Rootling in the School Room

We don't have a proper chuck stuff up there and forget about it type of an attic. That means we had to get all sorts of storage places to cope with the stuff we have. We have four roofs in all as our cottage was built in 1844 and then added on and on to again. All the ceilings are like upturned boats which means we can live here without bashing our heads all the time.

 One of my favourite hide things away is our old school cupboard. I bought it for peanuts years ago from an auction. It is possibly the heaviest piece of furniture in the world. That means it's stayed put ever since it arrived here and I just paint the floorboards around it.

Every now and then I go searching for something in the big old cupboard. It holds tons of yarn, makes, boardgames, old toys, photos, trainsets and school work. A good selection of our family life so far I think.

Originally I went in there for some grey Louisa Harding yarn that I've had stashed for five years or thereabouts. Then I spied the sparkly threads that I used to play with and I guess it started an idea to itch away in my head.

The Willow Tweed that I was originally searching for was bought to make a tank top. Like other yarny projects before and since, it got abandoned and finally frogged. Then I was left with the problem of what to do with the unused yarn. Trying to find another project that uses roughly the same amount of yarn can be tricky and take a while.

Mind you for a few years now I've fancied making the Ava wrap from Susan Cropper's Vintage Crochet collection. Flicking through the book again the other day I remembered the light silky alpaca yarn waiting patiently in the big cupboard that would be perfect for this project. So off I went in the hope that I'd have enough (and if I didn't it would just have to be a thinner wrap than planned).

Six skeins in total, rough reckoning that's enough and I'm off - after winding up a ball that is.

This is a delight to crochet with as it slips off the hook quickly with no splits or catches. As it's so springy I'll be forced to be patient for once and block it properly once the wrap is hooked and done.

Now that I'd got that out of my system it was time to have a go at the other thing in my head. I know the wrap's not finished, but it's the getting started that keeps me happy.

Late on Sunday night (after a full day of wading through the contents of Little Bun's bedroom with her) I chose the palest of cottons and went back to the big cupboard for the sparkly thread.

I hooked up a few simple crochet flags and then made them shine with silver edging.

All that's needed now is to hook them all together in a row and find just the right spot to hang them.

That's two things out of my system, but I never got round to any of the sewing I'd planned. I'm most definately in a yarny phase at the moment.

Now this is all back to front as I've told you about the end of the week first. In the middle of last week I met up with Penny after work.  It's been an age since we last met, but we finally got it sorted which was wonderful. Penny very kindly brought a birthday gift for me which was so lovely. It's been a long old birthday this one as the week before my mum treated me to some shiny red Fly boots in the sale, a friend is taking me for a late birthday lunch this week and then I have a date at the beginning of next months with another friend. That's what happens when your birthday is in the quiet bit just after christmas and I'm not complaining.

Now going back even further, to last Monday, when I had planned to announce the winner of my blog's birthday giveaway. Well I'd forgotten a meeting I had to be at that day which took up nearly all of the day. Then the rest of the week was work and suddenly here we are at Monday again.

With my apologies to you all for the delay. Here's the winner, as picked out by Little Bun.

It's a lady called Deb with a new to me blog over at It's a cheery cherries world. Congratulations Deb and thanks so much for joining in everyone.