Echoes of a Dream

A heart felt thank you and a goodbye

Dear Friends and Readers,

As you know I've been thinking about and trying (although not very hard) to stop writing this blog for a while now.

Since we moved house last February I haven't managed to get into the swing of crafting and blogging with the gay abandon that I used to. At first I just went with the flow and then I felt bad that I wasn't offering you anything (after all this is supposed to be a craft blog) and then I decided to stop blogging altogether but couldn't drag myself away. Now I think it's just come to a natural end.

When I first started blogging I wanted to share the things I made, I wanted to inspire and create community. All this I did and judging from the comments I used to receive I infected many with my enthusiasm. But these days that enthusiasm has waned and I'm not feeling very inspirational and thinking about what to post has become a chore.

What I've noticed with my infrequent postings this year is that I'm more relaxed. When you have a blog you're always thinking about what to write next and since my last post a month ago I haven't thought about it once. It's been lovely and that's what I mean about coming to a natural end. These days I spend more time with the children, I'm reading more, baking, seeing friends and never a thought about which of those to write about. Therefore my natural conclusion is that I should stop blogging altogether.

So it really is goodbye this time. I want to thank you for reading, for your lovely comments and support. It's been a wonderful three years - I've made some lovely friends, had two great American trips (our best holidays ever) and I've learned masses about myself in the process of crafting and blogging and I thank you for that.

with love from

Simmy

Easter Hols

One day I will sit down and look back over the news in this blog and notice how life has changed as the children have got older. Gone are the days of shared activities around the table and the trips out that were accepted without question. These days the older two want more days with friends than family and grumble a lot when you suggest various outings.

So it was a bonus that we managed to have a couple of outings en famille this easter holiday. And they were really enjoyable. One such trip was down to the south coast to a place called Cuckmere Haven. It was still a bit chilly but we managed to have a nice picnic on the (pebbly) beach and then on the way back we drove through a little village called Alfriston:

which was just idyllic:

Having bribed the children with luxurious ice creams we walked down the High St:

looking at the lovely buildings:

this is a sign outside the Post Office:

and here's that counter inside:

then we came upon one of the nicest bookshops I've been into:

which was full of both old and new books and had little nooks and crannies. I treated myself to a couple of Elizabeth Taylor books and some cards by Angie Lewin (I love her work). I could have stayed there all day but time was pressing.

Quick, very quick look at the church:

Luckily, the old Clergy House was closed (lucky for the children I mean):

I think this neck of the woods is definitely worth visiting again as I noticed on the map a couple of other interesting places. For one there is Rodmell and the house that Virginia Wolf lived in and then there is Charleston where Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell (a la Bloomsbury Set) lived. It's so picturesque down there too.

Other than that there was a lot of pottering around at home. For some reason I started a pair of socks. I'd been tidying up and noticed the surfeit of sock wool I had, so decided to cast on a pair for Raj:

They knit up really quickly but of course he doesn't need a pair of woolly socks now does he? You can bet your bottom dollar that they won't fit him come the autumn! Oh well never mind.

Anyway, those didn't make much of a dent in the sock-wool-basket so I decided to knit a pair for myself. Now I've noticed that I only ever knit plain socks with regia wool and although I love the idea of patterned socks I can't be bothered with all the effort when no-one is ever going to see them.

So I hunted for an easy pattern that wasn't so time consuming and came across one called Charade which is a freebie here. I had some wool called St Ives by Sunbeam which is a heathery green and I thought it would show up the pattern quite well:

Can you see that it's a sort of herringbone pattern. It's ever so easy except when you don't concentrate and forget which of the two rows your'e on and then you muck it up a bit.

Still it's a pretty forgiving pattern and looks really nice. I've google image'd it and it looks nice on variegated wool too.

Other than that I'm knitting some baby booties for a friend who's expecting in June, doll making workshop still going on and masses of baking. Easter saw, over the three weeks, doughnuts, danish pastries, chocolate bread, scones, various cakes and biscuits and an ever expanding waistline. We just love our food too much in this family.

