I’ve been racking my brains for a title and that is the best I could come up with.

It all started so innocuously, ten days before he was admitted to hospital, son no.2 came home with a queasy tummy and tummy ache. As you all know he is working out in fields all day with horses having great fun being a Squire at Warwick Castle and we just thought he’d picked up some kind of bug. I made fun of him, saying we had better worm him, we went through what he’d eaten, what he’d drunk, he’d been drinking water from a rubber hose, whether he’d put his lunch in a fridge all the normal things that you do and go over when your child isn’t at its best. And the days that followed it carried on, he then got tummy ache. I just couldn’t work out what was wrong and asked and begged and pleaded for him to go to the doctors, but he has such a strong work ethic and didn’t want to lose a half day or full days pay so carried on. I’ve since found out that he didn’t quite tell us the truth as to how much pain he was in. Then he started to itch, but put it down to laying in the grass and the insects biting him, it looked like insect bites at the bottom of his legs which fits with walking through the grass, but then started to scratch all over. Then he told me his poo’s had gone white. Alarm bells really rang and I begged him to make an appointment at the doctors which he did, for last Wednesday, he was in hospital long before that appointment came up. On the Thursday, after he had came home from work and I had been googling, I tried to examine him, but he brushed me aside telling me he was getting better, and he’s big and if he doesn’t want to do something he simply walks off and there is nothing I can do about it. Friday came and I really growled at him to come to the light and let me look at his eyes. They were a deep yellow. That tan that we thought he was gaining, wasn’t a tan at all, he had jaundice. I made hubby take him to the hospital and they admitted him, I stayed at home gathering his stuff together and went later.

I’ve beaten myself up so many times that I didn’t see it before, I’ve looked through old photographs from our day out at Warwick Castle and at the party Mum had before and his eyes are white, it all happened quite quickly.

Weekends are slow in many hospitals and we had to wait for an ultrasound scan on the Monday. I went in with him, and watched as the radiographer tried in vain to find the gall stones we had been promised by several doctors would be there, he couldn’t find anything. We were told the scan had proved inconclusive and waited for a CT scan the next day. On the Tuesday we were told that he had a swelling in his pancreas. My heart stopped. And an appointment was made for him to go to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham to their liver unit on the Friday. By this point he was going quite insane because of the itching and we tried our very best to keep him as calm as we could and as medicated as we could with piriton to help ease his situation, it didn’t really work very well, but it ever so slightly helped. We bought him ear plugs to help with the snoring of other patients. Being the youngest patient in the ward by about forty years is very tough.

Son no.2 asked for his blankie. Remember the quilt I was making, it had been completed and stowed away for Uni, he wanted it with him. We had before he was ill great fun naming his quilt and he had decided it should be called the Blanketron 9000, and in his words “Warmer than the Blanketron 8000 but not as expensive as the Blanketron 10 000” how we had laughed.

I think it proved helpful to him and was ever so grateful that whilst walking around the Quilt show I had started to think about his blanket for uni and started to think about something fresh for him, bought the material and being so inspired to make it, made it in four days.



Whilst waiting for Friday, Sam and Andy came down from Leicester to see him to see him in hospital, they cheered him up no end. It was really nice to meet some of his university friends, they took no prisoners and carried on chatting to him as blokes do. I know son no.2 bucked up to the point that when I came back having left them for an hour, (I popped into the chapel and said a few prayers) that Oliver was stood up making Sam’s life a misery as he had managed to snare poor Sam’s phone and was trying to read and send naughty texts. I could hear son no.2’s name being called as I walked up the corridor and caught him at it, red handed, how we all laughed that I had caught him out.

They are very nice boys, and I am glad that my son has such a supportive network. One always wonders if your child is going to fit in and find friends at uni, I was glad to find out he had.

