Finds

I talked about buying nice, ideally sustainable things for Joe here. And yesterday we went to Stockton Heath (which is quite nearby and a bit posh). I managed to pick him up this little wooden truck filled with blocks from a hospice shop - they also have a big premises where they sell a lot of secondhand furniture.

I was pleased with it, being secondhand, non-plastic, traditional and a snip at £3. A quick going over with some soapy water and it can go in his bedroom.

There was so much to rifle through in there - it was like the shop that time forgot. And I'm not just referring to the stuff available to buy. It was a bit dingy, like the houses in sitcoms like Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em or On the Buses. But I liked that in a strange kind of way.

There were some silk scarves too. I picked four up, at a pound each. I was very happy with my bargains - so happy that as soon as we got home I handwashed them and hung them out on the line. The wind soon whipped them dry.

The geometric one is Italian and I'll probably wear it.

This one's a bit sailor for me but the silk's very fine. I'll have a think about what I can do with it... something for Joe's room maybe?

The ship was certainly being tossed about on the high seas washing line as it dried.

The one on the right has a 1950s/1960s style design. I'm thinking of making a cushion cover or possibly even framing it...

Not a bad haul... and silk's probably better being hand-stitched so no need for the sewing machine (which I find a bit scary). They've since been ironed and smell nice and fresh too. They can be added to my projects list along with:

The purple wool jumper I felted (to make a stuffed toy for Joe, not sure what yet)
The Liberty shopper I want to make (but need some suitable fabric)
A new apron (but again need fabric: some which won't show any cooking splashes too obviously)
The many half-knitted things awaiting completion.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg...