A Week on the Water

Last week we swapped our urban cottage for a few days in a narrowboat on the Llangollen Canal. A little chill out time was just what we needed and the pace of life as we pottered along at 3 miles an hour got right to the heart of that.

The Llangollen was a lovely canal to spend our time on. Travelling almost exclusively through countryside rather than towns and cities, the highlight of the journey for us was the day we spent reaching the source of the canal. As the Vale of Llangollen started to open up around us, we passed over the longest and highest aqueduct in Great Britain - the Pontcysyllte. Not for the faint hearted as there is a shear drop from the edge of the boat. Definitely stayed seated during that one.

From there the canal got narrower and narrower, winding it's way along the valley edge towards the town of Llangollen and a final unnavigable section where we had to switch to foot. Finally we reached the horseshoe falls; a perfect semi-circle of waterfall that separates the water for the canal from the river Dee.

We were with my brother, parents, and my parents 18 month old labrador - Monty. It was great to spend some time with family, both working our way through the series of locks and swing bridges, and settling down at the end of the day to a glass of wine and a game of cards. Monty also seemed to enjoy his week, providing us with much amusement as he checked up on everything that was happening, hared up and down the towpath and did laps of each lock - though also providing us with a few heart-stopping moments as he ran over the lock gates or leapt from the boat in pursuit of someone who'd dared to get off the boat without him.

A really good week.

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Pots from Old Jeans by Wendy

I'm very proud to say that I am Joe's mum and fortunate that Jenny is now part of our family. Joe's old bedroom is now a guest room ( with a fold down bed made by his dad ) and my workroom were I can surround myself with fabrics and be inspired.

This week I have made a couple of fabric storage pots from the legs of old jeans. One pair were black the other standard blue ( slightly harder to sew as they are stretch ones). I tried to find some with the least flare from my box of discarded jeans. 

I used an 8 inch section from a leg plus a circle. If you can't cope with working out how big to cut the circle, by measuring across the leg x 2 to get circumference and doing the maths, try putting "circle calculator" into Google and it will work out the maths for you. Do remember to measure the denim tube along the seam allowance not the bottom raw edge and add the same seam allowance to the circle either on the pattern or as you cut it.

      

For the lining I used some cotton fat quarters from my fabric stash and some extra firm heat and bond interfacing. I would normally iron the interfacing to the outside fabric but I did not want to unpick the side seams so fused it to the main body of the lining on the sides but to the denim on the base.

Folding the lining fabric and placing the leg section on top, so one side of leg is along the fold, I cut out the lining the same size at the top and bottom but leaving a seam allowance down the side which I marked with a prym trickmarker. This seam was then pinned and stitched.

This tube was attached to the denim tube ( wrong sides together ) at one end. Pulled right side out and pressed, then top stitched on the denim through the layers of the seam.

The base circle of denim and a matching circle cut out of the lining were pinned then machine tacked together. I marked both the circle and the denim end of the tube in 4 equal places along the sewing lines ( not the edges) to help join them together. I pinned then machined along the stitching line twice to make it strong. You may need to tack it first to ensure you don't get pleats or puckers.

      

     

Clip the curves then fold the lining down the sides and ladder stitch into place by hand.

Turn right side out and fold down the cuff.

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What to Knit in Hospital by Julie

Since most knitting topics have been adequately covered by Jenny, I felt the need to cover a branch of knitting that receives little attention, what to knit when you are in hospital or visiting someone every day in hospital. Our daughter, and Jenny and Joe’s sister, has something called Rett Syndrome. Katrina is very disabled and has often been in hospital. Most people when their seriously ill relative is rushed into hospital by ambulance with blue flashing lights would panic. We, however, pack a bottle of water, snacks, books, money, mini-DVD player, Disney films and Old Bear books, and I start to consider what I am going to knit whilst Katrina is in hospital.

We have spent days/weeks/months in hospital and the only way to endure hours of Disney films or Katrina sleeping is to knit. (I am not sure how her Dad copes - he just reads.) I managed a whole jumper in the great stay of 2008. I would go on to consider that the only way to survive the stress of life is to knit. I am not sure how non-knitters stay the course. To be serious, I cope better with stress if I can knit. There have been times when Katrina has been so ill that even knitting has failed me, but generally being busy means I get less tired, remain calm and vaguely sane.

