The return! – Part 1 – Blog post 100

Hello pawb and welcome to my 100th blog post! Crikey, can you believe it? They do creep up on you slowly don’t they?  

Slowly is definitely the word for this blog over the summer. Deathly slow. Apart from keeping up to date with SAL and Once Upon A Sock posts, there’s been nothing for the longest time. I need to apologize. My May update has been sitting unfinished for all that time.  I wish I could cite reasons of wild parties, holidays etc. But the truth is that regular life has just got in the way. Work, chores, getting prepared for the next days work, then bed. It’s not very exciting is it? 

So, for this 100th post, I won’t be recapping all previous pots like my 50th, but will be giving you some very brief highlights of where I’ve been. I won’t keep you long I promise, and to keep it shorter (because it has actually been 4 months!) this will be part 1 of 2. Putting my life into bitesizable chunks seems sensible. Let’s start where we left off… 

May brings around some special birthdays. Most importantly, Himself turned 31 this year. Having my 31st not long after, it feels like a strange age. Like 30 was such a build-up, the rest is just numbers. Nevertheless, we had a couple of days off together, pottering around and, according to Slimming World, eating excessively. The bottom line is I enjoyed the doing of it, so there! I’d forgotten how much I miss white bread.  

We barely have time to recover from that before it’s the kittens turn. Our little boys turned 3 this year. Officially moody teenagers? I always think I’ll try making one of those cat food cake things, but I either never get round to it, or turn away at the thought of molding cat food. They did have a lot of fuss and lap time though. 

This weekend was probably the busiest of the last couple of months with 2 birthdays and the Christening of Baby ATR. I wish I could show you a picture. She is too cute for words. We were also very honoured to be asked to be Godparents. Luckily, we’d both been christened even though we’re not religious now. Even though we’re not, I was brought up going to Sunday school and will never regret it. Along with Aesop and Hans Christian Anderson, it taught me right from wrong, the importance of having good morals and manners and just generally having respect for every human being. Hopefully I can pass this on to Baby ATR wherever possible! 

This weekend also felt like the start of Summer for us. I’ve moaned a lot about the heat, but everything was still fresh and green then. Flowers were emerging, and Goslings were at their fluffiest.  

It’s been a great summer for being outdoors. So much more than the previous couple of years. Of course, time outdoors with Himself undoubtedly leads to fires. 

Such a caveman. I think he’s at his happiest when he’s tending a fire. 

As is the way, and previously mentioned, my own birthday week always has a gig in store. Every year for the past 10 years. It never gets planned, just always happens. I love it. Some don’t involve much travel, but this one did. Not many people would be so excited to spend over 7 hours on a bus, but I was. I might have mentioned it here. 7 hours of straight sock knitting. What a gift.  

Of course, I was excited about the show too. The band was Alexisonfire and we don’t get to see them very often. They won’t be to all readers taste, but it was wonderful. Exactly the kind of tension release I needed.  

It was also in one of my favourite venues, the O2 Academy in Brixton.  

It’s such an interesting venue. I think it’s an old theatre, so the stage is actually a stage. So many of these features remain. There’s always so many in interesting things to look at, when you’re not engrossed in the band of course. 

It’s also got a sloping floor, so you always get a good view (save for the tall folk in front of you obviously). You have to pay £12 for 3 bottles of water of course, but it’s produced so many of my happy moments. Those moments that keep you calm or you can lose yourself in when you need to get away from your mind. I like to keep lots of these moments banked, and Brixton has lovingly provided me with many. 

Of course I was excited to be visiting London too. I feel the need to get lost in this city sometimes. Lost in the crowd. I get angsty if I don’t get there every year, but on the bus I realised that it had been years since I’d managed it! Tut tut. Must do better.  

As tradition dictates, we headed straight for Carnaby Street for some lunch.

Seen as we were in the area, a trip to Liberty was on the cards. (If I’m being honest, my friends couldn’t have kept me out of there.) If you’ve never been, please dear reader do go. Go and weep over the beautiful fabrics. You won’t regret it.  

They had a wonderful display of quilts hanging over their balconies. It made me want to take up quilting. This place will do this to you. It’ll make you want to make the place around you beautiful.  

Like this boob cushion. Who doesn’t need a boob cushion in your life?!? 

Naturally, I made a beeline for the yarn section, but I have some sad news to report. I was so disappointed. Nothing but Rowan. Nothing. No don’t get me wrong, I like Rowan. My disappoitment ran much deeper. Of course I wanted to get a skein of sock yarn from Liberty. I know you would be ashamed of my if I hadn’t, wouldn’t you? I strode in with my credit card in hand and asked the first assistant about their sock yarn collection. Months on and I’m still seething. She rudely told me that they had none. I asked about their 4 ply and was advised that socks need nylon content and that regular 4 ply wouldn’t do. Patronising fool! Don’t you know how many people make no nylon socks?!? Call yourself an expert. She then went on to tell me that they had no call for sock yarn as not many people made them! I left empty handed and very tempted to leave them a bad review. I then had to bore my companions for hours with my arguments about how good sock yarn would be for their profits. I wouldn’t pop into Liberty as and buy enough yarn to make a jumper or a blanket. I’m neither stupid, nor made of money. I would go in and splurge on a one skein project however… I’ll leave it there. I can feel my blood pressure rising… 

I was determined however. This determination sparked a yarn shop hunt. Not an easy thing. There are no concrete sites that give you the yarn shops in your area. Well, there are, but so much of the information is out of date. Lots of them just don’t have an internet presence. It makes me sad. How many yarn shops have I walked close to but passed by. I understand why lots don’t, but oh I wish they did.  

Luckily, we hit pay dirt right after breakfast. Right around the corner, we found Loop Knitting Shop. What a lovely quaint little shop. Such deep and vibrant colours everywhere you look. A feast for the senses. And of course I walked out with something, but more on that later.  

Enough for now I think? Like I said, more to follow. You’ll notice a lack of craft update also, but I’m saving it all for next time. Craft time has been sparse, but I have been beavering away where possible. Lots to show you.  

I promise I wont leave it so long next time!  

 

Much love xx 

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