I'm A Frayed Knot!

It is just 6 months since Norwich Castle re-opened after the multimillion£££ restoration. We were delighted to have early view tickets, because we hold annual passes. I was blown away by everything there was- not just the phenomenal embroideries, but also the bright colours, and the wooden furniture, and the ironwork on the doors. I knew that I wanted to represent this project on one of my two-by-two patches. It has taken me till now, the very last patch, to actually do it. I have been planning this for weeks and weeks...

Historians discovered that the medieval castle builders used lots of bright colours, and although we are used to dark oak church doors, when first installed they would likely have been glorious primary hues, with black ironwork. This new door was designed by a Norfolk company, and the ironwork created in the forge at Holkham. 

It is the Bigod Door, named after Baron Bigod, first Norman Earl of Norfolk in the 12^th C, when the castle was built. This door is oak, covered in gloriously bright blue leather. I was amazed by the way that strips of metal were twisted and knotted, similar to Celtic knots and then riveted to the wood. The metal work forms hinges, handles, and general decoration.

I copied one particular knot last autumn and decided to recreate it with fabric and thread. It proved quite a challenge. I abandoned the idea of satin stitch, then thought about couching down some cord. Perhaps a black shoelace on blue fabric? It didn’t look right. I did have a book of small linen samples. I opted to use a neutral colour for the patch, with the knot in a bright blue cord.

Having worked out the knot – under/over/under/ over I pinned it to a piece of corrugated card and adjusted the loops as best I could, then transferred cord carefully to fabric and stitched it down[blanket stitch] with two strands of floss [blue/ lilac/ purple random dye]
Then I added NORWICH CASTLE, REBORN 2025 in back stitch in plain purple floss.

The first one, on darker linen, had the ends of cord going over the edge, and the lettering was perhaps a little too close to the fold. And in the wrong light, you couldn’t read it anyway! There were problems with the cord ends fraying too. So Kirsten is getting the lighter one  which I consider to be better of the two!

This knot was hard enough to create with cord, I am in awe of a blacksmith who can make such a knot with hot twisted metal – whether in 1100 or 2020!   

Notes:

• The knot is the one at the top of the vertical decoration which runs up the centre of the door.
• Baron Bigod is now remembered in the wonderful Brie style artisanal cheese, made at the Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk
• This is my last patch. Kirsten's should arrive very soon and we will get on with stitching the 'rubric' and making up the project. Hoping to be done by Easter.
• I'm becoming quietly obsessed with ancient needlework, but equally fascinated by the technological developments which mean my new sewing machine can do so much more than any I have ever used before...It's all about finding the best in both disciplines I think.

Counting, Watching. Listening

Because some of you were asking yesterday - here's the Nine Times Table Fingers Trick, I cannot find the originator of this YouTube, but it is explained very well here.

There are other Finger Tricks for times tables but personally I would not use them as I think they may confuse the children. Many school do not want children using their fingers at all as they believe it is a bad idea, and will prevent their pupils thriving in maths. But personally I love this one for the nines, and even quite young children learn it quickly and enjoy showing off to the adults. I am 70, I have a BSc in Maths, but I still count with my fingers at times. Especially when I am calculating stitches in knitting patterns!
Lots of crafting going on this week - repairs and jeans hems for friends, and my final 2x2 patch has gone off to K in the post. Once hers arrives, I will start stitching them together, and making up my sewing pouch. Pictures soon...

Have you been watching the Night Manager [season 2] ? no spoilers hereIt ended on Sunday evening, and the finale was quite harrowing.  They filmed season 1 ten years ago, and in April 2016, Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston said there would not be a season 2. Ten years later, here it is - and the writer, David Farr has already said he is working in Season 3, and promises there will not be a ten year gap this time round!

I have been working at the sewing machine, with earbuds in, listening to Radio 4 Extra. Specifically, one of Mark Taverner's comedy thrillers "In The Chair"- first broadcast in 1998. The two main stars are Michael Williams [Husband of Judi Dench] and Barry Foster [original VanDerValk] but the rest of the cast is superb
Hugh Laurie is Prime Minister, then there are other great actors, Rebecca Front, Richard Griffith, John Bird, Kenneth Cranham, Geoffrey Whitehead.  

