2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

florianatwobob

@Muddy_Walker crochet is easier for me and faster. If you’re looking at online tutorials and patternsremember that the UK and US have different names for some of the same stitches. The most obvious is that a UK double crochet is a US single crochet. 

I’m self taught and this is one of my biggest/most complex makes and he has wings now (need a pic with those attached)  

But I started off with squares. This was the first respectable one I completed (with self striping yarn). 

basketcase

@Muddy_Walker
I think crochet is one of those things that are easy-peasy to the people for whom the penny drops and an uphill struggle if it doesn't..

I'm one of the latter - not helped by the fact that I'm strongly left-handed.  I'm not going to be beaten by it.  I've even got a set of spiffy hooks, some cotton yarn suitable for beginners and an Idiots Guide which says it has both right and left-handed instructions.

Unfortunately, it's 'somewhere safe'.  But as soon as I dig it out I'll have another go!

@vulpix
Police Navidad...! 🤣

TC77

My daughter is crocheting  a scarf which looks fab and only learnt about a month ago. I can knit but can't get hang of crocheting at all.... 

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks 

2. Sort out sleep patterns - target bed by 2:00 a.m. & up by 10:00 a.m 

3. Deal with mail & email on a daily basis

4. Don’t put it down, put it away + deal with mini tasks as soon as they are noticed e.g. refill olive oil pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc

5. Commence ‘Operation Frog Tickling’ using the acronym - I.R.I.S. (Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off) - One per quarter

6. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Thursday: Joy of joys, the general rubbish wheelie bin was emptied this morning 👏Unfortunately DSis was feeling too unwell to accompany us to Kent. DH & I loaded up the car with an overnight bag, the focaccia  + bottles & cans of drink for Kent & also for our visit to my cousin on Friday. We set off just before noon (my first time sitting in the passenger seat 😉) & had a trouble free journey arriving just after 13:00. Just the nine of us around the table. An help yourself side table of cold foods & a few dishes of cooked foods on the main table (bubble & squeak, sausage rolls & pasties & the focaccia warmed up) DH had a few beers over the course of the day & stopped at 19:30 changing to Pepsi Max, whilst I contented myself with root beer. Lunch was light & very tasty. Everything cleared away & we spent the next few hours chatting. The 6 year old was on fine form - chatting away & building Lego sets with his dad & his great granddad. He was happy as he was getting to have a sleepover (because my DSis wasn’t with us 😂) The leftover food from lunch was brought out & we had a ‘picky’ tea with mince pies etc to follow. A lovely day. Forgot yesterday’s decluttering 😉

353 - 357 Kitchen recycling, drinks cans, 2 glass bottles, wrapping paper - recycled 

358 - 359 Kitchen & lr detritus - binned 

I hope everyone had a relaxed & restful Boxing Day 😊 & that all our poorlies are on the mend & making full use of the TLC Carriage 🤗

MrsSD: I AM A ⭐️ - 🥇 🎖️ 💐 🌟 🏅 💐 🎖️ 💐 ⭐️ 💐 💐 🥇 ⭐️ ⭐️ 💐 ⭐️ ⭐️ 🎖️🎖️ 💐💐⭐️ ⭐️

DH Awards: IS A 💎🏅 🌟 🥰 🏅🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅 💐 💐 🤗 ⭐️ ⭐️

Decluttering Target 2024: 2029/2024: New Target 366:  359/366

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £681.70

StickyTheStickInsect

@Mrs_Salad_Dodger , thank you for my gold stars and for your cwtch’s and kind words!

@vulpix , what a wonderful photo.

@Muddy_Walker I’d like to learn to crochet too, I can knit badly, as long as it is in a straight line but there seem to be some many lovely crochet patterns.

I hope everyone has had a nice Christmas day and Boxing day, we’ve spent time with all my extended family, I’ve eaten too many chocolates and the children have had a fabulous time, so all the stress in the run up to Christmas has been worth it!

London_1

TC77 said:

My daughter is crocheting  a scarf which looks fab and only learnt about a month ago. I can knit but can't get hang of crocheting at all.... 

I have been knitting for almost 75 years and I've tried to crochet and just could never get the hang of it.
  I have even knitted when I had an eye infection as I do it every day, if I'm watching tv, and I hate to think how many wooly things I have made over the years

 My late Mum taught me before I even went to school as a very little girl and because of so many things being in short supply after WW2 I think most of my generation learned from their Mums. I used to knit my late brothers socks which I hated doing as school socks were always  boring grey, and 'turning the heel' was a fiddly thing to learn I swore I'd never make anymore when I grew up and I never did  

I remember my Mum teaching both my brothers to knit, my eldest brother could never get the hang of it, but the middle boy did, and I remember at school in London in the 1950s every London child who could knit was encouraged to knit some squares to be sewn together for blankets for the refugees from Hungary when the uprising happened and the tanks rolled into Hungary.

My brothers pals were quite impressed at how he could do it, and the teachers were pleased as well as my brother was bless him quite a scallywag, and always was getting up to mischief. But showing that even boys could do it, as sailors often did at sea,( several of my uncles were merchant sailors) it wasn't considered girly but quite clever. I know my brother once knitted a big thick heavy sweater that he used to keep him warm when he went camping with his mates in the Scouts.

