Making Good Use

Hot Water Bottle Cover

I finished up the 'Cornishware' striped hot water bottle cover over the weekend, and I must say I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

The organic Cornish wool was double knitting and I used two strands together on 5.5 mm needles to make a nice thick cover.  The fisherman's rib gives a bit of stretch to the cover and means it fits snugly and isn't likely to slip off.  The stripes give it some interest and as well as being a bit like 'Cornishware', it's also pretty close to the Bristol Rovers colours.  I'm no great fan of football but if I support any team it's got to be Rovers.

I'll be away for a few days from tomorrow - hope to be back with plenty of photos over the weekend.  Hope you all have a good week.

Cashback Sites

There was a very interesting article in yesterday's Daily Telegraph Money section about cashback websites.  The sites they mentioned were

www.quidco.com

www.greasypalm.co.uk

www.topcashback.co.uk

www.wepromiseto.co.uk

I've had a quick look at them all and think that the topcashback site is probably the one most useful for me but before I sign up to anything I wondered if anyone has had experience of using cashback sites.  Do they work?  Which sites would you recommend?  Is there anything to be careful of with these type of sites?  Any information would be very gladly received as I tend to do most of my Christmas shopping via the internet and if I can earn some cash back into the bargain that would be really helpful.

'Shopping' in my Wardrobe / Fridge

It was really nice yesterday evening to be able to go to my wardrobe and select a new shower gel from the lovely array I've picked up over the summer at car boot sales.  Should I go for the chocolatey-looking one from Boots, or the rather posh Chloe tube, or how about a large selection of different Body Shop fragrances?  In the end I chose one of the Body Shop White Musk bottles, as this is probably my all-time favourite.  I'm not someone who uses a lot of shower gel every time I shower so this little lot should easily see me through to next summer - with the hope that I can add to the collection at the upcoming Christmas Fayres.  I can't tell you how satisfying it was to have such a lovely choice and knowing that none of them cost me more than 50p.

By nature I'm not really much of a pack-rat, and in this particular house there isn't really that much room to stockpile things - although giant packs of toilet paper are stacked in some rather unusual places at the moment having been bought over the past few months when Somerfield always seemed to have one toilet paper or another on really good offer.  I do envy those bloggers who seem to have beautifully organised craft rooms with their thrifted fabric and yarn all neatly stacked away.  Or those who have large cellars in their houses (this seems to be an American thing in particular) who can stockpile non-perishable food stuffs down there, or any other useful bits and bobs they come across.

Having no freezer and a fridge the size of a cardboard box means there's very little space to stockpile perishable food stuffs (although we do have a fine collection of tinned and dry items in various cupboards and wardrobes around the house.)  Feeling particularly lazy at the moment and not wishing to make yet another journey to the High Street, I spent some considerable time yesterday evening (whilst watching Hugh Fearnely-Whittingstall and his wonderful selection of fresh veggies) trying to decide exactly what I could cobble together for a few evening meals from the meagre bits in the fridge and on the shelves - whilst not subjecting us to the threat of scurvy!!  Everything I thought of seemed to be missing one vital fresh ingredient - I had bacon, parmesan and dried spaghetti but, oops, had used the last of the eggs to make a cake so couldn't do Spaghetti Carbonara.  Bacon and mushroom pasta bake - nope, no mushrooms.  Tuna and pasta salad - nope, no cherry tomatoes (or, indeed, tomatoes of any kind.)  Finally I came up with the idea of homemade pizza with a bacon and pineapple topping - not quite a Hawaiian pizza, but near enough.

I know there is quite a big bag of carrots in the fridge and some broccoli, and I've got plenty of potatoes so tonight's evening meal will be the above veggies with a tin of stewing steak.  Any left over veggies will go to make a weekend lunch soup. 

It took me a while to figure it all out, and what with that and the knitting I had on the go at the same time poor old HFW didn't really get much of a look in, but I think I'm sorted for the weekend food now, and it won't cost me an extra bean - nor any time schlepping to the High St and back!

The Last of the Apples

After a surprisingly frosty start this morning, and with gales forecast for the next couple of days, I thought it might be the time to pick in the remaining apples.  There are still some clinging to the topmost branches but those are just too high for me to get hold of, even balancing on the two-step mini-ladder thingy we've got and trying to get hold of them with the walking stick.  They'll make a tasty treat for the birds anyway.

