So long as you keep on going....

I remember my Dad saying this to me once...it was about something in his life, and now I am going to keep to this. So although my blogging has dropped off I have decided just to open up, and get something down. In so many areas of my life, I seem to be bogged down, I need to get rid of this inertia.

Over the last two Wednesdays, I have been with my friend Pat, to Warwick WI headquarters, for a course on making blocks from a jelly roll. With two days cutting and using my sewing machine I think I am on the way. But just like this blog, I really must just get out my machine and get going....

The jelly roll was over a year old, and had not even been unrolled. It is Fabric Freedom Coloured Dreams, and last week I even managed to source some matching fabric to back my project. By the end of the second day I had put together some spare pieces, sandwiched them with some batting in between, and run the machine in the 'ditches'. I loved the fact that when I showed this piece to Mr S, he said cushion to go with the quilt for the garden bench.

February Highlights

Computer 'died'

How did we live our lives before this revolution, before the Internet, emails, blogging etc? I even had to go the Library and check up on a few things.....now this facility is restored, and I am having to find my way around a very different set up....

Day out in Birmingham

Even though the weather was fowl, Mr S and I set out on our train trip, and walked around a new area. We set out towards the mail box. I took this photograph of what I now know is called 'The Cube'. I thought it was the Mailbox. You can stand and look at The Cube in so many ways. We walked amongst the buildings, and have yet to get beyond the exteriors. I loved the view down into a courtyard, and the living wall. This is the first I have seen in the flesh. The plants are growing on a vertical wall.

After refreshments at Carluccios, where I had the most wonderful decaf coffee I have ever tasted, we walked along the canal then headed for the Chinese Quarter and had a fascinating tour round the Back to Backs. All the tours that day were fully booked, but they were waiting for a group of 6 who had not arrived, so we were the welcomed in straight away.

Trip to London to share in with the Brouards' big celebrations.

This is the first time I remember travelling with people going to a foot ball match: Birmingham was in the Carling Cup against Arsnal, and it seemed that every train from Birmingham was stopping at Wembley. The trains were really full up and Mr S had to stand all the way from Leamington to Wembley...but there was plenty of room from there to Marylebone.

I still call this wonderful couple Aunty Frances and Uncle Noel, and their children, my contemporaries were our 'family' when I was young in Mauritius. The whole of Mustik was taken over, and during all the welcomes, hellos, embraces, there was a loop of film made from all the old family films of the Brouards at play. With the wonderful book of photographs, and the delightful cake to celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary, and Aunty Frances's 80th birthday, together with the Caribean spread, this was surely a most enjoyable celebration.

January slips into February

Where has all the time gone......trying to sort out new phone providers, planning breaks and holidays for the year.....and reading. I've just finished Corduroy Mansions by Alexander Mc Call Smith. I've enjoyed picking the book up and reading the short chapters. The links from person to person is clever.

There has been several bright spots.

We had a lovely Sunday with the Ws which included a walk to see the ducks and geese in Abbey Fields. I persuaded everyone to walk back via the fields, which were lovely and peaceful, but which led to my spending 20 minutes in the garden washing off the pushchair wheels, and the following day, spending 30 minutes cleaning the mud off our shoes. After giving my head a huge bash on the metal poles which I was ducking under whilst pushing the pram, I felt quite dazed the second day.....and cleaning the shoes was about all I was fit for.

Some knitting friends came over for crochet, tea and cake. I made gluten free treats. Later in the week, I made some extra ones, and gave a selection to my friend Julian who lives just round the corner. These coconut cakes were made using a recipe on the side of the packet of the rice flour.

Julian kindly picks up any bulk suma orders from our group in Coventry and he is also the provider of surplus produce such as apples. When he came to deliver my order, and collect his biscuits, I was taking out my batch of bread from the oven. Since then I've made a 100% wholemeal loaf for his dad Ron. I think we are about to start up a good exchange: home made bread in exchange for wonderful home grown produce. Its not too difficult for me to bake extra, and for Julian to sew or harvest a little extra for me.

Definitely not the dreariest weekend of the year

On the radio I heard about tips to overcome the post festivities blues......here is now this weekend was brightened up!

Bought myself a nice bunch of yellow roses....but have made a note that from now on, to buy British Daffodils. Last year we saw the fields in the Isles of Scilly, and we really must support home grown flowers.

Discovered some hidden treasures in the freezer, whilst 'stock taking' and deciding where I am going to put the Seville Oranges which have appeared at the weekly fruit and veg market. So apart from roasting a big free range chicken, no other cooking required for the weekend.

Saturday morning, went out to Warwick with Mr S, and in the afternoon went to Leamington on my own, to page homage to the Sales Gods.....did not see anything I wanted, but roamed around, window shopping and popping into some of Leamington's independent stores, and getting myself little treats.

I DISCOVERED a lovely shop: Decorative Cloth of Leamington Spa, selling sewing things. Their reels of lace and ribbons are just gorgeous, and they have lovely rolls of natural fabrics, as well as lovely prints. It feels such an inviting place with all the things I've been looking for. I think I shall be visiting Leamington far more often from now on.

Mr S and I went on our first walk with a local rambling club, finishing off with a good Sunday Lunch. We had about the best weather since the cold weather started at the beginning of November. When we returned Mr S won the gold star of the week, by cleaning all the mud off the boots.....the gold star was awarded with a plate full of freshly baked scones for tea!

I found a wonderful Knit along on Ravelry, where I can learn some new techniques. The pattern designed by Ann Kingstone, has a clever design for a scarf, which pulls you along, like a good book.

Completing knitting

I've had a lacy project on the needles since May 2010, and for a number of reasons which some knitters would sympathise with, just wasn't getting finished.

I was thinking of what New Year's resolutions I would consider in November....well this year I was determined that I would be well prepared for Christmas and the New Year.

In the end I decided to consider resolutions much more often, so in November, I decided that I would tackle the scarf....I started again on 24 December, and finished it yesterday. I gained courage and determination to complete after gaining inspiration from Ravelry. For any knitters who have not yet discovered Ravelry.....go there, please, your life will be changed!


In Kenilworth we have a lovely Knitting Group, and this week, I took my scarf and finished the edges....and here it is, curved around a lovely lot of beautiful hyacinth bulbs, which Mandy gave me for my birthday.

There is a final process which changes the bumpy scarf into a flat one where the pattern is shown off to best effect. It takes starting by a soak of around 30 minutes to relax the fibres, then about 45 minutes to position dozens of pins to stretch off the piece. Sometimes I rather like the textured effect, and maybe when a lace item is washed a second or third time, I dry the item flat without stretching. In Victorian and Edwardian times, people used to send off their lace and knitted shawls to women who wash and reblock items for a living. In one of the recent episodes of an Edwardian Farm, a piece of lace was being washed. The post was extremely reliable and an item could be back with the owner in less than a week!