Sunshine in a saucepan.

Yesterday was a busy day, sunshine meant washing pegged out and a leisurely walk with both Ben and then Rufus,

My neighbour had his weekly hospital check up so we set off for Swansea in good time. Unfortunately his former progress was reversed so he is back in a cast, rather than the boot, for a few weeks.

We chattered all the way there and back, as usual, and I was in dire need of tea by the time I walked through the doorway on my return home.

Dinner was leftovers, yummy and easy, so I spent some time going over the crumb quilt removing threads. Then I trimmed it ready for binding, I have the fabric and will get that cut and stitched later.

First I have to get the SO to the dentist, and yes he is capable of going on his own, I want to have a look round the charity shops so I am going as well.

Now for that saucepan, I really fancied some soup today but there was none in the freezer. A girl called Jack to the rescue, just about my fave cook book.

A scan through but nothing really caught my eye so I went fridge diving.

1 pepper, half green half orange, deseeded, depithed and diced. 1 red and 1 brown onion, peeled and diced. 4 fat cloves of garlic peeled and sliced. I like my garlic sliced rather than diced, it seems to almost melt away. These were really fat cloves 8 grams each.

As big as a teaspoon bowl.

Then I cleaned and sliced a leek to add another layer of flavour. I also deseeded a red chilli and chopped that fine and added to the mix.

Some carrots, 150 grams after peeling, a parsnip, 90 grams after peeling all fine diced.

I melted a couple of dollops of coconut oil in a large pan, about 2 tbsp I guess, then added all the prepped veg and sweated it gently for around 10 minutes. Threw in some spices, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp each of Ras el hanout, coriander and turmeric, gave it a good stir and cooked for another 2 minutes.

Then in went a drained and rinsed tin of chick peas ( I saved the juices from the tin for later) a tin of chopped tomatoes, a tbsp of tomato puree and the tomato tin full of water. Plenty of sea salt and black pepper and a tin of coconut milk.

Then just brought to simmer and cooked for about 30 minutes, tasted it and swooned. Lunch was yummylicious. No bread required.

There is plenty left for lunch tomorrow and it will keep well for about 5 days in the fridge, not that it will get 5 days.

About that juice, all 147 grams of it. I intend to use it as an egg substitute in a lemon cake. I know that you can use it for meringues, I checked with Jess, but want to try baking with it. If it is a success it will be great. If it is not we will eat it with custard, providing that it is edible.

Doesn't look very yummy yet does it?

I will let you know tomorrow.

Now I have to dash and get off to Neath.


                     TTFN                                               Pam

A matter of support, or the lack of it.

I have on the odd occasion rattled on about tights and the up and downs of finding some that fit.

This time it is the Bra that my attention is focused on. When I graduated from a "token" bra and finally stopped growing I wore a 36 B for absolutely years. During prgnancy and breastfeeding I simply wore the same size but in maternity conformation.

Then came the menopause and I ballooned up to a 38 D, at least that is what I was measured at in Magic and Sparkle. Now my Bra drawer has a selection of 36 C, 36 D, 38 C and 38 D and some of them fit perfectly. The only problem is that all the perfect fitting ones are in different sizes. To add more confusion to the issue I have bought twin packs and the same bra in 2 different colours only to find that 1 fits and 1 came from a different planet.

I have some that need the straps at full extension and some that have them hitched up to the shortest possible length, some that just fit round my back and some that are obviously built for congenital twins.

As for cup sizing, who on earth sets the standard for that. Some have room for a pair of socks each side whilst some are just a micron away from being Boa Constrictor tight.

Cost is no indicator or guarantee of fit or comfort, I have lost count of the number of bras that I have thrown away because the underwires have dug so deep into my breast bone that my flesh has bruised.
The most comfortable bra that I have came from a sale rack in Tesco, it was part of a twin pack. Needless to say the other one was tried on and consigned to the charity shop box. 

Now I am dire need of some new ones, in fact I need to replace them all. I think that a session in M & S will have to happen, at least I can try them all on rather than putting my trust in luck and the Devil.

Right now I need to think about Knit and Natter, I have socks to take (no surprises there then) and a cake to get from the fridge.

The SO had a very full on day yesterday and after stuffing hid face with ham and mustard sauce with mash and veg, he had a walloping slice of our cake with half a tub of cream. I had to applaud him.

