Table Matters

Last summer, at one of my favourite vintage fairs, I gathered a few special bits and bobs together. One was a bright and zingy floral sticky backed plastic. Lesley and Val had always used this stuff on Blue Peter makes, but I'd never got my hands on any before so I was really excited.  Plan 1 was to cover a small formica table (in the future when I found a small formica table).

Plan 2 was to make placemats.

Yesterday I came across six any old how placemats for a £1 in the CShop. I dashed home with cutting and sticking firmly in mind.

It was such a simple and quick thing to do which was just lovely. Getting results quickly with little brainpower involved was just what was needed.

 New placemats are modelling with a newly found 1960's nibbles dish. I brought it home announcing "my buttons will look good in here". In seconds I'd been convinced by Little Bun that it's orginial purpose was just right and it should stay as a nibbles dish. We road tested it last night with peanuts, pretzels, cheesy balls and chocolate buttons and it did it's job perfectly.

 My second find in the same shop was this limey yellow cup and plate set. Now I'll definately be looking out for more of these as I love the zingy cheer of them.

All in all some happy tableware I'd say.

 With only hours to spare before my dentist appointment (another filling because of my toffee love) I got out the bag of cotton yarn. I had in mind to make a few floral coasters to go with the new mats. I've used this pattern so many times that I've lost count of all the coasters I've made for friends and family. Somehow I've failed to make any for us.

I squeezed time in to make just the five coasters. Take the blue away and I've made Neopolitan icecream coasters. 

A good day off therapy I'd say. Much needed after a week of feisty, but fun teens.

 

Now today being International Women's Day Little Bun and I are off this afternoon with some friends to hear poetry and listen to a band called Eating Grandma. Miss Rosey failed to show much interest. TV and the sofa being much more appealing after a morning at netball training. 

Back soon to show you recent temptations and what I've done with them.

Here & Now

I feel in need of a bit of a catch up you know. I'm sorely behind with the posts I wanted to write and then there's the pile of posts building up in blogworld that I want to read. Slow down with your posting for a bit please everyone and give me a chance to catch up.

 First news is of a dear friend who is opening up her shop once more. My beautiful and warm hearted friend Ruth came a visiting last week, the daffs she brought me are sadly on their last stretch. Ruth owned Glory Days which was the most delightful shop ever, the sort of shop I always hope to walk into, but don't find very often. Glory Days has moved to Holt and will be re-opening for business on March 29th.  Yay.

 Now at the tail end of Half-term I went yarn shopping all on my ownsome. I'd seen a cosy cardigan pattern which I couldn't get out of my head. The pattern interested me all the more because the whole cardigan is knitted in one go up and up and then outwards with the sleeves. Tons of stitches I know, but no knitting five separate bits and then the button bands which usually has me drifting off and losing interest.

My man was going to drive Miss Rosey over to her friends one morning, then I remembered there was a fabulous yarn shop on that side of the city. I said no problem, I'll go, see you later.

 I'd gone in with the idea of a greyish blue colour in my head, but instead I got seduced more by the feel of the yarn. Once I'd held Rowan Lima in my hand everything else felt a little bit more scritchy. There were only four colours to choose from so I went for the silver grey. All the way home I kept touching my yarn where it sat perched on the seat beside me. I knew I'd made the right choice.

Now the other bit of news about this yarn shop, which I know will seriously interest yarn addicts in these parts, is that it's moving to the heart of the city. As from April Norfolk Yarn will be in Pottergate next to Head in the Clouds. On work days I go past here back and forth - oooerrrr I'm not sure that's a good thing.

 Whilst I've been seduced yet again with new projects, I've finished some and been working on finishing others. My sparkly bunting is all done and dusted - ready to find the perfect hanging spot.

 I love these pastely sparkles so, a complete change from the brighteness I usually go for.

 Meanwhile in the basket of things waiting to be actually finished ......

 Oh yes, there's one other thing I did start manage to start and finish all in one go. I grabbed some time early one morning to lengthen my pretty floral dress. I opted for a black and white polka dot that has the same drape with a small bit of white lace to break the two prints up. The only bad thing I did, which I might end up regretting, is not cutting it on the bias. On the bias all the dots were lined up neat and tidy which just looked awful so I took a chance on having a dodgy hemline. It hangs ok though, could be better, but I'm happy with it.

