Monday, 8 February 2010

girlguiding

Did you know that girlguiding is 100 years old? I really like those traditional guiding activities, like knots, using a compass, semaphore, making triangular slings from your scarf, wearing a woggle, campfires...it was all about duty, being independent, being useful, and I suppose, being good. Like living the life of an Enid Blyton character: adventure, with morals thrown in. Anyway all those things appeal to me.



Alas, a modern Brownie will probably only do those things if she does her 'brownie traditions' or 'brownie skills' badges. When I was doing prep for the 'traditions' badge, I found out what a 9/10 year-old little girl had to be able to do to get her First Class badge, the highest achievement before 'getting her wings' - going up to Guides;

* have one shilling in a the Savings bank (£2.15 in today's money)
* cook a simple dish
* know first aid bandaging
* know the history of a place and act as a guide to the place
* make a milk pudding
* carry a message of 12 words in her head and deliver it correctly
* knit a pair of socks
* fold clothes for mangling and clean boots


and if they get this far they will of course already be able to;

* lay and light a fire
* make a bed
* cut out and sew a union jack
* tie knots

I certainly can't do all of these! When I last saw her, my mum gave me all her old Guide badges, a significant gift.



I wish I could tell you what they are all for, especially the one with the anchor. I'll need to find a Guide Badge Handbook circa 1972. My own brownie badges are equally unintelligible, a mere symbol on dreary brown. Today's have undergone a radical makeover, and what they lose in gravity, they make up for in their ability to tell the world, unmistakably, what they are for.


My brownies are currently doing their Adventure 100 badge, to celebrate the centenary.


You basically choose from 100 assorted adventures to gain 100 points. We're having a Race Night for 10 points. Fun races; wind-up toy, three-legged, wheelbarrow, dress-up relay, potato and spoon, island hop, maze, word search and A-Z races. With 'brownie cocktails' - squash and lemonade mixed in a cocktail shaker with an umbrella and slice of lemon, and fancy hats, like Ladies Day at Ascot.

I've spent the weekend making the winners some medals, with fabric scraps, cardboard, an ink-jet printer, and a stapler. I'm quite proud of the results...


Saturday, 6 February 2010

An Award


I'm absolutely thrilled to have been given an award! It seems so unlikely that my insubstantial, irregular little blog is worth of this, thank you thank you One More Stitch for the honour! If you haven't discovered One More Stitch, she has a fascinating blog that records her historical recreations, the most eagerly awaited of which is 'The Garment' ~ featured in the Aubrey~Maturin novels ~ and her research into the 18th century era. Truly edifying stuff

I must list 7 random facts about myself, and then nominate 7 more beautiful blogs for this award.

1. I really like cooking, and would love to do a 'come dine with me' style competition with my friends, because I am a little bit competitive

2. I'm eagerly awaiting 'The Hobbit' to hit the cinemas, I daresay I'll see it more than once

3. I love a windswept, lonely, unspoilt beach, it's my dream to live near one, one day

4. For christmas I was given 'Tea at the Ritz' to be used this year, and I'm quite nervous about looking stylish enough for the occasion, I'll be much more comfortable ambling around the NMM

5. I've broken my sewing machine, it's been a couple of months and I haven't got around to taking it to the repair shop yet

6. I long for a subscription to Selvedge magazine, and occasionally hunt for back-copies on ebay

7. I'm hosting a Norway-themed eurovision party this year, with gradvalax, and can't wait

And here are 7 utterly beautiful blogs, do pay them a visit ~

1. The Dart and The Hem

2. Glass of Fashion

3. Meet Me At Rubys

4. Yarny Days

5. Diary of a Vintage Girl

6. Cargo Cult Craft

7. The Champagne Bohemian

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Tune in...

Radio Dismuke on LoudCity

A swell 1920s/1930s radio station for those so inclined to create a little retro bubble for themselves!

knit in a hurry

a few weeks back
during icy days at work
these were essential

necessity is also the mother of speedy work

I knit these from my erika knight gloves pattern, just left off the tops of the thumb and fingers (though she does include a fingerless mitts pattern with extra ribbing, I ignored this), in some blue rowan I had stashed.

Monday, 25 January 2010

a change of department at work

self-determined list of must-read books to make me better at my job::

part 1:: books I would have loved to read when I was younger

My Naughty Little Sister stories by Dorothy Edwards
The Family From One End Street by Eve Garnet
Further Adventures From the Family at One End Street
Holiday at Dew Drop Inn, both by Eve Garnett
the rest of the Famous Five stories by Enid Blyton
the rest of the '... of adventure' books by Enid Blyton
Powder Monkey by Paul Dowswell
Clarice Bean by Lauren Child
Anne of Green Gables by L Montgomery
The Secret Countess by Eve Ibbotson
Witch Child by Celia Rees
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Rain by Kate Le Vann





list under construction, suggestions welcome
just added:
The Story of the Treasure Seekers
by E Nesbit

Saturday, 2 January 2010

books books books - 2009

Happy New Year! I hope you've had a nice holiday season. Though it's been very quiet on the blogging front, I had a busy December working at the bookshop, a fun christmas hosting for the first time, and turned 25 a few days ago. Almost no knitting or sewing though, the only thing I made was a christmas stocking. Alas, I did not fulfil my new year's resolutions from last year, so this year I've realistically decided not to make any.

This is the end of my year-long diary of books I've read, and it's been tremendous fun. I might do a 2010 diary, though offline as I can't imagine that this is of any interest to anyone else. If this post has anything to offer, it is my recommendation of all the books I've read, and an insight into my personality (you are what you read).

Since the last books... post, during November and December, I've read ~


1. Ramage's Diamond by Dudley Pope
2. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
3. The Moorland Cottage and The Cage at Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
4. When the Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs
5. BUtterfield 8 by John O'Hara
6. Sharpe's Battle



pitifully few, especially compared to the first 3 months of 2009.

So, the final statistics for 2009:

Total books read: 53
Total books abandoned: 9
Average books read per month: 4.42
Total authors read 25
Top 5 most-read authors:



1. Bernard Cornwell ~ 12 books
2. Lilian Harry ~ 6 books
3. Diana Gabaldon ~ 5 books
4. Alexander Fullerton ~ 3 books
5. Evelyn Waugh ~ 3 books



Percentage of books that feature WW2 as a setting: 28%
Percentage of books that feature a Ship: 28%
Percentage of books belonging to a series: 58%
Percentage of books set in 19th century: 43%
Percentage of books set in 20th century: 45%

Favourite books of 2009 in no particular order



Ethel & Ernest..........................Raymond Briggs
Rendezvous with Rama..........Arthur C Clarke
Westbound Warbound............Alexander Fullerton
Cross Stitch..............................Diana Gabaldon
Stardust....................................Neil Gaiman
Very Ordinary Seaman..........J P W Mallalieu
The Shell Seekers...................Rosamunde Pilcher
A Town Like Alice...................Nevil Shute
Vile Bodies................................Evelyn Waugh
the Sharpe series.................... Bernard Cornwell



Percentage of books read paid for: 38%
Percentage of books read borrowed/given/free: 62%

Book it took it the longest to get through: BUtterfield 8
Book I read the quickest (8 consecutive hours): A Town Like Alice

Thursday, 3 December 2009

how to make Sarah Raven's apple chutney

Chop up apples, onions and dates


blitz in the blender

add sultanas


add cayenne pepper, ginger, brown sugar and a pinch of salt

pour in the white wine vinegar


stir thoroughly


leave for 36 hours

put into nice jars you've been saving up for months


cut circles of paper to put in the top of the jars


add labels and give to friends and relations!