Snoozy Sunday Afternoon

Well, it was dark by 4.00pm, the wind is howling around the house and I had to break off from making Sunday dinner to take a photo of these two

I have to step over them and open the doors above them but they don't move an inch!  They had an amazing time this afternoon trying to run as fast as the wind and are obviously now completely exhausted.  The floor under them is warm, and there are nice cooking smells coming from the oven so I suppose it's dog Heaven!

So, this is the last Sunday in November and I am now willing to admit Christmas is coming.  The Hungerford lights are being switched on this evening and I was thinking of going but have decided against it - too windy out.  The lights are always the best I've ever seen though so looking forward to seeing them as I go shopping for pressies.

In the workshop, it's all wreaths, wreaths, wreaths.

On Wednesday 9th December we are making wreaths in felt

and fabric

- a lovely hand-sewing day and there are still a couple of places.

And then it's real wreath-making time with Linda Maynard.  The workshops on Saturday are full but there are still spaces on the morning and afternoon of Wednesday 16th.  It's always great fun with mince pies and oranges to eat and hot chocolate to drink!

 

 

An Eventful Week

Well, we've had quite an eventful time since my last post.  An excellent Pitch and Stitch on Tuesday where Anthea finished her Christmas stockings for her youngest two grandchildren

and Denise basted the quilt she is making for her grandson.

There were also a few new Modular Knitters there - it really is quite addictive.

Then on the Medallion Day we were all mad about Lynne's latest Di Ford quilt

I really don't know how Lynne does it - all those tiny little pieces:

Inspiring and daunting in equal measure.

I have been working on some Christmas crocheting from my new 200 Crochet Blocks book.  I am still really only a beginner, so I was very pleased with myself, although also annoyed with the book, when I spotted a mistake in the pattern.  Clearly there had to be 12 triples, and not doubles, in the centre.  I thought I'd check on line for amendments and saw that there were already two or three there.  By now I was truly indignant and bursting with self-righteousness.  I decided I had to add the error I had come across to the list.  As I was filling out the form, and saying that the pattern had said Double crochet instead of Triple crochet, I thought I'd better check the book to get the abbreviations right. 

So, double crochet was dc, and treble crochet was tr.....but,  what's this? - dtr ?  - double treble crochet?  Never heard of it.....better refer back to the pattern "1 dtr into next st, 2ch". 

Fair enough, the book appears to be right.  Apologies to Jan Eaton - it really is a very good book and I am quite happy with my four blocks (although they're supposed to be the same size!)

Finally, we have started having our open fires again - not every night, it's still fairly mild, but every now and again.

However, we were very surprised when the phone rang on Tuesday and Flanners, who lives in the farm cottage, said, "Fire at the Farm".  What?  "Fire in the barn at the farm!." 

We raced down there and sure enough the wood pile was burning away in the barn.  With the help of neighbours running back and forth with buckets of water until the fire engines came, it was all put out, didn't spread and lessons were learned.  Never stack wood if you have been using a blow torch on it to remove metal screws - even if it looks like it has stopped smouldering, the fire can be worming away inside.

Naughty Little Pup

George went out to shut the chickens and geese in yesterday evening - and look what he spotted through the kitchen window:

And if you can't see what I'm talking about, here's a closer look:

So now we know what the angelic little Milly gets up to when she thinks she's alone....explains a few empty cups of tea that I thought I hadn't finished!  So, chairs tucked in when we've finished at the table from now on! (Oh, and by the way, I did clean up after her very thoroughly).

On a happier note, we had a lovely workshop yesterday, with the group learning modular knitting.  I am still working on my blanket, and it is steadily growing, and the ladies made brilliant starts on theirs:

The reason I say 'starts' is - well, look at the size of the balls of wool they have:

Apparently Louise was up at 6.00am this morning and knitted four more squares, so I have a feeling their blankets will grow a bit quicker than mine!!

Morris Dancing

At Pitch and Stitch on Tuesday we were all so impressed with Jackie's figure for the Museum of British folklore.  Any Morris Side could send off for the doll and then had to dress it in their side's outfit.  Jackie's is amazing

 

All the tiny little details: bells, ribbons, hankie and even a stick.  But we all decided she looks a bit younger than us!

 I think I've been dancing with the Garston Gallopers for over 5 years now.....it all started when we wanted to have Morris Dancers at our village fete - and no sides were available.  Jackie decided we would have to make our own side, and since her daughter-in-law's mother already ran a side called the Kintbury May Maids, she had someone to teach it already.  She duly put signs up all around the village asking for volunteers - and no one came forward. I said to Jonathan, "as Chairman of the Parish Council, you really should set an example and volunteer".   He replied that nothing in the world would make him go Morris dancing - in fact he hates dancing.  Weeks passed and still no volunteers, so, again, I approached Jonathan.  In the quiet way he has, he slammed his fists on the table and yelled "I AM NOT GOING MORRIS DANCING!"

It came to the first practise, and I told Jackie that I would go along to support but would not dance in public.  As I was going, I said to Jonathan that it was pretty poor that he wasn't coming too.  "Alright", he said "but only to the practise to show support".

After the practise he said it was the best thing he had ever done and he was never going to stop.

I decided that if he was going to do it, I suppose I should because otherwise we hardly did anything together.

This Saturday we are having an open workshop to try to attract more dancers, preferably a few more men....

So:

Have a Go at Morris Dancing!

Saturday 14^th November 2015

2:30pm

East Garston Village Hall

Musicians welcome too – any instrument as long as it’s portable!

Hopefully we'll see a few new faces......it is good fun, and we get to go to some lovely places, and it's not really that weird: it's tradition.  As Louis De Berniers said at his talk 'People in England are bonkers' - and I think that's probably something to be proud of.

Dog Pictures

Lots of people have been asking how Milly is getting on - and I'm pleased to report that she is settling in really well.

She has picked out a chair for herself:

She gets on really well with Reuben:

 

 

Although sometimes they are a bit boisterous:

 



She is also very difficult to take photos of, because whenever I get down to take a pic she comes running up so I usually end up with something like this:

Only very occasionally do I manage to get one like this:

And if I sneak up I may get one like this:

Autumn Primitive Stitchery

On a very dreary late Autumn day we had a great day in the workshop making our Autumn Stitcheries.  This was the fourth in the series of the four seasons I've made:

Winter-

Spring -

                                                                                             Summer-

 

And finally Autumn:



 

and here are some of those made today (some of the ladies had scooted off before I got my camera out - you'll have to send me pictures Carole, Toni, Julie and Rosemary)

 

 

and Jane's which featured a Muntjac because she gets more of those in her garden than sheep

Rosemary brought in the cushion she made of the Spring stitchery

And while they were all busy doing that, I finished my Rockin' Robin!