Best laid plans

Mr. P played golf today, which left me with a morning to entertain myself. I fully intended to spend it with the Terracotta Warriors which came to London awhile back but I never did see. That was precisely what I had planned. Really.

But then over breakfast, I was leafing through Time Out and came across a page on shopping in Balmain and the fact that Shearling Antiques stocks "sewing and textile relics". And the next thing I knew I was on the bus to Balmain.

Oh my goodness, what a treasure trove!
































I got chatting to the owner's husband who was minding the shop and we put the world to rights. And I found a match for some lovely linen napkins that my sister bought me years ago; somewhere among my many moves I'd managed to lose one:


But my real find was this:


A 1950s knitting bag. I've been using a canvas bag from Urban Outfitters (I don't own anything from there and don't ever remember going in there but somehow I have their bag...), but this is much more the ticket.








My granny squares will be quite at home in here.

I also went to The Essential Ingredient which to anyone who's ever cooked, or thought about cooking, or just eaten anything ever, is the best cookshop you could possibly hope to find. (Their website is also one of those things the web was invented for.). I somehow resisted the urge to buy yet another cookbook, and bought this instead:


No idea if I'll ever actually use it, but honestly, how could you not?
And the perfect kitchen hand towel:


Yesterday, I saw an old book about crocheting towel tops. But somehow I think that falls at the knitted knickers end of the crafting spectrum.

And I can always go to the warriors next week.

Cx