The season of mist and mellow fruitfulness...

It is hard to believe that only a couple of months ago most of the UK was in the grips of a heatwave. As I searched for the coolest clothes to wear and filled the freezer with ice pops it was inconceivable that before long I would be digging out my winter sweaters and buying an electric blanket! 

Autumn is a season of great contrast, it bridges the end of summer and the start of winter, with cold crisp mornings that take your breath away and dazzles your eyes as the sun sits lower in the sky. The leaves are a riot of shades from green, yellow, orange, red and brown, the hedgerows are filled with fruit and nuts, the woodlands and fields providing edible fingi to pick and non edible fungi to marvel at, the apples are abundant, and we search for conkers like they are precious treasure, filling our pockets. 

There is a sence of comfort that comes from preserving nature's harvest for the coming months.

I get me Sloe Gin and Beeswax book off the shelves, look through the pages and dream of my small holding and my still-room that I probably will never have, but it's still nice to dream.

Autumn is also a time for endings, the nights draw in and the days feel shorter, the warmth from the sun has gone, the trees become bare as the leaves fall and rot feeding the earth around them, small creatures stock their larders and fill up ready for a time when the ground will be hard and their food supplies become scarce, the rain comes more often and the ground slowly becomes saturated leading to flash floods that seam to occur more frequently and to more devastating effect that they used to - and of course this year in the UK we have the "cost of living crisis" and it has become too expensive to even heat our homes, cook those warming winter dishes we crave or even drive our cars! 

Currently I work a couple of different jobs, and one of them is very quiet this month, I rely on orders from one company and this month they haven't ordered anything. I am taking the opportunity to make a start on my new venture, well..it's more of a relaunch of an old venture but in a new way - I mentioned it briefly last time.

It feels perfect for Autumn, I feel like I am preparing for harder times with it, filling my larder in preparation for the months ahead so to speak. 

So on the days when the sun filters through and the days are crisp and dry I will embrace my hand knits and cosy boots, and when the weather is wet and muddy my wellies come out and my waterproofs, and inside we will wrap up in our patchwork quilts and knitted blankets, light the candles, eat hot carb filled soups and stews from our slow cooker and hunker down waiting for the dark months to end and spring to peep through once more.

When life gets in the way of living.

 It feels like I am forever appologising for not blogging regularly - but with one thing and another, life for example, it tends to take a back seat most of the time, even though I am usually writing it in my head one way or another. One day the technology will exhist for us to transfer our ideas directly from our minds to the computer. 

The weather has become really cold this past couple of weeks, and with the early dark nights back for the next 6 months and having to work longer hours, well, time slips away, and when I do have an hour or two to myself I just haven't felt like doing anything much at all.

 My baby brother found out recently he had cancer of the thyroid. He is only 36 and has 2 gorgeous girls of 7 and 15. Luckily it seams it has been cought quickly and he had surgery a few weeks ago to remove as much as they could, cutting him from ear to ear! While his partner spent hours at the hospital and dashing round here their and everywhere for him, we have had the pleasure of spending a lot more time with my nieces - the youngest is in the photo above with my 'little' girl and our old Jemmy dog, all cuddling up together. 

Baby bro is on the mend now - he still has to go to Chrisites for a radio active iodine treatment in the next couple of weeks, and will be on thyroxine and other drugs for the rest of his life - we are all just glad he is going to be around for a long time yet!

Mr Juicy is suffering with his digestion still, he is wheat, glueten and dairy intollerant and really struggles with his food. I decided to have a go at making crumpets for him a couple of weeks ago - baking always takes my mind of my troubles. It was the first time I had ever made crumpets, and I was just so chuffed when each stage did what it was supposed to do with the alternate ingredients I had to use. Look - little bubbles forming as they cooked in their rings! 

 So things haven't all been doom and gloom - I have been enjoying knitting these "V Junkie" socks from "Socktopus" - starting them in the hospital waiting area (socks are the best ever portable project)

 Baby fig got a full time job she seams to be enjoying - and I daresay she will enjoy it more when she gets paid!

