Alabamawhirly

I am moving

2009-06-11T19:25:00.001+01:00

I know, I've been on here for quite a long time but you can now find me over here

hope you come to say hi
: )

Reasons to be slacking

2009-05-13T13:31:00.005+01:00

I haven't really been slacking, I've been caught up in jelly, trying to get things done, changing the hang-on network and just trying to keep on top of things.

Skeinqueen and I have been working on a secret mission, dyeing yarn to sell as kits with patterns - all fine except writing detail and pattern isn't my usual knitting style - but all is done. Patterns are being tested and here is a snippet of some of the test knits.

There are anarchy mittens, johnny rotten mittens, anarchy handwarmers and a few others that are waiting to make it into PDF form. The handwarmer pattern (without yarn) is available to purchase at my etsy shop but if you tell me a funny story in the comments here that makes me smile in my comments I'll send you a free copy

That's made me smile already

To be inspired

2009-03-17T10:12:00.005Z

I was inspired by the list of things that my friend SkeinQueen has been up to: spinning, dyeing, updating, hanging out in Bentleys and lashing it up with the ladies. She made me feel like a sloth....

So here is my weekend, not as entertaining but maybe it's because I am a wee bit older than her....

1. Wore silly noses for red nose day

We thought we did something funny for money. It was very hard to behave normal.

2. Saturday involved ferrying children to activities but with an added gorgeous walk in the middle of it with Mr Detroit

Met knitty friends up at the canteen and knit and nattered whilst children had their lesson.

3. Resolved myself to the fact that I would have to finish the jumper I started for Christmas ~ why is it that the hubby wants a black boring jumper.... my mum would say it's payback for all the years she had to make me black school jumpers as I refused to wear the other colour choice, an odd red colour.

4. Actually started to properly write up the pattern for the Union Jack gloves and hoping that it makes sense ~ skeinqueen and I will be selling them as kit form with coherent instructions (*cough, cough, that's my job*) and SQ does the anarchic inspired dyeing.

Funny eh, there was me being inspired by anarchy and Johnny Rotten to make these and suddenly I find myself confined to charting and numbers and swatching.... heh ho
: )

Surpises in the post, new ideas and better things

2009-03-10T13:54:00.003Z

Today is my mum's birthday so a special day and we woke her up this morning just to sing happy birthday to her via Skype before the children went to school. She opened her presents, 3 skeins of caran d'ache I commissioned from the amazing skeinqueen, a heart shaped box and cards from us all. It was a big box so to protect it on it's journey I'd packed in stash wool that I was giving to her anyway but I think that confused my dad. He'd opened the parcel yesterday to check and thought that he had inadvertently opened *the present*, not realising the spare yarn was packing for safety round the heart hand carved box.

Then I too got a surprise in the post - a present for me:

Two skeins of *golden teal* in Elegance - I love teal, I love yellow so this is perfect for me. Skeinqueen gave me these as a thank you for helping her at Unravel - my word, what a treat anyway without being sent yarn.

The smaller parcel contained this, Kelpie in a new yarn base, Squash. I will be knitting this up as a sample for Skeinqueen for her next show - I'm thinking of making the Ishbel beret. I love that word, Kelpie.....

yesterday

2009-03-09T14:27:00.003Z

Last week was a busy and hard and long one, too many deadlines, too much to achieve but I hit the weekend having done almost all of it and not only that but we had future big decisions to be made right there and then (that's the problem with the future, it suddenly appears).

So the big decisions were made, work stuff dealt with, non work stuff dealt with, housework semi dealt with and then Sunday was a blue sky day and we walked and walked to the lakes with the tree loving children.

The afternoon was spent together, them writing 3 scene plays for their homework, me cracking on with the smocking on the Coraline - a photo will arrive soon, I promise

unravelled

2009-02-23T12:34:00.004Z

A perfect day - even though it has been a really busy time with so much to do and I was slightly worried about my ability to make sense of my week,, we ended it perfectly with a knitty day at Unravel.

My parents have been with us for 18 days, it was an unexpected visit for a sad reason and then we got even longer together because Pai became ill - it is true that the last three times he has been over to stay we have had either a hospital or emergency doctor visit which may be the norm for some people but in our family my Pai isn't sick so it has been unusual and sometimes feels like we are the bad omen.

Today they went back and already there is a little bit missing in our lives but later with the wonder of technology we will be able to skype them and chat and know that they are home safe and sound - just their touch and kisses will be missing

I have loved them being here, my mum has been knitting away and in her bag is some yarn from me and bamboo needles for her. She made two Ishbels to my one (it's mine in the photo above). What is happening to me? I am making things in purple, the colour I don't like - I had just enough Count Olaf (made by skeinqueen) to almost finish it, just one row and the cast-off row short but I managed to edge in another yarn from her Lemony Snicket series.... perfect

Wrapping things up

2009-02-04T14:10:00.003Z

It's been a busy time, getting ready for Unravel for a trip out with the outcasts where we will be showing some work and helping people with a project from the wonderful Skein Queen.

Expecting the parents, snow allowing to arrive any day now, Parents evening tonight, auditions today and work to be done, real work that slots in around everything else.

This morning though I sent my parcel to The Turnpike Gallery for the UK D.I.Y exhibition, follow the link to see some other exhibitors. I won't be there for the opening as Love is Awesome is opening here on the same day but I have sent a little treat for the wonderful SallyF, something inspired by her - I can't show you here but it's wrapped in the black tissue with green spotty ribbon.... peek

Grey days, old and new

2009-01-29T15:27:00.003Z

It's been a grey time, the weather, things that are sad that are happening and I keep being drawn to simple things and old things.

In work I am busy, there are opportunities that need to be seized, papers to write, ideas to put down on paper, works to send to exhibitions, changes to be made.

Some things are getting done and each day I am getting nearer to finishing the project, it's taken a long time and much history to get to this part but when it's done it will be a major milestone. There is very little free time at the moment with all of the above and I squeaked at the idea of entertaining an old friend for an evening, a precious evening free, but when he came bearing a gift and good chat, it all made sense.

images 1: swatching for Coraline. 2: swatching 3: new shawl made from old vintage lavender from skeinqueen and old drawing of me from Ian C Taylor, by Tabitha Hindley

Last day

2008-11-03T12:55:00.008Z

Bruno´s last night before Brazil, Grandma took this picture which is why it may be a bit squiffy

It´s our last day today and we have been packing up with the thought of going back to the cold and damp.

Yesterday we went to the beach, November 2nd on the beach ; )

Today we have been driving round, getting things together and later on off to say goodbye to our friends until the next time

On the beach

2008-11-01T14:58:00.003Z

Home again

2008-10-31T08:30:00.002Z

So we are back home, with Mae and Pai but it is raining. It doesn´t matter that it´s raining, we are here, just here, doing nothing but after 6 months it has been a long time since we have been here.

