Nayu's Craft Time #321 Virtually No Snow Days

 

Seeing as my last post was the start of this year I figured I needed to put up a post. I tend to forget to since I tweet what I'm up to on Twitter. This year I'm determined to post more often! Craft isn't happening yet due to it being winter and my low energy reserves are in non-existent, especially over the last week when the temperature plummeted well under zero for a good 7 days. Anything below 5C makes me feel awful, but with the real feel down to at least -9C some days my body nted to hibernate extremely badly. It wouldn't be so bad but as you can see even when it was supposed to snow, the snow was a mere sprinkling, blink and you miss it type job. 

 

But that's no excuse for not posting! The day before yesterday I baked some yummy white rolls which look something like this. They usually rise quite a lot, creating beautifully white fluffy rolls. I actually do not enjoy a super crispy outside to a roll, so get it less crispy I put the warm rolls in the biodegradable looks like plastic but isn't bags I regularly use, and close them. The condensation from the steaming rolls prevent the outside staying crispy! It doesn't go soggy, it just isn't crisp. I discovered that trick a while back by accident. Now I do it on purpose! The dough is made in the bread machine and I divide it up into 8 plump tasty roll shapes. Can't be fresh out the oven hot buttered white rolls!

 Today I am gaming! Mostly playing review games that I can't talk about, but I'm really enjoying my farming games more than ever. Having fun with Harvest Moon: Light of Hope which I adore (I always marry Gabriel the animal shepherd type person) and is keeping me going until March 2nd when the new HM game One World comes out. It looks so epic guys! I had the privilege to attend a demo event and oh boy I just want to farm my heart out.

 

and Stardew Valley where I avoid the mines as all the bugs freak me out.

 

 on my Nintendo Switch Lite. Yes it is a different colour to my yellow one - I got coral because my yellow started having significant joycon drift. Lite's can't be swapped out for a new joycon, and since my Lite means so much to me as a distraction from my health issues I'd always known I'd get a 2nd one. I will send my yellow off for repairs at some point, not just now as got some life stuff regarding money going on, but once a resolution is reaached I'll send it off or save to send it off for fixing. I may end up using one for review games and one for other games, I don't know yet.

I currently have a very unhappy cat under my bed. There's building work going on, and since builders need to come in and out the house (wearing masks, and yes outside my bedroom I wear a mask unless I'm in the middle of the kitchen for a meal) and Belle hates people and any upset to her routine (almost like me), I unceremonially put her in my room earlier, along with her litter tray. I'll grab water and biscuits shortly for her. She happily came out to munch on some yesterday. Shouldn't be for too much longer, weather permitting. When I brought her in she slunk straight under the bed I think in disgust at me shutting her in. To be fair she is nice and cosy under there, she sleeps most of the day, evident from the not so little snores around my pillow area. She is less disturbed under the bed than if she is on it beside me. For the moment she is fed at crazy o'clock (before 5am) when family go to work so we know she actually eats something in the day besides biscuits before the workmen arrive. Sometimes in life I totally wish I could join her under the bed. The photo is of her on my bed as I can't reach her underneath. Have a good day!

Nayu's Project Progress #40 Here be embroidery!

Colourful kitty project!

If you follow me on Twitter you'll already have seen the pictures in this post. It is more for those of you who don't follow me on Twitter - I don't want you missing out on seeing what I've been working on craft wise! 

I am very happily getting to grips with embroidery. I have almost finished a kit which uses different stitches that I received as a gift from a family member. Look how cute the cat is! I started with the stitches I knew, backstitch, and learnt the other stitches when I reached them. I am forever grateful to a Youtuber who I can't remember, whose video about French knots explained them perfectly, and they are no longer a stitch I fear. As you can see I got to do a lot of them in the cat kit (small round dots on the tail). They are super fun to do and I look forward to using them, instead of dreading them and having to create my own version of the stitch. 

All finished!

At the same time as working on this kit I started new embroidery projects - I wanted something I could do with stitches I already knew, rather than having to learn new stitches when my brain fog makes me fuzzy headed. I transferred patterns from a book I will feature in a future post, using the iron on method of transfer. I use varigated thread (a thread which has a rainbow effect of colours dyed into it) and took great delight in practicing my lazy daisies, back stitch and straight stitch with a few french knots in this purple creation. 

