frayed at the edge

Finished!

Yes, it's all done ...... Sunset is finally finished

 

This is a detail of the bottom corner, showing the little shells

 

A detail of the sand, again with shells (thanks, Fiona, for your suggestions!!)

 

The frayed edge of the sunset panel

 

What, you want to see the whole thing?  Oh, ok then

Sorry it looks a bit squint, but Maolcolm was holding it up for me - I will take a better photo, before I post it.

 

Malcolm said he had a very busy day while I was at the Woolgathering - and I might have believed him, if it wasn't for this ......

 

 

Patience rewarded

This afternoon, we were sitting having a cuppa in the garden ...... when the pair of tits who have moved into the birdbox suddenly started popping in and out.  Of course the camera was fetched!!  As it's just a somewhat basic digital camera, the birds are a bit blurred, but it was so exciting to actually get photos of them

 

heading home

 

does my bum look big in this doorway

 

here we go again

 

up, up and away

 

Earlier in the day, we had been in Hawick for some shopping.  On the way back to the car, we had a detour to look round the Saturday market and car boot.  I couldn't resist this lovely felted bag on the Fair Trade stand

 

and of course I refused a carrier bag and popped it in my Cath Kidston recycled bag from Tesco

 

Then I succumbed to this wonderful piece of fabric from one of the car boot stalls - the photo doesn't do it justice.  There is no obvious right side/wrong side .... one side is silky and shot with gold, while the other side is a much richer colour, and is textured like velour.  It is on the to-do list for cushions for the new kitchen chairs.

 

We also bought some plants for the garden - I got some to replant the pots that sit at the studio door, beside my lovely froggy welcome sign

 

'Sunset' is almost finished - I will probably finish it tomorrow, when I'll be in Chesters for another of Lindsay's Woolgatherings.  So what will you do next, I here you cry ...... I will be doing a baby quilt for my new great-nephew, Oliver.  I hope he likes tractors!!

 

 

Garden delights

When I was in the garden hanging out the washing this morning, the sun was shining and the colours in the border looked so wonderful, I had to take some photos to share with you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now that you have feasted your eyes on all those wonderful colours, it's time to announce the winner of the giveaway ........ after much deliberation, Malcolm thought of a number, and when I counted through the comments .....

the winner is ...... Helen Lockhart

 

Well done Helen - I'll get the parcel off to you as soon as possible.

Almost there!

The excitement is building - yes, this is post number 99, so it's the big one tomorrow!  Here is the last thing to be included in the giveaway - some of the leftover batik fabric from doing 'Sunset'

 

Everyone who leaves a comment before 5pm tomorrow (Friday) will be included in the draw, and I'll announce the winner tomorrow evening.......

'Sunset' is almost finished - I hope to finish it over the weekend.  I'm pleased with how it has turned out - it is so different from my usual work that I wasn't sure how it would look!

We were sitting in the garden having a cuppa this afternoon when a little tit flew in to the birdbox, so of course I fetched the camera.  I didn't manage to get a photo of it coming out of the box, but I managed to get this one as it paused briefly before popping in again

 

Although I sat for a long time with the camera poised to capture it on the way out again, it didn't appear, so I had to give up, as my fingers were going numb from holding the camera up!!  Maybe next time!

Hunks galore

This morning, when we were in Selkirk, we had a little browse round the Barnado's charity shop.  I spotted a basket of old knitting patterns and couldn't resist buying some to share the hunky male models with you - now don't get too excited!!

 

My grandpa always told me that if I ate my crusts I would have curly hair.  It didn't work for me, but it worked for him!

 

oooh - mean and moody, but sensitive too

 

two for the price of one - I'm not too keen on the checked trousers

 

a change from the traditional lopi (or Icelandic) sweaters (I've knitted quite a lot of them over the years)

 

could he be auditioning for the part of Heathcliffe, with those smouldering dark looks?

 

I can't see this look catching on today - did he really wear a collar and tie (never mind the dodgy cardigan) to play golf?

 

And to finish - today's addition to the giveaway - I think the title of the pattern book says it all

 

and if the front cover isn't cute enough, check out the back

Beside the seaside, beside the sea!

