Retail therapy and other stuff

I've fallen off the wagon again in blogging terms, mostly because last week I had a bit of a stomach flu/cold, and just had to succumb to it and process whatever 'tweedie' orders came my way - 'creative' work came to a halt and I decided just to take the time out and recover - all better now tho! :)

I must have felt in need of some retail therapy though, because I had an appointment on Tuesday in Stornoway which meant I had to hang around for over an hour beforehand - this proved to be a very dangerous exercise - ooops!  I was just killing time so I popped into 'Wee W's' (our alternative to Woolworths which we all loved here in the Western Isles, boo hoo - RIP!) and came  across some lovely storage jars.  They leapt into my shopping basket, whooooosh! . . . 

They're Kilner jars - aren't they pretty?  Lovely clunky clasp lids - they make me feel like making jams and preserves, although I never  have (yet!!) :D  (but I just had to have them and they were very cheap!)  I now must learn to make, jam, or chutney or marmalade (I eat a lot of marmalade, so that might be a good idea!!)

On my way to my hairdresser's appointment I passed the newsagent (this was to become my most expensive  hair appointment ever and I don't spend much money at the hairdressers being a kinda DIY gal, hehe)

Now I don't usually buy craft magazines as I find I can sometimes buy craft books for the same price, but . . . 

I couldn't decide which one to buy . . . . . . . so, guess what happened - Oh Dear!  (I will really be treasuring both mags, because heck, they cost enough!!!!)  Both very inspiring tho - so worth it for that alone :D

Eventually, I reached the hairdressers . . . . but it was a very precarious, costly journey through Cromwell Street - I must have really needed some retail therapy, pheeeeew :)

One outcome of  buying the craft magazines is that I have  decided I MUST LEARN TO KNIT SOCKS - this has become a compulsion over the last two days, but I have to do it - there's  a voice inside my head telling me LOL.  Mostly because there was a  lovely pattern in Mollie Makes for a pretty pair - yet another crafty addiction to add to my list.  I've now ordered double pointed needles  and  a 'how to' book on knitting socks - I'm very excited to start a new crafty project!  Hope I haven't forgotten my knitting skills - it's been a while???  :) :)  Have you ever tried to knit socks?  Is it difficult?

'Speak' soon :)
Alison  xx

P.S.  Here's the latest granny square I've crocheted (last month sometime) - I've now run out of cotton yarn,  which I loved  using.  This square is from the Granny Square book (200 Crochet Blocks) I bought in the Summer . . . 

 . . . easy to follow the pattern, but, I think - a really pretty outcome!
(I WILL find some use for all these random crochet squares, flowers etc. -sometime!) x