And then the days dragged on, the next day he was to the bone tired. I bought the chess set in that day. He thrashed me on the first game, he’s been able to regularly beat me since he was 12, but the second game, yep he thrashed me, but there was this one moment…



which gave him great concern, it was perhaps my finest moment of chess playing. It made us laugh, and then he thrashed me anyway.



We often sat in the courtyard off his ward. Very pretty it was and so unexpected. And as it was surrounded by walls was cool and often in the shade which was exactly what he needed for his constant itching. By this point he was tearing his skin to shreds, most notably on his legs, it was intense to see him like this.

We bought him the equivalent to a fun bag of toys and sweets for a child, I think the opening of it was much more fun that the prizes inside. It was almost like Christmas.

And we waited, and eventually Friday morning came and he was taken by ambulance with me at his side to the Queen Elizabeth hospital with his Dad taking the car.



The new part of the hospital takes your breath away, this is the entrance, I’ve seen smaller airports.

We went to the old hospital and saw the liver specialists. They don’t pull any punches these liver specialists, he either has a localised autoimmune pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer. The wipple procedure if it is cancer was explained to him and then during conversation the surgeon was told that his mum wasn’t a chemotherapy patient but one who specialises in autoimmune diseases. The specialist nearly leapt into the air with joy, he explained that he did not have my medical history and that put a new light on things. I and many of my friends and friends of friends are praying for all we are worth that this is the case.

We were told that he would need a stent in his bile duct and would have an internal ultrasound and biopsy, but they couldn’t fit him in today. Me being me, started to desperately try to find a way in which that could be done that day and nearly resorted to begging but just in time before I was reduced to a crumbled heap on the floor, reminded the surgeon that son no. 2 had had nothing to eat that day. Miraculously an appointment had been cancelled for 11.30 that day. We didn’t have time for the bloods that were necessary to be done, we ran from the old hospital to the new hospital in the pouring rain. I would have run to the ends of the earth, albeit it very slowly, but we made it in good time and he went straight in for this procedure. I think that was the biggest lucky break we have had.

He went in for the procedure and then we were didn’t meet up again for four and a half hours later. He’d been sent up to the ward and had been there for two hours but because of the unusual situation of grabbing that appointment the changeover had got cocked up. You can imagine just how his Dad and I were feeling waiting for all of that time. He stayed in over night, had the odd hiccup whilst recovering but is back home now.



He was on the highest floor, floor 7, his view from his window, its an amazing hospital. Brand new, things are still being finished off in it and the old hospital is slowly being placed in the new hospital. A & E was moved over just a month ago.



On the way out I took a pic of him with his dad,



And one of me and him.

The jaundice will take a while to go, as will his itchyness, his legs are still red raw, and this is Monday, but it is lessening and he is coping so much better.



And on the way home, we saw many, many rainbows.

He is starting to act like a normal male teenager, nose in the fridge what with his appetite slowly returning and answering back, he always has an answer. Its normal, I am grateful. We await news.

After my new adventures at the Festival of Quilts, I came home with a small pack of charm squares plus three pieces of fabric all in the William Morris colourway by Moda. I’d also picked up a pattern called One Pack Wonder by The Quilt room and I quickly set to work on Saturday morning. I pieced on Saturday and have quilted today, its not finished yet, but it is pretty.

Fancy a quick peek?





I learnt a new technique which was both daunting and exciting at the same time. If you notice the gold stripe it sits on its own, only attached on one edge. (I am sure there must be a technical name for this)



And a quick peek at the back, not finished and tidied up, but still looking reasonably neat.

That is it, I will quilt tomorrow, I need a rest now before I start making silly mistakes.

I trundled along to the Festival of Quilts at the NEC, it was great fun. I bought a little bit of fabric to make a quilt with, (One day I will finish one!) added to my KnitPro collection of tips and cables and bought a smaller cutting board and some beautiful fabrics for next terms sewing group adventures. I played with machines that I aspire to, met many new friends whilst waiting for the show to open and came back with the feeling that this show is just getting better and better. People seemed to come from all over to see the show, I met many people that had flown from Scotland and were staying over at the nearby conference hotels so that they could stay for a few days and take part in the many workshops on offer. Sometimes I don’t realise just how lucky I am to live so near to this event, I think I rather take it for granted.