I could just recycle a previous post about taking Malcolm's Dad to Newbiggin-by-the-sea (we took him there today for lunch) - but instead I took some photos to show we really were beside the sea!

 

You can just make out 'The Couple' on the platform beside the new breakwater, which was put in to try to prevent further coastal erosion.  The church on the headland wasn't quite so close to the edge when it was built.  Behind the church, you can just make out a caravan park - Malcolm and his family went there for a holiday one summer when he was little - it's about 5 miles from where they lived.  He never dreamed then that in years to come he would travel round the world!!

 

After the breakwater was built, lots of extra sand was added to the beach - before it would have been gradually washed away by the tide.

 

I know we need to find new sources of electricity, but I'm sorry, I just think these things are a BLOT on the landscape.

 

It's half term In England this week - so where are all the children - they certainly weren't in this play park.  Probably all at home in front of the tv or playing computer games!

 

This next photo needs a 'cute' warning .....

 

isn't she just adorable.  She lives in the upstairs part of the cafe where we had lunch - someone had left a door open and she had crept down the stairs.  I swear as soon as she saw the camera, she adopted this 'I'm just a poor abandoned dog' look!

 

Can you contain your excitement - it's the next part of the great 100th post giveaway - remember, just  leave a comment to be entered in the draw

 

Today it's a collection of little buckles - I love the heart-shaped ones at the top.

 

On the acupuncture front - the sore jaw is about the same (with the addition of a lovely little bruise beside my  ear!), but I had the best night's sleep I've had in weeks.  And if I can do it, anyone can - it really doesn't hurt - unlike injections when the doctor/nurse says you'll just feel a slight scratch - no, I will feel a needle being stuck in my tender flesh!!

A walk on the wild side

Usually when we go for a walk, we turn right up the hill, but yesterday, we turned left, down the hill (you know sometimes we are just such little devils!)  When we got to the bottom of the hill, we reached the first thing I wanted to take a photo of

 

So why take a photo of the post box?

 

If you look carefully below the crown you can see 'VI', so combined with the initials GR, this shows that the box is from the reign of George VI (the Queen's father), so it is pre-1952. 

Our next stop was just round the corner, to take a photo of the phone box

 

As you can see, it is no longer in use, and is already being reclaimed by nature

 

On the way back up the hill, I kept stopping to take photos of the plants in the verge - as no doubt the council will appear one day soon and cut it all down

    

 

 

 

When we were almost back home, I spotted something else worthy of a photo - another old fence post and the end of an old wall

A few yards further on I had to stop again, to capture this wonderful stretch of wall, with the most amazing growth of moss on it

 

 

Remember, everyone who leaves a comment over the next few days will be entered into the draw for the amazing giveaway for my 100th post - today I had a look in my bead and button drawer and found these wonderful chunky wooden beads, along with some smaller matching ones

 

 

And finally .... a quick update on the ongoing saga of the pain in the jaw!  Today I went for my first ever session of acupuncture.  You know what I'm going to say next  ... I don't really like needles!!  However, I was very brave, and didn't scream or cry ... oh all right, I hardly felt a thing (the one I felt most was in my right earlobe!)  I had needles in my feet, shins, hands, wrists, ears and face - oh, and a couple in my tummy.  I think it has already eased the pain a bit ......

Hot'n'spicy

Yesterday morning, I met up with the other ladies from the Rural at Southdean, and we were soon on the bus and heading south to Heighley Gate garden centre, just outside Morpeth.  We did have a small detour on the way, as the driver was relying on his satnav, which took us on a rather scenic route.  On arrival, first stop of course was the Ladies, then second stop was the coffee shop for a cuppa and some of the biggest scones known to man - they are probably visible from the moon!!  (however I didn't want to embarrass my friends by taking photos - you do get some strange looks when you photograph your food in public!)

However, once we started looking round the plants, I had ample oppottunities for photos.  First was this wonderful collection of different varieties of lavender

 

This put me in the mood for blues and purples, as seen in the following photos

 

 

 

As we came out of the garden centre to get back on the bus to go into Morpeth, I snapped this gorgeous old car

 

You can imagine my surprise, when five minutes later it overtook the bus!!

