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Thursday 8 June 2017

Wet, Wet, Wet in Wales

Well I never, the weather forecast was just about right, except they forgot to tell me that yesterday morning would be bright and dry. Luckily I sort of gathered that when Ben had his first walk, so laundry all up to date.
By early afternoon the rain set in and is still here, not to worry, I can cope with that.

I took full advantage of the day by not only catching up on the washing, I potted all the tomato plants and most of the salad plants on to their final homes. My fig tree is going great guns and the figs are swelling nicely, the lemon is replacing the growth that was nipped off by frost but still has a few fruit slowly growing.

No sewing was done but a great deal of sorting and rearranging happened. The crafty Mandy from knit and natter has purchased some fabric and a pattern for Sophie, but she is a bit nervous about cutting into it. I fully understand that and, even after all the sewing that I have done, nearly always feel the same. I have picked some remnants from my stash for her to have a play with. ( the faster the stash goes the sooner I can go shopping he he)

I have done a little knitting, just a pair of short socks for Francesca.
As long as she is happy with them I will make a few more pairs, They only took 52 grams of yarn and were a very quick make.


The main colour is from deep stash, Opal/Viridian in the Claire colourway. I used my green Fabel yarn for heels and toes, I have enough for one more pair and once the yarn diet is over will be buying more of that. It brightens up duller yarns and calms down the In Your Face Sunglasses Required yarns.
I have enough of the Opal for a pair for myself, I really shouldn't cast on anything else until the Flax sweater has had some attention.
But my fingers just want to knit socks. bad fingers.

I have been trawling YouTube watching a few sewing podcasts and looking for inspiration for new patterns. I quite fancy a proper pinafore dress but am not sure that the "bib and brace" look is for me. I will probably just work a pattern hack, and save a bit of money.
I will have a little play session and share the results with you.

Dinner last night was a pie, I used the remains of a chicken, a chunky bacon chop from a pack of Lidl cooking bacon and some mushrooms from the freezer (yellow sticker rtc) that I bought ages ago and sliced up and open froze. The top was puff pastry, also a yellow sticker bargain, and I went the whole hog and made oven chips as well. It was yummylicious and there is enough pie for today. WOOHOO. I won't make chips today though, I will possibly make a swede and carrot mash, sunny colours for a grey day.

I had to have a nana nap yesterday late afternoon, I slept like a log for a whole hour, as I came over all unnecessary. Too much tidying I think, my system isn't used to it.
When I woke I was convinced that it was Sunday morning and there was nothing planned for dinner , slight panic as I mentally reviewed the freezer contents.
Then I really woke up and all was well.

 Anyhow I am planning a very lazy day today. I will probably cast on a sock, who am I kidding, forget the probably, it will happen. I will skim through my patterns and decide which bits to hack for that pinafore dress. 
I totally blame the new Anne of Green Gables adaptation for that idea. I heard the program mentioned a few days ago and then stumbled upon it by accident. I sat up till almost 11:30 to watch the first episode.  

I have never read the books, but I did see the original series so many years ago that I have no idea when it was. I may have to have a look for the books.

I did read the Little Women series and the Katy books and remember them with pleasure. Oops I must be getting old. I was more interested in Treasure Island and Mallory Towers though. I read The 39 Steps at primary school and it is still one of my favourite books, the bit where Hannay turns himself into a tramp and scuffs his hands and nails popped into my head a short while ago.
I was in Neath and there was a chap sitting on his top of the range sleeping bag with a begging bowl, I saw a woman cross the road and hand him a tenner! I walked up to him and said "If you must beg for a living lose the manicure and posh watch" and walked on.

That scene from the book was at the front of my mind. Now I am on a nostalgic roll and will have a look on netflix for the film, the 1959 remake with Kenneth Moore if possible, but the Robert Powell remake will do.
I have seen the 1935 original with Robert Donat and like it, but used to have a "thing" for Kenneth Moore. Anyone remember him in The Forsyte Saga? 
I never saw the BBC adaptation in 2008, but did see the scathing reviews.

Enough of this wallowing, my cuppa is cooling rapidly. As for cooling, I put the heating on this morning! In June.
As my Gran used to say:- "Flaming June, Flaming awful"

                        TTFN                                    Pam






14 comments:

  1. I had a raging crush on Robert Donat and loved the scene in the Scottish Inn where they had sandwiches and whiskey for supper. Maybe that's why I love whiskey, who knows?
    Maybe I'll take a look at Anne of Greengables. I always end up copying clothes from TV and Poldark is back soon, so I'll be back to knitting shawls :D

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    1. I have a few shawls lined up but will save those for the Autumn. Oh yes I had forgotten that scene, I don't mind a good malt myself on the odd occasion.

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  2. Oh those gorgeous socks...what beautiful colours.

    Raining here and we have also had the heating on a couple of nights. Mad isn't it? -x-

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    1. My heating is set at 15 C and it just wasn't cutting it.

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  3. I do love that pop of green on your socks - so cheerful! Also - just read your post from yesterday. Amen! Then was thinking, maybe she meant you were lucky to have the forethought to work hard...wishing she had had the same.

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    1. You could well be right, but I am not sure that she thinks at all. I will have to get some more of the green, it goes with so many other colours.

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  4. I love all the film versions of The 39 Steps. They all have different charms. On one of our most memorable family holidays we were walking down a very secluded Scottish glen with a local guide when there was a terrific roaring sound, the ground seemed to vibrate and a Spitfire(!) suddenly appeared and roared overhead just a few feet above us. For one wonderful moment I WAS Richard Hannay. Ok, so I was a mother with small children at the time, but I am sure you will understand! Tracy

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    1. It must have been very scary, and yes I know exactly what you mean.

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  5. Send a bit of your rain across the Atlantic. We could use some right about now.

    Love the socks.

    God bless.

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    1. I would send you the lot if I could, we have a surplus of almost Biblical proportions.

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  6. Love the socks. They are so cheerful looking.
    It's June gloom here at the Southern CA coast. We're overcast (I could actually hear drips about 4am) till about 1600 when the sun peeks through. It doesn't last and it's back to June gloom which followed May gray.

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    1. It doesn't matter where you live the weather has a mind of it's own.

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  7. I do like those socks, very zingy. Shorter socks tend to knit up in no time at all. Hope you took the plunge and cast on a new pair yesterday.

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    1. I did cast them on and the first sock is halfway along the foot. Fran will have a mini wardrobe when she gets here next weekend.

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