List 52 - Week 13

I'm joining in with Dreamer's 52 list and am choosing small tasks that I've been avoiding and would like to do/finish. My list is written in my organiser and I hope this will give me a kick up the backside and spur me on. My thirteenth week task is:

13. Find a home for this new wool and while you're at it sort out the wool you have already.

Yes, that's a rather good idea. I have 2 large and 3 small drawers of wool. They were all emptied and the yarn piled in a big heap on the floor. This was then sorted into collections of the same wool, DK, 4 ply, cotton and fancy.

I'm still in the process of bagging up all the wool and then I shall make a List of what I have. My stash should last me for many years.

xx

PS I'm still knitting a pair of socks started weeks ago. I'm on the toe of the first sock at the moment trying to get my head around grafting stitches.

So much to do. If I only had time, if I only had time.

xx

Alphabet Blogging - R

R is for Re-use, Recycle and Repurpose

Re-using is using an item again and again.

eg. I re-use plastic bags as bags for bread and then as bags for bin liners.

Recyling means that the item is broken down and the component materials reused.

eg. I recycle glass, cardboard and tins via the council recycling bins and they are taken to be processed into other items.

Repurposing is when unwanted items are used in different ways and made into different things.

eg. I repurpose towels to make floorcloths and dusters.


Eventually my reused bags will end up in the refuse and my repurposed items will not last forever. Clothing may end up as rags that will become stuffing for mattresses but they too will finally end up as refuse. I suppose with the re-using it stops the consumption of 'new' stuff. Recycled items could keep on going round and round so long as they continue to be recycled.

I'm sure I re-use, recycle and repurpose many other things. Do you?

Please visit the other Alphabet Bloggers by clicking on the links and please join in if you would like. Next week's letter is Q as we are going backwards in the alphabet.

Dreamer

johnnyjumpsup

KC's Court

Cathy

xx

One (wo)man's trash ...

… is another (wo)man's treasure.

Thank you to my friend who is having a de-clutter. I'm sure I'll have a ball with these balls of yarn - 3 ply, 4 ply, DK and cotton.

Whooah!

xx

For DD

xx

List 52 - Week 12

I'm joining in with Dreamer's 52 list and am choosing small tasks that I've been avoiding and would like to do/finish. My list is written in my organiser and I hope this will give me a kick up the backside and spur me on. My twelfth week task is:

12. Tidy the cupboards in the kitchen. Take or give away any unwanted or unused items. You need to know exactly what you have in there!

I sorted out the cupboards and separated DD's 'bottom drawer' items (crockery, bakeware, glasses, teapot, pans), other items were sent to the CS. 

Spurred on by neat and tidy kitchen cupboards I also blitzed the under stairs, the sideboard and the airing cupboard.

Whoa, steady - I still need some chaos.

Now my task is to stay tidy -

not a chance of that then!

xx

Alphabet Blogging - S

S is for Spring

The Vernal Equinox was yesterday and spring is officially here.



The weather today is sunny but still cold. Yesterday we had a biting wind and it rained. As the saying goes -

March comes in like a lion
And goes out like a lamb.

- so I hope the weather will warm up soon.

S is for Sowing Seed

Today I sowed parsnip (better late than never) and leeks straight into the ground.

S is for Should I?

Should I brush the breakfast in bed toast crumbs out of the bed before I make it in the morning or should I wait until the middle of the night when I turn over and find them? :)

Please visit the other Alphabet Bloggers by clicking on the links.

Dreamer

johnnyjumpsup

KC's Court

Cathy

xx

Sockywocky

Sockywocky

 (with apologies to Lewis Carroll)

‘Twas knittig and the slipsy needs
Did twid and twiggle for an abe,
All knotsy were the bally wools
And the mumsy nit outrabed.

“Beware the Sockywock, O Mum!
The stits that slip, the needs that clack!
Beware the counting pat with some
Mistakes - oh woe, alack!”

She took her clicky needs in hand:
Long time the slippy stits she thwart --
Then rested she by the bloggy tree,
To tell the world her thoughts.

And, as she tipped and tapped away
The Sockywock, and tugley woo - l
Called in tantilistic way
'Pick me up and keep your cool!'

Heely flappy turn and gurn
Gusset sorted click away
Slipsy, knitsy, is this furn?
K2tog and ssk ( :[ )

One, two! One, two! And three and four!
The clicky kneeds went knitty clack
She strove to do just more and more,
Moved onwards, broke its back.

“And hast thou slain the Sockywok?”
“Oh no, not yet but to be fair
One joyous day, I’ll blog away
And show the world the finished pair.”

xx

  

List 52 - Week 11

I'm joining in with Dreamer's 52 list and am choosing small tasks that I've been avoiding and would like to do/finish. My list is written in my organiser and I hope this will give me a kick up the backside and spur me on. My eleventh week task is:

11. Shorten the dress you got from the Charity shop umpteen weeks ago. It's been hanging around the Lady Cave too long.

The dress was being thrown in the rags bin because there was a tear in the material near the edge of the dress so I asked if I could rescue it. Yes, of course, but when I got it home it went in the 'to do' basket and hasn't emerged until today.

Armed with a tape measure, a pair of scissors, a quick unpick, matching thread and a needle, I set to. There was a border around the edge that had to be cut carefully away. I kept it attached to the dress because I was going to sew it back on once I'd cut the dress to length.

Shall I cut here? Always measure twice so you only cut once.

I only have short legs! The edging was sewn on by hand and now I have another dress for dancing.

