Making A List, Checking It Twice...

So the neighbours were sitting round at the BBQ, and Helen mentioned the problems Peter was having with his costume. Her husband is a semi professional Santa, and does dozens of gigs every Christmas - hospitals, hospices, care homes,charity functions... He is short and round,with thick snowy white hair, and a long, soft, flowing beard. But Helen said his costume was looking tatty and the fur was dingy and matted. She'd tried sponging it, but the red fabric was not colourfast. Some fur went pinkish...

Can I help? I said. Can you sew? she asked me. Much laughter as other neighbours said Yes, definitely Ang can sew! 

We agreed I'd look at it when I got back from Cyprus [he has his first photo shoot in a week's time] I took the fur off, and made notes and took photos at every stage, so I'd be able to reassemble it properly with new fur.

 

I am glad I made a list, I'd never have managed to get lining, red fabric, interlining, zip, white fur all in the right order. 

The new fur was quite a contrast to the old. 

I did most of the work before we went to London, there were bits of trimmed fur floating about, drifting into every room. Yesterday morning I finished the work, including creating a new bobble for the hat. 

Top Tips For Adding Fur

• Make a list of the order of work
• Use plastic clips, or pins with glass heads. Regular pins will disappear into the fur, and that's not safe!
• Use a contrast colour thread for tacking, it is easier to find and remove at the end.

I have made the new cuffs separate, removable pieces - and hand stitched them in place. If they get grubby, it will be easy for Helen to unpick them for washing.

All that's left is a quick polish of the hat bells with Brasso. I shall protect the fur from polish by putting a piece of card round each bell as I clean it

Peter and Helen are currently on holiday. I hope to get a good photo of him in costume soon! 🎅 🎅 🎅 

Home Again,. Tired But Happy

So they carefully transported the tapestry to England and set it up in the British Museum. And in a darkened room, thousands of people filed past to look at the worked stitched almost a thousand years ago by diligent Englishwomen.

And yesterday, Bob and I were able to see it. It was all that I had hoped and more. [that is an artist's impression - the queue was continuous, no gaps whatsoever!]

I will give a full report soon - but thank you so much for all the encouragements, the lovely messages, that beautiful jug, the article from the New Yorker, and so many other kind words and actions.

I wish you could have all come with me. When I have come down to earth again I will endeavour to share my thoughts.

More tickets go on sale in week or so. My top tips if you have not yet booked...

• log on early in the morning so you get in the system [which does work well] 
• have your preferred dates to hand, when your 'window of opportunity' for booking arrives. I suggest having two or three possibles
• book tickets for as early morning if you can - as the day goes on, the queue builds up, so late visitors may not get in at all!
• make a list of the things you want to see, on a card, so you don't miss it out as you go round [you can't go back if you miss something along the route]
• Buy at least one souvenir, even if it is only a postcard! But you do not need to buy the items costing ££££s

I got to see all but one item on my list - and that wasn't a particularly crucial item. 

I am quite tired from all the excitement, and there are a lot of other tasks to be completed now I am back 

Thank you Bob for doing the driving. Thank you too, to my sister in law Barbara, with whom we stayed from Saturday till Tuesday afternoon. We visited other places over the weekend, and on Sunday evening enjoyed a meal at the home of my niece and her family.

All very very good fun. 

Today's The Day!

10.20am British Museum.

I am quite possibly more excited than a child going off to DisneyLand. 

With Apologies To Oscar Hammerstein

The other evening I went to a concert [fundraiser for our village Parish Church] My friend sings in a local choir, and asked me to support the event. So I did. The Bach to Broadway programme included some well-sung well-known pieces. But I confess I was a little distracted in one song, and found myself rewriting the words of an old favourite from the musical 'Showboat'. 

Oh listen, sister, I love my mister man                 
And I can tell you why
Theres's many reasons for me to love that man     
It must be somethin' that the angels done plan

but... 
Sharks gotta swim, bats gotta fly
I gotta love one man till I die
But I can't help loathin' that beard he’s grown

Look at those bristles, thatch on his chin,
And when he kisses, it scratches my skin,
Can't help loathin' that beard he’s grown

With his beard so grey,
that's a rainy day
But when he shaves it off**
that day is fine
The sun will shine!

