so yep, two knitting bags up on Etsy now,

and also, two new little bags that sit on your hip,

yep, they caught you out didn’t they, go see them in the shop now!!

maybe January is the month, but I don’t like it and I want it to end : (

Yesterday Bill Frindall died, now I guess to most people who reads my blog that name means nothing, and even if I explain who he was it will still mean little to you, but I’ll try.

Bill, or Bearders or the The Bearded Wonder was another voice from my childhood and growing up, and as recently as just before Christmas listening to TMS (Test Match Special). He was the scorer and statistician and had been since 1966, he was always in the commentary box during both overseas and home test matches and could always be relied on to correct everyone, especially the scoreboard of the ground they were at.

You can read more about him here and some of the tributes to him here, they can probably explain what a great loss it is.

Also yesterday my new linen arrived,

I need to wash it, but I can’t wait to use it, I had if I’m honest lost some of my crafting/creative mojo, but when a lovely chunk of linen arrives it sort of kicks you up the bum!

I have lots of other stuff to tell you about, including my sister who helped at a road accident this week, but I shall save that one another day or later, or something, the linen is calling to me : )

I was really very shocked when I looked back at when I made my first knitting bag and then when I decided to start to make some for the shop….. it was six months ago!!!! So if any of you have been waiting, I’m very sorry!

So here they are, well almost!

I will not be able to photograph these ‘properly’ until Saturday at the earliest, so they will not be on Etsy until then either.
So what I’m suggesting is this, if anyone would like any of these bags before they reach Etsy please let me know and we can sort something out, either via Etsy or direct on here, does that make sense?

Ok, here we go,

SOLD!

The dummy they are photographed on is a child size one!
The dimensions are the same for all three and are 14″ across, by 13″ tall and 4.25″ deep. All bags have two pockets inside, one small and one large,

and they are have a soft linen yarn bag with a drawstring closure which measures 14″ x 11.5″,

The bags are all £30 plus £1.75 P&P, for anyone else contact me and I’ll do a straight conversion for you : )

I think this is a fair way to do it, and lets see how it goes!

music, and podcasts, and stuff : )

When I visit peoples blogs, quite often they have music players on them and scare me when I’ve opened a tab but are not yet looking and suddenly music starts, or they have a list of what they are listening to, as you have noticed, I don’t!

Not because I don’t like music, far from that actually, I just don’t know how you do that : ) When I’m on IM people can see what I’m listening to, and I’ve sure they probably think I have very odd tastes : )

On the music front I have been listening to Spoon, Elbow and Eagles of Death Metal all are great, but very different, go have listen!

And then on the podcast front, well I have Adam and Joe, Daily Mayo, ABC Lost, and more Simon Mayo in the form of the Kermode Film Review which is always a top form of wittertainment! If you don’t know any of these, or just don’t know about podcasts, check it out, so much stuff sitting there waiting to be heard and enjoyed.

Sewing, er yes, well I’m in the middle of finishing the knitting bags! I hope you were all sitting down to read that! Also I have moved some more stuff to my Folksy shop, so go have a look and buy in sterling!

….but not thinking, just blue sky,

I couldn’t help but jump on the bandwagon : )

And anyway, I think thinking is just too complicated, as is having thoughts/opinions/beliefs/ideas……

But I’ve had enough of that and forgetting all about it! Instead go here, and listen to the lyrics more than anything, I especially love the line about her arse being the size of a small country! And talking of countries, well not that sort really, have a look at this, this promo was responsible for me having all my illusions about pop stars shattered!

well I am, a comment was left on my last post, I haven’t authorised it yet, because the person doesn’t have a blog/website so I want to check she is genuine, but she made some interesting points.

The main thrust is/was that I was being judgmental and if I had such a problem with it maybe I should have spoken to them about it. Also that people do drink wine with a meal, and maybe it was a special occasion.

Well lets get on and face these comments head on.

Being judgmental, maybe I was, but I really don’t believe that anyone would have not sat, saw what we saw and not had an opinion, I just voiced mine. My opinion may well be completely wrong, but I’ve said it now and I can’t/won’t take it back.

Speaking to them, to be honest there was no way I would have done this, because I may not be a stunner, but I would rather keep my looks intact, and the man of the couple looked like he could have done me quite alot of damage!! Saying that the woman probably could have done as well!

