Tunisian Crochet

OK. So about a month or so ago I was poking around in a thrift shop (as you do) and came across some fantastic old craft magazines from the 1970's.

You'll have to ignore any under current of reluctance you may pick up on, but the thing is..............!


I've had this post in my pending pile for ages now and just haven't been able to find the words to muster up any thought process - putting it all together.

And gawd knows why I've chosen today to sit down and sift through my head (and pictures) when I'm not feeling tippity top. But the rest of the household are otherwise occupied and I just thought I should try.

So here it is - I can't promise it will make much sense, but I will give it a go.

Right!

As I said - a month or so ago, a thrift shop and some fantastic 1970's craft magazines.

The stack was huge and I could of bought them all, but where would I put them at the end of the day - probably the loft and what would be the point in that, to be buried away in a box and never looked at again.


So I carefully went through them all and deliberately picked only a few. The ones dated 1972 - the year I was born - a jolly good year, indeed.

I didn't look through the magazines at the time, I just wanted a little piece of something from that year. And as I mentioned in my posting yesterday - I have very nostalgic memories of the 1970's.

Of course when I got home and found a few seconds for myself I did actually sit down and flick through my 70's thrift store craft magazines.

In places they are hilarious, dated (of course) and down right 'OMG' did we used to live with that kind of decor in our homes? But on other pages my eyes kept falling to the crafts that are now having a very popular resurgence and ones I have partaken in (for sure) myself.

Have you ever heard of Tunisian Crochet?

Well I haven't / hadn't.

Not even in my grandmother's old craft things could I find a clue to this way of crocheting and it took a little research to acquire the right hook and know how.

For you see Tunisian crochet is a cross between knitting and crochet and you need a special needle to achieve this look. Basically a knitting needle with a hook at the end.


It all looks very straight forward and it is, in fact (once you get the knack) a very easy process to follow with different ways of getting there - in a stitch kind of way - and after a wee while of persevering I am (finally) achieving the look I think I am suppose to.

OK, so the concept makes you feel like you are continuous casting on then off then on again - so on and so forth - but it is a very therapeutic crafting rhythm to follow.

The plan was to start easy - a scarf for little miss T with some left over yarn in double Tunisian crochet - it's getting cold and she could do with a new one and it is coming along.........................but very slowly.

Mix 'umph' and 'lack of' together and that's where I am at the moment.


A scarf, I know - that's easy, but I just can't seem to finish this one off.

I'm not selling this to you at all - am I?

Taking the whole avoidance thing away I am loving the way this is coming together - even if it is a little slow and it's also very easy to put down and walk away from, picking it up as and when you choose.

I'm awful at crafting!


But I hope I have inspired - a little. Even if I don't feel so at the moment.

I did say I would try.

Have a fabulous day.

xXx

Through the round window

"A house, with a door, 1 2 3 4, ready to play, what's the day?

Do you remember?

I took this picture the other day and for nostalgic reasons unknown to me - being ill can play funny old tricks on the memory I'm guessing - I was transported back to my childhood.

Maybe it was the big bowl of Heinz tomato soup I was sipping, being wrapped up warm suffering at this time of the year with a cold, sneezing and smelling of vapour rub when all I wanted to do was jump in the big pile of leaves making me feel like I was four years old-ish again - who knows - but for a brief meditating moment {or two} I was hit with deja vu.

Or depending on age how about -

"Here's a house, here's a door. Windows: 1 2 3 4, ready to knock? Turn the lock.................."

-what is it?

"It's Play School." - of course.

Sneezes have turned into snuffles and I'm most definitely on the mend - thank you all for asking - and of course I'm still staying wrapped up warm rediscovering itchy woolly hats, gloves, scarves and other paraphernalia tucked away in boxes and dragging out warm padded jackets and boots plus reacquainting myself with old wip quilts and crochet blankets I abandoned such a very (it feels like) long time ago, back in the Spring.

Keep warm, cosy and snuggled.

xXx

A great start

I'm full of cold!

The first (official) day of the Autumn half term and I'm full of cold - bah humbug.

