tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79518344294801402442024-03-13T15:42:35.613+00:00overmilkwood...knitting stitching and whatever else comes to mind...Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-5815727258777928532014-12-05T17:01:00.001+00:002014-12-05T17:01:19.247+00:00Goodness Gracious Me...<div style="text-align: center;">
WOW...that's been a while. Hope you are all doing ok out there, anyone who finds themselves looking in here after all this time that is...</div>
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I've gotten crafty again and am loving it. Now my craftin' spirit wants to get itself out there and start connecting with the big wide world of designers, crafters and general creators again...so anyone who does look in, please say HI</div>
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Here's a couple of photos of some "stuff" I've been making...more to come soon, I hope</div>
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Little Things - textile collage with free style embroidery - inspired by my daily walk on the local beach (I really want to do more of this, it took ages, stitching slowly, and I loved every minute of it)</div>
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ain't it true though? it's the little that things make such a difference</div>
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And here are some new "Little Things" - yoyo brooches - a sort of Frida Kahlo/boho mash-up, so bright and cheery for this time of year </div>
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These are going out to the market tomorrow to see if anyone else likes them too, man oh man...what fun! I wish them luck on their little voyage...</div>
Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-81440569086039595692012-05-30T11:27:00.004+01:002012-05-30T11:28:21.214+01:00summer in a bottle...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm sitting at my desk looking out at two butterflies twirling in airborne dance in the lush garden...Ireland, you may have a lot of rain but the resulting resplendent greenery is worth it. Oh Yeah.<br />
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We had a few days sunshine last week down in deepest West Cork. Not as much as the rest of the country mind (the locals tell me the "sea mist" is to blame - it was like living in a cloud all the start of last week, I jest you not) but enough to enjoy the weight of the suns rays, and to unfurl ourselves a little.<br />
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Following in my foraging vein of late (there has been wild garlic pesto
and muffins and nettle soup, yes, really, I even served the latter to my
dad) I (well, my tiny slaves really) harvested some elderflowers from
the (wildly overgrown) hedge in the garden... <br />
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did what you do...</div>
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and bottled it...</div>
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MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm... </div>
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Kids like it diluted with water. </div>
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I'm a bit partial to diluting it with a nice Cremant to be honest.</div>
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Cheers! Here's to a chilled Summer, in whatever guise it takes!</div>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-82125448373951332462012-02-22T20:37:00.013+00:002012-02-23T08:36:05.234+00:00this is not a craft post, this is not a craft post...to the tune of this is not a love song...by PiL<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXtYZ-bEsSo_RYM2y8F6pXs1yS7_qHTgcB8UpV4-dVdxe70vVmNQ-s_-laKxAVcJT__nB0ZLynAdnuoffI-ELH08MPEXV1mLa-9xIviXLJD7ilvUm8GeHNjWu3QrPKEQ9qq324scJxN2X/s1600/dzogchen+beara+%25288%2529-cliff-s.JPG"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXtYZ-bEsSo_RYM2y8F6pXs1yS7_qHTgcB8UpV4-dVdxe70vVmNQ-s_-laKxAVcJT__nB0ZLynAdnuoffI-ELH08MPEXV1mLa-9xIviXLJD7ilvUm8GeHNjWu3QrPKEQ9qq324scJxN2X/s1600/dzogchen+beara+%25288%2529-cliff-s.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXtYZ-bEsSo_RYM2y8F6pXs1yS7_qHTgcB8UpV4-dVdxe70vVmNQ-s_-laKxAVcJT__nB0ZLynAdnuoffI-ELH08MPEXV1mLa-9xIviXLJD7ilvUm8GeHNjWu3QrPKEQ9qq324scJxN2X/s320/dzogchen+beara+%25288%2529-cliff-s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712081936963532642" border="0" /></a><br />Way out west where you can barely go further without drowning on ocean you'll find the gem that is <a href="http://www.dzogchenbeara.org/">Dzogchen Beara</a>. I'd heard of it over the years from various sources, stories ranging from the snort-inducingly amusing (Siobhan and Katie getting Siobhan's brand spanking new company car stuck in a stony ditch on a just graduated from uni weekend trip) to the heart-breaking (young friend of our family finding great solace there before her way too premature death from cancer) and had dreamed of a visit.<br /><br />Well that dream came true. Last Saturday, courtesy of (another) Siobhan, I was invited down to have a look around, eat some lunch, and chat to the manager of the centre, the very lovely and very dedicated, Matt.<br /><br />Siobhan and I hadn't had a road trip together since college days themselves (if not before) and the outing would have been worth it for that alone. Two women of a certain age now, with six children between us to care for in our non-nuclear family way, we pootled along the highways and byways (ok, byways then) of deepest West Cork and talked of many things. How wonderful a thing is a long car journey with a dear friend and a sunny day, especially a day that manages to feature Dzogchen Beara as one of its co-ordinates.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheA_Qa_4bXS_03bit37Xh5p_fYKehJh4wqffYX9NYqgxK9b0FZNhA8vdF5R5Gem7u00wLX79B08tbrGSvnjrH10JiilleXWThEg2yL3mPgm55XXbcsHxN-AxFjlNTn_OrbUrKL1BDQM8ga/s1600/Dzogchen+Beara+%25287%2529s.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheA_Qa_4bXS_03bit37Xh5p_fYKehJh4wqffYX9NYqgxK9b0FZNhA8vdF5R5Gem7u00wLX79B08tbrGSvnjrH10JiilleXWThEg2yL3mPgm55XXbcsHxN-AxFjlNTn_OrbUrKL1BDQM8ga/s320/Dzogchen+Beara+%25287%2529s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712081925813661810" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS1Fq4CUM_cANH3AGq4yS48QYn92qMIGIIy0raG4qhzf7lb6YPes2Dcj_gixkzvL59SmCvVMpscfA3JMx9VL4MrJfRyMcH1suqNE8g551Cf6FxU38Na3WibBsGKGKbxacdf4wnjQcmYhy/s1600/dzogchen+beara+%252815%2529-+retreat+centre+-+s.JPG"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcFzWjcuJ-DjUZWwGiiu-hn8u_O79zXxH93PzbKxg_hCvSZj-viC47C6dvjhjChTlrJpIFtSQdJOR8Nt4bsH6jfJrEDxNfWPHoEdyY6_ehBMlRu15dhBKe-QVFFha4vpUoG6O_QskypFb/s1600/dzogchen+beara+siobhan+and+me-s.JPG"></a><br />For those who've never heard of it Dzogchen Beara is an outpost of Tibetan Buddhism clinging precariously to a cliff at the farthest reach of the Beara Peninsula in County Cork. Tibetan Buddhism may provide a grounding force here but the place has so much to offer to people of all spiritual persuasions, and of none. There is a lovely cafe, regular daily meditations which are open to all, a beautiful space to walk and "be" as well as an extensive retreat programme and the wonderful Spiritual Care Centre, of which more later.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rA9PqftHCKXjRYuHFZtKJCMtQ0FfjUglsXwI4yScmRSqaycegKy2FNW0_fMWivnQstAKlqd37_QVeQgS3qUlmqa1i04LTbevBCbmlFw0iqcsUdmi6qo2jrt4iIqcZOFqVjGUeqSsfM4K/s1600/Dzogchen+Beara+%25282%2529s.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rA9PqftHCKXjRYuHFZtKJCMtQ0FfjUglsXwI4yScmRSqaycegKy2FNW0_fMWivnQstAKlqd37_QVeQgS3qUlmqa1i04LTbevBCbmlFw0iqcsUdmi6qo2jrt4iIqcZOFqVjGUeqSsfM4K/s320/Dzogchen+Beara+%25282%2529s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712081545668112194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We drove through end of civilisation Castletownbere where a tumble weed or two on the main street wouldn't come as surprise and up the winding laneway to the centre, welcomed by Tibetan Prayer banners as we went. A retreat was just winding up as we arrived and Siobhan in her capacity as roving reporter carried out a couple of interviews with retreatants who were just finishing. Their stories were moving and inspiring and will hopefully be in print sometime in April assuming Siobhan bends the arm of her editor sufficiently to get her piece to press.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS1Fq4CUM_cANH3AGq4yS48QYn92qMIGIIy0raG4qhzf7lb6YPes2Dcj_gixkzvL59SmCvVMpscfA3JMx9VL4MrJfRyMcH1suqNE8g551Cf6FxU38Na3WibBsGKGKbxacdf4wnjQcmYhy/s1600/dzogchen+beara+%252815%2529-+retreat+centre+-+s.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMS1Fq4CUM_cANH3AGq4yS48QYn92qMIGIIy0raG4qhzf7lb6YPes2Dcj_gixkzvL59SmCvVMpscfA3JMx9VL4MrJfRyMcH1suqNE8g551Cf6FxU38Na3WibBsGKGKbxacdf4wnjQcmYhy/s320/dzogchen+beara+%252815%2529-+retreat+centre+-+s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712082458968429538" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After a delicious vegetarian lunch Matt took us around the grounds, showed us the onsite accomodation available to those attending retreats or to those who simply want some quiet time in such a beautiful location.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_vVlh5ZtAH2WFtyqTgM87tW_ZC6j2ipJSuGN2khiPznvBbL2-VtaJtchn1k6hVB6T6LN0k7ZovEF3NRpUzFFByokHIWhcGKa9M_OhdJb3MFvFk_PLZlnIX01AmtkmQtRFr3GUbIVNATo/s1600/dzogchen+beara+%252811%2529-temple+site+-s.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_vVlh5ZtAH2WFtyqTgM87tW_ZC6j2ipJSuGN2khiPznvBbL2-VtaJtchn1k6hVB6T6LN0k7ZovEF3NRpUzFFByokHIWhcGKa9M_OhdJb3MFvFk_PLZlnIX01AmtkmQtRFr3GUbIVNATo/s320/dzogchen+beara+%252811%2529-temple+site+-s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712081943421441538" border="0" /></a><br />He took us to the site of the proposed new "Temple" which will provide a tranquil setting for reflection and retreat and for which planning permission has been granted. Just a small matter of some 840,000 Euro to raise now!<br /><br />This setting truly is incredible. Incredible. It feels like the end of the world. In the most magical way.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOY8FF1lt_hsqP7SsD2_lrQ8F5OM_wDCiJR6Abq2ELii3_w9J0NAackOmUDnlFPA83prtIpEx35Z-tzXe6G4SN6-Ka66Rek_1ebdNUFVeGKwZ6m3sdVDqeAq2tR-HSKoCa6FPQh7x2Sxm/s1600/dzogchen+beara+stupa-s.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXOY8FF1lt_hsqP7SsD2_lrQ8F5OM_wDCiJR6Abq2ELii3_w9J0NAackOmUDnlFPA83prtIpEx35Z-tzXe6G4SN6-Ka66Rek_1ebdNUFVeGKwZ6m3sdVDqeAq2tR-HSKoCa6FPQh7x2Sxm/s320/dzogchen+beara+stupa-s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712081183898436722" border="0" /></a><br />We ambled back past the Stupa, Matt explaining to us its relevance in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and through the exquisite meditation garden. I dreamed of coming back.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxZs_TlADMotugDKF2rJ_MPBKgER5IxSXN9oB-vLUXg6GMufFp9muHtP-WLavTNbNVptscc-5J0CMOTzk5Hfe6bWQhK81eLfHHmbbNr1L-dJYxf5ZEIqI8oythNub43iQm4LzzieOQHnf/s1600/dzogchen+beara+-+meditation+garden-s.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxZs_TlADMotugDKF2rJ_MPBKgER5IxSXN9oB-vLUXg6GMufFp9muHtP-WLavTNbNVptscc-5J0CMOTzk5Hfe6bWQhK81eLfHHmbbNr1L-dJYxf5ZEIqI8oythNub43iQm4LzzieOQHnf/s320/dzogchen+beara+-+meditation+garden-s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712081512351457154" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After a couple of hours of clifftop dreaming we climbed a little higher to the more modern <a href="http://www.dechenshying.org/">Dechen Shying</a>, which is described as (and very aptly to my mind) "a sanctuary of rest, reflection, healing and inspiration".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcbX__-c9_efVftl7yPPeoUQsNBXp7xY_1-yXzVRnzzPYby_YHrt5KygTc27WV-osLttcykAi4dcWRWL66uwXoeRs4REdYE_l5u9zjtNB5sQZYVywRDdoYBKNngUxYQ2L7sdI0tsqn6Jm/s1600/dzogchen+beara+respite+centre+-s.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 163px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcbX__-c9_efVftl7yPPeoUQsNBXp7xY_1-yXzVRnzzPYby_YHrt5KygTc27WV-osLttcykAi4dcWRWL66uwXoeRs4REdYE_l5u9zjtNB5sQZYVywRDdoYBKNngUxYQ2L7sdI0tsqn6Jm/s320/dzogchen+beara+respite+centre+-s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712084427459525970" border="0" /></a>This place is beautiful. Quiet. Still. Calming. Perfect for those facing the worst life can throw at them, illness, approaching death, bereavement, exhaustion. The young woman I mentioned earlier, friend of our family, spent many hours and days here and I know it helped her face her own inevitable future with courage and fortitude. Indeed such was her bravery in the face of terminal illness and death at a young age that her attitude stimulated an interest in Buddhism in my 70+ father, a man whose pragmatism and commonsensical approach to life hitherto showed little space for the spiritual (to me at least, but maybe I just didn't know where to look, eh dad?) I thought of my long lost mum, and how wonderful it would have been for her to spend time here, or in a place like this (though whether one as beautiful exists elsewhere I couldn't be sure) in her final year. It's a place for love. For acceptance. It's the edge of existence. It's space and time expanded.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz2l1HgwUY5WwauWzGGiVe5lMyPIIg0FQfhj79gQnYfkFHEJMr9f4s7r8ILZmeItu3aoWvoqQ9biV9yR7HXebQ40oKR8-CfCLWbNnXPL9jWOzInE1DMk5d1vy_XZDVBHtMR93OGPcgLnZ/s1600/dzogchen+beara+%25289%2529-cliff-s.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz2l1HgwUY5WwauWzGGiVe5lMyPIIg0FQfhj79gQnYfkFHEJMr9f4s7r8ILZmeItu3aoWvoqQ9biV9yR7HXebQ40oKR8-CfCLWbNnXPL9jWOzInE1DMk5d1vy_XZDVBHtMR93OGPcgLnZ/s320/dzogchen+beara+%25289%2529-cliff-s.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5712081938104603138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I loved this place. I'll be back. Maybe this is some kind of love song after all.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz2l1HgwUY5WwauWzGGiVe5lMyPIIg0FQfhj79gQnYfkFHEJMr9f4s7r8ILZmeItu3aoWvoqQ9biV9yR7HXebQ40oKR8-CfCLWbNnXPL9jWOzInE1DMk5d1vy_XZDVBHtMR93OGPcgLnZ/s1600/dzogchen+beara+%25289%2529-cliff-s.JPG"></a>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-87865689634466177202011-03-22T21:37:00.004+00:002011-03-22T22:20:50.629+00:00scarf to...to...to...hmmm...I've been trawling the charity shops like I always do and found a cheery scarf whose colours evoke for me boiled sweets by the seaside...[bad for the teeth but hey, we were young, we knew no better...] It had to be bought, and so it was.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pYlbhZowKRGBm9Tbah-H1nG4hL76iFa-NO-dvvL_dJwyQ1nO-axMLmIKl3iDrJR59uchBr2ZhPiwH6Ybr8PDoAa-IbrgtzJAVg0LpzGMegx1N8XCFJEGJhxV2oLfwdOzxWMmCIdtiyY7/s1600/scarf.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pYlbhZowKRGBm9Tbah-H1nG4hL76iFa-NO-dvvL_dJwyQ1nO-axMLmIKl3iDrJR59uchBr2ZhPiwH6Ybr8PDoAa-IbrgtzJAVg0LpzGMegx1N8XCFJEGJhxV2oLfwdOzxWMmCIdtiyY7/s320/scarf.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587030366519992946" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It duly got shredded (well, cut into long strips). And the strips stitched together. A large crochet hook was located deep in the bottom of stitching craft paraphanelia box no.59 [third from the right, second shelf down].<br /><br />Google was fired up and my almost annual search for how to perform those basic crochet stitches unleashed.