Easter Chicks

When my children were at primary school I used to knit little toys for Christmas bazaars, summer fetes etc. At Easter we used to knit dozens of these little chicks to put Cadbury's Creme Eggs in.

I was surprised to find knitted chicks on sale on EBay - so I knitted a few and advertised them - and what do you know, people are buying them. Wouldn't it be nice if more people could knit things like this for themselves? I know that there are lots of knitting groups and people giving lessons - but I'd really like to see children being taught crafts at school. I learned to knit and sew when I was quite small - I think the first thing I knitted was a dishcloth which was probably full of dropped stitches and unravelled on first use, but went on to knitting whole garments. I remember knitting my dad a hideous jumper using horrible blue bri-nylon which must have been a nightmare to wear; it was a bit on the small side and the static must have been terrible when taking it off but he stoically wore it on a few occasions. There is a lot of satisfaction to be had from finishing a project, however small it is. I lurk here a lot, and Julie talks about knitting as therapy. But it's not just knitting or other creative crafts that can help - growing flowers or vegetables, even weeding the garden or tending a window box can provide relaxation, and bring a feeling of relief from everyday stresses. I have a day off work and am going to use the day to complete my latest garden project. I've been replacing my fences - one was an ancient chainlink fence the other other was a crumbling wooden panel fence - both about 40 years old and beyond saving. It's been hard work but the job is nearing completion. Today I will be staining my new featheredge board fence a lovely light green. Photos to follow....