I have a friend who spent ages trying to teach me but I just didn't get it I think I've just got too used to knitting yet she was a whizz at doing it
.Sadly she no longer knits or sews anymore, as she has contacted dementia, and even talking to her on the phone is difficult as she sometimes remembers me, and at other times forgets bless her and I've been friends with her for almost 60 odd years .she's sadly gone downhill very quickly  and the woman who not only could knit ,crochet and sew and also did tailoring and made so many clothes now barely speaks very much at all.its a wicked disease that robs folk, its called the long goodbye and its very sad to see  

Today was a day for eating lots of odds and ends  up we have four of my grandsons staying here, three are going back to the mainland on Saturday, and the eldest returns back to London on Monday so the four lads have been eating their way through mountains of food and there still seems to be such a lot left at the moment.
it will actually be nice to return to eating 'normal food' again

I love Christmas and having the boys here (this afternoon we had a very noisy game of Monopoly) But it will be good to get more normal life back again and start looking forward to the spring and sorting out the garden how we want it to look

My DD did her Christmas dip with one of the boys at Ventnor at lunchtime, and although the weather was quite mild and even the sun came out she said the water was very cold and she was in and out fairly quickly, but a lot of fun to watch. 
Next year she said she would do the Ryde one as the beach is better and more stable. Ventnor beach is more very soft shingle and not very comfy to run into the sea in, she said it was like running in a quicksand and it felt like you were being sucked into the beach, whereas Ryde is very sandy and a lot firmer. It was great to see how many folk turned out though, and a lot dressed up in fancy dress as well.

Well I would like to wish you all a very Happy and Healthy and Peaceful New Year, lets hope 2025 bring you all cleared of clutter houses, but then we wouldn't have this forum so leave a bit to chat about

Night all


JackieO xx 

suzeesu2000

@London_1 there were lots of photos of the Ventnor “dip” on Facebook today, maybe you can see you and family there? Personally I think they are all mad lol, bet that sea was flipping freezing. Still, plenty of folk went for it didn’t they. Was thinking of planting the seed of asking everyone for £1 and donating the money raised to RNLI and Independent lifeboat. Our Freshwater dip wasn’t as big as the Ventnor one.

weenancyinAmerica

@oceanspirit - my problem is I love reference books and having them around (was a city librarian for several years before becoming a family history librarian). Unfortunately, I also tend to hold onto the light reading books, mainly mysteries, that I have. This will be the year I cull the lot. 

I love crocheting. I do a lot of knitting, but just straight knitting - lot of blankets and scarves. I started taking a class in both just so I could find the time to do them. It has been helping, but have the same problem Brie has - in my case three cats who love playing with and biting my yarn. Have to lock them out of the room or as I usually do, go sit in the car and work. Our weather isn't so bad here and sitting in the car will work. I'm not sure I would want to do it in the rain. We still haven't had rain here - and they aren't expecting any for weeks yet. At least the tourists are having a good time.

Hope you had a good Boxing Day, especially with the leftovers.

Muddy_Walker

Florian I love the dragon and those colours! I am awake at stupid o’clock with a thumping headache and a dry mouth so glass of water some painkillers and a couple of crackers will sort that.
got both dogs cwtched in which they are happy about. Def lots of sleep today as my mind feels “full” and “noisy” .
Need to sort out some more decluttering at the weekend and make gentle plans for 2025…..

GrannyKate

Morning all.  I took my laptop but never got round to posting as it kept getting in the way so I had to put it upstairs.  I hope everyone had a lovely time.  I drove safely to DDs and back again yesterday about two and a half hours each way.  Foggy though yesterday and surprisingly busy.  Got back to DS2's just as all 4 children (aged 9-15) had arrived so chaos whilst presents were unwrapped.  DS2 did delicious lunch.  We ate quite late at DD's on Christmas Day as DGD1 was doing a shift at restaurant where she works first.  We had been for lovely walk with dog and horse in the morning.  DD bought us tickets for show in May and I had some nice goodies.  

Today I am decluttering my car about 10am.  Late DH bought it for me 6 months before he died in 2018 but it is time for it to go.  New one will take some getting used to.  Then 3.15 I am catching train to Stockport (Rather a bus for the first bit) just for 2 days with DS1.  I have one suitcase full of presents and a few clothes and will take a small backpack to put the rest of clothes in.  I did not plan gifts based on public transport.  Coming back Sunday teatime.  I did not want to do trip over hills in my car before I got used to it.  There is at least a through train coming home Sunday but none running today. 

Next week I need to prepare for electrician so Christmas things will have to be packed up straight after New Year.  Grandchildren are at their dad's most of next week but he is on leave so I am hopeful that electrician will be finished before they need to sleepover here again. I think of my parents at Christmas and remember all those times in Norfolk at Christmastime.  Dad died on New Years Eve 43 Years ago and mum just before her 97th birthday 11 years ago.  Three of my 4 brothers are gone as well but I try to remember the happy times.  I have some bills to pay and lots off disruption to come but hopefully I can get on with planning to make the bungalow into my home in coming year.

Back Sunday and hope to find some things to add to my totals.  Seasons Greetings to all.