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tsv9iSa8gk2lXEzx7ZkR0QAWmoMcXioAR82Y0M5BVzU6rQly0vzyN29LYKzSzNV-llfhuxMqmO8h8shTuoszsHQn1dqt5etxUt5x4AT45aASJcGbE7KBbC8Bx_m3uLhXlsAc_gaBI121/s1600/scarf+crochet+no+1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tsv9iSa8gk2lXEzx7ZkR0QAWmoMcXioAR82Y0M5BVzU6rQly0vzyN29LYKzSzNV-llfhuxMqmO8h8shTuoszsHQn1dqt5etxUt5x4AT45aASJcGbE7KBbC8Bx_m3uLhXlsAc_gaBI121/s320/scarf+crochet+no+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587030372545181218" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Dtu3yleoYoCGBahX728b6-coL7EtAT2VKGNPalz7_6xXE4zGVGXCvfA4buVM_Aqu-vJG0PSsG2aG2QR9AN63AnwdVhq1kzx4pg8DTw3RS_2Leg1EOwK89clVIIOrNvvV7M_gaFXuY45F/s1600/scarf+crochet+no+2.JPG"><br /></a><br />I was beginning to wonder whether I'd have enough of the strippaged yarn to make anything useful (cos, y'know, it's all about usefulness round here ;-) ) when, lo and behold, deep in to-be-upcycled-sometime-this-century stash box no. 33 [extreme left, bottom shelf] what did I find but another candy-striped scarf bought in a different charity shop sometime last year and utterly neglected, nay erased from the memory banks entirely.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnQZpszFIxpQ9AUQVQ11nzZl_NFoTyJ35s6I251BFttYTF065iRfuZGHrYweTrGAKlJMRDUMMsbweb4bn5EPBEFJoKR4JVQIkPyXtkEwk2P0YPB0w5ITaY1LghcWC6Pt4o50MoXSs11ad/s1600/scarf+crochet+no+3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnQZpszFIxpQ9AUQVQ11nzZl_NFoTyJ35s6I251BFttYTF065iRfuZGHrYweTrGAKlJMRDUMMsbweb4bn5EPBEFJoKR4JVQIkPyXtkEwk2P0YPB0w5ITaY1LghcWC6Pt4o50MoXSs11ad/s320/scarf+crochet+no+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587030383379589330" border="0" /></a><br />A silver lining in the cloud of the hideous forgetfullness that forms the very core of my being these days.<br /><br /><br />Still not sure what it might end up being, but I do love it...Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-10613421680400220032011-03-14T12:51:00.004+00:002011-03-14T13:19:29.469+00:00brooklyn meets canary meets the boyfriend (hat)...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLIpnqCxKnitDjkk6jyj1f8f6dTVlScy4o6mj4khEbMYXMIskaBpnEuTFf_W-uA315EpnrmbEvVP0nMSvHI-XRlCW4ESCU9bgjRO8eLjp4sWftYdTIo6EOoEHmDoywMbyhaJXXv_NOKYL/s1600/scarf+with+robot.JPG"><br /></a><br />OMG...O...M...G...<br /><br />how many months was that? flew by...in the twinkling of an eye...and the meanderings of a bleak London winter full of lurgeys and Too Much Day Job...(TMDJ by far!)<br /><br />anyway, here we are again...I won't even apologise for my absence, or promise to do better next time...will just enjoy the fact that I've found a window and I have some bloggable photos on my laptop, all at the same time...<br /><br />so, I've got this lovely friend called Bert (you may remember him, Bert the Baker from a previous post... what? just the last one? no way...it was AAAAGGGES ago...) and Bert needed a new scarf. He mentioned this to me and all the little cogs in my rusty old brain whorred and whirred and finally engaged upon the notion of making him just such an item for Xmas (ok, so it's a historical post, forgive me...some day I'll catch up with myself again...maybe). Apart from anything else it presented itself as a charming opportunity to try out some beloved noro yarn in the form of a lovely <a href="http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/04/noro-scarf.html">Brooklyn Tweed inspired</a> stripey scarf. (BtB loves stripes)<br /><br />Shock Horror though, the man started talking about needing a new scarf a bit TOO much. And looking at them in shops and craft fairs a bit TOO much. Yours truly began to get anxious, and worried. And wondered how to avoid having her present (non-original as it was) undermined by coming second to a new SHOP BOUGHT item (the HIDEOUSNESS!)... until the obvious solution presented itself : send him an anonymous warning note.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGY7vIzArqv8mSAItUeuje2Wn8APLEIfDhB0WmWczeobAcjQcwaualXu52aQG3lko9BZoL66JEiTn6khc0ZQTn7WoxkEAFf-oo5s8WHDus-NZEPTDkp2vJZZsdlTO4hNTNSRkaMRxaxX-/s1600/canary+gets+it+too.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGY7vIzArqv8mSAItUeuje2Wn8APLEIfDhB0WmWczeobAcjQcwaualXu52aQG3lko9BZoL66JEiTn6khc0ZQTn7WoxkEAFf-oo5s8WHDus-NZEPTDkp2vJZZsdlTO4hNTNSRkaMRxaxX-/s320/canary+gets+it+too.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583921581834054562" border="0" /></a>Of course!<br /></div><br />One happy evening of cutting and sticking later (I may be 42 but the simple pleasures never fail me) the job was done and winging its way courtesy of her Majesty's most Royal Mail to deepest East London (where he lived at the time - I wasn't just randomly sending it to East London, oh no, I'm waaay cleverer than that)<br /><br />And a couple more happy evenings of knitting and purling later (well, many hours on buses, trains, sofas, hard chairs and soft if I'm honest, my knitting ain't a speed sport) the scarf was born.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPOWvNXXFFWGizYFMJu8Shx6jbpXivyHKTaLBrDaB6hAaztAyXZde6QKY2cP9Ws-4852EGXzRj0erNmxNQt3ApJmuKwrlPPXJeXc-fn2oaBHJxjv5p94zUCDZWE_Pm89aQRU4G6PwOqhB/s1600/brooklyn+scarf+3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPOWvNXXFFWGizYFMJu8Shx6jbpXivyHKTaLBrDaB6hAaztAyXZde6QKY2cP9Ws-4852EGXzRj0erNmxNQt3ApJmuKwrlPPXJeXc-fn2oaBHJxjv5p94zUCDZWE_Pm89aQRU4G6PwOqhB/s320/brooklyn+scarf+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583921592510245282" border="0" /></a><br />BtB loved it. And hadn't even bought himself a new scarf in the meantime. RESULT!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXkA-ByjL4aXSIy2ixjDkMwebujijrnSYg9GFDyL95jCrMOJ5nLMCg6AujRMcDuBFVs3UiYGP2A_LESLDSHnDTeI0eNcjJK2Qrpef6pC7KJa3kKIpmad41hNizc8CZnSafYu9pR9p85st/s1600/brooklyn+scarf.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcXkA-ByjL4aXSIy2ixjDkMwebujijrnSYg9GFDyL95jCrMOJ5nLMCg6AujRMcDuBFVs3UiYGP2A_LESLDSHnDTeI0eNcjJK2Qrpef6pC7KJa3kKIpmad41hNizc8CZnSafYu9pR9p85st/s320/brooklyn+scarf.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583921584477161922" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Later I added a small linen robot button and loop so he could fasten it tight (on super chilly mornings)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLIpnqCxKnitDjkk6jyj1f8f6dTVlScy4o6mj4khEbMYXMIskaBpnEuTFf_W-uA315EpnrmbEvVP0nMSvHI-XRlCW4ESCU9bgjRO8eLjp4sWftYdTIo6EOoEHmDoywMbyhaJXXv_NOKYL/s1600/scarf+with+robot.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLIpnqCxKnitDjkk6jyj1f8f6dTVlScy4o6mj4khEbMYXMIskaBpnEuTFf_W-uA315EpnrmbEvVP0nMSvHI-XRlCW4ESCU9bgjRO8eLjp4sWftYdTIo6EOoEHmDoywMbyhaJXXv_NOKYL/s320/scarf+with+robot.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583922874405782562" border="0" /></a><br />the addition of the button turned everything green...it was like magic*<br /></div><br />and made him a matching hat, which I call Brooklyn meets Boyfriend as it's an amalgamation of the Brooklyn Tweed inspired noro striping and <a href="http://stephanieknits.blogspot.com/2007/03/keeping-boyfriends-ears-warm-since-2006.html">Stephanie's Boyfriend Hat</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLrXrgcI1FTUlq3Gy5TLNvJty_nx7O97EuzuGYwEQu9f_S87_drbc-7P8IX_X5-8yKkpo3e0cN34I8waJK6QH3s99q6S61MgKf2Uq6c1wyAsBwDeuroozsAfRNZw5zo24sd1OjQlXepxj/s1600/hat%2527n%2527scarf.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLrXrgcI1FTUlq3Gy5TLNvJty_nx7O97EuzuGYwEQu9f_S87_drbc-7P8IX_X5-8yKkpo3e0cN34I8waJK6QH3s99q6S61MgKf2Uq6c1wyAsBwDeuroozsAfRNZw5zo24sd1OjQlXepxj/s320/hat%2527n%2527scarf.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583921588299911026" border="0" /></a>(waiting patiently for a tube)<br /></div><br />And he wears them all the time...<br /><br />Bye, for now....<br /><br />*errr, not <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-47541923253834121522010-10-13T10:03:00.008+01:002010-10-13T11:53:31.691+01:00on a roll....bringing back elevenses...<div style="text-align: center;">just over a week later and I'm back again...what's going on?!<br /></div><br />Well, following on from my teacosy sucess last week I went one further, this week I made <span style="font-style: italic;">two </span>teacosies <span style="font-weight: bold;">and</span> found a good cause to raffle them for...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF5UjpmsF7DNlwl95bAIgPvZ04-OK200x0vyAnjdxb1sH39DrU4vGrIAgf-ddpu3V_rk2RLM6uexT8iDnr8_eMOUKnoRoEZ3dV_1-fPcr7eMreLIAEMvCDj246vp7SS0SvZfyHKMsIRWW/s1600/A+-+win+a+tea+cosy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF5UjpmsF7DNlwl95bAIgPvZ04-OK200x0vyAnjdxb1sH39DrU4vGrIAgf-ddpu3V_rk2RLM6uexT8iDnr8_eMOUKnoRoEZ3dV_1-fPcr7eMreLIAEMvCDj246vp7SS0SvZfyHKMsIRWW/s320/A+-+win+a+tea+cosy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527471811131187618" border="0" /></a><br />...last Sunday morning I hosted a "Tea and Talk" event in support of the <a href="http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/">Mental Health Foundation</a>...that's my kind of fundraising, none of that sweaty running about or (God forbid) dangling upside down from a length of elastic above some whitewater rapids...no, no, no give me elevenses (<span style="font-style: italic;">much</span> underrated in my opinion) in my kitchen with a bunch of friends and a tableful of tea and cake anyday...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtfPdvC2EQERm2sVPyokXp4vvRv8p5ABBNA0gJXmiWJjzzqBkeaStAbQZfzwcr4X2aWzEhYiRjY2WJUB43c2WTWae3VGsebeJl_rDFwwm04KUqEZ-zSROAk5DKcJNY5rr1QKFjuaBMAbw/s1600/A+-+Tea+%26+Talk+spread+2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtfPdvC2EQERm2sVPyokXp4vvRv8p5ABBNA0gJXmiWJjzzqBkeaStAbQZfzwcr4X2aWzEhYiRjY2WJUB43c2WTWae3VGsebeJl_rDFwwm04KUqEZ-zSROAk5DKcJNY5rr1QKFjuaBMAbw/s320/A+-+Tea+%26+Talk+spread+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527474012398890706" border="0" /></a>The full spread...mmm<br /><br />...and just LOOK at this maple, chocolate and walnut swirl my friend Bert (<span style="font-style: italic;">Bert the Baker</span>, nice ring to that actually) made for the occasion...particularly delicious heated up was that one...swoon...<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRe3xbKnokOwXndeWBjNh8kYhn6QFA4u17M2jWeEJP4k8HBDFfPU6AZWCWs_4z1q6y_HlrTPCFNmTPRrevSfvCevWTuhq9Q1PMwWwbohLSY9-R52QUGpZnqgEGO0mQDdRwIXeZJezuW7Wx/s1600/A+-+Tea+%26+Talk+Bert+Swirl.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRe3xbKnokOwXndeWBjNh8kYhn6QFA4u17M2jWeEJP4k8HBDFfPU6AZWCWs_4z1q6y_HlrTPCFNmTPRrevSfvCevWTuhq9Q1PMwWwbohLSY9-R52QUGpZnqgEGO0mQDdRwIXeZJezuW7Wx/s320/A+-+Tea+%26+Talk+Bert+Swirl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527474004148119634" border="0" /></a><br />with only 3 days notice lots of people turned up, ate cake, drank tea, bought raffle tickets from the ever eager Ms Reva and contributed £117.07 to this great cause...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPcgXhBMZSr7UFQi3ilxwFZLr8uReU0udVimc-jQ7uenBTRkn5VfRBCZY6_G3LL8hxB_OSjtu4EPz6299TDZgUyqooaVUY18yVAGERxEitcKdCyu-B9LiTVDcpKCCz9FjymOQAU3tr9jK/s1600/A+-+Tea+%26+Talk+-+winners%21.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPcgXhBMZSr7UFQi3ilxwFZLr8uReU0udVimc-jQ7uenBTRkn5VfRBCZY6_G3LL8hxB_OSjtu4EPz6299TDZgUyqooaVUY18yVAGERxEitcKdCyu-B9LiTVDcpKCCz9FjymOQAU3tr9jK/s320/A+-+Tea+%26+Talk+-+winners%21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527474003063035442" border="0" /></a>here's the teacosy winning team, Amarapuspa and Jill with their prizes<br /></div><br />I've also set up a Justgiving page and I'll try to put a widget on the sidebar in case anyone who wasn't there fancies throwing a few bob into the pot, as much or as little as you like...I might even run an online teapot and cosy raffle for those who support the cause that way...oooh, yes, now that might be a good idea...what do you think? Fancy a teapot and cosy to call your own?...Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-50760859471841846122010-10-05T22:27:00.009+01:002010-10-06T10:47:29.930+01:00hmmm....that took a while...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiYgot3UkwwAm-4xvv8NpLCyxYd5JuDh6ooDlOgTUmjSLw1LV9V0ek1Z2uFtoZpJOgl7gOedw14THWHfm-fL3OqoTIbSWs9z4qNENhldg7FwJZ3QBWTNgdtyJw-PdvWgr-pcYpkb3RYtC/s1600/cosy.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiYgot3UkwwAm-4xvv8NpLCyxYd5JuDh6ooDlOgTUmjSLw1LV9V0ek1Z2uFtoZpJOgl7gOedw14THWHfm-fL3OqoTIbSWs9z4qNENhldg7FwJZ3QBWTNgdtyJw-PdvWgr-pcYpkb3RYtC/s320/cosy.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524865875729849026" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzlcNv4jVzp20LGAqOZeWMv532whvNRj9KE8jQNSd3Pn0zaZSLS3cYS99n9OH7wK4cYVZvdvZ7MsIHmUJh8bilu7NfzDoYmKZs1-V8inAruz1ZysCi1BwOHnl2CC3BN7ZjTGKkiijo9vj/s1600/cosy.JPG"><br /></a><br />...I know...I <span style="font-style: italic;">know</span>...it's a joke...veritably...<br /><br />...however, I AM still alive [apparantly]...<br /><br />...and I <span style="font-style: italic;">even knit something</span> last week : a pretty orange eco-wool tea cosy to keep my friend's tea...ummm...cosy...now Ms Bester wants one, but without the spout and handle holes, to wear as a nice bobble hat...sounds good to me<br /><br />it's proving a funny old year...I'm hoping things will settle down soon and I'll be able to get back to crafting and connecting with my much missed crafters blogosphere...fingers crossed...<br /><br />in the meantime...this is post 97...about a year ago I promised to make something nice to give away at post 100...watch the space as they say [at this rate of going you've only got a couple more years to wait!!! ]<br /><br />long lost annie XXXAnnie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-41571841894569564872010-01-25T21:43:00.006+00:002010-01-25T22:32:58.634+00:00(from the sublime) to the ridiculous...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoT0YeSs1LaFP3hknFdtXDfhY6rZBGEQV1Cxb-dzrBNnj2V2pK3Y8rHXeECT2ErFfP9h75koPfN_vKRoFTkk9ikZdqZEOpeM4xfRPPefbxgAgECDnHYAGqvQrztkbkl6_jeNR1RWgMa4i/s1600-h/maya+quilt+detail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqoT0YeSs1LaFP3hknFdtXDfhY6rZBGEQV1Cxb-dzrBNnj2V2pK3Y8rHXeECT2ErFfP9h75koPfN_vKRoFTkk9ikZdqZEOpeM4xfRPPefbxgAgECDnHYAGqvQrztkbkl6_jeNR1RWgMa4i/s320/maya+quilt+detail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430805657147194322" border="0" /></a><br />ok, so there really was no sublime...but this <span style="font-style: italic;">is </span>getting ridiculous...it's <span style="font-style: italic;">JANUARY</span>!!! I posted last in <span style="font-style: italic;">OCTOBER</span>...blimey, how did that happen?<br /><br />well, stuff has been going on, as always. Big changes afoot chez Milkwood. Am sure I'll you all about them in due course.<br /><br />The crafting has been hit as a result of the energy demanded by the changes, but I still have some things to show (as I should, I've had 3 bloody months!)<br /><br />First up - my dear and darling friend Gail had herself a dear and darling third child, a beautiful little girl called Maya. So obviously it was an opportunity not to be missed to indulge my love of all things cute and cosy and rustle her up a baby quilt...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVk9YCxtS29EZggSmsQ3Ip_nqlhX0QyssyiWGFLDl6X84wcasKVmu6cwmQPaWSUns0Knhyphenhyphen9YcfZEETT1pDeZt6Lc2Muit4kNb_WoCKcFgpQlzj_wyI-mByrrrXAavGGnsvFTTrkILBztg/s1600-h/maya+quilt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 204px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVk9YCxtS29EZggSmsQ3Ip_nqlhX0QyssyiWGFLDl6X84wcasKVmu6cwmQPaWSUns0Knhyphenhyphen9YcfZEETT1pDeZt6Lc2Muit4kNb_WoCKcFgpQlzj_wyI-mByrrrXAavGGnsvFTTrkILBztg/s320/maya+quilt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430808069683855138" border="0" /></a><br />isn't she adorable? good god, I'll be coming over all broody next, and that would NEVER do, believe you me...