Poetry book: I am truly and maddeningly indecisive. Mostly. I am also a procrastinator. So, it doesn’t surprise me that over a year on from putting learning a couple of poems per year off by heart, on a list of things I would like to do in the next decade, that I hadn’t decided which poems would make the cut let alone learnt any of them by rote. I haven’t a breeze of an idea how many poems there out there to choose from, but a book of poetry, a lovely compilation by Ana Sampson, called ‘Poems to Learn by Heart’ greatly narrowed down the field and I have finally started with one poem. I choose William Wordsworth’s ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’: partly because everywhere is awash, at the moment, with daffodils standing proud as cheerful yellow heralds trumpeting spring’s arrival, but mostly because I already knew the first verse!
Stallion Chrysanthemums: any cut flowers like the daffodils in the ground do truly ‘haste away so soon’, with some fading faster than snowdrifts after a bout of prolonged winter sun. Now, it’s not that I have conducted extensive research to find the definitive answer to the question: ‘which floral variety last the longest’. But I do know that anytime I bought some stems of the multi-headed spray chrysanthemums called Stallion they have lasted an inordinately long time. Up to three weeks. Obviously I did the usually things to help their longevity such as: changing the water, snipping off any flower heads that looked droopy, and stripping away any dried out leaves. Their long lived-ness makes them fantastic value and I like that they are pretty too.
Knitted dishcloths: no, I haven’t totally lost the plot in listing a set of dishcloth among my current favourite things. Nor have I been struck by a thunderbolt of domesticity turning me into a whirlwind kitchen cleaner. It’s just that I think that the knitted dishcloths I found recently in The Blue Door interior shop are simply the bomb: in the sense that they are a great deal more aesthetically pleasing than any I have come across before. I bought a set of grey ones: just three shades thereof! They come in lots of different colours as you can see from the image above. They are 100% cotton and are made by a Danish company called Solwang Designs. The inspiration for them apparently comes from the ones the company’s owner’s grandmother used to knit.
Just Add Attitude 
Very nice, I have to agree with your knitted dishcloths, I think they look great and I have never seen knitted ones before. It’s a great idea.
Neither had I. But they are obviously a thing as there are loads of patterns on the internet for knitted dishcloths. I don’t think I will start to knit my own, in fact, I am sure I won’t but I am glad I bought them.
I too agree with the dishcloths! My mom makes ones that are crocheted and I absolutely love them. It’s always fun to add a little splash of color in the kitchen 🙂
They are so much nicer than any other dishcloth I’ve see. How lovely that your Mum crochets her own. I like the grey ones I bought but I think when I need to restock I will go for a brightly coloured set. 😉
Learning poems by heart is such a romantic thing to do! I admire you for finally starting, since I have never overcome the stage of it being an ever postponed resolution!
Thank you. I am glad I finally started, it took me a long time to do so!
Lovely dishcloths. Much more elegant than the ones I make. Do you think anyone has written a poem about a dishcloth? You could memorize it as you used the cloth. 🙂 Hmm here is a knitted poem….http://poetrysociety.org.uk/projects/archive-projects/poetry-society-centenary/knit-a-poem/
Oh, my goodness the knitted poem is huge it must have looked spectacular on display. Thank you for the link. 😉
Yes, it must have been quite something to see in real life.
Such pretty cloths – do the colors and textures make you loathe to use them? I’ve never had that problem, as the ones I have are rather faded and sad and yearning for attention – even if it’s the harsh, scrubbing kind.
Hello and thank you for your comment. No, I am not afraid to use them, I suppose that’s because I know I can easily buy another set.
I agree with you on the flowers: they are super cute, last forever and look good in any arrangement. Definitely money well spent! ☺️
Those dishcloths look lovely! 😍
Have a great weekend, B.!
Thanks so much Francesca, you too, have a great weekend. 😉 Bx
Start with a healthy cheat (the Wordsworth 🙂 ). You have a better chance of success that way. I don’t read much poetry and can only remember odd snippets. Seems a worthwhile enterprise 🙂
Absolutely, this learning by heart thing takes longer than I imagined! I just hope the poem stats in long term memory. 😉
I can see why these are some of your favorites – they are delightful!
Thank you Meg. 😉
It sounds like we are very similar as I too am very indecisive. The knitted dishcloths are nice, I can see why you would buy a package.
Chrysanthemums are not usually one of my favourite flowers but these Stallions are pretty. I should learn more poetry (which I love) but can only recite the first verse of Philip Larkin’s This be the Verse. Not suitable to be repeated here methinks!
Mine neither! But these small ones are pretty. I am off to look up Philip Larkin’s This be the Verse! 😉
Knitted dishclothes steal all the limelight! Despite the pretty flowers and the exquisite looks of the poetry book, all I can think about is where can I get those 😀