 

 Nearly all news caught up with now. On Friday I took our wee Lily in to the vets have a lady op. She started yowling in a godforsaken way for the entire week of half-term so I thought right lady the time's come. We'd been tempted to try for kittens, but ahhh that noise, it was ear splitting. Lily is doing ok, but is finding the lampshade a bit heavy on her head poor girl. The same day I drove my man in for a scan on a lump. Thank god that lump isn't what we thought it might be. The NHS Dr referred him to a private clinic so he was in and out before I'd turned the car round.

 This weekend I was determined to get back to my sewing machine and so I grabbed the chance today. I'll show you what I made another day, I loved it and will be back on it again very soon methinks. Little Bun and I are watching the Sewing Bee, so that's probably got me fired up again.

In between sewing and waiting for Miss Rosey and my man (her daddy) to get back from netball training we whipped up a Bruce Bogtrotter Cake (half size I might add).

 I used to loathe Sunday's when I was a child. I love them now. They're cosy do what you want days that demand comforting food. The slight problem with Sunday is that it's always followed by Monday. 

See you in the week.

Basket Case

Now this post might strike a chord with some of you. Some of you it might not. I'm aware that some people manage to live in pared down minimalist houses and then there are others who live in a hodge podge of stuff. I'm one of the latter. My man, the girls and I all have magpie tendencies. We gather, collect, create and store stuff and every now and then all that stuff needs a bit of organising, a spot of getting on top of.

I can't think of a better way to justify in my own head my burning desire for more and more baskets. Not only are they blinking gorgeous to look at, they're pretty darned useful too. I love that everything I need can be stored in one place and then moved here and there.

I store fabric in some, all folded away ready to dip into. The bigger bits hide on shelves in the laundry room. I have to say this is one of my favourite baskets. I was asked by an artist once if they could borrow it for a still-life they were painting, that's just how lovely this basket is.

Then there's the basket that was once the picnic basket, but now it's become the overflow place for cookbooks.

This is the random things basket. Only lovely things are allowed in here, but they are random because I don't know where else to put them for now. Each thing is actually on it's way somewhere else. Golly needs to visit the bathroom for a good old wash and scrub up and the books need to find a shelf.

This wee basket has become useful for long sticky stuff and just makes me smile at it's smallness.

Then we have unfinished projects baskets and dressmaking projects baskets all heaving and ready to topple over if I don't go and rescue them soon.

Piled high above all these useful baskets is another one that displays my wares at markets. At home it holds onto sticky backed plastic and other vintage papers.

By my desk are piles of books and magazines (just out of shot) and then there is the tidy basket of a few bigger ones ready for fireside reading.

Waiting for me each evening are a multitude of knitting and crochet baskets. This one is my favourite at the moment as I dash to try and finish both things in it before it gets really really cold.

Just over the way there is the forgotten projects basket, not to be confused with the really very forgotten project basket (not shown). Behind that is another favourite which is in the shape of a coconut. I was offered money to sell this on the same day that I hummed and haaed about buying a peach of a 1950's basket. I thought too long and hard and when I went back to get it it was gone.

This was one of the first baskets I bought many moons ago lined with beautiful delicate French fabric. Pip our older cat has had too much fun with the handle and has even more fun destroying my repairs, so it doesn't come on shopping trips anymore. 

There are a few more baskets here and there holding onto daft stuff we just can't bear to throw out. 

I imagine there will also be tons more baskets coming to live with us as we always need a good looking bit of moveable storage.

Alongside all of this I'm feeling a bit of a true basket case myself. My mates have told me it's definately hormonal, but I don't like it one bit. Words are eluding me when I'm talking. I chat to my man describing the word, but am unable to find it in my head. I often start conversations and wonder what on earth I'm on about. I feel as if an army of invisible insects are crawling over my skin and I'm really really snappy and emotional. Apparently this is all normal. I'm only in my 40's for goodness sake and I don't think it's normal at any age to be this held to ransom by hormones. Just thought I'd mention it as I want to blog with my voice, but then I find I'm struggling to find the upbeat me hidden in the depths. I want me back basically and I'm impatient to know the date she'll be arriving.

