1) Wearing hot pink. I don’t know why this made me feel more lively but it did.
2) Using my (also) hot pink weights. I’m not the world’s biggest pink fan, but I did do 12 curly arm excercises. Then I did a bridge, and what in my head is ‘another yoga position’.
3) Finishing off the Valentine’s day pinot grigiot. It was just one glass!
4) Watching a documentary about Pompeii which did not nearly send me to sleep at all.
5) Reading ‘LA Confidential’.
6) Thinking up new ice-creams to suggest on Scoops noticeboard. Scoops is absolutely my pudding-based obsession right now.
7) Sorting out more clothes for the swap party, when that happens. Ah, weird black satin skirt, you do nothing whatsoever for my bum.
8) Noticing weird bumps on my wrists and wondering if a bug has laid it’s eggs under my skin and whether they’ll grow Alien style. Reassured by Stephen that this is unlikely in California.
9) Making lists (voila)
10) Browsing the internet for a pattern to make when my craft-savvy aunt visits and teaches me how to MAKE CLOTHES.

I like birthdays. Even when you happen to be homeless and have banned your husband from spending too much on you, you can ask for frivolous things like – giant knitting needles. These beauties are from the delightful Prick Your Finger in Bethnal Green and cost the very-reasonable-but-too-expensive-to-treat-myself sum of £25. Since I got them, they have provoked reactions of awe and disbelief from my non-knitting friends, most of whom simply can’t believe that they are functional – hence the tiny snippet of knit on there, so that I can prove they’re really, truly useable. Being summer (really?), yarn shopping seems rather bothersome, but in a wee while I’ll be on the lookout for a suitably chunky yarn worthy of such needle grandeur. Watch out for posts about giant scarves and blankets knitted in a day…

One of my favourite places in LA is the eerie, uncanny Museum of Jurassic Technology located in Culver City. I think I read that it has won an award as a work of art, and once you visit, it’s easy to see why. Locked behind a large steel door that gives it a perpetually closed look, upon first entering you watch a very bizarre video on the ‘Jurassic age’ and then meander through a series of strange and wonderous exhibits which include a room based around Napolean; a display of model trailer parks; a room dedicated to old wives tale cures made in sculpture form and a display of cat’s cradles. Phones dot the walls and make strange noises. Lifting the receiver of one you hear odd wailings that turn out to be the voice of the opera singer whose story you later encounter, another will be the barking of a dog.

The whole place, in fact, feels like an episode of ‘Round the Twist’ come to life – you feel that at any minute you might get sucked into one of the exhibits. The wonder of the place is unchanged when you finally emerge into a small room at the end where tea and biscuits are served, for free. A large brass tea urn sits in the middle and a large, lean greyhound does the rounds. I haven’t quite worked out what the inspiration or purpose of this museum is, but it feeds into my love of gothic novels somehow – it’s unnerving and endlessly fascinating. I recommend anyone who visits LA to go there, a zillion miles from the fakery and plastic sunshine one might associate with the city.

It’s fantastic. It was justTrader Joe’s banana bread mix and I bought it on a complete whim – you just add eggs and oil and water. And the packet is a very friendly yellow.

Anyway! No more neglecting craftiness. I’ll have myself four nicely stitched place mats by next week or else.

Welcome to the first of many local guides here at Four Good Corners, where we let you in on the details of some of our favourite corners of our local areas.

When I left work tonight it was the most lovely winter’s evening, cold and crisp, with Christmas lights twinkling in treetops and shop windows. Perfect weather to walk over to Lamb’s Conduit Street, whose row of small independent shops were hosting their annual Winter Festival along the street. I bought myself a hot spiced cider from Tutti’s cafe and set out to explore the shops.

And what an excellent spot this is for stocking up on lovely Christmas gifts from independent shops. I was very tempted by the Christmas hampers in foodie haven Kennards deli, but settled for a little box of excellent chocolates.

Across the road is Something, an Aladdin’s cave of a shop (that is if Aladdin had a thing for scented candles, handbags, vintage crockery and letterpress cards). Tonight they were running a Christmas tombola where I got lucky and won a beautiful patterned bag which will make an excellent pressie for someone.

If carefully crafted clothes and accessories are what you are after, check out the beautiful bags in Pokit, made using traditional saddlery techniques.

Two doors down you’ll find Folk, where you will find charming, quality casual knitwear, clothing, accessories and leather shoes from sister brand Shofolk. I love Folk’s designs, there’s something timeless, tactile and handcrafted about them, and a quirky simplicity that has made them popular in Japan and Scandinavia. And right now there’s a sample sale in the back room. I headed on with a smile on my face and some bargain goodies in surprisingly pleasing yellow paper bag.

Rugby Street on the left is also worth a look, for Susannah Hunter’s collection of handmade leather bags, and French’s Dairy, selling chic jewellery and fancy bespoke perfumes behind a beautiful old tiled shop front. That’s if you don’t get waylaid at the cosy Rugby Tavern pub on the way.

There’s plenty more to draw you to Lamb’s Conduit Street: several haphazard second hand bookshops including the charming Persephone Books, rock and roll hairdressers Badlambs (tonight staging bands in their front window), Synphonic record store and just around the corner, classic fish and chip shop Fryers Delight. And not forgetting of course, the good old British Museum.

Lamb’s Conduit Street, London, WC1, Russell Square or Holborn Tube.