Oh Don't They Know? There's No Such Thing...

I know I am not the only one excited by last week's announcement by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. There's a new book coming in the Autumn, featuring the Gruffalo Granny! 

JD says the idea has been bouncing around in her head for over twenty years, and now she's a granny herself, it has all come together. AS says that down the decades since the first book came out, he has occasionally drawn a few Gruffalo pictures, to keep his hand in, Personally, now I am a granny too, let me add my two-penn'orth to the comments 

• I approve of the fact the Granny has let the rich chestnut fur grow naturally into an attractive silver grey
• As I suspect, the Deep Dark Wood may be in Norfolk. Evidenced by the lack of adequate dentistry.
• Her tail and ears are a little droopy  -  body sagginess a definite sign of age catching up with this busy woman. 
• A stick is always useful, for walking, poking, or hoicking things down from high places.
• Her eyes remain alert and bright
• Her expression is amiable, she looks secretly amused
• She carries a pencil and notebook ready record important things
• She has a sensible crossbody bag, capacious enough for knitting, drink, snacks, tissues whatever

The plot has yet to be revealed. Thus far we have just one line
the Gruffalo said to his daughter one day
    "your Gruffalo granny is coming to stay"

My daughter has suggested that maybe granny visits so that G and his missus can go out to the Pub [that would be the one on the far side of the Deep Dark Wood? ]

However I suspect she may be going to teach her granddaughter important life skills

• calculating the the Fibonacci sequence [you maybe female, but STEM subjects matter]
• learning to bake [see here for a good cookbook] 
• telling those stories that parents sometimes 'forget' ["when your Dad was small, he ..."]
• practising how to be a proper activist and go on demos. [let's role play, child - I will be Emmeline Pankhusrt, and you can be Greta Thunberg]

What do YOU think that Gruffalo Granny should be doing when she visits

Something Beautiful

 

O living God, 

draw all the fragments of my life

into the bright mosaic of your love;

weave all the tangled threads of my desires

into the tapestry you are spreading,

like a rainbow,

on the loom of the world;

and help me celebrate the many facets

and the dazzling colours

of your peace.

Amen

Thank you Kirsten for sharing this prayer from Judy Hulme.

Feeling A Little Pasty, Eating A Large Pasty

The former represents how I have been recently, not sleeping well and therefore feeling fatigued. The sinus issue was still bothering me - and I have apparently been snoring an awful lot. I finally saw the GP on Thursday, and he discovered I have polyps in both nostrils - and they, not the sinuses, are the cause of the problem. A daily nasal spray should deal with them [but allow 12 weeks for it to work fully, he says] I felt much better for knowing what was wrong!
The latter- I watched Jamie's programme on Monday night [Channel 4], and decided to cook his £5 meal meat and potato pasties
The recipe was easy, budget friendly and we both enjoyed them - but they were huge

They came out nearly 20cm across and filled the bowl, I served them with mix veg. The filling [mince, plus grated potato, carrot, onion] was very moist and the 3tbsp of brown sauce added extra flavour. We added a little ketchup at the table. Next time, I might make three[ or four] smaller pasties with this quantity of mixture. Using strong bread flour for the pastry meant it was both thin, and robust [but not tough] I need to practice my crimping technique though
Have you cooked any of Jamie's £5 Feasts?

Twelve By Two

 Post came bright and early on Thursday. with K's final patch

As well as the patch and notes, I discovered some lovely knitting stitch markers, and cute erasers in the small flat box. When I was wrestling with my knot ideas, I had told myself that if that failed, I would just do a miniature ninepatch piece. But I did accomplish the knot - and lo and behold, Kirsten has sent me a gorgeous little square, using scraps from other collaborations, and charm sqaures- and a postage stamp fabric to celebrate our cross country collaboration.

We are both itching to sew our dozen pieces together now. Arranging them is fun...

I'd started sewing mine on Monday at Craft Group, but the newest patch cannot go in that space, it is too similar to the one beside it.
Meanwhile Kirsten laid hers out, and felt that maybe some of them [like the darned square] need a bit of a border

I can see how that edging helps soften the bright white evenweave. We are both working on the design of our finished pouches, and plans for the embroidered 'rubric' tape.

Do you like the soft grey woollen fabric which we are using to back our pieces? Suitably neutral I think. 
I was given a length of red viscose last month, which I am planning to use for a lining. I have sent some of it to K too. Seven weeks till Easter, and we hope to be done and dusted by then...

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?

So Very Grateful...

Back to the dentist for a follow up appointment. Good news, everything seems to have responded to the treatment [antibiotics, saline rinses etc] It was an infection in the gum. No need for root canal work etc. In and out quickly, there was no charge for the visit. Return in the autumn for routine check up. Hallelujah!

