Sunday, January 01, 2023

 

I’ve missed you. I hope you all had a nice time, with lots of food and family and friends; and that 2023 will be kind to us all. I had a good time, but I’m glad it’s over. Here is a picture of my seven great-granddaughters, taken on Christmas day. They are all Big Rachel's granddaughters, and they all had Christmas dinner together.




 

Knitting has advanced, but I haven’t dashed that hat off as I had hoped. Mary Lou, the Magic Loop has indeed proved to be the solution to the small circumference. Thank you for that. And I’m glad to have learned how to do it. But it’s still not whizzing forward. I’m near the crown, but not there yet.

 

Sitting across the table from Fergus on Christmas day, it seemed to me that he has broadened in chest and shoulders. No longer the string bean, like his (older) brother Mungo or (younger) cousin Thomas, one or the other of whom may have to be the wearer of the 2012 Calcutta Cup sweater. I must polish off this hat and get back to that problem. Then I want to knit something for the eighth member of the group above, due to join us in April. 

 

The weather has been dull and grey and often wet, but nothing spectacular. Helen and her family were in Kirkmichael last week where they had a fair amount of snow. I saw her briefly today – we’re ten days past the solstice and she is beginning to share my annual anxiety that whoever is in charge has forgotten to throw the switch.

 

Wordle: I had a gloomy run of fives, and even a six, at the end of last year, but I started off the New Year this morning with a three. Theo and Mark also scored three; everybody else did it in four.

 

16 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Jean! Glad to know you had a good holiday.

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  2. I have to admire the photographer getting that lively looking group to stay still enough for long enough to get a photograph.
    Here's to a healthy and dropped stitch free 2023!

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  3. Anonymous8:08 PM

    Happy new year to all.

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  4. Anonymous10:55 PM

    Love the great-granddaughter photo! What a group of beautiful children, and what a joy they much be.
    I have had a run of 5s and 6s on Wordle. I'm always happy to get it regardless of how long it takes! Of course, I'm thrilled with a 3 and once scored 2, but only once!
    Happy and Healthy New Year, Jean.
    Sarah in Manhattan

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  5. Susie B12:10 AM

    Happy New Year from Knoxville Tennessee USA. I, too, got Wordle in 3. Finished a pair of long languishing socks so I can start the new year free and clear. Love the little girls

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  6. Anna Pemberton3:41 AM

    Happy New Year! I feel as if the light is returning, even if it is slow to make itself known. Lovely Christmas here in Canada, although both my parents (in their mid eighties) got covid so we were not able to see them. My children returned from university and we managed to have a lovely time despite not being able to see my parents. Glad to hear you had a nice time as well, and also very glad to see your new year post. Anna in Toronto and Muskoka (depending on the day)

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  7. Anonymous3:50 AM

    Happy New Year, Jean. That is a lovely photo of the little girls.
    Ron in Mexico

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  8. What interesting faces the girls have, so full of promise. Happy New Year, and may your needles be speedy and your stitches secure (I've spent a few hairy moments hunting and retrieving wayward stitches from my third reknit of sock no 1. Sock 2 is blessedly finished after 2 reknits)

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  9. Anonymous10:50 AM

    So glad you had a good Christmas, Jean and glad you are back. We had more than enough food, not enough family (we are small in number and scattered at that) and the right amount of friends. Love the granddaughter picture. How they themselves will enjoy it in the decades to come. Glad you learned Magic Loop! I started out with dpns but prefer less needle points to wrestle with. And finding a rhythm with them can be very soothing. Chloe

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  10. Anonymous2:57 PM

    Sounds like a nice holiday, but glad you are back.

    Is there a word for a group of three or more little girls? A "giggle" seems appropriate.

    Beverly in NJ

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  11. Anonymous4:31 PM

    My friend suggests “A chaos of cousins” which was certainly appropriate in our house over the holidays! 9 cousins arrived from 3 states along with their parents so we were trying to provide food for 17 for a week. I’ve completely forgotten how!

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  12. Anonymous4:33 PM

    Sorry, pushed the wrong button. Fortunately for us, our amazingly competent children declared us the “hosts emeritus” and did most of the work of feeding the 17. I, however, did most of the worrying!

    Barbara M. In NH

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  13. Anonymous6:11 PM

    Happy New Year Jean! A lovely group in tutus and dress up clothes!

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  14. I'm a day late catching up. Yes, Christmas was wonderful this year and 2023 needs to not act like its 3 or 4 predecessors. The greats are so wonderful, I love the cat ears.

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  15. Anonymous5:22 AM

    Happy New Year! Sounds like you had a good holiday with family. Love the photo of the seven granddaughters. Copies of it should be made and framed for each to have. What a sweet memory that will be for them someday

    Harriet

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  16. My partner tells me this period over xmas is a bit of an anomaly - the sunset starts happening later before xmas, but the sunrise takes about seven days to start getting earlier. I am sure there is a scientific reason for this but don't ask me what it is! I'm just happy that the midwinter is on its way out.

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