Cleaning up space

I saw on the telly this morning that there is a machine almost ready to launch into space to clean up all the debris.

When that is done I wonder if the Earth will get the same treatment.

On a completely different note my sneezing caused a minor accident yesterday.

I sneezed so violently that I banged into a cupboard door handle, it isn't big but it hurt and I almost saw stars.

On a better note this is now finished.

It is a gift and has been waiting for absolutely ages to be quilted and bound.

 

I have rounded off the corners ( thanks to Jean Truelove) but saved the detail. The piano key border was a last minute addition that will be repeated, it used up lots of scraps.

I have just started the gusset decreases on a pair of socks, I like to keep my hand in with heel flap and gusset construction, it is the best fit for Francesca. I repeated the pattern from the last hat that I finished.

I put them away in the middle of a round, bad bad, but it was my hospital knitting. When W comes out of the treatment room he just wants to get out of the building and into the car and then home.

They will be finished before next week so I will have to get another pair on the needles, or perhaps a hat.

Now I have to get ready to take the dogs out and think about dinner.  

The SO wants Christmas pudding and cream!!!? And he's started wittering on about Advent Calendar Chocolate. I may call his bluff and talk about getting the tree up.

                              TTFN                                      Pam

Where did that fluff go?

The fluff in question is generated while sewing, part from the fabric and part from the thread. You only have to look at your machine after an hours sewing to see how much collects.

I am convinced that during yesterday,s session most of it was breathed in, I have been sneezing regularly and explosively since I got up. It was a sneezing fit that woke me.

No sewing for a little while, I have the dogs to walk and hopefully the fresh air will help.

I do intend to get the last two quilts bound today and if the sneezing abates I will be off to knit and natter.

If not then I will finish the bags off, before having a tidy up, and then pull fabric for my next makes. I know that there are 3 more bags but I have seen a few things that I fancy trying as well.

I also want to make a padded storage bag for my long rulers, they stand in a cubby hole and sometimes slide around when I take one out. I have the scars to show for it, those corners are sharp.

Then there are the smaller ones, they live in a box which is all very well and fine but it is plain and boring. I need to borrow Worzel Gummidge's thinking head.

Short pause for some more sneezing, I am off to get Ben outside. He is in no hurry these cold mornings, when the sun shines he starts nagging at 7:00.

                             TTFN                                 Pam

Reprimanded.

I have just been almost told off for not putting a post up. 
In my defence I have been preoccupied with sewing and shuffling my kitchen cupboards around. Well, not the cupboards, just the contents. Things that I have not used for quite a while are now in the top cupboard near the sink, the most awkward one to reach. If they are untouched by the spring then they will be donated.

I have bound two of the grandchildren's quilts and the third one is ready to start, as is their parents quilt. The binding is made and ironed so tomorrow is booked. There are 4 bags that just need finishing and 3 more to make, not before January though, phew!

I spent a few happy hours at the Flying Goose on Saturday learning foundation piecing. It was great fun just a shame that it was under subscribed. There is another coming up and I have put my name down for that as well.

Last night I decided to practice Free motion quilting, not too bad considering that I haven't done any for a year or more. Well it wasn't too bad till today, the blasted machine was rattling  like Jed Clampetts car. I stripped it out, cleaned it and  threaded  it up with a new needle and bobbin and it still rattled. I put it away to look at tomorrow and got my little Singer out. It has been wonderful, a bit noisy compared to the Janome but certainly worth the space it fills.

If there are still problems that I cannot fix in the morning it will be off to the repairers. 

Dinner tonight is sweet potatoes baked in their skins with a pasta sauce that I found in the freezer. 
We are still trying to eat our way through the contents before doing a big shop to cover the week that Fran is here. I may be cooking  some vegetarian  meals as well. W normally goes away for the week, but with all the hospital goings on, has not booked anything yet. 

Ben is beside me, snoring steadily, I think that he is marking time till his dinner is put down.

The SO has a couple of free days so is painting the kitchen, just walls and ceiling, it was looking a bit tired. Now it is well on the way to being sparkling white, and looking much brighter.

He just announced that the kettle is going on so a cuppa is on it's way and I am going to quickly clear the decks. It will soon be time to start those potatoes.

                   TTFN                                                  Pam

From here to there, and back again.

Ooh Er missus, I've been round the bend, up the wall and through a hedge backwards. At least that is what it feels like.

Yesterday I took W to the Neath Port Talbot hospital. We had to be there (on the ward that is) for 7:00 am, it was still dark, and drizzly and of course all the Wannabe Stirling Moss peeps were out in force. I tackled the M4, found the hospital and lived to tell the tale. 
I delivered W to the right place and then drove home to deal with the dogs.
 Ben was pleased to have company and Rufus was deliriously happy to see me. He is not used to being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, and then being abandoned.
He suffers with separation anxiety but soon got his normal persona back.

Then early afternoon I was off back along the M4 to collect the invalid, this time it didn't drizzle. Oh No, it absolutely hammered down, and yes, there were even more "boy racers" of both sexes and all ages rampaging around.

By the time I got back and W was settled, Rufus walked and returned home, I was a limp dishrag.

Moan, moan, whinge and whine ( that ought to be wine but I was driving again the next day).

Because I fell into bed early I was up early this morning. I took full advantage and got the coin quilt finished all but the binding and then did most of the quilting on another, photo's tomorrow.

Then at lunch time I was in Neath for an eye test, sitting about and waiting as they seemed to be rushed off their feet. 

New glasses needed, but I knew that, there is a marked difference between my eyes and the right one has deteriorated far more than the left. I have to go back in a year this time. The chap told me that the type of cataracts that I have will see me get progressively more near sighted before they will be ready to be removed. Deep Joy.

I was hoping to go to sit and sew but I had reached the point of no return with driving.

I am taking W back to hospital tomorrow for his post op check, and his normal clinic, more driving. I am staying in this weekend.

On that note of doom and gloom I am off to check the oven, pasta, bean and veg gratin tonight. Comfort food at it's best, not quite as lush as steamed syrup pudding in a lake of custard but (possibly) much better for me.

                        TTFN                                         Pam

Still Stitching Stash.

I do like a bit of alliteration.

After posting off the quilt this morning I had a mammoth tidy up session, I unearthed a few full coin strip sets and had a 

                                                 

Bag them up up or use them up, Use them up as bags.

I dived into the box of left over batting and spent a little while zigzagging strips and squares together. I now have an almost empty box. COOL.

My attention then went to the box of biggish bits of fabric and with a bit of luck I found 4 pieces.

Then it was time to press, stitch, press and cut and I had the makings of 4 bags.

Baste, mark a design and quilt, I now have 4 bags well on the way.

Simple quilting, it's all about the colours for me.

Miles of binding on the way, chain stitching for speed and economy. The price of decent thread is astronomical.

I am taking W to the hospital early in the morning, Very Early, he has to be there by 7:30 am!!

I will be coming home, rather then stay there, as it is likely that he will be in overnight and he is scheduled to be the last down to theatre.

I hope to get the bags finished, or as near to it as possible. There is another quilt to layer and baste, I made the back this afternoon.

It has been wonderful weather for ducks and crafters lately. I did miss knit and natter today, I have so much driving to do this week that I wanted a restful day today. mmmmm

I am way behind in responding to comments, I have been asked for a glove pattern, but I can not remember the last time that I knitted any.

I need to make time to catch up and read through my blog list, it is all to easy for me to lose track of the passing of time.

In fact, looking at the time, I think I will make a start now.

                               TTFN                                    Pam

Done (in that is)

Another quickie, I  was awake at stupid o'clock this morning and after tossing and turning for almost an hour, I threw in the towel and got up.
I had a cuppa and got stuck into the Dresden plate quilt. It is now bound and wrapped ready for the post tomorrow. There are 3 separate parcels for Fran, 2 for her birthday and one containing some Christmas sewing for her house.

The SO decided to have a play with fabric and thread and made a really good fully lined and quilted tote bag, I filled it with the smaller gifts, put it in one  of the parcels and completely forgot to take a photo.

I have been sorting through the small storage baskets, tidying and labelling them all.

Dinner was home cooked fish and chips with mushy peas, a lazy and indulgent treat and I enjoyed every mouthful. No pudding, I had to wait over an hour before I could attempt a cuppa.

Now of course I am shattered, I dare not go to bed too early just in case I get into a "groundhog day" scenario. I don't want to be sleepy all day and buzzing with adrenaline all night.

I've had a shower and am in pj's and it is tea o'clock.

Well it must be somewhere in the world.

