Cat Tale #5 Cats & Ladders

When Dad entered a care home, in 2003, and our family home of almost eighty years was put up for sale, Bigbrother took cuttings from the honeysuckle that had graced the front of the bungalow for as long as I can remember.   

Each of us siblings now has the honeysuckle growing somewhere in our garden.

I planted mine next to the back gate and attempted to train it over onto the kitchen roof.

It flourished.

As did the Loch Ness thornless blackberry Fester planted in the middle of the back fence.

They are both now so huge they have taken down a chunk of the back fence and even I (the shortest member of the household) have to stoop to get through the gateway.

I have bought and, yesterday, erected a metal arch over the gateway, and part of the fence.

Much to Fester’s horror the more intrusive blackberry runners have been pulled away, or turned back.

When the honeysuckle finishes flowering there will be hacking back, lifting, twining and praying that it regenerates from the base.  Cuttings have been taken just in case.

Erecting the arch necessitated using the short stepladder, which was left on the yard while I fought the foliage.

Then this happened …

Knicker Elastic

Whenever I find a naked doll, with a nice face, in a charity shop I bring it home and dress it.  Infant sized dolls (15 inches or above) are given to Age UK for ladies with dementia; having something to cuddle seems to help.  Smaller ones either become “Guess the name of the dolly” prizes, or go to a local foodbank at Christmas time (Santa’s little helper me).  Once people realise you knit for charity they inundate you with yarn so it costs me nothing but time, buttons and occasionally elastic.

Facebook Sunday 3 May at 12:05 · ·

Another dementia dolly dressed, but Rosie and Violet will stay with me until this present unpleasantness is over.

Monday 4 May at 22:23 ·

Does anyone know if Sainsbury's sell elastic, and if so whereabouts would I find it? 
The Squireen If they do it will be at the end of an aisle.. 
Bentonbag I thought so but there's a lot of aisles. I know whereabouts to find them in Tesco but don't fancy the drive. 
The Squireen Have a change of shop easy to get to now there are traffic lights on the junction. 
Bentonbag It's not me - it's Thunderthighs. I used to go to Tesco with Ferretfingers after Flower Arranging but the broken ankle and present unpleasantness has put an end to that. 
The Squireen Why elastic anyway? 
Bentonbag Doll's knickers. 
The Squireen Ah. I may have some bits. I will look tomorrow text me to remind me. 
Pinkitchen There's normally a little sewing bit/stand by the pharmacy :). 
Mrs Jeremy If I had had any in my sewing box, you would have been more than welcome to it but sadly, I don't have any elastic so can't help, unfortunately. 
Mrs Quilt It will be in the stands at the ends of the aisles near to the check outs. It is in little blister packs in a pretty minimal haberdashery. They only have narrow knicker elastic width. 
Kentishlady If you need wide elastic, I have some you are welcome to. It's black though. 
Bentonbag Not at the moment thanks.  The Squireen has just dropped off some dolly sized bits.

Meanwhile I had this Direct Message exchange with ex-university flatmate and Coven co-ordinator Dr E on the Isle of Wight. 
Dr E:  If you still want doll’s knicker elastic I can send you a couple of yards.  Over the years I hoard sewing stuff from Lidl.  I now have plenty of elastic for homemade masks but the smallest stuff is too small but ideal for dolls knickers.  About 1/4 inch wide.  It just wouldn’t do to have knickerless dolls that’s the first thing people look for. 
Bentonbag:  Oo yes please.. 
Dr E:  My husband doesn’t believe me that one of the first things one does when looking at a doll is to inspect her knickers. 
Bentonbag:  That's men for you.  You can always tell the quality of a dressed doll by her knickers.  When I was little Bigsister brought me one from Paris that has turquoise silk knickers with a lace border.  Maybe they think it's pervy if a bloke does it? 
Dr E: That’s exactly what he said.

I found the knicker elastic section during the big shop but it was empty: all gone for facemasks I suppose.