As always I really appreciate your kind words and thoughtful comments. You said some really insightful and helpful things about this whole parenting malarkey which made me feel a whole heap better. So thankyou.

Fair Isles

This has most definately been a time of trying new things. Whilst it's been snowing outside and slowing our lives down I sat awhile and tackled not only machine quilting, but jumped in and had a go at fairisle knitting. I've wanted to make something in a fairisle knit for such a long time now. I really really, really want to knit up a fairisle cardi with a patterned yoke. The only problem is I can't settle on the main colour. Sometimes I think apple green, then I move on to rose pink and from there to palest cream or slate grey. Until I can make my mind up the cardi will have to stay as a one day desire.

Now hats are a different matter altogether. They don't use up as much yarn or take as much time so I thought a hat would be a great place to start. It's also blinking stinking freezin' at the moment and as Little Bun lost her favourite tam with a bobble on top I thought she needed a new one.  I picked her favourite colour purple and matched it up with a grey and green before starting on a pattern I fancied from Mel Clark's Knitting Everyday Finery. 

I do enjoy knitting in the round so that made this pattern even better. I get bored quickly knitting up and down, row upon row, but somehow going round and round chasing the yarn tail is soothing to me.

Over the weekend a pattern has slowly emerged. My knitting doesn't have any noticeable holes in it so I must be winding it along ok in a fairisle kind of way. The first things I ever knitted were in intarsia (pictures if you're not a knitter) as I couldn't face knitting rows in the same colour. I knitted a wee pink cardi for Miss Rosey with white ducks and then an ambitious cardi with butterflies and flowers all over it. That's when I learnt that you really should hide knitting from two year olds. Mr Bun broke the news to me that Miss Rosey had found and unwound the nearly finished back of the cardi. I can only guess that seeing all those birds, butterflies and flowers melt away into bits of colourful yarn was very exciting to her. I wasn't as calm and understanding as this at the time mind you.

Now here I am again wrapping different threads, learning a new technique and loving it. Looking at this picture I'm probably pulling the thread along too tightly, but hey ho, I'm pleased and as long as it fits a head I'll be pleased.

I'm enjoying knitting this pattern so much already that I've bought some more to make another one. Why don't I ever just think about the thing I'm doing right now?

I made sure I found time for a few more rows either side of the yet another day off school entertainment. We had a snowball fight planned with kids in the village which seemed a grand way to kick off the week. When we got home there was a package with an Aussie postmark sticking out of our postbox. How very exciting is that to have belated birthday gifts arrive the same day you find out that same wonderful mate is making it back to this wee island this summertime. 

Oh how I've loved this slowed up time we've had ending with a gift before we headed back to the usual routines. 

Hook in Hand

If someone asked me what's your favourite thing to make I just couldn't tell them. I've never been too good at coming up with favourite anything's anyway. I love patching, knitting, making clothes and toys and a wee bit of embroidery (but not loads so this wouldn't be at the top of my list if I had to make one).

On Sunday I laid down my knitting, put the patching to one side and picked up my hook once more. Two things had inspired me recently to want to get back to my crochet again. I'd seen a second hand blanket on Stitchy all edged in pink and stored it away in my head with all the other images I like a lot. Then a comment from Colour in a Simple Life mentioning me not crocheting for a wee while got me thinking. I realised I'd been too long with just the quilts and knitting, a change was needed. It was all rainy outside so it was the perfect curl up by the fire and hook away kind of day. By the end of Sunday I'd a decent pile of flower burst grannies worked up using leftover Amy Butler yarn all soft and fairly chunky to work with.

With the clocks falling backwards I even had an extra hour this morning to get back to my growing flowery pile. Mr B caught the 7.30 bus, I tiptoed downstairs to quieten Alfie Blue who was yelling at him from the back of the sofa to stay home and cuddle a while. Then I saw all the colourful yarn and suddenly yarn was more tempting than my bed. I might have taken it back to bed, but I'd left a 12 year old sleeping up there who'd come in with a nightmare.

Little Bun joined me some time later with a bowl of cereal. She chatted merrily, I listened, hooked and nodded.  We had a chat about her favourite colours and then out of the blue she named this thing that I bravely think I might make up in to my first ever finished blanket. Little Bun called it the Bubblegum Blanket and I liked that a lot being as it was the pink that got me onto it in the first place.

