Echoes of a Dream

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 that I found in an old magazine.

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 pattern. 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 from the original):

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.