This weekend is a lovely long one and the weather looks as if it will be nice all the while. Today the boys are playing golf with Dad and Amber is at a play practice at school. They'll all be back for tea so I'd better go and put the kettle on. I've already baked these (Nigella's jam doughnut muffins):

Cupcake fetish

Long time readers of this blog will probably know by now that I am a woman that periodically gets obsessed with certain things. I see an idea somewhere and I just have to try it or make it. I then fixate on it (kind of obsessively) and when the enthusiasm has run its course I stop. Sometimes I completely stop. So much so that I never want to make that thing again! It's a sort of 'been there, done that' thing. Ocassionally the idea might retain a very mild interest so that I will visit it again.

You may recall some of my obsessions: there was the plant dyeing, the owls, the knitted fruit, the tie dye T shirts, the brooches, the bags (made from felted jumpers) and many others (you can click on each link if you wish).

Some years ago I met an older waldorf teacher who happened to remark that this behaviour was quite sanguine (one of Steiner's four personality types). Basically sanguines love change and flit from one thing to another. When something new comes along their enthusiasm knows no bounds and they are real 'jack of all things and masters at none' types. When I was told this you cannot believe the relief I felt. I had berated myself for years for not sticking to things and now I knew why I didn't. It was just the way I was.

Anyway, I'm digressing because I really wanted to show you my latest obsession. Last week I got fixated on making a cupcake - not the edible type (I make far too many of those already). So I did some googling and I found this pattern and proceeded to make this cupcake:

However, I didn't like the look of this one at all and when I pulled at the base it looked better as an ice cream:

Then I saw this on flickr and after researching a new crochet stitch for the surround bit I came up with this:

Even worse than the first one! At least the first one looked like a cake - this one looked like a splodge. I learned a new crochet stich though (it's called front post something or other). Then I found this pattern and this is what I got:

more like a bakewell tart don't you think?

So I changed the wool I was using and made the pattern a bit bigger and out came this:

much more like a cupcake and much more to my liking. (My family and visitors meanwhile were beginning to think that I had finally lost it. I don't know how many times I was asked "er, what's it for?"). Maybe I should have just kept saying 'shut up I'm sanguine' or something!

So at last I was happy. I had made a cupcake. I could tick that off my list.

I'm sure you're all thinking that I could have bought a pattern off Little Cotton Rabbit for one of her cupcakes (which are absolute perfection by the way). But do you know what - that was just a little too easy. I had to go through a process. And now that I've been through it I probably will buy her pattern and make some for pressies.

I do envy people who commit to one thing and master it. I have a friend at school who needlefelts and she makes the most exquisite things. But I'm just not like that. There are too many things out there for me to try. Now that I know what I'm like I do make myself finish things off before I move on. I used to firmly believe that I would go back to the thing another time. So unfinished things would pile up. But not anymore.

Can anyone relate to this? I'd love to hear your views whether you're a flitter or a sticker at?

Meanwhile I'm going to leave you with a pic of our rather busy nature table and wish you all a Happy Easter. We have three lovely weeks off.

Spring is in the air

I had a lovely Mother's Day yesterday. Full english breakfast, dinner cooked for me and some lovely cards. Look at this cutie from Raj:

Isn't it sweet.

Finally took King Winter off the table last week and I set up the spring table:

I noticed how many lovely things we have that are made by the children. Mother Earth (mine is being borrowed by Raj's class), a few snowdrop children and a yellow child that could be a crocus. For the last six years or so I've been meaning to make a daffodil child and finally last week I did it:

       
I then got the urge to make some more daffodils (in a pot with the dandelions I made last year):

The blossom fairies are up too:

If you want a pattern for those the link is here and the dandelions are here. There's also a reference here to dyeing with daffodils and here for dandelions. That should keep you all busy!

Last week some ladies asked me to show them how to make chapattis so I pitched up with some homemade dahl and my tava (which is like a griddle with a long handle) and we had a great time. I looked on Youtube and there are a load of videos if you want to have a look. I also made some lassi and I took along some Indian sweets that I'd made. They went down really well even though they were made with gram flour (chick peas) so had a distinctive taste. I thought I'd make some again soon and share the recipe with you. They are a bit like fudge but mine came out softer and not so solid. If you want to have a go, get in some gram flour, also called Besan (I found mine in the local mini Tesco), sugar, butter and some double cream (small carton).

I'll make some next week sometime.

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Talking of cooking - does anyone remember the name of the cookery book that was used in schools in the 70's in cookery/home economics lessons? The one we used in the Midlands was small with a light blue cover I think. It had very classic English recipes in it and I want to try and get hold of one.