 I have finished another pair of socks for Mr Juicys Christmas pressent and will soon be starting on his Birthday pressent so I am not rushing between Christmas and New year to make them,

And I have been enjoying a FREE art and craft class weekly - we have been doing Art in a morning, something I haven't done since school and am really enjoying the peace and quiet of studying and interpreting images - then we have been doing crafts in the afternoon - for me mainly papier mache - which I have enjoyed much more than I thought I would - photo's of my projects to come! 

Here in the north we have had the most spectacular autumn - The colours of the leaves dying on the trees has been more vivid than I can remember for a very long time. I have consistantly forgotten to take my camera out with me, but it doesn't matter, at least I have had the opportunity to walk or drive past them daily and never cease to be awe struck at their colours - the yellows have lit up against the stormy skies, the reds have glowed, and their seams to have been every colour inbetween. Lets hope winter is mild and bright.

195 Thrifty Days till Christmas

I have been a thrifty girl of late, although not everything goes to plan. The socks I knit for Dad for Christmas will actually be given to him for fathers day (I forgot about that one!) and the socks I was knitting for hubby - well, he saw them and really liked them so I just gave them to him - he then quizzed me incessantly about the next pair I was making and well, he's now wearing them as well - Still I am determined the Aran sweater I am knitting him will be for Christmas, I just need to make him something in secret for his birthday on new years eve rather than frantically search the sales for anything he may like.

Last weekend we were invited to my sister in laws wedding. I had been very apprehensive before hand - for many reasons that all seam very trivial - the main reason was that the whole of my husbands family are incredibly thin - I on the other hand have never even been remotely thin! they always look glamorous and gorgeous, I always feel fat and frumpy. 

I spent weeks deciding what to wear, I don't own a skirt or a dress and wouldn't wear one if I did, and we are so skint at the moment that a new outfit was out of the question. 

My dad took me to Burnley to the littlewoods catalogue shop and I found some white linen pants for £4 and a top I kind of felt comfortable in reduced from £70 to £5 - which he kindly paid for - but I still um'd and ah'd over it all. I even cried more than once - I couldn't believe it because for the rest of the time I am perfectly comfortable in what I wear, how I present myself etc.

On Thursday evening after looking through my Molly Makes vintage wedding supplement for the umpteenth time I decided to get a lovely white top my mum had given me last year that I had worn once and managed to get a coffee stain on - out of the cupboard. I rubbed vanish into the stain and found my stash of fabric dyes bought from a closing down sale a couple of years ago. Among them was 'French Pink' - 20 minutes later I had a new pink top. A frantic search through my mountain of vintage lace then ensued to no avail, so on Friday morning I popped into Clitheroe and came back with 2 meters of white cotton lace for £1.80 

A couple of hours in the sewing room and I had pinned, pleated and sewn my new creation. Something was missing though - A coat or cardigan. Off down to mums who said "I don't think I have anything like that but have a look"

In her wardrobe was a pink dressing gown she had worn once on a hospital stay, she had forgotten it was their! She can't stop laughing at some of my ideas and this was yet another.

Off came the bottom 2 foot of the dressing gown, 2 darts sewn into the back, the buttons removed and replaced with some vintage style ones given as a free gift on MM's then disaster! I tried to iron the darts on the back and the second the iron touched the fabric it melted! 

So a patch went over it with 2 more buttons and voila! one hand made vintage style wedding outfit! 

I am not a 'pink' person - but I felt really comfortable in the outfit, and a lovely day was had by all!

It's amazing what you find in Birmingham!

A couple of weeks ago I had made a resolution to myself to blog more, read more, etc etc, this week I am making a resolution to not make any more resolutions!

