Crochet, crochet and cushions.

Hello my lovelies.

Well the weather hasn't improved in the slightest since my last post. Still very dark, windy, wet and gloomy, but do we care? No, that's just more reason to stay snuggled up at home with some cosy crochet or snuggley sewing.
This little surprise parcel did brighten my day though!

Look at this pretty lavender bag from Hen. It smells wonderful and was very unexpected but greatly appreciated. Thank you very much Hen you made me smile from ear to ear..

Time to share what's been keeping me occupied indoors this week.

I had an order for two little bunnies from The Balancing Kiwi
So they've now been posted off to there new home.

I've completed these two Union Jack cushion covers. I had the fronts made weeks ago but had gotten to the boring bit of putting the backs on and left them draped over the end of the attic bed since then.
I think I might have to keep one of these for myself, I do like the three different ribbons on them and one day I do hope to have a sofa in the kitchen for them to go on. One day! (I have been saying that for the last two years!)

And lastly I've enjoyed snuggling beneath my 'Accidental Blanket' whilst adding more rounds.
It's getting quite big now.

You can see I've just started a round of yellow. It is taking a long time to get right around now though.
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Well that's all my crafty news so far this week, I think it's time I went and lit the fire in the front room ready for child #2 coming in from school. It's hail stoned about 6 times so far today in between the rain! It's amazing how wet a 14 year old can get in between the school bus and home!

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Keep cosy.

Love Fi x

Keeping Cosy

Hello from a very wet and windy North Yorkshire. Rain, rain, rain. There has been rather a lot of it this week. The children's school and college both had to close on Wednesday due to the awful rain and flooded roads; not surprising really as they are both over the border in Cumbria. My heart goes out to those poor people whose homes and businesses have been flooded in Cockermouth and Workington. It brought back memories of 2007 when Hull and the surrounding area was badly flooded.

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Back then we lived in Beverley which is about 7 miles outside of Hull. I can remember being at work, it was a Monday morning and although I worked in a very busy branch of M&S, the place was deserted. It was raining heavily outside, I could see from the doorway that the gutters on the buildings across the street were overflowing and the drains in the pavement seemed to be bubbling up. It was very eerie and quiet in the usually bustling store, but at the time apart from it being very wet outside we didn't really know why. Then news started to trickle through; colleagues began phoning in to say they couldn't get into work because the roads were starting to flood. Then the water started coming into the store! Water was dripping from the ceiling lights and in the stock room water ran freely down the inside of the walls, computers and stock were hastily moved away. A radio was turned on upstairs in the office to keep us up to date with the flood warnings and more and more staff left mid shift to try and get home while they could.

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I only lived 10minutes walk away from the store, so stayed and finished my shift. I was surprised when I left to find my husband waiting outside for me with an umbrella. Firstly because he didn't usually come and meet me and secondly because he was using an umbrella which I'd never seen him do before. We crossed the road and turned down the next little street and then I knew why he'd walked to meet me. We had to wade the rest of the way home, the water being mid shin deep. I held on tightly to him, and asked why he hadn't come in the car but at the corner of the next street I could see for myself the main road was completely flooded.

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Back home we watched the water rising in the little ditch that ran along the lane at the bottom of our garden, luckily our garden sloped up towards the house so we were OK. My parents weren't quite so lucky; I felt so helpless when my mum phoned to say their garden was completely flooded and they were watching the water rising up the door step and lapping at the door frame. My dad had tried to block the air bricks around the house to stop the water from getting underneath and coming up through the floor. Luckily the water didn't come into the house, but they still needed humidifiers and a large fan to dry out the floors and air space underneath it. They did lose items in the garage which did flood. They still counted themselves very lucky.

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Up until a few months ago there where still static caravans parked in front gardens along the main road to their house. It's taken nearly 2 years for some peoples homes to be habitable again.

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So back to our little corner of the world, wet and windy but nothing too bad. Only one local road impassable but that's clear now. So the best place to be is indoors, all warm and cosy in front of the fire.

With a spot of knitting.

It's not really my thing knitting but I enjoyed doing this.

Have you guessed what it is yet?

BIG, BIG CLUE!

TA-DAA!
A tea cosy with little bobbles around the bottom.

Keep dry and cosy.

