Between blotch and blok

Not sure the object--made from a kit from the front cover of an embroidery magazine--merited the effort of removing the backing, hand washing the embroidered front, adding new backing and stuffing (proper stuffing this time, not lumpy old tights!). Still, somehow, I feel better for making the effort and recording the results. It's now sitting on top of the restored sewing box, beside the rebuilt window, which may be asking for it.

( vilets! swee' vilets! )

They're not cats, they're sunflowers. Big has kept out of the way of building and plastering for over a fortnight. The day the partition comes down and we get light in the downstairs again, he's underfoot. So is Little. Sunflowers, very dusty, gritty sunflowers.

A fortnight in (i.e. phase one supposedly finished), we have wall and some of the piers for the bay, plus window frames in place (as opposed to the four days where the frames occupied all the free floor and wall space in the hall and living room, during which time I hugged them a lot [beautiful frames of the same design as the broken ones, made to fit, with all the detailing repeated, thanks to the man from Diss (never diss dis man from Diss)]). Many problems with fitting things together and more rebricking being required-hence much of the delay. Also the lateness of windowsills cost half a day at least. Glass and glazier arrive today. I've taken, possibly a little early, nostalgic photos of the partition in the living room and the TV nest. And when it's down, most of the plastering is already done.

Must measure up for net curtains real soon.

At my waking, I found the tops of the houses covered with snow, which is a rare sight, that I have not seen these three years.

Demolition, small scale, before reconstruction.

Can't find this! Haven't been to pixies since this and have no idea where I put the darn thing. Nope, the bag of spare dice does not have d20s or anything else of great use.

This is I maintain the end of the world, if not the entire universe.

I've finished the socks that were buried in the crash.

Not a pleasant experience those final few inches (especially unknitting the last 18 rows and redoing them correctly) with the plaster dust and bits of brick lodged in the sock and gritting up the yarn. I didn't have much choice, since putting the half-finished sock in the wash with its stitches on safety pins would almost certainly have cleaned it at the expense of continuing at the same tension. So no pictures until they're both washed.

I feel no pride in the things now, since they were spoiled before I'd done with them.

I also found the process of finishing off the loose ends, tedious at the best of times, desperate. I reached out for the snips in the sewing box that isn't there, which was stupid when I wasn't sitting in the usual place (that being on the other side of the temporary wall next to the real wall that must be rebuilt), failed to find them and had to potter around looking for a pair of scissors instead. I truly felt lost without the ever-open (stupidly so, that's how it got broken and filled with rubble) sewing box that I use every day. I couldn't even tidy up properly as there's nowhere to stow the knitting needles I'm done with for the minute and the darning needle. And I've no idea where my file of patterns is to store the sock instructions and no safe place for the cute little beaded stitch markers. Ah well. The sewing box went off to be fixed. If it can't be I'll simply have to buy a new one--preferably bigger.

Next to finish Kyoto, which was sitting on my projects box beside the sewing box. It was also caught by the inbound wall. With Kyoto I'd reached the point where it was ready for making up prior to knitting the edging. I've just got to decide whether to undo the seams I've already done before washing all the components or whether to sew it up, wash it and then knit the edging. It's cotton so it won't shrink. I can't face the prospect of another period of getting on with what can only be described as knitty-gritty (or gritty-knitty).

Then there's half-knit Rufus to clean up and finish for Looby Loo.

But today the priority is finishing a big black hat for a little witch.

The clean up's finished. I'm now allergic to the house and the furnishings and carpets within. This is why I never dust and keep cleaning things to a minimum. Still, it's done. The gentle redeposition of dust has, of course, already begun.

Big came home last night. He's asleep in a corner, having spent a lot of time wandering round in a confused manner: what is this rearrangement all about? why do we have new wall and no front windows? why does my sister have one bald front leg?

Apart from the piano, and replacing some of the officially written off furniture, the emergency part's over. Now we wait until the rebuilding starts. Not a prospect to be relished.

One lot of builders, very nice with potentially good news about speed of fabricating replacement windows, came on Saturday, one other lot come on Wednesday (one lot--phew!--cancelled). Piano tuner tomorrow. Cleaners and Vet on Wednesday. I fear further expense.

However, the car is spiffing except the second set of magic keys don't do their magic. So I'm still anticipating my pleasurable feeling of exerting power over a large white object from a distance. Been trying for ages with Biggle--maybe he needs magic keys.