The rain is keeping us inside, like when I was a little person and the paints came out but this time the yarn comes out and Mae and I knit whilst the children and Pai tease, poke and prod, play games, build things and provoke each other

Happy Days

something broken

2008-10-06T21:03:00.002+01:00

So long since I have been here, so much to say

Everything is whirling around but right now I am trying to make a cake, a lemon crunch cake - all fine until the whisks just stopped working so whilst I make a plan on *what to do next* (sounds like a *katy* book) I'll come and hang out here for a while.

The summer just whizzed by, but we did lovely things and on the very last week managed to squeeze Gary Hume at Modern Art Oxford in.......mmmmmm, as good as lemon cake

love lost, love found

2008-08-02T14:05:00.004+01:00

So long little blog, many amazing things have happened and today I heard something that made me think I should log it here

Listen to this
Leonard and Marianne

Only one thing made him happy, but now it is gone everything made him happy

It will be gone 7 days from now

I couldn't help it

2008-06-09T23:12:00.007+01:00

I was going too wait before I started these, it is not as if I need them - today was a hot day in the UK, a very hot day, a palatable sweat broke out and even May was too lethargic too walk in the midday sun - does that prove she is not a Mad Dog?

But my yellow socks were beckoning too me, or the very idea of them - in my vision I can see them up to my knees (that would be my freckly knees) so I wound up a skein, pulled out the pattern and cast on sock no.1 this very evening. What absolute gorgeousness is the yarn from the amazing skeinqueen, I am not on commission but would like too point out that this is almost eatable for its touch - except hairiness in the mouth would not be nice. (Not that the yarn is hairy, it is just wool in the mouth sensation - yuck)

Just wait until you see me in all my yellow glory, it must be something that happened to me in my childhood?

Spiral Boot Sock pattern by Veronik Avery

another day

2008-06-07T08:29:00.004+01:00

It is so very quiet here, everyone is sleeping, so I mustn't wake them.

Why is it that I always wake up no matter what time I go to bed, at almost the same time everyday - I know various creatures come into the room and start too stir me but I am conscious they are there, so I sit here after only a few hours sleep I creep around the house not wanting to disturb the small people.

It is almost a year since my parents left on their adventure, we get to speak to them pretty much whenever we want, send them letters, see that they are REALLY happy, they love life but when we come to having to say goodbye, on the phone, at the end of the page or at the airport a little sadness creeps up on me.

But then I remember that I am partly a Prior, a family shedding tears freely so instead I will think of the lovely things, like being under the sea and the water on my face.

and then today

2008-06-01T16:34:00.005+01:00

It has become a yellow day, first we found our bargain raincoats - okay they are yellow but they were £1 and in excellent condition. In fact the big one (the one for me) is reversible and is blue inside)

Then I spent a further 75p on the haberdashery, I don't think I was robbed there

And now I am here gazing at the gorgeous yarn, top *clotted cream* is by Oxford Kitchen Yarns, the middle is created by the wonderful sunshine yarns and the bottom is a custom order created for me by Skein Queen, *do you like butter*

mmmmmm, sunny happy days

yesterday

2008-05-31T16:23:00.005+01:00

It is only now as I was uploading the photos that I realised it was a red day.
Handknit gloves by me - a sample for a possible Riley design - ziggety zay

Beautiful tree at Cliveden

Poppies in the Secret Garden

And the young hustlers back home

well it is still raining

2008-05-28T10:41:00.005+01:00

When will it stop, there a brief respite yesterday - you know the day that I have to go to work and do a huge list of things with the children as well, but today, a comparatively quiet day it is raining. Today there is a huge washing mountain that needs doing but too wet out to dry on the line, so on with the waterproofs and out May and I will venture.

In an ideal world, my home would be a shrine to goodly things like these gorgeous paper cut outs but in reality my home is a constant hive of adventure, fragility would have a hard time co-existing!

Popmats!

When you know it is a Bank Holiday Weekend

2008-05-26T07:45:00.007+01:00

So what is different about this Bank Holiday?
It is raining - check
The hubby is working - check
No other soul will walk the dog with me in this weather - check

It must be statistically written somewhere that when you are planning a day out walking and it is a Bank Holiday that this will invariably be a wet one or am I being pessimistic - it is okay really, I don't mind the wet and cold too much. Out walking I like the space and quiteness (especially knowing I have temporarily escaped from being the hostess and everyone is sleeping), it just is that bit when you have too peel of the wet pieces of clothing, dry them and return to a normality and try and warm up. Meanwhile the children look on, in horror

2008-05-24T12:01:00.004+01:00

I am hiding here on the computer, looking around and reading blogs - just trying to find a moment of solace away from the kerfuffle. And as I am gazing around I see that the last two days of crafting 365 have had a blue theme, not for any reason of having the blues but that particular colour keeps popping up and there was me thinking yellow was my current obsession - however I do find myself fumbling for the blue mug to drink from and dreaming about a blue sky for this weekend instead of the clouds and the forecast gloom and rain.

Having my cake and eating it

2008-05-22T13:51:00.006+01:00

mmmm, cake week - so far we have made 3 lemon traybakes (I know that is excessive but one was for knit night and everyone loves them), a victoria sponge, a cherry cake and a Bradbury Biscuit Cake.

Making the cakes = stopping me from going insane - we have a house guest for a week, I have a busy work schedule and the kids have lots of extra extra curricular activities going on (that is not a typo, there are extra extras). Everyone is on their best behaviour, but we are all like little pots waiting to boil over. My Mother-in-Law arrives in a few hours and that will be a test of any virtues I may have pertaining too patience (frankly I don't have many).

The brightest star today is for May who is exactly 2 years old, we rescued her 9 months ago and she makes me smile

2008-05-20T11:51:00.006+01:00

sweet blog, not abandoned just so little time to update you. So what have we been doing?

making things

playing card games in disguise

gazing at my new shoes

going on adventures

then more adventures

making sheep in a tent

that's right, sheep

making cakes

and dyeing the grey bits out of my hair

Lifes priorities

our adventure

2008-05-05T19:52:00.003+01:00

Now we are there

2008-04-21T16:40:00.003+01:00

so I won't say much, but every minute with my Pai and Mae I treasure

So we did not get very far

2008-04-20T08:30:00.003+01:00

We made it to Brighton, our knight in shining armour saved us. But it was good, we spent time with all the grandparents eventually, ate good food, breakfast at Shoreham Airport, lunch at Bills and then back to sleep at Grandads'.

starting the journey

2008-04-19T10:42:00.004+01:00

This is us, on our way - I am not sure if I want to spoil the simplicity of these photos with lots of grrrinng, complaining etc but needless to say we made it to the airport, through the snow, on a bus then a train then a replacement bus for part of the train track was down then on another train then checked in, through passport control etc etc only to be told 45 minutes before departure time that our flight was cancelled so too queue for over 3 hours to be put on another flight 48 hours later - everything was fine until the airport bit and I do not want to spoil the pics with a monotone rant about Easyjet, promises of somewhere to stay, compensation, food that equalled nothing in the end.

