A Breath of Fresh Air

Sunday, 4 February 2018

Odds and Sods - January 2018

January has been all about stress! I've got my exams (on Tuesday actually) so have been spending ages reading and re-reading and generally getting overwhelmed with course work and revision.

I can only hope the examiners don't mark me on my artistic skills, as I'd be completely stuffed! (My tutor marked one of my mock papers last week and awarded me 40 out of 60 which is a good pass. 42 would have got me a commendation. Now, this might make other people revise harder, but all it's done is stress me out even more!)

I took a trip to Urban Jungle at Beccles last weekend - it's a fab place to unwind anyway, being surrounded by all those plants. So I thought I'd take some revision with me and surround myself with greenery, coffee and cake. Well, it would be rude not to!

And Amanda and Sid moved in - which, to be fair, is probably more stressful for Amanda than me, but I do like something to worry about!

It's also been bloody cold and wet this month - which I should expect this time of year - but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it!

One of the lovely things that happened this month was Andy coming to stay for a long weekend in the new year - we didn't do too much, lots of relaxing, but we did visit Diss auctions on the Friday and acquired some new things for the house - mostly whisky related of course! And on the way home, we stopped at Hingham for lunch and a cheeky gin and tonic cocktail.

Another lovely thing was receiving this pot of scilla as a thank you from one of my colleagues, whose mittens I had darned for her. Definitely not on my job description, but one of the nicer things I get asked to do occasionally!

And more flowers from Andy - to brighten my mood.

But of course, it's really all about Finn!

Saturday, 3 February 2018

Made Or Grown - January 2018

I own up - I buy a lot of clothes, but I do get a lot of wear out of them. I very rarely throw anything away until it gets a hole in it, and then, depending on where the hole is, I will try to mend if I can. However, I'm also well aware that I can make my own clothes - I knit and I sew and I have bags and boxes full of fabric and wool in my loft that really needs using up. I even grow food, although that is mainly seasonal of course. The clothes thing I can do all year long.

So I decided, instead of making a new year's resolution, that I would just try and make things simpler. I have way more stuff than I need and it's time to cut down on buying things and generally have a proper life laundry and declutter. And I definitely need to use some of that wool up!

As part of this plan, I thought this would be a good year for a project - like I don't have anything else going on! So, every day of the year, I'm either going to wear or eat something I've made or grown. I'll write a post each month to document the proof - although, to start with, it's going to be really boring as I actually only have eight things I've made for myself - most of what I make is for other people. I'm hoping these posts will get marginally more interesting as we go through the year, as I can add foody pictures in too!

1 January 2018 - heading out for a dog walk. My pink hat was made with yarn that had some element of wool in it, so, when I washed it, it felted itself and is ever so slightly snug now, but it does keep my ears warm!

2 January 2018 - back to work and the office was freezing. Sparkly cardi brightening up my day - I'm even doing a little dance here!

3 January 2018 - my asymmetrical poncho which I love and really need to make more of.

4 January 2018 - another asymmetrical poncho, but shorter. I ran out of wool! Also not sure about the blue diagonal stripes over the blue horizontal stripes. This is a work in progress!

5 January 2018 - sparkly cardi again for a day out at Diss antique auctions and lunch in the pub. Cheeky gin and tonic cocktail also!

6 January 2018 - apple pie with apples which had been languishing at the bottom of my freezer since the autumn.

7 January 2018 - dog walking.

8 January 2018 - this poncho is different on both sides so I can wear it either way round, depending on what I need to match it to. (It doesn't always match!)

9 January 2018 - the first dress I made which is now too big, hence the brooch being used as a makeshift dart.

10 January 2018 - day at college, working outside.

11 January 2018 - a close up of my pin tucks on the only blouse I've ever made. This was such a lovely pattern that I really need to make another.

12 January 2018 - this sparkly cardi is getting a lot of wear, especially as the heating has been playing up at work.

13 January 2018 - knackered. Amanda had moved in this day and we were all exhausted. Wearing my pink trousers which are looser fitting than jeans and I needed something comfy with all the lifting we were doing.

14 January 2018 - a variation on Eton mess with blackberries from my garden which had been lurking at the bottom of the freezer.

15 January 2018 - just back from the pub - which might explain squiffy expression!

16 January 2018 - close up of a poncho.

17 January 2018 - I made myself a healthy fruity lunch for college with blackberries from the garden.

18 January 2018 - I love this cardi so much which is just as well!

19 January 2018 - red dress (unironed and clinging!) worn as a skirt under a Seasalt jumper.

20 January 2018 - this was the day Finn refused to get out of the car because of gunfire, so I sat in the car and revised while Amanda and Sid had a walk around Fairhaven Gardens.

21 January 2018 - dog walking.

22 January 2018 - love this poncho too.

23 January 2018 - this one not so much. Next time I make a chunky poncho, at least I know how much wool I need!

24 January 2018 - college - it was bloody cold this day and I wasn't happy, which I think comes across in this photo! (It hammered it down so much that the glasshouses we were working in sprang many leaks!)