Autumn

I love this time of year, leaves falling from trees, crisp frosty mornings, and lovely early sunsets. For some reason, I manage to find more time for crafty activities in the autumn and winter. I've just finished my apron for Rhonda Jean's apron swap and hope to post it shortly. This is another work in progress:

a knitted patchwork blanket from Woman's Weekly's Knitting & Cross Stitch Special magazine 2000. In fact it is the simplest idea - 4 inch squares knitting on the diagonal with a single bold unifying colour - the rest of the colour scheme can be pot luck (like mine) or you could plan it geometrically to create a repeating pattern. My main colour (as in the original pattern) is dark blue/navy, but I bet it would look lovely in pastel colours too. I've knitted about 30 squares so far - the pattern suggests 9 squares for a cushion cover, 24 for a cot blanket, 36 for a throw, but I'm aiming for 60 to make it single bedspread size (though I may keep going for the double!). I keep a few scraps of wool and needles with me wherever I go and can dash off a few rows if I've got a few minutes to fill.

For the first time yesterday I tried knitting using dpns but I was an utter failure and had to give up after about two hours. My daughter wants some fingerless gloves but I can't get the hang of the technique. I will try again, but I think I'll start on something simpler first.

Currently knitting...

My daughter is going to Romania soon to help in an orphanage for a few weeks, and I have started knitting things for her to take with her. Mittens (which are quicker to make than gloves and more practical for small children), hats, scarves and little knitted toys. The toys will be useful straightaway, the warm weather gear will come in useful when winter comes around again. A couple of years ago, she went to the Dominican Republic to spend a few weeks helping at a home for children with HIV and she took a huge suitcase full of clothes, toys etc, and in fact ended up leaving most of her own clothes, towels, toiletries etc for the children and staff at the home. I expect the same thing will happen in Romania but we can make sure this time to pack her suitcase to the gills with extra things like bars of soap, tubes of toothpaste, crayons, etc.

My mum had a second cataract operation a few days ago, which thankfully went well (better than her first op which had some minor complications and left her in pain for quite a time). I'm going to spend a few days with her, to do some shopping, vacuuming, general housework etc. I'll also get to see my sister - we talk on the phone all the time, but only see each other a few times a year as I live in Essex and mum and my younger sister both live in Bristol (which is where I'm originally from). The problem with a journey from one side of the country to another is that there really isn't efficient public transport available - it would take three times as long to make the journey on the train or by bus and it would cost three times more than the cost of petrol. I really try hard to use my car as little as possible - I cycle to work every day, though when I have to go to meetings around Essex I have to use my car. About a year ago, when my car was off the road for a couple of weeks, I tried using public transport to travel around the county but it was not a success. For example, the twenty or so miles between Canvey Island and Chelmsford turned into a major obstacle course. The journey took nearly three hours as the bus times didn't connect with the train times (there is now a regular bus service so it is not so difficult). To drive there and back takes much less time! The one real advantage of trains and buses over driving is the amount of knitting you can get done (or reading, or doing crosswords, or whatever passes the time best)!

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....