WOYWW 598 Vineyard scarf and Thea

Hi all, I can’t believe we’ll soon be at the 600th What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday hosted by Julia at The Stamping Ground

I’m still working on the everlasting vineyard scarf. I reckon I have about a foot to go. 

 I haven’t sewn the leaves down yet; I catch them in the crochet as I go. Do you think they should be left free at the edges? 

I work on it all rolled up now. 

I’m really pleased with how the bunches of grapes have worked out. I did them in Aran yarn, Sirdar Jewelspun shade Nordic Noir, in 7-stitch bobbles so they stand out. I wasn’t sure of all the colours at first but even the light blue looks like grapes with a bloom on them from the wild yeasts. 

The leaves have been in a variety of colours, picked from Hayfield spirit and King Cole variegated shades. I adapted them from a maple leaf pattern 

How-to-crochet-maple-leaf/

Winding through the balls to find the bit of colour I want has left quite a few odd balls of subfusc colours. Not the sort for a repeat version, apart from a few maroons. 

Thank you all, for your kind words and good wishes last week. 

Thea has had lots of cuddles since. She’s also disturbed by the workers on the scaffolding outside as we’re having our gables attended to. 

She remembered and found a catnip fish she’s fond of this week and had several mad half hours playing with it before collapsing for another nap. It's just a £4 Yeooow Catnip fish but she loves it.

Too much excitement, Lynne!

I’m so thankful we still have her. Dino’s death has devastated us. We have to pick up his ashes this week. I’ve had my nose stuck in a book ever since. This is me:

Mind Games for distraction

Do you know how many words you can make from the word “beastly”? I had to have a root canal filling this week. My dentist is great, works hard to save teeth that other dentists would extract, but it means he’s v careful and uses a horrible rubber dam over my mouth when he’s clearing out the root. I got to 45 words made from “beastly” before I lost count. I then did world capitals alphabetically, and did them all except E and X. (I thought it was me but there isn't one, unless you count Edinburgh.) At least these mind games kept me away from thinking about the dentistry. It’s only my dentist who says I have a petite mouth 🤣

B’s 2nd cataract op has been confirmed for next Wednesday, so fingers crossed nothing stops it going ahead. The first one seems to have gone well. 

Things happen in threes - I hope

My old Peugeot has died and is too expensive to pass an MOT. We don’t need 2 cars now we’re retired, but it served me well. And, bizarrely, the inner pane on the double-glazing in the back bedroom has cracked and is crazed all over, but with no impact. So with Dino, hopefully that’s our 3 bad events. The money for scrapping the car will at least almost pay for the window. 

In my youth they never paid you at the scrap yard - the rising price of metal I suppose. Old man McGuinness in Stoke used to charge you £6 for a part if you could hold it in one hand or £12 if it took two. Happy days! 

And finally....

This one’s true even now I’m retired:

And this just made me giggle:

I can imagine my Mum enjoying that game!

Thanks for your visit; I’d love you to say add a comment if you can, thanks. 

Take care, all, stay safe and happy WOYWW

hugs

Lynne

WOYWW 597: vineyard scarf

Hi, I’m back for our weekly share of our workspaces, as hosted by Julia on The Stamping Ground. This is a short post, to get me back into things. 

Thea is modelling my workspace again. 

The downside of using elements of self-striping yarn for my leaves, is that I’m left with lots of little balls of the other shades. 

The never-ending vineyard scarf is even longer now. Several folk have said it should be an art piece on a wall, but it’s destined to be a present. 

Family

It’s been a heartbreaking week. Dino got much worse, couldn’t breathe outside an oxygen tent, and so we had to agree to let him go. He was such a lovely cat. 

Thea is much missing her brother as well and as we have lots of cuddles. 

B finally had his first cataract op, which has so far gone ok. We’ll have to wait and see if the 2nd one goes ahead ok, or is re-scheduled due to the lockdown. 

Take care, stay safe and happy WOYWW 

Hugs Lynnecrafts 

WOYWW 595: The never-ending vineyard scarf & lion stories

The never-ending vineyard scarf, my current project, is now 1m long. 

It's getting tricky to photograph!

I'll get back to the Persian tiles afterwards but this is a present so I want it to be finished soon. I'll sew the leaves down a bit more, but want to leave them free a bit.

Here’s Thea introducing my work space this week, for What’s on your Workspace Wednesday. 

I should mention I’m left handed so when Thea relaxes on my left arm, like this, I’m doing no more crocheting! 

Thurs 22. It was one of those crisp, golden days that make you sure that they must mean winter is coming

I’d been moping over the birthday photos of my late mother, which Facebook so helpfully displayed. We decided to go out to lunch instead.

A quick call and we are on our way through Lyminge forest to the Duck at Pett Bottom

Through the forest, and out into the valley through the glorious hamlet of Lynsore Bottom, all Tudor houses, but a place I could never live, though for a while I did have riding lessons there.

The forest is a Site of Special Scientific interest, lots of rare species.

 

As the valley widened out, we were surprised to see a vineyard growing now on its slopes, although we know the big champagne producers like Taittinger have planted here. We’re on the same chalky terroir as Champagne and the move north is to preserve the character of the wine in the face of global warming.

And so to Pett Bottom and the pub which belonged to Ian Fleming’s aunt Joan. It has a blue plaque to him now. 