I slipped down to see Jess yesterday and came away with a jar of her hedgerow jelly and a jar of vegan lemon and orange curd. It Is Wonderful, in fact my mouth watered as I wrote that. She very kindly gave me the recipe so that will be on the Job List for Thursday. Spoon anyone?

I hope to get my lemon drizzle cake made into a round and sandwiched together with the curd, Oh My, more mouthwatering.

I am off to dribble in a corner somewhere.

                                      TTFN                              Pam

Socks, wrinkles and all.

Sock patterns, what to use?

I have followed a few patterns, there is a good one on the Winwick Mum blog, both in 4 ply and thicker yarns.
I like the look and fit of a heel flap and gusset but the SO likes the heel from "Vanilla is the New Black" a pattern on ravelry. That heel was used in his brown socks from yesterdays post.
I do use the afterthought heel on short socks as I think it looks neat and most of the shorties that the SO has have that heel.

Now I only use a pattern for the stitch, I have my own "recipe" for everyone that I knit for. Stitch count, rib width and length and so on right down to the toe shape. For boot socks I tend to use a blend of fibres with at least 20% wool content, I have a nice stash of Moods that was on offer at Deb's wool shop.

As to 4ply or fingering weight sock yarn I use everything from the wonderfully cheap Drops to Indie Dyed at finger burning prices and everything in between.
I have started to dye yarn myself, it is on hold while all the work is going on in the house. I have bought commercial yarn and over dyed it with great results.
Even if money was no restriction I would still not exclusively use luxury yarns. Simply because I want the socks that I make to be everyday wear, not tucked away for "best".

Some of my trials have not been wonderful, the very first pair were really bad BUT I didn't realise that until I had knitted a few more pairs, the SO wore them to death and was most put out when I put them into the recycling bin.


I have not knitted a swatch for socks but if I was planning an intricate stitch pattern or colour work then I most definitely would.

There may be some colour work in seasonal shades of red and green coming soon.

I was not planning this subject but a few comments from yesterday  prompted me, I hope this has helped Susan Q and knitty Nutter.
If I was to be so bold as to offer advice it would probably go like this.

Watch You Tube tutorials, Very Pink Knits has some corkers.

Go and look at Winwick Mum's blog and possibly buy her book, I did.

Buy some reasonably priced yarn and knit a pair, if they are sock shaped then wear them with pride. If not use them as bed socks or with PJ's for Sofa Surfing.

Mistakes?!! Design Features is the term you are looking for. The SO has one pair with an extra pattern repeat on one cuff, they are both the same length I just had a blonde moment. He doesn't care in the slightest.

Knitting should be a pleasure, not an endurance feat. You could always try crochet socks instead. look on the Crafternoon Treats blog for a few patterns and don't forget You Tube.

Now I am off to my quilting, or maybe not. Ben has just launched himself from his bed and is looking expectantly at me, mmm another walk might be next.



                            TTFN                                      Pam

Impatient or what?

I finished a pair of boot socks this morning, I was up early and watching Jean Truelove on YouTube, and having a cuppa of course.

Just simple vanilla but the SO loves this pattern. In fact he loves them a bit too much, I had just finished darning the toe ends in when he came down. In a flash they were off my lap and on his feet. I still had the cast on ends to darn in but he would have kept them on had I not put my foot down with a firm hand.
Honestly he is worse than a child in a sweet shop, he has well over 30 pairs but each finished pair is treated just as the first was.

I have had a brilliant day, the dogs were walked in sunshine and we met Jess, Will and his Mum and Ivy. They were just returning home from their walk and I was on my second one with Rufus. Ivy was wearing her bright jumper, it is not really in her colours but she still looks adorable.

Then on my return I got a load of washing pegged out and just about dried before the rain came in.

I have dinner for us and my neighbour, Rufus's owner, ready to pop into the oven.

Pasta and veg in a cheese sauce, there is a little topping if gratin under that grated cheddar, it was left over and I thought "oh well, in for a penny..." and threw it on the tops.

There are 2 of Nigel's Black Banana cakes in the oven now, one will be shared with the same neighbour and one will go to Knit and Natter on Tuesday. It will be my first visit in 3 weeks as I have been busy the past 2, there will be lots of catching up to do.