So he can come home
with a whiskery face
Cos home without him
ain't my happy place
Can't help lovin' that man of mine

[**as soon as he has been Santa for the Toddler Group at Chapel]

Setting Sail

27th September 1066 - On this day, 960 years ago, William set sail with his army, from Normandy, to come and fight the English.  His flagship The Mora had been a personal gift from his wife Matilda

Most of the fleet were smaller Viking longships. William's ships carried 7,000 or more men, and very importantly up to 2,000 horses for the knights. Horses don't like boats, and it must have been difficult to get them on and off--the Bayeux Tapestry shows them being made to jump over the sides of the ships. The ships also carried armour, weapons, shields and supplies, probably including salty bacon, cheese, hard-baked bread and certainly barrels of wine. William drank wine with his breakfast on the day of the landing. They sailed for about twelve hours under cover of darkness, arriving at Pevensey Bay on Thursday morning.
They came equipped for fighting a war.  

This week I am in London, to look at that ancient tapestry - and I think of those crossing the Channel today. In smaller boats - many fleeing war, looking for safety and sanctuary.
The boats are much more fragile, harder to steer, often overloaded, but their passengers are desperate. Today's travellers come in peace, and I pray for them, and for those who will help them safely to shore.

O God, whose power and mercy hold the seas, we lift up to you all those who travel today in small and vulnerable boats.

Protect those who face the cold winds, deep waters, and dark nights in search of safety and a new beginning. Be a quiet calm amid their fear, and guide them safely away from peril to a place of welcome, dignity, and peace.

Strengthen the hands of rescuers and keep watch over all who wander in distress upon the deep. Soften our hearts to show compassion, and lead the nations toward justice and understanding.

Amen.

Up And Under [Or Over?]

I know nothing about rugby* - or the differences between Rugby Union and Rugby League. But I do remember sports commentator Eddie Waring going on about "Up and Under" on TV [and Mike Yarwood impersonating his Yorkshire Accent]

My double-knit pattern this month is Block #157 "Up and Over", I presume because the vertical strips go up, and over, the horizontal stripes. The term Up-and-Over reminds me of the mechanism on garage doors!

This was an interesting one, I did it with cream as Yarn A, Blue as Yarn B on the 1st square, and then reversed the colourway for the second. My tension didn’t match the book – I only needed 13 repeats not 14 to get the 6” square. A very simple slipstitch pattern. Main colour 1 row K, 1 row purl, the contrast two rows with a k2, slip1 pattern. 

These are very similar to Kirsten’s squares from July, #24 Ridged Blocks, but they have a K2 slip2 row then a P2 slip2 row, making the vertical lines wider.  

I have chosen sea and sand colours because of the beautiful beaches in Cyprus! A lovely reminder of an unforgettable holiday.
Kirsten was concerned that it may take us four years if we decide to use our squares to make patchwork jumpers. I have suggested we might repeat patterns we like in different colourways for our own garments. If I do repeat any squares for the finished piece, this may well be one I choose to do again. This pattern produced an interesting square, quickly and easily. 

*I prefer knitting to playing rugby!

Eye Eye Kirsten!

Aye Aye Cap'n is an ancient phrase from the British Navy, meaning Yes, YES, Captain, we hear your orders! It is also part of the SpongeBob Song [my grandchildren understand this show. I cannot make head nor tail of it]
An AyeAye is a long-fingered lemur from Madagascar
An 'eyelet' in knitting is made by pairing an increase [usually yarn over] with a decrease [k2tog] so that the total number of stitches remains the same- but a small, neat hole is produced! This eyelet block arrived a couple of days ago.

Block #35 Eyelets - Kirsten says “They might not look it in the picture, but blocks are 6 inches square (ish). 

"I guess this pattern is a first step into knitting lace. 

"Looking back at blocks I made probably ten years ago, it seems I did several eyelet blocks of increasing complexity. I can see why it is will become important to remember to do ‘left-leaning’ and ‘right-leaning’ decreases when doing lots of eyelets close together… now, the question is, how brave am I? and how much patience and concentration can I muster? These weren’t too taxing, so perhaps I will persist with eyelets…”

K sent me the top, turquoise square, which goes well with my stack of existing squares. I think perhaps I should try an eyelet pattern next time - I have no experience of right and left leaning eyelets.
Kirsten included a cute little Rocking Robin kit [National Trust] as the flat gift. Quite apposite as at the moment I am rather caught up with Christmassy preparations for reasons I will not go into here!

Can you knit eyelets?
Do you understand SpongeBob? [does anyone over the age of 16?]