUUUUMMMMMMM they're getting rid of the snow."  He stood at the window giving us daggers ~ if looks could kill.

The sun was out and we soon peeled off the layers we were wearing, I ended up in just a t-shirt.

2 1/2 hours later.....

That's better.

When we came in we had hot chocolate and a bit of rest and I decided to get my swift and yarn winder out to wind up these skeins.  I had been given a voucher a couple of birthdays ago by my lovely knitting pal Romain for Midwinter Yarns.  I hadn't used it because I couldn't decide what to get and it had been sitting on my desk accusingly.  So, I ordered 6 skeins of Ullcentrum 3ply yarn which is a worsted weight.

What am I going to make with it?  Not sure, but at least now it is caked up I can do a tension square to give me some ideas.

I've also had this Manos Silk Blend sitting around in skeins so I caked those up too.

Is it just me, or does striped yarn never look as good in a cake as it does in a skein?

I have found a left over bottle of mulled wine from Christmas, so I will be partaking of some soon, which hopefully will help ease my aching shoulders from the snow clearing, I'm aching in places I had forgotten about.

So that's me for today,  hopefully Master Clicky will drive out with no problems, otherwise it'll be "Muuummmm can you take me to work today?" Keep smiling, right?

Bye for now..........Clicky Needles.

P.S.  Mr Clicky reports that's it's has got a bit warmer in Chicagoland, thanks for asking.  He is back home on Saturday for a week, so that'll be great.

A Snow Day

Hello there!

Snow finally hit this corner of the world today. 

Master Clicky's work site was shut so we both have had a day indoors.  Of course, it looked pretty.

Although snow on the vellux windows makes it a bit claustrophobic.

I love pristine snow.

 I hadn't been feeding the birds lately as I will be away soon, but when I saw a lone blue tit searching the empty feeder this morning I filled it up.  A gaggle of goldfinches turned up.

As it is a snow day, that obviously means a knitting day, which is what I have been doing most of it.

And drinking hot chocolate.

Mr Clicky reports from Chicago that it is extremely cold, he has lumps of ice on his car wheel rims that are as hard as rocks and scrape when he turns the wheel.  We're fine here really, all's well.

That's me for now.  Keep warm wherever you are.

Clicky Needles.