Thankfully our knight in shining armour (aka my father-in-law) collected four waifs with luggage and gave us beds for two nights.

snow

2008-04-06T08:13:00.002+01:00

It came as they said, now we will start our mammoth journey of many forms of transport, dragging behind bags full of things for my parents and things for us.

something white for the weekend

2008-04-04T18:36:00.003+01:00

I am flying away this weekend to somewhere warm and sunny to escape for a little bit and see my family but the weatherman says it will be snowing (here)

More of the white stuff, which I can not comprehend at this very moment with a beautiful clear evening, walking along the river with May but tomorrow I will wake up to a colder day and by Sunday it will be so much colder it will be snowing.

Fair enough we have had rain and more rain (as from the early morning dewy pictures) but snow?

Read something wonderful

2008-04-03T22:53:00.005+01:00

If you are reading this, you shouldn't be, you should be here, reading RE:Form's words.

They make me smile so much, go on, take a look, you will like it.

The most amazing pieces out of old rust, broken things

She makes me laugh (that is laugh said with a Northern accent please) and she is gorgeousness herself

Another birthday

2008-04-01T14:34:00.004+01:00

A month of birthdays

A trip to the sea

Trying to make a round cake into a record but no black food colouring so it became a guitar!

An appropriate present from my parents

It is the week of birthdays

Happy Birthday Papa!

2008-03-31T13:53:00.003+01:00

Today is the little gnome's birthday. Even though we are not there, we are all sending huge amounts of love.

Happy birthday, with extra love from May!

What I would really like today

2008-03-28T07:07:00.006Z

Is a quiet day, a catch up

I have been chasing my tail, walking the dog, delivering training, stretching my mind, working, struggling too finish gifts in time for birthdays, entertaining children.

But today I would like a quiet day.

Re-edited at 8.44am after feeding the family, putting the laundry on, loading the dishwashing machine, hoovering, taking the children too school and walking the dog - things are yet to go to plan but I did find this from REforms blog

What I need:
More hours in the day
or days in the week.
More room to breath
or a cleaner.
More money in my pocket
or someone to sew up the holes.
More of an organised house
or somewhere safe to put my camera.
More chocolate
or a personal trainer.

More weekends away
or a really long sodding holiday.

mmmm, she is so right there!

A typical Bank Holiay?

2008-03-24T16:31:00.025Z

It is the Easter break right now, well actually it is just an extended weekend as for the first time in my lifetime the schoool holiday is not at the same time as Easter so it is back to school tomorrow after a short break.

This long weekend included a flurry of snow, yes a real live flurry over a few days, nothing settling but it was mighty cold walking May along the river.

So today, Bank Holiday Monday we made our trip too Oxford. Louie had wanted to visit Lyra's Oxford again - last time he and I went to see Callum Innes at Modern Art oxford and he bought this book, so today was the designated day to set off on our Oxford journey.

It was very dark, rainy and cold but armed with a little map we wandered round colleges, bookshops and strange little pen shops, saw random reindeers in the window, walked in the footsteps of J.R.R Tolkein and C.S.Lewis and found the house of the artist William Turner.

Now we are home, warming up, rainboots off and back to school tomorrow

A Good Friday

2008-03-21T23:49:00.005Z

Today we did this

then this

and more of this

we almost avoided all the rain there was by fluke

ate cake at the wonderful Picnic

then watched a movie

came home and did the third dog walk of the day

A Good Friday

If you are not at knit night this is what you are missing

2008-03-12T19:19:00.002Z

Birthday cakes for ella and emma, happy birthday! X

sent from knit night so hurry up and get here

Team Zissou

2008-03-08T21:24:00.001Z

The newest team member, watching crufts 2008.

Blogged from my phone and haven't worked out how to turn the photo round yet....

a trip round the garden for the little gnome

2008-03-07T10:44:00.012Z

The little gnome has been sending updates of the garden, an orange tree with juicy plump oranges, budding and growing plants, with more than an essence of sunshine on the back garden, so this post little gnome is for you.

May had to get in the shot too

clashy colours

a single tete a tete

the acer starting to bud

the clementine armandi ready to pop it's flowers

The little gnome's Camellia starting to flower

mothers and daughters

2008-03-03T09:17:00.007Z

So we spent the weekend trying to finish things off. Whirly had a project for the new baby next door - a little hat on circular needles, I was trying to finish the edging rows of the present for my mum. This has to be done by Thursday to be posted to her for her birthday, a 16 row pattern x 70 times. I did not get much done yesterday, visited the mother in law for Mothering Sunday which involved us catering (that should read *me* as hubby did none), driving two hours each way but at least we walked May on the beach... well Louie and I did as bama has a break in her foot, hubby was tired and Mother in Law set of with us but then her feet hurt too so she was collected.

mothers and daughters, mother in laws, mothers in other countries

Happy Mothers Day Mae x x x

he is iant

2008-02-23T17:38:00.004Z

This is iant, he lives here in the photo world and blogs here. He is the fairy dogfather, May loves him and so we made him this hat as he is a celebrity and you should be overt in your celebrity-ism

Thanks iant ; )

2008-02-08T13:58:00.000Z

Today I am going too think about 10 British things that I like, not in any sense of anglophilism (can I have that anyway?) but just because I lately feel like I have been knitting up union jacks like there is no tomorrow ~ I would also like too point out that I am happy that it is relatively straightforward as, say the US flag may be might tricky or the German flag pretty straightforward so I guess the UJ is pretty middle of the road.

Talking of stars and stripes, I love this Wonder Woman jumper. What else would you ever need?

10 things I like that are definitely very British:

1. Cups of tea - why? how does that happen, is it a genetic thing

2. Marmite - ditto above, strange eh

3. The changing weather, always gives us something to talk about

4. That no-one really knows if they should say they are British, Uk or European - always in a quandry

5. That it is acceptable to be eccentric (probably includes not knowing what you are from statement above)

6. Fish and Chips (obviously without the fish for me please)

7. That a tea-cosy can double up as an acceptable woolly hat and no-one will question it

8. Tank tops form a basis of every day life and it is possible to get away with it

9. That a complete knowledge of Dr Who is acceptable

10. Eating of really good homemade cake...mmmm

2008-01-24T20:48:00.000Z

May, one very loved dog

She has only been here a short time and has tried and tested us with different quirks such as running up the stairs but crying a she is too frightened too come down, having an odd nibble on visitors when she is frightened, crying at zebra crossings and generally taking the whole sofa too herself when we are at home.

But we are all working really hard too make her feel loved, wanted and special and there are changes already - she is a rescue dog who we did not know much about apart from that she was skinny, her muscles were wasted but she also wanted to be with us. She is part of us and life without her after only 5 months seems difficult too imagine. We love her, a very loved dog

plagarised from the cards

2008-01-20T16:13:00.001Z

, originally uploaded by Cardinal Wolsey.