Still here, honestly

Oh my word I didn't realise that my last post was over three weeks ago. Thank goodness Georgia woke me from my reverie with this great comment:

Blimey Simmy, snow doesn't last that long.  What else has been going on for you in Feb?

You see we got ourselves a new computer soon after and it's taken ages to transfer everything over. Plus the fact that I have no Photoshop on this new system to edit my pics for this 'ere blog. So I've slowly been getting to grips with Vista (which I do not like by the way) and I must look at Picasa for picture editing asap.

So what has been going on in Feb? Well, we've had Raj's 9th birthday and a lovely half term last week. Different this year as Amber was in the Cotswolds visiting old friends and Raj went to my sister's so it was just me and Rohan for a few days. We footled around, went out for lunch and snuggled up on the sofa and watched The Truman Show and Local Hero. It was really lovely to have some quality time together as middle children don't always get that do they.

My big news is that my sister has moved to the area exactly a year after we arrived here (26th Feb last year). We lived near each other in London until 1998 and always said we'd try and do it again and now that we're back in the south east they thought they'd join us. The children have all got places at local schools and sis and I are looking forward to some shared meals, shared child care and for me some exercise. My sister is a rabid walker and I've asked her to help me get into shape - but slowly. I can just imagine our mornings from now on with me puffing and panting alongside and begging her to slow down. The mere thought makes me feel faint so I think I might go and raid the fridge as it might be the last time for a while!

Will be back soon, promise ....................

Snow at long last

Oh joy, oh rapture we have SNOW. We finally have snow AND the school is closed today - HURRAH.

Mind you we don't have as much as the foot deep they have in London but there must be about three inches. The boys are out somewhere with friends and I've been busy baking cos I'm sure they'll be starving when they get back. Today on the menu are Cinnamon Buns a la Nigella (far too quick and easy to make):

and Butternut Squash and Pear soup. Tom, for the first time ever did not struggle to get into the office which is a good job as his colleague tried and abandoned the journey after three hours in the car. So Dad is working from home today and maybe we can all get out for a snowball fight later.

In between baking and cooking and closing doors that get left open by boys, I'm working on this:

It's a crocheted pot holder, don't you know. I pulled this pattern out of 70's craft book:

I was looking for something quick and easy to make on a craft morning, that some of us Mum's have started, and it seemed to be a good option. However, the pattern has been a pig and I've been doggedly trying different things to make my pot holder look square like the one in the picture. Now I know it's only a pot holder but I was convinced that the pattern was incorrect and I was determined to find out why. Madness.

Finally, a friend cracked it and she discovered that there weren't enough stitches in the centre (the pattern said to crochet three dc's in the middle but it was in fact five that makes it fan out into a square). I do wonder if I am stubborn, stupid or a perfectionist because I've wasted sooo much time on this. I wanted it to be just so. This one is the finished article with five dc's:

and here is the one with three dc's on top of the pink one:

Marginal I know but I just wanted to know why the pattern didn't produce the said square. Anyway, I think they're lovely, very pretty and useful and will make nice pressies. I'm already on my third one.

If you fancy a go - and they really are very quick to make - here is the pattern (slightly different to the one printed in the pic):

You'll need some dishcloth cotton and a size 4 crochet hook. First off chain 12 and join into a ring with a slip stitch.

Then make 20 double crochets (dc's) into the ring and join to the first with a slip stitch. Make one single crochet and turn.

Make four dc's into the next four dc's and then make five dc's into the next one and then four dc's into the next four dc's. One single crochet and turn.

Make six dc's into the next six dc's and then five dc's into the next one and then six dc's into the next six. One single and turn.

You carry on like this always making five dc's in the middle and increasing the outside ones by two each time. Always a single crochet at the end and turn. The pattern will be like an upside down V and it will be obvious where to do the middle five. Stop when the cloth is big enough for you. That's it.

It's a sinch - honestly! Now I'm off to stuff my face before braving a few snowballs.

Slow Start

Not much going on around here this January. We're still struggling to get up in the mornings and heaving collective sighs of relief on Friday nights. You'd think we've been planted on earth for the first time the way we're behaving. I'm sure January was much worse in the countryside last year and I think the difference might be that now we are getting up about 7.15am and leaving for school at 7.55. Last year we were just getting up at 8 o'clock. My children all seem to be night owls like me so that doesn't help either. Still the days are getting longer though.

