The August Round Up.

August arrived with a thud—mostly in my mid and lower back. Three chiropractor visits a week became my new rhythm, each one a gentle nudge toward healing. Despite the discomfort, I kept showing up in my old role, hoisting, wheeling, and lifting with the kind of grit that gets the job done. The work was heavy, but I kept showing up—because that’s just how I’m wired. 

That chapter is now closed. I’ve completed orientation for my new role and officially step into it tomorrow, 1st September. I’m looking forward to the change—new faces, new rhythms, and hopefully fewer demands on my spine. With any luck, my back will settle into the new pace without protest, and I’ll be able to bring my full self to the work: practical, creative, and quietly mischievous when the moment calls for it.

The back pain slowed my creativity, but not my resolve. As planned, I completed the mohair scarf—soft, airy, and stitched with pain and persistence. I forgot to snap a photo of the finished piece, but here it is mid-progress, lounging beside its matching pal.

Both scarves have now been donated to a worthy cause. With any luck, they’re out there now wrapping a deserving soul in warmth, comfort, and a little bit of Loulee love. 

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Some distractions are worth chasing. This month’s squirrel arrived in the form of a scarf pattern—one I stumbled across, bookmarked, and started almost immediately once the yarn landed on my doorstep. It’s a beautifully soft yarn, shading from gentle greys to dusky blues, and working with it has been a quiet joy.

This one’s for my brother. I hope he’ll feel the care stitched into every row when I gift it to him.

It’s about three-quarters done now and should be finished very soon—in plenty of time to be mailed across the globe. It’s destined to be a Christmas gift, knitted with love and quiet care in every row. I hope it’ll wrap my brother in warmth and memory on cold Winter days. 

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The ripple blanket lives on.  It’s become a kind of quiet companion in my crafting life, always waiting patiently for the next row, the next color shift, the next squirrel to hop out of the way.

Progress this month has been slower, thanks to the back pain and the general reshuffling of life and work. But even slow stitches count. A few rows were added in quiet moments, and the blanket continues to grow—soft, steady, and unapologetically ripple-y.

It’s not finished yet, but it’s not forgotten. Like a good story, it’s unfolding in its own time. 

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The jigsaw puzzle has seen real progress this month—especially in the beach area beneath the planes. That stretch of sand was no small feat, but piece by piece, it’s coming together. Tony popped in a few pieces (with appropriate celebration), but the bulk of the work has been mine. There’s something quietly satisfying about watching the image emerge, especially when the trickiest bits finally click into place.

It’s become a gentle after work ritual—part challenge, part meditation, part “just one more piece before I cook dinner.” The planes still hover above, waiting to be framed, but the beach below is nearly complete. And then onto the sky.

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Let's wrap up August with a decadent treat. 

Rich Dark Chocolate cake.

175g unsalted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar or Keto alternative.

1 teaspoon Vanilla essence

6 eggs separated.

150g dark chocolate melted.

140g ground almonds.

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg yolks.

Fold in the melted chocolate and almonds.

In another bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Gently fold them into the chocolate mixture.

Pour into a greased and lined 20cm spring form tin. 

Bake at 190C for 20 mins, then reduce the heat to 150C for 35 mins.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin.

Dust with icing sugar.

Or go with the extra decadent Loulee topping.

Soften 110g butter and beat in 2-3 cups of icing sugar, or similar keto sweetener.

Then add 1/3 cup of cocoa and a few spoons of milk or cream.

Slather over the top of your cake.

Slice and enjoy.

Those big soup mugs in the background of my image have homemade chicken soup in them.

YUM!

Guess what's for tea?

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I began August with a firm vow: no new starts, no distractions, no squirrels. Just steady progress and finishing what I’d begun or previously planned.  But as any seasoned crafter knows, squirrels don’t care about vows. One hopped in—bold as brass—and before I knew it, I was ordering yarn and planning something new. I won’t say more just yet, but readers may spot its bushy tail in September’s round-up. Consider yourselves gently warned.