Can you tell I don't do 'ill' all that well?

Fortunately it held off for the weekend just gone as we headed west on Saturday for a very special occasion. My little sister's big birthday bash!

I'll spare you the details and silly pictures of drunken maidens (not I - I was very good) but will love you and leave you with a few (literally) pictures I did take on our child free walk into Guildford along the canal.

If you walk over the wooden bridge (just a name it's not really wooden!) that takes you over the A3 you will find a little tow path that skirts you past all the industrial bit and on into town. Or you could find the tiny car park on Walnut Tree Close. Ten-ish cars max.

It's a pretty little walk or stroll, depending on how slow you want to take it and this weekend the sunlight was bouncing off the water making everything sparkle and shimmer.


Not much shopping was done due to being unfamiliar with the town centre. After many years of living there I had forgotten where to find the bargains though I did have a blast down memory lane with all the places (pubs and clubs) I used to frequent.

And a very lovely time was had, even though a very regrettable - elbow to elbow - meal (and wait) in the Jamie Oliver restaurant. When did a top chef turn into a chain?!

Anyhoo - I'm off to curl up with my hot water bottle with lashings of cuddles, tea and sympathy.

Have a beautiful day.

xXx

Weeks End

Gosh - where has this week gone - I can't believe it's Friday already.

This week seems to have gone past in a whoosh and a blur - as most last weeks of school do.

Another school term over and another half term has begun. And when we go back in a weeks time the clocks will have gone back, Halloween will be here (and maybe gone) Guy Fawkes night upon us and we will be in the last dark days of Autumn heading into Winter.

I may of even got my tights and boots out by then....I'm still holding off.

Anyway, what ever you get up to next week, have a super fab time - I'm not too sure of our plans yet, but I think it will involve lots of wind swept walks along deserted beaches, copious amounts of hot chocolate and snuggling up in front of an open fire.......chestnuts roasting. Or is that a little too soon?

Happy half term - for those of you with kids.

Enjoy.

{I wonder what you will get up to?}

xXx

Wet Walnuts

Would you believe me if I told you that it was only a year ago - this time last year - I was introduced to the wet walnut?

I am so ashamed to say - me, the almighty seasonal pickler, preserver and forager had never heard of the term 'wet walnut' - the utter sin of it.



For those of you already baffled by this term, a wet walnut is a walnut that is fresh off the tree and is not kept or stored for drying.

They can also be referred to as a 'green walnut'

Now to be completely honest I wasn't all that keen at first.

I've always eaten the dried variety of walnuts, mainly at Christmas and normally in a 'pick 'n' mix' selection pack so the thought of a wet walnut made me think of something - well I'm not too sure really, but definitely not the way I've been used to eating them, that's for sure.




Anyhoo - to cut a long story short I did try them and I did liked them................a lot.

So much so I will only eat wet walnuts at this time of the year (dried 'pah' rather not) when they are fresh for the picking and as quickly as possible.


Last year we came home with a couple of tubs of sloes - great vodka by the way - and a bag of fresh walnuts with added new knowledge.

Thanks maties!

So go find yourself a walnut tree (take a nice big carrier bag) as they are literally dropping off the branches at moment.

Or failing that a jolly good green grocers as our local one has them in stock too.

xXx

ps. thank you for all your great messages yesterday. It was really interesting hearing how you use scent in your home.

I especially love Betty's hoover tip and Vanessa's use of scent in her car. Go check out their comments. N xxxx

Scent

Whilst I was doing my homely chores this morning - pottering along to some classical vibes - I thought it may be lovely if I shared with you some of my tips on how I scent our home.


Now this may seem like a strange thing to write about and even post some pictures on, but scent is just as important to me as it is to have a (fairly) tidy home.

The latter is not always achievable, but at least we smell good.


I think the power of smell must be one of my strongest senses as a single whiff can stir up the deepest of memories - and feelings - and is something I can relate to in a deep rooted, within my traditional ways.

Like the smell of woodsmoke and watching the wisps curl out of a chimney conjuring up images of an open fire all warm and waiting to be snuggled in front of that gives me that feeling of homely, welcoming and warmth.