The important question is what to knit. The ideal would be something small and plain so you do not need to concentrate too much. Huge balls of wool are a disadvantage, they get in the way. Masses of stitches in a row aren’t helpful either if doctors keep coming in and interrupting. Last year I made a few blanket squares, and did some different stitches.

Yes, I know they are still not sewn together!

This time insanity took over. On a recent trip to Hawes in Yorkshire I found the most wonderful shop called the Knitting Basket. The selection of wool was interesting and different, and very good quality. Of course, I couldn’t resist and had to buy more wool. I have two crates at home to use up but it is a compulsion to buy more. Jeremy had foolishly taken some shopping back to the car and left me on my own, so I treated myself to some lace weight wool.

When Katrina went in this time we realised we weren’t going to spend days squished into a corner in intensive care, so I decided to start knitting a lace shawl. This was a BAD idea. The whole point of hospital knitting is that is has to be easy (see previous paragraph), and this was not super difficult but just complicated enough. Each row had 101 stitches and if you missed one yarn over needle that was it. You had to unpick I couldn’t always work out where I had gone wrong otherwise I might have tried just picking up a loop between rows. Unpicking lace knitting is slow and demanding and usually means you drop a stitch. I had only just started the project when Katrina went into hospital, and I started it again and again and again. I couldn’t do the knitting sitting next to Katrina, she was too interested in what I was up to and would lean over and poke the knitting, usually that meant that I missed a stitch.

Here is a picture of how far I have got. Hopefully now I am home I can get on with it and next time it is back to blanket squares!

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Julie is Jenny's mum and needs little more introduction than that; their relatedness is clearly shown in their combined enjoyment of knitting, sewing, baking and gardening. She taught Jenny to knit as a girl, and they now regularly swap tips, patterns and ideas!

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Birthday Socks

Do you ever find that you're busy making something that you want to blog/instagram/facebook/tweet about, something that you're really pleased with, that's working just the way you want? Except you can't. What you're making is a present and the recipient is bound to notice if you put photos online - particularly if the person is the sort that has a sixth sense about these things. This was the case for me earlier this year and for a while I had to make do with just showing them to Joe at least once a day (which he loved, I can tell you).

Finally, however, the day has come when I can show them to you too. Water for Elephant Socks using Regia Extra Twist sock yarn in Violet and Yellow.

Happy Birthday Mum.

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Elderflower Champagne the Second

Our elderflower champagne has been quietly brewing for the last six weeks and has turned out very tasty - if a little syrupy. It did an excellent job in helping us to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary last weekend with most of those fine people who were willing to be bridesmaids and ushers for us at the time.

We also had five dessert courses - because that's what every fifth anniversary needs, don't you think? Unfortunately we were bad bloggers and took hardly any photos so you'll have to imagine the de-constructed trifle, tripolino, lemon sorbet, chocolate mousse and fresh berry pavlova. Sorry!

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Life's a Game: 4. Cribbage

This year we're sharing with you our game of the month. These are all favourites from our collection, or ones we play with our friends.

April's game is Cribbage.

Looking for  cards that add up to fifteen...

This is one of those games that, for me, goes right back into my childhood. I have distant memories of being taught to play by my Dad, but feel like I've always known it. We played card games a lot as I grew up, often as a family activity; my Mum, Dad, brother and I sitting down on a Saturday evening for round of whist, bridge or canasta and this is still a well loved way to pass our time when we all get together today. With cribbage though, typically a two player game, it was game for mostly just for Dad and I.

As time went on I taught Joe how to play, and also discovered one of my university friends knew this game. Between us we taught another of my housemates and cribbage has become a favourite once again. We nearly always play when the four of us are together.

Crib scoring board. 

There are many quirks to this card game. It comes with it's own special scoring board to help you keep track of your points and the game is broken into two different sections in each round, both of which can score you points. As well trying to find the classic runs and pairs of many card games you're also on the look out for cards that add up to fifteen and every player starts by donating one or two of their cards into the crib, or box, which the dealer gets to treat as an extra hand at the end of the game to score bonus points - and this is what gives the game it's name.

Section 1: Play out your cards one at a time trying to make combo's
with your opponents cards; here we have 15 on the table, 2 points. 

Simple enough to learn, reliant on the luck of the cards, but with the chance to become skilled at spotting the best combinations to score you points this is a game that can be enjoyed by the young and old on different levels, and I'd recommend you give it a go.

Section 2: Add up the points in your hand. This person scored 6; two fifteens (K+5) and a pair. 

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Photo Friday - Cromer

My little sister at the beach in Cromer.

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