~a sofa day~

today is a sofa day

actually i have had a few sofa days this week

i am having a bit of a fibromyalgia flare up as well as a lot of pain from osteoarthritis making typing this very painful~so this could well be a short post but i am determined to start to blog regularly.

the weather here in this ancient forest is a typical dark, stormy winters day. i was in the garden earlier watching as swampy was using foraged birch and hazel sticks to make a makeshift fence. we still have some nasturtium flowering and my pot of canyon sage has many little purple flowers and smells gorgeous when touched~releasing a spicy scent into the air.

our black elder is going a bit wild and swampy took off two long thin branches-these are going to be dried and sanded and will be created into wands to be sold at the wylde apothecary next year. i have also been going through the seasoned branches we have in the shed to find some good pieces for my new inspiration-decorated wooden pendants/amulets/talismans.

i have also had some inspiration on making medieval scrip bags so watch this space...

~the grrl-cave~

 

i would like you all to meet

 

the

~*grrl-cave*~

 

 

it is no-where near finished yet, i have most things sorted into boxes-my photos, memiorbilia from all my trips away, cd's, codys old toys which i cannot bare to part with, old copies of 'country living' magazines.

 



 

we are putting in more storage in our living room for our large dvd collection but for now they sit on the shelves

 

all of the 'stuff' on the floor will be gone soon and the two shelves of 'stuff' that can be seen above the wicker basket (holding mismi and inca's playthings) are swampys modelling things-paints etx which will be going into the 'man-cave'.

i plan on making some blue gingham curtains to hide the less than nice looking boxes

 



 

you can see why i have done no crafting for a few days...pictures that need hanging and swampys radio controlled boat he is building and a couple of boxed models (he is a big fan of building models!)

 

 

good grief it looks so untidy!

 

 

 

as you can see evangeline is not taking up any room at all and her basket is sitting safely on top of my parents kitchen cabinet...another thing i cannot bare to part with. our bread maker is stored on top but next week i tackle the kitchen and will make room for it. 

the little section of shelving you see here will have a curtain as one shelf is dedicated to stock piling the long lasting foods we have in the camper.

 

i bought a new chair which is a folding one and swampy is going to put me a hook behind the door to keep it away nice and tidy when not being used.

 

~*~*~*~

 

as you can see by my posting photos it means i have replaced my broken card reader, which means a new post of what i have been crafting over at my *alittleeclectic' blog

 

~*~*~*~

 

now make sure you have a nice cup of tea because this is what else was on my camera...

 

we had a blue sky walk where is was foraging hips and haws for a potential project and i saw what i think is either one of the nightshade family or guelder rose up among the sloe bushes...

 

 

 

we had a lot of rain recently and the 'watersplash' reached the 1 foot mark...

 

 

but swampy drove us through in big old pretty pagan!

 

 

the weather now calls for my gorgeous green boots teamed up with a new dress which i am so in love with!

 

 

a cup of afternoon chai...

 

 

i had a serendipitous moment when taking a load of things 'down the tip'...i have had an idea for my crafting...about taking my crafting in a slightly different direction that would need storage jars.

as we were driving down the lane that leads to the tip i was pondering this very question and thinking where to buy the little jars to store dried berries, leaves etc....

 

only to find these in a box at the tip...

 

 

there are 18 altogether, one without a lid and i bought them for 50p!

 

 

on the way out of the forest we went via the ornamental drive as it was round up day but we missed all the excitement but i always enjoy this particular drive that takes us past rhinefield house

 

 

 

and now it is time for baked potato with garlic butter!

 

 



~so much rain!~

it has been raining and raining here

although that has been a smidge frustrating as swampy has some garden work that needs doing it has been great for the land~the ponds and some streams have been so very low and you can almost feel the earth gasping for water.

we have had enough here that many areas of the forest are flooded

today we are forecast heavy showers and high wind and the showers are forecast for another ten days.

~*~*~*~

i am feeling a wee bit better today, i am coughing less and it is less intense when i do cough. of course i have yet to see how it will affect my m.e and fibro.

still if i can get out and potter in the garden a bit (when it is not all water logged!) i will be happy,

i am getting a bit stir-crazy being stuck in so much.

