A growing pile of colourful crochet

It’s been a while since I’ve done a post about what’s on my hook, so here one is. And what’s on my hook is a bit of a misnomer really as I’m waiting for my next delivery from the mini-skein club. I’ve half-way through my six month subscription, which I took out to treat myself whilst lockdown was on, and to support a smaller business.

But it’s been addictive. And a little bit out of my comfort zone.

I was fine with the first month’s yellows, greens and turquoise - all colours I’m comfortable with. I had a bit of a wobble when the next box arrived with pale blue, but by the time I finished on a lilac that reminded me of parma violets, I was back on course. Then when the pinks, which turned out to look quite like raspberry ripple arrived, I was on the up again.

My original plan was to make a wrap, oblong shaped as I’m not a fan of the triangular shaped ones, and at times I wonder if it might be too colourful. Which is quite something coming from me, a self-confessed lover of colour. Another suggestion is a beach cover up, and I’m tempted, although beaches aren’t quite my natural habitat, and I wonder if I’d want to get it sandy.

Maybe it’ll turn into some other kind of multi-coloured wearable. I’ve thirteen completed squares so far, with the fourteenth already started. So the pile will grow for a few months yet, which means I’ve some time to finalise exactly what I’ll make. Which is probably a good thing!

But for now, I’m just enjoying the colours. And wondering where we’ll go next in the colour wheel.

Reflecting on my week #139

The big weeks at work seem to be continuing at the moment. Last week there were disappointments with people who were leaving and promised things before they went, that didn’t deliver but also plus points when an article was submitted after a very short brief, that absolutely hit the mark. There was a weekend of being on call, and actually being called, which thankfully is rare. But this weekend’s call saw a media interview being set up at short notice on the Bank Holiday, a little out of my comfort zone but we got there.

We went into the weekend with few plans, but spent some time mooching around Greenwich on Saturday picking up some food shopping, some lunch from the market and some conkers from Greenwich Park on our way home. It’s been many years since we’ve been conker hunting, and it was quite good fun. MOH quickly slipped back a good few years, and was looking for the best “cheese cutter” which made us laugh, but also because we’re collecting these to scare our spiders, not for some major championship.

Though if it comes to the championship, I’ve got a trick or two up my sleeve. Let’s just say conkers soaked in vinegar and baked…

I’m sure we’ll spend the next few weeks positioning them carefully to deter the spiders which seem so comfy in our conservatory though. It’s not the spiders that bother me so much, but their webs. This year they are huge, and they will be evicted. We’re trying conkers, and I’ve also some Peppermint Oil on order after asking for suggestions over on Instagram, so we’ll see how these go - and how quickly the spiders go too.

Actually it’s been a good week for advice over on Instagram. I pondered what to do with our increasing supply of empty and pretty gin bottles, wondering if filling them with LED lights would be a viable option. And, yes you agree and you’ve also told me about the lights you can buy that have the battery and/or switch in the cork, so I’ll be doing some internet searching for those. I think though it might not be that long before our garden could become the south’s equivalent of the Blackpool Illuminations if I’m not careful…

There was other news for MOH this week too. The consultation period for his role has ended and his company confirmed his redundancy. He’s fine about the outcome, but the delivery was less, shall we say, humane and a little galling. However, it’s also vindication of why the outcome is a good thing. He says he’s not surprised as such, but the timing was sooner than he’d anticipated, but it is what it is. There’s provision for training in the package and of course his actual work is lessening, which is no bad thing, as you’ll remember how the stress contributed to his health earlier in the year. We know that there are many people in worse situations than ours, and so while it’s not great news - redundancy never is - it’s not the worst news either. As he’s already been “bored” by lockdown the challenge will, I’m sure, be more of a mental one, but definitely one to make the most of, and I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that he’s very keen for me to go back to the office. Me, not so much, but that’s a whole other blog post, maybe for another time.

We had another trip out to a National Trust property on the Bank Holiday Monday, taking MIL to Standen, which is less than fifteen minutes from where she lives. It was only our second time there - we went in 2015 for the Tulip Festival - and it was a nice surprise to learn that the ground floor of the house was open. So of course we headed there first, joining the short socially distanced queue. It’s funny though, looking back at my post from our first visit, I’ve taken many of the same photos. I clearly know the stuff I like, and I’m drawn to it on five yearly intervals!

For a Bank Holiday, the weather was good. A little on the chilly side, but it seems that autumn is already knocking on summer’s door and making itself known. In some ways I don’t want it here yet, but in other ways it’s ok, I mean, I think autumn’s food is the best, so I’m looking forward to that part at least, the chillier mornings and putting away my flip flops, less so!

Post Comment Love 28-31 August

Welcome to this week’s #PoCoLo - a friendly linky which I co-host with Suzanne, where you can link any post published in the last week. We know you’ll find some great posts to read, and maybe some new-to-you blogs too, so do pop over and visit some of the posts linked and share some of that love.

Last week I mentioned there hadn’t been rain, this week all I’m saying is there’s been plenty thank you. We were lucky though as we had a couple of days off, and one of those days was glorious. The other gale force winds, and intermittent showers. Of course that was the day we went out and visited Chartwell, which despite being relatively close (and less than an hour away) we hadn’t been.

I fell in love with the vegetable garden as soon as I saw it from the terrace above. It was huge, and as you’d expect well stocked. But what I really liked is spotting the unusual, just like this fern growing out of the brick wall happily sitting alongside the espaliered apples. And the apples were huge too. There’s plenty to see there, even though the house isn’t yet open. I think we’ll be heading back at some point, as it would be great to see inside the house and soak up its history. Assuming that that will happen given everything that’s going on with Covid-19, but also the changes the National Trust are potentially making. For what it’s worth, I disagree with closing houses and gardens, while preserving the countryside is important, for me they also have a role in preserving history of properties, and educating the nation too. But we’ll see how things go.

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