Woolgathering

Defined in the dictionary as indulging in aimless thoughts or daydreams. I've definitely been woolgathering as I've continued with the Loft Sort!

One of my nieces is expecting a baby next year, so I thought I'd do some knitting. The day before going to Manchester, I confidently climbed the loft ladder in search of baby wool. I was sure it was in a wicker hamper. There was a hamper, but only one suitable ball of wool. I found a pair of 4mm needles on the table in the back bedroom. I began knitting a little hat.

I'm embarrassed to admit that on Tuesday as I began to move the stacks of boxes around I unearthed seven hampers of wool, a large plastic box of wool, and a smaller one with assorted needles. One box was full of Sirdar baby yarns. 

I brought the blue box downstairs and spent an hour sorting the needles into pairs, and discarding damaged or odd ones. Then I lined them up in size order from 2mm to 20mm. 

Then I was ruthless removing all my duplicates. There were more than 2 dozen pairs. They will go to the Big C Cancer Charity Craft Emporium at Wymondham. Whenever I visit, someone is sorting through looking for a particular size. I'm sure they will sell.

Here's the little baby hat in a soft lemon shade. Now I've found the hamper with all the baby yarns, I think I'll try a little cardi in another colour.  Is it really November tomorrow?  The year is racing by. Last November I did a knitting challenge for the Bone Cancer Research Trust. I'm too busy for that this year...

Cash In The Attic?

Definitely Not! But I am starting the process of tidying and ordering the loft, because it has become something of a mess up there. I get down some project [eg Shed Aprons] and all the stuff is in a large plastic box. But when I return it, I realise there is another 'loft thing' - so that goes in that box. Or in a rush to tidy up because guests are coming, I put a suitcase away, without checking it is properly emptied. And then there are the bags labelled with messages like "Old greeting cards, 2022, sort these out ASAP" I wrap up well for this task, and wear sensible footwear [going up and down the loft ladder in slippers or socks is a bad idea] Here is my equipment

• 7A rubbish bag [for rubbish!] 
• a couple of large strong bags, for stuff that needs to come down and be relocated[Charity Shop, other people, the craft cupboard etc]
• A reel of masking tape, sharpies and a pencil - for labelling
• A pair of scissors  - always useful
• My tablet [to listen to the radio**]
• My phone - in case somebody phones me, or in case I need help for some reason [eg lifting down a large item and Bob is out in the workshop] I used the phone for the picture hence its not on the table

I found an angel's tinsel halo, so put it on and felt joyful. Then there was a large freestanding mirror - redundant now we have a mirror on the wardrobe door That's going to Manchester for Steph's new house. Note the rubbish bag hanging down, gradually filling up. That empty cardboard box is for recycling, and is the THIRD one I filled in the first hour. I have decided I do not need every cardboard box which has entered the house [the new kitchen came flatpacked in over 100 boxes] 

They have just announced there will be a village Yard Sale in the Spring, to raise funds for the Parish Church - so one corner of the loft is now 'possible yard sale stuff'. But my task was interrupted by an IKEA delivery lorry. We are changing the two single beds in the back room for one double. It will free up a bit more floor space. But that means as well as sorting the loft, I also have to sort out all my bedding. The singles will go to Manchester, along with their linens, [and that mirror] when we visit at Christmas. 
I'm hoping to have the loft and back bedroom straight by Friday 7th when Julian comes. There is loads going on - especially Bobs 70th birthday on Tuesday.

All four grandchildren appear to be having a great half term, at Forest School and Holiday Club.
** I listened to the final episode of Jane Eyre, a programme about Men's Sheds, and a 'Limelight' thriller on BBCSounds.

Always in my loft I hang the paper heart which turned up in a loft sort about 30 years ago. It has hung in three different lofts, but the message holds true. My loft, and the world in general, may appear to be in a chaotic mess sometimes - but there is One who is watching over us, and his love never fails.

