Now why did I ever start?

Have you ever started something that you really didn't think would be such a time-consuming task?

I helped my husband start work on sorting out the loft space. In the process I found some stash that I had completely forgotten about.

This was was the first stash I discovered, or should I say rediscovered? The garish prints are some screenprinted samples I did many years ago. The pieces at the bottom were cot sheets I made for my daughters when they were babies.

Here are the cotton sheets again, with some cot blankets and a stripy curtain. All these will find a new use. Their new home is as part of my ever-growing fabric stash. (Sorry this photo has been duplicated, I couldn't get the other copy to delete!)

As you can see the sheets were both brushed cotton and plain cotton. I have plans for some cosy brushed cotton pyjamas for myself ready for next winter.

Then I found the wool. Well, most of this is acrylic - the gorgeously soft acrylic. This was left over from knitted items made for my girls and my husband. Some useful quantities of a few colours and weights too. This has all found a way into my ever-growing yarn stash. I shall offer some of the yarn to my aunt, who knits blankets for different charities.

Lastly, I was so thrilled to have found this book.

Its a knitting book dating from the 1940s which my grandmother (my mother's mother) gave to me. I lost it some time ago.

It has some of grandma's notes in the front and also the back - this is a lace pattern. I think she means "yarn forward" when she writes "Tfwd" or "Tfd". To check, I shall have to try out the pattern for myself. This next photo is a project from the book which I shall certainly consider making.

There were no less than five carrier bags filled with the books we had hoarded but no longer needed. When we asked our next door neighbour if he wanted to have some of the books, we discovered that the "Old Friends" group had a book swop. This group is one of two groups of the older villagers meeting weekly in the village hall - the other is called "Coffee and Chat". Both groups run a book swop for their members. All books are usually bought from the local charity shops and returned there once everyone has read those titles they wish to read. (The groups only charge 10p per book borrowed). We donated three of our bags of books, leaving only the technical books to be taken to one of the Charity Shops next week.

The cats, of course, were not impressed by all the hard work.