Job done - tick!

xx

Alphabet Blogging - T

T is for Typing

My mum could type and gave lessons in typing around the dining room table. I was able to sit in on these lessons and learnt the basic touch typing method so I am able to type without looking at the keyboard. I never did do the numbers lesson so I have to look at the keys whenever I need these. I learned on a typewriter and we had to press each key to a correct timing. If she had had a metronome I'm sure she would have used it to keep us all in time.

Being able to type has been an advantage to me throughout my working life and even now it is extremely useful when typing up blog posts.

My DS never had typing lessons but because he has been around computers all his life his fingers are a whizz around the keyboard. In his professional life he has a keyboard with no letters, numbers or characters showing. All the keys are totally blank and yet he is able to find his way around at speed. His fingers are a blur!

This video shows someone typing on a blank keyboard. (It's extremely boring but shows it can be done.)

Please visit the other Alphabet Bloggers by clicking on the links.

Dreamer

johnnyjumpsup

KC's Court

Cathy

xx

More Veg

The warm weather gave us the opportunity to tidy the garden. The rest of the leeks were harvested …

and processed! The freezer smells very leeky now.

The soil is now ready for sowing seed, most of which we've saved from last year, but an order has gone in to MoreVeg for a few more packets.

This year we'll be growing parsnip, onions, corn, lettuce, carrots, cucumber, tomato, spinach, courgettes, runner beans, French beans, mange-tout, asparagus, beetroot and …

leeks of course.

List 52 - Week 10

I'm joining in with Dreamer's 52 list and am choosing small tasks that I've been avoiding and would like to do/finish. My list is written in my organiser and I hope this will give me a kick up the backside and spur me on. My tenth week task is:

10. Visit your followers. You've tried to visit everyone quite a few times but have never worked your way through all the list. Now is your chance to make amends.

According to the beginning of my followers' list I have 318 followers. The number at the end of the list says 301. (Who knows where 17 of you went?) I know that not all my followers have blogs so -

"Hi and hello to you and thank you for adding my blog to your list. I don't know if you regularly visit but I appreciate your interest."

I don't know how long it will take me to go through all the list but now it's on the 52 list it's top priority.

To the regular commenters -

"Hi and hello to you and thank you for taking the trouble to add a comment even if it's just IRYPT (I read your post today). It's really exciting to see the 'comments awaiting' note.

To my newest follower

"Welcome to my blog. I hope you will visit often."

To my followers who have blogs - 

I shall be working through the list - it may take a while!

xx

Alphabet Blogging - U

U is for Useless

That's me as I forgot that it was my Alphabet post today. Better late than never.

U is for Up and Under

Up above in the airing cupboard is where the spare bedding is stored. I do keep tidying it out but it's so high up that when a sheet is pulled out many more covers, pillows and sheets come tumbling down.

Under the sink now. Plenty here from cleaning materials, bin, compost box to plastic bags used for bin liners. 

Up high in the kitchen is the collection of old bottles.

Under the stairs (dare I show it?) - more bags, packing materials, cat food, ironing board, old rags and bottles. Looks like a tidy is necessary.

Up above in the dining room is our decorative ceiling. It was in the house when we moved in.

And finally the cupboard under the eaves. I must take you on a tour sometime!

Please visit the other Alphabet Bloggers by clicking on the links.

Dreamer
johnnyjumpsup
KC's Court
Cathy

xx

Spring Fair

I mooted the idea of another Spring Fair last year and 3 people immediately volunteered. Click on the Virtual Spring Fair link to see what we did. The first Virtual Spring Fair (click on the label for more info) in 2012 had these stalls.

Homemade 

Home Baking

Plants

Bric a Brac

Manicure/Nail

Mystery Stall

Sewing

We even had some games and entertainment along with a tearoom. There was also a hat parade.

In 2013 we had a Spring Fest (click on the label for more info) which was more of a photo post to show Spring in all its glory.

This year I thought we could go back to the stall theme and use the above headings or create some more virtual stalls of our own. What about face painting?  Anything goes really with the headings as a guide. You don't have to set up a stall at all!

Here are the Spring Fair Heroines for this year. Would anyone else care to join in or offer more (or different) ideas for the celebration of Spring?

Pam

thrift deluxe

Carol from Spring Cottage

Saturday 3rd May would give us plenty of time to prepare posts and hopefully we will have spring well under way.

xx

PS I've decided to change my layout every month, just because I can. It's a fresh spring colour this month.

The sun's out

The sun is shining in the garden room and plants are flowering. The orchids flower for months on end.

We're looking after these plants for our neighbours who are on holiday.

These roses are still going strong even though they've dried out. I had them in a vase but the heads started bending down so I removed the stalks and popped the heads around the pine cones in the bowl.

xx

List 52 - Week 9

I'm joining in with Dreamer's 52 list and am choosing small tasks that I've been avoiding and would like to do/finish. My list is written in my organiser and I hope this will give me a kick up the backside and spur me on. My ninth week task is:

9. Continue tidying your shelves. If you're not careful they'll end up a mess before you've finished the last cubby hole.

Right. Time for the shelves again.

All came out onto the floor but it was a while before it was stowed away. Such a lot to look at and sort - books that may be needed, diaries, School magazines ...

… and children's books that can't possibly be thrown away. Perhaps I should put a few on Ebay.

Oh look this page is in 'Modern Teaching Volume 3' from around the 1920s. And they think the teaching of phonics is something new!

I like the beginning of this poem.

All my stamps are in this basket. I've not used them so much.

Perhaps they'd better go.

Here's my diary from 1972 - I can't remember Peter, Susan or Tom.

Now that's better. There's still a pile of books behind the books but it looks a lot neater.

Pity about all the stuff I've squashed in somewhere else!

Right - Ebay here I come.

xx