I am so glad that The Flying Geese fabric shop will be open as I need some dark green fabric for quilt binding. They had to close for a week due to building works spreading dust everywhere.

I have a tray of conkers (Horse Chestnuts) drying out ready for the windowsills. I find that they are a good spider deterrent although they don't work for lots of folk.

I have another pair of socks cast on for TV knitting, and hospital waiting time on Wednesday. (this is for when I take my neighbour in for check ups on his leg.)

I have a jumper to finish the neck for Ivy and a cardigan on the go for her as well. I am being very self indulgent with my crafting time  right now.

There will be a batch or 2 of Haw jelly this week and another of the Christmas jelly, that should just about fill the last inch of shelf space.

The cakes are smelling gorgeous and I will have to work hard not to cut one till it is cold. I feel that a cuppa is in order so I will see you all anon.

                   TTFN                                            Pam

Sniffy, Sneezy and Dozy

I have the sniffles and a fluctuating temperature, between nose blowing and tissue disposal (plus the never ending hand washing) and removal and replacing of my sweater I haven't had a free second this morning. My head is stuffed up and I am having to really concentrate on everything that I do.

I hope that is is a temporary result of my drenching yesterday.

Lots of tea and vitamin C (fresh red grapefruit oh yum) is my treatment of choice.

I did make the "Christmas jelly" this morning, it smells quite spicy but in a couple of weeks I will try it. No matter how it turns out I intend to repeat the operation anyway, this time I will double up the spices.
I want to make another batch of mincemeat and will not want to waste the citrus peel and pulp. We both love mincemeat in various recipes, Mary Berry's mincemeat fruit cake is a firm favourite and I aim to make a few for gifts this year. 
I do want to experiment as I feel that an egg free version that is equally lush would be great.

As it is still raining and the forecast is for more of the same I will try some more quilting, sniffling permitting.
Dinner is a vegan chilli that I stashed in the freezer after a big cooking session a while ago. I may pull some flat breads out later to scoop it up with.
No pudding, we have been  pudding free this week and will be for another. Our sugar intake had gone up alarmingly, along with fats in cream and custard. Mind you after making all those jellies the sugar container is pretty low and I don't intend to buy any more just yet.

My pantry is fast taking on the appearance of a small shop but there is solid thinking behind this.
I grew up right on the very edge of a village, we were the last house on the way out. There was almost a mile to walk to the nearest shop, not nice in driving rain, frosty or snowy weather, and the walk back with shopping was not good.

This time of year my granny would be stuffing the pantry with all manner of foodstuffs, her aim was to have at the very least 4 weeks supply of non perishables. Milk was from the nearest dairy farm, just 5  minutes walk away, and we could make butter and cheese.
This has become so ingrained that even when I lived a short walk from a Co op I still did it.
My family and friends laughed about it until the year that our village was snowed in and I fed 5 households for a week. 3 of those houses had small children and the cupboards were virtually empty because "tomorrow is shopping day".
I also have memories of a family that lived close to us who were unable to budget and every now and then would get a box of food from us. They would have gone very hungry otherwise.
Now I find it impossible not to have my cupboards full by Autumn.

Wow, I wasn't planning on any of that, it just happened.
The SO has just uttered the magic words "would you like a brew" so I am going to say toodle pip for now.

                          TTFN                                           Pam

So far, So good

The quilting has begun and it is looking good, just the long straight lines so far. I have rolled it ready to cross hatch but have finished sewing for today.

The mincemeat has been in the oven to melt the veg suet down, it is out on the side now cooling down. Once cold it will have the brandy added before going into cold sterilised jars, they have been washed and rinsed and are in the oven now, in an hour I will turn the heat off and let them cool down. 

I am planning a new take on the apple jellies, I saved the pulp, pips and skins from the oranges and lemons used in the mincemeat. I will chop those up and add them to a Kilo of chopped apples and some Haws and just cover them with water. To this mix I will add a whole nutmeg, some  Allspice berries and a couple of cinnamon sticks. The hope is that the spices will release their flavour and scent into the liquid so that I get Christmas Jelly. I am only adding the Haws for colour, my concern is that the whole spices will leach their colour and brown jelly is not what I hope to achieve.

