The Ninth Weave - Beautiful 'Hand Woven' Give Away

One of my Favourite Blogs / Blog buddies is having a 'Give Away'.  I have been following Sarah at Knits and Crosses since she started her blog and started to weave.  Her Blog never fails to put a smile on my face and I am quite literally in awe of Sarah's weaving and how quickly her skills have progresses.  I wish I had half the talent.  I can not believe how quickly Sarah creates beautiful scarves and fabrics.  She adapts ideas and experiments with her own ideas and I really think she is the most inspirational 'weaver' that I have encountered. Somehow she places a funky, contemporary style into her weaving projects and her enthusiasm is infectious.  It is a joy to follow her work.  Sarah does not run workshops (yet) but it would be a dream to meet up and work with her imparting her knowledge and passion for weaving.  I know she will probably be quite embarrassed by my compliments but seriously don't take my word for it, pop over and search some of her 'Woven Work', see for yourselves.
            Well, I was overjoyed that Sarah is having a very generous Give Away and offering one of her own hand woven scarves up for grabs.  This is not just any old woven scarf, it is a scarf quite literally with a fascinating little twist.

Now tell me you wouldn't love to own this beauty.  I know I would wear it with 'Panache'!  In my mind I can picture myself swishing around in it and I know because of its colours it would be a really versatile piece.    I wasn't going to tell you about it!  It would be mean not to share though wouldn't it?  If you would like a chance to win this scarf just leave Sarah a comment on the link above at 'Knits and Crosses'.  You can get entered twice if you are a 'Follower' of her blog and trust me on this one...it is a blog worth following!  Good  Luck!  Please don't gloat if you win...I will be sore about it!
                  Take a look at Sarah's Etsy Shop too, The Ninth Weave the shop looks beautiful at the moment with a 'Rainbow' of hand woven treasures to inspire you.  If you deserve a special treat for yourself or you are looking for a stunning 'One Off' handmade gift for someone, this could well be the shop for you.  My favourite piece selling in the shop at the moment is 'Jaipur' the scarf in the photograph at the beginning to this post.  It was hard to choose a favourite though.

Just Another Day in Paradise

It is still exceptionally hot here.  I have been going through the mill a little health wise, nothing I want any sympathy for, you understand, it is just I do not really have much other news to share.  Euan and I both have horrible heat rashes/viral rashes not sure which.  The joys of being redheads in the heat!  This morning I got us both a doctors appointment as Euan also has a very painful eye infection that has come on suddenly and I have psoriasis and my 'bleeping' back has decided to be very naughty again!  It is very painful and took about twenty micro moves to get out of bed this morning.  I am taking a veritable cocktail of medications!  Not good.  This evening it ceased up when I was on the sofa and I could not get up, both boys came to my aid and shoved and pulled me,  while I could not help yowling and howling!  Henry got me more pain killers and Euan stuffed a cushion behind me!  Thankfully this is a temporary condition but it is rather humbling being at the mercy of  my children.  Not a great state to be in.
               My parents came down today, my Mom helped with housework and my Dad planted my Runner Beans and Tomatoes.  I am very grateful.  I had to photograph these silly girls!  I do not know where these plastic tubs came from, but we have had them for years and I plant them up with vegetables or flowers.  This tub is/was planted up with the Oca, my new vegetable of the year.  I do not hold out much hope for it now as the girls have adopted this particular tub for their 'dust bathing' and 'sun bathing'.

They do look hot and tired.  Dust bathing is excellent for them to cool off and keeps them free of bugsies!  Of course they are Ginger Ninjas too and I think they suffer in the heat, they do have the option of shaded shrubs and have been spending lots of time hidden from view.  I still only have to whistle and they come running like hungry puppies!  They have been very naughty in the heat and their happy 'We have laid our eggs' song has got louder, longer and earlier!  They are very noisy at about 6.30am until I let them out to run around the garden and then you don't hear them at all!  I am expecting a complaint about noise any day soon!

                My friend popped in this afternoon, to drop off 'Herman the German'.  My friend Sue and I have been friends since we were 11, she is a great buddy, we have lots in common, we both like gardening, cooking and we can happily talk about dogs all day long.  Sue is a professional dog groomer and works to a really high standard.  I am always impressed with her skills.  We go back a long way together.  Time always passes too quickly with Sue and we 'chin wag' a lot with each other.  Herman will be staying at our house for about ten days.  He came with an A4 sheet of instructions that I have misplaced already!  They will turn up. . .