<br /><br />Then came Xmas (Happy Xmas all!) and I went a bit crazy making neck warmers for the ladies in my life. All from ultra gorgeous, warm and snuggley Noro Kureyon<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJw7-mts_H_v6HJjdZo88dt7cQWEHf5vZoXkRBo7Rwk9DTk-sRdR3KnRfiF95dhSBCw6Xg9LLm9e48S7oYSGaauVcsEZrQm8hB1Zk4FRxDEKjyP7lZLz7EVr0kS-oSgTKFxPx127koakNs/s1600-h/necklet1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJw7-mts_H_v6HJjdZo88dt7cQWEHf5vZoXkRBo7Rwk9DTk-sRdR3KnRfiF95dhSBCw6Xg9LLm9e48S7oYSGaauVcsEZrQm8hB1Zk4FRxDEKjyP7lZLz7EVr0kS-oSgTKFxPx127koakNs/s320/necklet1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430805664069896738" border="0" /></a>One for Granny Margaret, another for Granny Una and a third for my lovely friend and colleague Mia, who much to my delight wears it every day in our chilly office (well, whenever I am there anyway, for all I know she rips it off with relief the minute I leave for the day - but I hope not)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFusc5ndHkqGU1N8kJ5H8wvtKaLK2yuDYo3MbVbP94cK2RQOOTmduWUXDY3itFBKw-vj9I86y2bCeRb29N0iA4RTxhdFOUZq6XLypjjye-pqj9kRVTKPpKUFhMiyh8DslQ72HsX78r26cw/s1600-h/necklet2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFusc5ndHkqGU1N8kJ5H8wvtKaLK2yuDYo3MbVbP94cK2RQOOTmduWUXDY3itFBKw-vj9I86y2bCeRb29N0iA4RTxhdFOUZq6XLypjjye-pqj9kRVTKPpKUFhMiyh8DslQ72HsX78r26cw/s320/necklet2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430805673064791778" border="0" /></a><br />Cute aren't they - I got the pattern from the woman down the wool shop, but apparantly you can get similar pattern on Marths Stewart's website - don't say I never tell you anything...<br /><br />Oh, and I finally finished the Stolen Moments wrap, which I am very happy with...my one quibble with it is that it (the Big Wool I knit it from rather than the wrap per se) moults a lot all over my coat (one of the guys at work thought I was covered in cat hair - it's GREEN - huh? what kind of cats do they have in Sydenham then??...) and (oh, there appear to be two quibbles) it has gone very bobbley very quickly. Sigh.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-7ci6rMsm2QOcRjvLUbcwaQYh1sBsR_oTNrKZzQPYlfT7G02Le-_RSAUNSBKpdNQfTViEUBgxqkz2Z28r5RdHAQIZwmPgfqonOcE36HhL8KWIXjHHW_45iwgu4iZq0EH46UgGm90B56S/s1600-h/stolen+moments.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-7ci6rMsm2QOcRjvLUbcwaQYh1sBsR_oTNrKZzQPYlfT7G02Le-_RSAUNSBKpdNQfTViEUBgxqkz2Z28r5RdHAQIZwmPgfqonOcE36HhL8KWIXjHHW_45iwgu4iZq0EH46UgGm90B56S/s320/stolen+moments.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430805675845208722" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Is very warm though and I LOVE the colour...(is a bit, um, greener, in real life)<br /></div><br /><br />Ok, I will make no promises about my return...but I hope to be back sooner rather than later...<br /><br />Hope you are all doing ok out there in blogland and sorry again I've been so useless of late...Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-7425043725917599222009-10-11T20:55:00.006+01:002009-10-11T21:14:06.775+01:00the shock......of finding I hadn't blogged since July...and it is now October...OCTOBER!!!<br /><br />Jeez I feel like I was dead or something. But I wasn't. Not really sure quite what was going on...oh yeah, real life (I think they call it) bloomin' 'eck it doesn't half get in the way of bloggin'n'craftin at times...<br /><br />Anyway, here I am, back to some sort of bloggin'n'craftin half life at least...sorry about the hiatus...I'd promise it won't happen again (but you know what, I bet it does)...<br /><br />Ms Reva had a birthday during that self-enforced silence...girl turned 7<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgti8gIJtK-jdMCPQNhgMoqP7_S_lmahuaI40ZO0hnFI8p7ztotEOGAz1GM0wtvkJnNZ4noAYnYV4YXwWyN1u1LkoSAmJOk1xqRg-XjsUzHQyDS8tuHdY8LbO5mFcM5HlQti7Tf59KZvkrj/s1600-h/eva+birthday+cake+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgti8gIJtK-jdMCPQNhgMoqP7_S_lmahuaI40ZO0hnFI8p7ztotEOGAz1GM0wtvkJnNZ4noAYnYV4YXwWyN1u1LkoSAmJOk1xqRg-XjsUzHQyDS8tuHdY8LbO5mFcM5HlQti7Tf59KZvkrj/s320/eva+birthday+cake+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391437504407930786" border="0" /></a><br />We had a number of celebrations and I made her a cushion, well we made it together really, though she didn't know it was happening. Best sort of mum'n'dottir crafting where no-one quite knows what's going on. Happens a lot round here.<br /><br />She stuck all these bits of fabric from my scrap box onto a square piece (from a sheet we had in our holiday "hut" in the 1970s - aaaah, those were the days) one day while I was busy doing something else and one night while she was busy doing something else (sleeping to be precise) I appliqued them all down exactly as she'd put them, added a back and a label (for I suffer from an acute case of labelitis) and an internal cushion and a crafty birthday pressie was born.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UZPIYjrHUyDRFn7GSje_O7ZKCxKZpxJ1hHgTMoLs3QxaxuPTYyNnRu41IBCOoTXwUR_9WoOENQVzUxYVeRB5V17Z6ii47esF21VE5WQFiC7pWz_xwbB-ACNUgepm-LWIpyFtKW56xNPu/s1600-h/eva+birthday+cushion.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-UZPIYjrHUyDRFn7GSje_O7ZKCxKZpxJ1hHgTMoLs3QxaxuPTYyNnRu41IBCOoTXwUR_9WoOENQVzUxYVeRB5V17Z6ii47esF21VE5WQFiC7pWz_xwbB-ACNUgepm-LWIpyFtKW56xNPu/s320/eva+birthday+cushion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391437498450798994" border="0" /></a><br />The look on her face on the morning of the day was priceless, and the sight of it on her bed every day better still.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxNU2q-AO3sTwQ5ULP0ueKkl5frMpKtJu6MW8xE0daIAid5PwSym1XWgGPCKfh8NzMWuhGueSuKsR-cXH0wV83xWWb7K14h33EMtcC_jsNYn-_rEMRW4NlBEo-bUWhv9uSZyal-vUGkNZ/s1600-h/eva+birthday+cushion+back.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxNU2q-AO3sTwQ5ULP0ueKkl5frMpKtJu6MW8xE0daIAid5PwSym1XWgGPCKfh8NzMWuhGueSuKsR-cXH0wV83xWWb7K14h33EMtcC_jsNYn-_rEMRW4NlBEo-bUWhv9uSZyal-vUGkNZ/s320/eva+birthday+cushion+back.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391437486558535346" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Gotta do more of that sort of stuff. I love it.<br /><br />Realised tonight this is my 95th, or 96th post. Now I know that's fairly pathetic over more than two years compared to all those prolific posters out there, but it does mean post no 100 is approaching (sometime in the next decade that'll be) and so I'll have to start thinking about a suitable giveaway for the traditional celebration. Unless fashions have moved on so far since I was around last of course that that is now passe. Hmmmm...watch this space... (ahem...if you have the patience of a saint that is)<br /><br />Hope anyone who found their way back here again after my very impolite silence is well and enjoying life and all that Autumn (can it <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> be) has to offer...Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-30060045425422588602009-07-13T16:50:00.005+01:002009-07-13T17:33:32.359+01:0021 go down to the sea...annual summer camping trip time again...our largest group outing to date...11 adults and 10 kids all went down to Dorset for a weekend of fun, frolics and fossils...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtm0expiLQZGOJ19bFRkpQC2QD9o976B8pqH9_QGwlXghl7z39YA3cdC-AQTdy1R9jUMJYWcrH62shtr2nV1zoO5T4wEr153ZvFHUru8zbrtW0_aT1rFMdU6xU9x-JOvRCBq3LWz2vXUyC/s1600-h/camping+-+dorset+view.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtm0expiLQZGOJ19bFRkpQC2QD9o976B8pqH9_QGwlXghl7z39YA3cdC-AQTdy1R9jUMJYWcrH62shtr2nV1zoO5T4wEr153ZvFHUru8zbrtW0_aT1rFMdU6xU9x-JOvRCBq3LWz2vXUyC/s320/camping+-+dorset+view.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357981145584240850" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-X9hhEHfzePK0_OtuzkTA0MY4xCFe-aFvXVCez5Yj1qItKxn4Ma5CO59lIN0JGjOS24XwmCEleYXavSB-m3EOQuWhP0A27Sood3N5OdZdsELGzJwEESgQUxT6T3b9c9KiToI9AuM-zMA_/s1600-h/camping+-+chesil+beach.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-X9hhEHfzePK0_OtuzkTA0MY4xCFe-aFvXVCez5Yj1qItKxn4Ma5CO59lIN0JGjOS24XwmCEleYXavSB-m3EOQuWhP0A27Sood3N5OdZdsELGzJwEESgQUxT6T3b9c9KiToI9AuM-zMA_/s320/camping+-+chesil+beach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357981137138777042" border="0" /></a>...chesil beach in the mist...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">we managed to celebrate two birthdays<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31_g6gKtoWk13dtqSM6D2SKQhtMPDjI4FKQbPWHD2zm38aAkM4Zl03rp6WEfnpLVHfoicx4KCINAOo38MTD4oNBEKck9lXsUyQwUC3UC3Ru5DT5rNaCUYmJRVxhN5PNcG84g_hjX6oTq4/s1600-h/camping+-+tea+and+cake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31_g6gKtoWk13dtqSM6D2SKQhtMPDjI4FKQbPWHD2zm38aAkM4Zl03rp6WEfnpLVHfoicx4KCINAOo38MTD4oNBEKck9lXsUyQwUC3UC3Ru5DT5rNaCUYmJRVxhN5PNcG84g_hjX6oTq4/s320/camping+-+tea+and+cake.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357981465789933746" border="0" /></a> with home made cake...now a pre-requisite for any camping trip for me I'm afraid<br /><br />...fit in some walking...<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpThyraTw-DE0D8CLww4aZ-pszPIAK7VL0V8gFG6-a3GeNj36lkV5Z3ONCokYd86g6fiVtjtch3-COW_24dK9kRANxr5Bm3shhea-mnLsJJu9CN_58YQlFy9EOfyqwiZ5BJfhLfYvbpO6P/s1600-h/camping+-+walking.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpThyraTw-DE0D8CLww4aZ-pszPIAK7VL0V8gFG6-a3GeNj36lkV5Z3ONCokYd86g6fiVtjtch3-COW_24dK9kRANxr5Bm3shhea-mnLsJJu9CN_58YQlFy9EOfyqwiZ5BJfhLfYvbpO6P/s320/camping+-+walking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357981461644959314" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLznfRdiK4ScjZ_uKehLbyOh_wJfYIy1Jga9nXigD1sFERl2u4NBL4mM-xh7wCqwTgIReD3YZpTGBRabwseFspp1rJBzrdk4PF1ppdqpmIbQfanO5PPS9x0Aa5Z3cD-G0oSHQTEMdqSdz/s1600-h/camping+-+sling.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLznfRdiK4ScjZ_uKehLbyOh_wJfYIy1Jga9nXigD1sFERl2u4NBL4mM-xh7wCqwTgIReD3YZpTGBRabwseFspp1rJBzrdk4PF1ppdqpmIbQfanO5PPS9x0Aa5Z3cD-G0oSHQTEMdqSdz/s320/camping+-+sling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357981456289599874" border="0" /></a>there be a baby in that there purple scarf refashioned into a sling apparatus<br /><br />we visited some rocky beaches<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOL7-aaalKJUPOjPTTaotJbi4Crqkyb38lPHmiUwqeZO4snZbMz9Vh9HBmrwVzTMHRuU48t81WihyphenhyphenEKAduoVpwulQFihhcEO02GZdbczvUTMTdfxmLP3tKsKl2db2uCIAkqmmnzoZmPnn2/s1600-h/camping+-+Esther.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOL7-aaalKJUPOjPTTaotJbi4Crqkyb38lPHmiUwqeZO4snZbMz9Vh9HBmrwVzTMHRuU48t81WihyphenhyphenEKAduoVpwulQFihhcEO02GZdbczvUTMTdfxmLP3tKsKl2db2uCIAkqmmnzoZmPnn2/s320/camping+-+Esther.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357981149723496642" border="0" /></a>the girls jointly invested many weeks pocket money in an inflatable<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ85ANIrJwmZt-8s3IkelacFQLV0fgiIqAEgqjFNj0XWv8zCUtWl5ZT91uopBWYDh7dz36u3qG0NV-atc94riS0nA8zAfL_GozN4m8hpmtx-zGje4JMWyPYOzZg8UIc9BkolS-5p-sp2Gd/s1600-h/camping+-+ms+reva+in+weymouth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ85ANIrJwmZt-8s3IkelacFQLV0fgiIqAEgqjFNj0XWv8zCUtWl5ZT91uopBWYDh7dz36u3qG0NV-atc94riS0nA8zAfL_GozN4m8hpmtx-zGje4JMWyPYOzZg8UIc9BkolS-5p-sp2Gd/s320/camping+-+ms+reva+in+weymouth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357981128147974066" border="0" /></a>(versatile that scarf!)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> and my lovely friend Jane (one of the Birthday Girls) even made a dress over the weekend...<br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzdXG-AzUwhA_38cDhD9ChIsoEZyuThcG3L8GbobQ5gZfLVSkE37rC3cA8UbHqBdEShJ20uitk0-JNEBSEpHmIIW7uwApPhz8zvdopMr2KSMY3LqGcIpXBjgqu0EZGc7AhZPDvfVIwuz4/s1600-h/camping+-+jane+sewing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzdXG-AzUwhA_38cDhD9ChIsoEZyuThcG3L8GbobQ5gZfLVSkE37rC3cA8UbHqBdEShJ20uitk0-JNEBSEpHmIIW7uwApPhz8zvdopMr2KSMY3LqGcIpXBjgqu0EZGc7AhZPDvfVIwuz4/s320/camping+-+jane+sewing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357981148927836578" border="0" /></a>a rather small dress, but a dress, nonetheless<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">go camping...it rocks!<br /></div>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-82141282083416605062009-06-10T20:27:00.005+01:002009-06-10T20:53:47.212+01:00random photos of those pesky smallfry...random pics of the smallfry, just because...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXpXA9LOa9AXZ2B-kBuu_Fy-fM9oEF_vkiw-WHqepLT_-lU2C81RiNbXklYgw6sqfUF-fFziaLdrenPpuLHbHEsELteW3ZdKTV1Ywy3X9YLwBpVW7CJThrT6YdoybNCiVzl9e9dFLvj3j/s1600-h/hampton+court+doorway.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXpXA9LOa9AXZ2B-kBuu_Fy-fM9oEF_vkiw-WHqepLT_-lU2C81RiNbXklYgw6sqfUF-fFziaLdrenPpuLHbHEsELteW3ZdKTV1Ywy3X9YLwBpVW7CJThrT6YdoybNCiVzl9e9dFLvj3j/s320/hampton+court+doorway.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345789197679059794" border="0" /></a><br />running through a doorway in the tudor part of Hampton Court Palace where we had a lot of fun thinking about King Henry "the Horrid" (as Esther christened him) - what a brilliant place for a day out with kids, from the palace with its kitchens and twisty turny corridors, to the maze which we had to lose ourselves in twice it was so much fun, to the formal gardens, the rose gardens (with a scent so beautiful it made us all stand still) and gorgeous wild areas in which to picnic...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXt2ndFtnesRJz-ce8UUm90TIvYd4R3183r5QsR_2U4ZoqWywsFMsu89AL8xBDza2_nRFqqaaqOPMi635eo8D96NtltpJZhHx1oGz1Fr4me4qGOdVA2aAug7LdRJ_CpAfox7KbuxHsTcbb/s1600-h/hampton+court+disaffected+ms+eva.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXt2ndFtnesRJz-ce8UUm90TIvYd4R3183r5QsR_2U4ZoqWywsFMsu89AL8xBDza2_nRFqqaaqOPMi635eo8D96NtltpJZhHx1oGz1Fr4me4qGOdVA2aAug7LdRJ_CpAfox7KbuxHsTcbb/s320/hampton+court+disaffected+ms+eva.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345783938351547762" border="0" /></a><br />had to include this shot of my wonderfully disaffected looking 6 going on 15 year old - doesn't she do sullen well? Fabulous [shivers at the thought of how well-practised she'll be by the time she actually hits 15]<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkH2V80IhahP7N5bJNiLAv9AtIaaTt3m_2lZur3m-MCoA5KoRF-LJNBtjuZQBe7eFCqYvFjN2v_8aYn5-amEA1lmW2E1qHFFGjAyLvxEjzbz2zwJNyo4LzKdaPEh4y1tme9NJXhf17W3F/s1600-h/smallfry+-+space+hoppers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkH2V80IhahP7N5bJNiLAv9AtIaaTt3m_2lZur3m-MCoA5KoRF-LJNBtjuZQBe7eFCqYvFjN2v_8aYn5-amEA1lmW2E1qHFFGjAyLvxEjzbz2zwJNyo4LzKdaPEh4y1tme9NJXhf17W3F/s320/smallfry+-+space+hoppers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345783935251515250" border="0" /></a>it just took a bop on her trusty spacehopper to wipe that sulk from her face (how long will that grass last in the face of such bop-hopping? anyone's guess...)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_q_2xGWBiklm9g2AIkQKfBjcNzf17QtN4IGdqp2m9loT0w17nC723GPPNK3nmzG-cg-IoWDzmL4EhdxuMSJUz14UxAgKkae0-vIZxA4s_1ZpSi4Q_YibJmJfx8VzPHi1OjlL_gpYp40nK/s1600-h/smallfry+-+ms+bester.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_q_2xGWBiklm9g2AIkQKfBjcNzf17QtN4IGdqp2m9loT0w17nC723GPPNK3nmzG-cg-IoWDzmL4EhdxuMSJUz14UxAgKkae0-vIZxA4s_1ZpSi4Q_YibJmJfx8VzPHi1OjlL_gpYp40nK/s320/smallfry+-+ms+bester.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345783930325115442" border="0" /></a>ack, this one doesn't do sullen. Yet.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxihbJfmqR8-zWKsSuDjMQ1vQ8USJ4WZmpK4h8KN2UbpMecks6ULIH2FsKgKEcfEeqHEQ9FI43GqpiPb_IUYi5NO7nbruCNP7mPwFYZTup0cmPZWkpaJ7O7XzoCsNqnJFTsRguR56Z2-DY/s1600-h/smallfry+-+licking+bowl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxihbJfmqR8-zWKsSuDjMQ1vQ8USJ4WZmpK4h8KN2UbpMecks6ULIH2FsKgKEcfEeqHEQ9FI43GqpiPb_IUYi5NO7nbruCNP7mPwFYZTup0cmPZWkpaJ7O7XzoCsNqnJFTsRguR56Z2-DY/s320/smallfry+-+licking+bowl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345783925083160498" border="0" /></a><br />post sugary fudge making the old ritual of "licking the bowl". I did it with my sister (fighting over every last scrap of sweet goodness) and hopefully their kids will do it too...that old cycle of life eh? my mum would be proud to see me upholding the old traditions...<br /><br />crafting? it'll be back soon, I promise...