Porridge for breakfast today.

It's cold, it's squally and shortly I'm going to make my porridge, with water and salt. I love it like that just as equally as I do with cream and syrup! Today is a water and salt type of day. But first a little catch up.
I wanted to show you this sweet little cardi I knit for my niece  who is now about 33 weeks pregnant. Her mum threw her a surprise baby shower on Sunday and I bought her an 'advice for parents' book and this cardigan was for then. My niece sometimes reads my blog so didn't want to spoil the surprise in any way though to be fair, I think she had guessed.

It's baby merino in a soft oatmeal colour. We do not know the flavour of the baby yet! Think I might do a little hat to match. 

Speaking of hats, I'm also knitting a little newborn pink hat and a blue one. I'll send both ( I am rather traditionalist and like baby girls in pink, and boys in blue - I'll just wait here to be shot down in flames by the PC brigade for having such a controversial view in this day and age ) AND whichever one she wants to keep, she can give the other to the midwife who might know of a little baby whose Mama might not have much. Also I could try out my new Knit Pro needles - I love them.

I have just realised that it is SELF CROSSING WOOL!!self striped wool blows my mind  but this is a whole new level people! It was just a random ball I took out of my stash! Which has grown since I last fessed up on the blog a few years ago! I found a pie chart on FB that illustrates this perfectly. 

We don't 'do' Valentine's Day as a rule but yesterday we'd got each other a cute card.... I'd been presented with this beautifully wrapped 'in an old tissue pattern' bale of fabric that the HG had picked out for me to make several things! With some patterns and posh new feet for the sewing machine! Look how gorgeous it all was!! In return I made him gammon, egg and pineapple with 

Real. Deep. Fried. Chips. With Cyprus potatoes because they are the best ones! 

And quickly a bit of showing off and telling! . 

Well, you know my beautiful coat I showed you a couple of posts back? Well have you ever wished you'd bought two of something because you loved it so much. I've a few pair of boots in my mind right now too. Anyhoo. I had a look online and the coat was still in the sale. Roman Originals if anyone wants a look see. Anyway I thought I'd get a smaller one to 'grow' into. 

Well it came yesterday. AND I AM IN IT!!! Admittedly it's tight but I AM IN IT! 

So, the dilemma was do I keep it or do I send it back for the next size down? 

It is very snug - but do I keep it because it won't look that ridiculous even if I do get a bit more weight off, or do I challenge myself to go for it for the smaller one and risk not fitting in it at all! 

I started a bit of gentle exercise this week. Blew the cobwebs off the stepper,

took the cellophane off Davina

and had a go on the rower the HG brought home once from a customer! Today I am waiting for Amazon to bring me my new weighted hula hoop and I've watched some videos on how to do it! As mostly I'll be getting the exercise from bending down to pick it back up off the floor! It's like I don't even know myself anymore!

Right I am STARVING  and I need my porridge. Then it's in the craft room remaking a too big top I started last year.

Pam - Do you see your quilt? It lives in here ready to go on the guest bed for when Miss 23 is home xxx 

HAVE A GREAT Thursday everyone x 

Lots of love from Rachel *Two coats* Radiostar