Evenings at the moment are spent watching the brilliant Mad Men on DVD. I hear the new series starts on Feb 10th. I don't know why this is consigned to BBC 4 or whatever cos some people like us don't have Freeview in our area yet and don't always remember to catch it on iplayer. If you haven't seen it do - it really is very good. Well acted, great themes (albeit a bit depressing) and wonderful clothes. Makes you realise how far we've come in terms of women's rights, relationships and smoking!

Other than that I'm totally absorbed in a book that that has been sitting on my shelves for thirteen years. It's The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature by Humphrey Carpenter:

I've decided that if I were ever on Desert Island Discs then this is the book I would take with me. It has (according to the blurb) over 900 entries on authors, illustrators, printers, publishers and educationalists. It's like being on the internet. One entry takes you to another and then back to someone else and although I decided to read it from the beginning I do go off on tangents.

I'm sure you've heard of the Kate Greenaway Award for outstanding children's book of the year. Well did you know who she was and when she lived and that she was intimate with John Ruskin? Did you realise that Robinson Crusoe was written as early as 1711 (I always thought it was Victorian)? Or that a lot of The Swiss Family Robinson was enlarged by translators and editors because the author left the manuscript incomplete and disorganised?

Sadly, the book is out of print but I did check and noticed that there is the odd copy on ebay. Mine was published in 1995 so it is a bit out of date now but no matter it does make for fascinating reading and also points you to new authors and titles too.

On the creative front, I've been trying to finish the hand towel I started over a year ago and I've been playing around with some yo-yos:

That's all. Just lazing in front of the fire otherwise.

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Desert Island Discs is a very long time running radio programme. If you click on the link above you can read about it on Wikipedia. I haven't the foggiest which music I would take but I'm certain about my book (if they'd allow it). Want to share what you might take?

Winter or Summer?

You know I think I'm really a winter person. I love it when it's cold out there:

and warm and cosy inside.

There's nothing much going on so you play a long, long game with the boys and Tom. (Raj's christmas present that I got off eBay - 1960's I think):

 

Then after lunch you bake a few ginger biscuits and finish off the christmas cake:

and think about being really decadent and watching a DVD on Saturday afternoon:

However, you notice that your husband is outside seeing to your car:

so you grab a basket and head out for some kindling:

and then come back and curl up in front of the fire. At least you can say you did your bit. I'm a lazy tike aren't I?  

Mind you - going back to the winter/summer theme - I do not like dark mornings or too short afternoons.

Hmmm, what sort of person are you - winter or summer?

Happy New Year

It was going to be a quiet week enjoying some Christmas presents in front of the fire:

reliving some childhood memories:

(does anyone remember how this was ALWAYS on in the summer holidays when we were children?

Of course more feasting. Then on Monday my nephew came to stay, Abby our ex babysitter came on the spur of the moment and today I seem to have a gaggle of children who are happy playing outside but seem to need constant nourishment. They polished these off in minutes:

which I've replaced with a plate of flapjacks - notice how I ration them to ONE piece each:

and here they are on their way to wolf those down:

Abby has gone back to Gloucestershire, Amber to London to a friend's for New Years Eve and Tom is at work. If the others stay out long enough after the flapjacks I might be able to put my feet up and start on one of these:

Can you guess which of the books in the pile are mine and which are Tom's? I won't be insulted if you get it wrong!

Well, Happy New Year to you all - by the way, do you like my gloves knitted by Amber? The pattern is from one of Kristin's books:

Happy Christmas

I'm off to my sister's tonight for the festive period and today has been a round of wrapping, packing, cooking and guess what - I had to go back to the Dentist again. My filling fell out on Friday morning and I had to go back this afternoon to have a temporary one put in. This time I didn't have to have an injection so I wasn't a bag of nerves when I got back, thank goodness.

Raj went to my sister's yesterday and the older two made peppermint creams for their cousins:

   

Before I go, I would just like to say Happy Christmas to you all. I hope you have a wonderful time wherever you are.

Thank You for reading my intermittent posts and thank you for all the lovely comments and emails that you've sent to me over the year. I wish you a wonderful, fun filled holiday.

Lots of love

Simmy