With winter fast approaching, new hobbies that can help keep spending time outside
As we managed to go to Paris last half term and visit extended family, I saw my nine year-old nephew was knitting something (yes, it is not for girls only). My own nine-year old daughter took an interest and grandma was happy to teach her some basics, much like my own grandmas did thirty odd years ago. I decided I wanted to have a go again myself. My mother, who is in her late seventies, could recall her childhood, when her sewing-loving mother would make almost all her wardrobe herself, hardly ever shopping for clothes, partly because she lived in the countryside. Some things surprised me somewhat, such as resewing a sock if there was a hole rather than buy another pair. Today such behaviour might be labelled minimalism or being "frugal". My mother is more into knitting and knitted many a cardi for me, my daughters, nieces and nephew and even more distant relatives. My mother had sewing classes at school. I did not, even though I grew up in the same country as her, albeit...