Herman is a 'German Friendship Cake', Sour Dough Starter.  If I look after him right he should be ready to divide into four in ten days time.  One will make a cake, two will be passed on to friends with instructions and one will be kept to do the whole thing again!  Fingers crossed Herman likes it here and does what he is supposed to do.  Little bubbles have appeared over the last four hours.  He is like having a new pet.  Hermy is Mommas new baby!  Have any of you had any experiences with a 'Herman' of your own?  I will keep you posted as to his progress.
Love to All Yall!  xxx

Be Careful What You Wish For. . . .

Well, well, well.  I would have posted sooner but Blogger has been being very naughty!  Tut tut tut, frustrating. It appears to be having glitchy little issues that are preventing it from behaving as it should and preventing me from posting.  Anyone else having troubles  I am glad it is working today.  I have felt very cut off from you all!!!  *Smiles and waves*
             I wished for sunshine and my goodness do we have sunshine!  We also all have horrible Summer colds, all of us including my parents.  These are not just sniffly little colds, these are relentless coughing, rib aching, head aching, asthmatic, nastiness!  To top it all I have head to toe, itchy, prickly heat rash!  Do remind me next year when I am wishing for sunshine!  The only thing cheering me up is my box of Union Jack tissues!  (I also have special Jubilee limited edition 'Loo roll'!  Yep this Jubilee fever is reaching .  . . . well. . . .reaching erm. . . .well. . . .fever pitch. I have Jubilee Jam, Jubilee Marmalade, Jubilee Clothes, I had to stop myself buying a mask of the Queen yesterday, I am regretting it though!  Currently Britain seems to be just about Jubileeing whatever it can!  I may muster up the energy to put bunting in the garden today. . . I may not though!  I have still managed to lose weight this week but have struggled to find the energy to exercise.  We cancelled swimming due to ill health.  It has been too hot to walk the dog during the day I did take her yesterday morning.  The air was thick with fluff, some sort of pollen, I really had to motivate my self to plod around the local pond, then meadows and then through an 'Arboretum'.  The dog had the most fantastic time and was very happy chewing branches and chasing squirrels.  I felt grotty.  I forgot to take my camera.  The wild flowers are pretty right now and the sunshine enhances everything.  The birdsong was lovely, (I tried hard to feel uplifted)!  I even stopped and 'hugged' a couple of trees, well I gave them a little pat!  I took a shine to a rather nice Horse Chestnut Tree.

Crafting has really been on the back burner.  I have so much housework to catch up with and no energy to do it!  The kids had an Epic water fight yesterday, it created some extra washing.  Euan had Henry cornered by surprise and turned the power hose on him!  He had a nasty glint in his eye as Henry howled and yelled, begging for mercy!  Henry had a girl to visit, he was fully clothed in his 'favourite gear'!  Euan did not stop until Henry was soaked through to the skin.  His sunglasses stayed on but were rather askew!  It was very funny but I saw a sinister streak in my youngest!  There are about ten boys in this street and they all play together.  Boys from other streets come and join them.  I have given up worrying about footballs, cricket balls, tennis balls....I think so have the neighbours.  Euan played out with lots of friends and they all had water guns.  There are a few 'For Sale' signs popping up around here!!!
         I have another observation at work on Tuesday so I have time consuming work work to do!  If the postman delivers some books I have been waiting for, 'work' could involve reading in the garden with a sunhat on!  Life could be worse.  I also break up this week for a weeks holiday!  Lovely, lovely, lovely.
I hope you are having a great weekend :) xxx  

Oh Good Morning!