<br /></div>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-11442080482615099552009-06-03T08:18:00.001+01:002009-06-03T08:21:50.913+01:00midweek musings : smile<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwoXX9mZ2Usc1WHo1dlWihyphenhyphenafW_D1RhbB2Umm8qudEceolzaX1ySdGFR7RXnQg9gsgUx6PCaJ1ALDQhs2H446nOuByFJxWzeUrEHFoH_lNQMFd1EuWljm8T7aSlw_FugTQ7tjHCCxFUQw/s1600-h/midweek+mantra+Junewk1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwoXX9mZ2Usc1WHo1dlWihyphenhyphenafW_D1RhbB2Umm8qudEceolzaX1ySdGFR7RXnQg9gsgUx6PCaJ1ALDQhs2H446nOuByFJxWzeUrEHFoH_lNQMFd1EuWljm8T7aSlw_FugTQ7tjHCCxFUQw/s320/midweek+mantra+Junewk1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342997777106348258" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Breathing in, I calm my body,<br />Breathing out, I smile,<br />Dwelling in the present moment,<br />I know this is a wonderful moment<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Thich Nhat Hanh:<span style="font-style: italic;"> present moment, wonderful moment</span><br /></div>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-86176258170870213662009-05-30T21:32:00.006+01:002009-05-30T23:16:25.550+01:00knitters...sitting comfortably?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o26cCDmK28rWll8uPKhZp0CUckr6ussro4Hh-O7IlKKFYkEbjmTSiLGBoKDaOpS7lWvAIjNIiuso0wRiLOVK6wkDk5LgNXB01Or0QssheQXn8nNp5k4EQT4AiV-thGc2i2wAef8Gqk81/s1600-h/stolen+moments.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o26cCDmK28rWll8uPKhZp0CUckr6ussro4Hh-O7IlKKFYkEbjmTSiLGBoKDaOpS7lWvAIjNIiuso0wRiLOVK6wkDk5LgNXB01Or0QssheQXn8nNp5k4EQT4AiV-thGc2i2wAef8Gqk81/s320/stolen+moments.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341738901144403186" border="0" /></a><br />the last project on my needles, way back in February and still, sad to say, a UFO<br /></div><br />first of all, a huge thank you to all of you who were so positive in reply to my last post. It meant a lot to have so many nice messages telling me not to stop. Indeed so much so that I am quite convinced to continue, and not to feel guilt about the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">erracticness</span> and random nature of my posting. So here I am, almost another three weeks later...hello...<br /><br />I got an email during the week from the lovely Tanya <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Shoop</span>. Tanya is the sister of a very good friend of mine who I met when studying for my MA in Art Theory at Chelsea School of Art here in London. The people I met on that course were far and away the best thing about it (suffice it to say the level of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">theoretisation</span> ( <span style="font-style: italic;">is this a word?</span>) I needed to apply during the course rendered me incapable of making art since...someday this will change I am sure...but not today or tomorrow I suspect) Anyway, I digress. Tanya is a great knitter (and one day we <span style="font-style: italic;">will </span>knit together at our local <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Stitch'n'Bitch</span> in the local pub, once I resolve my reservations about mixing booze and knitting, or at least learn the wisdom of the soft drink). Anyway. Not only is Ms <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Shoop</span> a wonderful knitter but also a very gifted Alexander Technique therapist/teacher. Luckily for me her email contained <a href="http://www.freeyourneck.co.uk/articles/Knitting_Alexander%20Technique-1.pdf">this article</a>, all about knitting in a way that should ensure you can keep on doing so past your forties. You knitters should all take note. Thanks Tanya. The knitting community salute you!<br /><br />By the way, Tanya's website is well worth a visit, lots of hints and tips on there even if you happen not to be a knitter...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeOv7h1mGn9SorPkcjtCFhAsXYweQMy6ju1eZsyuL-p5dsbaapIGQIogZUNNMtToFAZMt39dv7Vfg8pdxXQ9yVIPH624rYt37wMZK2bACls9YP0F5oKHR0LdFVKTiNd6YmlXdS2SjLll5/s1600-h/esther+new+cardi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeOv7h1mGn9SorPkcjtCFhAsXYweQMy6ju1eZsyuL-p5dsbaapIGQIogZUNNMtToFAZMt39dv7Vfg8pdxXQ9yVIPH624rYt37wMZK2bACls9YP0F5oKHR0LdFVKTiNd6YmlXdS2SjLll5/s320/esther+new+cardi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341738902048856530" border="0" /></a><br />hot on the needles...new <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cardi</span> for Ms <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Bester</span> (who is still struggling into the one I knit her 4 years ago, age 8 months, and plaintively asking each time when I am <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">going to</span> knit her another...luckily for me she is the patient kind)<br /><br /></div><br />I wasn't quite practising what Tanya preaches down in the park this afternoon I'm afraid, but I excuse myself on the grounds that it's the first time I've picked up my needles since February so I was a tad overexcited...Once this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">overexcitement</span> wears off it'll be straight backed chairs rather than picnic rugs for me, I swear...(as long as I can get a variation on the straight backed chair I can drag along to the park that is)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71xSCDF6_51fdaO-t4Tp-9ZZpW9GB0B53XauuUb4YH2dY3oCaBYENE6YRfyjQBVhJSHiLVUuWP_ySi2uIGj4qGvi3KQZZsXtdrCLYHER_3JDu8fugu37jSUjHNZOYL5CUYHRlnOeGEbAa/s1600-h/annie+in+park+knitting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71xSCDF6_51fdaO-t4Tp-9ZZpW9GB0B53XauuUb4YH2dY3oCaBYENE6YRfyjQBVhJSHiLVUuWP_ySi2uIGj4qGvi3KQZZsXtdrCLYHER_3JDu8fugu37jSUjHNZOYL5CUYHRlnOeGEbAa/s320/annie+in+park+knitting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341738886640988594" border="0" /></a>me, looking grim, I wasn't grim, honestly, I think it is just old age (and bad knitting posture, obviously)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">As you can see the weather here in London is stunning. Our new garden is complete, it only took 13 months hard toil (well, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">erraticly</span> spaced toil I should make plain, with lots of gaps for tea) and so we really are enjoying the mini-heatwave we've been treated to over the past week. Here are some snaps for my dad, who has been badly treated in terms of regular snaps of the work (he is interested in things like this, he used to be a carpenter, and a fine one at that)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7U9TzP3rJWqEWDOTMCKYu_yYfCNf8qCPczwAW0dMP8lzx8CEclJZsxJ7IneWdgIpnxu1ThyNrPZKdQKhyphenhyphenYPmrpgpiInBbGU8Wju4j7ZLnVaFJ7XbcZ-TQlEbplvB8X1UCBu75rpIHn9e2/s1600-h/lovely+garden+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7U9TzP3rJWqEWDOTMCKYu_yYfCNf8qCPczwAW0dMP8lzx8CEclJZsxJ7IneWdgIpnxu1ThyNrPZKdQKhyphenhyphenYPmrpgpiInBbGU8Wju4j7ZLnVaFJ7XbcZ-TQlEbplvB8X1UCBu75rpIHn9e2/s320/lovely+garden+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341739862770696434" border="0" /></a><br />look dad, a patio! some beds! steps! a lawn!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MzIHQjdTDEvUTCCyGjmg8oVcPVZBlH3PqNdLn_yE8vtkUuXCDADP2AKgiaG3GLTV5gyqF51zzQ8rM40SjhaoP2GASrJhXlf9B1CAaCWpE573RztQD6d661cP8VY9L1mViEHvrvE6SJvT/s1600-h/lovely+garden+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MzIHQjdTDEvUTCCyGjmg8oVcPVZBlH3PqNdLn_yE8vtkUuXCDADP2AKgiaG3GLTV5gyqF51zzQ8rM40SjhaoP2GASrJhXlf9B1CAaCWpE573RztQD6d661cP8VY9L1mViEHvrvE6SJvT/s320/lovely+garden+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341738890956840290" border="0" /></a><br />some tired landscape gardeners taking a well deserved rest and glass of bubbly<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2OGlaL6TMKkNTm_GJXRbs6bUoo8xROI4L62-Q3fNLqVlsrdAWGUwRIhyphenhyphenpXQmGp2lltP8BopMWIx4ucAlbsBuk-9zhi-D54ueJhGXNe-Y-CWulmthBYWjSyiipvz1ht9p4IUys86olozG/s1600-h/lovely+garden+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2OGlaL6TMKkNTm_GJXRbs6bUoo8xROI4L62-Q3fNLqVlsrdAWGUwRIhyphenhyphenpXQmGp2lltP8BopMWIx4ucAlbsBuk-9zhi-D54ueJhGXNe-Y-CWulmthBYWjSyiipvz1ht9p4IUys86olozG/s320/lovely+garden+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341738895218033346" border="0" /></a><br />gratuitous shot of the table outside, later that night (I'm riveting dinner company with my camera around my neck I tell you)<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Hope the sun is shining wherever you are...<br /></div>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-57550669800824848002009-05-11T21:34:00.006+01:002009-05-11T22:09:07.410+01:00going and returning...I can't quite believe it has been over a month since I last wrote here, I wonder what to do...should I stop altogether? this blog seems to be the last thing to get attention in my crammed full existence...<span style="font-style: italic;">but I love it</span>...I <span style="font-style: italic;">love</span> the friends I have made...I <span style="font-style: italic;">love</span> the fact that I have somewhere to show my creative endeavours which somehow stimulates me to keep them up (although this has suffered much of late, hence the resounding silence I guess)...I<span style="font-style: italic;"> love</span> the knowledge that there is a little space out there over which I preside, where I can witter to my hearts content and no one can tell me not to...so I guess I'll keep it going for now, but as things remain crazy in my physical domain the posting is likely to be sporadic for a time...I'm sorry about that...<br /><br />things are changing...I am changing...it's interesting and frightening and enlivening and liberating...but that's probably enough to say here, am not quite sure I am ready to share my soul completely...my crafts and other nonsense...absolutely, for sure!<br /><br />so, not much crafting... Mr G flew away to Australia leaving me in sole charge of the smallfry...I did what any sane 40 year old mother of two would do...ran home to daddy!!! luckily I have a wonderful father who put his home and car at my disposal so we three ran amok on the highroads and byroads of the emerald isle. It was blissful.<br /><br />Highlights of the trip:<br /><br />spending Easter with my sister and her family in Co. Kildare...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUd-_fO4HCLcXZyWVq6W5egmswoCqalMrf4VRcwJO6YrGiaojxhY2yFgAX_2W6ssYyOILkCXfkRxyhCO90Rxz3VAvs06z1P31A_W6jKLqLWfRBN-VzU05hk4eVFu9qFeGvpE2Ha9hpajk/s1600-h/japanese+gardens+kildare+-+tea+house.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUd-_fO4HCLcXZyWVq6W5egmswoCqalMrf4VRcwJO6YrGiaojxhY2yFgAX_2W6ssYyOILkCXfkRxyhCO90Rxz3VAvs06z1P31A_W6jKLqLWfRBN-VzU05hk4eVFu9qFeGvpE2Ha9hpajk/s320/japanese+gardens+kildare+-+tea+house.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334673617224123010" border="0" /></a>Visiting the beautiful Japanese Gardens there and watching her two sons play Gaelic Football (<span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> in the Japanese Gardens I hasten to add)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBhjI3f2vfd1HCFGuuLFZro1DoQIJNZkaPaeZv7_8Js_YyJ_3LumszakQ70Ok1eck2JPCBGS1Wlq1Tje-TvNLUuIyZ2Ev4wgXmktFzoeFPlcPzb1YXF3HlyG14fXRcIV0hBH2moh0ebOi/s1600-h/the+curragh+-+gorse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpBhjI3f2vfd1HCFGuuLFZro1DoQIJNZkaPaeZv7_8Js_YyJ_3LumszakQ70Ok1eck2JPCBGS1Wlq1Tje-TvNLUuIyZ2Ev4wgXmktFzoeFPlcPzb1YXF3HlyG14fXRcIV0hBH2moh0ebOi/s320/the+curragh+-+gorse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334673617643572498" border="0" /></a><br />Walking on the gorse covered Curragh and smelling that evocative scent of coconut that magically emanates from those bushes...<br /><br />visiting Fota Wildlife Park with my brother, his wife, one of my gorgeous grown up nephews, his girlfriend and her daughter...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUO9TzmVUjsFWImIBjwGz3tIzmzr0ii5pPPrgvtJvor_G3LJffkq35zvBze7NeEDAN53Ec8m2_hL0vn8_tEJ77Vii7tIoYxn8FZmPzQj3PrJttV7kGyu6Gp-_l2QuZAC815kQ27q2WIpuQ/s1600-h/fota+-+ring+tailed+lemur.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUO9TzmVUjsFWImIBjwGz3tIzmzr0ii5pPPrgvtJvor_G3LJffkq35zvBze7NeEDAN53Ec8m2_hL0vn8_tEJ77Vii7tIoYxn8FZmPzQj3PrJttV7kGyu6Gp-_l2QuZAC815kQ27q2WIpuQ/s320/fota+-+ring+tailed+lemur.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334673606802255170" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">native to Ireland? err, don't think so...<br /><br /><br /></div>Laughing so much with my sister in law that tears were rolling down my face and I nearly had to pull the car over (dad, it's not true, really, I swear)....<br /><br />Being cooked the most amazing curry by another of my gorgeous grown up nephews...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOmxGvZi2KabFXOTjOnNhkoT0l8TMoORWz97wJme34bc-ymt8mnJ3Pl3G9EFkV7fN2B1jZUVExbsxZPWWNv0afH2POqSWO4EhaD3JCt2Tr3D1h-dTZ6oDXDgjRkixHJWvx6-wWo7fmqE/s1600-h/green+saffron+spices.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOmxGvZi2KabFXOTjOnNhkoT0l8TMoORWz97wJme34bc-ymt8mnJ3Pl3G9EFkV7fN2B1jZUVExbsxZPWWNv0afH2POqSWO4EhaD3JCt2Tr3D1h-dTZ6oDXDgjRkixHJWvx6-wWo7fmqE/s320/green+saffron+spices.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334673610235292274" border="0" /></a>btw if you want to know more visit the company Eoin cooks for : <a href="http://www.greensaffron.com/">Green Saffron</a>. Their spices are <span style="font-style: italic;">incredible</span> and I believe they are about to start selling into Selfridges, Harrods and on Portobello Market<br /><br />visiting the beach with my old friend Lisa and spending two hours or more in a beach side playground while the smallfry hung and jumped and swung and we chatted...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAE_2ut_Vj6c5jB-RVXm9xdbq1pQWyxbYr4yGmAC3P23ohBS7sAIdm0MXBkkMelVuiIjdt_AR5XtmmiWv8afysf0ShQ2FFr2U2UazKXFxkqLzmt2FJ0T4Ricu4E34Mhc2PXAtY5CpcROs/s1600-h/eva+-+an+bad.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAE_2ut_Vj6c5jB-RVXm9xdbq1pQWyxbYr4yGmAC3P23ohBS7sAIdm0MXBkkMelVuiIjdt_AR5XtmmiWv8afysf0ShQ2FFr2U2UazKXFxkqLzmt2FJ0T4Ricu4E34Mhc2PXAtY5CpcROs/s320/eva+-+an+bad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334673598596388002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />driving around East Cork where the sky seems bigger than in any other place on earth and the hills do roll and the tiny men who stop you to divert you on country boithrins (roads) tell you "ye're a fine pair of women, have a great day, all fine women deserve that" which stimulates the older of the smallfry to wonder <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span>...for quite some time...<br /><br />visiting the home of my other gorgeous grown up nephew, seeing the beautiful photographs he is working on and being impressed yet again by his talent (and his kindness)...<br /><br />going to Summercove with my father and the girls and sitting on my raincoat on the grass overlooking the water eating apples. Bumping into my sister there by accident and having an impromptu lunch at the pub sitting outside in the sunshine...<br /><br />meeting my four oldest friends for dinner (the "big party this year girls on tour" as Siobhan calls us), getting drunk and planning further 40th birthday celebratory weekends...<br /><br />coming home to find my apple tree had blossomed...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7N51sjDF8f2JOyrb-vTS0WXUiA0AFvWK30gRwRT_G90-cN-otx1p0zkkD7elE6b9CaPzWxdWuHpg91tpKAYPzpSujveHP7B15BsKoi9gvCllcOl1v1g238sqPTFrMeoLkzjjx1_ctuKC/s1600-h/return+from+easter+-+apple+tree+in+bloom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7N51sjDF8f2JOyrb-vTS0WXUiA0AFvWK30gRwRT_G90-cN-otx1p0zkkD7elE6b9CaPzWxdWuHpg91tpKAYPzpSujveHP7B15BsKoi9gvCllcOl1v1g238sqPTFrMeoLkzjjx1_ctuKC/s320/return+from+easter+-+apple+tree+in+bloom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334675807819944178" border="0" /></a><br />hope you have all been well too...Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-77499045911003521812009-04-08T23:22:00.005+01:002009-04-09T07:29:17.616+01:00on growth...and development...