frayed at the edge

Blame the one-click!!

You know that I bought Malcolm a Kindle for our Silver Wedding.  He is really pleased with it - although he does still read 'real' books.  Then we bought one for Stuart as a combined birthday/Christmas present ..... and he really loves it!  My friends Anne S. and Tricia also love theirs.  So when I got an email from Amazon telling me that they were launching a new, cheaper Kindle ........

 

Yes, that one-click button did the deed, and this arrived in the post this morning

 

It's smaller and lighter than Malcolm's and can hold fewer books - but I really don't think that's a problem, as it has the capacity to store 1,400!

Friday of course means cake at patch'n'chat, but we had to make do with shop bought cakes, as Annette is away on holiday!  Still, we all tucked in to the choice of fruit loaf .......

 

....... and Swiss roll - I don't know when I last had a piece of Swiss roll!

 

I'm off to play with my Kindle get on with my knitting!  I hope you all have a good weekend, love Anne

A little bit country

I usually watch tv at the weekend when I am in the studio, but on Saturday I was listening to music - my wonderful new Lady Antebellum cd (it's that buy with one click on Amazon .... it is just too easy to look at something, and before you know it, you have bought it!!)

 

 

I have done quite a bit more stitching on the Baltimore block - I have done all the leaves on the outer left hand side

 

 

I got out the Farmer's Wife Sampler Quilt book, which I bought at the quilt show in Harrogate, and the fabrics that were left over from the row quilt

 

 

Included with the book is a cd with all the templates needed to make the blocks

 

 

This meant fetching the laptop from the house and plugging in the printer (I need to tidy my desk!)

 

 

There was only one template on each page, which was a bit annoying as some of them are very small

 

 

What was that - you want ot see more of the ruler (I won't embarrass Malcolm by telling you that is is actually his ruler!)

 

 

The next stage was to get out some of my stash of cereal packets, and some clear sticky backed plastic

 

 

I cut out the first template, leaving a margin round it - don't worry about all the paper I will have to cut off, it will be used for shopping lists etc

 

 

The first template - only another 105 to go!!

 

 

Yesterday we had plain brown sparrows to finish - but today we have a colourful blue tit

 

 

 

The long and winding road

 
On Saturday, I got up at 6.30, wished a sleepy Malcolm a happy birthday (I did offer to make him a cup of tea), got ready and headed off to meet up with 42 other ladies.  Our destination - the autumn quilt show at Harrogate.  Unfortunately, it is a rather long journey from the Borders to Harrogate ....... 3 hours by bus!!  However, it was worth every moment of the journey when we arrived to see the stunning 'best in show' quilt   - I'm always unsure about showing photos of quilts at shows, but this quilt will be featured in every p&q magazine over the next few months, so I don't think it matters if I show it to you here

 

 

There were some fabulous quilts (and one or two not quite so fabulous!) ........ here are a couple that particularly caught my eye

 

 

 

Of course a quilt show doesn't just mean quilts ...... it also means TRADERS!!  So did I buy anything? Yes, of course!!

 

delicious fabrics

 

 

co-ordinated linen

 

 

could this be a future project?

 

 

a replacement for Malcolm's flexible curve which I have lost mislaid

 

Of course you can't spend a whole day away from home without having something to eat!  The catering was excellent, and I really enjoyed my lunch

 

 

Later on I had a little icecream  - mandarin, with little chips of dark chocolate - superb!

 

 

Yesterday morning we went to a local garden centre for breakfast ...... and came home with another owl to add to the collection.  How could I resist this lovely rusty owl!

 

 

Having been worried about the lack of butterflies in the garden this summer ..... suddenly there are lots of them!

 

 

 

 

There have also been more bees about

 

 

 

Meanwhile, in the front garden, there were plenty of birds to watch ....... including the adult robin

 

 

and the young one, who is still just a little bit fluffy!

 

 

I spent most of the afternoon in the studio - I'll show you tomorrow what I have been busy with.  Malcolm was also busy being creative ........ he was going to keep this driftwood sculpture that he made this afternoon to give me for my birthday next month - but he was so pleased with it, he gave it to me before the glue was quite dry!!

 

 

I decided to put it through in the back lounge, beside a wooden and metal sculpture which he gave me for my birthday five years ago (when we had  lived here for a just few weeks)

 

 

The knitting update ....... I haven't had much time to work on the socks (and I had to take back several rows last night after dropping a stitch!)

 

 

To finish ..... it won't be long until I need to light the stove in the studio, so today Malcolm gave it a good clean and polish with 'black lead'

 

 

Hot,hot,hot!