Drinking wine, I have no problem with this, but it just seemed odd, and it was certainly no special meal, at one point they were both on their mobile phones and ignoring each other : )

I would like to point out, I quite often have people have people stare at me and my boys, make comments loud enough that I can hear, I can clear a shop in 60 seconds when they are both in full effect, so I know what it is like to have people being judgmental about me : )

So if she replies I will make her comment public, and then you can all read and give your opinion as well : )

Have you had bought fabric with a sticker on like that? I have checked both sides and they both look identical, very confused!

Anyway enough of that, have a look at this it made me laugh : )

and not the sort you get that are bottom related, been there and don’t want to go there ever again!

No these are piles of things, clean washing, dirty washing, cut fabric, half finished bags, paperwork, lego, you name it and it is somewhere, lurking to remind me that I have not dealt with it!

What do you think of this,

That is the King Alfred Hall in the Winchester Guildhall, where Handm@de will be happening! More on that tomorrow, but I thought I would share it with you : )

Today I experienced something that I thought was a bit odd, and I don’t know if I’m in the wrong and it was perfectly normal, or if I’m in the wrong, let me explain.

While in our local pub, a nice one at that so no loud music or drunk idiots, a couple came in with their toddler, nothing unusual about that.
Then we saw that they had a bottle of wine between them, again all ok, couldn’t see a drink for the child mind you. Then their food came out…. It was a small fish and chips, between them, again, we don’t know if the child had any.
So my thing is this, the small fish and chips is about £5.95 and the cheapest bottle of wine they do is about £11, so is it strange that someone would be more than happy to spend twice as much on booze than on the food they were eating? This was at lunchtime as well, and the fact that they were sharing a meal that is meant as a light meal for one person between two adults, not really enough to soak up the booze!

I dunno, we just thought it was really odd, and the fact that they had a child there who they didn’t seem to be that bothered about, I think I must be getting old!!

when I was little I wanted to make things, and I think I made quite a lot of stuff, this was inspired by the fact that my dad worked with his hands and made wooden boats, and when I say that I mean this sort of boat.

I was also inspired by the other things around me, including a couple of people on television, and today the second one of those died as well : (

Tony Hart was amazing, he made me feel that I could draw, I could make things, it was possible, so much so that I decided that I could get a picture of mine on Take Hart, and I did! I don’t know where that picture is, my mum might still have it, or maybe it is in a box here somewhere, but ‘Billy the Boxer’ made it, he reached the Gallery!
And to commemorate my achievement I received this,

This bookplate is really signed by him, in pen, would probably be laser printed now. But I won it, he signed it, and I still have the book, well Edward does, but it’s there.
Still there to remind me that sometimes things you dream about can come true : ) Unfortunately, my other hero died when I was only 18, and the dream I had of working for him died at that moment too.

Positives for today, well the boys bedroom was tackled, a job I have been putting off, it is so soul destroyed to tidy something, get everything organised, and then have them destroy in 10 minutes! But, we have almost done it! Started yesterday, and it will be finished tomorrow, hurrah!

and those are now in the shop, as are the cushions, so some good results in the end!

finally I had a bit of light yesterday, but not enough to take proper photos!

what do you think?

I really like them, I have made two sets of six, and the coasters and placemats match.

They also match the cushions I have made, but the light is being such a bugger at the moment, arghhhhhhh!

On the Handm@de front, well I have already had 18 application form requests, and three already returned! So if you are reading this and thinking I want to take part, them please mail me at handmadefairs@raspberry.co.uk and we can go from there!
I would really like to have some more people who do papergoods, maybe printmakers, and also some foodie people, anyone out there?

not a cup of tea mind you, more the brew of a craft fair!

Take yourself back to my blog here, and you will feel my excitement and joy at what a craft fair should be, now picture that in this building,

That building is Winchester Guildhall, and on Sunday 5 July it will become the third place to host a Handm@de Fair! And I’m organising it!!!

Doing Oxford was so good, and not being able to do the one in Cambridge is such a bummer, that I decided that I had to take the bulls by the horns and make it happen for me, near to me.
Winchester was the obvious location, wonderful buildings, free Sunday parking, a local population that is diverse, and lots and lots of tourists : )

Also that day, Sunday 5 July, for your diaries of course, ties in with the last day of the Winchester Hat Fair, the biggest theatre street fair in Great Britain!

So you will be hearing a lot more about this, so I will try to keep it interesting, I’m very excited, and I need to maintain that!!

If you would like more info, go to here, and if you know you already want a table, please e-mail handmadefairs@raspberry.co.uk.

Hopefully tomorrow some sewing stuff, because that really has been lacking recently!