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbSqS-3t_spJKMQsMgGZW-necu9u1P0nMmxD2dd6b1U6m1Nv9r4-ti236124TmmFudsC8TDhMPJIcPJgo7QxGLwfKC2EWLL66MUgzd-2LpBEc9fyHi3jBAyT1ai-QX4_APb4-0d3Vxp0/s1600-h/esther+cakes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbSqS-3t_spJKMQsMgGZW-necu9u1P0nMmxD2dd6b1U6m1Nv9r4-ti236124TmmFudsC8TDhMPJIcPJgo7QxGLwfKC2EWLL66MUgzd-2LpBEc9fyHi3jBAyT1ai-QX4_APb4-0d3Vxp0/s320/esther+cakes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322451345573623922" border="0" /></a><br />my baby turned 4...how this happened is beyond me...seems like only yesterday she arrived and brightened up our lives like nothing we could ever have expected...on birthdays I feel so lucky to have her and her sister in my life...apart from anything else I feel lucky that we are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">privileged</span> enough to live in an affluent society...though elements of this affluent capitalist society irritate me beyond belief there is no arguing with the fact that we have plenty to eat, a roof over our heads and wonderful <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">health care</span> should we ever need it...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQ7iIbTZXaSZyjQRqBAYs2IsOStQ5kcb9YK-h_4LnojLqEtN49T8YrhNI0dykVH9RNON6XOvY2-nhBUkBqvJm8SMAgqwTLZPJ2fFIpm23xQ77uOB2OeUyAIlSOX9QnVAEEQh642pVI4Q/s1600-h/esther+is+4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAQ7iIbTZXaSZyjQRqBAYs2IsOStQ5kcb9YK-h_4LnojLqEtN49T8YrhNI0dykVH9RNON6XOvY2-nhBUkBqvJm8SMAgqwTLZPJ2fFIpm23xQ77uOB2OeUyAIlSOX9QnVAEEQh642pVI4Q/s320/esther+is+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322451350988330450" border="0" /></a><br />my baby turning 4 prompted me to think of the kids less fortunate...I don't do this very often as it leads me to a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">dark</span> place full of wondering what sense or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">reason</span> there is in this crazy world where bankers earn millions in bonuses and people starve. Instead I have a fairly <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">innocuous</span> amount of money come out of my bank account once a month...about the amount it would cost to buy two pretty mediocre bottles of wine or 5 super skinny vanilla frappucinno deluxes...and I sponsor a little girl in Paraguay through <a href="http://www.plan-international.org/sponsorshipform/">Plan</a>. I've recently given up alcohol and coffee (in a temporary way!) and so have even less need for pretty mediocre bottles of wine or frappucino deluxes...which means I can now extend my sponsorship to cover <span style="font-style: italic;">two</span> little girls ...which feels right given that I have two little girls of my own, like I am putting something back and helping in a tiny way to redress that awful imbalance...<br /><br />I feel funny telling you about this, I don't think anyone outside my immediate family knows, why should they? it matters only to me really...but as I was browsing<a href="http://www.plan-uk.org/becomeasponsor/"> Plan's website</a> while sorting things out for my new sponsorship this week I noticed that they actively solicit people with websites to link to them...free viral marketing I suppose you would call it in this free market economy...and so I've put a link at the side of this page...I urge you to visit their site, read a bit about the work they do, and make your own judgement...<br /><br />am off to Ireland for a while over Easter...see you when I'm back<br /><br />in the meantime have a very Happy Easter...hope the bunny is good to you!<br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/anne/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-6.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/anne/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-7.jpg" alt="" />Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-13552150078817238742009-04-06T08:42:00.014+01:002009-04-07T08:35:17.658+01:00a log cabin and lots of tea...what could possibly be nicer...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHKn44gVNBkiEqSOOjaOekFVAqPpX_64fjTFuElP-GVSKyloHFsDaI8DQvIKw_1WpciXlRpIGPM-lci62vMbB3MZIV45FiCTAi5syj2ortjLhiYUtQgcLT53zKVQgT1spITXWVZmdOI0/s1600-h/march+2009+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHKn44gVNBkiEqSOOjaOekFVAqPpX_64fjTFuElP-GVSKyloHFsDaI8DQvIKw_1WpciXlRpIGPM-lci62vMbB3MZIV45FiCTAi5syj2ortjLhiYUtQgcLT53zKVQgT1spITXWVZmdOI0/s320/march+2009+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321693488854457554" border="0" /></a><br />doesn't that look strange?<br /></div><br />I was paired with <a href="http://drawglueglittermake.blogspot.com/">Laura</a> for <a href="http://www.blottedcopybook.co.uk/">Vonnie's</a> Time for Tea swap. Laura is a graphic artist (currently looking for a job - GO snap her up - she won't be around for long) and jewellery maker and just look at what she sent me<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rdVb54dIcN47_BniK8SErYbdJsA29RWUFQK6QwePaUF_b3SPE03Oz1ObUeYE8ANJRNWXdgpHCO-sNeXO9iC8KeFaNb_2gF_81Gr_Gfujz2pSi0244PP3R7nGHZUovZQprx8ABjS_pf8/s1600-h/tea+buttons+from+laura.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rdVb54dIcN47_BniK8SErYbdJsA29RWUFQK6QwePaUF_b3SPE03Oz1ObUeYE8ANJRNWXdgpHCO-sNeXO9iC8KeFaNb_2gF_81Gr_Gfujz2pSi0244PP3R7nGHZUovZQprx8ABjS_pf8/s320/tea+buttons+from+laura.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321610421428149154" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">gorgeous buttons...part 1<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBaiohLBOmwJzZh-TjDC5X85EGb0y9Hc_YDFmNJ0dihwUIr7hBQBdz77mbRepAO3FLzbmEPZVkArJIG5cJWkSnEmyVwOVkfyxDoHPWnvuEDhpfirBmcpV7orVHzJJRQfKiXsJfbhHBN8/s1600-h/tea+buttons+from+laura+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 182px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBaiohLBOmwJzZh-TjDC5X85EGb0y9Hc_YDFmNJ0dihwUIr7hBQBdz77mbRepAO3FLzbmEPZVkArJIG5cJWkSnEmyVwOVkfyxDoHPWnvuEDhpfirBmcpV7orVHzJJRQfKiXsJfbhHBN8/s320/tea+buttons+from+laura+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321611688839130738" border="0" /></a><br />gorgeous buttons...part 2<br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94UKKe5odhHo6j81BtEizWoWI31J02g2Z2dBt-PMFpHsnSRcaucb5bmmj5ueL5tnkRxHsln1i6G74AaG0ZTmsI_pKe-CwBes3pJTF850d4blxuVevaC5b9cQnVfbOLiYfxAT-HnH7HTE/s1600-h/tea+print+from+Laura+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94UKKe5odhHo6j81BtEizWoWI31J02g2Z2dBt-PMFpHsnSRcaucb5bmmj5ueL5tnkRxHsln1i6G74AaG0ZTmsI_pKe-CwBes3pJTF850d4blxuVevaC5b9cQnVfbOLiYfxAT-HnH7HTE/s320/tea+print+from+Laura+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321610428276720914" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">fabulous print...part 1<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-PGUf-W3Hx2M7WQU_xzaMM1LCxBR56oopvOZK3syrh7G0HBgI3nDDYdTN2Psng-XT7hGWdtMi0Syp2IKa96ZbN73Rd2JDu1LFzX5RRMNUSS1t1IvwQSLxYzzHt0xlrs5lA4zRuhrqK4/s1600-h/march+2009+150.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-PGUf-W3Hx2M7WQU_xzaMM1LCxBR56oopvOZK3syrh7G0HBgI3nDDYdTN2Psng-XT7hGWdtMi0Syp2IKa96ZbN73Rd2JDu1LFzX5RRMNUSS1t1IvwQSLxYzzHt0xlrs5lA4zRuhrqK4/s320/march+2009+150.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321691039061822626" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">fabulous print...part 2<br /><br />excuse the awful photos of the prints - those dark patches are to do with my less than perfect photography skills, NOT the prints<br /><br /></div></div>there was also some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tiptree</span> jam (love it) and some chocolate...unfortunately one of the parcels Laura sent (yes, I had installments of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">wonderfulness</span> all last week!) got damaged in the post and tea and some other bits and pieces she sent got lost, but still a wonderful swap package I thought. Thanks Laura.<br /><br />I broadened my horizons for this swap and made something I have always wanted myself, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">soya</span> wax candle in a vintage china teacup ...I tell you these are making me damn happy at the moment...<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwiuFg2qBqBhyphenhyphen7xxahQD9yFI33895ET16ObEoPCMTT5YnCCSl4cHTImGgQw4GCTvmGQZw0og2TzDG9SWBgpcnjl6cFOI1yNBeWns2i-hcIbUTRmmnfxFJSbpmr4_aEE6cS2dNXTfRhSg/s1600-h/tea+sent+to+laura.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwiuFg2qBqBhyphenhyphen7xxahQD9yFI33895ET16ObEoPCMTT5YnCCSl4cHTImGgQw4GCTvmGQZw0og2TzDG9SWBgpcnjl6cFOI1yNBeWns2i-hcIbUTRmmnfxFJSbpmr4_aEE6cS2dNXTfRhSg/s320/tea+sent+to+laura.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321691047383278994" border="0" /></a>I have <a href="http://violetposy.co.uk/2008/09/04/fall-nesting-part-3-candle-making/">this tutorial</a> to thank for revealing to me how easy it could be...<br /></div><br />I also made Laura a merino wool <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tea cosy</span> from the yarn Mia gave me for my birthday, in a new variation for me, two by two rib, it may be my favourite so far...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9uoeWhoKer2B__02H21QKdRpSLE3g6Q2dUfjBFPfn2JjuUyqG3Cetln-zCToDH8ffUZfJfneH9pqXxY272PZ0YXj1rokp0AEo_7418AG9JLNKjkcmf9XgHdd_mhrbRSLzS_XwIW8xzk/s1600-h/ribbed+teacosy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9uoeWhoKer2B__02H21QKdRpSLE3g6Q2dUfjBFPfn2JjuUyqG3Cetln-zCToDH8ffUZfJfneH9pqXxY272PZ0YXj1rokp0AEo_7418AG9JLNKjkcmf9XgHdd_mhrbRSLzS_XwIW8xzk/s320/ribbed+teacosy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321485140009309170" border="0" /></a>I sent some rose quartz and green <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">aventurine</span> stones for Laura to play with too<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Great swap. Thanks Laura and Vonnie.<br /></div><br />so to log cabins...have wanted to make a log cabin square forever (at least it feels that way) but been too nervous...project <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">improv</span> forced my hand as the charity square was due last week, and had to be log cabin. I cut the strips the weekend before and happily sat down the night before the deadline, filled with false optimism, thinking maybe I'd manage two or three squares...come midnight I couldn't even see straight, managed to sew a couple of pieces on wrong side out and had a paltry one square to show for all my efforts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5TRadCHUs1jjKE-drEZii9msIF_i2ul3t01RiVQnHCb7gCz_lyTNsYSduXyx4UBFgjJt07pbnkpx2I-nBwSoyKnhAX6xG8Yp-PcUzak-2oFMNlXNRsv-ouzK1MvZWgrdu1EnC1MUyYg/s1600-h/proj+improv+log+cabin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5TRadCHUs1jjKE-drEZii9msIF_i2ul3t01RiVQnHCb7gCz_lyTNsYSduXyx4UBFgjJt07pbnkpx2I-nBwSoyKnhAX6xG8Yp-PcUzak-2oFMNlXNRsv-ouzK1MvZWgrdu1EnC1MUyYg/s320/proj+improv+log+cabin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321611702219094290" border="0" /></a><br />It was a LOT of fun though, and now, finally, I can say I have pieced a log cabin square. I hope there will be many more where that came from as I do love the randomness of the pattern that emerges when you don't think two much about the fabric placement...I <span style="font-style: italic;">like</span> this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Improv</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">isation</span></span> business...it's just my cup of tea...Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-82819214274195264812009-03-29T21:28:00.012+01:002009-03-30T08:54:33.201+01:00I LOVE lunch...and other people's birthdaysin a concession to our new found position as parents of a combined total of <span style="font-style: italic;">six </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">smallfry</span> and the incompatibility of such a situation with late night dinner parties (with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">smallfry</span> in attendance) the <a href="http://overmilkwood.blogspot.com/2008/06/right-on-cue.html">Dinner Circle</a> has recently mutated to Lunch Circle. Inaugural meeting today at the home of my good friends Ms. D and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wolf</span>. The King and Queen of the Dinner Circle, Anna (who totally <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">stupified</span> me by at the initial DC meeting by whipping up from scratch only the damn finest ever chocolate brownies for pudding WHILE we were sitting around the table relaxing after our main course - I tell you - that's a hard act to follow!) and Fraser were there too, along with their adorable new addition, Ms Martha. Cue gratuitous photo of me with Ms M...(cause it's always nice to have a baby photo when you can)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9DT7YrWvaba7aSXvlSNhG5Jgt3ildUT7mtGDoHiW2tOVPOR9gslv-peoiYUyWrl2rIZrXmo8j4E33ov0obv6hVCgTkArUwvOxJNdNkxCSB8UiEv_QyzoflH5gc2_XWHTGvv-f2qpHyU/s1600-h/Anne&martha.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9DT7YrWvaba7aSXvlSNhG5Jgt3ildUT7mtGDoHiW2tOVPOR9gslv-peoiYUyWrl2rIZrXmo8j4E33ov0obv6hVCgTkArUwvOxJNdNkxCSB8UiEv_QyzoflH5gc2_XWHTGvv-f2qpHyU/s320/Anne&martha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318724897811298498" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">though she<span style="font-style: italic;"> is</span> wearing the <a href="http://overmilkwood.blogspot.com/2008/06/right-on-cue.html">kimono <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">cardi</span></a> I knit her so maybe not so gratuitous after all...<br />(aside :: the knit I am sporting is a 20 year old creation by Ms D...I am a cold body and had to snatch it while there...it's an amazing fairisle which has worn incredibly well over the years)<br /></div><br />Ms D claims she has been suffering a dearth of home entertainment opportunities of late and so in a frenzy of making up for lost time presented us with the following ::<br /><br /><ul><li>Jamie Oliver's <a href="http://www.italianchef.com/PrinterFriendly/caponata.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Caponata</span></a> as a starter starter while the kids were tucking into their mini version of our main course (see below) - this alone would have made me thought I'd died and gone to heaven</li><li>Fresh beetroot and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">mozzarella</span> Salad as a starter proper</li><li>Home made tagliatelle (yes, you read that right, the pasta was hanging out in the garden to dry when we arrived - I cursed when I realised I didn't have my camera to hand) with melt in the mouth Lamb Shank and ragout as a main course</li><li>Fig and Almond tart (with thyme...very interesting, not to mention totally delicious) for pudding</li><li>Milk and White Chocolate Easter Egg ring for the kids pudding...somehow I find myself able to vouch for its deliciousness too...hmmm</li></ul>I am telling you all this as the Lunch Circle members demanded a blog entry of their own...happy now folks?!<br /><br />It's Ms D's birthday on Friday (Happy Birthday my darling friend) so I rustled up a little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">soya</span> candle in vintage teacup gift for her...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjYHbuNJViTnZV28-vV7T8Ie4KUMazy74Xy6Z6Rcxf_SjnR-L5_fG9bVz7jDBDfg0lqzK2crn3qVyXX2ZgfPToewNizNLysOb8uqtWRN-sjrORjD_4RkhR4Eio_KVtykbC8FqsO6DPlk/s1600-h/Dagmar's+candle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjYHbuNJViTnZV28-vV7T8Ie4KUMazy74Xy6Z6Rcxf_SjnR-L5_fG9bVz7jDBDfg0lqzK2crn3qVyXX2ZgfPToewNizNLysOb8uqtWRN-sjrORjD_4RkhR4Eio_KVtykbC8FqsO6DPlk/s320/Dagmar's+candle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318724898906227202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />see that cake in the background there... that was only the bloomin' <span style="font-style: italic;">children's </span>pudding (can you tell I am in total awe of people who can bake?)