Home via the ward where my old school friend is in hospital. She's been away from home since November, this is the 7th different bed she's been in, the 4th location. She is looking forward to getting home. I'm so pleased to see her looking brighter, and healthier. I got home at 1.15, Bob was making sandwiches

We'd just finished eating when Craig at Vision Express rang. My replacement frames had arrived. We popped into Dereham. It is wonderful to be able to see properly again, and only need one pair of specs.

I did try to do some 2x2 hand stitching on Tuesday, but it wasn't right, and I ended up unpicking it. I hope to get the bulk of the two patches done soon. Plus I have some sewing jobs lined up for three friends. Glad to able to see clearly enough to sew straight!

All in all a good week, thank the Lord. Much restoration! 

Guess What We Used To Make This, Grandad?

The girls were with us Saturday afternoon. Rosie had asked me to teach her to crochet. So once she was busy making chains, and Jess has realised this was not something she had the patience for, I took her off to do a simpler craft. We made some bunting, and hung it between two chairs.

I had made these all little flags last week, but before she began decorating them, I showed Jess the technique. Its ridiculously easy but you need to prepare them at least 48 hours beforehand, and children must understand that some bits can only be done by a grown up. 

You need lots of loo rolls. Each one makes 2 flags. The instructions in Red can be done by children.  Adults should do the hot water bit!

1. Half fill a jug with very hot water
2. Using tongs, carefully stand a loo roll in the jug
3. Count to ten [child can do that!]
4. Using tongs lift up the tube and turn it over, put it back in the jug
5. Count to five, lift out the tube, shake it a little
6. It will start to unroll, and become two separate parallelograms.
7. Do this with all the loo rolls
8. Lay the shapes on a worktop or chopping board to dry
9. Carefully fold in half to make a "pennant" shape.
10. Next day, when dry, stack them and put a weight on top to keep them flat

Now they are ready to decorate and will hang tidily over a string. You can staple near the fold to stop them coming off! The card is really good for paints or felt pens, or for sticking things on with PVA or Glusticks.
NB You can sterilise loo rolls - place 4 in a cross shape on a microwave plate, and zap on full power for 20 seconds [no longer, they may catch fire] but I reckon this total immersion in very hot water is adequate cleansing.

Watching the rolls uncurl to become diamond shapes is weirdly magical. And people are so surprised when you tell them what the bunting is made from! I shall do this one again i think.  

Spectacular!

In the continuing saga of "things at Cornerstones which are wearing out or falling to bits", the latest casualty - my glasses. Wearing them to read in bed, I fell asleep and bent them out of shape. Repeatedly!  And on Sunday the 'arm' snapped off completely.  

The guy at Vision Express could not have been more helpful. He said that for £25 the [rather expensive varifocal] lenses could be put into new frames. It should be less than a fortnight before I get them back. I'm very grateful for his help.

My older black framed glasses are OK for distance, so I can drive in them - but I really struggle to read. I splashed out a further £5  on a pair of cheap reading glasses with blue plastic frames. I can wear these in bed without worrying too much. And will go on doing so even after I get my others back. 

So I'm wandering around with two pairs at once, swapping over when I need to read something or do closework like sewing. Looking like horologist Steve Fletcher!  Julian was very sympathetic, having just had to replace his glasses at significant cost. He sent me this...

At least I don't have to buy a complete new pair, I only got these in May, and my varifocal lenses are pretty costly. Eyeglasses were first invented around the end of the 13th Century, about 150 years before the printing press. Which makes all those phenomenal embroideries, like the Bayeux Tapestry, and Opus Anglicanum even more amazing, 

Those stitchers had no means of magnifying their work. Some guilds restricted the hours of work, and insisted it was all done in daylight, to protect the eyesight of their needleworkers. 

I started wearing glasses when I was 30, what about you?

Breadsong Buns

 In the autumn I read this lovely book and really enjoyed it. I was delighted to receive it for Christmas, along with the instruction to "make the cinnamon buns, Mum" So here is my first attempt at them. They were very tasty..

They are a sensible size too. Not so big that you wonder if you should only eat half, but not so small that you want to eat two. 

I love the instruction for rolling the.spiral of dough like a snailb- then stretching the last bit across the top and underneath "as if it's checking its undercarriage"

The buttery cinnamon dough is flavourful, the simple milk and sugar glaze is quite sufficient. You do not need extra frosting.

[Recipe here]

Jesus, The True Light

Today marks the end of the Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity. The chapel doors will be closed this morning, as our fellowship joins with our Anglican friends in the Parish Church up the road. These are our brothers and sisters in faith- and it is good to worship together sometimes. Meanwhile Bob is preaching at the United Service at the Parish Church in Dereham 

The prayer below is from the Churches Together website. The lovely photo of the Northern Lights over Dereham is from my dear friend Heather who lives just a few miles away, and took this shot from a bedroom window last week in the early hours of the morning. [Thanks H!]