                 TTFN                                                        Pam

Too Soon, Too Soon

Just a quick visit tonight, I have been in The Flying Goose today. It was the last day of the Festival of Senses in Llandeilo and the sun shone for all the visitors.

Several people popped in and I had many lovely chats about sewing, fabric and the town.

The only cloud in the sky was a double whammy on the way home.

TWO, yes TWO houses in full on Christmas bling.

Flashing lights swarming over the house fronts, Huge trees decked to the 'nth degree and enough inflatables to float a small village.

It's still November for goodness sake.

I would imagine that the children will be full of excitement for days, only to become fed up with the waiting.
Never mind the electric bill.

Perhaps I am a fuddy duddy but half way through December is quite early enough. I love all the razzmatazz and tinsel, digging out the decorations and the "remember when we bought this" nostalgic moments.The hidden gifts waiting to be wrapped, surreptitiously, in odd minutes when nobody is around.  

But not just yet, please.

I am so happy to share the fact that I came home to find all the housework jobs done for the next 2 days. I will be able to concentrate on my quilting, lovely.

I have just watched Strictly, the results. I am not surprised at the result of the dance off but was surprised at Debbie being in it. Mind you there have been big jaw dropping moments in the past.

Now I am going to dive into Blue Planet, with the socks that are on my needles..


                        TTFN                                          Pam

Top to Bottom warmth

As promised here are pics of my latest knits, they are very warm and very fast to make. I did each one in a day BUT they were hospital days so the rib and a couple of pattern repeats were knitted during the day.
Aran weight yarn and size 4mm 16"circular, I cast on 96 stitches and knitted 2 x 2 rib for as long as I could be bothered. Then in pattern I knitted to 7 1/2 " and did the decreases. I changed to a longer circular  here and used magic loop, you could quite easily use dpns for this.

Round 1, k2 p2 tog. 72 sts
Round 2, k2 p1.        
Round 3, k2 tog p1,  48 sts
Round 4, k1 p1,
Round 5, k2 tog,        24 sts
Round 6, k
Round 7, k2 tog,        12 sts
Round 8, k
Round 9, k2 tog          6 sts
Thread yarn through the stitches and pull tight. I pull it through to the inside and work a cross stitch over the gather and then darn in the end, darn in the cast on tail and bingo, you have a beanie. 

This one is in waffle stitch pattern, 2 rounds knit then 2 rounds rib.

.

To change it up a bit for this one I did 2 round in knit then one round in k2 p2 rib, then 2 rounds knit and one round in p2 k2 rib and repeated to 7 1/2" total length. For a man I knit to 9-9 1/2" and add 4 or 8 stitches to the cast on number.

Much as I like the simple slippers ( I am about to try the Kimono slipper pattern as well) sometimes I want more of a sock style.

These are in Aran weight and I followed the basic pattern from Winwick Mum. I know that this is written for 8ply but it works for me probably because my feet are size 9 and I have chunky ankles. I am almost certain that she has released a pattern for Aran weight, you can check that out on her blog.

I just knit a few rows of rib and a few in ss, probably 3" worth in total. I knit a 22 row heel flap as it fits my heel perfectly.

If my feet are warm I am a happy bunny, when I am dog walking at this time of the year I need a steady supply of hats. They get very damp and I just hang them for a day to dry, some days I go through 3 or 4.

Now I have walked both the dogs and had a few chats along the way. I have a cuppa to drink and then I am going to do a bit of quilting, I would like to get 2 of the plates done today.

I was up early this morning so the chores are done. Dinner tonight is undecided, it depends on how I feel after a quilting session or 2 and what's in the fridge.

                      TTFN                                              Pam

Catch up time.

I made time to get to knit and natter on Tuesday afternoon, I did do quite a bit of knitting BUT much better than that, I had a lap full of love for a lovely long time. Sophie was there and a little out of sorts, she had a nap and then woke up in time for tea and biscuits. She is definitely going to be a crafter with instincts like that.

She had a chocolate hobnob and even offered me a lick, I wasn't quick enough though and the opportunity was gone in a nano second.

I only had one hand print and that brushed off my skirt, not that I was worried. Children and sticky fingers are like puppies and chewed objects, it's going to happen so just chill.

I was knitting a hat with yarn left from the last cardigan, it is just a perfect fit so have cast on another. I will post photo's and my stitch count etc once the second is cast off.