Many of these brilliant people are no longer with us, but Front, Fry and Laurie continue to entertain on stage, screen and radio. Bob and I enjoys Hugh Laurie's jazz too [ HL can not only act, but also sing and play the piano!] 
I was doing my volunteer visiting at the hospital last week, and talking to a patient who said she was grateful to have a radio with her [no TVs on the ward] but found it hard to find programmes she liked. She was thrilled when I told her what she could listen to on Radio 4 Extra - Paul Temple, Tony Hancock, Dad's Army, Sherlock Holmes...
And after all, sometimes on radio, the pictures are better!

Having Sum Fun

 For Christmas, I got the London family an annual pass for MathsWorld

This is a new venture, not far from Tate Gallery, with lots of activities and immersive experiences to help children [and adults] discover about maths. Liz took Rosie and Jess on Sunday. The girls really enjoyed themselves, climbing into pyramids, creating bubbles to stand in, solving puzzles etc. They were quite excited to tell me what they had seen and done - and Rosie explained it is on two floors, so they hope to go again and try out even more of the activities. I'm all for anything that gets people doing maths - and whilst it might be relatively expensive for a one-off visit, that ticket can exchanged for an annual pass. 

Maybe if I am staying in London, I might be able to go with them. I'm sure Jess will enjoy explaining everything to me. It is a certainly good venue for a wet Sunday afternoon. I think we will get our money's worth- and I hope the girls might become as fond of maths as their Grandma! They have just opened another site in Leeds
Have you been to MathsWorld?
Are there other similar places you would recommend?

Blue Planet, Green Planet, Cornerstones Bathroom...

My orchids are spending the winter on the bathroom windowsill [waiting, like Eliza Doolittle, for spring to creep over]

If you look closely, you will see a little person in each pot. Despite his advancing years, Sir David Attenborough gets everywhere. These cute little resin figures were a gift from Julian. "David Attenborough will look after your plants" it said on the box. I thought maybe they were waterers or feeders or something. No, they are just little figures on spikes.

Julian admitted that he too thought they would do more than just stand there...
I'm not sure which one I like best. Top left with the butterfly is sweet. I think top right is a chameleon [but if so why is it still dark green?]  They one with the binoculars is looking for a better orchid, as the leaves on his are going yellow. And the pose with the camera looks a bit formal. I think butterfly wins.

It reminds me of the legend of St Kevin, an Irish monk who lived very close to nature, and all the wild creatures came and lived round his hermitage back in the 6th century
He is said to have been sitting in his monk's cell praying when a blackbird settled on his hand. The bird proceeded to build a nest and lay an egg - and the saint sat perfectly still until the egg had hatched and the mother and fledgling flew away. David Attenborough has been sitting on the bathroom windowsill for at least 8 weeks now, and his butterfly has not moved!
My beloved Auntie Peggy [Julian's Grandmother] almost met him once [that's DA not StK] He came to a bookshop in Romford to sign his latest publication. She spent about 30 minutes plucking up the courage to speak to him, but was so nervous, she never actually got to the front of the queue. I think she always wished she'd been more confident. 
There are a few buds coming on the orchids, so I hope for blossoms before too long.
Do you enjoy DA's programmes?
Which have been your favourites?

Really?

I confess to being a little puzzled by this one - it is February after all. Naomi, the artist, lives in Northern Ireland, and I'm pretty certain the weather there isn't too brilliant right now[but I know some of you, like Bless, are enjoying sun, and blossoms]
There are a few flowers [snowdrops, daffs...] but not a lot of blooms and I haven't seen any butterflies lately.
I think of February as a time for sowing,  time to prepare my garden for the summer, and prepare my heart for Easter [Lent begins on 17th Feb] 

The calendar picture is attractive, but it feels like the wrong month!
Blooming confusing if you ask me! I can only think that in these cold wintry days, Naomi has been singing songs from My Fair Lady to herself
Oh, so loverly, sitting abso-BLOOMING-lutely still
I would never budge, till Spring crept over me winder-sill

 

Oh, I Love That Book!

