SELF-HELP #19

Carols and mince pies 👼👼👼

It was St Barnabas carols and mince pie night this evening (having just seen the time it was yesterday!!). The annual fundraiser to get a few quid to keep Percy, the organ going. Yes the church organ is called Percy???

So I stuffed a stocking with Christmas goodies to offer as a raffle prize.

*Should have taken a pic of it unstuffed! !!*

Quite well off for raffle prizes this year. Lots of carols, singing (even when you are as bad as myself) is supposed to be good for you and I certainly enjoy a carol concert.

The church looked really pretty with little angels hung all around.

*Angels made by local school children were hung all around the church.*

A lovely evening with mulled wine and mince pies served to keep the cold out.

Christmas really is just around the corner!!!

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

SELF-HELP #13

Rugby, rugby and more rugby 🏉

Well guess what the cricket finished and the rugby world cup started…

We are a rugby household, my son plays school rugby U16 so I get to watch quite a lot but now it is on in the house for what seems like 24/7. Although I do find the progress of Japan quite exciting.

The weather has been good today so I have been pulling up lots of nettle roots. They are coming out quite easily today as the ground is wet. The river is very high and not far from the footpath. Managed to plant a few daffs close to the fence so hopefully my patch will look pretty in the spring 🌾

I am now nursing nettle stings on my arms and legs but it will be worth it!

I have managed a few walks this week in between shifts at work.

I started this post on Saturday and today is Tuesday and the weather is not so good 🌧☔🌬

I have been dog walking at a local rescue centre this morning and managed a cheeky little yoga session this afternoon and yesterday I went to my favourite craft club and sat knitting cardies for the premature baby unit over tea and biscuits – what bliss.

♡♡♡

SELF-HELP #12

Crikey, cricket AGAIN…..

Have been neglecting the blog due to being over-worked (and under-paid).

No yoga – sad face 😣

Managed a long walk yesterday along the Gloucester and Sharpness canal – Saul Junction to Splatt bridge where a picnic was enjoyed and then return to Saul Junction picking blackberries on the way back – happy face 😊

Went to Knit and Natter on Monday, no Wyn this week, hope she is alright?

Due to work and the fact that school has started again the only knitting I have done are preemy cardies but I have sewn a lot of labels in school uniform.

On the bright side Aldi have a so crafty promotion on next week 😆

♡♡♡

CHARITY KNITTING 😊

The big KNIT

I have started making little bobble hats for Innocent Smoothie bottles for their big Knit campaign http://www.thebigknit.co.uk

For every little hat Age UK gets 25p

They do provide a pattern or you can make up your own. A great way to use up those ends of yarn in your stash that there just isn’t enough to do anything else with.

The rugged manly look

The softer girlie look

Yes it is the same pattern for both. I have adapted a cabled egg cosy pattern for mine. Time to get knitting so that I have a few more to drop off to my local Age UK collection point. The website will tell you where yours is.

Knitting with purpose ♡♡♡

SELF-HELP #11

Crikey still too much cricket…

Very little of anything has been done this weekend. It is certainly too hot for knitting, my needles are very sticky, even the bamboo ones!!

No nettle root pulling up but I have decided to plant some bulbs and throw such grass and wild flower seed on the patch and see what happens. Now it may work, it way not? There is a bit of a flooding problem when the river Severn gets a bit full so we shall see 🌷🌷🌷

I am a bit behind on my walking I need to do 5 miles every day now if I want to hit 50 miles by the end of August 👣👣👣.

And the whole weekend has been spent with cricket on in every room in the house either on TV, radio or computer – I am pulling my hair out. It has gone from doom and gloom (so why is he continuing to watch it?) to utter excitement (which cannot be good for his blood pressure?) ❤

So we are having a BBQ this evening to celebrate. I don’t do charred flesh so am being a bit of a wet blanket and having a salad 🍅

A bit concerned that he might have set BBQ up a bit close to the house, hopefully we won’t have to call out the fire brigade 🚒

SELF-HELP #8

Crikey… too much cricket!

Not a great deal of knitting has been done this weekend due to the heat. The boys have been glued to the Ashes. I have to admit I find it rather dull, they would say the same about my craft I suppose. 🤔

I have been busy trying to reclaim a piece of land the otherside of my garden fence. It does belong to the property but we have never done anything with it as a public footpath runs through it but all of the neighbours have tidied their bits up. My tangle of brambles and nettles was letting the side down – definitely not cricket!

My lovely dad came and chopped down the nettles and brambles and I have since been pulling out old roots. This is going to be a big WIP. Hoping to have something to talk about next year.

On another note I have signed up to do 50 miles during the month of August with my slimming group. I know to some this does not sound like much but SMALL STEPS… A friend signed up to do 1000 miles this year and has already achieved this. I have a long way to go.

Hopefully, the weather will freshen up again so my needles won’t be as sticky.

Sadly another 5 weeks of the Ashes 😣

Macrame Monday #2

Knotting not knitting …

Occasional posts on my dabbling with macrame!

I have completed the macrame market bag (Hobbycraft pattern 0160).

Now I am not going to get all of my market shop in this. It is a strange narrow affair. My son did ask whether I had done any width by depth calculations? My bewildered expression lead him to comment it is quite good for a first attempt…

Well that is how I am going to look at it. I actually really enjoyed the criss-cross pattern and in the end I was quite proficient at square knots. Sat on the floor cross-legged knotting away with just the sound of the river in the background was quite therapeutic. I am still not convinced about my gathering knot and would certainly not want to carry anything heavy in it for fear the bottom gathering knot would give way! 😕

Anyway it is the perfect size to carry a bottle of wine…

So yes I will have another go but meanwhile chin chin 🍷…