I've been trying to catch up with the wonderful Mastercrafts that has been on BBC 2 recently and watched the latest episode on the BBC iPlayer just last night. This week's craft was weaving - something that I've often wanted to try, but not known much about. It's up on iPlayer for a week or so more and I really recommend that you go and watch it if you haven't done so already (direct link here) as it was a fab programme. Great to see the craft in more detail and to understand more the mechanics behind it. Also wonderful to see what can be created, ... read more
Archives for March 2010
Further steps towards growing our own
It's a long time ago now since I wrote about Mr C and my very first steps towards self sufficiency. Since then we have indeed managed to (finally) buy a house with outdoor space to allow us to do a bit more. I'm pleased to report that the kitchen windowsill seems to be thriving so far with the basil continuing to grow well, and the coriander making a first appearance yesterday. I'm having a few problems getting the watering levels right - I swear the watering can just puts out more water than I want it to sometimes! - but it's really good to see those first green shoots.After ... read more
Kitchen windowsill herb garden
The realisation that we're already in March and that Baby C will be making his or her appearance in around three months time has made me understand that if I don't actually do some of the gardening things that I want to do now then it'll be too late this year and it'll be another year before any hopes at self sufficiency get going. I decided to start small with a herb pot set that I was given as a Christmas gift. We already have a bit of basil and curly parsley on the kitchen windowsill, but this seemed too good a set not to put to use, so that's what I did.Very ... read more
A weekend in Bath
A friend's wedding gave Mr C and I a fantastic opportunity for a weekend away before Baby C comes along. Somehow I've not been to Bath properly before. I've passed through on the train many times and even been for a job interview there, but the city's delights escaped me until now. An evening wedding meant that we had plenty of opportunity to explore on foot before we dressed up for our trip to the Assembly Rooms for the ceremony and reception. Even the weather was nice to us! The wedding itself was lovely. A beautiful bride, an opportunity to catch up ... read more
First hat for Baby C
I don't seem to have done much knitting of late as most of the time I've been concentrating on the cross-stitch picture that I'm hoping to hang on the nursery wall. Things may change though as Mr C recently bought me a couple of little Sublime hand knit books that feature the most gorgeous designs for babies. The morning he gave them to me I spent about an hour sitting there just looking at the lovely pictures - everything in there is just so cute!I don't know as yet as to whether Baby C is going to be of the pink or blue "variety" but one thing is for sure, as soon ... read more
NTTVBG: Vanessa and Virginia – Susan Sellers
Another author that I seem to have completely overlooked so far in my reading is Virginia Woolf. She's one of those people that I've always heard of and thought that I ought to get round to reading, but never managed it. I think I even have one of her books somewhere up in the piles in the attic, but it's just never reached the top of the pile. It was only when I started reading Susan Sellers' Vanessa and Virginia that I realised just how little I knew about her. Having been at University just around the corner I was familiar with the fact that she lived ... read more
Deaf Sentence – David Lodge
I've been quite good lately in trying to keep up with the various bits of planned reading for both the NTTVBG and the Waterstone's 50 of the decade reading lists. I also have to admit though to a guilty secret of going into Waterstone's and making lists in my little notebook of recent releases that I want to read. You know, those books that they have laid out on tables just inside the door which make it so difficult to leave without purchasing anything. I normally save my book buying until I'm in one of the local charity shops, or online if it's something I simply ... read more
A week in pictures
I've been lacking words this last week, so instead here are some pictures from what I've been up to. Highlights include a hen weekend where we got to stay on a working farm (with the lovely pair at the top of this post outside where we slept!), the first bulbs coming up in our garden, Mr C's birthday (which obviously required a home made chocolate cake), the completion of my raised bed, and today the first day of Spring proper. Somehow I also managed to squeeze in two books (Vanessa and Virginia and Deaf Sentence - reviews of both to follow), ... read more