A bit of red lippy

Hi there, (again) just thought I'd stop by to try writing the kind of post that isn't earth shattering but will fill ten minutes, I'm guessing they're quicker to write and easier to read than my usual ones!

I just wanted to share some changes, and hopefully exciting news.
Im hoping to start a folksy shop, and I've sent off some pics to request a stall in regular vintage craft Market.
I've tinkered about with bits of string and buttons for too long, it's time to stop filling my drawers (ooer) with makes and see if anyone would pay good money for them.

It's early days, but I'm determined to push on, and to prove it, from now on, I will be mostly wearing red lipstick to look more professional and together than the usual mum of two, (who doesn't get to brush her hair until lunchtime normally.)

This is turning out to be another of those long ones, so I will leave you now with the lesson I've learnt today which is that when wearing red lipstick you should limit toddler kissing if you want to avoid them looking like they've murdered someone and then eaten them!

Moving Ohm

I'm back, with another story to tell (are you sitting comfortably?.. Good then I will begin)
When my mum died (stick with me, there's a happy ending) and I was clearing her belongings I found a small pendant with the Ohm symbol on it. Mum wasn't a spiritual person so I found this a little bit strange but kept hold of it because it intrigued me. Over the next few weeks I kept it with me, in a pocket, under a pillow, on the windowsill, until one day I realised I'd forgotten where it was, couldn't find it anywhere, and felt a little bit lost without it.
As weeks turned into years I found that it would reappear, under a bed, behind a cushion, in the washing machine, and everytime I found it again I'd have a minute of reflection and then carry on.
Last week I had a clear out, took most of the contents of my bedroom to the local charity shop. The following day whilst admiring my tidy jewellery box I remembered that I'd made a bracelet and put the Ohm on it, so I wouldn't keep forgetting where I'd left it. Yep, you've probably guessed already, I'd accidentally put the bracelet it the charity shop bag, it was gone. I felt sick, I panicked, I thought about going to buy it back. Then I thought perhaps that was meant to happen, someone will buy a bracelet of buttons, and beads, and ribbon, and will find the pendant nestling amongst them, they will be intrigued, they will have a moment of reflection and the story will continue for someone else.
No I won't tell you which charity shop it went to, that would be cheating!

I'm sure you've read enough now, but stick with me, there's a photo coming.

After this Ohm related event I've been thinking about other possessions that I have that might need to move on.
The cheering up jumper (see my previous posts) being one of them. So here goes, Its very poorly constructed, very bright, and one size fits all (unless you are slim in which case you will need a belt to avoid slipping right through the neck hole).
If you know of anyone who needs cheering up, and isn't allergic to yellow, then let me know, I will post the jumper on to you to give to them and hopefully they will do the same when their smiles have returned.
So here's your chance to be part of a story. No need to tell me their personal problems ( unless it will help) I trust your judgement on someone's need for a smile.
Ready, steady, let's go and spread some smiles.

Stage fright

Hello again,

has it really been months since I wrote....again?
Ah well at least this time I have a reasonable reason, Ive been getting twins. As you will guess when I tell you that they are two years old, I wasnt giving birth to them, but they have filled our home with dirty clothes, spillages,'bumps' and In the Night Garden as if they have always been here.

So now to the stage fright part.
I have been dabbling in knitting and sewing and generally making things for years, and now I actually have two little people to wear my creations, I can't make things anymore.

I really do have stage fright. I am embarrassed to add, my son is wearing a hat which someone bought for him that doesnt even fit him. My dreams of having the cutest little darlings dressed head to toe in handmade has turned into 50p mass produced gloves and ill fitting headwear.

I must add that this isnt because I dont get a minutes peace now they've arrived, they sleep really well and go to bed early, and if I was in my right mind I could spend that free time knitting, rather than mopping, but I seem to have developed a fear that they will see me knitting or sewing and be excited for the finished product only to then be disapointed when its so big they can't stand up in it or so small it gets stuck. You can't shout "peepo" if your head wont come out of the neck of your jumper!

So, the way I see it, I have two choices, either I join a knitting group that I recently found locally and sneak off when they are in bed to meet someones granny who will help me to get things right, or I give up and accept that 50p gloves and very clean floors will be my future....hmmmm....

Good news, sad news, sailor jerrys and a rasberry.

Well, what a week its been since I last made my pledge. A health scare, a riot, a dear friend losing a dear friend, topped off by a raspberry in my face and I'm drinking sailor Jerry's as I write.

So where are the hearts?
I started as I promised, one for each day, but as the days became filled with sadness and worry, the hearts stopped flowing. Knitting seemed so inappropriate, in the grand scale of things, hearts were the last thing I wanted to think about...
Now I think about it they should've been the first. What does a person need more than a heart when they are sad, a gift from a friend, a brightly coloured heart shaped comforter to snuggle up to, or throw at the person who's upset them. (that one would of course be filled with something heavier than the usual cushion fluff) and may be used as a suitable weapon against rioters.
  