<br /><br /><br />Other other people's birthday news ::<br /><br />I finally sourced the yarn for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Nich's</span> socks (which I mentioned in the last post)...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kjbjsutEYtKJjavCUGaWjKX74Z_Dk-7KrWy4krso17fV-R_lKgw2b9YpFH-Zxl8vsXyerB-v33FY9rwn4ZX4CI_1dK63YT1fnbnbuWefuHFTuI-7WfS31Xvmlph0KNeH-2sjU1pERQk/s1600-h/nich+sock+wool.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kjbjsutEYtKJjavCUGaWjKX74Z_Dk-7KrWy4krso17fV-R_lKgw2b9YpFH-Zxl8vsXyerB-v33FY9rwn4ZX4CI_1dK63YT1fnbnbuWefuHFTuI-7WfS31Xvmlph0KNeH-2sjU1pERQk/s320/nich+sock+wool.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318724904494270962" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">super chunky <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">araucania</span>, in a suitably <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">hippyish</span> hue<br /></div><br />finished <a href="http://christine.typepad.com/knitting/easy-drop-stitch-scarf-pa.html">the dropped stitch scarf</a> for another dear friend's 40<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">th</span> (we are falling like flies I tell ya) - whose name I can't mention in case she reads this blog - made from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">handspun</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">handdyed</span> yarn from Rosalinde the alpaca which I sourced <a href="http://www.thealpacaspinner.co.uk/Pages/Pagesonly/Hand%20Dyed.htm">here</a>...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdx2Xx9qSIgc0inRbaJpKaXQHZpDSVE3cY8xqObI0SjRijrXlQ1GpJO_dp2iTNqa7Fx_lkgOWoohOkmjLUp0NEFHgB3ZBrB15xnJFcNUqhG52t4Mwcq-K5Yj63bMH_Jammt9CNqvTMMwQ/s1600-h/siobhan+scarf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdx2Xx9qSIgc0inRbaJpKaXQHZpDSVE3cY8xqObI0SjRijrXlQ1GpJO_dp2iTNqa7Fx_lkgOWoohOkmjLUp0NEFHgB3ZBrB15xnJFcNUqhG52t4Mwcq-K5Yj63bMH_Jammt9CNqvTMMwQ/s320/siobhan+scarf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318724907095239794" border="0" /></a>the yarn came with some photos of Rosalinde (which my animal mad pal will love) and wrapped in with it were two organza bags full of dried lavender...I tell you that scarf was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">the</span> most relaxing, enjoyable knit I ever had...I was swooning on a cloud of heavenly lavender scent with every stitch...<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">mmmm</span><br /><br />Final installment (I <span style="font-style: italic;">promise!</span>) on my own birthday news ::<br />Lovely, thoughtful, perfect gift from my ex-workmate <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Midori</span> who I met for sushi during the week (random factoid - I managed to get out for Sushi three nights out of six last week, a record, particularly for me...)<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Midori</span> lived for six years in Japan so when she discovered my new found love for Japanese tea knew exactly what to get me...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbF9mgYRFdQwOIbq62x-gLvEd_sDih4A0IrfV6AGWNtIFsLwweYF8miEoPGHJTlqEA5kkD50GxjZH50CSP7En3vzempZ3MpzpNqQVxGARxpQoIKZhQ2C0xtnIeUM18pS5BsTG-gqHJt3w/s1600-h/midori+gift.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbF9mgYRFdQwOIbq62x-gLvEd_sDih4A0IrfV6AGWNtIFsLwweYF8miEoPGHJTlqEA5kkD50GxjZH50CSP7En3vzempZ3MpzpNqQVxGARxpQoIKZhQ2C0xtnIeUM18pS5BsTG-gqHJt3w/s320/midori+gift.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318728912896869938" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Tea Tray with Green Tea Caddy and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Genmaicha</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">isn't that tea caddy simply the most gorgeous ever seen?<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Midori</span>, you ROCK!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I'll be back to show what I made for the Time for Tea swap and my Project Improv log cabin square as soon as I know they are safely delivered. In the meantime enjoy yourselves, whatever you are up to...<br /></div></div>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-77976558863007965442009-03-16T22:26:00.006+00:002009-03-17T08:12:58.154+00:00jammin'...and yarn searchin'so... there I was Saturday night hanging around in the kitchen at the birthday party of this really lovely man I know...drinking, chatting, getting a bit drunk (it's this thing I do at parties)...next thing Mr G introduces me to a pleasant man wearing a nice blue scarf (don't think it was handmade, unfortunately - that would have been really good)...we chatted....it emerged he was ONLY ONE OF MY ALL TIME MUSICAL HEROES...blimey, knock me over with a champagne cork.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBeREFmgvnfUVILiV8Q_M6khP7-4lwV96LZoH_eCcovEALhROOPa3utSOMhLHH_yeMnS6OlEbb-z6pyM0V58FyIEP-3Jc8bUh0KseTXfGTOqk62wegMlDr1_gZ3rIVgCwdYD6TIKm1a8/s1600-h/large_llamas_logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBeREFmgvnfUVILiV8Q_M6khP7-4lwV96LZoH_eCcovEALhROOPa3utSOMhLHH_yeMnS6OlEbb-z6pyM0V58FyIEP-3Jc8bUh0KseTXfGTOqk62wegMlDr1_gZ3rIVgCwdYD6TIKm1a8/s320/large_llamas_logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313924429935327314" border="0" /></a><br />I've loved<a href="http://www.highllamas.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;"> the high llamas</span></a> since I was knee high to a<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High_Llamas"> llama</a> myself (and I suffer a bit from musical amnesia so only those close to me know what a miracle it is for me to even recognise a piece of music <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">nevermind</span> remember who is responsible for it)...believe me when I tell you this man is a genius. Anyway, we chatted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">somemore</span> and then my friend whose birthday it was called us all into the living room where he had gotten his guitar out and had started a singsong. Being the natural shrinking violet that I am I didn't immediately start shaking a jingly shaker in time (NOT) to the music. Nor did I appear to be enjoying it all so much that a random (very sweet) stranger went and found me a tambourine so I could make an even bigger noise. Nor did I then decide it would be a great idea to press gang another poor soul into joining me in an official capacity as backing percussionist up next to the birthday boy who actually has musical ability. Nor were we then joined by the man himself. NOR DID I END UP JAMMING WITH SEAN <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">O'HAGAN</span>.<br /><br />well, er...I did actually. Last Saturday night.<br /><br />Enough of all that, back to the crafting. I am looking for recommendations for a good, bright, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">hippyish</span> variegated chunky yarn (he wants them bright and cheery) to knit these <a href="http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/patterns/archive/2007/05/14/comfy-socks.aspx">socks</a> for my friend <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Nich</span> who so nicely requested some in exchange for the "1 Hand Knitted Item Of Your Choice" voucher I rather lamely presented him with for his birthday.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4dHlB0qVxUdEItcdYuoEhAuMquzmtAfXYBDyjCc5wjG_-1Z-Dy_F3-rrrUuZjNApV6YCwK4R4LF2WAEcQPo6-F75P6Zsx1ythFVt2c1KC4ki437DdOFfRttRVFHf0IlGMRWZTeZww40/s1600-h/Comfy_Socks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp4dHlB0qVxUdEItcdYuoEhAuMquzmtAfXYBDyjCc5wjG_-1Z-Dy_F3-rrrUuZjNApV6YCwK4R4LF2WAEcQPo6-F75P6Zsx1ythFVt2c1KC4ki437DdOFfRttRVFHf0IlGMRWZTeZww40/s320/Comfy_Socks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313924439859295906" border="0" /></a>Your recommendations, please...(all the ones on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ravelry</span> seem to be done in yarns more easily available in the US)Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-77313102212489845222009-03-09T21:33:00.008+00:002009-03-10T08:10:16.642+00:00feeling happy...and Project Improvafter all my wailing and gnashing of teeth yesterday <a href="http://www.blottedcopybook.co.uk/time-for-tea-update/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">vonnie</span></a> found me a partner for the time for tea swap (many thanks <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">m'dear</span>) so I can breathe again...imagine if I'd been left out of that one...doesn't bear thinking about...phew!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkqwZZo8E_cuG1ZHn3sQwlGwCZhNQhQaKnjPGYTj2b23IGACLaqOdJi7rU4dK8TNFs0_NUey1rblY6KyoFhu-Hs8O59m1Imc8FhyphenhyphenPuW_20h5AmF5yYOVjo6PBSQaZiQvyVmxrDBk1fn8/s1600-h/timefortea.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjkqwZZo8E_cuG1ZHn3sQwlGwCZhNQhQaKnjPGYTj2b23IGACLaqOdJi7rU4dK8TNFs0_NUey1rblY6KyoFhu-Hs8O59m1Imc8FhyphenhyphenPuW_20h5AmF5yYOVjo6PBSQaZiQvyVmxrDBk1fn8/s320/timefortea.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311309610652788898" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I'm swapping with the equally tea-obsessed <a href="http://drawglueglittermake.blogspot.com/">Laura</a> ...looking forward to this one immensely<br /></div><br />I've been noticing this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ProjectImprov</span> thing around <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">blogland</span> of late...I stumbled upon the source today and lo and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">behold</span> the lovely <a href="http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/2009/01/project-improv-wont-you-join-me.html">Jacquelyn</a> who is the brain behind the operation tells me I am not too late to join<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnddfgT4vfzKyeTWZbsTykrBmLtpKxO_ZgBgcnusNwEQVdzFmBXQviyOw2-jb8pkXXSA-RjariEqPz0s8h_v13qdYBwvaON5-R3vCSgFYEDSqxtANz89AbRdme7RVCs1yNufN4mq8mbt8/s1600-h/project+improv.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnddfgT4vfzKyeTWZbsTykrBmLtpKxO_ZgBgcnusNwEQVdzFmBXQviyOw2-jb8pkXXSA-RjariEqPz0s8h_v13qdYBwvaON5-R3vCSgFYEDSqxtANz89AbRdme7RVCs1yNufN4mq8mbt8/s320/project+improv.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311309598229712114" border="0" /></a><br />read more about the ideas behind <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">improv</span> over at <a href="http://tallgrassprairiestudio.blogspot.com/2009/01/project-improv-wont-you-join-me.html">Jacquelyn's blog</a>...to me it's a wonderful idea...gets me loosening up and sewing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">improv</span>-y (not that much I do is non-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">improv</span>-y but I do tend to hit a bit of a brick wall with patchwork) and also results in some quilts (which I am sure will be stupendous) for charity. It's a year long thing so plenty of time to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">improv</span> (or even improve!) though the blocks for the charity quilts need to be done by April 1st<br /><br />Jackie at <a href="http://cvquiltworks.blogspot.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">CantonVillage</span></a> has volunteered her services to do the actual quilting...the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">generousity</span> of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">blogfolk</span> never ceases to amaze me...<br /><br />you know what, it's not to late to join in...<br /><br />and now, just for my sister who asked so nicely...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dkRDo2dqgdkPmSqn3-70mgZvC-iKJCtEotBmiiaKCpd2RXTePoDtOk0jWD3S3V3F_dDnW9Tg-OL_uyXHiCGJ9-HuWtAxTjQjpq8lVQQNg-a3QYQq7gkRUpVFf1QKYV2kUD2BOOGMUw0/s1600-h/anne+and+garin+a+dancin%27.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dkRDo2dqgdkPmSqn3-70mgZvC-iKJCtEotBmiiaKCpd2RXTePoDtOk0jWD3S3V3F_dDnW9Tg-OL_uyXHiCGJ9-HuWtAxTjQjpq8lVQQNg-a3QYQq7gkRUpVFf1QKYV2kUD2BOOGMUw0/s320/anne+and+garin+a+dancin%27.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311309613315659698" border="0" /></a> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">me'n'him</span> doing our own <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">projectimprov</span><br />(I don't look that much like a Romulan...<span style="font-style: italic;">do I?</span>)<br /></div>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-3341538133329161062009-03-08T08:53:00.012+00:002009-03-08T12:03:28.608+00:00the owls have landed...and other ramblings...apologies for long absence, this <span style="font-style: italic;">being 40</span> lark is very tiring. There were parties (well, one) to arrange, new <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">hairdos</span> to dream up* , vintage frocks to dust off...you know the sort of thing. All that, added to very stressful work schedule and the exhaustion that comes with being a woman of such advanced years rendered me incapable of doing anything other than collapsing into bed with the kids on a nightly basis thus making impossible the night-time art of blogging (or indeed crafting - I am starting to have withdrawal symptoms if I am honest) However here I am, Sunday breakfast time, having already shrieked at the children that Mummy has been wanting to do this for over two weeks and she HAS TO DO IT NOW in such a way that they didn't argue, not even once...<br /><br />So, to my lovely swap partners whose swap parcels I received weeks ago and never reported on, I say a meek <span style="font-style: italic;">sorry</span><br /><br />but look, just look, at the lovelies I got in the post...<br /><br />first up, from the wonderful <a href="http://www.blottedcopybook.co.uk/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">vonnie</span></a># in Scotland...in <a href="http://meridianariel.blogspot.com/2009/01/owl-swap_07.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">MeridianAriel's</span></a> Owl swap<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GJ5CNVyhnT3d6-jl0yFl6v2LW7bONQRSYR3U-P4Qhe6zrZ_u3H3HSmRELnYEEyt3CIIsk0XBV3zJliPvAWX0JYEB1NkZewF-efD9c5Xjp0NU8V4hvRWsx7ZIvVkkJual-TbbcALlI40/s1600-h/owl+swap+wrapped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GJ5CNVyhnT3d6-jl0yFl6v2LW7bONQRSYR3U-P4Qhe6zrZ_u3H3HSmRELnYEEyt3CIIsk0XBV3zJliPvAWX0JYEB1NkZewF-efD9c5Xjp0NU8V4hvRWsx7ZIvVkkJual-TbbcALlI40/s320/owl+swap+wrapped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310748630134728578" border="0" /></a><br />such beautifully wrapped parcels - almost couldn't bring myself to open them they looked so special...but am glad I managed it because<span style="font-style: italic;"> look</span> what was inside...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBohhLh_PUDLPssYTBQIxaEJBXR8BOdFP-m1f7_LIomplcTL4RQLB9DBP22ZokHBHUoD5_sk-IU12QqcJEshY9D22mk28rJWM7Ido83-LW3o7CeadgVigAEeETtdSYUJL9P6O73gH9Vk/s1600-h/owl+stitch+holders.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBohhLh_PUDLPssYTBQIxaEJBXR8BOdFP-m1f7_LIomplcTL4RQLB9DBP22ZokHBHUoD5_sk-IU12QqcJEshY9D22mk28rJWM7Ido83-LW3o7CeadgVigAEeETtdSYUJL9P6O73gH9Vk/s320/owl+stitch+holders.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310749454879750354" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">owl stitch markers, can you believe that?!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMRTVfGRYlRimjnhJ7dI23lkXXIkFdfXHpOgGIeONjuusmjV2u0Cv9iBUCJMwgvZyhOp47khVE_lO7SS1p2tXyG65j6WQdcHwhpK3qFVDHeAYkMU98ug6A5biFynTQzG4ck4i9zfgP0U/s1600-h/owl+knitting+bag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMRTVfGRYlRimjnhJ7dI23lkXXIkFdfXHpOgGIeONjuusmjV2u0Cv9iBUCJMwgvZyhOp47khVE_lO7SS1p2tXyG65j6WQdcHwhpK3qFVDHeAYkMU98ug6A5biFynTQzG4ck4i9zfgP0U/s320/owl+knitting+bag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310749175873124562" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">an owl bag for my knitting, in the most scrumptious shade of orange<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zDxzXL8kuxLUqdA91WwGo_gl6y6745NUpCoQrefx50ZUr3Ut8r3iOLLpIBLLoQYYzr8Nq1QWreboQNnZKO2_YTSqHYJ-HDJlqPp8Zap9w5TG5ZiG7CmG_0g4mlAScFbpwO1XvY7oo-8/s1600-h/owl+mitts.