Fi x

Knit and Stitch

Hello Ladies, look where I went today. The Knit and Stitch show at Harrogate. Just a few piccies as there was far too much to see and touch and stroke and oo and ah at to take photos. Sorry but I only had 7 hours!
A bit of a show stopper, a life size sailing boat completely covered in knitting. It was surrounded by knitted pebbles and sea creatures.

We managed a 15 minute lunch break hear in this beautiful theatre at the center of the exhibition halls.

A very blurry shot of the Wensleydale Longwool stand.

Not quite sure what this is but we were allowed to photograph it so I did.

Beautiful hand made note books.

Well that's it as far as photos, many of the stands did not allow photographs and to be honest it took the pleasure out of the day having to ask each time if you could take a photo and then being refused. So I'm afraid that's your lot.

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I do have a couple of pictures of my own latest project to show, but you'll have to pop back again to see them next time.

I'm off to soak my tired feet.

Love Fi x

Sunday

Hello, I'm sitting in the passenger seat of the car clicking away with my camera.

 The sun is shining and it's good to be alive and outdoors.

Would you like to see?

Okay then, not a lot of photos and even fewer words.

Past the barn with the big doors

As usual, the road to ourselves

A castle in the distance

Left to Reeth in Swaledale or straight up for Richmond. This part of the journey reminds me of Cheddar Gorge.

This is the return journey, notice how the weather has changed

See the mist and low cloud in the distance, must be nearly home!

Home, sweet, misty, wet, home.
Isn't it beautiful?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Bake or Fake!

Hello Ladies, first things first. I would just like to say thank you to Lyn at Everyday Life for giving me this award.
The 'Lemonade' award is for "seeing blessings where they're not obvious and make lemonade instead if complaining about sour lemons"

Thank you sweetie.

And talking of lemons... This is lemon layer pudding.


This pudding is all mixed together in one bowl but then during baking, separates, leaving sponge on the top and lemon sauce on the bottom!


Pure genius! No need to make custard!
I need to find a chocolate recipe!
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Well that was the real deal and now for a little 'fake baking'

Mince pies!
All made from fabric of course.

A little bit of sticky mince meat oozing from under the lid.

Hmmm..... can you smell them. Tee hee!

I love the little red berries, three different red beads.

It's no good, I'm going to have to make some real ones!

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Granny Pilleys Treasure

Are you ready then?

Are you sitting comfortably?

Shall I begin?

Okeydokey then.

One rather beautiful needlepoint picture, destined for my wall.

Just look at all this scrummyness!

Oh the anticipation!

a beautiful crewel embroidery

Next a bag of old, mostly cotton lace.
Some of these still have the paper binding around them with a price written in pencil 2'/6

not sure about Granny Pilleys taste in clothes!

Home made though.

Some hand pieced patchwork. She's used lots of old envelopes for the templates.

From the address, she must have lived near Bath for a while.
The post mark is dated 1976 and there is some Laura Ashley fabric with the date 1975 on the selvedge.

Here's the right side. It's draped over my rocking chair here so you can see how big it is.
Obviously a work in progress.

Two more pieces of patchwork, I think these must have been destined to be a tea cosy from the shape. I'll finish it off.

Another bag with a tangle of threads and tapestry wools.

Two tiny homemade needle cases and a bead threader.

A selection of pretty pink embroidery threads in this lovely box.

Another lovely box full of pins where I found these old packets of needles.

This is the back of the Flora Macdonald packet, its soooo beautiful

This is what it says inside;

Ladies who are well pleased with the quality of these Needles should ask again for the same Packet.

This little packet of needles is teeny tiny.

More beautiful old lace. Truly, truly beautiful.

Yet more threads, Granny Pilley was a little on the untidy side.

and lastly MORE threads...

Gosh I feel a bit grubby now. Old things have a special kind of dirtyness to them don't they?

I'll just go and wash my hands before I show you a sneak preview of my latest project.

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Hmmm can you smell it yet...

I'll show you more next time.

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Hope you enjoyed that rummage through Granny Pilleys box.

I did.

I'm so glad this box found it's way to me, to someone who appreciates all the beautiful bits and bobs inside. I'll wash all the bits that need washing and finish all the bits that need finishing and create something new with the patchwork hexes.

I hope Granny Pilley approves... where-ever she is.