Ridgeway Cottage anyhow

    As if there wasn't enough to worry about in the world of food already, with supermarkets filling our heads with the need for special offer junk, sugar in absolutely everything and multi-national companies tampering with whatever takes their fancy, GMO OMG has planted the seed of nightmare killer corn and chemically engineered soya. I thought I was doing my bit by being a vegetarian, growing my own fruit and veg and forcing it on my kids instead of feeding them McDonalds, but "no!", the scientists have been at my seeds. When I first got my allotment there was an enormous parsnip growing happily there that went to seed and I was warned against collecting the seed because my parsnips "wouldn't come true". I nodded wisely, thinking "poppycock" in my head and collected the seed anyway. But what was in this whole "not coming true" business? Should I be scared of my hundreds of seeds that I got for free? Basically a F1 hybrid seed invol...

Today was the first day of the Easter holidays. After a rainy start, the sun shone, the children played, Sherlock sunbathed in the garden and all was fine in the world. As far as the year of the sock is concerned, it's time to try the second green leaf pattern sock, that I made such a mess of in February in between gardening. This afternoon there were some problems with the Internet and it was probably off for a couple of hours but it wasn't the disaster you'd imagine for a couple of kiddies off from school. Charlie did come out to tell me it wasn't working and that Josie was making her own real life Cluedo but I was in the middle of planting out peas so didn't really take too much notice. Next thing I knew, Josie was outside, giving me directions as the murderer and instructing that I don't remove the clue from the slug pellets (the murder weapon). There were clues all over the house and several murders that went on for at least a couple of hours. The childre...

Despite the wind and the rain, signs of spring are everywhere. Delicate blossom   Early clouds of white flowers And vibrant flashes of green. It makes me happy.       Posted with Blogsy

It is with great pride that I'm able to announce that I can darn socks. Thanks to my best friend Mr Google, I watched a "how to..." video and within half an hour, that pesky hole had vanished.   It took me 5 years to knit these socks for my husband, mostly because I got stuck on the heal and gave up. This year though, my New Years resolution was to finish stuff and these were on my list, so I didn't actually sit there for 5 years knitting away, hour after hour. However, after less than a month, my husband had already made a hole in my masterpiece but darning was always part of the plan.     First I did the weaving bit one way Then the other way   Until the hole disappeared Finally I turned it in the right way and although it's not the tidiest in the world, it's done and done my me.     Posted with Blogsy

I've been struggling with life recently: possible virus, side effects from this and withdrawal symptoms from that. It's not much fun really so I've done a spot of Internet research and although I haven't found a solution for my headaches and blurred vision, I've been able to diagnose myself with a rather serious condition. I suffer from chronic second sock syndrome and in the year of the sock, it's quite valuable that I've discovered this early as there are several cures. It doesn't really come as a surprise to me because I am, by my own admission, a tragic and frankly quite terrible knitter. My sock knitting history is plagued by disasters. Firstly it took forever to master double pointed needles, then I was bereft of the patience to read a pattern. For over two years I was flumaxed by the anatomy of a sock and stricken with fear when it came to turning a heal, combine all of this with a inability to count stitches and it really is amazing that I ever ...

I've been doing quite a bit of watercolour painting recently. It's relaxing, observing everyday aspects of life, studying the details and getting it all down on paper.     Ever since visiting the Mysteries, Magic and Midnight Feasts at Canterbury Beaney and discovering Enid's Blyton's passion for nature and its documentation in beautifully written diaries, I've been inspired. I've started my own journal and I am trying to paint the arrival of spring. The hardest thing about painting with watercolours is deciding whether I've done enough.   There's always the risk of doing too much.       Posted with Blogsy

Hands up if you like crafting? And if you like cake? And if at some point in life you've been touched by a sadness that has been made that tiny bit better by getting together with lovely people? Still got your hands up and are able to get to Canterbury on a Thursday evening or Friday morning from 26th February, then the knit and stitch Crafternoons late or early could be the thing for you. For the next few weeks, infact up until 13th March, we will be jumping on The Big Comic Relief Crafternoon band wagon, crafting ourselves happy and raising some cash for those whose lives are tougher than they should be. Comic Relief sponsor charities such as Time to Change who campaign to break the silence on mental health, so if you want to do your bit, come along and see us. Anyone can eat a cake for charity and if you are stuck for inspiration we also have "Motto a Day" craft packs available or even a bit of therapeutic adult colouring.       Posted with Blogsy