Busy bee

My weekends are normally sloth-filled affairs.  Speaking frankly, Mr. P and I are idle creatures.  But this weekend has been a shining exception.

On Friday, we went to a cocktail party on HMS Gloucester, docked in Manhattan for a few days and due to be decommissioned shortly.  This sounds more salubrious that it was, and involved me trapping myself in the ship at one point when I went to the loo instead of sipping cocktails on deck.

On Saturday, I went to my first sewing class at Purl Soho.  I can't tell you enough good things about this shop.  Like being dropped into a rainbow.

There's so much inspiration wherever you turn, whether it's baby bibs...

...or felted figurines...

... or cashmere scarves...

... or these exquisite Liberty Tana Lawn samplers...

(such a simple idea, but such a lovely display just inside the front door).

They have a blog (Purl Bee) with regular project ideas (the quilts next to the cashmere scarves in the photo are some recent examples).  And the staff are friendly and helpful (but I think I've mentioned that before).

And best of all, there's a woman who's going to teach me how to sew.  Those of you who have read this blog before will know that my New Year's Resolution includes the Merry Christmas project  (to sew letters and stuff them).  But I actually want to get a bit beyond that.  So I signed up for sewing classes.  I haven't quite decided yet if I want to make clothes, but I definitely want to learn how to use a sewing machine, and maybe make cushion covers or simple curtains.  After that we'll see.  Mostly, I just want to conquer my fear of sewing machines.  Yes indeed.  Now, I am afraid of spiders and dark alleys and the usual list of panic-inducing bogie- men, but I must also confess to a fear of sewing machines.  Now, admittedly, I haven't used one since I was thirteen, and it's not like I lost a digit, or sewed my hair to the apron I was trying to make.  I have no traumatic memories to justify this fear.  But I think  it's to do with the noise and the feeling that it and not I am in control of the process.  As though it will literally run away with itself if I don't sit rigidly paying attention to what's happening.

I haven't told this to my teacher yet.  And I was relieved to see that yesterday, she took her time and explained everything six times, and gave lots of snippets of interesting information.  And although she took a sewing machine out towards the end of the lesson, she didn't actually let us loose on them.  Instead, she talked soothingly of feet and soles and ankles and arms as though the machine was a friend of hers who could be our friend too.

We are going to make bags.  I knew this before the class, and I had a vision of a simple rectangle of fabric sewn on three sides with the extravagance of a handle to finish.  A bit like a pillow case with a string attached.  I wasn't terribly enthusiastic about this as a project, but had put it down to wanting to run marathons before I could crawl.  But the bag we are to make is a bit more presentable than that.  I will let you know how I get on, but in theory it will be reversible, and have pockets inside and out with a magnetic clasp.  This is the fabric I've chosen:

As you can see, I have even acquired the tools of the trade.  Of course, I have no clue what to do with them...  Anyway, we spent most of the class cutting our cloth.  This involved a self-healing mat (I LOVE this concept and want to apply it to all sorts of things...).  And a rotary cutter.  Hmmm.  Not at all sure about this contraption.  I'm sure I will come to love it, but for now, I can't seem to be able to cut through four layers of fabric at a time.  And I am left-handed so I kept having to flip everything around.  I am used to this.  But my right hand is weak and kept allowing the rule against which I was cutting to slip around.  Not great if you're trying to cut a straight line.  But I am determined to master it all and will be back for more next week.  Stay tuned.

Having been out and about so much yesterday, I wanted to hunker down today.  Mr. P demanded scones.  So I obliged.  (They are fast becoming a staple in the house of no knitted knickers.)

I have mislaid the scone cutter that's the right size, but have discovered that a wine glass is just as good.  My ulterior motive for making these is this beauty...

... purchased on holiday and carted back across the world by hand in the manner of ancient traders.  So, I decided to do it right and have afternoon tea.

And then, because I was on a roll, I made stewed rhubarb.  I LOVE rhubarb.  I think it might be one of my desert island foods.  But I digress....

I use a thumb of finely-grated fresh ginger and the juice of half an orange as well as the sugar.  It gives it depth (and besides, I love ginger, so any excuse...)

And to cap it all, while rooting around in the freezer for some worthy fish, Mr. P unearthed some bangers that he'd TOTALLY forgotten about....  So, we had bangers and mash for dinner.  Which was really just a base for Nigel Slater's onion gravy with marsala.  Heaven on a plate.

Oh, and I made two more granny squares.

(And if you hadn't already guessed it, the abundance of foodie photos in this post is down to the fact that I am learning to use my tripod.  The one I've had for 10 years and never learned how to use.  It's amazing what blogging drives you to...)

So, you see really, I am glad the weekend is over and I can return to work for a rest.

Have a good week.

C.x

The Chapati man

Mr. P and I had curry for dinner.  Nothing more to say on that really, except it was delicious, and it does give me the excuse I've been waiting for to share the chapati man with you...

More tomorrow about my first sewing class.

