I have had a lovely time this weekend so far. Took a trip to Brighton  last night with the Daughter. We visited friends for a Knit and natter (or should that be Knatter?) at the Knit, Sew and Crochet group, http://www.facebook.com/groups/232127993532892/263547230390968/returning home rather late, although the lateness was compounded by roadworks which necessitated us waiting at a red light to be escorted past what turned out to be a resurfacing operation! It was again a fun evening with some interesting 19th C material shown by www.morgaine-le-fay.co.uk .   and nibbles and cakes from Sharon and Claire, (thanking you both very much) and some very interesting conversation, including a lot on napoleonic costume. I continued with my "sock from the toe up" and helped the daughter start a circular cardigan.
Today the shop called so  had to go to a local supermarket and also the lovcal DIY store this am to buy a paste table for the craft fair next weekend. We managed to get a fairly sturdy plastic one which will do very well. 

In the afternoon I made some marmalade and also patched a pair of medieval hose (for a friend) which suffered during the last reenactment season. I think I made a good job of it even if I say so myself! I also washed some material ready to cut out  some napoleonic costume. We will now see what tomorrow brings.

This is the latest project which I started today. I have never made a sock from the toe up so am having a go. I used a figure of 8 cast on method which I have also never tried before and am quite impressed with myself. I will be continuing until I have a sock, but whether it will be long or short I don't know. I have not made my mind up yet and it will probably depend on how much yarn it takes.
However over the next 10 days or so I need to make some marmalade and jam for the craft fair too, hmm I had better get cracking!

Well this is a pic of some of the knitting I have done this month and is to sell at a local craft fair in March. The pic is to be up loaded to a site where I have pledged to make something every month which I usually do anyway. My problem now is to find the site and upload the pic so this should be fun! Watch this space.

I went to Reiki share today with both daughter and grandaughter and some other like minded friends. It is nice to give and receive healing from others, the energy around us is quite something. We also do a meditation  at the end and we had a good afternoon. After we got home to mine we watched Eragon and ordered a chinese takeaway which was very tasty. Tomorrow is the last day of half term and on Monday we go in for a training day with the students returning Tuesday lunchtime.

Yesterday I helped the daughter fit the skirt for a Victorian Walking costume she is making and I now feel a victorian skirt coming on for myself if I can find/get a suitable piece of material........as if I hadn't got enough sewing/knitting/crafts to do not to mention jam/marmalade making for the next craft fair in March. I do like to do these things though I find them relaxing as they are so different from the work I do.

I have now managed to cut out the medieval kirtle that is going to be made for a friend. The lining, which I shall sew first, is going to be in the blue and the outer in the terracotta. When it is finished it should actually be reversible. The next step is to pin and fit the blue and then sew it and the do the same with the terracotta. Watch this space. You can see other items of ours in http://www.facebook.com/pages/History-Stitchery/

There has not really been much to waffle about lately as I have been having a bout of headaches, mainly mild migraines but bad enough for me to be in bed and actually take medication which gives me a whoozy head and exacerbates the tinnitus, so all in all a bit of a crock!

We had a lot of snow over the weekend and on Monday the grandaughter built a tiny snowman in my garden, while I attempted to clear the front path!

I had a trip into town with the daughter during the week and we went to a little cafe we had not tried before and had something to eat, we will be going again! We are lucky in Bexhill as we have several cafes we can go into and get something for a reasonable price. I usually have to take some soy milk  just in case but a couple have it in stock. For once I didn't get anything at all (I usually fall prey to wool or craft stuff or books!) even though I need a new bag for work as the handle is going on mine ah well it will last a bit longer.

Half term started on Friday when the students all went home, which means a week of catching up and trying to do things. It got off to a bad start when I realised the material I am using to make a medieval kirtle for a friend needs washing first to preshrink it.and my washing machine is waiting for the lovely man to fix it. On monday am, bright and early (as one of my students says to me when I am on an early shift), still if I am up early I may get stuff done whilst I wait for him and then I can crack on with the material and the regular laundry!

 I haven't done much sewing for a while I have been knitting a lot but the latest thing I did was to reline a fur coat that a friend is recycling. to do this I used the lining from another old fur coat which kept it as a period item. I thought the finished article turned out very well and my frined was really pleased with it too, which is the main thing.

A week has passed since I was able to waffle on here. Having said that Friday, Saturday and Sunday were spent fighting the migraine that had started the previous Sunday, sort of gone away and had the temerity to recur! Of course working full time in a Residential School for Special Needs students means working shifts, although luckily not overnight and add to that being a carer for my mother and also my daughter when they need it, it  leaves less time for other things than I would like.

However by Sunday afternoon I was able to go to the school swimming pool with the aforementioned daughter and the two grandchildren for a "swim". I use the term "swim" loosely as I sort of breast stroke/doggy paddle up the pool then hang on to the steps at the deep end for 5 minutes to recover and then return to the shallow end in a similar manner.(Ducan Goodhew has no need to worry). I enjoyed the 20 mins or so in the pool eventually managing four lengths, although I found it cold even though it probably wasn't!
On the way back home with the family it was dusky and all the birds were singing their evening songs in the trees in the school grounds. The wind had dropped and it was still and calm and absolutely beautiful.

Since then it has been damp and wet although not really cold and I have been concerned about the daughter who suffers from Fybromyalgia and finds this damp weather hard to cope with as it triggers her aches and pain. I went to see her straight after work at 4pm staying til about 7.30 and I was right she is suffering and there is nothing I can do to take the aches and pains away :(  so I will send her healing and good energy vibes and see how she is tomorrow. I admire the way she seldom gives in to her disabilities and tries to do "normal" things for the sake of her children. I know she suffers a lot more than she lets on and life is a tremendous struggle fo her. It is time life let up on her a bit and let her a least have les other worries even though we know her fibro will not disappear.

Although things can be very tiring sometimes, I am a lucky person, I have a fantastic daughter who is also my closetst friend, 2 lovely grandchildren, my mum, brother and sister-in-law, a cousin in New Zealand who is also like a sister and some wonderful friends and colleagues. I live in a nice town (well to me anyway) in a nice house and we manage to get by. Who could ask for more really?

and so to bed, to sleep, to sleep perchance to dream!