There were hundreds and hundreds of quilts. I spent two hours looking at them and I am pretty sure that I missed a few, but I was simply too tired to go back on myself. There were many pictorial quilts, although I favour traditional quilts I am always in awe of just how much work must go into a pictorial quilt.

I am just leaving you with a taste of some quilts that I liked.

It was son no.1’s 22nd birthday a few days ago and what I haven’t told you is that son no.2 has finally found a summer job as a Squire at Warwick Castle. Not only is he a Squire, he is the King’s Squire, no looking after the Barbarians and their horses for him. We are very pleased for him and just a little bit giddy so it was decided we should go to see him for son no.1’s birthday treat.

I will start this post with a video hubby managed to catch on his iphone of the Trebuchet in action. “22 Tons of whirling death ladies and gentlemen, 22 Tons!”

This post is mostly about my sons and not a documentary about Warwick Castle, it was a fun day out though.

King Henry on Aaron his loyal and faithful black stallion, who is also very cheeky and is the only stallion in the group. Son no.2, on asking what was the best way to handle Aran and if there was anything he should and shouldn’t do (Son no.2 did not have a pony as a child) was told to make sure he didn’t walk Aaron behind a mare. It made us giggle.

The Barbarians arrive on their tub, (although I don’t think any of the children noticed that their horses had arrived before them!)

Son no.2 walks Aaron off the stage whilst fistycuff’s and swordfighting are going on all around him.

Remember the horse is cheeky and is quite a big, solid horse, well…

He is very naughty calling to the mares, you can almost see son no.2 is slightly shaken, but he holds firm.

And then Aaron settles down. What I have to tell you is that Aaron and son no.2 have become firm friends, I didn’t quite manage to photograph the moment where Aaron completely cuddles up to my son whilst enjoying a gentle nose rub, this is as close as I could get.

There was jousting and other games involving quite alot of fire, it was quite a long show, over half an hour.

And the final line up.

When asked to hold on whilst I get my camera out, son no.2 replied with “well I will, as I am contractually obliged to do so”,

Aaron in all his glory.

Then a quick shot of the heir apparent on his birthday with his dad.

And then with me.

And he played at bows and arrows.

And climbed the tower, having done that before I carefully declined the very kind offer and

caught up on a few rows.

Then it was son no.2’s second show of the day and we caught him carrying the Kings flag back to base.

and then we have a photo of the Heir and the Squire.

Son no.1 loved his birthday treat and son no.2 quite enjoyed us being there, so it was a win, win. And I think son no.2 is a very lucky boy to find such a wonderful summer job, mind you, he had been working very hard to find something this summer with chasing the agencies and job centre every day, so you can imagine just how pleased we are.

I had a lovely afternoon at Fibre East yesterday, it is still on today (Sunday) if you fancy a trip out. It was comprised of lots of small independent traders who were having great fun showing off their wares.

With two marquee’s to explore and a hubby who was quite content to explore the refreshment tent we both had great fun.

I do hope this goes on to even bigger and better things, it was truly magical, so much so that I just forgot to take photographs as I was talking too much. (Hush, Mandy, No, how could that ever be?) But I did manage to get one shot.

And what did I buy?

Well actually I didn’t buy any yarn, although I was sorely tempted. What I did find is an interested way to use up my surplus sock yarn. You know the bit that is left after you have knitted a pair of socks and you put away wondering what you are going to do with it because it is far too pretty to throw away, but not quite enough to do anything more with.

Well I have a plan. I am going to make pretty blankets, with my bits and bobs of sock yarn, even if they are only dolly blankets for my Goddaughter to play with. And I am going to make them with this, Hazel Rose Looms .