The Dresden quilt is on the sewing station, each block has been stitched in the ditch round the edges to secure the quilt. The sashing has had echo quilting along both sides and one plate is fully quilted. That was yesterday, it was a big bite but I like to start off with a bang. I will not be touching it today, it was the hospital run.

W had to be there for 9:00, of course the traffic was heavy and at times it was sit and wait, not to worry we made it in time, just.
He had his pre-op checks and then it was off for his normal clinic appointment. Luckily he was seen straight away, sometimes they are running late and it means an hour wait.

Now I am home with a cuppa and a bit of a (driving) headache, drizzle and a grey day and what appear to be completely blind drivers make for a tiring journey. One woman pulled out straight in front of me and then had the cheek to wave her thanks. GRRRRR.

Dinner tonight is meatloaf from the freezer and it is the last of that batch. I will do some smashed roast potatoes, cabbage and carrots with it. OOOPS I need to get stock for gravy out of the freezer. (done now) ( and I added the ingredients for the next batch to the shopping list) GO ME.

It's a good job that I like to share my meals or it would have been granules. I keep them in but only to shake into a casserole in the slow cooker.

I have had some lovely news but it is not mine to share...yet. I am so excited, it is quite silly. As soon as I can I will share.

That is it for now, my tea is drunk and I have veg to prep and think about baking a cake. There is none in the house, not even the freezer, and that is a rare occurrence that makes me a little bit twitchy. I haven't made an egg less fruit loaf for absolutely ages so may get the fruit into some hot tea to soak.


                                   TTFN                                            Pam

Simple Slippers.for AKM Evans.

The little slippers that I have been knitting are Simple House Slippers by Simone A from Temple of Knit and the pattern is here    https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/simple-house-slippers    

Just high lite and right click then click on the "go to" option.

I will make some more but at the moment I am using odds and ends of Aran weight and making short ankle socks for a little more warmth.

I hope this is okay, I am not very techy at all.

I am at the Flying Geese quilt shop tomorrow so there may not be a post.
I have finished the backing for the Dresden plate quilt and hope to get that basted on Tuesday.

Time to get dinner in the oven now, cauliflower and edamame gratin with  root veg roasted in honey and wholegrain mustard.

There is a pineapple and coconut sponge for pudding, if we have room.

                          TTFN                                           Pam

My version of mince pies.

I like mince pies, at least I like homemade ones, but the pastry is sometimes a bit too thick, too thin, very crisp or quite soft.

More years ago than I care to remember I saw a recipe for a Date and Orange slice somewhere.
It was a crumble type mix that you pressed half into a tin then spread dates softened in orange juice over before sprinkling the rest of the crumble mix on top.

I do not like dates, the texture or the taste, but my Dad was a great fan so I made it for him. I then made it at least once a month for the rest of his life. 

Just like me Mum hated then too, we tried various other fillings. Apricots in juice were okay, but not wonderful they don't breakdown as much as the dates. Then I had a brainwave and used a jar of mincemeat as a last resort. BINGO. I have made this on a regular basis ever since, more frequently since the SO came into my life.

This is one version, oh yes I tinker with the recipe all the time.

I use a half standard shallow tin, roughly a Swiss roll tin. I have made it in a loose bottom shallow round tin, it makes for pretty slices.

This time I used,
200 grams plain flour.
100 grams cornflour. sometimes I use semolina and sometimes ground almonds here.
100 grams caster sugar.
Tip the lot into a bowl and whisk lightly to mix.
Rub in 200 grams butter until the mix starts to hang together.

Turn half into the greased tin a press down, not too hard you are not making concrete.
Then spread mincemeat over the top, I use homemade I think shop bought might be a little too wet but you could drain it in a sieve for a while. 

Tip the remaining mix on top and spread out evenly, press down lightly and pop in the oven. 160 c for 35 minutes. It should be a pale golden colour and smell heavenly. My oven shelf was a bit too high and the shortbread was slightly overcooked but still yummy. I sometimes forget that the oven runs hot so I need to reduce the temperature or lower the shelf.
If I think about it I sprinkle some flaked almonds over before it goes in the oven.

I use a round bladed knife (my Gran's bone handled knife) and mark into squares or slices while still hot. The SO is a greedy guts so I mark 12 squares. I put the tin onto a cooling rack to help it cool quicker and leave it till completely cold.

