French Knots

What a night with The Alarm!

Last night was French Knots Craft Studio's long awaited Christmas do! 

 Oh it was good, Mike Peters and the guys gave their all and were clearly having a brilliant time. I also had a brilliant time, transported back the the first time I saw The Alarm when I was 17. There was just as much passion and energy both from the band and the crowd, though after 2 hours of leaping up and down like a lunatic I was a bit of a sweaty betty to say the least. While belting out the anthems, jumping up and down with my arms stretched high in enjoyment I had suddenly had a clear though ' The Big Sister would be horrified if she could see me!' Ha ha!!

It was the most fun I have had in a long time, loud and raucous, the music vibrating in your body as well as your soul. This knackered middle aged Mum hasn't felt so alive in a bloody long time!

Thanks to the boys for loving what they do and taking us along for the best ride in town last night.

Mike Peters is a cancer survivor and uses his passion for rock and his platform to make a difference through his Love Hope Strength Foundation We signed up for the bone marrow donation database and lots of other fans were signing up too, they are promoting Get on the List - sign up, get swabbed and save a life. Perhaps you could too?

Perfect Christmas do, I think I'll do the same next Christmas,

 

Missing

I have been missing my blog but my motivation seems to be missing too!

Late last year I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and had to take some medication which made me feel ill. I persevered as I was told it would make me feel less exhausted, it didn't and during February I started falling asleep during the day if I sat down for more than 5 minutes. So now I am stopping the tablets and am feeling dreadful. Hurrah, that was a total waste of time. Hopefully once they are out of my system the symptoms they created will stop and I'll just be back to the fibromyalgia symptoms. Which are pants too but better than nodding off just after breakfast.

Pah.

Anyway.....

Signs of spring are cheering, the forsythia in my garden is beginning to bloom with it's bold brash flowers and there hasn't been a drop of rain in about 3 weeks - in Manchester this is unheard of! Well apart from the heatwave summer of '77 that I remember from childhood. These daffs have been brightening up mu studio with their nodding heads. The studio has been very busy and I've been teach workshops 3 or 4 times a week, which I love. Sharing something you are passionate about with other who love it too is just the best job in the world. I've been teaching children how to use sewing machines, converting lots of new people into crochet addicts and have launched Vintage Crafternoon Tea Hen Parties in conjunction with my partner in crime Baking genius Gwyn. It's dreadful - I sometimes have to eat left over cake!

I've got plans for new kits, childrens sewing parties, magazine articles and lots of new creative workshops - it's a shame one of the main symptoms of fibromyalgia is exhaustion otherwise I'd get even more done!

 My lovely Mum would have been 70 last month. Even after so many years I still miss her everyday and the older I get the more unfair it seems that she was only in her 50s when she died. How she would have loved hanging out with me in my studio, my inspiration and example of creative, loving motherhood xx

Perky Projects

So here is the first Perky Project!

I found some lovely old Sanderson fabric that I had forgotten I had (too much fabric, no no, not at all!) but there wasn't quite enough for the bay window so I ordered some more from Ebay. When it arrived it was not quite the same pattern, so now I had two floral fabrics neither of which were large enough to make the curtains.

So naturally the answer was to stalk some more Sanderson fabric on ebay and make patchwork curtains. They still need lining but now they are up it might be a while before I get round to it.

They have certainly perked up the room and I am delighted with them.

Have you got any Perky Projects planned to cheer up the winter months?

A Winner

So The Big Sister helped by drawing a name from my newly knitted teal beret and the winner is .....

Christy from Lil Bit Brit. So please let me know your address and I'll get your goodies in the post.

 I am going to try and find a few minutes today to have a play with my Christmas present from Mr FK

 a fancy pants cutting machine! I want to use it for cutting fabric to make patchwork and applique easier on my hands. They have been getting increasingly painful over the last couple of years, combined with ongoing pain in arms, legs and ankles and also poleaxing tiredness. My GP diagnosed me with fibromyalgia   a couple of months ago and I am still learning about how to pace myself ( ha ha!) and what I can do to reduce the pain and improve my energy levels.

Right I have an embroidery tutorial to finish today, a knitted egg cosy pattern to work on for an upcoming class and a hen party booking to plan for - business is going well and I feel so lucky to be doing something I love that fits around the children too.

See how well I pace myself already!!

 

Giveaway Prizes

So a little later than planned (thanks to starting the New Year with a lovely D&V bug!) here are the giveaway prizes. I thought I'd include one of my tweedy brooches as well as the cushion,a little pick me up for your favourite cardi. I have a super collection of felted jumpers and rescued velvet that are perfect for brooches. In fact I have a whole suitcase full! I love to use vintage suitcases for storage as they look wonderful all stacked on top of each other and I can just grab the one I need when dashing off to run a workshop.