In my defence of my new hobby, at least I didn’t bring back the full blanket sized loom that was being sold at the bargain price of £250.00 ONO. I nearly fainted, now if I just had the room and a few more days in the week, I could have happily bought that home.

As some of you are aware hubby has been tending to the plot this year, which has been a great help, but it is time to rejoin him on his quest to grow vegetables. Apart from that most of the digging is done, although there is hoeing to do but that is a never ending chore and soon there will be much picking and preserving.

Hubby put up a second greenhouse this winter, which has given the room we needed to play with aubergines. They are doing really well.

They do however hide rather well and this

were two we found hidden at the back. My crystal ball tells me that there will be Moussaka for supper on Saturday. Possibly with a cucumber and coriander salad,

and maybe some artichokes to start. We had ten artichokes off these plants just a few days ago and they are ready again.

The runner beans are showing promise as are the sweetcorn.

And as this is a knitting blog, lest one might think that I have given knitting up, which gives me the shudders just thinking about it.

A little something in a delicate shade of blue resting on weathered wood.

We will have a fishy on a little dishy, oh yes please. There are times in life where one needs to mark an occasion and without giving too much away this was one of those times. So, I put my hound dog scenting nose to good use on the internet and found a place which I hoped would be a memorable restaurant to mark such a day.

After spending the morning at our knitting club, Carie, Kitty and I tootled along to Loch Fyne, although they have been here in this town for a while I had never ventured there before, but recently had heard good reports. We decided to venture forth on the a la carte menu, we were not disappointed.

We both started with Moules and this was a good decision. The pomp and ceremony of this dish made us both giggle, when the lid was removed the aroma of garlic, cream, muscles and the salty sea came billowing out of the pan. They were lovely as was the delicious liquor that was left at the bottom of the pan. I remember remarking that if this was the size of the starter, one can only wonder as to how big the main course might be. Whilst eating them Carie and I both grinned like cats that had gotten the cream. Kitty was quite content eating her salmon goujons, chips and peas, Kitty enjoyed her salmon and chips and very much liked her peas, me thinks she may well have a sweet tooth just like her mama.

And that was the last photograph of the food, because we love our food and the camera was completely forgotten whilst we were eating.

We both decided on scallops for our main, Carie had her scallops with bass (I think!) and I had mine with prawns. They were everything scallops should be, sweet and lightly cooked with just a touch of caramelisation, we enjoyed them immensely.

I remembered I had my camera with me and passed it over to Carie just in time to catch a rather cute photograph of Kitty wearing her adorable hand knit bib by her Mum.

When my sons were small they loved to go to the big park where we live known by them as the Happy Fields. “Are we going to the Happy Fields Mum?”, they used to cry two or three times a week which we used to walk to wearing a rucksack a piece. Even when son no.2 was very small he wore an appropriate sized rucksack, and we all carried between us a blanket, sandwiches, lemonade, apples and crisps, a football, a frisbee, half a stale loaf for the ducks and most often along came a dog. We used to spend the day, feeding the ducks, paddling in the stream, pushing them on the swings, kicking the ball and playing with the frizbee with lunch somewhere in between and then walked home late in the afternoon, tired and content, they were indeed happy days spent at the Happy Fields.

So having those lovely memories in my mind and before setting off for the day I quickly packed half a loaf of bread, having tipped Carie off that we could wander into the Happy Fields after lunch and that she might need to provide rain cover as the weather wasn’t looking so good. It was a good plan.

However, Carie had even better plans. Because just as we were walking back to her car, she said to me, that “Sweet As” had arrived in my home town and wondered where they might be. Quick as a flash I realised exactly where they were as there had been much talk about having a cake shop in the town, although it had completely passed me by that it was Sweet As. I quickly directed her to the nearest parking space next to the shop. We grabbed Kitty and dashed to the shop making plans whilst we walked. They were not good plans slimming world wise, but for the soul they were wonderful. A piece of cake each was bought for an impromptu picnic in the park and cake was also bought to share later with our lovely husbands. We would have felt too guilty if we hadn’t shared, and it did give us the opportunity to taste a different cake that night. (it was all good, very rich and chocolately)

We found seats by the lake and as Kitty was fast asleep took the opportunity to eat cake, whilst having a lovely chat, one I will remember forever for all good reasons, and soon Kitty was awake and out came the bread and the camera.

