'Knit and Cake'

Quite a long time ago now - probably about this time last year, I was lucky enough to win a give away from Mags Creative Meanderings. We discovered that we lived close to each other, so met up in January and Mags gave me a wonderful collection of goodies. It contained, amongst many other things, two balls of Noro Silk Garden wool, and I have just got around to using them. I've been wanting to make a wooly cushion for ages, and a couple of weeks ago I bought a pattern from 'Purl and Jane' for a chevron cushion - perfect!

So, I have started my Chevy the Chevron cushion, and it seems to be going ok. I bought another couple of balls of Noro wool in slightly different shades so I can do two rows alternating in each colour and get a more interesting effect. 

I think I am going to make my opening more in the centre of the cushion than at the top. I just love the randomness of the way it is growing, and the red wool is so festive.

I was also busy last Friday evening making our Christmas cake. I think I am a little bit, only a little bit, more organised this year as it was already December when I made it last year. The fruit had been soaked in brandy, and I knew I would be busy over the weekend - so it had to be made last Friday evening!  Again this year I phoned the girls to let them have a virtual wish whilst I was stiring the mix…..

…… then tipped the mix into the cake tin (square this year - J says its easier to cut!) and found the paper carrier bag that I saved from last year to tie around it to try and stop it burning.

It was quite a late night….probably about half past midnight when I first checked the cake and it needed just a little longer. My family are not that keen on icing, so I usually just add almonds on the top. I think I may just have left it a little too long as the edges look a little well done

- oh well, I'm sure it will be fine once I feed it with brandy!

Hurry up Mr Postman

After being very indecisive about which red fabric I should get for the quilt I am making, I was eagerly waiting for the post to arrive to see if the selection worked together!

I now have a selection of red material, some new and some that I've also pulled out from other projects, so I think I have enough now for the top which all tone together.

For the quilt back I selected this grey and white fabric from Moda fabric 'Winter's Lane' called grey evergreen. I also bought berry evergreen and berry mistletoe in the red fabrics above.

Just need to get on with it all now…...

New project on my table

Just started a new project, but I have to keep it quiet as it is a present for my friends who took me on holiday in the summer with them. It won't be a complete surprise as I said I would make them a quilt for their alpine home, so having thought for a long long time how I would make the quilt, I came up with the idea of a red work quilt with the embroidery reflecting aspects of our holiday and the area.

I think I will use the embroidered pieces as a centre to a square block, and then add white sashing to join them together.

I've got a few more to sew, but am now looking for red material to make the other patches. I'm finding it  quite difficult to find a selection of red material that will tone together and not clash! It is difficult to see the true colours on web pages. Any thoughts would be welcome!!

Just finishing the walking boots now, reminding me of our walk to the 'Pic de Marcelly' and hearing the cow bells drifting up from the valley below - ahhh brings back lovely memories of warm summer days!

Hmm, think I'd better tidy up my needle case - maybe I'll make a new one.

Two years

I have just realised that I recently passed a blogging milestone again - the end of October was my second anniversary! I celebrated with cake - what else :-)  Not home made cake I'm afraid, I'm trying to cut down on what I eat in the run up to Christmas, so just one shop bought blueberry muffin - my thinking was that if I made a cake to celebrate we would have to eat it all!!! so J and I shared this one.

Time passes so quickly and it was good to look back over the year to see what I have been doing. Thanks to the many people who read my pages and to those who leave lovely comments for me to read, I really appreciate the thought and effort that you make.

I had a fun morning yesterday, I went to visit a new (to me) 'knit and natter' group in Skipton. During the Yarndale weekend I visited 'The Studio' above Coopers Cafe Bar where Tracy from Patchwork Chickens  and Lucy from Attic24 have their studio. Tracy said that anyone was welcome to drop in on a Friday morning to the group in the cafe, so I decided to go! Such a lovely bunch of people, so friendly and welcoming - and the Coopers coffee is delish! I live an hour or so away from Skipton so will probably just call in from time to time. I had a walk into the town and had a look around the shops and the Friday market, and visited a lovely yarn shop 'Purl and Jane'. Skipton is such a lovely town and I'm looking forward to my next visit.

View from my Window - October

A wet and misty start to the beginning of October, but the trees are still remarkably green, some in the wood are just beginning to change colour…..

……. and the bracken on the hills is just beginning to turn yellow/brown.

Just before we went away on our holiday to Ireland the bracken had really started to change the colour of the landscape.

On our return we had all the stormy weather that hit the UK - luckily not too bad where we live, but the temperature has dropped a little and it really does feel autumnal now - not helped by the clocks going back.

I thought that the trees in the wood would be more golden on our return - but I still have that pleasure to come!

Rainy day playing

Rainy day today, so I'm in the warm and having a crafty afternoon. I'll be making reindeer tree ornaments with friends soon - so wanted to try one out. Will make some modifications to the antlers I think.

 I've also been knitting a cowl, like the one I made last year, but this time I have made it a little longer so I can double it up.

 The wool colour above is more true, it is a heather colour - not as blue as the photo below

Have a happy weekend

I'm back….

….which supposes I've been away! Which we have, we are just back from a holiday in Ireland with J's sister and his Mum. We took Mum back to visit her old home and see relations. The family try to get her back each year, she is nearly 88 years so it is important that she can still make the visit. A few years ago when she was more mobile, she and Dad would spend most of the summer over at the old house and our girls (and all their cousins and aunts and uncles) loved to go and spend time with them. It was like stepping back in time, the house was built by Mums father and it has no electricity or water and was heated by turf fires, with a singing kettle hanging over the fire, and lit by calor gas lights. The girls would go with their grandad to collect water from the nearby pump, and we would all go fishing with him on his little boat. Relations and friends would drop by and the girls would be fascinated listening to their broad Irish accents. We all have very happy memories of our holidays. Now the house is in poor shape, a few years back a static caravan was moved next to it, so we can still visit. However, Mum is not so mobile now so this visit we rented a lovely cottage nearby for the week.

Just look at this fabulous sun set from outside the old house, it looks as if the countryside is on fire!

Just a few photos of the old house

and a few of the inside…...

…….and a few of a visit to the marina at Portumna where Dad used to keep his fishing boat at the fishing club. The marina is a stop off place for boats cruising Lough Derg on the River Shannon, in County Galway and is very busy in the summer.

We did have a good week with the weather, showers and sunshine mainly but with lots of blue sky - we did also have this beautiful rainbow one day.