'Didn't we have a luvverly time the day we went out shopping?'

I picked up WonderWoman(not!), waved hello to the farty pony and off we went to a nearby town with a secret shopping street of loveliness. Wonderwoman(not!) even had a list!

Our first stop was here. Oh Millie Moon, how I love thee!

After much hemming and hawing I bought myself these to go into the 'Fortnums Quilt' (one day... one day...)

And I was thrilled to receive these as a gift for showing my fellow shopper two whole new places to make her credit card squeal.

Guess where they are going to end up?!!?!?!

I bought d/Boy a present.

Theoretically it is for the back of his cushion but as he has yet to finish his part of the stitchery....


Just a few doors up we found this gorgeous wool shop. Loving that window. I didn't want to but I was made to buy this sock yarn because apparently the colours are 'me'! We shall see if I get more than one sock out of it.

And as just a wee teaser let me show you the VERY exciting thing that was waiting in my postbox yesterday.

Remember to keep checking back to get the full story.

More K-nitting Club News (or It is time to embrace my inner middle-classness.)

I have given myself 12 hours to sleep on it and see if it was quite so 'nyuh' as I thought. I don't think it was that bad just the doom and gloom emanating from the Guru corner. Or rather the d&g I was picking up from the corner - there is a difference I guess.


I made a start on a piece of intarsia with a graphic lifted from Janet Clare. Made a start but sadly shall cause endless delight to my children as I have to make curly string. Printed out the chart but with a new cartridge so the colour isn't right plus the picture is too small, as a consequence poor old Hugo seems to have developed a club foot on his back paw. It is a bit of a bugger b/c I am knitting it on small needles (3.25mm) with three different wools so the curly string process will be arduous. And probably resolved by scissors.


One thing that did wind me up about The Guru (nicknames come easily in this house. And stick! CK's doing. You are collectively known as 'The Nutters'. Feel free to send him green ink emails, it will add grist to his mill.) was how offhand she was. We were talking about knitting as therapy or zen or out-of-body experience or just plain fun and I mentioned Crazy Aunt Purl. Saying how she had used knitting and blogging as her road out of a difficult time in her life, the subsequent book, life changes, etc, etc, etc and The Guru said 'That is the book I am going to write.'



?????????



But why? I just told you it has already been written. And was reeeeeeeeeeeally successful. Apparently b/c she has very impressive technical/clinical knowledge hers would be good. Hello?! C.A.P.'s book was good. Plus it has knitting patterns at the back. Even if I can't follow them and spent Christmas Day ripping things back :-~


Plus she told me that she understood about being 'torn' (okay too strong a word but it is all I can come up with as I steam quietly here) between two countries and that home would be where your children were b/c she grew up with her mother having left Australia and chosen to live here. Blurry lucky I have no shortage of self-esteem b/c it was one of those backhand put-downs that leaves the recipient feeling about three inches tall! I dislike the whole passive/aggressive attitude thing - either diss me or not.


This knitting group is being organised as part of a transition town thing (I only know about it from The Archers) and is open to everyone and the lady organising it is very friendly and welcoming. It is just the people she invited initially all seem to have a hippy bent, which is fine if you have a hippy nature but I amn't that way inclined. I think it can be summarised with the refreshments.



The cakes on offer were groovy, and nutty and healthful and lacking in flour, flavour and humour. And one could have tea filled with twiggy bits - rooibosch or chinese flowers I think. Or there was a Japanese plum wine or somesuch. I wonder whether I am just too middle-class to really manage this because y'know? I like my cakes to look like cakes. Gooey or golden, melting or chewy I don't mind but visually cake-like.


The cakes were like the yarn most of these girlies were using - sludgey coloured with lumpy sticky out bits. The hostessy lady is a fabulous spinner and weaver and dyer and creates beautiful things but for me, it just doesn't knit up so nicely. Again with being all middle-class (but I am so why fight it? I had this argument with my b-i-l already.) but I like lovely coloured yarn with a soft feel. I love patterns and created texture. I like to get my yarn from a yarn shop or seller, all ready to be knitted, complete with some form of tag to tell me its details. It is simply a personal preference and I would try not to enforce it on anyone but don't feel I should be classified evil b/c the only sticks I like with my knitting are the ones I am holding.


I shall keep you posted!

Call for recruitment to sub-committee.

** edited**

CK has suggested we probably need a sub-committee to arrange the events and kind gestures of the group. So on his recommendation the executive is calling for people to become philanthropic and inspirational natterers; herein to be referred to as a

P.A.I.N. in the A.R.S.E.

Nominations now open....

Lesley has left a comment which outlines the need for patronage.

"Maybe we should approach the House of Windsor - as all societies need a patron - they could be The Right Royal P.A.I.N in the A.R.S.E.!!!!!"

I vote for approaching Phillip when he gets out of hospital.

humour is THE true blessing in life, the universe and everything.

My phone rang at 7:30 this morning.









That is never good is it?










A good friend told me her dad died last night.









It was his birthday.









I like the symmetry in that.








I went to visit her tonight.








In between the tears we laughed.








Join me in raising a glass of this


or this



to the dearly remembered.

Look what came to live here!

Admittedly it arrived the other day but I have been a little pre-occupied to pick it up. Now the job has been done, the removals van has left and as I calculate the final tally for the insurance claim against that bloody infection I proudly display this gift from Miss Kitty.



Isn't that a lovely present to give someone?





I had an interesting time this afternoon, bloghopping the world. Via the Hot Cocoa Swap I found red shoes and she was having a little ideology questioning moment; very interesting it was and I have left a discussion point with her. But it got me further along a track I have been on for a while now and it seems to tie in with a zeitgeist trembling to life. Crafters are lovely people.

Seriously. People who are involved in craft are (by dint of choice of their hobby/outlet/desire/free time filler) inherently kind people. I recognise that as gross generalisation b/c there must be some out there who actually don't like other people's cats/gardens/whatever but when we craft it ends with a tangible result. A result we look to give away very often, to share. We use our time and skills to create useful, beautiful, functional, frivolous items to benefit the world around us.

Physically or emotionally. We invest time in creating things which can then represent so much to those who receive them. Imagine slipping on handmade socks - surely there is an automatic positive energy to your day b/c someone spent time and energy finding the correct yarn and colour to suit you. Just for you. An afghan for a friend's baby is more than to keep a child warm; it is an expression of friendship, of joy, of community and communion.

I believe that the ways of looking at the world as postulated by people like yarnstorm are simply the magnified voice of so many crafters in both the real and imaginary worlds. We want more than hyperbole and high life,in fact we actually want less. It is the things lying underneath the froth we look for - we want creativity and sharing and expression and support and recognition and laughter and guidance and learning.

It would seem to me that crafters have a recipe for a good life right to hand.