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zDxzXL8kuxLUqdA91WwGo_gl6y6745NUpCoQrefx50ZUr3Ut8r3iOLLpIBLLoQYYzr8Nq1QWreboQNnZKO2_YTSqHYJ-HDJlqPp8Zap9w5TG5ZiG7CmG_0g4mlAScFbpwO1XvY7oo-8/s320/owl+mitts.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310749449744792258" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">owl mitts (incredible eh?)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEo64Si2_tRi51QMTzqXNWXJv13O6MN_ogWRnQ71891Yg5oEC6AjoSkD0LcS5qximTxAJhmYfGxIKbNPmx6c8Bh_W0HVTqmyzIL-dVRGx5JzdN2nhyAdcZ4Ds951yeaBrlyWhzbkH96fI/s1600-h/owl+knitwear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEo64Si2_tRi51QMTzqXNWXJv13O6MN_ogWRnQ71891Yg5oEC6AjoSkD0LcS5qximTxAJhmYfGxIKbNPmx6c8Bh_W0HVTqmyzIL-dVRGx5JzdN2nhyAdcZ4Ds951yeaBrlyWhzbkH96fI/s320/owl+knitwear.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310748619311974066" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">AND</span> matching beanie hat<br /></div><br />there were also some little nesting wooden shapes for me to decorate which one or other <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">smallfry</span> has managed to away with, for now...and some delicious <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Jaffa</span> Cakes.<br /><br />I felt <span style="font-style: italic;">thoroughly</span> spoilt. It was lovely!<br /><br />Vonnie had told me how much she loved the Owl and the Pussycat story<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLeotBUDeIT2EK8oiRrxhiVKvVucNZhFuELegfJ8bWAuoazEcjv9npVynTRdILcURtkiFN7GtQVXSkv83-1f7QedUnbCXhgzwdfAR3K1W4WMHZwqI4RQhPQRhW50xuMrjHzRnjBUY6Ek/s1600-h/owl+and+pussycat+cushions.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLeotBUDeIT2EK8oiRrxhiVKvVucNZhFuELegfJ8bWAuoazEcjv9npVynTRdILcURtkiFN7GtQVXSkv83-1f7QedUnbCXhgzwdfAR3K1W4WMHZwqI4RQhPQRhW50xuMrjHzRnjBUY6Ek/s320/owl+and+pussycat+cushions.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310749166243472098" border="0" /></a>so I made her some soft toys/cushions to remember the tale by<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXI_kOY6tBe-vi4wNLB7TwdW-hAWn0SQ7H83stPkSVebFWdaehFq3YlQ6B4M2rrjmwDVkaeVZZ-8R1L6guiaEsGj8OslEwPANaQewya4_Y1w548BKfWZH7EiQHFw2qgcfeLxuhxk7_JM/s1600-h/owl+and+pussycat+cushions+back.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXI_kOY6tBe-vi4wNLB7TwdW-hAWn0SQ7H83stPkSVebFWdaehFq3YlQ6B4M2rrjmwDVkaeVZZ-8R1L6guiaEsGj8OslEwPANaQewya4_Y1w548BKfWZH7EiQHFw2qgcfeLxuhxk7_JM/s320/owl+and+pussycat+cushions+back.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310749173362050594" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I also sent some yarn, some chocolate and some lush stuff for her bath so I hope she felt she got a somewhat fair swap . The girls were loathe to let the owl and pussycat go, which is always a good sign I think.<br /><br />In <a href="http://imagingermonkey.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-year-mix-up-your-stash-bit-swap.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Imagingermonkey's</span></a> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">FQ</span> swap I was teamed up with the lovely <a href="http://mrsschmenkmanquilts.wordpress.com/">Amy</a>. I forgot to photograph what I sent her (things have been hectic, didn't I say?) but you can see them <a href="http://mrsschmenkmanquilts.wordpress.com/2009/02/18/logged-out/">here</a>. Amy, obviously telepathic as well as extremely generous, included some gorgeous owl fabric in her parcel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxalziS34IsHXDrNEK-mUvF1RSR4-4hdFYpET7t3B9sPLtsKScq2x_FAQ4s_FxzTnF3xEBRHQNtEXR2A5D1Xno-cuiU97zJa5kawjq8FFgVH3qnuUbe1U06wQEf7kGqgwcyRwfJQ959cs/s1600-h/FQ+swap.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxalziS34IsHXDrNEK-mUvF1RSR4-4hdFYpET7t3B9sPLtsKScq2x_FAQ4s_FxzTnF3xEBRHQNtEXR2A5D1Xno-cuiU97zJa5kawjq8FFgVH3qnuUbe1U06wQEf7kGqgwcyRwfJQ959cs/s320/FQ+swap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310749160988078482" border="0" /></a>Along with other great fabric choices, some rather smashing ribbons and a bar of delicious chocolate.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGXJV1YWBt_p6qvkJJKduT2JP5PqVZ6dM9NU71wcyjFboI_j559BoHCQAWhmjLxEQyftfFrK8xezYfYMfd5XmPSUYEqPwy1sMH8m4LM0jjFaphmczMgcXqGCDPLPwykBy1DKHazQzVqo/s1600-h/FQ+swap+extras.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGXJV1YWBt_p6qvkJJKduT2JP5PqVZ6dM9NU71wcyjFboI_j559BoHCQAWhmjLxEQyftfFrK8xezYfYMfd5XmPSUYEqPwy1sMH8m4LM0jjFaphmczMgcXqGCDPLPwykBy1DKHazQzVqo/s320/FQ+swap+extras.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310748639217787602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Hmm</span>, did I mention feeling spoilt?<br /><br />Thank you to my brilliant (and patient) swap partners.<br /><br />The feeling of being well looked after continued with the plethora of truly wonderful, thoughtful birthday gifts I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">received</span> during the week, including more yarn, a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">cath</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">kidston</span> sewing basket, vouchers for my local yarn store, tea related recipe books, a retro pinny, fabulous vintage lamp and vase, gorgeous <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">jewellery</span> etc etc etc. As if all of this wasn't enough, I was also gifted not one but TWO spa days where I get to go and be pampered and lay about in hot rooms a lot with my very best friends. I have one word to say and it is...Hallelujah!<br /><br />I highly recommend this turning 40 business. Now if only I could get away with doing it again...<br /><br />*at work they have accused me of being inspired by Star Trek in the hairdo department...it's very Romulan apparantly, I have no idea whether this is good or bad but the boys seem to have enjoyed themselves tittering... hmmph<br /><br /># just visited vonnies blog and am GUTTED to discover she is running a time for tea swap and I have missed the closing date. So that's what I get for letting work and celebrations of the inexorable march of time take over my blogging time. Lesson learnt!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Editted to add - can't believe I neglected to say THANK YOU for all your lovely happy birthday comments on the last post. What wonderful blogger friends you are. And thanks also to those who have given my blog awards over the past months. I really appreciate them and will do a post about them soon...I promise...</span>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-15511598577767605972009-02-22T20:46:00.004+00:002009-02-22T21:08:26.065+00:00greetings from beyond the hill...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOPUSe-f8T9rnHQCwZv4rB3vxnpwMGpu6PNNYLbKk30Sxx4mHCNOpsMsKHjpPGG1kBfuaamLAO0OjmomEkTXYgbgFY1pJkmziX3OCgMhyphenhyphen1uyvlMKeoafS_QmFaHIUcilZJiDBqFPs8rw/s1600-h/verbiers+-+peppermint+tea+in+milk+bar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 279px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOPUSe-f8T9rnHQCwZv4rB3vxnpwMGpu6PNNYLbKk30Sxx4mHCNOpsMsKHjpPGG1kBfuaamLAO0OjmomEkTXYgbgFY1pJkmziX3OCgMhyphenhyphen1uyvlMKeoafS_QmFaHIUcilZJiDBqFPs8rw/s320/verbiers+-+peppermint+tea+in+milk+bar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305728531674355106" border="0" /></a><br />so, I find myself landed on the other side of a significant birthday. The significant number is divisible by 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20 and... ahem...40. Cor blimey, how did this come to pass? I ask myself (and anyone else who'll listen)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElCgvLEG4dCuyvQYsxH3eVynj2rqUSSGRexjIAsMNiHOs-9vwYchQZ8Nbzj0J7tOP8AE_IAQ-J_FuPguADxumS7t90ye0yhXVXvCbpx5OOasIAN1HobY1xB3yhCX3SCAy41X7BVtWBnE/s1600-h/birthday+breakfast.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElCgvLEG4dCuyvQYsxH3eVynj2rqUSSGRexjIAsMNiHOs-9vwYchQZ8Nbzj0J7tOP8AE_IAQ-J_FuPguADxumS7t90ye0yhXVXvCbpx5OOasIAN1HobY1xB3yhCX3SCAy41X7BVtWBnE/s320/birthday+breakfast.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305728531225720338" border="0" /></a>beautiful japanese teapot and tea bowls from my sister Catherine...crazy birthday brunch by moi<br /></div><br />Not being content with going over the hill metaphorically I headed to the Alps to mark the occasion more literally. It was a wonderful idea, would recommend it to anyone. I played in the snow, drank plenty of tea and ruminated on the state of things (as you do when you reach this sort of age).<br /><br />Will be back (once the shock has worn off properly) to share details of beautiful owlish swaps and some fat quarters that made their way to me from stateside.<br /><br />Until then...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9fMVUvBZV1OOTWV6kpaq0ufkWiZBjE4szgUWfGO1zv34oxxRjktx5uTI5eY69nZwXtPhw_YZ4QzTiW-oIncLVWSzuWnxh_DxdNMUIwD6JfbjywrPFz4Nmq68XEYmOJnb-TlmyBvkWXM/s1600-h/teapot+from+nich.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 305px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9fMVUvBZV1OOTWV6kpaq0ufkWiZBjE4szgUWfGO1zv34oxxRjktx5uTI5eY69nZwXtPhw_YZ4QzTiW-oIncLVWSzuWnxh_DxdNMUIwD6JfbjywrPFz4Nmq68XEYmOJnb-TlmyBvkWXM/s320/teapot+from+nich.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305728526536547106" border="0" /></a>another gorgeous teapot, birthday gift from my lovely friend Nich (he of <a href="http://overmilkwood.blogspot.com/2008/04/tales-from-white-coated-and-safety.html">teacosy fame</a> - discern a subtle theme?)...can a girl (ooops, sorry, woman of a certain age) ever have too many tea making accoutrements? I sincerely doubt it...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmNcXZBjzPp_cWhzOVR8CjnFWkqCkzkqRwzgFWKAFqpUNU2zAtJijepFXYne7MS4UYZUnqNfM8G89_u6Rx20SFSGJHApUygYfojFVHTVLmUYfZ36RqohrwQxsbYIVt3IawvbvqWgkz7E/s1600-h/from+mia+-+lovely+wool.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmNcXZBjzPp_cWhzOVR8CjnFWkqCkzkqRwzgFWKAFqpUNU2zAtJijepFXYne7MS4UYZUnqNfM8G89_u6Rx20SFSGJHApUygYfojFVHTVLmUYfZ36RqohrwQxsbYIVt3IawvbvqWgkz7E/s320/from+mia+-+lovely+wool.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305728513604155538" border="0" /></a>beautiful italian yarn, another lovely birthday gift courtesy of my colleague Mia with whom I have recently set up the (two strong) "work knitting club". I feel some tea cosies coming on, or maybe a bobble hat...<br /><br />ps new all time favourite tea - <span style="font-style: italic;">Genmaicha</span> - mmmmmm...mmm. Thanks Cath!<br /><br />XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXAnnie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-18696157555057973822009-02-03T12:41:00.007+00:002009-02-03T23:05:09.774+00:00london at a standstill...a kimono for Martha...some slippers for some feetwe had some snow...it brought the country to its knees...apparantly 6 million people couldn't get to work yesterday...that's some "duvet day"! those of you used to snow must be hysterical with laughter...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvFTawwJA4FNVgfStKFyHzETrMrmRwcZFTIgpY3S71Rpjb5A0INEW4J25djJDgoeElZqJMhF_VY3NIaeGeaoSuJLIDfisNlKi0ncpmIV6pqzUg93CyQwbL8Hg9swrDHsRmMcy3s-gnck/s1600-h/london+snow+feb+09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvFTawwJA4FNVgfStKFyHzETrMrmRwcZFTIgpY3S71Rpjb5A0INEW4J25djJDgoeElZqJMhF_VY3NIaeGeaoSuJLIDfisNlKi0ncpmIV6pqzUg93CyQwbL8Hg9swrDHsRmMcy3s-gnck/s320/london+snow+feb+09.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298554736286403890" border="0" /></a>a street junction just up from my house...<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhLFGcHvnTh47O7D0dykUna-u_46WggtOZ_D4hY8Jyp2f5MZmhKgMNXlN4FBZAOzT2sitm5hyrR_ch1iv2c5JBQ0ztH1JEpBCeBAchMGS7gUrRwGD2NjuMPn85aTs1lZHSf0-rR4Bn9Q/s1600-h/hungry+birds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhLFGcHvnTh47O7D0dykUna-u_46WggtOZ_D4hY8Jyp2f5MZmhKgMNXlN4FBZAOzT2sitm5hyrR_ch1iv2c5JBQ0ztH1JEpBCeBAchMGS7gUrRwGD2NjuMPn85aTs1lZHSf0-rR4Bn9Q/s320/hungry+birds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298554732019099874" border="0" /></a>the bird house in our back garden...<br /><br /></div> poor birds must be having a rotten time...mind you we ran out of bird food so they got to enjoy some of my organic super omega wonder food seed mix (at a cost of approximately 10 pence per seed I reckon)...I hope they enjoyed it<br /><br />there were people snowboarding and skiing (yes, really) in the central London park down the road from where we live (while my kids descended the hill on a small tin tray which they had to fight over...poor sods)<br /><br />I had my laptop at home so was able to work from there...this is my favourite bit about working from home...mmmm, proper breakfast...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mw8HCfruNSdV2Xr8jBBedl3SDN8oPs6fDqIuK3TRlMFOfMhecGegzs1fXoXrfwqwJ_xOh3b9q02AVbK6B35nLsy3iscOJNxloCAuiFsxtVcFgSL3g-1EtocIR_piyx7-YbI1YQeEjKk/s1600-h/things+I+love+about+working+from+home.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mw8HCfruNSdV2Xr8jBBedl3SDN8oPs6fDqIuK3TRlMFOfMhecGegzs1fXoXrfwqwJ_xOh3b9q02AVbK6B35nLsy3iscOJNxloCAuiFsxtVcFgSL3g-1EtocIR_piyx7-YbI1YQeEjKk/s320/things+I+love+about+working+from+home.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298554735282034290" border="0" /></a><br />other news... my good friends (fellow campers and dinner circle founder members) Anna and Fraser had themselves a bonny baby girl...as is my wont I had to indulge my love of knitting baby kimono cardis with this result...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0M7PlO3e4E2i-3FPWm4cDsnWkaB1aFp1zCswYqnBsfNumAXNPrXGdkbxOzVr6bLutlq1X74GIaaFybYfOJLZ4qm-8e9_HGNVXz8t0v2Wc9tCiTHvQNUvfvRz-TTrCG76e36yvyXp0Wpw/s1600-h/feb+09+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0M7PlO3e4E2i-3FPWm4cDsnWkaB1aFp1zCswYqnBsfNumAXNPrXGdkbxOzVr6bLutlq1X74GIaaFybYfOJLZ4qm-8e9_HGNVXz8t0v2Wc9tCiTHvQNUvfvRz-TTrCG76e36yvyXp0Wpw/s320/feb+09+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298554735304346402" border="0" /></a><br />NORO Cash Iroha yarn - silk, cashmere and merino - yum yum yum<br /><br />(I made a change to the pattern this time and only put one button - I like it)<br /><br />(that little Martha is fairly scrummy too I can tell you - was <span style="font-style: italic;">nearly</span> tempted until I remembered I'll be 40 next week and more nappies might just hasten my end...) (can't believe I just shared that particular piece of info)<br /><br />(what's with all the brackets?)<br /><br />(must be imminent senility)<br /><br />and finally, a visual update on the now felted slippers...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQZxy_E0aln4gpcaprY3BFXyNU9MkzfbWBp9Rd2wTgKycDG6dIc3L4cXTPG86OVExpeshf1EdJGB_6js8TRrrrcZq7GcWBkPR8a-POCzsTcfkZ7lwj96lbb9-cEyWsYD35YA1pSyFvRc/s1600-h/felted+slippers+blue+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQZxy_E0aln4gpcaprY3BFXyNU9MkzfbWBp9Rd2wTgKycDG6dIc3L4cXTPG86OVExpeshf1EdJGB_6js8TRrrrcZq7GcWBkPR8a-POCzsTcfkZ7lwj96lbb9-cEyWsYD35YA1pSyFvRc/s320/felted+slippers+blue+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298554732473118626" border="0" /></a><br />sweet huh?Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-18754257731451380232009-01-13T14:26:00.006+00:002009-01-13T14:47:03.255+00:00knitting 101...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDlTCkgl3YGcUVyErMsVdQm631oIkseD_C7QkDaxwL_Ko5_Dte0QaTCGpYR62lWr88_hyphenhyphentqf23rcDkTXbBOtObdlTe8mbCWRQHHDwRq1BveIM-HN7DH0J0L5OzOzApAhcLTpwPNSsvnA/s1600-h/knitting+101+eva.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDlTCkgl3YGcUVyErMsVdQm631oIkseD_C7QkDaxwL_Ko5_Dte0QaTCGpYR62lWr88_hyphenhyphentqf23rcDkTXbBOtObdlTe8mbCWRQHHDwRq1BveIM-HN7DH0J0L5OzOzApAhcLTpwPNSsvnA/s320/knitting+101+eva.