You could line the tin with baking paper to make it easier to get out as quite often the first square breaks up. We see that as an opportunity to do a  Quality Control test. 
I shot myself in the foot here by buying a special little palette knife that is angled, no broken slice for me anymore.

I can not tell you how long they keep in either fridge or cake tin as they are usually gone in 2 days. In our defence my neighbour W will have some and possibly A. They are both vegetarian but I always use vegetable suet in my mincemeat.

Pouring, whipped or clotted cream, creme fraiche or quark, greek yogurt or Marscapone all work with this but it is fine naked and unadorned. I have had it with custard and that is lush as well.

If I am baking for a Vegan I use Vitalite, you don't get the buttery taste so I put a little vanilla paste in the mix or failing that some fine grated lemon zest or even some cinnamon.
I use what I have, it all goes just as fast.

12 nice squares, but there was some serious shrinkage, some went to W and we had some for pudding. I will take some to A a bit later for her elevenses.

The base is nice and firm while the top is just a bit crumbly.

A tray of chopped vegetables in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and a few fresh herbs. 2 trays of this went into the oven and were  a tasty dinner tipped over a mix of cous cous and quinoa.

No cooked shot, it was eaten before I thought about it.

Really the mincemeat slice was not the best pudding to follow that dish, I usually make something lemony but the SO had dropped several mountain size hints about mince pies recently. 

It is past time that I got Ben out for his walk and I haven't given a thought to breakfast yet so I am off.

                             TTFN                                Pam

NO! Far Too Soon

At least that was my reaction earlier today, when I heard a Christmas Carol, while walking Rufus.

It was coming from a workshop that backs onto the footpath, I had to peek in and see, I often stop and chat to the elderly man to whom it belongs.

He greeted me, and Rufus, and said that he always played a few carols on this date. He found the whole Remembrance "thing" too much to bear, he lost his father, grandfather and both brothers to war. His family have, over the generations, all been avid fans of Christmas. So on the 11th of November every year he shuts himself away and has a little while remembering them with joy rather than sadness.

I find this all to easy to understand as I do much the same with my memories. On birthdays I think of celebrations long gone and the joy and laughter that was, rather than dwell on what might have been.

My maternal grandfather was not keen on all the pomp and ceremony but thought that every generation should know about war and it's consequences.
He once said that if the sounds and smells of Flanders could be  released to each generation, war would become less likely. He was a stretcher bearer during both world wars, he lied about his age for the first one and volunteered at the outbreak of the second. 

Now I am off to the kitchen to make some lovely smells to lift my mood.

Balsamic roast vegetables to be served with a mix of cous cous and quinoa, there may well be a mincemeat shortbread slice for pudding.

I hope that you are all having the best weekend that you can.

                          TTFN                                       Pam

No sneezing here.

It,s me, I'm back.
I think that, apart from a little sore spot at the back of my throat, I have seen that dratted cold bug off.
I did manage to get into The Flying Goose on Wednesday and find the sashing, and border, fabric for the Dresden quilt.
 I had hoped to go back yesterday for Sit and Sew but my delivery of Crab Apple trees arrived in the morning and I had to get them soaked and planted. It was a dreary, drizzley sort of day so not a pleasant occupation. A hot shower and a cuppa soon dispelled the discomfort though.
I have one of the trees in a pot for Jess, they are maiden whips so will be quite happy to over winter in a sheltered spot. Then it can be planted out in spring ready for the growing season.

I had to make time to get the blocks sashed and the borders are cut ready to be applied.

A little reminder of the blocks.

The top 2/3 rds, I could not manage to get the whole thing in 1 shot.

This is the best that I could get.

The bottom, well almost.

I am pleased with it, in the photo's the darker blades pop much more than in reality. I have enough of the blue fabric to back the quilt, with the addition of some of the blade colours. I did cut extra blades so I may well do some selective piecing and make it almost reversible.

Knitting is still my TV watching pastime, 2 more pairs of the simple slippers have gone into the gift box and I am working on making some little ankle slipper socks in Aran weight for the cold of foot.

I have the hospital run with W this morning, it was changed from Wednesday so will do my shopping on the way back. That will save me from making a special trip, time and money saved so a double whammy.

We had the remains of the ham last night in a frittata and used up the lingering peppers, celery sticks and a solitary red onion from the fridge. 

It was lovely with a slice of my seeded bread, no need for pudding (haha). The SO polished off the last slice of a rhubarb pie with a glug of cream.