Making Space

It has been very satisfying to declutter a few more things recently. I have seriously reduced the assorted children's toys - and this unit was almost empty. I decanted those few things, and this went to a CS Monday [having first checked the boys in Manchester do not need it] 

Then yesterday my bag of surplus clothing went to a different CS.  Julian is coming on Friday, so I need to tidy the back bedroom. I suspect there will be some more stuff to go from there. It is very satisfying. Personally, I find my home grown veg bring great joy, so they are staying.

Jacob seems to like his pumpkin, and Jess is just relentlessly cheerful as she comes out of school! So many people in my family have names beginning with J [for Joy!]

Next task is to get the remaining summer clothes vacuum packed and put away in the loft.  I must sort out some baby wool - a nibling is expecting, and this great-aunt needs to get knitting...

Why does Great-aunt sound so much older than Grandmother? 

A Month Of Sundaes?

Firstly, thank you everyone for the kind birthday wishes for Rosie yesterday, she is definitely making the most of her celebrations. On Saturday we went on a family tenpin bowling trip, followed by lunch. If you have younger children, I can recommend the Bowling House in Norwich. This is the quirkiest bowling alley I have ever visited. A while back, we looked after the girls one evening, while Liz and Jon visited this venue [For cocktails and food, which they enjoyed] There are just five lanes, at BH and all half-length, so it suited the girls. The pop-up seating is recycled from years ago when this building was a cinema. I took three shots of Rosie bowling, and inadvertently got pictures of Jess as the seat folded up on her!

We went on to a Pizza lunch [I pleased to have discovered that I can eat pizza with vegan cheese]  and the girls enjoyed desserts. Jess was intrigued by the inverted waffle cone in her ice cream sundae.

I have four glass sundae dishes at Cornerstones, They were given to me about 35 years ago- my friend was having a new kitchen and decided to clear her clutter. "You can only have them if you promise to use them" she said. I promised!

I still use them on a regular basis. 

Even the most boring pud is greatly improved by fancy serving, I frequently put a scoop of plain vanilla in the dish, topped with some fruit, and home made yogurt and a 'boudoir biscuit' [I think in the US they are called ladyfingers] Occasionally there is fruit sauce or chocolate sauce too, or some crumbled cake. The girls think this is a real treat, especially when I give them the longhandled teaspoons. 

In my current, ruthless kitchen declutter, I can assure you that my sundae dishes are staying! I must lay in a box of waffle cones before the Easter holidays though.

Rosie said Saturday's treat was her 'quarter final' birthday. Monday [the day itself] was to be the 'semi final' and the 'final' will be her party on Saturday - a Clip'n'Climb event with schoolfriends 

A Little More Decluttering

The final tally for the September declutter is rather haphazard

• As usual I located 1 bag to hold CS donations
• 2 pieces of open weave curtain fabric which I will never use because the pattern is dire, have been repurposed for the Brownies Sewing Badge [I am working with three dozen of them on Monday evenings] 
  
• there were 3 bits of a ballpoint pen in the bottom of my bag, but not all the bits needed to reassemble it. That was discarded 
• 4 cereal boxes I had been keeping 'just in case' have been cut up for the Toddler Group Craft Activity I am doing next week
• Looking for something in the Futility Room Cupboards, I found a box with 6 more jam jars [recycled]
• I did the summer/winter wardrobe sort- 7 garments really worn out, and binned, 8 have some life but don't fit, and have gone into the Charity Shop bag. The wardrobe is efficiently organised and I look forward to choosing co-ordinated autumn outfits
  
• More 'virtual decluttering' I tidied up my blogroll - and unfollowed than 20 blogs where nothing has been written since lockdown
• I tidied my email inbox too, and deleted around 50 messages which I really do not need to keep
• I unsubscribed from another 10 mailings
• I have contacted 4 charities who keep sending me literature [and raffle tickets I do not want to buy] and asked them to remove me from their mailing list

That's over 100 things - added to the previous 110 I have got rid of 200 plus real/virtual items

I am also trying to be more efficient about post - all those unwanted flyers go straight into the recycling bin without have a day or two languishing on the sideboard first.

