There are worse crimes than burning books...

...one of them is not reading them.

Ray Bradbury

================================================

 

 

After yet another L-O-N-G break from Blogland I discover that the 'reader' facility from Mr Goggle is about to go into retirement. 

 

Now I know that you are much better at these technological things than I am and wonder if you might be able to assist me in my quest as to if anything going to be replacing it and if so, what?

 

I have another question too; still about 'reader'.  I know how to add various blog http address thingies to it but my list is so long and some of these people I used to follow don't even even blog any more [at least I'm consistently intermittent at it].  I'd like to delete these ones but again, due to my technical prowess, have no idea how, so if you do, could you provide me with childlike instructions please?  Actually, best supply the old person instructions since children are super whizzy at all this whereas I am not.

 

 

Life was much easier when it wasn't quite so progressive.  Perhaps it's back to the drawing board [again].

 

 

Thanks for visiting ....

 

Can I have a 'P' please Bob ....

 

I don't know how long it's been back but Blockbusters is again on our television screens.  This used to be essential watching many years ago and the quiz master was Bob Holness.  'Can I have a P please Bob' always used to raise a laugh and it doesn't seem to be any different today although Bob Holness is regrettably long-gone and has been superseded by Simon Mayo. 

I happened upon Blockbusters quite by chance.  It was on at prime time [230 in the morning] so the powers  that be couldn't have perhaps thought it was going to be particularly popular with the same kind of viewers that it had been 'in the day' and of course, not many school age people will be up and about at that time [but you never thought I was one though did you] and it's now for the grown-ups.  Not in content but the competitors, for this series were in their 20s.  Still, it's called progress and if you've never seen it before it might be worth using your recorder if you're not up that late to give that a try.

Simon also hosts the Drivetime programme on Radio 2 which is very listenable, especially for the Confessions and the Homework Sucks sections. I'd recommend trying the show which runs on weeknights from 5 until 7. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Mr Mayo has also done a bit of writing and no, I don't work for the Simon Mayo fan club - I don't think he has one - I looked.

On a completely different subject, have you ever seen Jessie Chorley's work?  It's very unusual and I would love to visit her shop or do a course with her.



Jessie also has a new website and there's a guest book page on there and from there I found a link to a blog with the most delightful, if similar, embroidery and stitching on it.  Do take a look at either [or both] if you have time.

But of course, nothing ever gets done if all I do is talk, and type, about it.  Which sums me up completely!

Thanks for visiting ....

Once you start pulling loops through loops ...

 

... why ever stop?
Vashti Braha

 

The book I mentioned in my last post has now arrived.  While I was eating my lunch just now I was leafing through and trying to decide what I'd like to make.  Then I leafed through again and tried to decide what I could make.  These are NOT the same thing.

 

 

There are loads of lovely patterns in here.  I like the Springtime Jumper which is granny squares joined together for the back and front and plain sleeves.  Then there's a delightful little blanket called Ophelia in a striped ripple design.

 

 

Looking more realistically at the patterns though what I could make is Billy Bear or the Happy Stars Cot Garland.  These wouldn't have to be necessarily for this imagination baby either as they're very sweet accessories for any age.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then finallly, what I more than likely am capable [at a big push] of making are the baby washcloths.  They don't look THAT hard and because they're small I can practice my skills [hmmm].  If I ever get my camera fixed I could even post some pics of the completed items too.  Watch this space [just not too carefully].

 

 

In the meantime, thanks for visiting ...

 

 



We'd like to be unhappy but ...

 ... we never do have the time.

As ever, been spending time moving around from one blog to another in order to distract myself from doing anything that actually does need to be done. 

One of the blogs I look at occasionally is Inverleith.  This recent post is all about crochet in particular and as you know, I've been trying for some time to master the hooky art, mostly without much success.  However, this blog post shows a cute little pair of boots and mentions a book called Crochet Baby Clothes. 



I looked to the Internet for more details about this book and found that I could actually make a purchase relatively cheaply from The Book People so I've ordered one.  I have had books in the past from the Book People and was awarded points.  In this case, points really do make prizes because I had enough points to order the book for free - even better husbandry.



The strange thing though is that I have no  babies, either cute or easy, to make things for - but thought it would give my crochet skills [in the loosest term of the word] a turn trying to make something of a small size and  should I be successful, I'm almost more than reasonably certain that I'd be able to find a cute and easy baby to pass it on to. 