Twiddle-muffs & Knitting Terms

Facebook threw up this memory yesterday, which may be of interest to handicraft and needle workers

5 May 2019 at 09:16 ·

 Thanks to Mrs Quilt for the interesting textured yarns to make this twiddle-muff.  The brown is lovely and soft for the inside.  

I worked out that reverse-stocking-stitch was the best way to bring most of the shaggy stuff to the right side.
I had the bright idea of making a row of holes (yarn forward knit 2 together, purl next row).
Then I had the brighter idea of sewing on a button for each hole: 18 of the little blighters.   

At least I got rid of a lot of saved trouser buttons (fly, pockets etc).  

 If I think of doing that again I shall make far fewer holes. 
Mrs Quilt What are the little brass Welsh ladies? 
Bentonbag Bells.  I rescue them whenever I find one in a charity shop. The brown bit was curling up so I used them to hold it steady for photography. 
Mrs Jeremy This looks great, but not being a knitter myself, I am somewhat mystified by all the terminology such as stocking stitch etc. My mum didn't knit hence I never learnt that skill. 

Also, what is a twiddle muff? Pardon my ignorance here... 
Bentonbag A twiddle (or fiddle if you prefer) muff is given to people with dementia as having one seems to help them keep calm. Putting your hands inside one does give a sense of security (and keeps your hands warm). The different textures and things to fiddle with seems to be a sort of displacement activity and helps reduce anxiety. I've read claims that some care homes find they use a lot less drugs when residents have twiddle muffs. All I know is people seem to like them.
Stocking stitch is alternating rows of plain and purl. Usually the smooth side is the right(out)side, with reverse stocking stitch the loopy side is the outside.  Garter stitch is all plain and loopy both sides  Rib is alternating stitches of plain and purl: single rib is one of each; double rib 2 of each.

Also our knit'n'natter ladies get a lot out of knitting them, and I get quite a lot of creative satisfaction in finding new and different ways of decorating them. 

Btw thanks Miss Doozer for the bits and bobs. 
Mrs Jeremy  Thank you for the detailed explanation of both twiddle muffs and knitting terms! 
McChurch Same question here. Interestin` answer, ta.

Serendipity

My mobile phone is a simple Nokia held together with sellotape.   

It does calls and texts and that’s it.

A Facebook friend asked recently if I remembered Peter Plough from primary school.  He's back living in the village and they speak regularly on the phone.   

I told her that I remembered him.  Even as a child he was quite a memorable character.  He’s also my OldestBestFriend’s second cousin.  I asked if he would like his second cousin’s contact details as I know she’d like to get back in touch. 

Yesterday morning I messaged OBF’s contact numbers to the Facebook friend, which required me to have my mobile by the pc so I could copy them out of its phone book.  That done I closed everything on the pc and went downstairs to do the dishes, forgetting to pocket my mobile.  I may have also forgotten to close the mobile's phone book.

Fester went into the office to continue his endless list of pits.   

A little while later he appeared in the kitchen holding the mobile before him like some explosive device grumbling "I don't know ... it had Peter on it before I pressed something and it went off."

There's only one Peter in my mobile’s phone book so I phoned him to see if he’d called me.  

Peter Ceylon was one of the half dozen inhabitants of our university flat.   

We lost touch for decades until he was persuaded by another ex-flatmate to come to the Covens we had in London.  Despite the years, avoir-du-poids and grey hair he was the same as ever.  I last saw him at our late flatmate Paula’s funeral last year. 

He hadn’t phoned me.   

Peter’s so shy he never phones anyone.   

Maybe his mobile had decided to do it for him.   

It’s happened to me before.

Or it may be OBF’s number on my mobile’s phone book is right next to his. 

Fester can’t even text so he wouldn’t realise what he was looking at.

However it came about Peter and I had a lovely long chat, and the laughter of old friendship filled my garden for some minutes.