I'm typing this at my pc and just looked at the chaotic pinboard on the wall in front of me.  That definitely needs to be attacked, as does the overflowing filing tray on my left. 

🎵"Don't stop me now, cos I'm having a good time, and I don't wanna stop at all"🎵

Winter Drawers On...

That's not a typo - every Autumn Grandad would say "It's turning cold" and Nana would reply "Winter drawers on!" then they'd have a daft discussion about underwear. Being born at the end of the Victorian era, Nana always referred to her knickers as "drawers"

In the 1800s a woman would wear two separate 'legs' which had a casing at the top and a tape to draw them together at the waist. Hence a pair of drawers. 

To this day, even though we wear just the one garment, we still refer to a pair of... [pants/knickers/briefs etc] *

The other mystery of 'old lady underwear' in my childhood were the adverts at the back of Woman's Weekly for Directoire Knickers - which I thought were directory knickers. 

 A single garment, usually pink, cream or peach coloured with legs elasticated just above the knee. After the Victorians, the Edwardians wore slimmer more fitted garments, not voluminous crinolines. Women wanted underwear which fitted closer to the body - especially when the "roaring twenties" came along. The name comes from the "directoire" - a neo-classical style popular in France [1795 to 1799] between the elaborate ornate style of Louis XVI and before the "Empire Style".

This style persisted through the war years, issued as part of the uniform for women in the forces. although the legs did get a bit shorter. By the early 60s many of us had to wear "PE knickers" which had elasticated legs [mine were hideous bottle green and itchy] and grannies still wore the peachy bloomers. My friend Jean always referred to them as "Harvest Festival Knickers" - because she said "All is safely gathered in"

But now so many styles abound, with different names...M&S offers full briefs, high cut, thongs, bikini briefs, Brazilian, no VPL, midi, Miami, shapewear, shorts, period knickers...My decluttering got a bit haphazard last week, but I did sort my knicker drawer. 

Mum and Auntie Peggy always insisted on decent pants

"In case you get knocked down by a bus". Cousin Gill and I suspected their mother had drummed this into them. We said that if we were unfortunate enough to be in such an accident, we did not want the medical team distracted by our attractive underwear! By the the children came along, and finances were tight, I kept my old white Sloggis till they were were repaired, and rather grey. And then one day sorting laundry, LIz lectured me about their parlous state. "Nobody sees me in them except your father  "Just because you have got your man, that does not excuse you wearing shabby underwear. Mum!" I really took that to heart, and have tried to wear better ones ever since. I have regularly bought new pants, and put them in the drawer, leaving the shabby ones underneath 'in case of an emergency'. What emergency is that? And I do not need twenty five pairs!  I have been ruthless - down to 18 pairs now, and those with weak elastic, holes and ladders, and uncomfortable gussets have gone in the bin. And I suspect others may follow. 
I did check the internet - it seems the average UK woman owns 25 pairs, and many sites recommend at least 14 so you have a clean pair daily for a fortnight. I appreciate sportswomen will wear more than one pair a day - after a run, or game of football, they'd want fresh undies. But I am more sedentary, less sweaty!

Worst ever pants - [1] the pack of seven 'days of the week' ones when I was 5. I got them in the wrong order, and realised one day I was wearing 'Wednesday' on 'Thursday' I was sure everyone in my class knew. [2] the paper disposable ones, in a pack of 3, bought from Etam in the early 70s. I pulled them up too fast and the elastic waistband completely came away!

Do you have any BRIEF comments?

*in Tudor times, upper garments were often two-piece, front and back, tied at the sides, and called 'a pair of bodies' - but that turned into the term 'bodice'