Lord Jesus Christ,

You bring us together in all our diversity,
as family and church.
In the face of so many situations on earth,
where hope has given way to despair
and hearts are wounded and emptied by disappointment,
renew our strength and unify us.
Help us to share Your hope wherever we find ourselves.
You are the true Light,
who casts out the darkness of sin,
despair and brokenness,
who shines into our hearts, releasing
the joy and the true hope of Your eternal love for all.

Amen.   

Hiawatha Made Some Mittens

When we bought Cornerstones in 2009, I bought some mats for the bathroom. In 2022 we changed the basin, and I modified the second pedestal mat to fit the shower. After seventeen years those turquoise mats are looking rather sad, so we replaced them last week. Norwich IKEA had a very limited choice of colours, so we went for grey. Yet again I altered Mat #3 to fit round the shower cubicle. 

I am pleased that the old ones can go in a textiles recycling bin - well done IKEA. I must have too much time on my hands - as I was restitching the binding, I worked out that if this set lasts 17 years, it works out at a cost of 2p a week to have a safe, non slip path across the bathroom!

My other domestic sewing involved the adjustable worklamp which I use for close work.

This is a really fancy piece of kit. Back in Leicestershire, I had been hankering after one, but the proper adjustable ones were well over £100. Then one of Bob's electronics catalogues arrived, and there was one for around £15. A tenth of the usual price. He rang them up - and it was an error. But because he pointed it out, they let him have one at that price- a true bargain. It has been so useful. I was concerned that in the spare bedroom, it might get accidentally bashed by visitors [enthusiastic grandchildren] For months it has been wrapped in a Jiffy bag,. Now it has a proper button on case, and it looks much smarter

Two scraps of fabric from a curtain sample book, lined with an offcut of soft thermal curtain lining. I thought it would be a quick job - simple bag, with lining, two buttoned straps. But I somehow got the lining and outer in the wrong order. First I got the thin side inside, and I got the soft side outside, then a mixture...

It took me three attempts to get it right, it was Hiawatha's Mittens all over again!

Of the fur, he made some mittens,
Made them with the fur side inside,
Made them with the skin side outside.
He, to get the warm side inside,
Put the inside skin side outside;
He to get the cold side outside
Put the warm side fur side inside.
That’s why he put the fur side inside,
Why he put the skin side outside,
Why he turned them inside outside.

The 1940's Experiment

Have you come across this blog? Carolyn started blogging in 2009, the year we purchased Cornerstones. At that point, living in Canada, she was really struggling with weight loss, and also with some difficult personal circumstances which meant money was tight. Things had to change...

Her aim was to live in a WW2 Wartime Rations Diet, which she hoped would prove both frugal and effective. After all, the scientists and historians frequently tell us that the British Nation was healthier and fitter in those years than in the years since. Lots of exercise and little processed foodstuff. 

In the years since she has moved back to the UK, lost around 7 stone. She's blogged diligently through the years, celebrating success and honest about lapses. 

She ran the London Marathon, raising money for the British Legion [WW2 connection] And she has posted some fabulous, economical WW2 recipes along the way, started a YouTube series and more

Her latest, brave venture, is to give up her job, in order to fulfil her lifelong dream of producing a book. 

If this sort of thing is of interest to you, do check out her blog or YouTube channel, and watch out for the book. There is far more to living on rations than Woolton Pie, and Potato Pete!

I have enjoyed her writings, I applaud her efforts and wish her every success.

Balls!

Eight weeks ago, I got this book from the library. I enjoyed reading it, and thought the projects looked good. But I've never been one for knitting socks on 4 double pointed needles. Arne and Carlos wrote the book 15 years ago. It was a fun to read,  but no way was i going to wrestle with those patterns..

And then last week, I dashed into Dereham Library to return some books and found they have recently written a follow-up.

The guys started designing more patterns for balls during lockdown, and this collection of 65 balls, [plus seven recipes for Norwegian Christmas biscuits] was published in the autumn. Maybe I could have a go, I thought. And then I remembered a "flat gift" Kirsten sent me a while back [along with a pattern and some lovely blue sock wool]

These are addyCraSyTrio needles. They are a set of three amazing double pointed, folding needles, designed for knitting small diameter patterns [like socks] I wondered if I could attempt a ball.

I decided to attempt a one colour sphere and get the hang of the structure before I embarked on a two colour design. After 3 evenings, with much unravelling and reknitting, I'd got this...

Now I understand how the four section sphere comes together [the motifs repeats 4 times round the ball] And I can see how to stuff it into a globe. Maybe I will attempt a red and white patterned ball. I think it would take me a week to make one The Website has lots of links to their YouTube site. 

Watch this space

Thank you all for your comments yesterday. Especially those from friends in the USA.