One of the previous owner's of our house was apparently a very frugal Scottish gentleman, and it was he who planted the fruit trees.  It's only a very modest garden but we've got three plum trees, two apple trees, a cherry tree and apparently a fig tree (although I've never actually seen it fruit.)  I've never managed to avail myself of any of the cherries as last summer the starlings stripped the tree bare in a feeding frenzy before I could pick any in, and this year the tree just didn't fruit at all.  Last summer we couldn't keep time with all the plums we had and gave bag-loads away to the neighbours.  This year there were only enough plums for perhaps half a dozen puddings. 

The apples this year have been fairly steady for the past couple of months and I've very much enjoyed the purple ones - apparently a variety called Sceptre - which are sweet and juicy and just right for an eating apple.  The goldeny-green ones are much more sour and have only been eaten when stewed up with lots of sugar - I don't know what variety these are.

I do tend to curse them a bit when I'm trying to manouvre the lawn-mower around the myriad fruit trees or when the clean washing wraps itself around the many branches, but I love being able to step just outside my back door to pick in free fruit as and when I need it. 

Battered and Bruised

After another chiropractor appointment yesterday, I'm feeling very battered and bruised today - the cheerful euphemism given by the chiropractor was, 'you may feel a bit 'tender' for a day or two.'  Tender?  Hit by a truck more like!  That, coupled with yet another very disturbed night's sleep, meant the limit of my day has been going to the newsagents to get a paper.  Of course, whilst I was there I thought I might as well walk round the corner to the charity shop I very rarely go to.  I'm glad I did as I found one of my favourite films ever on video.

I've only seen 'Amelie' once - it was the Channel 4 Christmas Day film 5 or 6 years ago - but I found it absolutely enchanting.  I'm very much looking forward to sitting down later and watching it again, even the cover makes me feel more cheerful.

The 'Cornishware' tea cosy turned out most strange - sort of triangular and probably best suited to a Cornish Piskie - so that got frogged and I've now decided to knit myself a 'Cornishware' striped hot water bottle cover.  A hot water bottle has become my best friend these past 10 days or so (along with a cool-gel pack) to stop the spasms around my ribs.  I've had the same hot water bottle cover for at least 20 years - I think it came from C&A (and they've been gone from the UK for many years).  It's very nice but is in the shape of a white Scottie dog and has rather a large cuddly toy head on the top of it - which is all very cute but is a bit of a pain when the hottie is shoved behind my ribs in bed.  So a very simple ribbed hottie cover has been started and I'm hoping to get a lot more of it done whilst I'm enjoying 'Amelie'.

Monday Thrifting

A few useful bits and bobs were picked up this morning - the two vintage Patons Bazaar books and the craft magazine were 5p each from 'Coffee and Jumble', and the vintage pillowcase was 50p from the charity shop.  This is first time in months that I've found a pretty vintage pillowcase to turn into a tote bag.  At one time they seemd to be really easy to find but now they're very thin on the ground - plenty of horrible 80s red / black / grey graffiti-style jobbies - but nothing pretty and floral. 

In the same charity shop I had a good score of a pair of brand-new, still-in-the-packet, Cotton Traders fleece slippers for £1.50.  Just the ticket for the winter as the tiled floor in the kitchen is flippin' freezing underfoot in the winter, and these slippers have really thick soles. 

I have to admit to having eventually given in and put the central heating on last Thursday.  It may well have been because I was feeling a tad jittery after the chiropractor visit but I felt I couldn't hold out any longer.  I am still trying to have it on as little as possible but, oh my goodness me, it is a novelty to have hot water in the taps!

I Could Sleep for England

Having had the previous five nights sleep totally ruined by muscular spasms around my ribs - un-be-liev-ably painful - I was hoping last night, after my emergency trip to the chiropractor,  would be better.  It didn't start off too well, as soon as I lay down the usual spasms and pains started up, and at 1.30 am I was back downstairs making up a hot water bottle.  Now, I don't know what suddenly happened, it was either the hottie or the two ibuprofen I took which meant I managed to fall asleep.  I can't tell you how good it was to wake this morning at 8.00 am and realise that I'd a) had a reasonable night's sleep, and b) the bl**dy spasms had stopped.  I could have cried I was so pleased.

My ribs do feel like they've been hit by a truck today and I overwhelmingly feel the need for a 'Nanna Nap' this afternoon - which is just what I'm going to do - stuff the housework!!  Besides, tomorrow is the Giant Scout Second-hand Book Sale and I mean to be there bright and early to root out those bargains!  (I am assuming the 'giant' bit refers to the number of books for sale and not very large boy scouts!)

If You Wanna Get Ahead ....

.... get a hat.  I mentioned my I'd sold one of my hand knitted hats last week and Sharon J (www.finding-simplicity.blogspot.com) asked to see some photos of them, so here's a selection.

They're all knitted from thrifted yarns and are decorated on one side with pure wool felt flowers and / or vintage buttons.  The style is sort of a beanie crossed with a cloche hat.  I'm not a great hat wearer myself but do find a little knitted hat just the ticket when the weather is particularly chilly. 

I've just come back from an emergency appointment with the chiropractor.  These past few night I've been having terrible muscle spasms around my ribs on the right-hand side, and last night it was so bad that I only had a couple of hours sleep.  Turns out I'd managed to misalign one of my rib head bones!!  The treatment consisted of acupuncture (yikes, and I hate needles), and some very vigorous manipulation of the bones (it hurt so much I'm afraid I swore).  I'm not sure tonight's sleep will be any better as I've been warned the area will probably be very tender, but I've got my fingers' crossed for the weekend.  I don't 'do' lack of sleep very well!

The Rat Catcher and the Chiropractor

Aside from the excitement of being on the radio and having a pattern of mine in a magazine, there have been other less pleasant activites going on as well.  Both of which were sadly necessary and flippin' expensive!

For anyone who has read my blog for a while you'll know that we have had an ongoing rodent problem in the house for the past 18 months or so.  We managed to catch 'Mistress Mouse' in a humane trap last summer and released her out in the countryside - a job well done we both thought, and the end of the mouse problem.  Sadly, this wasn't the case, and within a couple of days 'Maurice' had moved in.  For months he just gnawed loudly in a corner of the kitchen and was only spotted very occasionally darting under the kitchen units.  Lately he'd upped his game and had started nibbling any food not stored in mouse-proof containers, left large piles of mouse poo around the place, and totally ignored the various (and expensive) electronic rodent devices plugged in about the house.  We've tried evicting him on many occasions but the little git always gets back in somehow.  Ten days ago he developed a new trick of galloping around the living room during the evening - frightening the living daylights out of me every time.  At that point I felt right you little swine, it's time for the rat catcher.  I picked a number from Yellow Pages (I had no idea there were so many 'pest control' services available in such a small area) and that afternoon the 'rat catcher' turned up and liberally set little cardboard bait traps all round the ground floor.  I kept telling him how guilty I felt about poisoning mice in order to get rid of them but this seemed to meet with total incomprehension, as I suppose it would if your job is pest control (there was also a touch of the 'Village of the Damned' about him if you get my drift!!)

Anyhoo, no sign of mices has been seen since - although apparently a fair bit of bait had been taken (Mr Rat Catcher came back yesterday to check on the traps).  This time I really do hope we've got to the bottom of the problem.  Maurice, I am very guilty about hastening your departure from this mortal coil but you'd taken the proverbial once too often and it was either you or my nerves, and my nerves won.

I've also had an ongoing problem with my right hip for the past couple of months.  I didn't bother going to a doctor - too scared to find out if my hip joint was crumbling and I can't take the inevitable high-strength painkillers I would have been prescribed.  After a couple of weeks having to use a walking stick to get about (didn't half help with no spending days though as I couldn't even be bothered to 'hobble' to the High Street), I made an appointment with a chiropractor.  I have great faith in chiropractors having had a trapped nerve in my shoulder successfully sorted by a chiropractor a few years ago.  After only two appointments I've managed to get out today for the first time sans walking stick and the hip is feeling so much better.  Chiropractors are not a cheap option but my goodness me they do work and are worth every single penny.

On the thrifting front I got this Persephone book 'The Home-Maker' by Dorothy Canfield Fisher for 50p in the charity shop this morning.  The distinctive grey Persephone covers are always easy to spot in a pile of books, although I think this only the second one I've ever found whilst thrifting.  I look forward to reading it as a nice change from my usual diet of endless thrillers and crime novels.  I also started knitting the 'Cornishware' tea cosy yesterday evening.  I'm not totally convinced it's going to work - there's a distinct touch of a Bristol Rovers supporter's hat to it at the moment.

Sew Hip

With impecable timing my subscription copy of the new sewing magazine 'Sew Hip' arrived in my letter box about 15 minutes before my radio interview last Friday.  This meant that instead of contemplating a heart attack (or 'heartle 'tack' as we do say it in Bristle) with nerves, I had something else to focus on.

The magazine is fantastic, full of interesting articles and some wonderful patterns to sew.  My instructions for making pillowcase tote bags are beautifully featured over three pages.  The bags are so artistically styled and photographed that it's hard to believe they're mine.  I wish I could make my photos look a tenth as good.

I believe the magazine will be available in newsagents from 31st October - I can highly recommend it, and not just because of my tote bags!!