Gratuitous Yorkshire Dales Scenery

Hello, you're just in time! Get your coat on we going for a drive around the block.

Why?

Just because the sun is shining and we're in a beautiful place.

The little village of Askrigg.

Recognise the building with the railings?

It was James Herriots veterinary practice in 'All Creatures Great and Small'.
Full of useless information, that's me!

Next stop the even smaller village of Muker, over the top of the fells and down the other side.

Nearly at the top.

Woohoo!

We're...

on top of the worrrrrllld.

There's the other side of the Fell.

That's Swaledale down there in front of us.

Nearly at the bottom.

Left turn at the bottom.

Over this bridge and there's Muker.

We'll park here next to the river and have a bimble.

This tiny building use to be the post office.

Quick! Lets catch up to Wonderful Man and Sneaky dog.

huge roof tiles.

Keep going. Can you feel the sunshine warm on your back ?

This is where we'll stop today. If you'd like to see whats further over the river check this post.

but today this is far enough.

Lets retrace our steps back to the village.

I hope it was worth climbing all those steps to hang that washing out.

Well, needs must!

Not everyone has a garden!

Goodbye Muker.

There are Snowdrops everywhere at the moment.

Back into the car everyone.
Straight on driver!

Take the first left.

We've reached the start of the Buttertubs Pass.

We're climbing higher and higher...

looking back down Swaledale, where we've just been.

We're back on the top of Fells now.

Ugh! I really shouldn't look down there!

This little bit of 'hosepipe' will keep us safe though!!!

Can't wait to get past this bit. I'm a real scaredy cat.

These big wooden post are spaced all along this stretch of the road so that the road can be found by the snowploughs when it snows.

Aaaah... that's better.

We'll stop here at the viewing piont for a few minutes.

And take in Wensleydale in all its glory.

Bored yet? Nope! Me neither!

Looking towards the East.

And towards the West.

Gosh! I love it here!

Time the drive down now.

 I hope you enjoyed that ride around the block or more correctly, around the Fells.

It's time to go home and start tea now.

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But before I go... I just want to say thank you to all of you who left such lovely comments on my last post. My Mum and Dad were both very touched by your lovely words.

Actually between you and me, there were a few tears.

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Time to start peeling those potatoes

see you next time.

love fi x

An Heirloom of the Future.

I have something very special to show you today.

Isn't this beautiful?

This is Blackwork. Yep. I know it's red, but it's still called Blackwork.

Last year after exhausting his interest in Hardanger embroidery, my Dad discovered cross stitch embroidery. (He has to have something to keep him occupied in the winter months when he can't get out in the garden or in the garage.)
Well after a year of stitching the most beautiful traditional cross stitch samplers I decided he might like a new challenge, so I bought him a Blackwork book for Christmas.

I know it's only been a couple of months but I've already lost count of how many pieces he's finished. So on his last visit at the end of January I happened to mention that I would dearly love a Blackwork sampler to hang on my wall, hint, hint.

I was allowed to choose the parts I liked from the sampler charts in the new book
and the colours in which the piece would be made.

Hey Presto, a couple of weeks later my beautiful heirloom arrived.

Complete with the obligatory name, year it was made and his age.

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Thank you Dad, for a true family heirloom.

Made and received with love.

xxx

A New Hat

"I have a hat. It is graceful and feminine and has a wide brim with a red ribbon around the band. It gives me a certain dignity, as if I were attending a state funeral or something. People are generous in their compliments. Someday I may get up enough courage to wear it, instead of carrying it." From "Women Who Wear Hats Stand Heads Above the Rest" (by Irma Bombeck)

"A hat is a shameless flatterer, calling attention to an escaping curl, a tawny braid, a sprinkling of freckles over a pert nose, directing the eye to what is most unique about a face. Its curves emphasize a shining pair of eyes, a lofty forehead; its deep brim accentuates the pale tint of a cheek, creates an aura of prettiness, suggests a mystery that awakens curiosity in the onlooker." (Jeanine Larmoth)

"You cannot hide in a hat; you will be noticed, especially by men. To men, you become a lady when you don a hat--one who they rush to open doors for. To women, you become an inspiration, reminding them that they have a closet full of hats they have not had the courage to wear."

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Aren't these 'hat quotes' wonderful? Maybe there is some truth in them too, I popped out in my new hat this afternoon and had a gentleman smile and step aside for me to walk in font of him! I'll maybe have to start wearing one all the time. lol

I crocheted this one in a single evening, making a basic beanie hat but adding a partial brim a bit like a bonnet so that it wouldn't get in the way of a scarf or collar at the back. I was after something close fitting that wouldn't be whipped away by the wild hilltop winds, but with a small brim to stop the icy rain from going in my eyes.
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I originally bought the wool (Twilleys Freedom Spirit 100% wool) over a year ago with the intention of crocheting a cloche hat and then felting it in the washing machine but doing it this way is a bit hit and miss as the wool shrinks so much.


So in the end I used two strands of yarn together and just crocheted the hat and then made a fleece lining for it, to stop the wind whistling through.

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And it's luuuuuuurvely, sooooo snuggly and warm.


I surely needed that cosy new hat when we visited Sedbergh, where I visited this little shop.

Would you like to go inside?

A little treasure trove of vintage pretties.

books and crockery

kitchen ware and thing-a-ma-bobs.

eiderdowns and linens.

bits and...

bobs.

Oh, I nearly forgot; apparently the word fettle is an old Yorkshire word meaning to mend.

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Right I'm off now, there's fettling to be done.

love fi x

Shop, Shop, Selling.

Here it is, my little craft stall at the Vintage and Collectors Fair last weekend. Thanks to all of your best wishes I had a good day even though it didn't start quite how I expected and I was very nervous being a craft stall virgin and all!

It doesn't look as though there is much there but golly it all took a long time to make!

Actually... if you think, I created every item on that table then...yeah, I suppose there is quite a lot there for 5 weeks prep.

Lets have a little walk around the room, it won't take long as it was only a small room. The big hall was already in use for the usual monthly auction, so space was extremely limited but hopes are high that it will expand over the next few months.

This is Keith with all of his goodies.
I especially liked the three black and white prints of Whitby.

Paulines table with some beautiful shell purses.

Here's the lovely Jenny's stall, well half of it,

here's the rest, look at all of those scrummy fabrics, very tempting indeed!

Can you see that gorgeous floral tapestry dangling at the front, swoon!
I must say a big thank you to Jenny for looking after me so well.

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The fair went down very well even though the weather misbehaved itself very badly indeed. Gales and horizontal rain with lots of local flooding.

Actually it's no better today so I've spent the day uploading some pretties to my

Folksy shop.

Elegant white lavender bags made from vintage linens and lace.

Hippety hoppety embroidered bunnies.

A rosey round cushion


and a lovely one off piece of vintage embroidered linen, now a plumptious cushion complimented with a bit of 30's style border.

And the very popular Springtime Bags

And this...

Well temptation got the better of me...

The most wonderful length of vintage paisley eiderdown fabric just happened to float over from Jennys stall to my shopping basket.

Don't know how it happened!

Honest!
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Thank you for all of your encouragement.

I'm glad to have you along on my crafting journey.

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love fi x