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290788097586397010" border="0" /></a><br />Ms Reva's first attempt - she is 6 now, I thought it time she learned. Very even and neat I reckon. Though it may take a while to make a scarf, even if it's just for a teddy bear...<br />She chose the wool herself at our local yarn store. She is such a great kid, she always surprises me with her choices. Moss green. Beautiful.<br /><br />Meanwhile, plundering the archives somewhat, here is my own first attempt, from back when I was six myself. Taught by the nuns at school and my mum at home I managed to concoct this, ahem, fine pencil case.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulrIXDZGrb9_zhyphenhyphen03T6qE969El0l3WPRaonSOwlUSXOl4KvZ7ZZJnwdOIzHsaRsMVDx1Lasd9TZsO0lFax9MW_3-1UvKTJ54iQrdfXTF5_LVpO9mg3hRS1kPXXRhjteK-HEOFANVa9Uo/s1600-h/knitting+101+anne.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulrIXDZGrb9_zhyphenhyphen03T6qE969El0l3WPRaonSOwlUSXOl4KvZ7ZZJnwdOIzHsaRsMVDx1Lasd9TZsO0lFax9MW_3-1UvKTJ54iQrdfXTF5_LVpO9mg3hRS1kPXXRhjteK-HEOFANVa9Uo/s320/knitting+101+anne.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290788103431191074" border="0" /></a>(spot the original 70s trebor sweet wrapper peeping out through the zipper - now you know what I really carried to school each day)<br /><br /></div>My knitting, far less even than Ms Reva's though it was, actually garnered me a prize : something similar to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scapular_of_Our_Lady_of_Mount_Carmel">this</a> (believe it or not). I still remember walking up to the top of the classroom to the presiding nun and being presented with it. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Still don't really.<br /><br />My mum kept that pencil case in her knitting bag all these years and my sister found it in her attic last year - mothers, aren't they a marvel?!<br /><br />Meanwhile, this is what's on my needles at the moment:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn54EfMakwiDjzI3Qr5U3A8bsjaFpQThCYjX1vlPvEJSN7lak0qhvKWEySN7HZYiAUJw5Bu697BNH-uo2yZipTHeRJ-PcWnzouavnsziGU2Qj4b8jHRk9QfGdBRgOebdkdgQw4r90Ms6U/s1600-h/WIP+slippers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn54EfMakwiDjzI3Qr5U3A8bsjaFpQThCYjX1vlPvEJSN7lak0qhvKWEySN7HZYiAUJw5Bu697BNH-uo2yZipTHeRJ-PcWnzouavnsziGU2Qj4b8jHRk9QfGdBRgOebdkdgQw4r90Ms6U/s320/WIP+slippers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290788108532929090" border="0" /></a>What the heck is that I hear you shriek. Why slippers of course (well, one slipper at least) for Ms Reva. To be felted. Lime green ones to follow for her sister. Once I find my needles again that is...(what IS it with me and needles?)<br /><br />PS I've volunteered to run an after school art club at the girls school. We are meeting to discuss the plans tomorrow. If you have any great ideas for activities to inspire a group of kids aged 6-11 over a 6 week block period let me know. For some reason (am suffering a god awful lurgy to be precise) my inspiration is somewhat dry today...Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-64879216289730058252009-01-05T21:52:00.005+00:002009-01-05T22:38:54.307+00:00wishing you a sweet and happy new year...a colleague of mine introduced me to the Jewish tradition of apples dipped in honey at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rosh</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hashanah</span> in order to symbolically invite sweet things for the year to come. Being a bit of a magpie when it comes to appealing customs and rituals I brought this one home and shared it with the kids and Mr G way back then (October, was it?). When it came to the recent New Year's Eve Ms Reva, she of the amazing memory and attention to detail not to mention adoration of all things ritualistic (now, where <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> she get that from I wonder?) asked when we would be doing the apple and honey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">thang</span>. With yours truly around she didn't need to ask twice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqHzmYM17W7czLmxvyK9VG27pbOqAGmdk0HSHbDJbQ-loJK7QvE-g2l48qmtCVgX8iIbxACQAVg3xFxJoJoB4Y3YL81XfMI1gZydqiYfamh85AIZDhA3vrJatqwT6EHTdO6qfSg3FPj4/s1600-h/xmas+08+059.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqHzmYM17W7czLmxvyK9VG27pbOqAGmdk0HSHbDJbQ-loJK7QvE-g2l48qmtCVgX8iIbxACQAVg3xFxJoJoB4Y3YL81XfMI1gZydqiYfamh85AIZDhA3vrJatqwT6EHTdO6qfSg3FPj4/s320/xmas+08+059.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287939099238723378" border="0" /></a> There being no reason not to we adopted it in for our (non-Jewish New Year) New Year's Day brunch. We wished for sweet things for 2009 and that's my wish for you too. Have a great 2009, wherever you are. Honey coated or not.<br /><br />(The brunch was great too...apples and honey, home made pancakes, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, bagels, cream cheese, croissants, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bonne</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">maman</span> jam, lashings of tea and copious amounts of coffee from Mr G's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">xmas</span> pressie espresso maker. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Mmmm</span>, now that's a custom that has taken firm root <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">chez</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">milkwood</span>...)<br /><br />I've been absent a lot of late. Real life has got me in its grips and is squeezing me tight. Work is busier than ever, the kids are growing and seem to need more rather than less of me. It's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">ok</span>, it's just taken me a bit by surprise. Ms <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Bester</span> starts nursery at BIG SCHOOL next week and I can feel her quiet trepidation. Ms Reva is back to school tomorrow after an illness blighted Xmas and I can <span style="font-style: italic;">hear</span> her not-so-quiet feelings on the subject!<br /><br />I did quite a bit of knitting coming up to December 25<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">th</span> though, some of which has been passed to its recipients and can be shown.<br /><br />My dad had some health issues last year, which he has met head on (as he does everything in life, amazing chap my dad) and now walks an hour or so early each morning. I walked his daily route with him on my last visit, riverside in Co. Cork. Every day I think of him taking his constitutional and so this Xmas when faced with the dilemma of what to get the man who needs nothing and wants less I decided to knit him a scarf to wear while walking. A <a href="http://douma.net/Karen/knitting/Accessory-Scarves/Multidirectional_Diagonal_Scarf.htm">multi-directional diagonal scarf</a> to be precise. There were a couple of nerve wracking days waiting for the sumptuous <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Noro</span> Silk Garden to arrive but arrive it did and soon those needles were clicking and clacking on the bus, in the doctors waiting room, at Ms Reva's Xmas carol concert, on my bike (oh no, actually I didn't go quite that far) and he received his parcel a little after the big day (I blame the Irish Post!).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ltNQ488FskAPyL8e9_2m_lShq2OXsdZpZmSsVny2mFFfsuA2QEH9i-zkO34TsK1oCIg4P4jF6iqhtFDGy1jn0s9JOtwTPzJT_XX8f95mZOENtbQPF4ZCFsw1bWpD4afGFTXDHvSDEfU/s1600-h/dad+scarf+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ltNQ488FskAPyL8e9_2m_lShq2OXsdZpZmSsVny2mFFfsuA2QEH9i-zkO34TsK1oCIg4P4jF6iqhtFDGy1jn0s9JOtwTPzJT_XX8f95mZOENtbQPF4ZCFsw1bWpD4afGFTXDHvSDEfU/s320/dad+scarf+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287939108597937954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Noro</span> Silk Garden is a lovely yarn, and I like these <span style="font-style: italic;">manly</span> colours, very suitable for my dear dad. They match exactly the colours he likes to wear. I hope he has many many hours of warm walking and feels the love in every stitch. (Shame I don't have a photo of dad wearing it on his walk, maybe he'll send me one...hint, hint)<br /><br />The aforementioned colleague (with the apples and honey) has recently taken to knitting after a 26 year hiatus. A rekindled passion responsibility for which she lays squarely at my door. I am happy with this and am quietly hoping to recruit more workmates to the dark art. They are mostly male software engineers more interested in World of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Warcraft</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">techno</span>-gadgetry but I hold out a glimmer of hope. Mia knit lots of hats for Xmas and helping her find a pattern on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ravelry</span> we came across this particularly fetching<a href="http://stephanieknits.blogspot.com/2007/03/keeping-boyfriends-ears-warm-since-2006.html"> ribbed beanie</a> which I surreptitiously managed to knit up for Mr G for his stocking. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUg2-lIIEyl21E577LYV-43mcs7tNdFxpBHkIDVOf4CCbbs_za4fuEDkie49JcW7_2cba2sr0AzX1S9lhZ_xtpC9ODXzVpT4CTV29ujVzwpWceF9okZBoOTQlXhuV57__roGPXWaNIbEI/s1600-h/ribbed+beanie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUg2-lIIEyl21E577LYV-43mcs7tNdFxpBHkIDVOf4CCbbs_za4fuEDkie49JcW7_2cba2sr0AzX1S9lhZ_xtpC9ODXzVpT4CTV29ujVzwpWceF9okZBoOTQlXhuV57__roGPXWaNIbEI/s320/ribbed+beanie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287939105666346978" border="0" /></a>The yarn is Debbie Bliss <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Cashmerino</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Aran</span> and it's lovely. Amazingly I knit most of it while sitting watching TV with him and he was still overcome with surprise when he unwrapped it. All I can assume is that he thought I was knitting yet another tea cosy.<br /><br />Speaking of tea cosies, there were a few of those on the needles too. One for Jane which I forgot to take a photo of but which I hope will keep her tea toasty warm while she is recovering from her leg operation on Wednesday and not wanting to have to make the trip to the kettle too often. And one for an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">undisclosable</span> recipient who hasn't yet received it. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Ooooh</span>, nothing like leaving on a note of mystery eh?...<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>Annie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7951834429480140244.post-39314560852175891152008-12-16T21:59:00.005+00:002008-12-16T22:34:53.076+00:00nice knitting...knitting with alliteration...My darling Ms Reva fights sleep every night. I lie there beside her, wondering why the heck* this should be so, why should a tiny 6 year old who is quite clearly exhausted beyond belief both physically and mentally not fall to slumber with grace and ease. My wondering has thus far yielded no results. We have some of our oddest and most intimate conversations at this time of day. As well as some blooming <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">irritating</span> ones where she is obviously just racking her brains for anything to say to keep herself awake and I am like a broken record with my refrain (in increasingly stressed tone) of "no more talking now dear" (I don't really say the "dear" bit - I just put that in to make me sound nicer than I really am at that time of night after a long long day. I normally stop, sternly, after the word "now"). Anyway, I digress. One night last week it emerged that Ms Reva now knows all about alliteration, she's learned it at school. She delighted in repeating examples of said grammatical feature while I wondered about sleep deprivation and its long term effects on the under tens. And their mothers. It emerged she also knows all about similes now too. (Tautologies? no, I reckon I am safe... for now). Don't they grow up fast now though? I seem to remember learning this kind of stuff in secondary school at about twice her tender age.<br /><br />So, in the spirit of alliteration, I share with you:<br /><br />some fingerless mittens for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Maaya</span> (my lovely Japanese friend) who recently turned an age with a 0 on the end and threw a wonderful party<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlFt-p6oNkCfZ5tCPgrBQKmOVhEDk_XH7cEFmbpnhqTUTmSJXekH7_z4JorbkXhl5xrmZJ8vGYh8q9plEpQJYr7IhIQ1o8LMo3ZzOdtlRxHh5h-xW6uq6s2bfPRkiNwzuCggQ6sv2PA8/s1600-h/mitts+WIP.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNlFt-p6oNkCfZ5tCPgrBQKmOVhEDk_XH7cEFmbpnhqTUTmSJXekH7_z4JorbkXhl5xrmZJ8vGYh8q9plEpQJYr7IhIQ1o8LMo3ZzOdtlRxHh5h-xW6uq6s2bfPRkiNwzuCggQ6sv2PA8/s320/mitts+WIP.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280517374235932306" border="0" /></a><br />these are <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/evangeline">Evangeline</a> (you need to be <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">a ravelry</span> member to access the free pattern I am afraid - another great reason to join eh?) knit in Debbie Bliss <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Cashmerino</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">aran</span> on size 5.0<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCufNoK-YFdT4rD2xmjl_mkXumxh4juk4RhPrTMqmL39EasXNfiUjq9-1b8cZQBbGQgv62ZMNTnBEMfsxnY-EwU_hvRbCP9TBQ478BFqfkaVmUETKkPHPkDFMDQx2BXZEcVo3WWg_pGA/s1600-h/a+mitt+on+the+hand+is+worth....jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCufNoK-YFdT4rD2xmjl_mkXumxh4juk4RhPrTMqmL39EasXNfiUjq9-1b8cZQBbGQgv62ZMNTnBEMfsxnY-EwU_hvRbCP9TBQ478BFqfkaVmUETKkPHPkDFMDQx2BXZEcVo3WWg_pGA/s320/a+mitt+on+the+hand+is+worth....jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280517370614684978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />and a <a href="http://peonyknits.blogspot.com/2005/11/anthropologie-inspired-capelet-fo-and.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">capelet</span></a> for <a href="http://imagingermonkey.blogspot.com/">Katy</a> (I checked, as long as the sound is the same it counts, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">apparently</span>) who is far too young and needs to celebrate a 0 laden birthday before I can possibly take her seriously^. Katy has been having a rather unpleasant time of it with a wicked teacher who ignores the needs of young children when it come to the notion of Father Christmas and so it was nice to (hopefully) cheer her up.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggN0jrIYyqPwLSRJmXZc30AQ1zRcsIzohx3mrE7ow9PM1r7VWhXrpHrjHLC9Y9piQmZnJxBIM_JJ5iNSsVQUR1WCl0JDv9AkqUlUBhQcV4P63poPmlveygRPn7qCqSZpadY0hHa544Q7s/s1600-h/capelet+for+ms.+katy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggN0jrIYyqPwLSRJmXZc30AQ1zRcsIzohx3mrE7ow9PM1r7VWhXrpHrjHLC9Y9piQmZnJxBIM_JJ5iNSsVQUR1WCl0JDv9AkqUlUBhQcV4P63poPmlveygRPn7qCqSZpadY0hHa544Q7s/s320/capelet+for+ms.+katy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280517362576749970" border="0" /></a><br />in Rowan Cocoon in kiwi on size 8.0<br /><br />Great patterns both<br /><br /><br />I have plans for another <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">capelet</span> in a kind of purple, as well as some mittens for myself for those days I want to knit in the park, however I am in the throes of frantic secret gift knitting at the moment so those will have to wait...<br /><br />I hope you are all bearing up well in this season of insanity (if truth be told I'm getting more manic by the day...)<br /><br />*"why the heck" being Ms <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Bester's</span> favourite phrase of exclamation which she reckons is just the right side of proper swearing to earn her no more than an indulgent tutting - I LOVE it!<br />^jokeAnnie Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17692298141981772318noreply@blogger.com7