Carie and Kitty throwing bread to the ducklings, they were so funny.

A nice shot of mum and daughter gazing at the duckings,

we laughed into our boots as the rest of the gang realised we had bread.

And then we took Kitty into the play area to play on the swings. Kitty is not too impressed, just a little bit scared, look at that thumb, it makes me giggle, and look how wonderful mum is.

but soon Kitty was feeling just a little bit more confident,

and then she was swinging on her own, yay. I think we can just glimpse a toothy peg or two?

And I have to tell you this, although I don’t have the photo as my parents have my baby photograph album, Kitty’s first swing was on the very same swing, same place and position, although her swing looks a little newer than mine did, as the first time, or at least the first time the camera was took out and at about the same age when I swung in a swing in the Happy Fields. I know that was very complicated to read but it makes me go awe. I was in a thick winter coat though as it was the spring, which made me much more stable than a light summer dress which Kitty wore. I think Kitty was most brave and did very well.

And a final photo of the adorable Kitty.

Good times were had by all.

Just a quick post because I am just about to head for my bed. Mum had her Garden Party this weekend held at my Aunties house. I was asked to poach a salmon which was fine as I have poached many salmons in my time, but I have never decorated one! So out came the mayonnaise and very thinly sliced cucumber and soon I had this.

I was going to keep the head and tail on but the fish was huge and we didn’t have a tray that was big enough for the fish yet small enough for the fridge. I was very pleased with the way the scales portrayed with cucumber came together.

And then I decorated the plate with sliced lemons, I love the scent of lemons and whenever I used them wish I cooked more often with them.

I met with relatives I haven’t seen for many a long year, it was all great fun.

The bunting looked lovely and the ladies pounced on the fabric flowers, they were seen everywhere, poking out of top pockets, worn on dresses and adorning hair, it was wonderful.

I’ll leave you with a quick snap of the men in my life.

Having made the bunting for my Mothers garden party I was left with a few scraps of material, enough to play with! I bought this book Sew Fabulous Fabric: 20 Charming Ways to Sew Fabrics into Your Life by Alice Butcher and Ginny Farquhar. a few months ago thinking that I could make the fabric flowers for my Mum’s garden party and was really pleased to find I had enough scraps left to play with. I love the book, there are quite a few ideas in it that I am going to make, the peg bag for instance look fabulous.

I had intended on adding my own embellishment to the idea, but realised I wouldn’t have enough flowers for people to share. So that idea will stay in my things to make compartment of my brain.

I had great fun playing with this idea, choosing the fabrics, threads and buttons appeals to my inner child and the more I played with them the more fun I had.

I thought I would pinch one and sew it onto ribbon and tie it onto my handbag,

and encourage all of the ladies at the party to take one too. They could make broaches out of them or pin to an old well loved teddy bear or perhaps pop onto a hat or coat to go shopping in.

I think there are a myriad of ideas to be played with. And what are left Mum could sew to ribbon and festoon her conservatory.

I think they will look pretty like that, that’s if…. there are any left!

A few months ago Mum proposed having a garden party this summer to which I cooed “ooh I could make you some bunting.” It was met with a slightly perplexed reply, “bunting?” “Yes, bunting, it will be FUN” on seeing my enthusiasm for such sillyness Mum became a little bit warmer to the idea. But I don’t really think Mum was that enthusiastic, but then we all live in different worlds and this is mine.

