A bit of sauce.

 Rhonda's been at it again, she started me on a challenge to re-organise and sort our storeroom. As it's name suggests we store things in there. My stockpile, produce, cleaning products, suitcases, shoes/boots and lots of other 'useful' things. It's also the family dumping ground. I've been at it all week, sifting and sorting. Stuff to the charity shop, stuff to freecycle, stuff to the dump.  Stockpile and cleaning products re-organised and back in good order. Last I tackled the fruit and vegetables. Wiped down all the shelves and put it all back, except the apples and pears. Benjy was going to make fruit sauce.

 Lot of it.  Some for the freezer and some canned to give to the lady who gave us the apples. The pears are from our own wee tree.

All I had to do was the washing up

and whip up this crumble for our supper.

Here a quick snap of the clean and tidy produce store. A few onions, butternut and queensland blue squash, leeks and cabbage left. I need to use this up so nothing goes to waste while I'm away.

We had one or two things on our mind lately and blogging hasn't been one of them I'm afraid. Little Miss  J has been a bit of a fuss pot with her feeding and sleeping. Poor mum has been at the end of her tether with it all. I have felt so useless being so far away. But there is light at the end of the tunnel and with a formula feed, gripe water and patience all is coming right. Feeds are settling down and sleeps are getting longer. Mum has been able to have some time off now that Dad can feed Little Miss. It's all about find the right level, finding what works for you. 

The one good thing about worrying and not sleeping is the amount of knitting I have done. A pair of socks for Pampa's Christmas stocking, 3/4 of a felted bag, a few dish cloths and I've almost finished a hooded scarf. The house is clean, ultra organised and in order. The down side is I can't go and finish digging the allotment at two in the morning. Not that is really what I want to do at the moment as it's been a bit nippy at nights lately. 

The Wait.

My Girlie

We had the call from Bex at 9pm, that they were on their way to the hospital. As you can imagine I  have not slept much. It's now 9am and she is still going, this baby is not like her mother. Bex was born 3weeks early and only 20mins after I reached the hospital. She has aways been impatient. 

See you later.

Thats UK time.





Here she is, only 5 mins old.

My New Girlie.

Knitting, above and below the waves.

In the week I went to a localish craft show with a couple of friends. I didn't intend spending anything at this show as I am going to The Knitting and Stitching Show at Ally Pally, in two weeks time and saving my pocket money for that. I had lots of time to look at the stands run by the Guilds and groups. This one was particularly stunning. 'Above and Below the Waves'.

This is a project organised by Alison and Ann Murray, in aid of the RNLI and their "Train One Save Many" campaign. 

As you can see it is a knitted seashore, above and below the waterline. Over 2000 knitter help create this master piece. It took 5 months to sew together and I moan about sewing up one jumper. 

The Project will be on show at venues next year, including:


The Brighton Centre  11th - 13th Feb 2011.


SECC Glasgow          3rd - 6th March 2011


NEC Birmingham      24th - 27th March 2011


Anintree Racecourse Liverpool  20th - 22nd May






Well worth a look.

Weekend.

Well I had a busy weekend, so much so I forgot to take any photos. We have cleared a large ornamental border at the front of the house. Over the last two years it has given a marvellous show of flowering shrubs and perennials but it had become over grown and desperately needed a tidy. Pampa is very willing in the garden but I would never let him out their on his own as I'd just have bare earth. Shrubs, roses, climbers and border perennials have all had a good hair cut, feed and mulch. I have a little room for a few new bulbs and a reasonable area cleared for the divided perennials. All good and it cost us nothing at all. Oh yes,  a little petrol to go to the green re-cycling centre.

No work on the allotment but I am still picking. We have had sweetcorn, butternut squash and my pride and joy, a watermelon.

I grew this from a plant I was given by 'Old Pete' as a thank you for watering his greenhouse while he was away for a few days. I just love the way our allotmenteers share with each other. Passing the kindness around.

More Jam, this time plum. I did make so much mess making this, Pampa was very kind and cleaned the hob for me and the work top and the wall. 

Last but not least this is the present my daughter was given at her work baby shower. She is a lecturer at a TAFE in Sydney. All her work colleagues made a square each and put them together into this beautiful quilt. 

Noodlehead's clutch bag.

A little clutch bag for Dee. It turned out much better than I expected as after I cut it out it sat on my craft table for two weeks while I worked out which end was which. The pattern is from http://noodleheads.blogspot.com/2010/04/gathered-clutch-tutorial.html   I like Noodlehead's blog she has such good ideas.

It has three little pockets for cards and just enough room for mobile, keys and a little cash. I think I just may whip one up for myself.

Being Grandma.

This cheery monkey is being me. Note the Grandma lap rug.