Pumpkin, socks and cats

My third and fourth batches of butternut squash soup have been eaten.  I have this wonderful pumpkin, the only one this year that grew on my veggie patch, and I think that the next soup will be made with this. 

I shall do it in much the same way as the butternut soup, as I did last year when I managed to get more pumpkins to grow than just one!   I might even add carrots as I have a large bag, which I bought for the rabbits, but I'm sure they won't mind me stealing a few.

It was another sunny day today and I love the light as it comes through the east window and brightens the inside windowsill.

 

I had an urge to start knitting again and went on the hunt for a started project - socks - which I had abandoned.  I am a virgin sock knitter.  I finally found the bag with pattern in the studio but when I opened it up I felt I had made an error, so the first thing I had to do was unravel.  I hate unravelling and admitting to mistakes!

Well, I sat and read the pattern and am now racing - well comparatively - down the foot section to the toe.  I'd forgotten how awkward it is to knit with four needles.  One always seems to be poking into my wrist or palm, but I'm determined not to give up this time.  I have been reading loads of other people's blogs and so many seem to knit their own socks in the most incredible patterns.  I shall be very pleased if they fit me and even if I only use them in the house - it's a long and complicated task.  I can't knit in the summer months, my hands get too hot.  It's definitely a winter job for me.

Alfie and Purrdy have found the warmest spot in the house, where the heat rises up the stairs.

Alfie is on stair six and Purrdy on stair seven.  When Alfie and I lived in Cornwall, we had a spiral staircase from the sitting room to a Minstrels bedroom and Alfie always slept on stair seven as our woodburner used to heat the room beautifully there too.  I can't find a

photograph with him on the spiral staircase although I'm sure I must have one somewhere as he seemed to be there always.

Apart from knitting, another winter thing I do is to go through all the magazines I have bought during the year and try to make several piles to pass on.  I didn't do this last year and have a large pine box full of magazines, plus three piles on the sitting room floor and these sitting on another pine box.

 

In my ideal world I would never have to discard any reading matter.  I am an inveterate hoarder and find it very difficult to get rid of anything I think I might have reason to look at in the future.  

Three things I like:

1.   Slipping in between newly laundered sheets.
2.   Knowing I still have several packets of cheddar cheese in the refrigerator.
3.   Reaching into the nesting box and bringing out newly laid eggs.