Jenny Wren Crafts - Blog

25th January 2022

1/25/2022

Have been busy booking theatre tickets today. Feeling a bit more confident now that they won't get cancelled and there seems to be a lot of good stuff on at the moment. Malvern is particularly good. I now have tickets for the following:
Same Time, Next Year - Malvern
Animal Farm - Birmingham Rep
The Travelling Wilbury's Experience - Malvern
An Hour and a Half Late (Griff Rhys Jones, Janie Dee) - Malvern
Private Lives (Nigel Havers, Patricia Hodge) - Malvern
Private Peaceful - Malvern

Haven't looked at Stratford yet. I still have a credit with them from 2020 when everything was cancelled.

Looking forward to going to the cinema more too, I missed so many films last year that I would like to have seen. I'll just have to wait for Netflix now.

23rd January 2022

1/23/2022

First month of a new year and I'm already behind with posts!

Filled all the gaps in the skirting board in the conservatory and gave the whole thing a coat of white emulsion. Looks really bright in there now and is ready to be decorated properly.

Picked up a couple of nice fake plants from Poundland. I tend to steer clear of real plants as I'm not very good with them and away a lot in the caravan. I have a few nice ones now and they're no trouble at all. (just blow the dust off every now and again). Just need to find a nice container for the cheese plant. Ikea had some nice fake plants too (and containers) so I may pick up one or two more when I go next time. I am going to get a Billy bookcase for the conservatory.

Went to the Malvern theatre on Wednesday to see The Dresser with Julian Clary and Matthew Kelly. Very good, really enjoyed it.

Two birthdays this week. Olivia was 12 on the 20th, I got her some Harry Potter Lego, and my friend Tracey was 50 on the 19th. She had a party last night at The Mount Hotel in Tettenhall. It was lovely to be out enjoying normality (over 50 people in one room with no masks! Ahhh.) but I will be keeping my fingers crossed for the next few days!

Carrying on with my knitting. Have now completed the two fronts and started the sleeves. Also managed to get some buttons for the green cardigan so that is finished too.

Have just this afternoon been to see Belfast. Excellent and Van Morrison music too. As someone who is old enough to remember the 'troubles' in NI and who has visited Belfast, done the bus tour, seen the 'peace wall' and the murals (all freshly painted) and the markings on the kerbs, it was interesting (and disturbing) to see something of what it must have been like for those living there at the time. Even now whether you refer to Londonderry, or Derry and the newspapers you read can have implications.

8th January 2022

1/8/2022

Mark and Michelle came round today to put the laminate floor down in the conservatory and the skirting board. The floor went down really well and used up every piece that I had bought, just a few offcuts left. The skirting board was even closer with just a few scraps left! It feels warmer in there already and I can now get on and decorate.

For Christmas Mark and Michelle had an air fryer from Michelle's parents. I had never really paid much attention to air fryers before, thinking of them as a bit of a gimmick but seeing what theirs could do I decided to get one for the caravan to save using the big (gas) oven. I never use the oven anyway as gas scares the life out of me. I chose the smallest one I could find (pictured next to the kettle for comparison) so it doesn't take up much space in the van, and tried it out today for some onion rings which cooked very nicely. I bought it from Argos with some Nectar points I had and my Christmas money from my step mom. Thank you Shelagh!

6th January 2021

1/6/2022

First day back at work on Tuesday but at least I didn't have to drive into the office. Still hard though to get my mind back focussed on my projects.

On Wednesday morning I had to take the car in for service and MOT. I booked it into the nearest IN'n'OUT centre as the Camping and Caravanning Club were doing a special deal with them. I arrived at my allocated time of 10.00 and was told to come back for it in 3 hours! Luckily the centre is opposite Ikea so I headed over for breakfast. I had a Teams call for work and then spent the rest of the time looking round. Not difficult to kill 3 hours in Ikea (in fact you could get lost for days in there). I picked up a few ideas, took a few photographs and came out with just 2 hand towels and a pot plant. Very restrained! The car passed with no advisories and it actually cost less than I was expecting as the synthetic oil was included in the price.

Took the Christmas decorations down at night and put them back in the loft. The Christmas tree is still looking good, though a little bare. I don't really know what to do with it now.

Work again today so nothing exciting to report except that it snowed for about half an hour this morning. Have been getting on with my knitting. Have completed the back and now working on the two fronts. I often do the two fronts of a cardigan together as it ensures they are exactly the same. I also do the same with sleeves.

2nd January 2022

1/2/2022

Already the second day of the new year. I spent new years eve and new years day with Mark and Michelle. We all watched Jules Holland and welcomed the new year with Auld Lang Syne (one of these years we we'll actually learn the words!).

I can't believe Michelle has completed 52 crochet projects this year, including 10 blankets! Rather puts me to shame but I have read 42 books, spent 80 nights in the caravan and 7 nights in the apartment at Weymouth. Looking forward to exceeding that this year!

As a change Mark and family came to me today which was nice and helped me to set up the rest of the technology I had for Christmas. I can now ask Alexa to switch on the lights in the conservatory and turn the heating up and down.

