Every button tells a story

When my daughter, who had just turned 20, started this beautiful button knit, she was a happy and healthy textile student at Central St Martins College in London. She had just started to specialize in knit, when she was struck down with glandular fever. At the same time a close friend died suddenly, in tragic circumstances, and the combination of the two had a drastic effect on her health. She had to put her university life on hold, give up her East End student home and return to live with us to recover. She spent most of the past winter in bed and was diagnosed as having ME symptoms and a gluten/wheat intolerance. This was the turning point on her slow road to recovery.

This knit piece was created using two mop handles. The buttons were from a collection my own mum had gathered over the years. So many childhood memories in the button tin, my mum left behind when she died 17 years ago. At times my daughter was so unwell she couldn’t lift the knitting needles; there were months on end where her joints were so painful that it was impossible to do anything, even lift a paint brush. It's been a long year but Cally is now back on the road again, so finishing this piece was very significant and symbolic. Taking it to the framers was like letting go of a period of time. She is doing a silk screen printing course and a fashion course at London College of Fashion, preparing herself to return to the “full on” creative hub that is Central St Martins. She currently has a broken wrist but after the year she has had, it doesn't hold her back.

My beautiful girl @callyhearts

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Neti pot

When I was training to be a yoga teacher, one of the 6 purification techniques taught to us was Jala Neti ( also called Neti or Jaaneti). Purification techniques are sometimes performed as a way of preparing the body for a yoga practice. Whenever the neti pots came out, I disappeared, always needing to be somewhere else at that moment in time… I had many techniques to avoid it: the bathroom, the water fountain, the shop, anything but the Net. Pouring a saline solution up my hooter was really not for me and I have avoided it right up to today. I have got a steaming cold and, as a result, I now have sinus pain, so I have decided to give it another go. Talk about waiting until your back is against the wall! I rushed to the Sivanada yoga studio nearby and bought myself a ceramic neti pot and salt. I had to follow the one photographic image as the instructions were in German!!! Although I did not find it as unpleasant as some people describe, it was not as bad as I remembered. So I will us...

Sharath Jois in London 2013

Sharath Jois will be in London teaching a week of primary and intermediate ashtanga yoga From 25th-30th of August- in a central London location. Booking for this will open mid May. Through http://www.astangayogalondon.com/index2.cfm A rare and wonderful treat to have Sharath in my home town-A big thank you to Hamish Hendry and ashtanga yoga London for organising this. Going to have to set an alarm on my phone- as there will be a lot of takers for this....

All about the balance

A snap from inside my fridge this week. The mix of wine, beer and Vita Coca sort of sums up my family really. The ones that drink wine and beer don't go in for the coco water, and the coco water drinker doesn't go in for wine or beer. In summary, none of us need worry about the other nicking all the drinks. :-)

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