I like making things: March 2024

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Our house is on the market

Our house is officially listed for sale. Not much interest yet. There was one debacle yesterday. Our agent said another agent wanted to bring someone to view the house yesterday between 3pm to 4pm. We have been running around like headless chickens to get it looking as best we can so we left it looking the best it has in years.

We went grocery shopping. The phone went while we were in the store 40 miles away. It was our agent. The other agent couldn't get into the lock box, did we have any keys hidden outside? Uh no! we gave her the keys we had hidden outside to put in the lock box! She didn't offer to go to the house herself to let them in and I was disappointed with that. The people were disappointed they couldn't get in and went away. I would have too. I dislike incompetency especially in professionals. We did our part, our agent didn't do hers.

Onwards and upwards!

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Home and house hunting

We are home finally. 12 unexpected days away from home was a tad stressful.

We realise that we really do not have any option other than to move closer to VA healthcare facilities so are looking in earnest at selling our place and finding something a lot closer.

My husband will be getting 5 sessions of plasmatheresis every couple of months henceforth and that is just too much travelling for us now. Not to mention the many other appointments he has to attend for.

So the whole house selling/buying thing has begun in earnest.

Not that excited about it all to be honest but trying to be positive.

Hope all is well in your worlds.

Monday, March 4, 2024

Husband is in hospital

We have been at VA hospital for a week and a bit. Had to take my husband to the local ER then they transferred him to MU hospital then to VA hospital. He is midway through a course of 5 plasmatheresis treatments which will be finished on Friday so then we shall be able to go home. I have been trying to keep up with blog reading. He is out of danger now but his disease is robbing him of the use of his legs. While we are stuck here I have been looking at properties around this area. Will blog more next week.

Glad you stopped by

I started this blog in 2011: Ever since my Mum taught me to knit at the age of about six or seven I have made things. Back then it was doll clothes. I was also inspired by Mrs Levitt an elderly lady who had a sewing room in a conservatory type room on the back of her house. I would sit and watch her in awe as she sewed.

When I was a child living in England the school system was such that you started at 5 years, did two years in Infant School, then four years in Primary School then five to seven years in Secondary School, depending on whether you chose to stay on after fifth form to get qualifications to go to University. I can't remember much of the Infant school other than making the standard square doily thingy from fabric that had holes in it so you could embroider patterns into it. A bit like the modern day cross stitch fabric but with bigger holes and spaces to make it easy for small hands to use. I also remember with great joy getting a toy sewing machine one Christmas which sewed only chain stitch but I did make doll clothes on it and that was before I started Primary school. I do have very vivid recollections of Primary school and having sewing and knitting lessons. In Primary school I knitted gloves and made a dress from scratch hand sewing it all.

Secondary school continued on with sewing by which time I had progressed to using full sized sewing machines and was making more intricate skirts and dresses. My parents bought me a proper sewing machine when I was thirteen. I used that same machine right up until I emigrated to Canada at age forty six years.

I have always had a fascination for sewing machines and knitting machines. I bought my first knitting machine at around age twenty one from an ad in a newspaper for twelve pounds. I had absolutely no idea what one was just that I wanted one. I trundled on the bus to the address in the advert and handed over my twelve pounds having absolutely no idea what I had really bought. Fortunately it came with a manual. It was an aged Knitmaster, very basic and I loved it. I wore it out. Next was a Brother push button one which I didn't keep because it was at a time in my life when things were difficult. Later on in my life, around forty, when things were better I bought a brand new Brother punchard machine with a ribber attachment. I loved it and made many things. Life took a different turn, I moved countries twice and along the way, regrettably I sold it.

Now, through the universe's blessing I now have another machine. It is a vintage one because they stopped making them early 90's but works perfectly and I love it. So I decided to make this blog to document my knitting progress and include sewing projects.

In 2013: we embarked on a new hobby, leather-work. My husband got started with it and it drew me in. It is something we can do together. We have a workshop so have plenty of room to work. We added another workbench for me to work on in 2013. We already had one but we were tripping over each other both trying to work at it. We only make things we want to make. It is strictly a hobby. We made some things for our good neighbours who help us out a lot. I am also working on Christmas presents. So this blog now incorporates the leather-work. Knitting and sewing will always be my first love though.

Fast forward to 2023 and now age almost 75 years. I have seven sewing machines, four knitting machines, several ribber attachments and a garter carriage for one of the machines. I am blessed beyond words, but I know that I have more than enough machines to keep me going in my lifetime so I don’t think I will be adding to my collection any time soon……….unless a nice embroidery machine manifests itself very cheaply.

I am a Brit living in the USA, sometimes I spell like a Brit and sometimes like an American. Sometimes I use slang and even make grammatical errors. I blog for the pleasure of it and to record my endeavours in the event that my memory fades, as I am sure it will with more age. I will be able to look back and remind myself of the things I have made along the way. So please forgive my mistakes when reading about my life making things here in the hinterlands and I hope you get as much enjoyment from my blog as I do from reading the blogs I follow.