Here is something I made a little earlier, it is a gift for the lovely iant who is May's fairy dogfather...ahhh, bless Thank you Cardinal Wolsey for allowing me too steal from your pictures x x

a small (very small) addiction I have

2008-01-16T11:31:00.001Z

It is yarn, not your run of the mill yarn, but strokeable yarn....mmmmm

'tis all my fault

2008-01-15T19:23:00.000Z

So you would think I have enough to do with work, life, family, lovely dog, knitting, flickr'ing but I find myself Ravelry-ing. Looking at beautiful things, seeing what people have made, seeing other people's addictions. So I was stroking the Noro and maybe became so obsessed that I find myself with a Noro'd child, not the yarn type the sicky type : (

I may have said this before: Rain, rain and more rain

2008-01-11T12:48:00.000Z

I think there is a theme here, I don't think it has actually stopped raining enough yet to dry the roads since I arrived back 48 hours ago - I am sure it must have at some point but the river is flowing high and every time I walk outside the rain is tipping down.

I'd forgotten how much it rains and have been going out dressed as some strange dog walker to try and keep dry but no matter how many layers you have on it gets to your skin - that might be where the rain trickles in over my boots, or swings under the hood of my raincoat or drips of my raincoat direct onto my knees.

It did stop may jumping in the river today and am not sure why as she was already wet.

Five things I miss about Portugal:
Pai e Mae
No rain
Walking
Hearing the sea
Being able to learn another language and practice it on strangers

Five things I missed about England
May
Rain
Walking
Hearing the hub bub
my mates who I could chatter wildly too in a freestyle way and they could understand me

I will keep looking at the little gnome's blog to keep me up to date

Raining

2008-01-03T13:52:00.000Z

I never thought I would be so excited by rain but it rained and rained. The soil is lying on top of the grass, thunder and lightening ~ the thrill of a simple thing. It has turned chilly (comparative to before) but nothing like home where there is snow.

Then followed by blue sky and then more rain but that leaves more time to finish the bane of my life the dreaded school jumper and Gretel beret for Bama to match her new Tank Top for School in the dirgiest regulation green colour ever.

Back to the knit....

Say goodbye to the Old, hello to the New

2008-01-01T10:48:00.000Z

So it is time to say goodbye to all of last year and hello to this year, we couldn´t be in a better place to do it then with people who have made a dramatic leap from what they were doing this time last year.

So we wish you all the chance to follow your dreams in 2008

a walk on the beach

2007-12-29T17:05:00.001Z

This is us, all of us walking down Falesia beach

2007-12-09T07:55:00.000Z

The best feedback is the personal kind, you know when someone sends you a special message, says something very sweet or includes something of you in their life. When I make things there are always other things in my head and then you see how other people see them and it is all much better or different. The joy of making things and seeing them in other places.

beautiful things

2007-12-04T18:02:00.000Z

We are getting ready for Christmas and that includes the annual photo selection for the family calendar for the grandparents and Aunties. Bunny does great photomanipulations, she is a genius and she wanted to trade so the solution was to Christmassy up the December shot - thank you Bunny ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Bunny made this for me

When you think you are getting somewhere and you realise that you are not

2007-11-30T07:20:00.000Z

knit wits

2007-11-28T23:03:00.001Z

knit wits, originally uploaded by memake.

a grand day out

Memake and me having our own private stitch'n'bitch much to the amusement of the staff of Starbucks at Paddington station. We were there for hours, so long that we missed lunch and almost missed the school run but we did talk about the world, life, virtuality and how to do intarsia knitting - a really grand day out.

Looking at what is going to come

2007-11-24T09:48:00.000Z

Everything is back to normal

2007-11-22T23:14:00.000Z

No more random convos or waking up to a flurry of sales and messages (well 5 a day is a flurry for me, I have to knit all those blighters by hand)

So in front of me is a list of 11 commissions, all of them equally exciting - what a grand few days, I had a ball. Thank you Etsy

See the interview here

I am very excited

2007-11-19T16:53:00.000Z

I am trying really hard not too squeal

You can read it here

x x x

Etsy front page

2007-11-18T21:28:00.000Z

It's always a thrill to find that you are on Etsy's front page!

But then today has been a day of many treats, small ones that just spring up on you when you are feeling at a low ebb. After having had a strange and curious swelling of the face, burning ears and generally just feeling very pants, a large number of good things happened to me today.

I have had lovely messages from so many people wh have said sweet things, a reinforcement of how lucky I am.

Treats by strangers are included, including this lovely blogpost by an avid pebble collector who collected my pebble twins

a full agenda

2007-11-13T08:49:00.000Z

Don't think I am ignoring you sweet blog or my favours have gone somewhere else (ssshhhh! outcast blog) but I have been very busy, making, sewing, knitting, creating, sticking, wrapping, labelling, ribboning (is that a word???)

We are off this weekend to the South Hill Park Christmas Fair 2007. So after Monday 19th, I will take a little breath and come back to you sweet blog.

look what came today

2007-11-07T14:22:00.001Z

packing my bag, ready to go

2007-11-06T14:04:00.001Z

Not really but the idea of it sometimes seems good, really good, good like a mug of delicious hot chocolate would feel right now, which on a cold grey windy day would be good but not on a sunny day - so you see what I mean just sometimes does the idea of packing me bag, ready to go, seem good.

But today it is just for effect, really I am off to knitwit's, her of the beautiful house, evidence here, to meet knitwit and knitclicking to prepare for our Outcast day at South Hill Park Christmas Fair 2007.

Outcast, stand 40!

one week in pictures

2007-11-02T08:23:00.001Z

2007-10-15T22:35:00.000+01:00

Too busy to fill in what has been happening but have a look at some pretty pictures instead - see you when I am back from www.affordableartfair.com

1. one day you will be a man my son, 2. SPT 5th July 07 homage to uk etsy obsessed bad mums, 3. The amazing work of miss bunny :: Baby, it's cold outside, 4. mini morkers, 5. the big one, 6. SPT - Feb 15th

10th birthday cocktails

2007-10-10T22:39:00.001+01:00

10th birthday cocktails, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

Etsy Front Page Treasury - Boys Age 8-11 Picks

2007-10-09T18:46:00.001+01:00

Etsy Front Page Treasury - Boys Age 8-11 Picks, originally uploaded by heidillustration.

wow, this made me smile a lot -

1 because it has some of the best etsy bits on there

2 because the wonderous Heidi Burton made it, she from an inspirational family and lovely artist herself

3 because it features two of my favourite UK'ers Lupin (as mentioned previously here) and Bombus

4 because Heidi made it inspired by the lovely Henrik, who once wrote me a lovely card for some gloves I made him

5 because a pic of my son is on it, modelling a moustache for Lupin

I think I pass the six degrees of separation to heidi test

drowning gloves and loving the dog

2007-10-08T23:33:00.000+01:00

So here, I am day 35 of the 365 crafting days project. Making Lupin's aka bugsandfishes hobo gloves drown, well, just soaking them, ready to block and then sew. These are based on the first fingerless gloves that I ever made myself when I was 14, a whole blinking 25 years ago - my knitting has improved ; ).

