TARRAGON & THYME

This should have been posted up on Sunday but real life has got in the way again and as a result I have been delayed in popping up this update. For over a year I was knitting squares in white, lilac and purples and I have started knitting the border strip as well in white.  I am not what you call a natural knitter and I get bored ever so easily with knitting; I am trying to get to grips with that but I do try to be neat. Since completing the squares however it has all sat in a bag waiting for it to be stitched up.  I hate sewing up knitting as well.  However I have made a start; once it is all stitched up I can finish off knitting the border.  I decided to tackle this one first as I can work at it piecemeal a bit at a time until all the stitching is done.  I am aiming to have it sorted by the weekend. Still a little way to go but nearly another project to bite the dust.  It is my birthday on Saturday another year older; it is als...

Friday was a mixed emotion day  for me as two of my kittens (two little boys) went to their new owner.   I was a little upset and concerned as with the best will in the world you never know who they are going to.  However it would appear that they have gone to someone as soft as myself for which I am pleased and both boys are together  as she has decided to keep them both - originally one of her friends was going to have one of them.  So I am grateful from that perspective.    Although I have indicated that if for any reason they cannot keep them (one never knows these days) then I would take them back as I would not want them to be without a home.  Cats, kittens dogs are for life  - well they are in this household. Molly has been calling for them and looking for them but she will settle and. at least she still has the other three at home which I am keeping (one more than originally anticipated). .The kittens keep looking for their sibli...

Ham, Gammon, Cured meats I very rarely buy sliced meat unless it is on offer. The exceptions to this being salamis or cured meats however I aim to tackle that one in due course.  That is on the list to have a go at.   As I have said before for the best part I buy ingredients preferring to buy a chunk of ham or gammon or a ham hock and cook it from scratch.   I have more choice of what I can do with the meat this way on, quite frequently getting a full main meal out of this for a weekday tea with the addition of vegetables as well as for pack ups or salad and any bits and bobs left over can go into a soup (Pea soup sprinkled with ham hock is particularly nice or Risotto and of course I also get the ham stock in which to make home made soup and for adding to gravy.  It is a buy product of the cooking so why waste it. It adds a lot of flavour.  But ah you say gammon or a boiling hock are extremely salty.  Well they can be it depends upon the cu...

For those of you with kitten envy just a few photos of the little darlings.  There are five in all, three little boys tabby white and grey and two little girls the little tabby who is the runt and who is called Mischief, one of the Grey and white tabbies is called Bumble and the Little black and white one is Tinky 2.  This is a little photo heavy and the photos have been taken with my phone so are a little hit and miss. They are into everything but very very affectionate More to follow later on Pattypan xx

As I have indicated in a  previous post I am intent on experimenting with different crochet stitches and expanding my stitch repertoire as up to now I seem to have concentrated on trebles and variations thereof. I am quite taken with the popcorn pattern and I have located a tutorial here : For the single row version h https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dK4V6ZtC2A  For the double row version:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMKIf_WErOQ And a pdf written pattern here.  The written pattern provides for one row of the popcorn stitch where in the video tutorial a double row is used although in complementing colours. Here is the link to the pdf.   popcorn_flower_granny_square_bobwilson123.pdf Here is a photo of my first attempt - I was quite surprised how quickly I got to grips with the popcorn and I really like this pattern.  I just need to work on the tension a little bit and placement of stitches in the centre.  I also did an extra r...

Well I am lagging notoriously behind on the 52 Projects challenge and perhaps I should have given up on this but that is not in my nature and I do not give in easily.  I will get there in the end. Despite for the past weeks not being able to do any needlework of any nature this weekend I have finished off a couple of spiral scarves that I had started crocheting and not finished, so that is another couple of UFOs off the list.  Still many more to go but at least it is a start. I just love the colours of these two scarves I have also downloaded a couple of crochet tutorials off of You Tube as I want to expand my stitch library so research and shortly practice will commence -  I have the wool I just cannot find the right sized crochet hook at the moment they are not where they were left so I may well have to purchase a couple of more hooks. I decided in my infinite wisdom that I wanted to try some different stitches. Up to now I have predominantly used...

Happy Easter to all of you I hope you have a lovely day although the weather is very uninspiring dull and grey and wet here in Peterborough a duvet kind of day.  I was woken by the gentle pitter patter of rain drops upon window panes that gentle constant noise where you are not quite sure of whether it is raining or not and a quick look out the window quickly confirms its damp and wet which you knew anyway.  A curl up sort of day to browse, to dream to plot and plan and to remember. Always on holidays like this my mind goes backwards to those memories of family gatherings and to those loved ones now passed; many have now gone and only a few remain.  Our holidays were so much about being together with loved ones, good food, diverse fun personalities and awkward ones who looked after the children, put them right gently, allowed them to be children within safe parameters and learn at the feet of our elders.  The older younger children took their turn in the nurturi...

Lets face it all of us have things that we use regularly either on a day by day or month by month basis; and it is also a given that each household is different and has different requirements. Take for instance my family unit which consists of the two of usI like to keep in food that is good and solid and with the addition of a few other items can make simple substantial meals that you do not pay through the nose for.  Potatoes  I like to keep a sack of potatoes in the house.  Normally at this time of year it is a little late to get a sack of spuds but today I fell lucky acquiring a 25kg bag of Nadine Potatoes, which will keep the two of us going for at least six weeks probably more and cost me £7.  Work out how much you are paying for the bags you pick up from the supermarket and see just how much more you are paying for a larger sack; having the larger sack also means that potatoes are sorted for the time being so it is one less thing to remember to put ...

Hello everyone so sorry I have been absent for way too long, partly to not being 100% partly due to writers block, but I am pleased to say that I am starting to get back on track.  After my accident I was left with an extreme amount of pain which hey ho I have been working at and we are starting to get that back under control as well.  However a week last Thursday I received a copy of a letter from the Hospital after my last Consultants appointment in February which to all intent and purposes was a copy of a letter sent to my GP. That letter confirmed that I have for the best part got all the nasties under control however there was a PS on the bottom of the letter indicating to the Dr that after the last round of blood tests it appeared that I was extremely low in Vitamin D and could they please prescribe high dose vitamin D medication as quickly as possible.  The appointment was at the end of February, the transcription was dealt with on the 5 April, and according t...