I am sure when I was a kid that time went a lot slower - holidays lasted for ever, weekends stretched out to infinity on a Friday and Monday was an eternity away, Christmas really was some dream in the far far distance - These days it feels like not only the weeks are shorter, but the months and years too - weeks are flashing before my eyes, and it sometimes feels like we have skipped a month or two all together - and Christmas, well, Slade got there wish!

Last week My Brother and I travelled to Birmingham to help set up the sound for the first 'professional' concert my Auntie Nilam had staged. After My Uncle Died she took up Classical Indian Singing, and for the past few years has been living with her Guru-ji in South India training intensively. She now wants to do more professional performances, as most Classical Indian Music is only played and performed at private house gatherings these days.

We were in for a surprise when we found the Temple complex - I had no idea anything like this existed in the UK - this photo is of a TINY part of it!

 These two ladies were in the entrance to the community centre - I have no idea who she is, but I love the colours!

And this is my Auntie tuning up for the performance.

If you ever get the chance to go to a classic Indian concert - GO TO IT! The Audience were just so enraptured they call out and throw their hands up with passion at a particular note or phrase - and you feel yourself becoming more and more involved - wonderful!

The rest of my week has been taken up with knitting and nattering, sewing and Autumn cleaning!

I have actually completed TWO projects this week for my daughters friend who is expecting her first baby in March next year...

This gorgeous baby grow from a pattern a Friend copied for me took just over a week to complete with a few lessons in sewing up techniques from my Friend Debbie

The wool is a Regia 6 Fadig sock wool bought in Wales about 3 years ago that has been itching to be knitted ever since

And this tiny newborn Eyelet Cardi from a free Ravelry pattern by Linda at Clickertyclick

It is a seamless cardi done on a circular then 4 DPNS 

I always think most baby wools are a bit insipid - so went for something darker that will hopefully suit a boy or girl!

This is knitted in King COles Merino Blend DK with Anti-Tickle (???)

It took me about 6 hours to knit up, it grows incredibly quickly and like magic the cardi appears very quickly - a really quick and very satisfying project!

Tuesday - the new Monday...

Since baby Fig moved back home less than 2 weeks ago, the house and my head have been in turmoil! 

Currently she works Tuesday to Saturday, so very quickly her 'weekend' has become ours - meaning my so called working week also starts on a Tuesday when peace and quiet return to the household and I can actually get on with my life! 

I am in the middle of some sort if Identity crisis as well - trying to figure out what my own particular style is when it comes to crafts, decorating etc...

You see, I love mad crazy vibrant colours - but - I also love calm peaceful colours, I love clutter, and order, new and vintage...you get the idea.

Consequently I find what I am putting into my folksy shop is not quite one thing or another - it all seams a bit dis-jointed somehow.

on the other hand does it really matter? Do I need a clear cut image? or will one that hasn't quite made it's mind up ok? 

I have been like this all my life! what is a girl to do? oh well, just enjoy it all I suppose.

so - happy Autumn - and here is a pretty bad photo of my new crocheted shopping bag made from cotton bought at last Novembers knitting and stitching show at Harrogate.

Dogs and Cats and Chicks and stuff!

As the (reportedly) most spectacular spring since 1976 unfurls before our eyes, I decided that getting up early and walking the dog would set me up for a better day, you know, fresh air, bird song, flowers, exercises etc - so this morning I set off with my trusty terrier through the field, up the country lane to the main road where the paper shop is. We have two 9 month old 'kittens' Bodkin and Stitch. Stitch has recently started to follow us on walks, and the little sod pot followed the dog and I, no matter what I did to put him off, so when we got to the main road and he shot across it and back almost causing a crash I decided not to bother with the paper shop, and we set off back. We must have looked quite comical to other dog walkers, me, 1 black and white dog and 1 black and white cat to match.


When will Easter get here? - I know I know, it is the weekend after next (I think?) but like all the other yearly events hijacked by the shops, it seams like it has been Easter for weeks now.
Baby Fig in her infinite thriftiness discovered a shop in London that goes that one step beyond poundland - a 99p shop! - she bought a box of these chicks, Easter Geek chicks! brilliant.



and now - some finished projects!!!!!