I plan on a lazy evening with some gentle knitting, it is pouring with rain and I managed to get soaked earlier. I had to shower and got straight into PJ's and the clothes were spun before being washed.

I have some Saint Agur cheese in the fridge  and a grilled cheese and red onion sandwich is looking good for a lazy dinner possibly with a dollop of relish or chutney.

Ben is treating the weather with total disdain and has turned into a couch potato, I can not say that I blame him.

Washing is bumbling around in the dryer, less ironing later.

Now I need to drink my tea before it gets cold, the SO made it and I don't want to discourage him.

                    TTFN                                         Pam

Shiny, Sleepy and Spiny

The jelly was a success, 6 jars and a taster (now gone, delish on breakfast toast). A very shiny photo, 

as is the Dresser, I have polished it once, it was gleaming the day that I picked it up.

Jelly making was of no interest to Ben so he retired to the sofa for a little sleepy time.

This is very spiny, all the basting pins are in and I am about halfway through doing them up. My fingers needed time out, I think there is a gadget for that and I know that I need one.

I made a small batch of sweetcorn relish this morning, see Sue's recipe from the cottage at the end of the lane blog.

No celery seed, bother! finely dice a stick of celery and add that. Mmmm there is curry powder and turmeric in there so how about some cumin seeds, done.

I have 3 jars cooling, it smells amazing in the kitchen so a larger batch may be in order.

We had really heavy rain last night, it hammered down but has dried out a bit now. If it stays dry I will be gathering Haws later, there are some stray raspberries in the freezer that may get added to the next batch of jelly.

I have a batch of mincemeat to jar, made with vegetable suet so that I can gift some (in jars and in pastry) with no worries. Many of my friends are either non meat eaters or avoiding beef.

Now I better knuckle down and get back to my pins, I did try stitching a few time but on a large quilt it takes too long, and they all have to be picked out later....all those threads.

            TTFN                                                           Pam

Hips and Haws and other good things.

I had to do quite a bit of driving yesterday, I did get the dogs walked first though.
On my return, after a cuppa of course, I went "hunter gathering", well just gathering really.
Inspired by Jess I collected lots of Haws and then I spotted some rose hips. Suffering a few minor scratches I added those to my basket.
As I turned to go I spotted a few apples in amongst the turning leaves of a little thicket, another scratch or 2 but goal attained and 4 decent apples went in with the booty.
To round it all off I picked some late blackberries and then turned for home.

Once back I picked over my haul, put the hips into the processor and blitzed them. chopped the apples up, along with a few that were left from the last jamming session, washed the haws and berries and got them in the pot with enough water to cover. A good boil and simmer with a couple of attacks with the potato masher and into the jelly bag to drip overnight.
As I tap away the resulting juice is boiling away with some sugar and will soon reach setting point.
I will let you know how it is tomorrow, must dash now.

                     TTFN                                                  Pam

Marmalade out. Jess Jelly in.

Jess and Ivy came for a little visit yesterday afternoon, it was a wonderful tonic.
Jess brought a jar of Blackberry and Hawthorn jelly that she had made that day. I was on my best behaviour so I waited until she left before ripping the lid off to have a sniff. Oh My Word, sweet, smokey and deeply fruity. Autumn in a jar. I did have a tiny taste and the SO had a larger one. It now has a label on reading HIS.
Tomorrow I will be picking Hawthorn Hips and probably begging apples from Jess to make a batch.

I also received a thank you card, for Ivy's birthday gifts, that is on proud display while it waits for a frame. It is a montage of photo's of Ivy having fun and I love it.

The bright jumper and hat fitted and I have a green one that needs finishing in the same size. The next ones will need to be a little bigger. There is a special joy to be found in knitting little garments, nothing to do with a quick finish at all, even more so than with a pair of socks.

Here is the top of my Dresser, I am so pleased with it, I have not put all the china out, just most of the Old country Roses. The Silver Maple had to stay in the kitchen cupboards. The flowered stuff does look better against the dark wood though.

All my curtains are now hung, I am just waiting for a rug to arrive. 

Ben doesn't know whether he is coming or going, he spends a while in one room on the sofa and then moves into the other for a snooze. Rufus just took it in his stride.

I slipped over to Llandeilo this afternoon, I took a stack of books for one of the Cafe's which is raising money for a charity. Deb's hubby is having a turn out as well and will transport them all together.