I took a book to read in the dentist's waiting room. I had recently decided to reread this book again because I love it. It makes me laugh out loud, and is a good antidote to cold winters and depressing news reports. 
Traffic was good, and the journey to East Harling went very smoothly. I had left home in good time [two weeks before, there was one diversion and three lots of roadworks with temporary traffic lights] so I got there with 20 minutes in hand. I checked in, and then sat down, swapped driving glasses for reading glasses, and opened my book. 
A couple of minutes later, the door opened. In came a mum, with baby in pram, and Grandma bringing up the rear. The chap who was waiting leapt up and rearranged chairs to accommodate the bassinet. Everyone settled down, and then the young woman said "Oh, I love that book!" I realised she was talking about my paperback.

I quickly swapped over my glasses [she was seriously out of focus] and we spent the next 10 minutes talking about EMD's characters, and the perceptive descriptions of the children, and longsuffering husband Robert. I said I had one of those. "Does yours ever complain that he has not had sufficient breakfast?" she asked. "Occasionally" I said. This young Mum was utterly delightful, about the same age as my Liz [who also enjoys DOAPL] "I have never met anyone else before who has read it!" she enthused. "What do you think of the Vicar's Wife character?" she asked. We covered an awful lot of ground before she was called through to the treatment room. It quite took my mind off gloomy thoughts about the possibility of root canal work. [which mercifully did not materialise]
I don't seem to have ever reviewed this book on my blog, which surprises me. I think I last read it during the pandemic, when I was here on my own at Cornerstones, running Grandma's Nursery for Rosie. There had just been an article in the Guardian about the book, and it was already here on the shelf at Cornerstones.
You can pick it up and put it down without 'losing the thread' so it's ideal for an 'analogue bag' It won't be to everyone's taste - but if you are stuck for something different, please do give it a try! It's a first person narrative, similar to Three Men In A Boat in many ways. The punctuation is rather random, and she uses capitals frequently, so characters have names like Our Vicar's Wife, and she skips speech marks. You get a line like Then Lady B. said Did I Want Coffee? and I replied Not Just Yet. 
Perhaps I should write a book in this style
I was in John Lewis, and a Complete Stranger said You are our Neighbour Daphne. And when I said No, I was Angela, she pointed to my Beloved Husband, and asked Well why are You with Him? He looks just like Daphne's Boyfriend...
I suspect nobody would publish it

Great Chieftain O' The Puddin' Race

Great Chieftain O' The Puddin' Race 
We celebrated Burns' Night a day late, but I cooked a haggis with cream sauce, neeps and tatties. And asked Alexa to play Scotland the Brave on the Bagpipes as I carried it to the table [for once, she obliged!] I have no idea what Burns' haggis poem means, and I suspect it might detract from my enjoyment of the meal if I did
I bought my McSween's haggis [serves 2-3] from Robertson's Butchers in Reepham. The butcher was very helpful and I have to say the flavour was excellent.  I'd done rather a lot of veg, and we had much haggis left over, so I made two 'cottage pies' for the next day - neeps on the bottom, then haggis, then mash on the top. 

The haggis is not usually considered a UPF, being made of lamb, beef, oats, stock, onion, salt, pepper and spices. No artificial colours or ingredients. One of the main ingredients of haggis is liver, which is high in vitamin A, vitamin B12 and folate. Heart and lungs will provide some iron, zinc and selenium and the oats included in haggis will contribute to fibre intake. It’s important not to over indulge in haggis as it tends to be high in fat and saturated fat as well as high in salt, so be mindful of the portion size. It was a filling, warming dish on a cold evening. I may serve it again soon, but without the bagpipes! It is relatively inexpensive, and a good ZeroWaste food, using up the offal which is often discarded.
Have you ever eaten haggis?
Did you celebrate with a Burns' Night Supper?