So here they are, the ones that I did before I gave up, stay tuned for the ones I will do now I have re-alised their significance.

Id forgotten that knitting isn't just about two sticks and some wool and perhaps something nice at the end. Its about distraction, calm, creation and ultimately smiles.
I received a gift today from a very good friend, passed over from a relative of hers. It was a bag full of knitting needles, some wool and some projects half finished, waiting to be made and worn.
That brought it home to me, once you start, even if you stop, you can still bring joy to others,what could be more exciting than something already half way to being worn.

 I'm itching to get on with them, not stuck halfway through, in a jumpery sort of way a metaphor for life I think.

A naughty story

Ok, here we go. Day one of the heart challenge, and who would've guessed it but I was lucky enough to get a lovely story to tell you with this one. First things first, the heart ....

Next things next, the story.....

So there I was sitting on the bus on my way home, putting the finishing touches to the pale blue ensemble above, when the chap sat next to me tapped me on the shoulder and asked what I was knitting.

I tried to show him that it was a heart but I don't think he was convinced, to be fair it was on three needles at the time and slightly scrunched up half in half out of my handbag.

He then went on to ask "would you like to hear a naughty story?" Now generally when someone asks me this kind of question on the bus I run a mile, get off at the next stop and then walk a mile, but on this occasion he seemed a sweet old man so I nodded cautiously with a tenatative smile.

"Well" he said "My mum was a big knitter when I was a child, we would come home from school and sneak in as quietly as we could because she would be knitting, listening to the radio, making tea, and (when we well off enough to own one) watching televion all at the same time." Talk about multi-tasking! "Anyway" he said " one year she had knitted me a pale blue V neck jumper, with long sleeves and everything!" (Picture a massive big smile on his face. "It was to be my christmas present, but I didn't want to wait, I had a dance coming up with a special young lady that I knew would be there", so he said..."and here's the naughty bit"...."I stole it out of her wardrobe, wore it to the dance, and then put it back in the wardrobe and pretended to be surprised on Christmas Day!"

All I can say is let's go back to those days where stealing a jumper becomes a naughty story and where tennage boys are proud of their mothers for their ability to keep them warm and snuggly in a jumper made to match their eyes."With long sleeves and everything!"

A pledge

Oh dear, its been a bit too long, I'd actually forgotten my password,... senior moment,... or poor blogger? 
I will let you decide.
So, what's been happening since I was last around?
 In a nutshell. I finished the cheering up jumper, which co-incided (fortunately) with a life event that required major cheering up. It was exactly twice as big as it should've been, and used four times less wool than I had bought. If anyone out there would like to make themselves an item of clothing in cheering up yellow, let me know, I have a drawer full of the required material!
I also started an etsy shop, and last week got a lovely message from a lady who said she loved one of my scarves, not quite enough to part with £5 for it it seems but still a very welcome comment all the same.
I've continued to knit whilst I've been away, but wont be wearing much of it until the weather changes, heatwave + wooly item + sweaty betty! (is that how you spell wooly and sweaty?)
Anyway, after a lovely afternoon in Heaton park with two of my fabulous friends (complete with cupcakes) I've been inspired to get back into blogging (blogging is old fashioned Susies middle name)(one of my fabulous friends), and so in order to brighten up this blog I pledge to put more pics on (including the cheering up jumper if you so wish) and as I have read my way through the paperback contents of Oxfam I also pledge that on my bus journey to work each morning rather than re-read my Oxfam purchases I will knit a woollen heart every day, and post it here until you never ever want to see a picture of a heart again.
Watch this space .....

"Kitting sticks"

No, it's not a spelling mistake, she really did say kitting sticks. Well to be exact, she said , "you get bus often? If I get kitting sticks, you show how to poke in string?" I'm guessing that she meant that if she would be seeing me regularly would I be willing to show her how to knit. 
I was flattered that she thought me capable, particularly as I had dropped a few stitches getting it out of my handbag, and then missed a few whilst she was talking to me.
She was clearly mesmerised, as she missed her stop watching me knitting nervously as she peered over my shoulder.
I'm sure many have thought me odd knitting in public, but it's my cigarette, my anti-depressant, my not biting my nails deterrent, so I have to do it wherever I go. Of course most of it wont get worn now that the weather is changing, but I will be well prepared for next winter, and hopefully well practised enough to not miss stitches when I try to talk at the same time.
I left the bus today with a smile on my face, and a scarf in my bag, and tomorrow, I might just have a spare pair of "kitting sticks" with me incase we bump into eachother again.