Shopping and enduring friendship

It's day 2 of  Knitting and Crochet Blog Week .  I didn't blog yesterday and already today I'm using the wild card Embellishment

Perhaps I should explain a little.  The idea of a blogging week comes from the lovely Eskimo Knits who has posted a list of blog subjects, enough for a week and one to spare.  Any knitter or crocheter who blogs can join the big blogging party.  I really want to join in but also want to blog about friendship and yesterday's lovely brief encounter so I'm using the wild card.

Remember when the excuse for some misdemeanor was 'my friend made me'?  I had the occasion to use it yesterday. I don't need any more mugs in my sleek new kitchen and in pursuit of my 'no more clutter resolution' I ruthlessly went through odd mismatched china at the weekend and boxed up the surplus for the charity shop.  Then yesterday my Soon-To-Become-Famous-Author friend and I met for a brief whirl around Anthropologie (the emporium that defines embellishment) and we spotted this mug  in several yummy colours.

We bought one each, as you do.  And fantasy shopping? I know exactly where in my house I would place this surreal candelabra

S-T-B-F-A and I met at University, not as callow 18year olds but women on the verge of 40 with seven children between us, snatching the opportunity to grab a second chance of reading for a degree at Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge.  It was an experience that opened up frontiers and opportunities we had been dreaming of all our lives. Since then we have shared many exciting times (and a few not so good) holidays and snatched half hours together, sometimes just the two of us but often with partners and children coming along too. 

We have always been rather good at shopping together, I once had to insist that we hid all the carrier bags in her car before going into lunch at college, fearful that no one would take us seriously as the classicist and lawyer we aimed to be if they knew of our shopping habits.  Embellishment?  loads.  This is a friendship, of affection, loyalty, mutual encouragement, honest opinion and not a small measure of praise for each others work.

And the shop? Anthropologie is a bit special to S-T-B-F-A and I.  Two years ago we spent three wonderful, frosty days of frivol in New York and, fortified with chili flavoured hot chocolate, explored Greenwich Village and Little Italy discovering this brilliantly eccentric shop.  The colours and shapes of its almost infinately diverse merchandise are packed with ideas for embellishing any amount of crafty projects

This throw is crochet but I see no reason why I should not try knitting with strips of fabric to add texture and interest to ... not just afghans but the edge of a jacket? or the cuffs of gauntlet style gloves Perhaps?

I just love the way everyday objects like kitchen basics are transformed by colour and quite outrageous design motifs,  or used in a totally different way

But most of all it is the use of colour that inspires, as this unintentional shot demonstrates

It's amazing what seasoned shoppers can fit into 20 minutes, exchange of exciting news, holiday plans and a few purchases then the S-T-B-F-A was whisked off in a taxi in her new photo shoot dress.

I had a little more time and the sun shone so I wandered up to Bewick Street, how could I not?  For once I decided not to buy anything, contenting myself with one more photograph, but I'm thinking and when I have decided what I can embellish with this fabulous ribbon I will be back

I am going to try and keep up with this weeks special event but If I don't please excuse me, I still have the day job!

xx

c