A little bit of this and that...

I got very fed up with the paint on the walls in our living room.  It is yellow which my OH and Euan really like.  When my OH painted about six years ago he tested paint slap bang in the middle of the wall, about four shades of yellow and there it has stayed, driving me mad!  I hate painting it literally makes me nauseous.  I also hate the upheaval of moving everything around and shouting 'Wet Paint'!  I live in a small house.  It feels like it is bulging at the seams.  It is home though and we like it here.  Let's just say it aint exactly Buckingham Palace.  I decided to go ethnic and ordered this fabric from Jaipur in India.  It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I am very pleased with it and it hides the patchwork paint a treat!  The colours did not really come out true in the photograph, but you get the idea.
         Staying in the round, I had a little tidy and declutter of the mantle piece, where everyone chucks loose change, odd sweets, till receipts and the like.   It is stained where everyone has put their cups, so these are a little late but again they hide some of the imperfections, until I get round to doing something about them.

Coaster Number One

And Coaster Number Two.
                 I liked making coasters to hide the imperfections and they are obviously very quick and easy for a bit of instant gratification.   Adding more crochet to the house in whatever form makes me happy.  I have resisted starting another blanket (I think).  I do have a nasty case of 'Startitis' at the moment.  I have an idea for Cushion covers for the dining  chairs and started this:

  It is square. . . honest.  I have so many projects on the go, I really do not know when these cushion covers will get finished but I am certain they will be fab a groovy when they are.  I do love a cheerful 'Granny'.
               Now I told you I have a bad case of 'Startitis', while hanging the fabric on the wall I shifted some bags of yarn.  I think I have found the stash that the dog raids when I go out.  I come back home to various pretty balls of yarn around the house, usually with the ball band missing but the yarn does not often get damaged.  Maybe a little bit tangled.  I think if 'Lacey' was a human rather than a dog she would love yarn crafts too.  I found a lonely ball of 'King Cole' Riot.  I can't tell you the colourway, because the ball band is missing!  I think it is 'Wicked' or 'Magic' or something like that.  I received it in a swap last Christmas.  I love this yarn and actually bought it and sent it to my 'Swap Partner'!  How silly.  We did swap other lovely goodies too though.  I unearthed it this weekend and decided it would be perfect for a 'Queen Anne's Lace Scarf'.  After five or six false starts on the pattern Here, I think I have finally grasped it.  There is a strong theme to this post that perfectionism is not my strong point!

Here is a garish close up:

I know some of you have worked on this pattern and I am slightly puzzled about how to block it.  Obviously scarfs are pretty long and there seems to be so many places to pin.  I think it may be a case of 'There is no easy way'.  I will have to block it in stages due to the lack of space.  It is a nice easy pattern to work on and the yarn makes it interesting due to the colour changes.  It really should be a Christmas present for somebody. . . but I don't think I am going to be able to part with it!
               Sunday is my main baking/ cooking day.  I was up early this morning to chat with the hens and gather in the harvest for the Sunday Lunch.  Yesterday I dug some potatoes with four chickens perilously close to the spade.  I can't say they were helpful, they were a positive hindrance.  They were having such fun though I did not want to spoil it by putting them in there coop.  Yesterday was one of the annual highlights of the chicken world.  The emptying of the Compost bins!  They love this.  I put barrow loads of compost onto the borders and fruit bushes.  The chickens helped to spread it all.  Boy did they spread it all. . . all over the lawn!  Now I need to find the time to rake it all.  Today's harvest was a few apples and the last of the green beans.

 I made an Apple Crumble too:

The topping had brown sugar and Toasted Almond Flakes. . .don't tell the Weight Watchers Lady, I am sure she will find out on Thursday's Weigh in.
              I have had a Happy Hooky weekend and the antibiotics seem to be working their magic.  I am a bit resentful that although work pays the bills it does spoil the hooky time!   Monday afternoon at work is 'Cooking Lesson'.  The kids love it and so do I.  Last week we made 'Apple Crumbles' and tomorrow they will make 'Apple Pie'.  Not a bad achievement for 8-10 year olds.
              I hope you have all had a good weekend too.  xxx