Busy time

Things are busy round here!
We had a lovely relaxing Christmas, but since then it's been all go.

 Eldest has gone to Berlin to a debating competition; she will be there for 10 days. 

Middle Girl is going to Blessington Lakes for a rowing camp next week.

And Son is busy partying! He had a Murder on the Orient Express (paraphnelia bought online!) Thursday night.

So we cleared out for a few hours.

These pics were snapped in the centre where we ate and then went to Pitch Perfect.

I'm knitting a scarf!! It's called Haruha, which apparently is Japanese for Leaf.

Lace knitting is not really my thing, I'm more of a cables girl, but so far it's going ok. The yarn is a beautiful silk/cashmere mix, so it helps that it feels so beautiful in my hands. I will post a pic when it's finished and blocked (not sure what that is, but I'm sure youtube will have some videos!)

Happy Christmas!

Wishing you all a very happy, peaceful, fun Christmas!
I was "in town", as we call Dublin City Centre, today, looking for one ball of yarn to finish a scarf for my daughter for Christmas, so I snapped a few pictures with the iPhone.

The yarn shop was closed! What kind of shop in a city centre (even though we call it town, it is a city!) closes 2 days before Christmas?
I had to go to plan B, got other yarn in a suburban shop, and will knit a complementary cowl, and finish the scarf for the New Year.

Unfortunately, daughter is going to Berlin on 27th, and the scarf that was going to shield her from cold weather will have to stay in Dublin!

The weather here is unseasonable warm; it's really very pleasant, and lovely for some daytime walks.
This next shot is looking up Grafton Street. It was busy, and that was nice to see.

We lit the fire tonight, using a couple of logs sawn from our Christmas tree of 2011. This is a tradition I came across online a few years ago, and I love it!

We've kept 2 for tomorrow's fires.

Happy Christmas!

In the run up...

I've been having a very busy but fantastic run-up to Christmas.
Lots of all the nice things; friends, fun, food and music!

2 really lovely surprises this week.

This first one was knitted by a fellow French Horn player! I've hung it in my car, with a few drops of my Christmas Burner Oil dotted on the red, and sometimes when  it twirls I get the most delightful waft of cinnamon, orange, clove, frankincense!

This other surprise arrived by post from Brussels, with a note that said "this was made for you!".
My dear friend, Cee, sent it.

Hope you're all keeping well, warm, and looking forward to some good celebrations (if you celebrate).

Exciting!

I have 5 minutes to write this post; then it will be 1.30 in the morning, so I really will have to go to bed.

But I have the most exciting news and I want to share it with you, my dear blog friends.

I have performed my first solo!

The venue was fabulous; a church in Dublin, St. Michans, which has mummies in the basement and the organ on which Handel practised for the first performance of The Messiah.
There it is: technically it was soli, as there were two of us. I still can't believe I actually did it! felt so good afterwards to have conquered those nerve demons!

Thanks to the people who've dropped in and emailed asking if I'm ok. I'm great, and really sorry to have been absent from posting for so long. I've been practising and working hard, and blogging was the ball I couldn't keep in the air. But I have so many exciting things to share, and now that I've discovered you can write a post in 5 minutes, I'll be back!
see y'all soon!