You see since the Royal Wedding had been announced I’d seen a resurgence in bunting and had even contemplated making some red, white and blue triangles with which to adorn our house on the day itself. That idea had come and gone but I’d looked at all the pretty bunting around and the bunting that adorned Devon on the wedding day itself were really pretty and at that point I was still hankering after bunting of my very own. So it was more me and what I would like but I knew I could win Mum round.

I toddled home and immediately set to work on the net to source some pretty colours and found some very pretty Amy Butler fabrics reduced to half price at Get Knitted. Five metres was ordered in five different colourways and once they came I then had to put together a pattern I was happy with. When the fabric came I cooed over it and rang Mum and told her it had come, which was met with a warm welcome. And so with this idea buzzing around in my brain the work began.

There are lots of places to get ideas as to how to make bunting, so I won’t go through all of that. But I did decide to make the sturdy bunting with two sheets sewn together and all seams on the inside rather than just one sheet of fabric cut with pinking sheers that would wither and die if the British weather decided to turn against us. I chose to make a big pointy triangle and have the template stored somewhere in my computer should anyone need it.

Eventually I had cut out 120 triangles, I folded the fabric and cut out four at a time, (don’t forget to iron your fabric before starting) with the use of a template, a HB pencil, ruler, rotary cutter and mat. I am so very grateful that I have learnt to quilt otherwise I most probably would have gone down the route of cutting them out with scissors which whilst doable would have taken a very long time and left me with sore hands. Rotary cutters are a girls best friend. Being an accurate kind of gal this took me three sessions to complete.

Then I sewed all the triangles wrong side together down their two longest sides and as a hint and tip at the sharp point put a few extra stitches going over each other so that when your long pointy knitting needle pushes the points out it doesn’t break the stitches and you don’t find yourself muttering unpleasants under your breath. Fortunately I had done a test run and found the weakness in a few triangles before embarking on the marathon run of sewing 60 triangles. It took me a couple of days to complete this part of the procedure. I then clipped the points to make the turning out easier, turned them out and then ironed them all again. And then son no.2 and I played with colours, always the favourite part and came upon a pattern we were both happy with and placed the piles of triangles in this pattern next to my sewing machine.

And I was ready and off I went, having no idea as to how much tape/bias binding to buy there were two different types used, slightly saddening for the perfectionist that I am, but if anyone is going to spot and critise that, then they have clearly missed the idea of the day.

Before I got sewing proper I did a quick test run as to what gap I favoured. I used marks on my sewing machine, I tried the end of the foot plate, the corner of the machine or the drop to the table as a guide, I only pinned at this point and I realised that I rather liked the small gap which was produced by sewing to the end of the triangle and then placing the next triangle at the edge of the footplate. With that technique I was able to achieve a gap that was regular without too much measuring or stress.

And soon I had 3 x 5 metres of bunting..

A quick pic of one of them, too much sun for my camera, I am sure they will look fabulous on the day.

But then being the perfectionist that I am, I ironed the binding and whilst it was still damp, (I have a super dupa steam iron) I check to see if the triangles would hold steady and was shocked to find that some of them didn’t. Well that would never do, not least because firstly if we did have a quick shower with wind some of them would come away and secondly, you know what family is like, someone (especially after a couple of drinks – my mothers punch should have a health warning on it!) would be sure to tell me that this particular triangle had separated from his or her friends and I would become crest fallen.

So I needed a plan and came up with using a pattern on my sewing machine that not only zig zagged but it sewed the zig zag in stages so as to secure the fabric securely, set my machine so as not to go over the binding and off I went, five metres at a time. Now my machine can go pretty fast and I’ve never before this have had it at full speed… It was amazing, seriously I will never sew so fast again in all my life!

You can just about see the zig zag in this picture.

I showed Carie and Kitty the bunting, Kitty was quite enchanted by it and loved us waving the bunting, by her smiles and giggles I do believe she is her mothers daughter. And Dad, well he suggested we should tie it to his car and he could drive down the high street with bunting catching the wind behind him. And I was right, Mum laughed and giggled and loved it too.