I generally pick them up for pennies at my local jumble and am going to try covering one of the tatty ones with fabric to perk it up, in fact Perky Projects are on the horizon - a quick makeover or project that delivers maximum perkiness is the antidote to the endless grey,damp weather and post Christmas slump.

What's lifting your spirits for the New Year?

 

6 years giveaway

I started my blog on December 28th 2006, during the lovely lull between Christmas and New Year. Having spent a few months reading wonderful inspiring blogs full of amazing creativity I wanted to join in but was not sure what I'd have to say.

Looking back on my posts gives me so much pleasure, the little everyday snippets and my growing family. The Baby Brother wasn't even a twinkle in my eye, The Big Sister wasn't very big  and My Little Helper hadn't started school.

So many makes and meals, holidays and days out, so much to treasure.

To thank you for joining me I am celebrating with a little giveaway. I've not been organised enough to take a photo but it is a squishy velvet and tweed cushion decorated with a doily that I made. I'll try and add a photo soon too!

 A little Christmas embroidery I designed for one of my workshops

I'll draw a name out of the hat a week from today on Friday 4th Jan, happy to post anywhere so please leave a comment and say hello!

 

Enduring

This year has had it's trials, in addition to the usual mayhem of three children, a home and a business to run there has been the months of worry over Mr FK's foot (now happily healed) and the ongoing distress to my little family caused by someone I expected better of .

However I was feeling festive and hoping for a peaceful Christmas. But no, 2012 had a couple more steep dips on the roller coaster last week. I am weary and worried. But during the final part of Last Tango in Halifax last night Gillian said 'but you love someone warts and all' which really spoke to my heart, things may not be quite how we want them to be and of course there are no rose tinted spectacles in real life but love that endures even when tested is surely love worth having. It lifted my spirits and I will hold on to it during the weeks ahead.     

My events and workshops are finished now for Christmas ( December was my best month yet and I have exciting plans for my little business in the New Year) so I am going to choose some soothing knitting or crochet to relax with and some Christmas music to listen to by the lights of the Christmas Tree.  The worries will be pushed to the back of my mind while I enjoy this most special time of the year with those I care most about,

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas, thank you for your support this year

xx

 

 

Snuggly Scarf

Thanks to My Little Helper for taking the photo

I think it was Chipper Nelly who posted the link to this simple  scarf. Just the right size for filling that little gap at the top of your coat and for keeping your neck nice and warm. I'd had a little trip over to Black Sheep where I had found some wonderful mustard coloured cashmerino, this was the perfect quickly hooked project to use it. Very satisfying trebling backwards and forwards, my wrist joints are painful at the moment so a speedy project is perfect. My ankle joints are pretty rubbish too but I don't need them for crochet!

Do pop over and have a look at The Compound Word Project, it started this week and you can play along by visiting and guessing what compound word each diptych represents. You can email Ali with your guesses at the end of the week and might even win a prize. You'll have no competition from me as I lack the gene for anagrams, puzzles and the like.

 

Thoughts

As she often does Ali wrote a thought provoking post the other day (thank you!) about blogging and how it has changed over the years, the feeling of community was certainly strong when I started 6 years ago next month (blimey, I wonder if anyone who read it then still reads it now, well beside me I mean!) and many of my favourite bloggers posted regular snippets about their lives, makes, crafts, knits, bakes and family. All of the common things that unite us across the blogsphere that we record together and for ourselves - the changing seasons,growing children, the ups and downs of life, the small inconsequential but vitally important moments,sharing ideas, recipes and how tos.

I think the growth of immediate social media has changed blogging and the growth of bloggers who are running their blogs as a platform for a business so are concerned about SEO,stats and sponsors. But I'm sure of the community of like minded individuals who enjoy the commonality of the everyday even if they are separated by thousands of miles.

Ali's post also reminded me about pleasure of sharing. I held an applique banner making workshop recently and when I brought out my suitcases of doilies, tray clothes and other vintage household goodies one of the ladies commented 'how can you share them?', but seeing their pleasure in choosing which of my little treasures they were going to combine to make their own treasured banner was lovely. I have more than I will ever use in my lifetime and want to see things used and enjoyed. Though of course as it was a work event the ladies had paid, but the pleasure of sharing something cared for with someone who would care for it too is, I think, the same regardless. That then set me thinking about sharing for free and the pleasure of creativity and it's benefits for the spirit so I am going to do some research about local charities and see if there is one in my local community that would have a use for my skills and treasures.

It is easy to slip out of the habit of posting and the longer the pause between posts the harder it feels to get underway again- the light is bad so I have no photos to share( for what use is a blog post without some pretty pictures too) I've been so busy my patchwork/knitting/crochet project hasn't been touched, the things going on in real life are not events I want to record - so it goes on in my head. But actually having my posts, my journal to look back on is a delight. And I want to be able to continue to look back in the future so I need to get on with it, just do it. So I shall! 

