'Woollen Woods' project

The 'Knit and Natter' group that I now go along to get involved in all sorts of events. The latest is making woodland creatures for a festival at Kirklinton Hall near Carlisle. Over the past month or so our group has been making lots of creatures - below are the ones I have been busy making…..

Then early in May, a few of us from the knitting group, went to help set up our contribution along a woodland walk in the grounds of Kirklinton Hall. It was just amazing to see how they all looked in the woodland setting, and below are just a few photos

We even had a few of our creatures in the local paper!

 It was fun making the knitted creatures, something I would never have thought of making before. The patterns I used are here for the hedgehog and here for the owl, and the caterpillar was passed on by the K&N group.

The creatures will be in the woods until the end of June, so if you are in the area and fancy a more unusual walk in the woods now is the time to visit!

'Little knitter'

I've been going through the hundreds of photographs we have accumulated. Some are from my parents and grandparents and some from J's, but we have never really taken them in hand….. now we are in a smaller home and short on storage I may well scan quite a few and store them that way and pass some on to other family members.

However, this is one I must share with you! 

This is me, I must have been about 3 or 4 years old, sitting in the garden knitting, see the ball of wool by my chair (and those Clarks sandals, or were they Startrite? do you remember  wearing them?)!! I don't remember seeing this photograph before, but it was tucked in with a lot of others from my childhood. 

I was obviously a crafter from a very early age. I just love this photo, and is one I will keep.

Knitting again….

We are still working hard on the house, but I have managed to unpack some of my craft goodies and have started to knit a new pair of socks. I saw this pattern on Pinterest and found the pattern on Ravelry. It just appealed to me.

I'm still knitting the first sock, but have turned the heel so it feels as if I'm on the home straight now (for the first sock anyway)

I have had to revert to my small pins, as I can't find where I packed my lovely circular sock needles. I'm managing ok, but I can't help getting a line down the sock where I change pins.

It is a very simple pattern, just a broken seed stitch. The pattern is more like a recipe really, as you need a basic sock pattern to follow as well. I'm really enjoying getting back to some knitting!

I have joined a local 'Knit and Natter' group who are lovely, so am meeting a few new people - and this week I went back to my old group where I used to live  -  that was a real treat meeting up again and catching up on all the news.

Snowy weekend

It was just starting to snow when we went to bed on Saturday night - and we woke up to a delightful snowy scene the next day.

We made the most of the snow and had a lovely walk in the afternoon. Looks a bit bleak, but the light was fading a little by this time. Then back home to sit by the log fire with a cup of tea - bliss!

We have finally done it! Moved into our new home!

We have a front door at last so are weather proof, have a working kitchen and bathroom, and have moved into our renovated and extended new home!!
There is still some way to go before it is all finished, but we are moved.

I left the view that I have come to love so much, and have moved from one end of Cumbria to almost the other. It was a beautiful afternoon when we left….

…… and I woke the next morning to look out of my new window to a glorious, misty, atmospheric new view - which I am sure I will love just as much.

Still so much to do, both in the house and in the garden - it has been a long building journey - but we are here!

Potfest in the Park 2015

I can't believe how fast the time is flying by…. it hardly seems a year since I went with a friend to Potfest last July. Potfest in the Park started back in 2001 in the grounds of a beautiful country house at Hutton-in-the-Forest, a few miles outside of Penrith. If interested you can read more about it here.

We arrived quite late in the afternoon , so had a quick whizz around. Just a few photos to show some of the variety….

This little plaque took my eye, with a knitting theme!

A general view with the tented stands and a view to the house

 Large pots…...

and sculptured ceramics.

I think I prefer to have practical pots, things for eating or drinking from, or to use when cooking. Last year I bought the spotty mug, and I was hoping that the same potters would be there so I could add to it and maybe start a bit of a collection. Yes, they were there and in the same spot as last year so easy to find! This time I bought another mug…...

and a bowl - to use for my morning porridge (there is porridge under all that fruit!)

 So my collection has grown…. I really love the blue/yellow colours

Hopefully they will be back again next year.

A catch up from June!!

Well….. June went with a blur and we are almost half way through July!….. we are so busy with the house renovation, the builders are working very hard to try and get it mostly finished by the end of August. Then we will be able to move in … yippee :-)  It seems quite close now, but I've not really thought about all the packing and sorting things out at the house we are in at the moment. Every time the girls come home I do get them to go through their things and sort out what can go and what should be moved with us. 

However, I did manage to make some time to go to Woolfest, at Cockermouth. I really like this event, maybe as it was the first I ever went to a few years ago now. I was good and only bought a couple of  things…..

…… some yarn. I have plans to make a cardigan with this, as I have a lovely pattern that I want to use. However, I will not be starting this project for a while.

I also met with Jackie Cardy on her stall. I have admired her work via her blog 'Dog Daisy Chains' for a while now and was pleased to actually meet her in person. I bought one of her beautiful brooches, and may well save up for one of her lovely textile wall hangings.

The hay fields, near our present home, really did look fantastic this year with all the wild flowers. I walked around the edge of my friends fields and came away with very yellow trainers!

 

On walks with the dog along the lanes and bridleways, there have been so many beautiful wild flowers….

…. mingled with the scent of honeysuckle, it has been gorgeous

I also bought my friend a pair of chickens, here they are just settling into their new home.

Other wild life….. a toad that came in to see us one morning!

On the house front …. the fittings are now going in, so I've been busy trying to sort out a pattern for the tiles behind the cooker - just as well I enjoy patchwork!!