She has some lovely new Alpaca blend yarn in but I was not to be tempted, however 2 balls of Acrylic and cotton blend did slip into my bag, just enough for a small person cardigan.

I have a list of jobs to do in the garden over the course of the week, fingers crossed the weather will co-operate. 

I don't think there is anything else for today, I hope intend to get Ivy's green sweater finished tonight and possibly cast on the cardigan. I do have socks on the needles, of course I do, but want to save them for my hospital waiting time. Rufus,s owner is still in plaster and consequently we are trailing back and forth.

On that note I am off to get dinner ready to put in the oven, I want the timing set so dinner is ready when I get back from walking the dogs later.

                             TTFN                                        Pam

Resting up.

After the past 2 weeks of moving things around, and generally being in a perpetual whirl, I have thrown the towel in.
Knitting is is it's bag and the door to the craft room is firmly shut.

I had another disturbed night, that's 3 in a row, and woke up feeling completely out of sorts.

The dogs had their walks and I settled into the corner of the sofa with Copper on the box.

2 cups of mint tea have refreshed me but the thought of food brings on nausea ( I hate being sick so food is off the menu).

I think that a day or maybe 2 with clear liquids only will perk me up.

I have bought myself a Welsh Dresser, a lovely old piece that has been polished by generations of women. The owner passed and her daughter has not got room and the granddaughters were not interested.

It is not only lovely but now houses my pretty china that has been languishing in the cupboards for far too long.

I have a photo but the camera is in the craft room so it will wait for another day.

The sun is shining from an azure sky but the garden is a bog after so much rain. Perhaps tomorrow.

Now I am going to put episode 3 on and sink back into my cushions.


                       TTFN                                       Pam

PS. Copper looks very realistic, I am so glad that smelly vision has not been invented.

New look Craft Room

A few days have slipped by since I was here last, they have not been frittered away. I have been working away at my Crumb Blocks.

This is part of a long strip that will be the side borders,

this is the other end. I am not sure about that dark stripe, I may cut it out. This will be cut in half lengthways and there is plenty for both sides. The cut aways will be built up to make top and bottom borders.

Here is a section of the Crumb Quilt, I cut the sashing too wide and that is why I am making the colourful borders. I will bind it in either the sashing green or a darker shade.

The move from back to front of the house is complete and I am reasonably happy with the layout, there will be some tweaking I have no doubt.

Most of my small cuts of fabric and notions are here right behind the sewing cabinet.

This is my knitting corner, right next to the sofa all my pattern books are on the bottom shelf, nice and handy. All I need to do is clear a space for my cuppa.

The rest of the yarn storage further along the wall, just like the fabric there is still quite a bit in large storage boxes. I will get to them after some serious crafting.

A close look at the bottom shelves in the knitting corner, I have plenty to keep me busy through the darker months.

A long shot of that wall, the overlocker and a small sewing machine are in the middle, the printer is ready for any pattern that takes my fancy. You can just see a corner of the ironing board, it is far too big and I intend to make a pressing pad to have beside the Janome for when I am making blocks.

I will get photos of the other room asap,but finishing the Crumb Quilt is my number 1 priority. I have another top ready to baste and want to get them done in tandem. hauling my roll of batting around is hot work and the fewer times I do it the better.

Now it is time for me to get off my btm and get dinner on the table.

                   TTFN                                                Pam

A little chink of light.

Shining through the gloom of moving stuff from here to there (and back again a few times!) there is a tiny light. The Grace frame has gone to her new home and is set up ready to serve. 

That space gained is wonderful but much better is the knowledge that she will be working again, not gathering dust.

I admit that I had reservations about parting with her but knowing that she was going to such a good home soon sent those off.

I now have to hold my hands up and confess to blanking out all the jobs on my list and having some quality sewing time. Several more crumb blocks have been pressed and attached to the sashing strips.
Even better 2 rows are assembled and the 3rd is on it's way.
Right now I am considering a 4" -6" crumb border and then a solid binding. 

Once I have cleared enough space to photograph my makes I will have a  photo heavy post.

I also have to knuckle down and reply to comments AND get some blog reading done. The past week has raced by and when my bottom has hit a chair my brain has turned itself off.

Thanks to the tireless grafting of the SO ( and a big thank you to the rain that has kept him indoors ) the work is all but finished.

