Thriftiness & Stitchiness

Wintery weather is back again and it was far too soggy for the carboot today. I'm keeping all my fingers crossed that the horrible rain stays away for Saturday when I'll be manning my pitch at Woodbridge.

I still needed some beautiful coloured glass to add to the mix for my stall and so I went off looking in charity shop world. I picked an area where there seems to be a CS every other shop, so stands to reason I'd find something or other.

What I found was a gorgeous selection of green and rose pink bowls and a vase.

When I popped into the antique centre to check out the prices (need to know what everyone else is selling at afterall) I found this so sweet basket. I think it might get put to good use on Sunday collecting chocolatey eggs. Oh and such a pretty tablecloth that had been shoved into a washing up bowl, that came home too.

On the way back to the car I stopped at the newsagents and found a great American crochet mag. There's so much to inspire in it.

What I really love are these cushions. I remember seeing something similar on Sarah London's blog and loving the bumpy ridges. Guess that's the next hooky project sorted then.


The stitchy stuff I'm finishing off is nearly done. A mix of hooky and fabric hangers;



a basketful of colourful big flower brooches and jolly hooky bunting;


and finally trivets, leaping hares and pincushions to be. Just labels to sew on and I'll be all done and dusted.


Have a wonderful Easter Weekend won't you and I'll see you again after the celebrations.

Partying Hard the 8 Year Old Way

Our beautiful baby turned 8 today. We've partied hard all weekend and had a fabulous time. Birthdays make me wistful and look back over all the wonderful years we've had together so far.

When I was three months pregnant with Little Bun we saw a shadow covering the left hand side of her brain in what should have been a routine scan. We heard confusing information that our baby may have a condition called Edwards, which would mean none of the major organs would develop. We were told to wait for two more months before we had a test to find out if this was the case or not. I spent that time trying so hard to pretend I wasn't pregnant, just in case ... Even when the results came back saying she was in the clear I couldn't relax until my baby was there in my arms. Now today when we've just celebrated her birth at home, all 11lbs of her, then I feel a need to write it down as once there was a time we didn't think we would meet her at all.

Our gorgeous girl came into our lives sucking her thumb as chilled out as can be. She has filled up our lives with her smiles, contented peace, eccentricities, sense of fun and huge capacity for love and kindness.

On Friday the Bun's decorated the Easter tree in time for the festivities to begin.

Saturday saw three adults and seven little girls hit the farm for a day of wet, muddy fun.

She adores sheep with a passion and I know if we had more land she'd easily talk us into having her own small flock.


Very soggy now, so off to the woods we go.



Three lots of den building sets off.


Mr Blue has a run round to check out the den competition.


Top day out methinks.


Sunday and and a family party day of trains, gallopers, and dodgems before coming home to a birthday tea.

Ending with a spectacular cake made by grandma. What is it about these sheep, they get everywhere?

Birthday countdown ended for another year for Little Bun. I give it a few days and I bet Eldest Bun will start the six months counting towards her tenth birthday.

Tangerine & Daffodilly Yellow Birthday

Each morning my tangerine roses make me feel just so. The happy brightness of the orange is just the right pick me up for a 'not best in the morning' sort such as me.

Now if you were out and about and you knew you should be watching the pennies until payday, would you have been able to resist this tangerine rose ring? Well I guess it comes down to taste, but I knew that it had to sit on my finger and come home with me then and there.

A moment of self-indulgence amid a mad day of birthday party food buying, present making baking and general this and that stuff.

Saturday is party day and we're off to a gorgeous victorian farm with a small bunch of girlies. Then there's Sunday and it's Little Bun's 8th birthday.

Still stitching to finish. Nearly there with Little Bun's apron for her special jam tart making days.

Now this present is one I'm most pleased with. Attempting anything like this normally ends in some kind of disaster. When Little Bun wrote to her fairy and asked if she could make a party dress for her doll Kitty it made it kind of hard to refuse.

I haven't made clothes since my art college days when we used to design and print up cloth which then got turned into something to go clubbing in. Now here I am making a very mini version of a 30's party dress from scratch.

I cut out the basic shapes and stitched and hoped and each time it fitted and worked. In fact I really enjoyed making this daffodilly yellow dress. I used a small piece of strap from an edwardian camisole to decorate the front and two of my special pink (and last) vintage buttons.

Two teeny vintage buttons hold the back together.

Last homemade present I've made for her is this soft as can be cardigan. I've really enjoyed making it as the wool was smooth and stretchy. I used Rowan calmer which had sat in a bag for a couple of years just waiting. All finished off with a purple pansy button.

To go with this purple cardi is a guitar of the most shiny purple possible. I think we'll be learning together as we go. Last time I played a guitar I was nine and Found a Peanut was as rocking as it got.

Now my Easter girl needed some suitable decorations for her birthday weekend, so I stocked up on a few shiny eggs and bought both Bun's a pair of windy up friends - Daphne and Dave Duck.

I've also cut some Pussy Willow and Cherry Blossom to put in a vase and hopefully that'll become an Easter Tree very soon. Now I'd better finish making those knickers to go with the daffodilly dress. No good having a best dress and no nicks is it.

See you once all the hard partying is over. Have a great weekend.

I bin Bootin'

That's how you say where you've been Norfolk style. It was good booty today, which was a surprise.

The car boot is a strange thing. I pull up full of anticipation for what treasure I might find, I scan the first few rows of plastic tat, shoes and headless dolls and then realise with a sinking feeling that my bag is still empty. Just when I think there's nothing precious here for me today - I spot a goodie and from then on in little treasures hidden in boxes, under tables and just out of reach in the back of vans reveal themselves and I'm off.

