It’s a phrase often used as a mild insult.
Something said to people judged frivolous, punctilious or overly-pernickity, or who have too much time on their hands.
“You need to get out more” people trill, sarcastically. But the truth is, I do.
It’s something I resolved to act on after reading and responding to the comments on my “lost and confused” post.
Because as much as I like sitting in a warm kitchen, with the radio prattling on in the background and just my own company, I know it’s not healthy to spend all my days alone. The mind wanders sometimes to places that it shouldn’t really go, if you over-indulge in solitude.
I had met Michaela of Blue Stiggy at the Etsy Made Local fair at Christmas, and she struck me as someone you could have a jolly good natter with.
So when she invited me over to her neck of the woods in Lincoln to join in with her weekly Stitch Club, I thought “YES!”
So on Wednesday I hopped on a train, and spent a happy morning at Stitch Club, working on a new creature in the very pleasant surroundings of the Angel Coffee House, which is located within St Swithin’s Old Vestry Hall.
Despite managing to forget my buttons and my special stuffing-prodder (an old chopstick).
There I met some really nice women, indulged in a good chat and a delicious lunch, and then got to visit a really lovely shop…
Birds Yard is halfway up Steep Hill, the ancient, winding street that goes up towards Lincoln Cathedral.
It is very picturesque, but I was chatting to Michaela on the way, so I forgot to take photos.
The shop is new – there is a sister shop in Sheffield – but already it looks pretty good to me…
Birds Yard sells a quirky and interesting mix of handmade and new, including homewares, jewellery, kids stuff, accessories, clothing and… well, just good things of all types really…
I recommend a visit, if you find yourself in Lincoln.
I particularly coveted the beautiful till, although that wasn’t for sale, obviously…
So I settled on something smaller and a bit more affordable…
Those little pots of sparkle contain nail art stuff, glitter and – my favourite – sequins.
I couldn’t resist, and bought these three to take home with me…
But I took home something else, too.
The feeling of a day well-spent, a mind refreshed, new connections made.
And afterwards, back at home, it wasn’t just the sequins that sparkled. ♥
These gatherings work very well if the company is congenial. I haven’t been quite so lucky in trying to break my isolation; the average age of the stitchers in my sewing group is a good 15-20 older than I am, and their tastes and goals are quite different.
Do cherish this new group of stitching friends, because a day as enjoyable as the one you’ve described can be quite rare!
Alas, I won’t be able to participate in this particular group very often as it is a whole hour away on the train (with the associated cost) but I will indulge every so often, and I’m investigating other, closer-to-home possibilities too.
Ha ha, you’ve got me right – ‘a jolly good natter is something i can do really well’ It was so lovely to see you, you are always very welcome to pop along whenever the fancy takes you – as is anyone else who feels the like having a stitch and a natter of a wednesday morning.
I love stitch club, because I love passing on the stitching bug and and sharing skills, but I also love it, because like you, I love working from home, by my fire with the radio, but I also love getting out and about. So in a way, stitch club is a way for me to strike that balance.
Toodle pip, til the next time xx
Its things like this that makes me miss my Northern home. Nice to see your a little more positive this week too x
What a lovely day out – thanks for taking us along!