We have eaten out of the freezer and a fresh meal from scratch will be cooked today ( roasted veg and cauliflower cheese) and tomorrow (probably a roast). Then it will be back to the freezer on Monday, I have a loooooong list of jobs, including more marmalade as the SO has taken a shine to it, so cooking time has to be sacrificed. I also want to clear the freezer of made up meals before they become ancient.

I want to thank everybody who has stuck with me and my hasty scribbling, and a big thanks for all the positive comments. It is lovely to read them all and each one gives me a little boost.

My storage, that looked so right in the big room, is so topsy turvy and higgledy piggeldy in the smaller room that I see some shopping on the horizon. It may well be in the form of wood for some custom built shelving ( is it too naughty and selfish to hope for more rain).

All these decisions and plans have kept my mind whirring most of the night. A good long walk with Rufus will blow the cobwebs away and clear my mind, I hope.

I almost forgot to tell you that at one point I could not get to the breadmaker (or the making for a loaf) so I bought one. Sunflower and Pumpkin seed, it tasted pretty good but my word it was doughy. I made a copy yesterday and will be trying it for breakfast, if looks and smell are anything to go by it will be fantastic.

I hear Ben stirring so better get the door open for him. Back soon.



                             TTFN                                           Pam

A Pale shade of Green

Not nausea, not envy.

Simply experimenting.

Over the past few months I have done a fair bit of reading, all relating to Ben's skin issues, both in book form and on the internet.

Several things have rung bells and blown whistles.

The first was laundry, the detergents and fabric conditioners etc.

I am now using soap nuts in the machine and white vinegar in the dispenser drawer.

My first reaction was to the smell, or rather the lack of it. My laundry smells clean and fresh with no hint of perfume at all.
The second was to discover how much better the towels dry without the residue from conditioner.

This has encouraged me to look at making "greener" choices in all areas.

Another change has been in Ben's diet, over the years I have tried many food varieties, including making it myself. All have had a modicum of success, but none have stood the test of time. He is now on a tailor made dry food from Tails.com. Not only is he loving it I can see an improvement in his skin and coat condition. Time will tell, of course, but he has never eaten his meals so eagerly, you would think it was best steak in his dish.

I have been playing with vegan food and although I can not envisage it becoming an exclusive choice, meat has become a much rarer part of our diet.

I have been buying the same shower/bath/hair products for ages, I hope that this will soon change. This is my next area for research and change.

Now for the fun (hard work I mean) part.

The change round of my rooms is well under way, painting is almost complete, there is just a windowsill to finish. Carpet has been fitted, 4 days earlier than planned.

I do need to find another sofa, my large leather storage one will  not turn in the space we have. The cushions were removed, feet unscrewed and the doors came off and still it would not go. It is a big beast and is very heavy, it was delivered by 3 gorillas and they left sweating buckets. 

It does mean that space is tighter than I had planned for but I am not repining. It will all come good in the fullness of time.

There are still heaps of bags, boxes and loose items waiting to be rehoused. The pile for the charity shop grows by the second. Fran's bedroom is still heaped up but the end is in sight.

I took a few crafty books to knit and natter on Tuesday and will be taking some cookery books next week.
There will soon be another box of goodies winging it,s way to my sister in Norfolk.
The crumb quilt blocks are being sashed, I should say were as all sewing has been put on ice till the chaos has subsided.
Knitting, however, is a different kettle of fish, I have kept 2 project bags to hand. One has a pair of socks, 2 at a time cuff down, the heels have been turned and I am on the way along the feet. The second has a jumper for Ivy in it, I have about 10 rows left before the front neck shaping and then just has to sew it together.

I am going to restrict myself to 2 knitting projects in the sitting room. It had got out of hand with bags of yarn scattered all through the house.

The kitchen is next on the list and then our attention will fall upon the stairs and landing, I may be ripping the carpet up this week as it is really beyond the pale. It has been shampooed twice since we moved here but it is definitely past it's sell by.
Then of course we need new windows.........does the list ever end?

I am quite sleepy now so I better toddle off to bed, it is gone 1:30 after all.

                           TTFN                                      Pam

Bidding a fond farewell.