~*~*~*~

we have our stonewylde gathering in twenty days and so we have both had to sit down and decide what to wear.

usually its not a major problem but as friends are going to be handfasted at avebury on the saturday of the gathering we decided we needed something a bit special.

so we have bought things from

the viking store

and

get dressed for battle

i have gone for a medieval skirt, top and laced corset vest combination with a loop belt and belt pouch...photos to come after the gathering!

~*~*~*~

i have just also ordered some crafting supplies to make some necklaces~choker and long over the head ones~for etsy, and to take to the sunday market of the gathering.

i have been toying with the ideas for them for ages and finally settled on soul star and earth star gemstone necklaces.

i am hoping it all arrives tomorrow morning so i can have a good weekend of crafting.

i have also ordered myself a couple of little extra bits for my own 'charm' necklace-i always think its a good advert to wear things you craft!

~*~*~*~

well time to go and be busy!

~coconut oil & yarn~

well folks the coconut oil treatment worked a treat.

i think the trick is to really give your scalp a good soaking and leave it overnight, but cover your hair!

i have a floral buff that i have had for years~last seen here in my avebury posts from last year keeping my head from getting sunburnt...

so i just wrapped my hair totally at bedtime to protect my pillow.

in the morning i just washed my hair in my usual seaweed shampoo and so far i have been 95% itch free for two days and my hair is super soft.

i have to admit i have been contemplating using home made shampoo, i seem to have an ever increasing concern over the assorted chemicals in products.

we use faith in nature seaweed shampoo and although it doesn't contain SLS or SLES i still wonder if my scalp is sensitive enough to be intolerant of the ALES in their product~its entirely possible.

anyhow i have been on the susun weed forum to see what other people do~i am not sure i am brave enough to go the no-poo route.

do you want to share your haircare with us?

do you have any shampoo recipes or are even no-poo?

if you want to share just drop me an e-mail and i will do a sham/no-poo post in a few days!

~*~*~*~

we have had a few nice days and so i have had to combine not using all my spoons with enjoying a bit of time in the garden.

i shall try to get out tomorrow and take some photos, but we have a few nice splashes of colour. the yellow of the forsythia is fading to be replaced with the bright, almost lime, green leaves~that alone makes me think we are really into spring now.

swampy is convinced we are still due another spell of freezing weather but i think mother nature knows best.

****

we are both excited as next week our raised beds are going in~gone are the days of an almost formal garden, it is now divided into exciting sections.

now we have my 'nook' which hopefully in the next few weeks will be resplendant with wooden seating and a little table~i cannot express how excited i am to have my 'nook'~everyday i look out or stand there imagining sitting in my seat with my crochet or a book, enjoying home made lemonade and looking at our growing things and listening to the birds, we are so lucky to live where there is no passing traffic and are far enough away from a main road.

next come the raised beds, edged on one side by the path~a bench is going under the bedroom window under which is going the small logs we have been collectingfor our fires/outdoor cooking~even boiling a kettle when it is too nice an evening for going indoors!

the pathway will also house a potato growing bag and tomato pots and hanging from the eaves will be baskets with strawberries.

the garden is then divided again with cody's 'bed' and goes up two steps under a wooden arch to a sloped grassy area where a wild life pond is going.

around the edges are beds where we have flowers and herbs.

we have never had a 'forever' home before and so never really had the inspiration to do anything so exciting. although it has taken nearly two years to get to this point (and the bedroom still has not been decorated!) it feels good to know that the main work is nearly done and we can really start to enjoy it.

~*~*~*~

i have been pandering to my crochet obsession these past few days~one day i couldnt even get out of my pyjamas and did little but read~i finally started 'wildwood-a journey through tree's' by roger deakin (who by the way wore boots from green shoes, the folks who made my lovely green boots!) after finishing 'blackberry wine' by joanne harris (another beautiful book)

i first heard 'wildwood' read on radio 4 and fell in instant love with his lyrical writing and so finally recieved my book as a yule gift.

...here i am branching off, i am meant to be showing you this...

do you like it?

my lovely alpaca cotton is being worked into a grannie shawl and as i am working it with a size 7 hook it is growing fast.

as you can see its designed with blocks of 'raindrop' separated with bands of 'rice' and 'salmon'~two more bands of 'rice' today and its back to the 'raindrop'.

i am now debating if i should edge it with scallops of 'rice'...

depending on how much is used i may well make one up to go into my etsy store.

well i have been sitting here too long and feel mentally tired now.

its only just gone 5pm but as you know that is effectively mid-evening for me so its time to get into my comfortable pyjams (not a spelling mistake~read 'pie-jam's'!) and think about dinner.

