This is a fabulous book. Read the Journal Entries
HERE
otherwise, for more of my ramblings read on!
There was so much about this book I liked, the author's humour, the quotations at the top of each comment by the author and the just the way the book contents triggered thoughts and reflections to my own life.
References on page 12 are made to the fear of running out of yarn when knitting something, then by the time you go back to the store they have sold out or discontinued the line. Its happened twice to me, I know that is careless! The first time was for our kitchen breakfast room floor. The room is 22 foot. we measured and bought enough tiles, only we hadn't. We were two boxes short. In the space of a few days the shop has sold out of the tiles, as had every tile or DIY shop in the County. All the DIY shops tried to trace more through other branches, but to no avail. We tried the company who make the tiles. Even if we had a special order and paid through the nose for it, it would be worth it. The company had discontined the line and when they do that they break the master tile. The bottom line was the floor had to come up, and we were gutted.
The second time was wallpaper, we bought the exact amount of rolls the decorators told us too, we didn't check, because they were professionals. We ended up a roll too short. We did source a another roll and were just lucky to trace the same batch number. Otherwise the lot would have come off and there would have been no negociations on that score!
Page 19 - I loved this comment.
"Respect your inner compass" This is very true. I can smell a book,antique or craft shop at 20 paces, even if I have never been to an area, and of course I have to go in each one, it would be so rude not to! Although, Stuart is the same with fishing tackle shops and fisheries. Of course an ideal street would be a row of shops containing all our favourite shop weaknesses within easy walking distance of a fishery complete with a tea shop. Now that would be bliss!
Page 26 - Respecting that your partner doesn't want to be woken up with there has been a genealogical or eBay triumph, or when I am reading a book that is truely brilliant.
Page 37 - According to the author, in Devon (where I live) there is a tradition that the bride to be knits a sweater for her beloved. Mmmm, the jury is out on this one. As I am not Devonian I have no idea if this is true, but even if it is, I can not see the tradition focusing on a sweater. Does anyone know?
Page 71 - The author's comments about saving and savouring special yarns is exactly how I felt about some books, including this one. How many of us, when enjoying a particular book read slower, so to enjoy it for longer?
Page 72 - The author is right! Christmas is at exactly the same time every year, but why am I, and apparently the author never ready?
Page 83 - Traveling. I always pack extra bags if I am in the car or travel light if flying, so I can bring more bits home with me. As I pack now, I am amazed that the first time I went to Australia for a year I managed to leave the country with just 8Kg of luggage, of course, the return a year or so later I was subjected to extra charges having packed 66kg of luggage and I posted some bits home too.
Page 85 - What the author describes as the slippery slope. I'm on that slope, books, antique shops, craft shops and genealogy. Hopefully it will never end!
Page 288 - 289 This was a lovely story about friends, miles apart connected by emails and knitting. Hopefully we all have wonderful friends and many of these are made via the internet as we emerse ourselves within our hobbies & obessions!
Page 156 - reading helps me relax. This book didn't though, as I kept wanting to jot things down to record on here, but If I had just sat in the garden under the parasol with the sun out and a lovely cool drink and read this book I would have found it relaxing. On the whole though, I read at night and relax and drift into a wonderful sleep.
Page 162 - Now this was a fascinating snippet. Details of the knitting ability of a group of nurses that were sent from England to Newfoundland Canada-
Newfoundland Outport Nursing & Industrial Association (NONIA) - thinking with my genealogist head on, how many researchers have "lost" ancestors or family members because of this scheme and researchers not knowing that this scheme existed. I must do a search on Google!
Page 165 - Remaining with my genealogist head on. Isn't it funny how in modern times knitting is fashionable, and a hundred years ago, if you knitted, as a Frame work Knitter (FWK) you were poor and a labourer, working in harsh conditions with little rest.
Page 164 - This page mentioned those who knit using needles made of panio wire, with 40-60 stitches to the inch. Is she jesting? I have enough trouble controlling regular needles!
Page 167 - here was a very philosophical statement. Sometimes it is not destiny to finish a particular peice, I guess this could apply to everything we do.
Page 169 - Packing - I spend more time deciding what books and craft to take with me when I travel than I do packing clothes. Actually, last time we went away I forgot several important things, but had a healthy stash of books. See I have my priorities right!!
Page 172 - I noted this page purely for the wonderful quote
"He who works with his hands is a labourerHe he works with his hands and his head is a craftsman,He who works with his hands, head and heart is an artist" Francis of Assisi
Page 254 - And another quote
"A home without books is a body without soul" Cicero
Page 174 - Individuality is a good thing in life. What a profund and powerful statement.
Page 175 - This page talked about things, especially wool that is special to us. It made me think of things that are special to me, things that are preserved for the future and things that mean something to me and probably not to anyone else.
When my beloved Grandmother died there was a perfect shell in her bag. I put this in my pocket and when I began to feel better I left it at home on my bookcase. It has a special meaning to me. To someone else this is just a shell.
Page 179 - This was a lovely quote, written by the author
"I'm looking forward to getting older. As my memory fails me, I will get the pleasure of finding it all again" What a lovely sentiment that is.
This was a great book It was thought inspiring and a enjoyable, funny read. The Author has a web page
HERE
The marriage of Edith Matthews to Charles Jelley is crucial, not just to my research but also my sanity! I've been looking for this marriage or to establish what happened to Edith for 20 years. Edith was actually my great great aunt. We have a couple of photos of Edith, several with children and one of her wearing some kind of military or nursing overcoat. She would have been too old to have been nursing in the First World War, but could have been involved in The Boer War. Either way, she appears on the 1901 Census for Merrow Guildford Surrey and marries in 1902. So if you do connect to Edith, please, please drop me an 
The journal arrived on 