Those ones, 25 years ago were stripy, I was obsessed even then and my mum aka grandmalovestooknit taught me how

I also realise that I am only 20 whole days behind Lupin.... a kind of number anniversary of multi sorts - have I already said I love numbers??

The last thing I will do tonight, as I do every night is love the dog, no matter how much I want to slunk to bed she is always there waiting to give me a cuddle. Love that dog.

winding up - crafting 365, day 32

2007-10-06T15:10:00.001+01:00

winding up - crafting 365, day 32, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

So whirly is at her friends and there is just Louie and me here, we are rambling through our normal conversation:

* What's your favourite playstation game Mum? * which do you think is better DC or Marvel? * If you could be any superhero, which would you be? If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be? * And now we are both here, I am writing this, he is chatting in my ear and we are laughing and no matter how many other things I have to do, I remember that maybe soon he won't want to do this with me so I will leave and savour this moment a bit longer.

*yarn by the amazing skeinqueen
the picture, a small snippet of our home - my sanctuary bit

spider and them

2007-10-05T18:46:00.000+01:00

A massive spider is coming!

But they are just laughing

I'll just carry on knitting

A grand day out in the smoke

humbug - crafting 365, day 29

2007-10-03T23:28:00.001+01:00

humbug - crafting 365, day 29, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

brown paper package tied up with string????

Almost, something I have made but I can't tell you who for - it's a secret.

My swap partner decided in the UK swap organised by the lovely and talented Charlotte Narunsky, yes her, queen of the tag game.

It's a brown box from Reading Museum and if I told you what it was called it would give the game away or the colour of the object inside...so you will have to be patient and wait and see...bah humbug!

a portrait of an apple

2007-10-03T08:26:00.001+01:00

a portrait of an apple, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

TAGGED

2007-09-30T09:23:00.001+01:00

it does, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

I was tagged three days ago by the talented Lotte, and please forgive me for almost dropping the tagging ball (sounds like a forgiveness ritual!) but there have been so many balls too juggle. Now I must share with you seven random facts about myself, as well as posting the rules of the game, which are:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

My random facts are:

1. I don't like the bathroom at night, in fact to be honest I don't like it in the day - I pull the flush and run, you know the toilet-flushy monster might get me.

2. I once shared a dressing room with Johnny Ball and David Essex, firstly that will show how geriatric I am but secondly I was only 14 and dancing on Saturday Superstore.

3. I am so unmanageable in a job that I have always had to invent my own job and like to employ equally wayward (I like to call it inspired) people

5. And talking of jobs, do you know that I have the best job ever invented (well, ever invented by me)

6. I love people coming round, just dropping by any old time so come on round.

7. I am slightly obsessive about palindromic numbers or connected numbers, only slightly, but had to be married on 20/6/02 at 2pm and then eat at 6...LMAO... it is only a slight obsession. Oh yeah, and did I say that 2's and 3's and 6' and 7's are some of my favourites.

Now I get to tag people in turn:

1. iant - because he has such interesting headgear
2. monkey - because I really want to know 7 random facts about him
3.yumptatious - because I love what she makes
4. urbanknit - because I am still thinking about the ice-cream on her blog and she makes beautiful things
5. feltbug - because I love her blog and flickr page
6. makelondon - as they are so inspiring
7. RE:form - because she is the exact little sister I would want to have and so talented...RAWWRRR

found you at last

2007-09-26T10:33:00.001+01:00

found you at last, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

Wow, I love this, everything about it - it is exactly me. I was buying this one and RE said she'd make me my own one. I could not make up my mind and left design choices open and everything about it was perfect - how it was wrapped, how it feels and how it looks.

Thank you RE:form
x x x x x x x x x x x x

walking the pier

2007-09-24T07:44:00.001+01:00

walking the pier, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

look what I made today - craft 365, day 5

2007-09-09T21:01:00.001+01:00

look what I made today - craft 365, day 5, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

Today I made this, the new gallery and agreed plans - today was the day (I must give JA credit too, thanks Jim)

A glove for johnny rotten god save the queen, the... - crafting 365,day 4

2007-09-07T08:43:00.001+01:00

A glove for johnny rotten *god save the queen, the...* - crafting 365, day 4, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

Day 4 in the crafting 365 house

So I was making up all the gloves I had knitted in preparation for the Outcast stand at South Hill Park , yes I know it is over 2 months away but I have a lot of other things on too, including the Affordable Art Fair, jelly and more... and listening all the while to my fidelity old record player.

Breaking out some old faves from my youth including The Fall, Velvet Underground when the Sex Pistols delivered a new energy to the finishing of my gloves. Who'd have thought it??? So these little union jack gloves (in the making) are a homage to The Sex Pistols, Johnny Rotten, God Save the Queen and being able to finish off work in this century!

just trashy enough

2007-09-06T17:50:00.001+01:00

SPT 6 Sept 07, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

So we live in this beautiful home, that was unloved and we have loved it to bits, moving things, fixing things, adding more lights, restoring pieces and now after 9 years there is a new opportunity to change our lives big time. Currently we have so little time together as a family as our mortgage waits to be paid each month (in fact it does not wait, it stamps its feet impatiently) and we have 16 more years to go.

I never imagined I would be a completely inaugurated member of the mortgage club, always having been quite flighty in my movements such as living here at Walsingham House. But my life for many years has been focussed around jelly and soon jelly will be moving to a new home and then the young blood will deliver the next 15 years of jelly's life.

So for us, Si wants to go back to the sea and suddenly Twinkle has appeared and could be our new home, that is a home without a toilet, heating, designated rooms but it does come with running water but sadly the wrong kind that flows through at high tide and needs to be pumped out - are you sold on it yet? She is over 100 years old but has a permanent mooring and a potential to be loved and lived on temporarily whilst the next boat is built.

The extra upside is that we will completely eliminate our mortgage and be able to buy her and the mooring outright so we will be free.

a cup of tea and a mohair spoon - crafting 365, day 1

2007-09-03T17:06:00.001+01:00

a cup of tea and a mohair spoon - crafting 365, day 1, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

So the lovely lupin invited me to join the crafting365 pool over on flickr. (This should be okay as long as I remember to photograph my work!)

Here is day 1 in the 365 pool for me - this is a piece of work that has been flipping around in my head for a while but there have been so many projects on the go that I have kept it to one side. It is a handknitted and crochet mohair and merino spoon, inspired by a very old forum post at the beginning of 2007 regarding strange punishments (don't ask) - this also led to the pants competition, which you can read about at the uk etsysellers blog updated by the fabulous lupin, how does she do it??