On finishing that I changed colour to the other varigated thread I'd bought and started this now almost finished mandala. Think I prefer the colours and style more than the angled one. I am going to try all the patterns in the book before repeating them, but already have plans to tweak this pattern as well as work it with sepearate colours for each row/each type of stitch.  Not sure how I will frame them yet - I may even create a quilt like blanket from all of them! 

I hope you like these and stay tuned for more! I think embroidery is helping me stay as sane as I can in these crazy times, as is gaming, but embroidery helps me watch something pretty grow, which is important. 

Nayu's Craft Time #307 Cat Tales

Found a friend making herself comfortable!

My cat Belle frequently creates a lot of enjoyable entertainment, and last week was no exception. On one day she was what I can only describe as clingy. Whatever I did she came with me. I was mostly relaxing on my bed, but had to get up a few times. Each time she would steal my place. I made her move off, only for her to come sit on my lap. This happened at least 3 times. 

Thursday was quite a different matter. I was out all day seeing a friend. My family also happened to be out all day. Now on a usual day all Belle does is sleep in various locations, so really she doesn't need someone home. Apparently she does. She was extremely annoyed with me for not being around, so much so she ignored me most of the evening on the sofa, not coming onto my lap which has a heated blanket, but sitting with her back to me on a dining room chair. 

Taking into consideration that she had been given preventative flea medicine (she never has any) which meant she couldn't be stroked for a few hours, add in me shutting my door while seeing my friend so she was denied access to look hungrily at my birds, and her grumpiness is understandable. I can safely say she seems to have forgiven me and at least started off sleeping last night on my bed with me. She spent all of this morning on a dining room chair that was in the sun, then migrated to her usual morning spot on a bed that wasn't mine.

f

Belle doing her best to ignore my return

I would love to hear if your pet ever gets in a mood with you!

Hope you're having a good day!

Credit to whoever took this photo

I'm getting back to normal but this is a pre-scheduled post of someone's adorable Ragdoll kittens. Ragdoll cats are my ultimate breed that I hope to own one day. Having more than 1 would be blissful!!!

Nayu's Craft Time #295 Staying Warm

It feels this cold to me!

 I've been feeling that winter's on the way for several weeks now. It's getting significantly colder for me as someone who is always cold apart from during a heatwave. The other week I realised I don't have a hot water bottle which I quickly remedied on Amazon. I couldn't resist getting the adorable Pusheen hot water bottle, even though it's rather tiny as it makes me smile. 

 

I then got a fairly cheap standard sized one which I also use. I can't do a photo yet, but once I change my bed linen I'll show you the pattern which is a bit similar to the non-Pusheen hot water bottle cover. I also recommend using a furbaby for warmth if they like lying on you! My cat makes a great hot water bottle replacement. 

This is when she was lying on my legs several months ago, but she does the same position frequently!

  I'd love to hear what your hot water bottle design is like! 

Be cozy like the Minions!

Nayu's Craft Time #288 Let's Talk Cat Food!

Thought this was a more pleasant image to start with than an open tin of cat food

 The post I wanted to put up next was the watermelon post, but I only had time for a super quick one (I need to find a few photos both online and offline) so today I'm talking cat food. Regular readers will know how much I like to mention my cute kitty Belle. She is over 7 years old and thus classed as a senior by cat food companies. There are categories for kittens, as well as non-category food. I think these are important to some extent because at the early and later years of life cats need more specific nutrients. Mostly I don't think it would adversely affect a cat if you gave some food which wasn't in their supposed category: cats should get a variety of food to keep it interesting. 

This cat can be camera shy.

 I openly spoil Belle in trying as many cat food as I can especially when it's on offer. Naturally she prefers the expensive food! But she's worth it. She gets a mixture of 100g of wet food and some dry food too. Her wet food selection includes main UK brands Whiskers, Felix, Sheba and Gourmet. She used to have Sainsbury's own brand, but this year they changed both the packaging and the food itself (to have no grains) and somecat distinctly didn't like the change. 

Belle's trick is eating some of this Gourmet food straight from the tin!

Her biscuits are a mix of Go-Cat, Purina brand, and one I can't remember. She has recently had a more specialised biscuit added to help reduce her being sick (she can be a pukey cat. Using hairball medicine recommend by our vet every day means shes is rarely sick now). Biscuits are important for cat dental health - certain ones are aimed for that purpose, but she has a mixture of treats.

I mostly by fish varieties of food, or chicken/poultry. I avoid beef/duck/any other meat because you never know exactly what goes in cat food, and somehow fish and poultry seem a more acceptable type of meat than the others. This does minimise the amount of variety I have for Belle, but she still gets a wide selection. Ever since she started enjoying cat soup I've tried other types that aren't just in jelly which she has always liked: I try gravy and other similar textures.

A fair amount of the brands I've named are more expensive, but I think variety is important, and if she likes a brand I'll buy it as often as I can. I always get them on sale, and if I'm almost running out I get them normal price too: it is always handy to keep a few cat soups around in case she is unwell for a few days and needs tempting to eat anything. I always buy cat soups in a pack - they are sold singly but that's way too expensive. Cat soup is a good way of getting more liquid in a cat, as well as putting a tiny bit of water with every wet food, which is something our vet advised many months ago. 

 

An example of cat soup

I should have said this at the start but I'm not a cat professional, just a cat owner for over 2 decades who loves her cat and wants to give her the best I can. Speak to your vet first if you want to make any diet changes to your pet's routine. 

 

One day I'd love to have a Ragdoll cat! My favourite breed ^u^

 

Nayu's Craft Time #287 We're in a heatwave! Yay?

You may want one of these!

Heatwave definition from The Met Office:  

a prolonged period of hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. 

 

It's heatwave season - yay! I know many people and pets are struggling in the high temperatures we are having. As someone who feels the cold almost all year round I'm loving it! Or am I? 

During the day it is wonderful to need a minimal amount of blankets/most of the time none to keep my temperature faulty body happy. The problem I'm having which has affected blog posts & other activities is that I actually overheat in bed, and need my room to be quite cool. Unfortunately there hasn't been much of a breeze, and it's been far too hot for me. I don't have a fan which would disturb other family members, I can't have my windows super wide because I don't want Belle to get out that side of the house which is near a road, and there's the whole feeling safe and not worrying over a burglar getting in. 

 

What a lovely view! Sadly not mine.

Let's just say the hours of sleep I'm getting each night is less than optimal, leaving me drained all day every day (more than the usual).  I can manage 2-4 hours, unfortunately this isn't a solid sleep, but a sleep a bit, be awake a few hours, then sleep a bit more. I sleep more if there's a breeze which there just hasn't really been one. 

1 of the containers I use is this cute Pusheen thermos - I fill it almost to the top with cold water, then shove in a few ice cubes to keep it even cooler for longer.

I make sure I'm as cold as possible before bed. I drink and keep several cups/containers of water with lots of ice cubes in because it's refreshing and somehow I'm hoping my body will get the hint and magically get cooler simply from being in their proximity. I now stay up in bed later, in the hope the breeze will come and I'll be tired enough to sleep through more than 2 hours in a row.

I hope you are all somehow surviving the heat (or cold, which it could be where you are). Be sure to keep an eye on all fur and feather babies that you have (and other critters too). I usually add water to my cat's wet food anyway, which is an easy way to ensure she has some extra liquid. Here's an advice poster from the NHS. I've no idea if this is the most up to date advice, but I doubt much will change over the years.

Nayu's Craft Time #282 If in doubt uninstall then reinstall apps

 

Monday morning I was ready to schedule up some reviews for Nayu's Reading Corner but the problem I had for the last few days happened again. Whenever I went into Googlemail on my tablet there would be a blank screen. Nothing would load. I couldn't search anything - if I did then it would crash. Because I had a few days break recently I hadn't really needed to do anything, but today I'd sent myself a few emails using a few apps (pictures and text file) which hadn't arrived, so I knew I had to do something about the situation, especially because it including my latest sewing project photo. 

I checked to see if I could update the app, I couldn't but I could uninstall the latest updates and reinstall them. After that it worked perfectly! 

Technology is great when it works, frustrating when it doesn't.

My technology tip is that if an app doesn't work, try uninstalling then reinstalling, even if it is already fully updated. I don't know the reason behind why apps can throw a hissy fit, only that they do and it's annoying but not unsolvable. Please feel free to share your technology tips! 

Nayu's Craft Time #281 Mermaids and gaming

Sloths have the right attitude to life-take it slowly, it's not a race.

This is a catch up post on what I've been up to recently. The answer is not a lot, just lots of rest as I've had something that my body's been battling against. My family currently have a cold so it's probably a cold virus, but my body tends to react weirdly, make me feel not right for ages. I've played a lot of games, especially Pokemon: finished Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and now on Pokemon Sun (the normal one, not Ultra Sun). Due to the new game start I've been reading up on Pokemon Sun too.

Currently trying to level up the adorable Buneary! So cute and fluffy!

Disney's Stitch has great taste!

I've had my cat sleep by me while I game, I've also read a bit and even done some crochet - nothing significant enough to show you yet. I've watched a lot of BBC dramas and dvds, my favourite fluffy teen series featuring mermaids in Australia, H2O Just Add Water - the girls transform whenever they touch water, making more than just taking a bath or having a swim problematic.  I bet you didn't know that if you dye a hair in mermaid form then your natural hair colour will return when you change back to a human! 

From the left are the original mermaids Rikki, Emma (not her natural hair colour) and Cleo. 

As soon as I've shaken off this whatever my body is making a fuss about, I will be continuing my Tsum Tsum jigsaw puzzle which is cute, so will be able to show you some progress pictures. I'm having to reschedule my week's activities around how I feel, but that's entirely normal for me, if a little frustrating. I hope you are staying well during germ season - drink lots of hot lemon and honey! I like cold lemon with water, which I guess is fine too. 

Everyone needs mermaids and unicorns in their life!

Nayu's Craft Time #279 Hello April!

April is here! Although I suspect from the post title and the picture you guessed that already. I've already talked about upcoming post topics in my previous post (hair scrunchies, my cat, dhaal) so I won't repeat myself in detail. 

English weather is most definitely varied!

I'm over my strong meds, and eager for the warmer weather to arrive since my body hates the cold (& rain/cloudy days/storms/snow/hail/anything which isn't clear sky and sunshine). It will be nice to feel slightly less bleh ^u^ Already praying for a long heatwave this year! 

My currently laundry pile doesn't look like this!

 This is a short post as I've emails to write and more posts to pre-schedule - the next one will be about my current crochet project! It's nothing stellar, just a little fun something to keep me busy. I've also got some yarn to wind for a family member - I'm half way through and plan on finishing it tomorrow-it involves arm effort, which is already marked for sorting clean laundry today so anything extra is a no-no. 

I'm pretty sure there's a saying involving April showers, but hopefully the month has started super well for you and continues getting better! 

Nayu's Craft Time #278 Upcoming post topics

Who doesn't like to start the day by looking at some cute kitties?

It's half way through the week so the weekend is in sight if you have a 'standard' working week. I'm half way through my recovery from mega strong meds, consisting of staying horizontal because moving really isn't a good idea if I don't want to feel weirder than I already do. This is a pre-scheduled post, but I'm almost out of time hence why it's a list of topics that will be appearing over the next few weeks. 

I will be talking about...

this hair accessory!

...hair scrunchies! I'm not saying what it's about, other than if you wear hair scrunchies or someone in your family does then stay tuned!

She knows how to relax!

...my cat! I love Belle, she occasionally loves me, and I have some cat care tips to share. 

This isn't mine, but it looks similar (mine isn't as runny as some are)

...Daal! However you spell it I recently made a batch of this nutrient rich lentil based meal which is easy to cook, requires very few ingredients or cooking skills, and is highly adaptable. 

That's it for now, thank you as always for reading my posts and stick around for many more! 

Nayu's Craft Time #277 Snow has gone (again) & Spring cleaning

This picture says it perfectly!

I don't know how many of you had more snow this week (in England, but I guess anywhere in the world can have snow again!), but mine has all melted. I didn't make another snow angel or snow bunny - it probably wasn't the wisest of things to do the first time it snowed so I wisely stayed inside. 

Today is a rainy day, but I managed to coax my cat outside for a few minutes before both our breakfasts while it was dry. It takes quite a while to get her out, and she fled inside after a weird noise (to her). She spent the rest of the day snoozing on a bed! 

My wardrobe is a built in one, otherwise I'd love a pink one like this!