31st December 2021

12/31/2021

Spent a lovely day on Wednesday visiting Richard, Debbie, Brendyn and Olivia and exchanging presents. I had lots of crafty things, knitting, sewing and needle felting. I can now also reveal what I was working on before Christmas as it was for Olivia. She is into Harry Potter at the moment so most of her presents followed that theme. Mark made the glasses for me from earth wire and I painted them with black nail varnish.

Well, last day of the year. I think we all hoped that things would be different from last year but although they have been better this year we are not out of the woods yet. I am keeping positive and have booked some holiday away in the caravan which will give me something to look forward to.

Happy New Year everyone!

28th December 2021

12/28/2021

Spent a lovely Christmas with Mark, Michelle, Anais and Roman and we all had some great presents. Anais' were mostly musical, Roman had lots of Lego, Michelle had lots of pampering things, Mark had useful things and I had all sorts from a camping chair, to a smart plug, an Echo Dot and a fitness watch. So now I can sit on the sofa and get technology to turn things on and off and then get told off by my watch for sitting still for too long!

Looking forward to seeing Richard, Debbie, Brendyn and Olivia tomorrow.

Have spent most of today sorting out where to go for my long holiday next year. Have decided to go down through Somerset, and North Devon to Cornwall and back though South Devon, Dorset and Wiltshire. All booked and on the calendar!

Started some knitting over Christmas. It's a jacket I did many years ago but I like the pattern and I don't think it has dated. I also have a ball of wool from Michelle to knit a hat to match the scarf and mittens she crocheted for me.

23rd December 2021

12/23/2021

Hoorah, the shortest day has been and gone!.

To start where I left off last week - Thursday 16th I went into the office after the wreath making course as it was my friend Jackie's last day. She is taking early retirement after 15 years service doing apprenticeship certification so we wanted to give her a good send off from the team. Due to Covid many of the staff are working from home at the moment but my boss Jo, my colleague Sharon and myself all agreed to go into the office. Unfortunately Jo tested positive that morning so it was just myself and Sharon. We presented her with her leaving card and gift (a garden centre voucher to buy two trees for the garden), some flowers and a mock apprenticeship certificate.

On Saturday morning I went with Mark, Michelle, Anais and Roman to Hanbury Hall where they always dress the house for a 70s/80s Christmas. Always good fun. Full of Babycham, tupperware and Del Boy on TV.

On Saturday evening I was invited to Mark and Michelle's for tea and their friends Matt and Kay were there which was nice. We all had a good natter and a laugh.

The rest of the time seems to have been taken up with working, shopping for last minute presents, and wrapping. My living room now looks like Santa's grotto! Also been doing some crochet but I can't reveal what yet as it is a present. Pictures after Christmas.

Looking forward to tomorrow. No work, out of office is on till the 4th Jan and I can start to relax a little. Will be spending some time with both sons and families over Christmas so I'm really looking forward to it. Happy Christmas everyone!

16th December 2021

12/16/2021

Had a fun morning on a Christmas wreath making course with Michelle and Anais. The tutor couldn't make it so a guy ran the course and we all made it up as we went along. There were some really good results. Mine is OK, not very round!

Last night of my dressmaking course last night and my dress is finished!

10th December 2021

12/10/2021

Seriously behind yet again!

Wednesday 1st went to Malvern again to see Dial M for Murder which although it has been around for a while I have never seen before. Wednesday evening was my dressmaking course and I have now cut out the dress in the proper fabric, which is a navy blue cotton jersey, and stitched some of the pieces together.

When I was staying with Scarlett we were talking about real Christmas trees. She said she was going to get one as they smell so nice, so when I saw some for sale at a good price when I went shopping on Friday I picked one up. That is actually a sight understatement. I wrestled one into a trolley to pay for it and then stuffed it onto the back seat of the car and just managed to close the door. When I got it home I staggered with it from the car to the conservatory (the net bag was ripping and bits of it were escaping) and dumped on the floor thinking OMG what have I done! Luckily Mark rang up the next morning and asked if I wanted any help getting the Christmas decs down from the loft and putting the tree up. Did I want help! Just a bit. He had to trim the trunk down to size to get it in the stand that I had which was meant for a fake tree and when we took the net bag off it sort of exploded to about 4 times the size! Then I had to find a way to give it water which I did with cotton wool and a dish. Anais did most of the decorations and I have to say it looks really good and smells nice too. I have left it in the conservatory as it is nice and cool in there so it should last. The fairy had gone AWOL so we put Santa on the top but I found her the next day in with the Christmas wrapping stuff. (And I thought it was just elves that moved about!).

I have finished knitting the green cardigan. Just need to get some buttons for it. I have about 2ft of wool left which hopefully will just be enough to sew on the buttons. I knew it was going to be tight but that was a bit close for comfort!

Have now put the sleeves in my dress and finished the neckline. Just the buttonholes and buttons and the hemming to do. Am going to try out using a twin needle for the hemming so it will look as if it was done on a coverstitch machine. Last week of the course next week.

I currently have two very basic office chairs in the craft room, neither of which are very comfortable if you have to sit for a long time, as I do at the moment when working from home. I happened to notice some that looked nice and comfy on eBay so I ordered one. It came in the week in a small box. Is there anything that doesn't come 'flat pack' any more! Anyway I attacked it today and it went together quite easily and is definitely more comfortable.