These buttons were all neatly bagged up and ready, no sifting or sorting. For three bags at 50p a throw I felt very pleased.

I love these circus cards. I think I'll frame some of them up for the Bun's and keep the rest for me.

This is really a set of six cups and saucers. I love the simplicity of them. Oh and a yellow Ellie eggcup to match the blue one I got a while back.

Swallows or bluebirds? Haven't a clue, not so hot on my birds, but I know that I like them and I like them on this plate a lot. Heavens knows why the plastic earings came too, but that zingy orange just seemed perfectly at home with the blue of the birds when I was standing in a muddy field this morning.

Well they just had to come home with me. So excited to find another Rosa coffee pot. I sold my last one, made a profit, which is why I do it and then wished I hadn't as I loved it so. Now I have one again.

Now that enamel bowl is waiting for the primulas I bought and I still have a button to sew on a birthday cardigan, an apron and a dolly dress to make. Better get on. See you soon.

Is it Monday already?

Sunshine and Spring weather arrived this weekend. The house became thoroughly spic and span. We can see out of the windows again and there's not so much stuff piled up around the edges.

I got on with attacking Little Bun's cardigan as I've only got until this weekend. When I went to sew it up and knit the collar I found the back was half the length of the front. For some reason I'd just stopped and cast off. Bit of unpicking, no tantrums and I got going again.

I couldn't avoid the pull of the hook either. After seeing hooky hangers at Dottie Angel I was inspired to knock up a few of my own. They're so quick and easy to do. I think I'm going to have fun with the colours and embellishing these with a few bits and bobs.

I also found the time to knock up some burnt brownies for a picnic on Sunday. Free entry to most National Trust properties pulled us out of our little piece of heaven and off we went to explore.

Surprise suprise - other people knew about this too and had come out to play. Queues of other freebie seekers meant we avoided the house, which was a shame as it's my favourite bit. I'm not a great outdoors lover, but my lot are so they had a great time racing around the woods and walled gardens. We even found a pair of friendly donkeys and a ton of nosy hens.

After all that fresh air, it was off to collect Alfie Blue from the grandparents, eat most of their cakes before setting off home to a fire, fizzy stuff and a cosy up.

Now, suddenly it's Monday again. Have a great week.

Julia is another crochet addict and also a very talented artist. She asked me to put a few pointers her way about the hooky hangers. Well I did take the initial idea from Dottie Angel as I said, but I guess as I played around with them to fit my hangers and my understanding of what I should be doing, I hope Dottie won't mind if I help you along your hooky path.

The pattern uses a basic shell pattern of five trebles in each repeat with a double crochet in the middle of each. Dottie's size didn't fit my hanger so I counted out the extra I would need and so I worked 83 chains to start with. To start off you need to work into the 3rd chain along and then work 4 more tr into this chain. Work a dc into the 3rd chain along and then work your next 5tr shell into the 3rd chain along. Repeat until you get to the end. Then turn and work along the bottom using the same pattern. You need to work your hook into the bottom of the dc's and into the ring made by the shells. Make two of these for front and back.

Because my wooden hangers are quite wide one row of dc around the edge wasn't enough to stretch so I fiddled with this a bit.

Join your new colour at the end of one side and work in dc all the way around (once if it will fit or twice if wider hander). Then join the top with a row of dc and then put your hanger inside before setting off and joining the bottom edge with a row of dc.

Hope this helps.

Knitty Bouquet

Do you find that some things can't be put into the to be finished later pile? In the main I have a lot of WIP's and unfinished, probably never to be finished things. Last night I stayed up pretty late because I really really wanted to finish this lovely bouquet brooch. It's a Julie Arkell pattern from one of the Loop knitbooks and I love it. It's oversized, bold, bright and has just that dash of humour which she injects into all of her work.

Now being a Wednesday and it's Spring, there's much excitement as the Car Boot is back. A friend came with me today and we whizzed around trying to spot treasure before anyone else. Sadly it was a bit thin on the ground today, but I did manage to get a few bits and bobs.

A selection of cards to attach to my brooches. Not sure if this lot and a small sample of their fine fare would put you off or not.

I also grabbed a jolly jug and a crinoline lady plate for my upcoming markets. The coloured glass that I love to gather and sell on is hiding well this winter so I might have to start buying off some of my friends to add to the supply. Who knows what treasure next week might bring.

Now it's off for a spot of sewing before getting my lovelies from school. Crochet group tonight and then planning for work tomorrow. Oh and I've just remembered Mr Bun has asked me to get some Guiness if I happen to be near any. In celebration of our Irish blood methinks on St Patricks Day. Personally I can't stand the stuff, so I think a drop of the red stuff for me.

Ice White & a Zap of Colour

Little Bun picked a few handfuls of snowdrops in her Grandparents garden yesterday. A handful for her and a handful for me.

There's been a spot of loft clearing going on over there too. I've been given a gorgeous sparkly blue brooch.

A very delightful tiny jug.


An old Quality Street tin and a couple of my beloved childhood reading books.

There were also some black and white pictures I'd never seen before. My parents and some of the family out on one of my dad's motor launches, cruising the Broads in a stylish 60's manner. I'm sure there's loads more treasure to be unearthed yet.

Now I got a bit distracted on my way to the bank this morning. Just a spot of banking, food shopping and home to work I thought. Once I'd spotted the colour explosion of these fabulous fabrics I got a bit waylaid. Then there was the yarn - well I was helpless and couldn't say no.

Better get on with making them all into something soon before I can justify anymore temptations to myself.