not the weather for dyeing but...

I have this lovely jacket from Hampstead Bazaar but because it's turquoise it's difficult to wear with anything, so I thought I'd over dye it with a more purple blue. Of course I put the gloves on too late. Then I remembered a top in the same colur made of organic cotton, so in for a penny in for a £ I added that to the bowl. Can you see the jacket is a dark blue and the top teal. It's OK as I like both colours. What I should have done is the dye in a bag method by Helen Deighan but I didn't but I did at least put them into the 1 gallon Ziploc bags to 'cook'.

I also added a feww scraps of white fabrics in the almost exhausted dye solution.

Another small problem is I've lost the newer Blogger facility with the whatyouseeis whatyouget format, so I'm sort of typing this blind. Anyone know how to get it back?

These last two photos are of Fleet Pond, frozen for days now. I don't know what the swans and ducks are doing but the heron is often seen walking up our little stream as the flowing water is not frozen.
The house leeks are still frozen after the snow last week or the week before, I can't remember how long, it just seems like it has been below freezing forever. This feels like the most protracted freeze I can remember,

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2009, I dearly want you to be so much better than last year, even though I know that for many people throughout the world, it will be financially devastating as the world recession kicks in. At the risk of sounding like some dumb beauty queen, I sincerely hope for world peace and soon with a new incumbent in the White House, there is a chance, a small chance but it's there nonetheless.

A little odd fact. I live in the United Kingdom but there is no word for this. I live in England which makes me English, England is part of Great Britain, which makes me British, but I am not an United Kingdom-an nor United Kingdom-ish. Ordering from USA businesses, I have to click on UK as my country. It is not unknown for the USPS to send my delivery to the Ukraine.

Yesterday we put away all the Christmas bling and greenery from the house. (no waiting for 12th night at Toad Hall) It seems as though life should be back to 'normal' but it isn't yet. DH goes back to work on Monday and DD started back at her holiday job last Monday.

Here in England Christmas Day and Boxing Day (26th Dec) and New Year's Day are public holidays (In Scotland they have two days of holiday for New Year). Though for some years now a great proportion of the nation takes time off from Christmas Eve until January 2nd. Shops and cinemas are open but a lot of offices have no staff or only a skeleton all for this time. It can get frustrating trying to organise various things when offices are all but closed down.