Creme de la Creme Egg

Oooh, if only you knew the effort that went into this title of today's post! I had to eat many eggs for research purposes, it was hell! Thankfully, when the title was decided upon, I could rest. The remaining eggs are now on display as a reminder of the things we do for our blogs!

I trust you're all well?

Things have moved on a bit here since we last spoke; My dearest Bess (number 1 bicycle) has been fixed, I'd done the bearings (my poor poor nails were ever so black!), then my tyres wouldn't stay up... Long story short, it's all fixed (thank you Daddy!).
Another bike has been sent my way, it's on a time share between me and Ma as she doesn't have a rideable bike. This one is electric, or would be if the battery pack worked!
I've added yet more to the stash/collection/pile of tat - A handful of magazines, the picture of King George V... Gawd bless 'im!. Sunglasses and some Double Knit wool in a fancy shade called Claret (oooh, get me!) which is for a 1935 Coatee which will be knitted closer to Autumn (so, now?).

I've not much planned for the weekend; Tonight is a lovely night in with home-made pizza and the 100th episode of The Big Bang Theory. Then the rest of the weekend will consist of a chocolate egg, hair cut, some films and maybe a bootsale if the snow stays away - More warm weather please!

Speaking of films - Listening to the wireless the other day, an advert came on for Blockbuster, they suggested renting Happy Feet - I mentioned to Ma that I thought Kung Fu Panda was on the box. She turned to me and said that she had not desire to watch the panda as it wasn't believable... Dancing penguins however.... I think you're crazy Ma, but I love you x

Anyway, I think I've come to the end of this post, I didn't really have anything to say, but do want to wish you all a lovely weekend.

I shall be back next week without fail, I will (I swear) have finished something, either a 1933 Coatee with a nautical theme, or a 1939 Jumper with yachts on (no, it's still not finished!), or a 1940s Middy Jacket... Something will be finished!

So I wish you well

Jennie & family xx

The Bag Lady of West Wales

Hello All, I trust you are all in good health?

I haven't been so good during the past month, my last two posts were scrambled together somewhat, but now I'm getting myself back on track. I keep telling myself that there are worse things in life than a broken heart. But there you have it, we are no longer "we" and I think I've even bored myself with moping around!

Anyway, that's my poor excuse for bad grammer, lack of posting and a "can't be bothered" attitude!

So anyway, enough of my self pitying drawl, a while back in this post I mentioned finding two bags and hat going cheap and you wanted to see... Well, I got off of my rear end and took some snaps for you:

A new hat for chapel

This bag needs some stitching on the handle as it's come apart, oh and some leather feed... It's on the list!

Maybe a bit of feed, and maybe removed the spiders web from inside?

So those were my finds last month. Today I managed to haul myself out to the market to get plums and had a look round the charities and antiquey shops and found a 1957 booklet of knitting patterns which I forgot to photograph, but I'll be knitting one of the jumpers for the Summer. AND... yes, it did require capitals! I came across a bag which had my heart a-fluttering. At first I was thinking 1920s as it was similar to a bag Ruby wore in Lilies (second series, please?), then I decided it must be modern as the condition is too good. Well, I bought it and decided to ask you me dearies. My brain is too frazled to make the call. But the more I look at the details, the more I think it's pre-war.

The strap is long enough to wear across the body, with the bag sitting snuggly under ones bossom.

There's a scrap of lining left, I think it's grosgain. But round the edge under the frame is a bit of foam. I'm thinking of relining this, just make it tidy like? Tidy!

The gold-y-ness has all but gone... I can't find my words now, but I'm sure you know what I mean, you know, that thing... The thingy majig!

Anyhow, your opinion on the age?

I'd best get off, I can feel a ramble coming on, and I should really go and enjoy that sunshine... Yes, sunshine!

Toodle pip!