I am off now to have my second cuppa before dog walking commences.

                            TTFN                                     Pam

Jumping through hoops

Still sneezing, coughing and spluttering which has made me just a touch intolerant right now.

The main culprit is on the net, but on reflection there are 2.

Adverts that pop up in articles that I want to read GRRRRRRR, I just end up leaving the site, fuming. 

The ONE that sticks in my craw (strange saying but you know what it means) is when clicking onto something that catches your eye just means that you are led by the nose onto a merry go round. Having to jump from here to there and back again to get to your goal.

I had it happen a few moments ago, looking for a particular pattern I clicked onto a web site, found the pattern and clicked....another screen opened and clicked....... another screen opened and clicked another blah blah blah.....and had a hissy fit and gave up.

All that sounds a bit disjointed, and that is just how I feel after 15 minutes of jumping through hoops.

Of course it could be my total lack of understanding of the net, I spot something on Pinterest and  click only to jump....straight onto the merry go round.

I gave up and my brain has just about sorted a pattern out for me, result.

On a more mundane subject,the cold must be on the wane despite my symptoms as the bathroom has been blitzed and there is a load of washing pegged out. Dinner is the fusion soup and tomorrow,s has been planned. Nadiya Hussain.s Ploughmans cheese and pickle tart. I will be making 2, one for us and one for W.

The sitting room has had a good tidy up, mostly my crafting stuff from the weekend, and all is neat and pleasing to the eye.

Both dogs have had a good walk and now I am off to make the pastry and grate cheese while it has a little rest in the fridge.

My reward will be an hour on the lappy, reading posts, reading and replyng to comments and leaving a few of my own here and there.

                       TTFN                                            Pam

Frugal Fusion Food

On my last trip to Tesco I headed for the RTC  section, as usual, there was nothing much that I could use with the exception of some top notch joints of gammon.

I had a good look at them and choose the 2 with the least fat and the best shape (cutting neat slices is difficult with an odd shaped joint).
 1 went into the freezer for Christmas, Francesca loves roast spiced ham, and the other went straight into the pot. Well straight after the shopping was put away and a cuppa was enjoyed.

I just popped it into a big pot with some allspice berries, a fat cinnamon stick, some black peppercorns and a star anise that I broke into a few pieces. Brought to the boil and them simmered for 3/4 of the total cooking time. The SO then stripped the rind off and scored the fat before putting it into a pyrex dish that just held it snuggly. I lined the dish with foil and baking parchment to make for easy washing up, then drizzled a mixture of mustard powder and maple syrup over. Into the combi oven on convection at 180 c for the remainder of the cooking time, basting every 10 minutes or so.
Gosh this is long winded, not long now.

We had this cold with salad and a jacket potato on Friday and very nice it was too.

Rewind to the joint coming out of the pot.

The cooking liquor was put through a fine sieve and poured straight back into the hot pot, I threw in some (love that quantity) yellow split peas, puy lentils, pearl barley and a dollop of tomato puree. Meanwhile the SO had peeled and diced, quite chunky, a parsnip, half a swede, 2 carrots and an onion. I added a grind of black pepper and some water, enough to cover the veg. This was brought to simmer and cooked gently for around an hour. By this time the smell was enough to make me swoon, the veg were meltingly tender and the legumes were cooked but not mush. I cooled the lot down fast by standing the pot in a sink of cold water and ice.

Last night we had a bowl of this for dinner, it was fragrant with the "Asian" spices and still had the comfort factor of childhood food. Totally delicious and very cheap and the best bit is that there is enough for 2 more meals. Oh Yum.

Harking back to my post of yesterday I realise how fortunate I am that I had my Granny to teach me this way of using every bit. Even the rind will be used, dried out a bit and hung in one of the trees the birds will soon strip it to the string.

I am off now to read the comments from yesterday and then it willl be time to walk Rufus.

                        TTFN                                      Pam

A Great Idea.

I was watching the TV this morning while eating toasted homemade seeded bread with hedgepick jelly, and drinking tea in my cosy and warm sitting room. The fridge and freezers are full, the pantry also (specially the preserve shelves).

There was a mother and daughter talking about a Reverse Advent Calendar box scheme, and someone from one of the charitable organisations as well.

The so so simple idea is that in November you find a box and each day you put in an item, toy, food, toiletry etc. Then it gets donated ready for Christmas (no apologies for using the C word)

This family had the demographics of a family given to them and they filled a box accordingly.