Gratuitous picture of the playdough flower The Baby Brother made for me, because unexpected gifts are always welcome.

Summer 2012

So Mr FK had his operation and was going to be laid up for 6 weeks recuperating and the children were off school for 6 weeks....humm...what to do....well of course the plan was to extend our holiday to Cornwall and spend the whole summer away! How exciting! The only teeny fly in the ointment was that as Mr FK had a cast on his leg he couldn't drive or more worringly couldn't tow our ginormous caravan! Argh! Stay at home or get over myself and learn to tow?? Of course the lure of the sea won hands down!

It was scary and stressful, remember your first driving lesson when you were whizzing along at breakneck speed and then noticed the speedo said 15 miles an hour? But we went on a short trip first for me to practise and build my confidence and Mr FK promised not to grip the seat tightly or make that 'sucking the air in through the teeth noise' while I was towing and we were off!

Todmorden,Cirencester, Cornwall, Modbury, Great Malvern then home, an amazing summer!

  

While we were in Todmorden we visited the amazing National Media Museum in Bradford, I revisited my childhood gazing at The Wombles  and Morph

While The Baby Brother was more impressed with Andy Pandy. We watched excerpts from the amazing Olympic Opening Ceremony on the huge, better than HD screen that they have there - which was rather better than the slightly fuzzy picture we'd watched on the caravan 'for watching films on really rainy days' portable TV.

Then down to Cirencester for a couple of nights where we swam in thair Open air pool, well not Mr FK, obviously, I hate our local pool so grotty and yukky but an open air pool would entice me to swim often

 

The drive to Cornwall was looong, I was relieved to get there and not have to worry about towing for a while. We had lots of rain, like everyone else in England this summer, but made the most of dry days and chilled out on the beach. The children all enjoyed bodyboarding and even The Baby Brother was super confident in the water. The Big Sister is a brilliant swimmer and spent hours in the waves

  

Being August in Cornwall of course the beaches were heaving but we manged to find a quiet spot most days by walking further along the beach to enjoy a bit of peace

Though we had to take it slowly so Mr FK could keep up!

 It was the snazziest cast ever! Rigid plastic with inflatable pannels inside to hold his foot in just the right position as it healed. He could also take it off for a little gentle walking and paddling to encourage the bone to regrow and I'm sure the wonderful Cornish sea water helped the healing process.

We visited Crantock Beach often as well as Holywell Bay and Porth Joke

Lovely sandy beaches, backed by sand dunes and just right for family lazing in the sunshine

We explored rock pools at Perranporth and found crabs, fish and shrimps, played beach cricket with friends and of course had plenty of delicious ice creams.

  

Padstow was pretty but heaving with people

 and we all enjoyed the National Maritime Museum, though the RAF pilot who was telling people about the helicopter perhaps regretted starting to explain sonar to my inquisitive 3 year old! We ate our pasties watching the goings on in the harbour and popped into Trago as we had heard it advertised so often on the local radio station 

I was very envious of these amazing camper vans, they look ready for a round the world adventure

Evenings were spent bbqing, playing with friends on the campsite, crocheting, leg resting  and cheering on Team GB in the Olympics

The children cajoled me into going on this with them - on my giddy aunt, I held on for grim death and closed my eyes, trying not to hyperventilate as the two bigs ones yelled with excitment and had a brilliant time!  I staggered off for a lie down with wobbly legs and they went on a few more times for good measure.

Three weeks passed quickly and then we hitched up and headed for Devon, to Modbury famous for banning the plastic bag in 2005.

  More lovely beaches found down windy lanes nestling between high banks

Dartmouth was lovely but so wet and misty that soon these colourful houses disappeared from view

 And Noss Mayo where Mr FK and My Little Helper enjoyed a game of chess in the pub, I longed for a little cottage clinging to the harbour wall and on the way back to the campsite we found some brilliant holiday treasure - deserving of a post of it's own soon!

Happily the rest, sea air and hi-tech cast had worked wonders on Mr FK's foot and he took over the towing on the way to Great Malvern where we met up with Grandpa and Grandma E in their camper van.

We visited the Cider Museum marvelling at the smocking and buying some rather delicious blackberry cider 

 

and enjoyed a trip on the river at Worcester

 Before taking our sunkissed, sandy selves back home. How strange to have a whole house after 6 weeks in a caravan, little familiar things welcomed us home and with fresh eyes I could see lots of changes I wanted to make too. Caravan life is simple and pared down, something I wanted to bring home with me to some degree so there has been some clutter clearing going on in the last week. But My Little Helper and The Big Sisters bedrooms are beyond even my post holiday enthusiasm!