My luxurious kid mohair scarf wot I designed myself is now finally finished - Mr Fig said it had an 'ethereal quality' - I am just very chuffed!

And below is another - yes, I said ANOTHER finished project, a lovely ballet style wrap for my littlest niece for Easter - She can't eat dairy products, so no Easter eggs, and refuses to wear anything but pink - I hope this fits all her requirements!

Not sure if you can see this - tiny little charm on the sleeve that just says 'made with love' which it definitely is.

so - time is ticking now, only another week to finish knitting egg cosies, bunnies, chicks, making simnel cakes, roasting lamb and loosing an hours sleep. Easter keeps me busier now than when baby fig really was a baby!

fascinating phalanges...

Sometimes my brain makes connections I had never thought about before, and then I can't remember why the connection was made!

Recently it put a connection together that perplexes me -namely my inability to do certain tasks WITHOUT looking at my fingers.

I know it probably down to practice in some cases - Piano and guitar have never been mastered because I have to stop every time I change a chord to make sure my fingers are in the right place. Hand sewing and knitting - I have to watch every stitch or I do make mistakes, and therefore find it hard to sit and watch TV while doing either of these - I need to listen to the radio more - I even have to watch my fingers while typing, something I spend hours doing everyday at work and at home, there is nothing more annoying than typing away for 5 minutes only to look at the screen and there is nothing there!

I recently went to the local 'Bowland Guild of spinners, weavers and Dyers' meeting and was talking to a lovely lady, we were both knitting, me - only when I could look at my hands, but this lady never looked at her knitting once - in fact, I watched her knitting more than she did with a kind of slack jawed amazement!
It's a good job I don't have to look at them while changing gear in the car!

So - to finish the first of my Easter bunnies, I sat in bed until lunch time on Sunday and watched as my hands did the work, with no distractions!

Mr Fig (or Mr Juicy as he prefers) keeps mocking me for making 'cosies', a hat is a head cosy, a scarf is a neck cosy, I have made cup cosies and phone cosies - well, you get the idea - so I had to grab a photo of natures very own wall cosy while we were in the Trough of Bowland last weekend!

The sun has been shining today, here are some of Mr Figs Chili crop from last autumn that have been drying in the window all winter, and below some gorgeous candy coloured roses Mr Fig treated me to as a 'not valentines flowers' gift
He's the real sweetie!

So much to blog, so little space! part 1.

Not sure where to start! I have been avidly reading blogs all week, and haven't had time to post anything to my own - then when it comes to it, I have so much I want to post, I can't fit it all onto one post (although I am sure there is a way...)


I have been working with some recycled fabrics. This is a cushion I have been working on - the main fabric is an old Ikea curtain, the pink lace is from 'grandma's' box of delights! the ribbon from a bag of bits Taryn bought me, and the patterned fabric was a dress sis-in-law's sis gave me that was a little bit on the tight side - but I loved the fabric I couldn't bear to part with it.


Finally finished some knitting - this little kit was bought from 'web of wool' at the knitting and stitching show a few years ago



I am NOT a quick knitter, but I absolutely love the way this wool knits up to look like fair isle.

I swapped the lining fabric that came with the kit to another fabric from the same people, but I



thought this looked nicer with the shades

it is actually turtles on the pattern.









Had to make something else from the dress fabric - so another pin cushion was created - yet to receive a pin.

and a lovely scented heart for another sis-in-law who's birthday was last week. I thought it would be nice to put a few essential oils into the stuffing, so she could hand it in the wardrobe - went a little over the top however, and now everything in the sewing room smells of bergamot.

Later found the rose maroc I had been trying to find for the heart - d'oh! oh well, next time.

It has just been another one of those incredibly busy weeks, I have no idea how I have managed to get into the sewing room at all, never mind make anything - it really is excellent therapy, unless I sew too late in the evening, then I can't sleep for idea's!