It was a busy Monday morning, Henry has his final school exams going on at the moment, he is coping very well so far.  He has always been pretty laid back if I leave him be.  He isn't exactly a ray of sunshine in the morning but he takes after his mother!  Euan has been cough, cough, coughing pretty much non stop, so he was bleary eyed.  The dog is a sweetheart and 'asks' me for food when she wants it, she likes breakfast and dinner.  The chickens also need breakfast and letting out.  If I don't get out there early the chickens make their feelings known and you can hear them loudly clucking!  For the sake of the neighbours I try to get out there asap.  I live in a very noisy street though, so I am not to troubled by the noise the Chooks make, it is my payback for other peoples late nights, dogs barking, kids yelling, teenagers coming and going at all hours, cars revving etc etc.  If you can't beat them, join them.  Any noise me and mine make justs add to the hub bub.  As long as we are not the noisiest I figure that is ok.  This morning look what greeted me in the garden.  Wow, the first Poppy of the year.  Isn't she a beauty.  It looks like there will be plenty more where that came from too:

I thought I just discovered a stray egg in the picture, but I remember now, I chucked egg shells around the base of my Camellia.

              Today it has finally felt like May, the Sun has had his hat on.  It was lovely to get home from work and have some warm sunshine.  It motivated me to get out in the garden at last.  I found the very last of last years harvest.

  What a whopper!  I think this leek may be as tough as old boots!

Here is 'Chicken Proofed' Alcatraz.  I have to remove the fences to do any gardening.  Last week Euan and I weeded the raised beds and the chickens gobbled worms as fast as they could, they slurp them like spaghetti and ate loads of them.  I put them in their coop as they are just too helpful in the garden.  I was out for about and hour and a half and the poor things did not stop whinging and complaining the whole time they were cooped.

The poor things.  It was only because I was in earshot and they really think they should be out if I am.  I was determined to sow some seeds though and get the bean poles ready.  I planted two types of beetroot, some dwarf  peas, swede, turnips and kale in the raised beds.  I planted some oca in a large container.  Oca is a new one on me.  It is like a small potato.  I will let you know how I get on.  I should have photographed it for you as it is a bit weird.  Check out this link for Oca to read more about it.  If you have grown it, tried it, cooked it, eaten it, do let me know what you think....

   I planted the potatoes about a month ago and the spinach is left over from last year.  My next job will be weeding this bed.  The spinach is soon destined for soup or curry.

Meet my Fartychokes.  Jerusalem Artichokes.  They are delicious and come back every year.  Sadly now we just enjoy them for their tall yellow 'sunflowers' as when consumed they have some most unfortunate side effects which have earned them their pet name.  In the name of good manners I shall just leave it there, nuff said!

This used to be the chicken pen...how naive!  It is a large pen and more than adequate for a chicken run, but it simply isn't good enough for my girls!  They need half of the garden.  The biggest half no less.  Rhubarb is supposed to be poisonous to chickens so they leave it alone.  My chickens did not read that page of the book and ransack the rhubarb, hence the rhubarb is now penned in the chicken pen.  It seems to be their favourite and they would scratch it to oblivion.

The soft fruit is looking promising.  This old blackcurrant bush is heavily laden again.  The raspberries are also coming along ok.  They are not fenced off yet...  I don't know what to do about them.  I am sure as the fruit ripens it will take a greedy chicken ten minutes to strip the whole bush.  The rhubarb may be set free and the chickens penned again.  It is funny watching them jump for the fruit though.  Chickens can do quite high standing jumps and 'boing' like they are on springs for ripe juicy berries.  

          When my gardening was done and I had watered thoroughly and replaced the fences, I went to the coop to find three noisy, disgruntled girls.  They were elated to see me.  I opened the door to the coop and they shot out like 'grease lightening'.  

I love this photograph!  I know it is not the most aesthetic part of my garden.  I like it up there though.  As soon as the door is opened these girls move like a trio of 'Road Runners'.  Beep beep!  Just look at the speed and gusto in their sprint for freedom!  After the impertinence of their incarceration here they are doing what chickens love to do best;

Scratching and pecking.

Here's to hoping this is the first sunny day of many.  xxx

Messy messy messy!