And so does the smell of a home when the door is first opened and wraps its arms around you inviting you in.


It could be the waft and warmth of baking welcoming you in or the smell of coffee freshly brewing - offering without the request.

I do know of people - as a home selling trick - putting droplets of vanilla on a baking tray and leaving it in a warm oven so the vanillary vapours give you that homely vision (and feeling) of a cake being baked whilst you're looking around a potential new home.


But for me I have five different ways (minus the obvious baking one which is warmth and smell all rolled into one) and this time of the year is when it becomes even more important to me that our home feels welcoming because of the lack of natural air flow - all doors and windows tightly shut keeping out the cold.


So. The first (and possibly the foremost) thing on top of my home scenting list is the wax tart.

Now I'm sure the name alone is enough to give you the snigger's, but rest assured (and don't be fooled) this little waxy tart has the power to scent your whole home with just one little melting.

Though with time they do wear off - I would say a fortnight or so depending on how much and how long you burn one. I tend to snap mine in half and use one half at a time to make it last longer.


You will need a wax/oil burner - this has a multi purpose which I will come to in a minute - and is well worth the investment.

I buy all my wax tarts from Yankee Candles as they have a huge range to choose from and all are seasonal plus they always have an offer on 'oh' and you can find them in some shops too so you don't necessarily have to buy online. Our local garden centre is the nearest stockist to us which means I can sniff them before I buy - so shop around.


At the moment I'm melting 'Kitchen Spice' which is all cinnamony and perfect for this autumnal time of year.

I also love their Christmas range and the candles well - they just have such a beautiful selection.


OK. So secondly - coming back to the burner - you could use fragranced oils too (but I tend to have one burner for each - not mix and match - as the oil residue leaves a sticky mess all over the bottom of the burner bowl which will need cleaning thoroughly)

You can buy these fragranced oils all over the place, but my most favourite and especially at this time of the year is Vanilla Spice from The Body Shop.


They don't have any in at the moment - it's a seasonal scent - but I popped into our local store last week and was assured that they should have some in after half term. The first-ish week in November.

Vanilla Spice is my most favourite product of theirs and I tend to stock up every year to make sure I have enough to last.


:: NOTE :: You must always always follow the suppliers instructions when using fragranced oils because unlike the wax tarts, you must always dilute the oil.

Never, ever use neat oil in a burner as it can get incredible hot and oil spits when it's hot.

I always three quarters fill the the burner bowl up with water and then just add a couple of drops of oil, so that as the water warms the oil gently heats too giving you that undercurrent of scent, but always remember to keep an eye on the burner bowl because as the water evaporates (leaving the residue of oil) then it could start to burn. Which is why I rarely use this method of scent.


OK - scare and lecture aside - so I rarely (but do) use fragranced oils for burning, just wax tarts. I tend to keep my oil for number three and four of 'how I scent my home'

So number three is part of my every day (general daily) housework chores and I do this all year round and is most effective if {a} you have an open fire with a hearth and {b} if you light the fire.

Basically I clean our hearth tiles with fragranced oil - strange I know - but not only does it buff them up, give them a jolly good dusting and an all round clean all at the same time, it also leaves a room smelling totally gorgeous. I tend to use a piece of kitchen towel for this as it can get quite mucky, but a duster or old cloth (I'm sure) would do just a good job.

Just sprinkle a few drops onto your cloth and wipe over the hearth or tiles.


We are lucky to have hearths in most rooms of our home, but only one is used as an open fire which when lit, warms up the tiles and releases additional scent into the room - hence the a/b comment.

If you don't have a hearth then maybe wipe a windowsill in exactly the same way or around picture/door frames - I'm guessing wooden would be better then plastic or PVC.

The fourth thing I occasionally do and it is very occasional because, even though I love scented candles they can be incredibly expensive or just smell purely naff so just before I blow a plain old candle out I put a couple of drops of fragranced oil onto the melted wax so that when you go to use it again the wax naturally releases the scent when warmed up again.


