Friendship and dishcloths!

Isabel has her friend staying for a sleepover this weekend. I watched them play in the garden earlier. It was freezing I have to say, but they seemed oblivious to it as they ran around screaming and laughing. They asked if I could take them to the park for a while. I looked at the leaden sky, felt the temperature outside, told them NO and then felt selfish for doing so. I relented, wrapped myself up like the michelin man and grabbed a book. They joined hands and skipped along in front of me all the way down the lane to the park on the green. They were chattering away, pointing out the flowers in the hedgerow, happy and carefree as 10 year old girls should be. I'm glad that we went.

I have discovered the crochet dishcloth..yes you heard. And why not I ask? something as mundane as a dishcloth can be pretty as well as practical. I love making them. This is an easy pattern to make up and grows quickly too.

Most of my friends think that I am crazy, and I have to say that it is wearing a bit thin now. "Why would you want to waste time making a dishcloth?" I was asked. They just don't get how nice it is to be able to create things myself. They don't get the pleasure that comes with finishing the last stitch, weaving in the loose threads and snipping the ends. They don't get the satisfaction I feel when I look around me and see the things that I have made. What I don't get is why they don't give it a go themselves before they roll their eyes up at me.

So is it just me, am I going a bit barmy...what do you think?

Dev XX

Things that make me happy!

Things that make me happy include:

The warm sun on my back whilst planting the tubs and pots with some spring colour.

The beautiful primulas sat in pots in my kitchen.

This beautiful and unexpected visitor which was warming itself in the morning sun, the fact that it needed to do this probably meant that we were able to handle it so easily.

Listening to the doves cooing outside the window whilst having my breakfast.

My new granny square.

And then there is the sad things in life, like Mel, who has received an unpleasant email from someone out there who should know better. Sadly, though I don't always leave a comment, I do visit each day to see what she is up too. Her friendly disposition always put a smile on my face, that and her love of CK.

Why do people have to be so unpleasant, it is beyond me. Of course we don't all have to like and do the same things, we don't have to agree on everything, we don't all have to share the same ideals and morals. But we should live and let live. That's what makes blogland such a special place I think. We are all different with diverse lives, expectations and beliefs that we should be able to share with everyone regardless and without prejudice.

Phew, glad to get that off my chest, I may have rambled a bit for which I apologise, but really, what is the world coming to!

Dev X

Granny Squares..don't you just luv em!

I couldn't believe it when I opened the curtains this morning and saw a fresh fall of the white stuff. Now don't get me wrong, I love it..I mean it, I love it, but somehow this morning it just didn't have the desired affect. The thought of scraping the windscreen yet again and the bone crunching cold on the drive to work before the heater kicks in was not a pleasant one. I have the sort of heater that warms up around the time that I pull into the car park at work, you know the sort I mean, unless of course you drive a real swanky vehicle..I wish!

I really hate being cold, the dog hates being cold and the doves hate being cold. The witch hazel hates the cold. It is in full bloom at the moment and the smell that eminates from it can only be described as divine!

Today is my half day at work which only makes it worse. I have to dress like the mitchelin man, walk down the path without breaking a leg on the ice, defrost said car, and shiver all the way to the office for 4 hours work and then do it all in reverse to come home...even deeper sigh!

However, from then on in things do get better because I am in the throes of a crochet epidemic. I cannot help myself, my fingers are so itchy to pick up that little hooky thing, to delve into my bag and pull out delicious coloured, soft balls of DK. I have made three garlands so far, each cooed about and admired a great deal by their owners.

And then there is the granny square, is there anything so perfect as a granny square.

Here at the fairyglade, as I say, the weather has been foul for eons now. The littlest fairy has to travel in previously mentioned car and she has a lot less stamina than myself. And so a granny quilt is born...well nearly. I decided that a car blanket was just the ticket for surviving the cold snap.

It goes without saying that the colour scheme would have to be of the pinky/purple variety. Littlest Fairy catergorically stated that this must be the case, which is just as well really when I plundered my wool stash, because that is mostly what I have. A snuggly piece of pale pink fleece will be used to back the finished blanket and then she will be as snug as a bug.

I had forgotten just how theraputic crochet can be and how quickly it comes together. For an impatient crafter like myself, this is a good thing because it almost guarantees completion. I would like to thank Lucy over at the Attic for inspiring me, though man person not so impressed as house getting like a tip and he can't find any clean socks!

Dev X

Happy Birthday

The most precious thing in my life. Without her, I wouldn't be whole. Happy Birthday IzzyB. Love you so much and thank you.