Venturing into the uk forum is a strange array of delights, you will never know what you might read about from hairy spoons, to pants to so much worse and sometimes it can be distracting away from the real job of making but I love it to bits

So this piece of work is a homage to the uk sellers

The spoon comes in a Reading Museum box which once held a spoon, but never one quite like this.

bama took this

2007-08-30T08:37:00.001+01:00

bama took this, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

another day at the seaside.

Talent is seeping through their veins, Louie loves his board, both surf and skate, playing his guitar and generally looking very rock *starry*

Whirly sings, makes and takes good pictures. She loves it, picking the camera at any opportune moment

I love it, that she does that.

It is nearly time for them to go back to school and me to completely re-focus on my job in the real world. The next few months mean a flurry of art and craft fairs, organising an exhibition, developing new projects, pushing the new build along (for which I shall be wearing this!. I love my job, the variety and change but I will also miss the time with them

And apart from that, I will spend more time updating my etsy shop with new pieces that are waiting to be photographed by whirly (yes she does all my photos, check these out!), keeping to grips with the blog, flickr, knit night, the new puppy May, life and friends - phew, roll on the autumn.

then another one

2007-08-17T08:51:00.001+01:00

then another one, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

So this is us.

It has been a little while since I wrote anything here but many things have changed, been happening and are up in the air so it is hard to know exactly what to say.

We have been travelling, visiting, seeing, doing, filling days. My parents left and we miss them, the weather changed and the river flooded. The water broke the bank, the children were stuck at school on the last day and eventually they got home after almost 7 hours.

It could be that the weather was a metaphor for what has been happening in our lives but it is not, it is a larger global travesty making people homeless, under threat of disease and causing long term suffering and death.

We are lucky and we have been living our life to the full: playing in the woods, building dens, skateboarding, surfing , camping in the mud, being with friends, being with family, playing in the Hyde Park , going on a pedalo, going to the sea, loving a rescue dog, eating lovely food, blackberrying, taking a Shetland pony to the pub.

We only wish we could all be together more.

family

2007-07-18T16:25:00.001+01:00

family, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

So today my mum and dad have moved, sold everything, packed away the things they want to keep and they are driving across Europe to start a new life

x x x

birthday girl and hubby

2007-07-11T21:14:00.001+01:00

birthday girl and hubby, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

These are two of our best mates, Amy who is a mere 6 days younger than me but always looks way younger (and she has 4 children, how does she do that?) and her hubby, Dom. Dom and Si were mates, many moons ago in London when Si worked on the boats and Dom had a boat and now 21 years on, there we all were, doing the usual birthday thingy, down at the river, one large picnic , bring your own things, do you stuff, hang out, chat, laugh, play rounders, see people you have not seen for a year, mutual friends meeting other people they had never met before, children scavenging, climbing, hiding, creating dens, blowing up inflatable trees we were given and taking polaroids in a kiss me quick theme.

And the rain stayed away just long enough for us to have our party, pack up with smiling children and all go home until next year.

birthday present from my family

2007-07-05T07:12:00.001+01:00

birthday present from my family, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

Two whole days since my birthday, it has taken me that long to photograph things, post and get myself back together.

Birthday-ness.

Unusually it rained on my birthday, this year. So the little ones have treated me like a princess, I have been lavished with cakes, so many, made by friends and amazing treats.

Thank you all my lovely friends and family who know exactly what I like, what I love to do and how I like to be.

A special birthday

An apt present that came for me today

2007-06-27T14:00:00.001+01:00

An apt present that came for me today, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

It is one of those days, I don't know exactly why but it all seems so miniscule in the big scale of things. The largest part of me is optimistic and there is a tiny niggle in the back of my head.

I know what it's not about : getting older, the rain, change of Prime Minister, economic state of the country. trying to live ethically, having a parents/tutor meeting tonight, my mother in law having drained me, that there is no chocolate in the house, the pile of laundry

And the things that make me happy : Bama and Louie, spending one of the last days out with my mum before she leaves the country, setting up the table to make things, having a wicked idea, getting a beautiful present from reform, meeting reform and memake in London and seeing a great show, knit night tonight, making cakes with bama, chatting with etsy friends

All these things have been happening in the last week but there is still a tiny niggle in the back of my head.

I don't know what or why but I did not expect my life to be like this, the smallest thing and the thing that has been there for many years still haunts me and some days it just catches me in an unexpected way, like today.

the annoying cycle of my sleep life

2007-06-19T13:03:00.001+01:00

water, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

So this is an old photo of alabama and not all what I was going to write about in my blog post today but something she said this morning changed my plans for the day.

Sometimes, I forget the magical, the profound and the strange things that *they* say. Louie is one for making us laugh, a witty comment but he can also be incredibly sensitive and hit something on the head or make your heart miss a beat by a little anecdote of his day and then he turns back to being 9 years old and objecting to bathing and doing his homework and going to bed.

Even though they are twins, they share many traits but are so very different on other ways, Alabama is more conscientious, worries about her homework, her friends and needs her bed more. They both have a highly developed sense of right and wrong and live in a very socially generous fashion. What I mean is, they are recycling cheerleaders, conservers of energy, loving thrift shopping. One year when they were small, *Santa* delivered books that inadvertently had an Oxfam sticker still inside. Louie squealed that Santa recycles.

I watch them, contemplating what the future will be like for them. So today the thing that made me change my mind about my Tuesday blog post? It was a sleepy eyed bushy haired small child saying *the annoying cycle of my sleep, I am so tired when I wake up, then I am okay in the day and then I am tired at night*

Very annoying indeed

arts longus, vita brevis

katinka

2007-06-15T12:41:00.001+01:00

katinka, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

There is always someone that is wanting some love in our house, not that they don't get it on demand, it is a constant running tap of affection here.

This is Katinka, she is the baby of the family, nearly 2 years old. I am not sure how we ended up with cats, I love dogs and never had any pets as a child. Eerie was my love, for fourteen years but somehow we have 2 cats. That was the childrens' and the DH fault.

We went to see a friend's kittens and we saw Angel there (Angel is the mum of Katinka) - she was admittedly very cute but never did I imagine she would be coming home with us. Louie, unfortunately looked her in the eye and fell in love. Then before I know it, she is on the way home with us and is the designated family cat. Angel laid with Eerie and followed him around. Now Eerie is gone, Angel has become the dog of the house - standing upright at the front door when visitors come and being protective and not at all languid as I imagined a cat to be. Angel is now Louie's cat, she sleeps in his room and adores him.

So where did Katinka come from? She is the daughter of Angel and Ginger (the cat from the house behind). Katinka is Alabama Whirly's cat, a compromise on the understanding that we have reached our full pet quota, there can be no more. Katinka is just like Bama, slightly kooky, a little clumsy and always inquisitive.