*~*~*~*

~at my desk~

we have had a jig around here in the little house in the forest

when we first moved in we were excited at having what we saw as a second bedroom...it was small but it was a room we didn't have in our tiny cottage in dorset.

and yes we did have people stay.

then it turned into 'my' room, where i would study.

while waiting for my studies to start again (i have taken an extra few months break until i start up again in october) swampy took over the room and it has now become his 'model' room~where he sits building his huge truck models while listening to his rock music (ac/dc arrghhhh i cannot bare that mans voice).

so now, with my increased crafting and thinking ahead to october 'my' room is now the bedroom.

we have the luxury of a large bedroom which looks out over the back garden.

so, if you can imagine, behind me at the far end of the room is a large black iron bed, my large desk sits against the other end wall under the window that takes up the width of the room, facing, as i mentioned, the garden.

i have been sitting here today working on some ideas i had for little teeny bags to hang on neck cords~wouldn't you know it, i made three before becoming frustrated, cutting out a basic shape, sewing and threading and that was the best one i had made all day!

it is actually very sweet (and swampy my biggest critic loves it so i know its more than okay) and so i will finish it properly tomorrow for myself and it's future followers are destined for *a little eclectic*

i am hoping to pin swampy down (oh er missus) for a bit of a photo shoot tomorrow and fingers crossed my first items will be on etsy later in the day.

tonight i plan to work on some crochet.

i started a shawl for my sister ages ago with some yarn she gave me to make one (unfortunately its acrylic and really puts my teeth on edge) when  i first started to crochet and before i knew any better.

as a result i was creating a shawl in totally the wrong stitch and as a result it was taking forever...and ever...plus my increasing looked rather dodgy and i was very unhappy with it.

well i started all over again...with the acrylic~eeep!~ and working on the idea of an ever increasing triangular granny square and its working perfectly. more importantly its growing quickly.

do you know i haven't started work with that gorgeous alpaca cotton?

i keep looking at it and thinking, and thinking some more but finding it really hard to take the plunge and start work with it.at this rate i will still be pondering over it come yule.

well time to whip up a nice salsa to go with my veggie roast!

*have a good evening*

~white, blue & rebellion~

i pulled back the kitchen curtains at about 6am this morning and was surprised to find everything covered in a layer of frost, but even better a pale blue sky that hints at another nice day here in this ancient forest.

we have had a few days of nice, but cold weather which is raising the spirits no end i can tell you.

i am hoping today will be the day for a photo shoot for the first of my etsy goods and i have set aside today for creating more goodies.

my 'secret nook' is up already!

i just need to encourage the long strands of climbing jasmine to start their looping journey around it~although i don't think it will need a whole lot of encouragement.

 i am now thinking that once the pots have been put back i shall light a small fire in my little iron cauldron and sit in my chair wrapped in a blanket to welcome my nook.

i am thinking i need another green man to decorate it...

~*~*~*~

in the garden the snowdrops and crocus have nearly finished now and our daffodils have started to flower bringing a nice burst of assorted yellow tones, the forsythia is still a glorious burst of yellow and i was pleased to find tiny buds on my oak, birch, hawthorn, beech and rowan.

we were in a small garden center the other day looking at tree's and found a small~well its about 7 foot~snake bark maple that had been reduced in price to under £10.

no other tree had been reduced and i can only think it had been passed by so often that they wanted rid of it the poor thing, so it is now happily sitting in our front garden.

there is a story behind my wish for a tree...and a whole lot more, in the front garden...

the front gardens in our small part of the village are rather...sterile to say the least.

we have two cattle grids that keep out the ponies, cows, donkeys and pigs as the front gardens are all open plan (my mum has two catches on her gate~one of them a special safety catch which means ponies cannot push it open easily). but that is no excuse for sterility...do you know there is nowhere for the birds to perch?

shocking.

when we moved in we were 'encouraged' to keep the sterile atmosphere for assorted reasons...even not to have anything grow up the walls of our house~none of which would stand up in my fictional gardeners court.