And fifth and finally it's good old incense sticks. These have been such a life saver when we've cooked something stinky or you've gone away for a couple of days and come home to think 'phew - who forgot to put the bin out?' They are incredible efficient and work wonders on even the most stinkiest of smells.

So there you have it - wax tarts, fragranced oils and incense sticks. My perfect way of making my home smell gorgeous and feel lovely and welcoming and homely.


Do you have any homemaking tips you'd like to share? All are welcome.

xXx

ADDITIONAL NOTE :: all my tips have been sourced from 'some where' over time and I always follow the instructions on any given product religiously.

I am no expert so please do not give me a verbal ear bashing if you feel the things I've said or do are incorrect. I am also always very careful where I place any candle I intend to light and for how long and never around children or animals. Never leave a lighted candle or burner unattended.

I know that some scents are a big no, no if you are pregnant. There are some great places (like Boots the chemist) where you can find all the relevant 'safe aromatherapy scents' you can use. Nina x

Swirls

We've been practising swirls or ballet buns to be precise.

Not one, but two.

Not quite on the scale of Princess Leia and we did have to use hair nets to keep them perfectly in place, but it did the job - nicely.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

{in memory}

For a little girl that had to have all her lovely long glossy locks chopped off at the weekend and it may be some time before we can do this again.

These picture were take last week.

xXx

A corner of my home

This is one of my favourite corners of our home.

It houses the coffee machine and all manner of kitchenalia in the miss match cup and saucers, cookie cutters, dishes, sugar bowl, lemon squeezer kind of department.

It's also the corner where the radio is kept and where I listen to all sorts of different stations.

Like Absolute 80's on a Friday evening for bopping around the kitchen whilst clearing the dinner things away. Classical for when I'm just pottering and Radio 4 Extra on a Sunday when I just need a jolly good chit chat or play. That's mainly when I'm squirreled away baking.

But most importantly of all - it's for the coffee machine.

And for just two and half minutes this morning it was bathed in the most gorgeous sunlight filtered through the kitchen windows, just touching this part of the kitchen - my most favourite part.

I do love this cosy corner of mine.

Have a wonderful sunggled up weekend.

xXx

ps. what is your favourite corner?

Full Moon

Taken two nights ago.

Now I remember why the kids are all a little crazy at the moment.

And there was me thinking someone had slipped them some squash or naughty e numbers!

My little angels always turn into little howling werewolves when there is a full moon.

Isn't it amazing how one natural occurrence can have our kids turn from semi calm and normal tiny human beings to crazy wild eyed (and hair) bundles of energy that literally need poking with a stick to get them to come back down off the ceiling.............or the back of the sofa.

Not that I would actually ever do that - poke them with a stick, but all control feels lost when there is a full moon.

Fortunately it's waning now (decreasing in size) so all peace can be restored - just in time for the weekend.

xXx

Found

Not windfall apples, but a very pretty set of digital scales in Dunelm Mill yesterday morning.

They had various different models to choose from, but my eye kept falling back to this pop flowery design.


Now I don't really need 'another' set of digital scales, but I just couldn't help myself - they are just too darn pretty.

What's catching your eye at the moment?

xXx

ps. I noticed one thrush and one robin scoffing the berries in our garden this morning.

Berries, Seeds and Fallen leaves

Fat, red ripe berries all around.

- I was told as a child that if berries were in an abundance (to fatten up the birds) in Autumn then it meant we were in for a hard Winter. Where ever I look every bush, every tree seems laded at the moment, but the birds don't seem all that interested. Maybe it's because it is still too warm and worms are easy pickings.

And seed pods seem to be popping everywhere.

From helicopter seeds that spiral around our heads before they hit the ground to the seeds that do the opposite and float off on the breeze. I can hear pods rattling waiting to drop their wares every time I brush past them and ones that were once flowers just waiting for that moment to scatter a thousand seeds at their feet.

The leaf pile grows taller and taller day by day, they swirl and scatter as we kick them into the air. More hard work to rake them back up again, but it is fun - nonetheless - to play the game.

What are you noticing?

{berries, seeds and fallen leaves}

xXx