Ridgeway Cottage anyhow

It's been quite a busy morning so far and it's only shortly after 9am. I never dreamt I would be so domesticated when I was younger. I used to watch my mum busying around with her home making and wonder whether there wasn't a million things she'd rather be doing. "I'm going to work when I'm older," I'd think to myself, "you won't find me tidied to the kitchen sink!" It's funny how we change our opinions as we grow up. I'd much rather stay at home than go to work any day and there a quite a few things that I observed my mum doing that I quite enjoy. For example I love cleaning the windows, especially on bright spring mornings purely to see the grime removed and the sunlight streaming in. (I might do that later). So far today I've walked Sherlock, taken him to the allotment to water the kale I planted last night, checked and watered all the seedlings in the garden, put on a load of laundry, made some bread dough for our pic...

Once a year, I get to go back to London to my beloved Alexandra Palace for the Knitting and Stitching Show. It's the mecca for all stitchy ladies (very few boys I'm afraid), like a giant magnet pulling us in by the knitting needles, armed with shopping bags and packed lunches. There is so much to see, I feel like a child in a sweet shop, dizzy with excitement and slightly battered by the hardened elbows of veteran bargain hunters. Despite manners being slightly amiss amongst the crowded aisles of the great halls of the palace, I challenge even the shyest of people not to make a friend when they sit down for a drink and the stall holders and exhibitors are the loveliest people in the world. Habu Textiles  is an old favourite now and it's my first port of call. I love the colours, the texture of the yarn and the exquisitely delicate garments created using their products. Mostly I like the linen and the paper threads and this year discovered a new stall,  Namolio ,...

I am sure that I am not the only one who doesn't want to get old. I am not talking about getting a few wrinkles, stiff in the morning and becoming forgetful, that's just life. I mean that old where you are isolated and cut off from society. The time when you seriously can't afford to put the heating on and you survive on the tiniest portions of lunch. I like old people, they just know so much and I think that it is very important to teach my children to respect them. I always to talk to my elderly neighbour and it is a joy although there is a real sadness in his eyes when he talks about the wife he has lost and how his ability to keep on top of the house and garden is dwindling. Last year I knitted two hats for this Innocent Smoothie's Big Kni t so it hasn't been too hard to improve on that. Just in case you have never seen them, Innocent Smoothies wear little hats during the month of November and for each one that is bought, Innocent Drinks donate 25p to Age UK ....

Crochet and my bike are two features of my daily life, so it's only natural that I should try to combine the two. I've recently got a new bike. I loved my old one so much but the brakes didn't work, the back tyre was cracking and the gears were all but destroyed a couple of years ago in a fight with a carrier bag. This would be my dream bike, possible a little darker on the mint but certainly the combination with the tan leather. When it came to choices for a new bike, I was hugely disappointed. Of course budget is always a limitation even for the most well-healed and despite there being such a thing as a hybrid (traditional and mountain bike combined), there was nothing I fell in love with. Although I do like the image of myself floating around on a beautiful vintage bike looking pretty, I do actually need a bike that works well, with gears as I often have to get from a to b at a speed of knots laden down with my life. (This is the decal sticker on the back of my...

 This year I wanted to do something a little different for advent. I know the children love them, but I do find it a challenge to get excited about the chocolate advent calendars they have pestering me for since the end of Halloween. I feel like our advent should be a little more creative, possibly even challenging and although Josie's idea of a murder mystery is a bit gruesome for the festive season, I think there are elements that might work. my husband is even keen to get involved. Last month I had a lot fun posting photos on instagram as part of #amonthof from #mycreative space so I am having a go at this months project , starting with the letter "A" which in our house was for advent, angels and art. I intend to make a little stocking each day and place a clue inside for the advent mystery along with a Christmas related activity or challenge. Today's stocking was a granny square crochet one and inside was a clue that read "In a cold dark room sit...

For the last week, all my spare time and energy has gone into crafting for the Christmas Fair. This is the second year that I have joined forces with my lovely and very creative friend Michelle to peddle our wares at the infant school's Christmas fair. Of course it is supposed to be fun but that doesn't mean to say that I don't get just that little worried because I never seem to have enough time to get all the products made that I want to. I guess it is the curse of a creative mind, as suggested by a friend last night, that causes panic about everything not be finished and ready. Despite my reservations about how much I had done and how much I still wanted to do, our stall did look rather pretty. That is probably the best thing about having a craft stall, it just looks so fabulous to see all of our beautiful things there together. I rather liked Michelle's crochet reindeer and snowmen this year which were very popular and I do believe that she practicall...

The more I craft, the more I read and blog about craft. One of my favourite crafty magazines is Mollie Makes . If the world were just like an edition of Mollie Makes magazine then I would be very happy. It is just filled with the most deliciously fabulous craftiness and super talented people. I really do look forward to every copy dropping on the door mat each month. Recently life has got even better because the makers of Mollie Makes now produce a weekly online interactive magazine called Gathered. Once again it is full to the brim with beautiful loveliness and is out every Friday with all the best ideas to keep you busy over the next week. I do love it so and even better than all of that, this week one of my photos has been included in the Show and Tell collection. I was so excited. It's a photo of my crochet African flowers stacked up ready to make to make a Christmas stocking that you can see here and I am hoping to sell at the school Christmas fair on Thursday but i...

This really is a simple way to turn some cheap earrings into something much more special. They can be made in less than an hour to match a new outfit, would make a lovely present and totally support my reuse, reinvent, relove philosophy. You will need: A crochet hook Some beautiful yarn Cheap hoop earrings (I got mine in the TopShop sale for a very reasonable price) A needle to sew in the ends of the yarn The method is exactly the same as the method for the crochet bangles that I made here . I might even get my little film maker to help me make a quick video later. Watch this space. Anyhow back to the earrings and how they turned out because I forgot to take photos whilst I was making them because they really were that quick to make. If you would like to buy these earrings, please check out the listing in my Shop   I would love it if you could leave a comment. Please give it a go, I'm working on making it easier and it really does make ...

The craft ban is over as I have now finished replacing the zip in my boot. It took forever so I am very keen to get on with all the projects I've trying not to thinking about and putting to the back of mind. Up until this week, the thought of crochet shorts had not even been on my radar but I've gone back to ballet which is truly exciting. I really don't see why I can't go back to being my 1980s Fame loving, legwarmer and dance clothes wearing happy girl apart from the fact that all my leotards, warm up stuff and scruffy old pointe shoes have long disappeared. I would love some new knitted warm up shorts which of course got me thinking perhaps I could make some or even better can I crochet some. I found my ideal inspiration but they did look rather complicated. So I had to look for something a little less challenging and I found a great idea from Teresa Does It where she used a crochet jumper to make some shorts. Brilliant! I found a black crochet dress at the bot...