I got my whip out on Saturday, as both boys are hoarders...I don't know where they get it from *whistles innocently*.  They both hate me tidying their stuff even worse they hate me getting rid of anything!  To motivate them I offered 10p for each item to the charity shop, thinking Euan would make £1 at the most.  He had a major de-clutter for him and put his little heart and soul into it.  He sorted out baby books and a few toys.  He is so reluctant to part with any of it but we are drowning in clutter.  On the one hand I think he did a great job and he did surprise me, but on the other hand I was a bit disappointed he did not part with more.  I raised the stakes and said 20p per large item.  He didn't get rid of any large items.  Tonight he said 'do you think you should pay me more because I did not fuss giving you my stuff!'  Henry was much harder to budge, like pushing an elephant up the stairs, I called my Mother for back up!  Henry started to de-clutter once his Nan arrived.  He managed two boxes of junk, old annuals that was part of his 'Get Rich Quick' scheme, but I explained the importance of charitable donations!  He reluctantly got on board.  Then for our exhausting efforts we were rewarded by Euan's Bookshelf collapsing beyond repair!  Euan has a lot of books, we all do.  Disaster!  I had to race out to get a 'build your own' bookshelf...rubbish really for £50.  What an expensive decluttering mission.  Henry and Nan helped to build the bookshelf.  We need about another ten sessions like that to get anywhere near straight in this house!  Of course my stuff is always last to receive attention so my stash remains untouched for another week!
           This afternoon me and the boys had had a 'Sonic The Hedgehog' tournament on the Xbox.  Both boys are impressed with my skills.  Skills learned from the days before either of them existed.  It is fun when we manage to do stuff together that we all enjoy.  Now when Euan is in bed I have 'work work' to do!
          Talking of pulling my hair out, I went to the hair dressers on Friday, this is getting quite regular for me, as I have now been twice in three years!  I had about five inches of my hair cut off, to tidy it up as a '1 stone off treat'.  Gah!  Living in an all Male household, do you think anyone has even noticed or said anything?  Not one dicky bird!  Perhaps for the '2 stone off treat' I will get it dyed bright pink and see if they have anything to say then!
             Monday tomorrow.   Boooooo!  I think I am going back to work for a rest though.  The chickens are still playing out and the dog is snoring loudly on the sofa next to me.  I suppose all is well with the world. Hope you have had a good weekend.  xxx

London 2012

It is official the Olympic Torch landed in the UK yesterday under much pomp and ceremony.  I went up town early this morning with Euan as one of the National Newspapers is running a 'Lego' promotion and they disappear quickly.  He is delighted with his 'free' Lego Batman on a Jet Ski.  I am sorry I am too self conscious to walk around my town centre with a camera but it really looks a picture.  All of the shops are 'Red, White and Blue', there is bunting, flags and Union Jacks everywhere.  There are Union Jack Tshirts, dresses, biscuit tins, teapots, table clothes, tea towels, bedding, you name it everything has been Union Jacked.  Even in the Supermarket everyday food has got 'Celebration' packaging.  There are flags, crowns, corgis, and English Roses everywhere.  We have two more weeks of school and then we have a week off.  Many Communities are planning Jubilee Celebrations to celebrate 60 years since Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne.  I will be celebrating somehow...I just don't know how yet.  Once the 'Bunting' goes up though it can stay up all Summer as we have the Olympics too.  It is uplifting to have such a sense of National Pride as for years Britain has been in Economic recession and everyone has been hit where it hurts financially.  As a Nation we have struggled to be proud of our country and now we have several reasons to be celebrating.
        The Olympic torch is being relayed throughout the Country and it comes to our county in a few weeks. It is travelling through the centre of our town on July 1st, (I think), nearer the time I am sure arrangements will be clear and hopefully I will be able to take Euan to witness the event.  I will of course try to photograph  that!  I bought my Union Jack Tshirt yesterday and I am getting a bit panicky about the bunting, I really should have got it by now.  I am planning some sort of 'Tea Party' celebration for Jubilee weekend.  The 'Posh' cups and saucers can come out to play and we will drink tea and eat quintessentially 'British' cakes.  (Not of the Weight Watchers variety)!  I have a celebratory 'Craft' project to get working on too.  All we need is for the Sunshine to come out to play.  We have had a really wet few weeks.  The wettest drought on records!  These records are bonkers.  ..the wettest drought  .  . .tut tut what is going on?  When the sun does pop out for a couple of hours we try and make the most of it and rush outside to catch up with the gardening or walk in the sunshine and soak up the rays.  This weekend is wet again. . . and I think I may be forced to stay in doors and try to get the house clean and tidy. . . that will keep me busy and out of mischief for a good few hours.
Hope you are having a good weekend and if you see the Sunshine. . . please send it in this direction.
xxx