Terrible weather

It has been raining since Sunday evening and it seems it is not going to stop until tomorrow afternoon. I am fed up with it. The cellar flooded last night and we were up and down emptying buckets. We gave up in the end. Luckily when we got up this morning it had all gone and when I checked last it had not returned.

Looking back over the last few months I worked out that we have had about 800mm of rain in the gauge since April.  This time last year we were about to have a mini heat wave but this year I put the heating on to stop it getting too damp. Usually the heating doesn't get used until  mid October.

 On a lighter note here is the little chap I made for John's birthday

he was in the current Molly Makes magazine. I had to redo his legs and body because stuffing the legs and inserting them in the little slits and then sewing the rest of the body did not work. I knew it wouldn't but carried on. next time I will trust my instincts!

BBBrrrrrrrr

it isn't over warm at the moment. We went out last night and I took my scarf with me. If this carries on it will be a long winter. The only consolation will be that the sinuses will settle down and less painful.

Sewphie the stitcher now has stuff in her pockets:

and a rather cute pin cushion.
I must admit I could do with a dress with pockets  like that to stick bit and pieces in.
I might have said before Sewphie is a Magic Threads pattern. All of the patterns are straightforward and easy to follow. There might be the odd part that is fiddly but they are easy instructions to work out.
I have various projects that I am looking into at the moment.  I am amazed how difficult some  pattern are to use. One in particular proved awkward and I knew it wouldn't work. But I carried on only to give up and do it the way I knew would work. Experience does count in the end.

Change

It has seemed strange not getting ready for school this September. Back around Easter time I decided I would apply for my state pension as I was entitled to claim it from July. This would mean that if there was no tutoring I would not have to face supply teaching.

 So I began to clear out all my old school stuff work sheets I had kept for years and would probably never use again as now you are a failure unless you use an interactive white board. I thought about sending my "school clothes to the charity shop." Then in June it seemed that there would be some more tutoring so I sort of geared myself up to going back however it was cancelled the last week of the summer term. I can't say that I was disappointed.

 I am also the owner of a senior bus pass. It means I can pop to town without having to justify spending £3 60. It also came in very handy on holiday. But I wish all bus companies used the same method. Some give you a ticket, some don't, some card readers are on the top of the ticket machine , some on the side. The school clothes are now in a pile, the recycling bin is full of old work sheets and out of date education magazines. And I am wondering how I fitted in going to work.

Tia has found a new box to play in. She doesn't spend loads of time there but everynow and again she leaps in and settles down for some peace and quiet.

I have made a new pair of mittens. The yarn is Sirdar summer stripes

almost half of the palm side of one mitten is one colour but there is a good assortment of colours in the rest.






We have visitors in the garden as long as they only attack the nasturtiums I don't mind!

Alpacas and Yorkshire Sculpture Paark

On the day we visited the Yorkshire Sculpture Park we were distracted by Alpacas.

They were lovely and their short coats reminded me of corduroy.

 They looked so different without their shaggy coats. We took loads of photos but eventually thought we had better go and look at the new exhibits.

Found lots of these

 some were quite well hidden.

Biddle liked these

And he had a little sit in his favourite permanent sculpture