Lockdown Pursuits

So it’s winter, cold and grey and the days are long and you may well have already discovered why that long abandoned project in the work basket was abandoned! Some of us, like the designer of I’d rather be in Deeping magazine, Gary Curtis, can turn their hand to creating the best part of a Regency Terrace with card, straws and glue but the rest of us have to keep ourselves gainfully occupied and now is the time to blow the cobwebs off a pastime that you had lodged at the back of your mind for a rainy day…. The rainy day, my friend, is here!

When you are absorbed in finding the correct piece to fill a tiny hole in the picture then other thoughts and anxieties are definitely pushed to the back of your mind - and there is a great sense of achievement when the last piece goes in and the picture is complete! Occasionally I’d rather be in Deeping offer local puzzles for sale – keep an eye on our Facebook page or if you would like to be added to a list to be informed when this is the case then call 01778 348859.

When the weather outside is frightful… What is delightful is to wrap a brightly coloured scarf around your neck and so much the better if it is one that you have knitted yourself! Ruth Ellis, The Wool Artisan, recommends knitting yarn with 4mm needles or if you prefer a chunkier yarn with larger needles. Garter stitch is a good place to start and this is a great you tube to start you off www. youtube.com/watch?v=lzwOucPBygo For supplies go to Pippins Patchwork on face book www.facebook.com/PippinsPatchwork or call 07855236686 – they also offer free local delivery.

Remember how our gardens lightened the load last summer? Well, it is still possible to spread some of that love! All over the country in recent years ‘seed swaps’ have been taking place – Seedy Sunday in Brighton being considered the first of its kind. This year it is not possible to hold any of these events, but if you have squirrelled away any seeds from your garden – I always have lots of honesty seeds as they are easily gathered when splitting the seed head to make the shimmering penny faces used so prettily in Christmas arrangements and wreaths – find those odd-sized envelopes that you have been holding on to and pop them in the post to cheer up a friend. And this summer, when the seeds start to form, don’t forget to save them to do the same thing (maybe in person!) next year.

That pile of Christmas cards that are glowering at you in the corner while you make the step to pop their hopeful messages and time honoured images in the recycling can very easily be made into very acceptable cards for next Christmas! And you will be so pleased you got ahead and did this when the season comes around! Locally Riverside Crafts offer a click & collect service for card blanks and all the glue and glitter glue you need to enhance even the plainest card - a sharp pair of scissors and you will soon be in production!

The therapeutic qualities of cross-stitching are well known and there are some crafters here in the Deepings who produce magnificent works of art, but it is possible to start small. Apple Tree Junction Crafts are selling kits by Bothy with clear instructions making a polished finished product achievable for newbies. Count twice and stitch once is the mantra and be sure to find the centre of your pattern and fabric! Free local delivery is available. Visit www.facebook.com/atjcrafts/

Don’t forget to take part in the Great Garden Birdwatch organised by the RSPB on 29-31 January. Just select an hour of the day and find a comfortable chair by a window and just watch! You will be amazed at just how many birds will be in your garden at any one time that you may not have noticed before! Keep a record of the different species you see in your garden at one time and enter it online or in the post. Bird identifiers can be downloaded from www.rspb. org.uk/get-involved/ activities/birdwatch/ everything-you-needto-know-about-biggarden-birdwatch/

Put pen to paper! Emails, Facebook and Twitter are one thing, but there is nothing quite like getting a card or a letter in the post! Last summer four Deeping artists put their thinking caps on to design a series of postcards for you to send a bit of Deeping magic! They are still available on www.idratherbeindeeping.com

Keep a lockdown diary! Record the weather; the wildlife that you see around you; any phrases or situations that make you smile; what you have seen on the TV; your meal choices of the day. One thing that this Pandemic has taught us is to treasure the little things and one day in the distance a family member will be intrigued about the things that today we find commonplace!