Jennie xx

Let's Make A Date In Our Notebook

First thing first - The weight of the 1949 Really Charming jumper is 6 oz, making Brittany's guess of 5.5 oz the closest. I can't believe how much wool it took, I'm feeling a bit cheated by the promise of it only taking 4 oz... never mind

But moving on from that is this cardi. Beautifully named the Date Maker, from 1946. I made this one up in red wool, which cost me just £1... I found a jumper on a £1 rail in a charity shop, the cable work was fantastic, but it was one of the most shapeless jumpers I've ever seen - So I bought it knowing something could be done, in the end, unrunning it was the best option.

I'm afraid I'm only doing "on the hanger" snaps right now, I'm in no mood for posing. It does look better on... I promise!

Any fans of "The Notebook" may recognise this one too, Ally wears a red Date Maker on her first date with Noah...


Awful snap, but just look at her cardi!

The buckle I was going to use was half the size required, but then I found this creamy one along with a black one in a chairty shop for 20p... 20p for two! I'm not sure whether to replace it at some point, we'll see how it goes.

If you too would like to knit a Date Maker, the pattern is available here, for free!

I'd better say my good-bye for now, work to do, tea to drink!

Good-Bye

Jennie xx

Really Charming In 1949

I find myself getting fustrated quite often when it comes to finding my next knitting project - I have a huge shelf (or 5!) filled with patterns, yet I always find myself back online looking for something else. But towards the end of January, I found a booklet lurking underneath everything else - The claim was that the jumpers contained within would only use 4 ounces of wool. Then I found "The Jumper", aptly named "Really Charming". When you name your blog "It's a Charmed Life", you really want a jumper to match, right?

So there you have it, I liked the name of the jumper, and the small amount of wool required, so I knitted it... I daudled quite a bit as I have so many other things on the go, but none the less, it's finished:

Apologies for a less than beautiful snap, it's a bit dull here, and I was so excited just to finally take a photo I didn't bother setting it up, or weighing it!

Place your bets, does the jumper weigh 4 ounces? I will be weighing it and letting you know next time, there will be no prizes but you will be entitled to feel smug if you get it right :)

I'm so taken with this booklet I'm already planning on the next project. Pink, I think.

Oh, and just in case you're interested, the booklet wasn't dated, but I found an advert in there for a Summer school starting in July 1949 - Good enough for me!

That's about all I have to say for myself today, just to let you know I'm alive and have finished something (at last!). I have finished the cardi, but have yet to take snaps. Now I only have six knitting pieces to finish!

So I'll say good-bye now, wishing you all a lovely day

Jennie xx

The National Botanic Garden of Wales

So then, what's the story in Balamory?

Well, it's been a strange few days, mostly good, though I did get whacked in the stomach by an over excited girl in a vintage shop - It was an accident... That's how she made it look anyway. I'm not too upset however as I did walk away with two bags and a hat (after paying, I must add).

Anyway, today was a rather exciting one:

We headed off to The National Botanic Garden of Wales, it's free entry during January and despite it being Winter, there was plenty to see. I won't go into details, I'll show you a few snaps from my day...




The Great Glass House

Inside The Great Glass House were areas representing different countries and also a room about Fungi.



Inside The Great Glass House

 This has made me fancy a conservatory, it's just too beautiful for words. Though don't be fooled with that blue sky, it was freezing outside, my 6 layers didn't seem to be doing much other than restricting my arms!

Conservatory Ideas?

Oh, and there were even plants there... Too fixated on buildings at the moment!

No idea, but it matches my coral jumper!

This has given me dressmaking inspiration - Watch this space!

There is also a bee garden, a Japanese garden, fish pond, a lovely gift shop - I used to be weel known for only visiting places with gift shops!

Oh and my favourite snap of the day:

You'd be quakers not to love me!

So all in all a lovely day, I do have it pencilled in my diary to visit again in the late Spring when more floral action is taking place.
In the meantime, I would suggest you come over to Wales and take a look. No boday has asked me to increase visitor numbers, but I do feel it my duty to try and talk you into coming. Here's the web adress in case I have talked you into a trip: National Botanic Garden of Wales

Hope you're all well, I'll be back soon with some exciting knitting/sewing things and proably more from my own tourist guide to Wales

Jennie xx

Vintage Puppy

Good Afternoon all, hope you're well.
Not so good here, but I really don't want to go into details just now - It's a long story for another day.