I did wonder briefly about the title of this book - Cute and Easy Crocheted Baby Clothes - is this with reference to the patterns or to the babies for whom the clothes are intended?  It's written by the same person who wrote the Passion for Quilting one I recently had from the library so she's obviously, unlike myself, NOT easily distracted from her course of action as she finds time to do lots of different crafts.

Incidentally, she also finds the time to write a blog of her own as well as run workshops and I believe a company called the Laughing Hens.

I wonder if she has a workshop or written a book on how to add all these extra hours to her days - I might even participate if I had the time.

And finally [Cyril] do try this video - it could have been written especially for me.

Thanks for visiting ...

The only thing we have to fear is...

... fear itself .... and spiders.

I was looking at Angry Chcken's blog just earlier and she's taken part in a quiz.  Just for fun I thought I'd have a go too and discovered that I am a spider!



My powers [and I had no idea that I had any] are that I have artistic genius, ability to see patterns and sense trouble from a distance.

As a spider, I am artistic, intuitive, and independent - maybe even a little eccentric.  I can become so absorbed in my endeavours that I lose track of the outside world and the people in it.  But what I give in return is magic, pure and simple.

If you'd like to have a go at the quiz too you can by going to this link.

Oh, and as a number of people have already probably said to you and will continue to say for a while yet: happy new year.

Thanks for visiting ....

There is enough in the world for everyone's need ...

... but not enough for everyone's greed.

Frank Buchman
Because I'm not particularly tecnhical I have to search for my blog in order to get into it.  It's probably just me but at the same time as typing in the word greedy 'puter did that predictive thing and flashed up 'greedy old men'.  It did make me laugh - just my sense of humour [of lack of] I suppose.

I was quite interested to see where the search would take me but didn't actually find it that.  It was mostly about, as you might imagine, greedy old men.  In fact, not even old in my estimation.  Just greedy.  I wonder how many people actually look up that subject?  I wonder how many people actually look up my blog?  Theirs might be a darn sight more interesting than this...

Any way, as usual, I am prevaricating, because greedy old men, women or children were not want what I was going to post on.

I recently borrowed from the library a patch working book by Nicki Trench called a 'Passion for Quilting'.  I did think about buying it but they had it my my local library and so I used that facility instead.

 

 

It's a book aimed I think at beginners as most of the projects are relatively simple but that's no bad thing because often less is more.  I loved the colours and fabrics used in the projects too.  There were quite a few things I wanted to do but what I ended up making was a little zipped purse/bag.You can see the one I attempted in this picture - it's the one with the rickrack on it..

I can't show you the 'actual' one I made because I still have camera problems. Perhaps I should consider buying a new one but I'll possibly break that one too given a chance.  And of course, my little bag looks nothing like this - it has features...

 

What I also liked about the book were the little 'how to' sections; for instance inserting a zip.  I remember the HUGE problems I had when we had to make a skirt in the sewing classes at school and have sidetracked anything that involved zips or buttons for that matter ever since.  I would never have thought of doing it the way it described so think it's worth the price for that alone.

 

The book has now been returned to the library so it's available again or you could always order it for the price of a chocolate bar - a very reasonable cost for a month of part-ownership of a book to see if you want to get one of your own.

 

Now the book has gone I'll have to think of another little project to keep me out of mischief.  I'm not sure what to do as there are so many ideas on everyone else's blogs at the moment.  My particular favourite may possibly be Planet Penny.  Not only lots of crafty stuff but the latest post is for spice biscuits which fulfils all my waking thoughts.

 

 

I'd better get on; lots to do - making spice biscuits being one of them.

 

Thanks for visiting ...

My mother used to say that there are no strangers -

- only friends you haven't met yet. She's now in a maximum security twilight home in Australia.

[Dame Edna Everage]

 

I'm hearing a lot about this sourdough cake mix lately.  It must be something that circulates over time as I can remember way back in the '80s being given a 'starter' mix and it grew and grew, a bit like Topsy, for many months. 

You're meant to feed it and stir it occasionally and after a week or so, add more ingredients to it, divide into portions and use one portion to bake a cake for your own family.  The difficulty actually seemed to arise as I remember when trying to find people to take a portion when you really find out who your friends are!!

Herman [as the cake is affectionately known] even has his own website nowadays and there are many variations of how he can be finished off.

I think that the best way would be on a plate.  Let me know your, if any, experiences of Herman and if you know how it works as it doesn't seem to go off despite sitting in a warm kitchen for ten or so days. 

I'm hoping that Herman will be coming my way in due course and I'll be able to give you a little sample.

In the meantime, thanks for visiting ...