Below I have listed some old articles I published on another site back in March 2013.
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Originally published in March 2013
Knit & Knatter
Back in October 2012 I joined a local knitting group. My friend Anni had been going for a few weeks and I wanted to restart knitting so tagged along.
Essentially it is what it says in the title; 2 hours of knitting (or crochet) and chatting over a cuppa at an independent coffee shop in Warwick. The group get together every Tuesday evening and they don’t “teach” a class but everyone brings along something they are working on and share ideas, skills and gossip. It’s been a great way for me and Anni to keep in regular touch and moves you along a project. When I first went, I was part way through a scarf project which I had bought the pattern & wool for in Jan 2011. The time focuses you on the project and, at least for me, as long as it is not a complicated pattern (remember the natter bit), you can move on. I finished that particular scarf in two weeks with a couple of hours knitting in between time and moved on to make matching mittens and hat. I also finished a beanie hat which I had started in March 2010!
I made a lot of scarfs for pressies for Christmas that year and a hat. Must admit I am a bit scarfed out now and am knitting squares for either a blanket, or if I get fed up before I have enough, a cushion.
These knitting groups are all over the place and I’m really pleased I found one that is on each week and you can just drop in and out of as you like. There is no charge but an expectation that you will buy a drink, the owner of the coffee shop stays open just for the group.
I’m moving on to sewing shortly and will be hanging up my knitting needles as I finish my cushion/blanket project. I plan on making the seat covers for the boat and any other soft furnishings required. Not sure that knitted products and sea water mix well.
Watch this space for how I get on with my sewing project. Not sure if there are any sewing (machine sewing) groups. Could be a bit tough lugging around a sewing machine!
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Onesie – I Don’t Get It
Originally posted on 23rd March 2013
My cousin Sarah is trying to persuade me that I don’t “get” the onesie because I don’t have one. Mmmm, not sure I agree. Not sure I want one. Surely they are pyjamas, nightwear, lounge wear even. Not going out, getting married, being seen in public wear? I had something similar when I was a teenager but very definitely nightwear.
Am I alone? With the exception of my three cousins, Katie, Sarah and Amy I don’t know anyone a) who has one, b) or would wear it out or c) allow that moment to be caught on camera and shared! Oh no I take that back. My 14 year old Goddaughter has one and she doesn’t go out in it – not that she has admitted to me anyway.
My cousin Katie would look beautiful whatever she was wearing but when there are so many other fashion choices out there, why? This one does say “bride to be’ but I know that this isn’t her only one.
Is it an age thing? Maybe Rachael doesn’t wear hers out as she is under 16 so therefore under the control of her mum. Maybe she is dying to wear it out when she goes to town, the cinema, Pizza Hut etc.
Also, what a faff for going to the loo. Brings back memories of bodies and complicated underwear.
Call me old fashioned… no just call me old fashioned.
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Really? That Long Ago?
Originally published March 18th 2013
Best bud, Maria posted a comment from George Takei on FB, “I still think the 1980s were 20 years ago. I’m sure I’m not alone in this”.
I had to think twice before I understood what was wrong with this statement. The 1980’s was only 20 years ago; barely; surely. I then did some counting, I’d like to say in my head but have to say also on my fingers and realised, good lord 30+ years ago. That is just wrong. I describe myself as a 1980’s girl at heart, boy am I yelling my age from the rooftops.
It doesn’t feel like 30 years ago when school mate Alison and I were watching the first ever showing of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video (the long version) on the TV. Probably on The Tube, have to admit I don’t remember but I do remember it was late at night, I was staying at Alisons and Al taped it on their new video recorder, a top loader state of the art at the time, we didn’t have a video recorder for another year or so.
I also think it was 1980s lycra that destroyed women’s figures in general. The early years of squeezing yourself into skin tight jeans so much so that you couldn’t physically of eaten a single Skip, kept you thin. We started out looking thin in lycra but a few years later and the lycra had grown with us – it just doesn’t happen with skinny jeans. Hopefully, the new resurgence in skinny jeans will save a generation of teens from the muffin top.
There must of been a surge in the space time continuum and time jumped 10 years, surely?
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Originally published 17th March 2013
Shop Local
I had decided last week that I was going to do the majority of my shopping using local/smaller shops/producers. However, I fell at the first hurdle this weekend. Yesterday Neil and I spent the day in Solihull so today was my grocery shopping day. I went to Kenilworth and into the 99p Store. I watched a programme on the “war” between the 99p Store and the £1 shop and some of the products are by the large producers but in smaller packaging. Hopefully reassuring Neil that he is not eating out of date food but shopping frugally. I know this isn’t shopping locally but certainly cheaper. Ideal for canned goods and cleaning products.
Back to the local bit. With the list of items to buy from 99p stores, bird food from Wilkinson, fresh veg from grocers and other stuff from Waitrose, I set off round town only to find out that the green grocer is shut on a Sunday. I knew that the butcher, which is out of town, is shut on a Sunday but hoped to get my veg. Ended up getting veg from Waitrose.
Obviously in order to shop locally I need to be more organised and shop when they are open or use online local services. I am in no way suggesting that shops should open on Sundays. When I was little, the shops opened Mon-Sat 9 to 5.30pm and my mum managed to feed us whilst holding down a full time job. It is just a matter of us being more organised. I admit that I will shop on a Sunday, before 8am (workdays only) and in the evenings. However if the shops were shut, I wouldn’t starve, I wouldn’t bang on shop doors until they let me in; I would adapt and change. I get fed up of hearing that stores open longer hours because it is what the customer wants. Really? 24 hours, really? Or is that they know that people like me will go “because” they are open and spend when there.
Anyway, I have decided (again) to do the majority of my next “big” shop using local/smaller shops/producers.
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