But I've missed you all, and was trying to find something fairly non-taxing to bring me back to blogging. Then I realised I still have some vintage snaps which haven't been shared!
I sound like your neighbour Jeanette after her holiday to Tenerife... Do you really want to see the photos? Tough, I'm showing you anyway! :)

Another doggy photo... This makes me want a puppy so much, why didn't I put one on my Christmas list?

There's Denise again (third from left), and her family... See the lady in the window?

If only I'd picked up their clothing along with the bag of photos...

Anyway, that's about that. The others are a bit out of focus or there just isn't much detail showing up. But I've just found the photos of my Gran's photos from the 1950s on the computer, so I'll show you those at some point. Think cotton dresses, Cornish holidays and my Grandad in shorts (bless him). They also feature a very young Mami, in a home made playsuit! Oh the cuteness!

So I shall say goodbye for now, I'll get my knitting finished and I'll have something very exciting to show you!

Until then, goodbye

Jennie xx

P.S. I just realised that this is my first post of 2012... Hope you all had a very merry Christmas and are having a wonderful start to the new year x

Don't Panic!

Well, hello! 6 weeks has it been? However long, it's been too long. All my plans had to put on hold so that I could discover and experience every possible emotion. Turmoil being number one, closely followed by helplessness, and I'd love to say everything's back on track now, but I've lost about 5 weeks, and now Christmas is next week... And I'm not prepared, everything seems to be going ?%£'s up, as my Great Aunt Dot says!

But that's enough of my whinging, I managed to get myself out to the Reindeer Parade about 3 weeks ago, it wasn't a well planned event and I must admit to feeling a slight bit disappointed, but I got to see Reindeer, and I love Reindeer - I wasn't in charge of the camera, so I am not to blame for a camera full of out of focus snaps, but this one may just redeem them all...

Those gorgeous bells remind me of The Polar Express... Have you seen it? Probably my favourite of the festive flicks, it's in the pile to watch. Speaking of which, The Chap and I are having a dinner & film week starting tonight, though we have too many films, so over the weekend, I think it will have to be two o'clockses & film & dinner & film - The list includes: The Polar Express, It's A Wonderful Life, The Santa Clause, Santa Claus: The Movie, Mrs Santa Claus, Santa Who?, Muppet's Christmas Carol and three others which are wrapped up and early presents to me to pick at random to watch - Nifty idea, huh?

As for dinner, he's cooking and I'm making the pud - Though I'm struggling to come up with enough ideas for a whole week, I'm trying to keep them indulgent, but not too heavy - Ideas?

My cuppa's gone cold, so I'll have to keep this brief unless someone wants to pop the kettle on for me.

My sewing has been abandoned also, though I managed to find the energy to make some of these reindeer brooches:

No time to make a reindeer jumper though, but I will be starting one in the New Year to ensure I will have it for December next! I have bought the wool to knit a scarf for the Chap, but I would like to ask a question: I want it to be maybe 200cm in length, and I want to knit it side-on, but my needles are too short... Do you know of any really long needles? Or should I make some? Or should I just knit it rib (which I'm not a fan of)???

I think that's me done for the day, I could sleep for 23 hours a day and I'd still be tired! Dinner and film tonight - I hear on the grapevine it's mushroom and bean stew, but I haven't sorted a pud yet... Old Fashioned Chocolate Pudding?

Oh, ladies, chaps, I need your advice: Christmas Eve... The Chap wants me to stay at his and walk up to my family in the morning, but I like waking up at home and having a little stocking at the end of my bed (which Father Christmas warned me not to expect due to the financial situation). Now, I'm torn, do I spend Christmas Eve (my favourite day of the festive season) with the Chap, or with my family? And I can't do both, it's far too stressful!

I'll leave you with that conundrum

Over and out

Jennie xx