Strange times!

This week has been a bit unsettling. First we had some more news about my Mother-in-law. A worrying time but we have been assured that she should recover well. Then I developed a very bad migraine - possibly a reaction to the worry and stress. I thankfully don't get them very often but when I do they can be quite severe. It is such a shame that this week has been so horrible as we had a great weekend.

On Saturday I went to Christchurch and had a wander around the Priory and Quay. It was very overcast but I spent a happy afternoon experimenting with my camera.

The foundations of Place Mill, on Christchurch Quay are over 1,000 years old - it is mentioned in the Domesday Book.

On Sunday we spent some time at the allotment. Our fruit bushes are developing well and we should have some blackcurrants, raspberries and blackberries this year. In the afternoon we went to look at a garden nearby which was open under the National Gardens Scheme. This is a great way of a raising money for charity. People open their gardens to the public for a few days each summer and the entrance money is donated to their chosen charity, in this case Cancer Research, which is a cause very close to my heart. The garden was absolutely stunning. Then we wandered home and I made a meal of fresh pasta and the first of our own homegrown broad beans and asparagus.

Our rather overgrown herb patch. I have promised my Other half that I will help him sort it out!

The beautiful garden opened under the National Gardens Scheme.

This weekend is a Bank Holiday so I am looking forward to spending an extra day with my Other Half. The weather forecast does not seem very promising so I am planning to do a lot of beading. The City & Guilds Summer Exhibition is looming and I want to finish my passionflower vase in time for it. Hopefully I will post some progress photos next week.

The joy of socks

I am getting totally obsessed with knitting socks. That is probably a very sad admission! I have almost finished knitting a pair of socks for my Other Half. They are my first pair and I can understand how people become addicted to making them. They are little miracles of engineering yet you can make a pair in a matter of days once you master the technique. My Mum, who is a skilled needlewoman, taught me to knit as soon as I was old enough to hold knitting needles. She showed me how to knit in the round using 4 double pointed needles so I already had that skill under my belt - thanks again Mum! Now I simply had to master turning a heel. The first sock was a bit of a struggle. I couldn't get my head around the different parts of the heel and how they fitted together. I took a deep breath, forged ahead and I did it - a sock started to take shape before my eyes! I have now discovered that there are lots of different ways to turn a heel and shape the toes. You can knit a sock from the top down, or the toe up, or even two socks at once on a circular knitting needle. I can't wait to explore. I will upload some pictures of my progress as soon as I get my camera back from being repaired.

I want to take a moment to pay tribute to my wonderful Mum. I owe her a huge 'Thank You' for teaching me how to knit and sew. My Mum was a dressmaker when I was a small child and one of my earliest memories is sitting on the bedroom floor playing with cotton reels while she worked on her beloved Singer treadle sewing machine nearby. When I was old enough she taught me to sew on that machine. I can still remember the joy of finishing my first sewing project, a brightly coloured wrap skirt trimmed with white rick-rack braid (well it was the 1970s!). Who cared if the hem was a bit wonky and the stitching was far from perfect - not me. Over the years I have sewn a host of things, curtains, clothes, patchwork quilts, bags, scarves, cushions, slip covers for my sofa, the list goes on. I owe all that to my lovely Mum. Thank you for your patience and encouragement.

I attended my City & Guilds beading class last Thursday. It is held in Christchurch and I sometimes go to the Quay and watch the swans after my class finishes. It clears my mind and lets me think about what I have done during the day. I always look forward to seeing the others on the course. They are all very talented beaders and it is fascinating to see how their work is progressing and to bounce ideas off them. I really look forward to our monthly meetings.

Swans squabbling over bits of bread on Christchurch Quay

Monument in the grounds of Christchurch Priory