When I returned Rufus, after his walk, I was chatting to W about this. He told me that one of his family members threw change into a pot all year and then in late November went to the large chain "P" and spent the lot on underwear in various child sizes, this all went to the local food bank.

Each year, at this time, I fill a trolley with toiletries, sanitary goods, tights and take that to the Trussell Trust along with as many Christmas stockings full of chocolate as I can pile in. I know that the families need the basics but to misquote "man does not live on bread alone" we all like a little treat every now and then.

I usually ring and ask if there is any particular thing that they are desperate for and toiletries, for both men and women, are always on the list.

This year we have a local food bank and I aim to pay them a visit and ask for their "most wanted" list.

I have just about everything in the house that we will need for the season and my Tesco points will cover the remainder.

I am no "do gooder" I could give more but to be brutally honest I just don't focus upon it as much as I could. There are so many other things careering around in my mind that it slips by unless there is an in-store collection going on when I am shopping.

I want to make this a bigger part of my life next year and will be talking about this with my local food bank group. 

I would love to plan a box of hand knitted goodies BUT yarn is not cheap, and time is not elastic, so store bought would supply more, quicker and cheaper. 

Possibly something large and handmade to raffle off would be an idea. Maybe a quilt, something fairly showy that would encourage people to buy tickets. That would be more for one of the bigger organisations. I will be making enquiries soon, very soon, to give me time to plan and execute the project in good time.

On that thought I am off to pootle round the garden, fresh air will get the little grey cells working. It just happens that I have a Damson Tree to plant today.

                  TTFN                                                 Pam

Sofa Knitting

Still sofa bound, still knitting my little slippers. These are from some random leftovers and there is another pair on the needles from the same yarn.

They keep my feet toasty warm and I see at least a dozen pairs in my leftovers bag. Some patterned and some plain, I have an issue with ordinary slippers and far prefer lightweight, throw in the wash ones. These fit that bill to the 'nth degree. I cast this pair on yesterday afternoon and finished them while watching the last few episodes of Stranger Things season 2.

BTW the new Wacky Races was grrrrrreat. No I haven't been at the Frosties.

I managed to walk the dogs this morning, slowly though as my temperature is swinging all over the show.

It is a warm, slightly muggy morning here, the mist took a while to clear but I have washing pegged out. Ever hopeful.

The bathroom needs a good bottoming but instead a quick clean will have to suffice, no energy to move things out and then back. 

Fingers crossed that I will be back firing on all 4 cylinders next week. I get quite discombobulated when my routines are disrupted, nothing to do with OCD I am just happy to be set in my ways. They work for me and give me plenty of "me time".

I am off now to have a bash at the bathroom, the SO changed all the sofa throws and cushion covers this morning saving me a sweaty half hour. Bless.

                                TTFN                                  Pam

PS. I need some small sewing projects to give me a break from some full on quilting next week, any suggestions?

How wrong could I be?

So much for the cold that left in the night, it has resurfaced with a vengeance
Raw throat, sneezes of epic proportions ( I may have broken the sound record) a full on smokers graveyard cough and a rain storm of tissues. I have some balm to apply at regular intervals to help stop the red and broken skin.
I have upped my vitamin C intake and lots of little soothing drinks are the order of the day, so far so good.
Just in case desperate measures are called for I have a tub of Ben & Jerry's "Sofa So Good Together" hidden in the veg drawer of the freezer.

No sit and sew for me today, A. I couldn't manage it and B. it would be so unfair to spread my germins.

There is an upside to all this, I have the pattern for  Simple House Slippers by Temple of knit and am on the third pair. Each pair for me takes less than 50 grams of DK weight yarn and just a few hours.
 I want to experiment with the pattern and add a little roll at the ankle but will leave that till I am a bit more here.

The SO is fixing new security lights at the rear of the house, now the evenings are pulling in I need that light when I fetch Rufus for the last walk of the day. I am still walking the dogs but taking care to avoid other walkers, if they do gravitate towards us a sneeze usually sends them scuttling off.
I have some soothing teas to enjoy and this afternoon I will be sitting on the sofa, knitting, tissues and tea at the ready for the brand new Wacky Races on Boomerang!! I used to love that cartoon, Dastardly and Muttley always had me in stitches.

On that Low Brow note I will sign off after another coughing fit.

                          TTFN                                     Pam