I've been sitting here, in the quiet of the early afternoon, with my cup of coffee, sewing up bunny heads and pondering just how it can be 28 years since these two young people went out on their first ever date

 

and yet yesterday their oldest child became a teenager. Doesn't time whizz when you're not paying attention to it?

 

Yes, that is me holding a very dodgy 'art' project which is supposed to represent a dragonfly wing. The homemade aran jumper is sound though, even back then I loved knitting – good job I've stuck to it and not sculpture eh?!

 

I was going to show you a picture of the misty afghan now that it has 96 squares (12 x 8). I spread it out neatly ready to take a photo but when I came back from getting the camera (which it seems is never where I think I have left it) someone had decided it looked like a good place for a picnic!

 

 

I am planning to add one more row, making the finished blanket 12 x 9 squares and then I'll make a start on the border. I'll try to get a photo then without it being obscured by a bowl of cheerios and a munching boy!

 

Though actually when I was reading through those 1,193 (!!!) comments on the giveaway post it struck me that they weren't all so very different because there's a commonality in what people find happiness in: family (both the human and animal kind), time to yourself to spend as you like, making things and other small and simple pleasures. I've genuinely enjoyed reading all of those comments, smiled at so many of them and nodded in recognition lots of times. Thank you all so very much for taking the time to share your happinesses. I will go back and read through them whenever I need a little pick-me-up, they are a wonderful reminder that happiness can be found all around when you can take the time to notice it.

 

 1. saffron, 2. sunny, 3. delfine, 4. elspeth, 5. ellamae, 6. jemima, 7. danica, 8. rowley, 9. abner, 10. sylvie, 11. dorrie, 12. beatrice, 13. Alouette, 14. ethel, 15. Violette, 16. winsome, 17. fayette, 18. maelie, 19. aurelie, 20. christabel, 21. merry, 22. didi, 23. florissa, 24. clarise, 25. brodie

Anyway, the draw has been done (I still can't believe how many comments
were left!) and the random number generator picked comment number
611, which was Ellie.

She gets to choose from the batch above which are all finished and their photos uploaded to flickr now (click on the name links to see any of them in detail).

 

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to comment, I truly appreciate your kind words about the things that I love to make. Thank you x