This Grace Frame has done me proud, here it is with all the sections joined. It is classed as Queen size. I did have it set up smaller to begin with and then after some practise had the extra part assembled and joined in.
The hardest part was getting the leader cloths fed into the rails, much sweat and naughty words were the order of the day.

Now she is off to pastures new, I am not sad. I can no longer use her and she is going to an excellent home. 

I am not stopping my quilting by any means, I will be using a flat surface and sitting down.

I will be looking at spinning in the new year, the excitement of moving to a new space is enough for now. It will take me at least a couple of months to get it set out as I need it.

The bookshelves are in their new room and have been filled, I do expect to be shuffling things about though.

It was knit and natter today, there was cake, we had a very chatty session although the rain/hail/snow combination shocked us to almost silence. Lumpy Rain in September, No No No, far too early.

Deb's has a window full of special priced yarn, all discontinued colours. It is not as full now as it was when I arrived.

I will try to get photo's loaded for tomorrow, I am too tired today. All this rearranging and running up and down stairs is enervating.

I plan a lazy(ish) day tomorrow, a trip to the charity shop with a heap of things that I no longer need or have no further use for. Some cooking and possibly a little gardening, the weather forecast is reasonable and the sun is shining right now.

That is my cue to get Ben out for a walk before the wet stuff returns.

                     TTFN                                           Pam

Spiders and Cobwebs and Dust, Oh My!

It is all stations action here, furniture is being moved, wall hangings taken down and everything easily portable is being rehomed. Most of it has been shunted into Fran,s room where the bed has all but disappeared under a sea of fabric and yarn (all in containers).

The quilting frame is leaving for pastures new, either this Friday or next week. I have already told you that works will be started, almost 3 years after they should have been completed.

Well there has been a slight change of plan, the works will still be going ahead but the rooms are being changed around. 
The largest room will become the sitting/dining room and the smaller room will become my crafting room. I still knit and crochet in the sitting room and it tends to take over the whole room. The simple way of dealing with that issue is to change the dynamics of our living space. I will just have to exercise some control as to how many WIP,s I have in there.

There will be much painting taking place, curtains being made and carpet being purchased. There may be a new sofa and possibly a new dining table ( a dual purpose long rectangle for cutting out as well). Although I do have 3 folding tables for that job.

I have emptied, and moved and refilled, the book shelves. The amount of detritus behind them was absolutely horrifying, it is only a few months since they were out for cleaning. Thankfully the spiders were dead, but the webs were thick with dust and left me sneezing my head off.

The pile for the Charity shop run has grown dramatically and I have some books to take to knit and natter.

The garden is in line for some major works also, the front has become something of a jungle. I totally underestimated the growth rate of some of the plants and some  serious pruning and digging out has to take place.

Fingers crossed that we get some reasonable weather, I can garden in the rain but prefer not to.

The crumb quilt is slowly coming together, as is Ivy,s heart jumper, they are the only projects remaining in situ. 

On the subject of quilting, I was very happy to see Eleanor Burns on You Tube this morning. It had never occurred to me to even look
before. I watched her on the TV, many years ago, for some time before her program was withdrawn for some legal issue. Needless to say I will be watching some of the golden oldies as well as the more recent. I am proud to have a few of her books and quilting rulers in my possession.

Even better than that, the sun has shown it's face and the murky gloom has all but gone from the valley.

I am off to move more "stuff" from the downstairs to the upstairs. I have a dead line to get it done by.

Strictly starts this weekend and I want to sit and soak it up with no guilty thoughts to plague me.

It also means that I have until the following episode to get everything to rights. It is a good combination of "stick and carrot" without the stick. 


                                TTFN                                    Pam

Still here

Busy having fun with Fran, cooking and subsequently eating a bit too much. No shopping though.
I have made some more crumb blocks and bought more sashing fabric for the soon to be assembles quilt.
Knitting has taken a back seat for a while but I have done a little more work on a new pale green jumper for Ivy.

The dog walking is still happening and Rufus is looking much more svelte, I on the other hand have stopped losing weight. My face was becoming quite haggard looking so I upped the calories and am much happier now. I am keeping a close eye on the situation though, I don't want to stack it all back on.

I will be back to regular posting next week once Fran has returned home. I am planning a busy couple of  weeks, both in the house and garden.

Now I bid you goodnight and wish you all a good weekend.

                                      TTFN                                                          Pam