Inside has been done up and is no longer full of James Bond memorabilia. The shelves are now full of cookery books and odd preserves like bay leaf vinegar. 

When I asked what it was for, the waiter told me it was for curry; the chef-owner is South African and loves his curries. Not quite sure about vinegar in curries but never mind. 

The food was lovely, copious and tasty. I had a roast loin of pork with apricot purée. (Meat with jam as the French would say). 

We talked of the pub’s summer Braais, and I told the waiter Marcus Brigstoke’s story about biltong. It made Marcus fart so badly, that the safari guide thought he could smell lion. So every time, the safari guide said "lion", and they drove around, chasing Marcus’s farts. 

B and I reminisced, in part about that terrible restaurant south of Caderache, near Aix,  where we walked in, made terrified excuses and left. The bar’s inhabitants threw off the menace of a Scandi fascist motorbike club, and we couldn’t get out fast enough. The Duck had a much more welcoming atmosphere.

And so back through Lynsore Bottom and the forest and home to the cats.

Health

B is to have cataract ops, and the only place that can do them quickly is Benenden Hospital, in W Kent. We thought his covid test was Saturday, so we drove all the way there, but it was Sunday and we had to go back, this time in pouring rain. His op was due to be today, but they had an issue with his test (It "leaked"???) and so we'll be back again on Sunday for another test, and for an op at 8:00 next Wednesday. I know that at least he's having the op, when others wait endlessly, but our car will know the way there by itself soon.

Dino is improving slowly but I still have to give him antibiotics by syringe, grrrrr. Thea and I are ok. The cats are both in winter hibernation mode now, but say miaow to other cats on this blog!

Anyway, that's me for this week. I hope you all stay safe and well. I'm not good at getting round all the posts and am especially allergic to Xmas, but I'll visit where I can. Many thanks for your visit; I'd love it if you can leave a comment, please

hugs, Lynne

WOYWW #594 Vineyard scarves and canal songs

 Hi all, we're back having a look at our Wednesday workspaces, as hosted by Julia on the Stamping Ground. 

Thea is modelling the upper shelves of my work space this week..

I've been working on my vineyard scarf, all grapevine bobbles and autumn leaves. It started with a bunch of grapes or a leaf either side, but as it's determined to be unruly, I'm going with it:

As I've multiple strands of wool going, I'm now clipping the green balls to the side to reduce the tangle as I crochet.

Some people get aerated when crochet is mistaken for knitting. I've been known to do both, but this year I've been firmly wedded to crochet, which is what I'm doing above. The difference is well explained here:😀

The difference between knitting & crochet

Walk

   

I was back along the Royal Military canal, this week, at the Western end in Hythe.

There's a memorial to the builders of the canal here. There were fatalities, particularly where the sea rushed in when they were digging at the seaward end.

I've  had the song Manchester Ship Canal by June Tabor in my head all week since. I can't find a link to her version, but the song, originally known as Your Loving Son Dan is here:

http://www.waterwaysongs.info/your_loving_son.html

Dino isn't very happy with me as he's now having to put up with liquid medicine squirted into his mouth. Here he's complaining to B all about it.

B and I are mainly ok and he now has a date, 28 Oct for his first cataract op, so I may not participate next week.

Anyway, that's all from me this week. Thanks for your visit; I'd love it if you leave a comment. i'll get round as many of your blogs as I can x 

Take care, happy WOYWW, hugs, Lynne

WOYWW #593 gardens, vineyard scarves and stories

Hi all, welcome to my Wednesday workspace. This is part of our What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday, hosted by Julia on https://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/

I've been working on my vineyard scarf this week. Ordering online makes it tricky to get the right colours, so I've lots of wool.

I started off with an over-the-top version, but I think it was too much. I even put a snail on one leaf.

I've enjoyed making lots of autumn leaves. I've since started a slightly more restrained version.

It's hard to keep a straight edge but I'm working on it.

Story

Neil Gaiman related a wonderful story this week, good for anyone with confidence issues as well as for people on the autistic spectrum. I was so impressed I've 

copied it and linked it here:

David Bowie's magic mask

Mystery object

Last week I asked you what my little carved owl was used for.

 When I was small, my father took over a warehouse. In the attic, he found a box of letters from a priest in a leper colony, and this little owl inkwell.

My mother wouldn't have the letters in the house; I don't know what happened to them. Still, I was allowed to keep the little owl. Its inkwell insert is missing, and I don't know how old it is. I remember the letters had stamps, so I'd guess 19th century.  No new mystery object this week, but I hope you enjoyed them.

Family

We're all improving. B's foot is better and the cats are mainly engaged in radiator-worshipping, Thea 's good morning greeting to me is always up close; she reminds me of the lionesses rubbing heads that we see on TV.

  

Holiday memory -Japanese gardens

Four years ago this week I was in Kanazawa on Japan's west coast. It is famed for the Kenro-kuen garden . I also went there for the ninja temple, full of secret panels, passages and traps (no photos allowed). 

Kanazawa has lots of smaller gardens, too.

This samurai garden was so peaceful I stayed for hours.

 

Anyway, that's me for this week. Many thanks for visiting; I'd love if you can leave a comment. Stay safe, hugs and happy WOYWW,

Lynne