C.x

The wait is over

I had no intention of posting today, but then Mr. P found this in the Telegraph (not something I read, myself).  Too good an opportunity to pass up.  Enjoy.

You too can knit your own royal wedding!

Breath-taking.

C.x

Of guns and crochet

Inspired by Andrea's post showing a bizarre crochet wedding dress here, I thought I would share with you a piece of crochet madness I came across recently:


Crochet guns.  Yes indeed.  I can't decide whether it's a crafty retort to Sarah Palin or the very opposite.  Either way, I think it might be a hook too far.

At the more sublime end of the spectrum, I am coveting this...

at the moment from The White Company.  (I seem to do a lot of coveting on this blog.  But not entirely convinced that's all bad.)

C.x

The dip

Wednesday today.  Over the hump of the week but still not Friday afternoon.  It's bitterly cold out and there's still no sign of Spring...

My crocus has bloomed though and the flat is filled with the scent of it...

... and I've bought myself these to brighten up the place...

I do love tulips, don't you?

But I have a touch of the mid-week blues (or maybe it's just that I'm feeling a little delicate after last night's celebration of my flat sale), so I thought I would evoke our holiday one last time by telling you about a little shop two doors town from A Coffee and a Yarn.

All Buttons Great and Small is an amazing little treasure trove.  They have everything.  Old lady buttons...

... and flowery buttons...

... mad multi-coloured buttons...

... and rather cool sea green ones...

... retro buttons...

... and even a button man (instructions for how to make him are on their website)

As I write, I realise that I've forgotten to photograph the stash of buttons that I bought - one of those days I'm afraid...  I have some ideas as to what I want to do with them (these lovely orange shiners came from there...)

 But you'll see the rest another time.

It really was a lovely shop.  Sydney-siders are lucky things living near all that craftiness.  Off now for a sip of wine to chase my mid-week blues away.  Nearly Friday.

C.x

Red letter day

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a girl who lived in a big city.  She wasn't very happy in the city, despite her big job and her little pots of gold that her big job brought her.  Everyone around her was Settling Down, so she decided she needed a Place of Her Own.  A safe place that she could retreat to when it all got too much.  She bought such a place, a place looking out on to trees and sky.  She loved this place.

But after a time, when she'd thought and thought about things, she was brave enough to venture forth from her safe place into the wide world.  She allowed other people to come and live in this place instead.  She travelled and had adventures.  From time to time she would return to her safe place to make sure it was still there if she needed it.  And then one day, she came to visit the safe place, and the sight of other people's things, their pictures on the walls, their cups in her cupboards, made the girl realise that she had left the safe place for good.  She still owned the place, but it wasn't hers anymore.  And then she thought  that maybe she might not need it after all.

Time passed.  The girl met a boy, and they had adventures together in other places.  She took the boy to see her safe place and he loved it.  But somehow she couldn't see them being there together.  So she decided to let go of her safe place for good.  After much to and fro, and lots of this and that, she has passed the safe place onto someone else.  Today, she is home free.

And she knows just where she wants to put the pot of gold she was given in exchange.  A place by the sea.  Not balmy and warm, but bracing and exhilarating.  Where the trees and the sky give way to waves and weather.  She and the boy will live happily ever after there.  She knows it.

C.x

Not quite slack Alice

You might be forgiven for thinking that this blog has lost its way somewhat in the last few weeks, and should really come clean with its intention to tell you little about my attempts at crafting and lots about my gallivanting and my capacity to drink coffee and shop.   But I have been a little less idle than that.  Really.

Remember this?

Well, now I have made these!

Nine whole squares!  Okay, so they probably wouldn't withstand too close an inspection from the crochet police, but I think they're pretty good.  A king size blanket is out of the question - I would have to give up work, or eating. or sleeping, or pretty much anything else and just crochet until I was 489 and still not finish it.  But I have a throw that I measured these against, and by my estimation I would need over 200 to reach that size.  Still very daunting.  But we'll see.  For now, I'm just going to concentrate on making a square when the mood takes me.  And if all I end up with is a cushion cover, then so be it.

I also felt spurred on by my knitting fit...

 ...to try my hand at something with two needles.  And I have made this:

Yes indeed.  It will be completely obvious what this is.  But just in case...

Still none the wiser?  Well. its supposed to be a coffee cosy.  The trouble is, I'm not sure I have any cups the right shape.  Here it is on a glass...

Yes, well...  I can claim no credit for the pattern.  I found it in a book that I'd bought for a friend, and came across the pattern as I was flicking through it.  It really is a lovely book.

Even if, perhaps, knitting is not its forte.  Or mine, come to that...

I got the lovely shiny buttons in a really fab shop that I need to blog about another time.  But now, we are getting on with it in the house of noknittedknickers.  We are washing...

... and determined to find some Spring on this grey, grey day...

There's a definite air of back to school.  Work tomorrow.

A lovely holiday, now over.

Hope you have a good week.

C.x