The Help, Hats and Handicrafts

My needles have been going like the proverbial clappers - think I may need to have them surgically removed very soon - and the frenetic knitting has kept me from the bloggersphere of late .....

The charity, Shelter, has requested knitters to provide "Hats for the Homeless" and with the colder winter weather in sight when it will be no fun to be sleeping rough, my trusty Knit Girls and the Marple Knitting Group have knuckled down and are using charity-shop purchased wool and any leftover yarns to produce as many nice warm beanies for this cause.  As you can see from the photo below we already have quite a few ....

Well that's my hat bit of the above title and now I just want to have a little rave about the book I've just finished.  The Help by Kathryn Stockett is about racial segregation in the 1960's in Jackson, Mississippi - my daughter Sian, gave it to me whilst with her on Martha's Vineyard in October and as we so often enjoy the same reads I set about it the minute I finished Room by Amanda Donague (also excellent).    It is a real page turner, funny, poignant and relevant and I thoroughly recommend it.   Today I am taking Anna to the hospital for some physio and then we are treating ourselves to a bite of something or someone and then off to the Macclesfield Cinemac to see the film of the book.   I've heard good things and will let you know what we think.

When taking a break from clacking away at headgear I have been knitting a Christmas pressy sweater for the adorable Elias - my 5 year old grandson.  I'm really pleased with it as it's turned out to be such a little chunka-munka - here's a photo (don't look Kate or Elias) - hope the postage is not ridiculous as it's as heavy as a small suit of  chainmail!

The Film Society showed Walz with Bashir last night which was the Ari Folman superbly animated film of the 1982 Lebanese war and depicted in a sort of acid-trip way the massacre of  Palestinians at that time - this was no Disney and sort of closer to Apocalypse Now ....

My garden looks rather like a disaster area at present and hopefully the good autumn weather we've been having will continue into the weekend so I can take control in a woman-possessed sort of way and cut back all the herbaceous, remove fallen leaves and weeds and put pay to the wild strawberry plants which form across the whole area like congregating bad boys.

Next weekend, 26th November I will be participating in a village craft fair and hope to sell lots of my trendy knitwear and then on Sunday 27th off to the Vintage Fair in Wilmslow which last year was a blast and where I purchased my amazing 1950's foxfur cape - please forgive me - you'd want it if you saw it!

Death of Summer

No shyness here as death now glows

with autumn colour.

Much Keatsian mellow fruitfulness

as winter solstice nears

and Wordsworth’s backyard is at its loveliest.

Nature’s blanket

of acid-green mossiness

covers the path and the damp fallen branches.

The ancient dry stone walls all grey and tilting

And look ….

The lovely lake-face now breeze-stippled.

Amber bracken petrified to a crisp

and woody heather, dark-green and flowerless.

Icy falls spill over time-worn rocks

and froth with gathering speed.

Nests now dry and empty, birdless.

Underfoot the skittish blue-green slate

just a little treacherous.

And a zillion crushed and blunted pine needles

trodden flat.

Chill descends as afternoon’s

last sunlight colours the far-off vapour trail

with bright orange reflection.

The man in the moon now makes his entrance

as a full, round face beams down

and is seemingly pleased.

Autumn Compote

4 pears

A few plums

Stick of cinammon, allspice, nutmeg

Honey

Prepare the pears removing peel etc.

And cut into halves.

Stone the plums

Put everything in small saucepan with lid

And simmer very gently for about 20 mins.

By which time there will be lots of lovely juices

Serve with Greek yogurt