So here she is, lying next to me whilst I type away, choosing the new gorgeous fabric from kirinco as a resting place, always a cat of pure style.

The amazing work of miss bunny :: The Sound of Faeries

2007-06-12T23:43:00.001+01:00

The amazing work of miss bunny :: The Sound of Faeries, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

There are somethings you need to know about us, firstly we can hear the faeries. They are all around us. They have always been here. Louie will not leave his teeth for them while Bama habitually creates miniature gardens, leaves long letters and writes songs for them.

Today there is a magical world in the garden, our garden what was once a concrete square but now is a lush oasis, mainly on shallow soil, in a small raised bed and an abundance of pots. There is a small old shallow metal bowl with still water and in the bowl lies a sculpture, a mermaid's carved head. Made from river bed stone, from a river bed in Settle, that was once the sea. I lay down by that river/sea once

Under the mermaid's head are coins, a ritual that Louie wanted to do to mark the passing of Eerie, we made a wish of our own and each visitor that came for a few days said a word or two and was solemnly given a coin by Louie.

We believe in faeries, mermaids, ghosts and angels. We see them everywhere

One Very Loved Cat

2007-06-08T08:59:00.001+01:00

One Very Loved Cat, originally uploaded by miss-bunny.

Look at this, I don't have to say anything about how beautiful this is.
This is created by the amazing MIss Bunny .

She makes the most beautiful artwork and rocking shoes, just check out her etsy shop, I have been loving those shoes forever and am going to get the perfect pair that will fit my large feet. If you want to read more about bunny check out her blogspot.

I love bunny, I do!

one very loved cat

2007-06-06T13:43:00.001+01:00

one very loved cat, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

Storm, as Louie says, is part of our family - he is more than a cuddly toy. He came Christmas 1999 and he still goes everywhere with Louie. He has been washed, scrubbed and combed many times but he has a flattened grubby fur look now and the only bits that are fluffy are the bits under his armpits (do cats have armpits?).

Storm always looks like he has a smile on his face and is as well travelled as my children, who incidentally are better travelled than me in the past few years. Storm has been all over the UK, Spain, Jersey, France and San Francisco. My heart slightly bolts on these journeys as I am wondering what will happen if gets mis-laid?

Storm is always one of the main characters in many of Louie's short stories, plays and poems - an inspirational cat. Soon I may receive permission from this young author and write up a snippet or two here.

There is no other cat like Storm, with his exceptionally long skinny arms, a large bottom and always just dangling perfectly from under Louie's arm.

the rabbit before it popped down the hole

2007-06-03T22:57:00.001+01:00

the rabbit before it popped down the hole, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

This picture is here because I love it.

Alabama Whirly made it, she wanted it here, by the rabbit hole.

It was a grand day out at Sally's, cream teas, friends, chatter, yelping in the trees from swinging and climbing children and all in aid of British Red Cross open gardens

some little things I like

2007-06-02T16:38:00.001+01:00

some little things I like, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

This is my house, little nooks and crannies with things I like or that inspire me. This isn't clutter just creativity spilling out all over the shelves. It rubs off on my children, in their rooms I spy small objects and collections that change and merge all the time.

I like looking at cubby holes, it makes me feel more comfortable and the on-going row with my other half about minimal living, clutter free, white walls is lost on me, surrounding myself with the small incandescent/ provoking objects of beauty. The objects can be a seed packet, a tag, a small sculpture, a memory, a stone, an image and they change - different things come and go.

Right now, this shelf is home to our books, with this great card from a series entitled For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness by Julian Germain. Two little things that belong to lou and whirly from our friend Mike at his shop Castor and Pollux

These are some things I like

one of my new old favourite things

2007-05-29T15:46:00.001+01:00

one of my new old favourite things, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

Sometimes I can't help myself. This is one of those days.
I am beside myself with the gorgeousness of this beautiful Fidelity record player, a present from my friend Marje.

I have dusted of the records, which have long ago become a source of curiosity for the children "are they the ones you play on a wind-up player mummy?". I placed the record on the turnatble, moved over the arm and flicked the auto button and watched whilst the record slipped down onto the turntable and that old familiar sound of a beginning of a record began. I can't get past the delight of that simple movement.

We are working the way through my record collection, from my first ever record I bought at the age of 12, Gary Numan - Cars, through The Cramps, The Fall, Propoganda, The Smiths (it is good to play dreary to 9 year olds - it will prepare them for adolescents). Siouxsie and The Banshees, Bauhaus, Throwing Muses, The Clash, The Pistols,This Mortal Coil, Bowie, Joy Division (more misery) - later today we will end on a cheerier note but first I will quiz the hubby why he has a dodgy record (in my eyes) and he is lucky I did not know this before our marriage - grounds for divorce?

a still life of broken things

2007-05-25T19:20:00.001+01:00

a still life of broken things, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

This is a homage to my lovely blue friend knitwit. We have known each other for a long time now, and knitwit is always very stylish elegant and cool, never a clumsy buffoon like myself but on Wednesday night at Knit Night she was trying to slice herself a piece of holey cheese and in some hyper slow motion moment the knife broke and went flying into her hot mug of tea which spilt over knitwit in her beautiful dress, with the mug then hitting the deck and breaking it's handle, documentary evidence is available.
Something strange was happening in our house over those 24 hours as the next morning, I broke the picture and the stained glass window

knitwit hasn't been coming to Knit Night forever but it feels like she has now - she is also part of outcast (they are a group of artists who make things) and is creator of so many beautiful things such as these from her etsy shop such as cheeky pink fairisle heart and star gauntlets or this scarlet red beret.

Knitwit loves *rolling her own*, pints of real ale , drinking tea, always the colour purple but apparently sometimes blue now, singing especially with knit night girls, retro-ness and great designers.

Watch this girl, she is coming to the end of her second year of a knitwear design degree course, I am amazed by the work she is bringing round every week and hope that once she is famous she will remember our tea drinking knit nights.

To see more beautiful pieces she has created, the gorgeous home she lives in and her lovely photos, visit her flickr page

bama's room

2007-05-16T13:04:00.001+01:00

bama's room, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

so this was made

Not by me, the banner is by Alabama Whirly herself when she was 7 years old and the rabbit is by Julie Arkell - I love them both but now I all I can see is the wonkiness of the picture on the wall...sigh

welcome to my house etsy friends

2007-05-16T06:59:00.001+01:00

welcome to my house etsy friends, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

So just over a week ago, we were showing our homes to each other on etsy

and then posting to our flickr pages - everyones homes looked so tidy, possibly with the exception of my looki likee reform - her home is definitely like mine.

But it is time to paint the stairs, the ceiling, the passageway, Bama's room, her ceiling.