Having used up the calories from our scones with some shopping (I think we inspected every item of ladies' clothing in Rutherford's department store) we then headed to the pub for lunch.  Now, I am sure you all know that food eaten on a day out does not count (Ithink that may be diet rule number 7), so I had something which I love, but rarely eat ...... pizza!!  Not just any pizza, but a hot'n'spicy pizza, with spicy meatballs and jalapenos (yum, yum, yum!!).  A glass of wine might also have been consumed.  After lunch

(sorry, there was an interruption to typing, as Malcolm got a bit over-excited ..... he's watching football on tv - Aston Villa v Newcastle (his team) ...... Newcastle are teetering on the edge of relegation, but Manchester United have just scored against Hull, which helps Newcastle ..... if you don't follow  football, that was all a bit meaningless to you!!)

to resume ..... after lunch we returned to shopping - or perhaps I should say browsing round the shops, because we didn't actually buy anything!  But I wouldn't want you to think we are very shallow, and weren't paying attention to the lovely architecture in Morpeth, so here is the Town Hall

 

and the Clock Tower

 

All too soon, it was time to get back on the bus and head for home - the driver didn't use the satnav, so we didn't have any interesting detours!  As we crossed the border, I phoned Malcolm, so by the time I got home, his fish pie was cooked to perfection, and with a glass of white wine, was the perfect end to a lovely day out.

 

It's day two of the giveaway ..... day one was something for knitters, so today is something for sewers ..... this gorgeous YLI thread.

 

Oh dear, Aston Villa have scored (that's BAD!) ..... but we 've just channel hopped to the cricket, in time to see England win decisively against the West Indies, by six wickets.

ps - my football team, Airdrie United (except for me they will always be Airdreionians, aka the Diamonds) are also involved in a relegation play-off - it's just all too much!!!

pps Malcolm has just read the post, and I'm having to add this pps, to say that Morpeth means 'murder path' ... from the days of cross-border raids, when the raiders travelled through what is now Morpeth .... of course the town's other claim to fame is that Malcolm was born there!!!

Crossing Borders

The other day, I was given some of these directories .....

Rather than try to describe what Crossing Borders is all about, I thought it would be easier to let you read the introduction ......

 

The directory contains page after page of wonderful talented people (I've even created a new category to file this post in!) - but of course I'm going to highlight our friends Lindsay (on the left of the page)

 

and her equally talented husband Hugh (on the right)

 

As I inserted the last photo, it occured to me that I should have taken a photo of the painting of Hugh's that I bought for Malcolm - a wonderful, atmospheric Northumberland landscape!  Remember,they also have an excellent holiday cottage that you could come and stay in, full of their work.

If you would like a copy of the directory, then please leave a comment requesting one, and I'll post one to you (overseas as well) - it will be first come first served.

 

And now ....... the first thing in the great giveaway for my 100th post .....

 

...... a super Spanish knitting magazine.  Remember, to be in with a chance of winning the giveaway, simply leave a comment over the next few days.

I probably won't do a post tomorrow, as I'm going on a day out with the Rural, so I'll entertain you with the highlights of that on Sunday.  Have a lovely weekend, love, Anne

A domestic day

I have had a busy day with run-of the-mill domestic chores - including spending the afternoon ironing!!  So for once I haven't any new photos to show you, which means I've had a trawl through the archives looking for something for today's post.  I hope you like what I've found!!

 

I took this photo in our last garden, just a few weeks before we moved.  What has the squirrel seen?

 

A tasty feed on my raspberry canes, that's what!!

 

It's hard to believe, but this is my 93rd post!!  So you know what that means?  Yes, it's time to have a giveaway.  Starting tomorrow, each day I'll have a look in the studio for something to add to the giveaway, so by the time I get to the 100th post, there will be 7 goodies to be won.  All you have to do is leave a comment and you'll be included in the draw (yes, same method as last time.... Malcolm will think of a number!)