well now, if anything was designed to make me rebel is to be told how to have my garden.

but one house just around the corner is one i find so exciting...rebellious you might say and has been frowned upon!

they have bushes and plants everywhere and it gives it a nice feeling of privacy...then you walk around to our end of the cul de sac and its sterile city-central~board expanses of open lawn with flower beds only under the window. woe betide anything that eats into the expanse of lawn.

well no more i say!

we started by erecting an arch over our front door and planting clematis that could grow over the arch and then along under the eaves of the house...no?! how vary dare...

last week we planted two small beech hedge plants in the wall of bare cream brick wall between our kitchen and living room window, these we are going to grow up into a raggle taggle high but narrow hedge...and of course the maple which went in right in the middle of our lawn in front of the living room window...how vary dare...

we have a small acer in a pot which is going to go in the middle of the lawn the other side of the path and...we are going to put a narrow bed either side of the path and grow a lavender hedge...how very, very dare!

and we are going to paint our front door a bright poppy red...

to use the talk of my childhood...'ummm I'm telling...'

~thank you~

thank you all for your kind comments about my crochet~as many of you know i only taught myself last year after many unsuccessful attempts in the past that involved much throwing of hooks and yarn and tears...yes tears of frustration!

its lovely to know there are folk out there who actually like what i make!

as you can see on my sidebar i decided to take the plunge and finally in the process of setting up my own Etsy store~ *a little eclectic*~but at the moment showing my two favorite sellers, the bloggers ren at fairysteps (who made my lovely bag!) and rima at the hermitage.

i love crafting and admit to having become totally obsessed with crochet, but realised i have reached the point where i cannot keep everything i make in our small house and my sister will not want everything so decided that it would be best to see how i go with Etsy.

~*~*~*~

we have had a few nice days here in our forest which has inspired swampy to start work on the pergola over our little patio in our garden. he was going to start with our raised vegetable beds but the shop had run out of gravel boards so as it was a big job decided to get the pergola made.

some of you may remember last year how i was unable to go into our garden during the hottest days of summer without burning as our garden is open to the full sun from almost the moment it rises until early evening at summers maximum and we have no shade from tree's.

we planted a climbing jasmine outside our back door two summers ago and it has flourished amazingly and will grow quickly over the pergola. last year we planted a rambling rose in the bed alongside our little patio and that will also grow up to provide shade.

so i am getting very excited, and hoping we have a lovely summer, about sitting in my shady nook with a book, my journal or crochet (even maybe even all three!) with nothing but the sound of the birds and water.

i am even more excited (if that's possible) as swampy is also creating a 'water feature' (i really hate that word but have no alternative for it!).

in our garden we unfortunately have a large metal cover over what goes down to, i think, underground overflow pipes and so our plan has been to cover it with something easily removed if workmen ever need to access it...

as you can see until now our stone bird bath has sat on top of it with pieces of purbeck stone and plants growing around it which disguised it but we have always longed for the gentle splash of water.

well luck came our way, swampys sister gill gave us a small fountain pump she no longer used. so we bought a small tub to hold water and two bags of north sea cobbles, was given metal grating to stand the cobbles on and swampy is going to create a rustic wooden surround for the tub. hey presto there is my splashing water and extra water for the birds to enjoy.

we stopped at burley yesterday on our way to get the wood and walked from where we parked 'pretty pagan' into the centre of the village via the woods~well we found a square lump of granite just sitting there and the first thing that popped into my head was how perfect it would be as a small alter stone for the garden~and so my lovely swampy carried it back to pp for me.

it seems it was just sitting there waiting for me to walk by!

and later this year a small wildlife pond will also be finding its way into a small corner~i never imagined we could squeeze so much into such a small space!

~swampy by the way has finally started his very own blog!

he, as yet, has not caught the blogging bug however and so you will find two lonely posts here and for more gardening gill's blog is here. those of you who go to see her blog, yes that is her gorgeous blue shed and i am so envious of it!~

~*~*~*~

well time for me to get moving~we had planned to go to lymington as it is market day but its turned into a grey day with a chance of showers so i may just buy what we need and come straight home~i had planned on some thrifting but maybe that can wait until another day.

*i hope you all have a good day*