In the middle of this early day peace the Postie suddenly banged loudly on the door. Most times it's just a pile of certificates from the exam board to hand out to our students (Mr Bun being his own mobile college). Today the package was soft and squishy and I'd been warned to expect it. 

Ada of Vintage Sheet Addict had chatted with me about sending some more bits of colour my way. I was blown away by her kindness in sending me so many wonderful pieces to play with. It's taken me a while to get my head around the sheer generosity in this corner of blogland from the supportive comments, the fun and chats to favours done and gifts sent on. I've an idea of the gift I'll be sending her way and there are a few others which I really have been meaning to post on as well. I'm just rubbish sometimes at getting my act together.

Midday I managed to sneak in a trip to the yarn shop to add a few more colours to the choice pile. When we got home Little Bun got back to creating her Lego village, Miss Rosey got her art stuff out and that left me with a spare moment or two of hooking time. This one's getting addictive to be honest. I'm loving seeing how all the different colours work together. I'm trying out some colours that I wouldn't normally fancy together and then feeling really surprised when I love it.

Each one I look at becomes a favourite. I might go off them when it comes to sewing in ends and stitching it all together mind you.

Usually I join as I go to save all the extra work at the end, but this time I've left the squares on their own waiting to be sewn together. That way I can fiddle about with them all until I get the colour combination I want.

Little Bun and I did have a wee play with them before they went back in the basket at teatime. I think I'm going to like this one a lot. I'll definitely keep nagging myself to finish this one.

A dash of this and a dash of that

Now I know what running on empty feels like. Boy has it been a tiring and yet exciting week. After the car explosion incident Little Bun and I opted for a safe day at home on Tuesday.  I'd managed to get the day off so it was extra special and not to be wasted. With Miss Rosey starting high school on Monday and Little Bun not back until the Thursday it was lovely to have a few days just the two of us.

I'd bought a crafty kit for us to fiddle with on one of our weekly wanders. It was really easy to make which made it perfect to do while I had my hair dye on.

Once my roots were all done and the dye washed off, we headed off for a bike ride.  Past fields with perfect circlular bales of straw and hedgerows full of rosehips, blackberries and sloes all slowly ripening. Autumn is most definately not far round the corner.

On the last stretch we stopped at the village shop for sweets and then cut across the road to the honesty stall. Little Bun treated me to a bunch of dahlia's, she said for giving her such a lovely summer. We also bought some plums for her and nanny to share as she was staying at hers while we worked the next day.

I love this gate by the honesty stall. It's the entrance to a cottage that's no longer there, only the plot that it stood on remains. Horses graze in it occassionally and look over the gate post.

On Wednesday morning I had the bonus of being early to the car boot as Miss Rosey has to be at school by 8.15. I used to manage to get Wednesdays off so I could go booting, then my hours changed so I only ever manage I quick dash up a few rows.

My quick dash around turned up this wonderful print of a girl and her staring cat, some more tea cups and a wonderful stout mustard pot lady. I put her with my camp and ever so jolly chef as I'm hoping he might lighten her mood a bit.

After dashing through a week of extra early start and a parents evening on Tuesday night we had the added joy of driving Miss Rosey in to school very early and then back home again to drop Little Bun off and then back to where we went in the first place to go to work. Let's hope we can get Mr Bun a car sorted out soon. After school is like a military operation of who's picking up who from where. Only one more year and then hopefully they'll both be at the same school. We all fell asleep in front of a film at 9 on Friday night.

After having to do lots of early morning stuff on Saturday, I finally got to sit down with some of the crepe yarn I'd bought on Friday. Despite having a few unfinished hooky blankies on the go I've wanted to make a striped granny for a while now. I couldn't find the colours I was after in cheap yarn so I had to be patient. Now I wish I'd bought the hot pink as the colours look all wrong without it. Anyways, I've started, so if I ever have anything to show you'll be the first to know.

Just to add a spot of temptation your way, I thought I'd show you the teatowels I picked up in Primark that same day. They gave me something pretty to look at while I waded through some of the ironing I'd ignored all summer.

Here's hoping all went well with all of you and your children starting new things at school. Emotional, tiring and fun is how we can sum it up I guess. How many more weeks to half term?