I may be gone sometime

yum yum

2007-05-11T09:21:00.000+01:00

dive in

2007-05-08T08:58:00.001+01:00

dive in, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

delicious Sunday morning, up way too early - it was never like this before children but we are awake before the rest of the world, at Portobello, everyone setting up and we go for Churros and Chocolate in Garcia's

Louie thinking of the next big question about life, spooning thick chocolate - he needs to live in a philosophical cafe society, to discuss what is it that *people really see*

I'm not cross

2007-05-01T07:54:00.001+01:00

I'm not cross, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

so this is my hubby

the man - he is not cross, apart from his arms looking like he is and the sign behind but I know he's not, look at his eyes, a smile that is starting to spread.

Fourteen years on (how did I manage that?) and it is the same look I always remember. He's not here much at the moment and we all miss him but when he is here we have good days/ hours/ minutes - however long he is around.

Hurry home

My grandfathers battery charger

2007-04-24T06:37:00.001+01:00

My grandfathers battery charger, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

So my parents are moving, leaving the country, packing up from the house they have lived in for the past 36 years and for my Dad it will be the first time he will ever have left Reading too live.

We won't be lonely, I have so many relatives live locally, in fact too many to be able to see and I often see them fleetingly when I am in town and I know that we are *unusual* these days, living in such a dense area of relatives and I also know that when I left when I was 18 I said I was not going to come back..so why am I here?

I know why I came back, it was temporary and I still feel like a nomad. This is a short stop for me (well 14 years) but now my parents are going and the children are getting bigger everything is slotting in place to think about the future.

Here is my past, my grandfathers car battery charger, my dad uses it - it works perfectly and will be mine to fire up the YUYG . I have gathered a plethora of goodies from my parents, a tool chest that my grandfather made when he was 15, a bunny plane, a rebate plane, some tools from my great grandfather.. a line of carpenters.

scarey shop window 2

2007-04-17T14:01:00.001+01:00

scarey shop window 2, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

This shop, the infamous Jacksons is an absolute must for a visit, don't expect background music, modern technology or trendy sales assistants but do expect strange odd things that you did not know you even needed to buy and then a few pounds later, there they are in a Jacksons bag, under your arm. Purchases have included specific coloured pipe cleaners, a lampshade frame, various old style hankies, gloriously large amounts of wool (for evidence look here at my cupboard) school uniform items, needles, scissors, thread and a belt buckle.. not too mention that my schooldays were spent with a visit to the uniform department, but the scarey schoolgirl in shop window is enough to terrify anyone.

And did I mention that this shop holds a staff team with a wealth of knowledge - it would be very rude to guess their ages but I believe a large number would be over the retirement age.

And did I mention that if you wish to pay by card (in that modern way) then you will have too proceed to the front of the store to have your card processed.

And did I also mention that if your purchase is more than a few coins in change, your money and receipt is put in a tube and sent through to the accounts department who return it the same way with your change and receipt. I have it from a very good source that it is *an operational Lamson pneumatic tube system with nine stations over two floors, dating from the 1960s*

And if that does not make you want to come and see Jacksons then at least you may be heartened by the news that they accept Euros... hurrah, an old staff team with an eye on the future... well, in some aspects

tin no 22 - departure

2007-04-16T08:16:00.001+01:00

tin no 22 - departure, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

tin no 22 - departure

So many things to go in, so little space, in the end I went for special stickers, a stone heart, a scrabble letter *y*, a knit happens badge, a small sample of soap from BlueMarmalade and a gift from my friend aliceofkansas of a small origami badge.

So many people want it (the tin that is) but I thought I'd go for a birthday boy, who is a creative and in TV and see where it ends up now.

To see where it goes next, go to foundmeagain

tin no 22 - arrival

2007-04-14T07:37:00.001+01:00

tin no 22 - arrival, originally uploaded by alabamawhirly.

tin no 22 - arrival

Here is the tin I was sent as part of the project find me.

Ninety of these tins have been sent out and left around Britain (and a few to the US) as part of an experiment.

Tracey Tucker, the artist originating the idea, wondered if we are all capable of doing something good - just for the sake of it - when we don't really have to - an act of kindness for no real reason.

The idea is a simple one - if you find a tin that looks like this - then take what's inside it and replace it with something else of your own. Then, send it back out into the world and see what happens. Add your experience with the tin to find me website by posting pictures and blogs- it's really imortant that you do this, as then, other people can see what has happened to a tin that they might once have had too.

You can give a tin to a friend, a stranger, hide it, leave clues as to where it is, pass it around and around a family, anything you want.

I was so excited when I saw the tin, it was a number 22, a palindromic number, my very favourite.

a day in the life of...

2007-04-11T07:03:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was a very sad day, our beautiful Eros has died after more than 13 years of a wonderful life together.

This woman's best friend.

I keep thinking I see him as I move around the house, which has become empty without the sound of his paws padding on the wooden floor.

Echoes of him everywhere.

I am not alone thinking this, one floor beneath me sleep the children, all they have known is him in their life, everywhere with us, to the beach, to the woods, to work, to school, an integral and full part of our life.

Alabamawhirly

I am moving

Reasons to be slacking

To be inspired

Surpises in the post, new ideas and better things

yesterday

unravelled

Wrapping things up

Grey days, old and new

Last day

On the beach

Home again

something broken

love lost, love found

I couldn't help it

another day

and then today

yesterday

well it is still raining

When you know it is a Bank Holiday Weekend

Having my cake and eating it

our adventure

Now we are there

So we did not get very far

starting the journey

snow

something white for the weekend

Read something wonderful

Another birthday

Happy Birthday Papa!

What I would really like today

A typical Bank Holiay?

A Good Friday

If you are not at knit night this is what you are missing

Team Zissou

a trip round the garden for the little gnome

mothers and daughters

he is iant

plagarised from the cards

a small (very small) addiction I have

'tis all my fault

I may have said this before: Rain, rain and more rain

Raining

Say goodbye to the Old, hello to the New

a walk on the beach

beautiful things

When you think you are getting somewhere and you realise that you are not

knit wits

Looking at what is going to come

Everything is back to normal

I am very excited

Etsy front page

a full agenda

look what came today

packing my bag, ready to go

one week in pictures

10th birthday cocktails

Etsy Front Page Treasury - Boys Age 8-11 Picks

drowning gloves and loving the dog

winding up - crafting 365, day 32

spider and them

humbug - crafting 365, day 29

a portrait of an apple

TAGGED

found you at last

walking the pier

look what I made today - craft 365, day 5

A glove for johnny rotten *god save the queen, the...* - crafting 365,day 4

just trashy enough

a cup of tea and a mohair spoon - crafting 365, day 1

bama took this

then another one

family

birthday girl and hubby

birthday present from my family

An apt present that came for me today

*the annoying cycle of my sleep life*

katinka

The amazing work of miss bunny :: The Sound of Faeries

One Very Loved Cat

A glove for johnny rotten god save the queen, the... - crafting 365,day 4

the annoying cycle of my sleep life