b r i c k s

So sick and tired of the horrible miserable weather. It's been rain, gloom, cold and wind for about 4 months solid. These are the only small glimpses of light we have seen, warming up the brick red on our walk with doglet. But they soon disappeared and the rains started again. We haven't even had any snow, or crisp ice -- just relentless wet murk, and mushed leaves. The very worst.

A m s t e r d a m

We've just got back from a few days in Amsterdam, which was great. The weather was cold and rainy, but we're used to that and we spent most of our time in brown cafes and in galleries anyway, alternately appreciating paintings and beautiful cats (who spend a lot of time in brown cafes too). Our hotel overlooked the harbour (see last photo above) and was very modern and slick. This was in striking contrast to the rest of the city, which is incredibly old (lots of the buildings have survived from the seventeenth century) and which I loved. It is full of nooks and crannies and beautiful quiet courtyards hidden just off bustling streets like small slips in time. I took the top 3 photos in the Amsterdam Museum.

hot tea

When there's time, it's perfect to have extended breakfasts with steaming tea and warming porridge. I've had the small brown betty teapot for some time, but it was languishing at work unused. So now it's come home, and I made it a teacosy. Continuing the frugal theme, I made it out of things I already had in the house. So this is all from scraps of leftover yarn, and I just made the design up as I went along. The source of the leftovers:

• Orange house bricks: from new hat for A, knitted for Xmas 2013
• Brown house bricks: from a scarf for me, knitted a very long time ago.
• Sky: from baby blanket
• Sun: from fried egg jumper
• Grass & trees: from two jumpers knitted for A (one abandoned, more to come on this) in Summer 2013.
• Window frames & shutters: Sarah Lund jumper 
• Roof tiles: a new cardigan for me, knitted Autumn & Xmas 2013 (more to come on this). 
• Roof grout: scarf knitted for friend years ago. 

The backing fabric was leftover from a jacket I had made several years ago, so the tea is now indeed kept warm by bits and bobs from many different stories.

r e s c u e

For ages I've been looking for a small side table to have at my end of the sofa -- one that has drawers in it, so it can store whatever knitting or sewing I have on the go. Since we moved in I've been using an old table found in a skip, which was pretty good but it had no drawers and was very lightweight, so was very vulnerable when doglet came barrelling through. It's really difficult to find something small and neat though, especially (unbelievably) for under £350. So I've been watching and waiting, and holding out til after January, which needed to be austere after an expensive December.

Then fortune fell my way -- out in the street someone left a perfect side table. But it was very, very sorry for itself, having spent several days out in the pouring rain. It was very scratched, had paint marks all over it, and generally very tired and worn. But it was such an ideal size, shape and style (my mid-century favourite) that I went for it anyway and brought it home.

I would be thrown out of blogging school for forgetting to take a 'before' picture, and I'm annoyed I didn't. But in any case, here are the 'afters'. I worked it all down with sandpaper and white spirit, and then painted the drawer fronts and the top with magnolia (for the 60s feel) gloss paint. I tried filling in the scratches with brown ink, but it didn't do an awful lot for it and I thought it would just have to be shabby chic. But then I found this miracle product, which I can't recommend enough. Pledge scratch restorer. And a restorer of faith too. I worked it carefully and slowly into all the scratches and gradually over the entire wooden surface and... the result was amazing! It feels as though it really nourishes the wood, and the finish is as smooth as french polish. I love it so much. It's turned out brilliant, and is just ideal for a glass of wine, and a store of threads, yarns and scissors.

Frugal, but it feels like a treat. Very happy.