I've run errands and done laundry today (dull and not interesting) but tomorrow's activity is a little different. A friend is coming to help be my hands & energy to finish sorting my room from moving house. It means that I'll be a) able to get to my wardrobe easier & b) actually open my wardrobe without fear of what may fall it out from the various boxes and items stacked in it. Books will get on shelves-yay! 

Imagine having a wardrobe this big...or bigger! To be honest I'd rather use the space for books & toys...

It would have taken me at least a few months if I'd done it all myself, and while my family sweetly offered to help I asked my friend so that there's no chance of any disagreement while sorting through things. I've got some extra yummy cookies, tasty soup and rolls, and a choice of either bread & butter pudding or rice pudding to keep my friend going. What I can do in a day my friend will do probably in minutes, so her help is very much appreciated. 

Saturday I have an errand to run and then it's time for mega strong medicine again! Cue several days lying down with lots of gaming (or whatever I can handle). That means blogging will be sporadic but I'm pre-scheduling 2 posts so you'll have something to read! I'd love to hear if any of you are spring cleaning or sorting things after moving. It's the time of year for it and usually feels good afterwards - getting rid of items is extremely hard but most can be reused by others via charity shops which makes me feel somewhat better about saying goodbye to items. 

Nayu's Craft Time #275 #Cat Mayhem!

My sweet girl is adorable!!!!

For the last few weeks my cat has been stuck in the house because we moved house and want her to be settled. As a rescue cat she is very nervous about anyone new, and since we've needed various strangers to do some jobs around the house she has spent a fair bit of time under my bed. Thankfully she is mostly adjusted to the new house, and sleeps on my bed a lot, loves watching the world go by on bedroom window sills (not just mine although mine is popular) and most of all loves watching my two Zebra finches Tomoya and Hibiki flit about in their cage. Lately she has been thinking about attcking them - her body posture tells me she wanted to pounce on them. That is a sure sign she needs to go outside to let off steam by trying to catch the birds outside. 

I am playing with her toys when I remember and am well enough to do so, to help get rid of her mischievous energy. The good news is slowly we are letting her go outside.. The first time my family carried her around the enclosed garden, she then ran inside. On Wednesday morning at breakfast I opened the patio door to let her out. I went out to encourage  her, she just stood at the door sniffing for a while then retreated for her breakfast which I'd witheld to entice her back in if needed. She can take as long as she wants to go outside, there's no hurry.

So cute!!!!

The other day was hilarious. Belle is happy jumping up on the breakfast bar and walking along the counter. She has her meals in 2 sittings to reduce the possiblity of her puking - she used to be sick a lot because she gobbles her food down (probably from when she was on the street before being rescued and never knew when she could get a meal) Monday's meal was from a small tin and a sachet of cat soup (she adores it, I buy it when it's on offer as it's not that cheap, but these days I buy it when it's not on offer too because I can't resist her cute eyes). Usually I stick around in the kitchen while waiting to give her the second breakfast portion, but that day I needed stuff upstairs. While I was upstairs I thought she was playing from the noise I heard. I went down when my family noticed something was odd with the tinn. Belle had gone and helped herself!

The evidence - I take neat quarters for every meal - that is not a neat quarter at all!

 There was cat food on the work top, and the tin wasn't where I left it neatly but the container we keep her daily food in which had been neatly lined up. Belle then took advantage of me not feeling great - despite knowing what she had done I hadn't moved the food tin, so yes she helped herself to her 2nd breakfast when once again I went upstairs! Thankfully she didn't eat more than what I give her, the tin was yet again moved, and she was licking her paws. I don't know whether she just ate with her mouth, or if she dipped her paw in to get at the food - either way she had a breakfast buffet that morning! 

Since Belle loves sitting on the radiators in the new house I bought her a cat radiator bed which looks something like this. 

Just a random photo from Google, although the kitty looks like my old cat Tolly.

It arrived yesterday, and of course she hasn't gone on it, not even to jump on to get to the window sill - she deliberately ignores it! I'm leaving it up there in the hope she may one day use it, although if she doesn't it doesn't matter because it wasn't expensive. Cats are extremely fickle creatures and Belle is no exception! I've no doubt I'll have some more entertaining stories about her to share with you soon. 

That they do! (insert another animal if you aren't a cat love)