De-cluttering

Hadn't thought of that; thought it was a 'tripping over them' health risk. Getting the urge to make one, now...useless at sewing and knitting but rag rug making seems a bit simpler [I think].

Rag rugs, that takes me back to my grandma's house. Cast iron fireplace with the big black kettle on the side. When I cleared my Mam's house all the rug making equipment was there including the frame to stretch the rug canvas on. I still have a rug my husband and I made before we were married, half moon shaped, red roses on a white background. That rug was new wool though.

My sister still has a round rug that my mother and I made in the 50s. I still have a rug hook - but it's in the bathroom to hook the manky hairs out of the plughole!
Books are to KEEP.....stilll, I don't have as many as my sister does.
I don't have many cupboards here, so I put up two sheds, one for gardening stuff and the other - to keep the remains (I did declutter when I moved) of the stuff that was in the loft in the last house....

What I wish had not been thrown out - all the photos, apparently, that my grandparents had. Now I'm into the family history, can I make a plea not to throw away your history - photos and letters particularly. I have gained so much from the items that family members have kept.

Joshnan, my late husband got more and more attached to his clothes as they [and he] got older and shabbier, particularly if they were 'hand-ons' or from Oxfam - and if I disposed of them there would be a huge row.

I remember one pair of trousers in particular, someone gave him these white linen flared pants which were at least 2 sizes too small, he looked so dreadful in them that I dropped them down the back of a chest of drawers so that I could honestly declare that 'I definitely haven't thrown them out- you must have them somewhere?'

After he fell off his twig I found several other hideous garments behind various pieces of furniture, which I had hidden over the years and then forgotten.

Just a word of warning when emptying wardrobes etc and giving clothes to charity, check the pockets. My mother gave away my father's clothes and someone found £200 in a trouser pocket .. they brought the money back.

A nine by seven foot wool (latch) rug that I made twenty-nine years ago is in my sitting-room now. It features Chinese dragons because I was in a dragon phase at the time. I still like it.

I can remember Mrs. P and I making a Redicut rug kit when we were courting. Trouble was we started at opposite ends and were working the wool the same way as each other, luckily we realised the mistake after a few days, so didn't have too much to undo.

Just sorted most of my kitchen and utility room cupboards and two kitchen drawers - you know the ones where you put everything that doesn't have a proper place, birthday candles, ribbons from bouquets, bottle stoppers, furry sweets, old pebbles (they must have seemed worthy of keeping at one time!) etc. I filled one drawer with plastic take away containers and sorted items into them. It creates so much more space that three containers are empty.

Mollie! Nine note books- I think you should write a novel!

Pompa: the only memory I have of my parents actually doing anything together (apart from arguing) was hooking a redicut rug! I think they actually made two and I know they lasted for years and years... Oh happy day!!!!

Hunt: I'm a sucker for anything to do with paper and ink...hate to admit it but there were more than nine notebooks in the end, all different sizes and mostly decorated in some way. And funnily enough, I was thinking of a story about a gang of people who met through a forum...'s OK, was a fleeting thought!!!