 
What a contrast to yesterday ....... today has been hot and sunny  These horses looked wonderful with their gleaming coats

 

 

 

I don't like flies when they are flying round the kitchen, but when seen close up, they are fascinating

 

 

I came across another plant which looks like a thistle, but this one is common knapweed

 

 

Every morning this dog barks at me, but I'm sure if I went over to the gate it would be friendly

 

 

I was so intent on trying to take a photo of a  bee (I failed), I was startled when I started walking again and found this little rabbit right in front of me

 

 

The birds have been tucking in to the fat balls - you can see how much they have eaten in a day

 

 

This young sparrow may be as big as his father, but is quite happy still to be fed

 

 

Slightly bigger than the sparrows is this heron, which was sunning itself on the River Slitrig in Hawick this morning

 

 

When I was in Kelso this afternoon with my friend Lorraine (on our way to knit'n'natter), we popped into the bookshop which, unfortunately, is closing down.  But of course that means a sale ...... and all the books are half price!  So did I buy any ..... of course - two for me and one for Malcolm

 

 

 

Catching up!

Now that we are back home and the internet connection isn't disconnecting every couple of minutes, I can show you more of our weekend!  To finish off Friday, here are the little goodies I bought

 

lovely coarse wool to knit a bag, which should felt well

 

 

a kit to knit a very cute sheep teacosy

 

 

oops - another book

 

On Saturday, we headed first to Denbigh, to visit the castle.  We were a bit perplexed when the women who sold us our tickets said that the castle was closing for a year ..... as it was being knocked down and rebuilt.  Howver, she clarified what she meant - it is the visitor centre that is being replaced, not the magnificent ruins!

 

 

 

 

Next we went to Conwy, where there is an even bigger castle.  To reach it, we walked across the suspension bridge

 

 

This was when I had to be very brave, to climb long spiral staircases, and stand on top of very high walls and towers

 

we were standing on top of a matching tower!

 

 

yes, that's Malcolm's hand!

 

 

the enclosed bridge on the right carries the railway

 

 

the people are dwarfed by the walls

 

After leaving the castle, there were more heights to scale, as we went for a walk round the town walls

 

there is only a railing to stop you falling off!

 

 

we were above these wonderful old chimneys

 

 

looking down on the smallest house

 

But then - the reward for surviving all those stairs and heights ....... fish and chips for dinner (and bread and butter)

 

 

However, Saturday's heights were nothing compared to where we went yesterday!  Come back tomorrow to see just how brave I had to be!!

 

Greetings from Wales!

Now, I'm sure today's heading has surprised you!!  We are having a long weekend way down here in Wales - somewhere that I have only been once before.

We broke our journey at Farfield Mill.  After a spot of lunch, we had a look round the mill - it's a restored Victorian woolen mill, with lots to see.  There are artists' studios, with wonderful things to buy, but of course photography is not allowed in that part of the building, but I was able to take a few photos as we went round the other parts.

 

this display is over a stairway!

 

 

the water turbine which powered the machinery

 

 

part of an old loom

 

I would have shown you some more photos of the old machinery, but for some reason several of the photos refuse to upload!  After leaving the mill, we stopped in Sedbergh.  I got all excited when I saw the name of this shop ...... but it only had two pieces of patchwork!

 

 

We also had a walk round the church, where we saw this old sundial (but who put the ugly light under it!!)

 

 

I have to confess that I bought one or two little things at the mill .....  but despite several attempts, the photos just won't upload!!

We'll be out and about exploring tomorrow, but hopefully I will still post Shadow Shot Sunday.  Then on Sunday, we are having a very special outing, which I will be able to tell you all about once we are back home on Monday.

I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

 

Astounding!

I've just been sent a review copy of this book .....

 

 

........ and I'm enjoying it so much, I thought I would share it with you now, rather than waiting until I have finished it (I have skimmed through to the end).  It is full of all sorts of knitted wonders, lots of facts and figures about the design and construction of the projects, and profiles of some of the knitters.  Some of you will recognise the knitter on the cover, as she has been at Woolfest.  Ingrid is famous for her large scale knitting - read more about her here.  The next photo shows one of her amazing creations - a 21-foot historical coble boat ....... and Ingrid looks charming as a mermaid!

 

 

At the other end of the scale is this teeny, tiny sweater knitted by Annelies de Kort, which fits on the head of a pin

 

 

This tiny cardigan is also one of Annelies' creations - you can see from her hand just how small it is

 

 

How much do you love the man in your life?  Would you spend ten months knitting twelve miles of yarn to make a Ferrari for him!  That's what Lauren Porter did (although it was a project for her degree)

 

 

It was very difficult to pick things from the book ....... but I think everyone will go aaaah at the next photo!  There is even a pattern for the jumper if you want to knit one for the penguin in your life!

 

 

Having recently killed off two cacti in my bathroom, perhaps I should simply knit replacements, like these amazing ones by Irene York!

 

 

The last piece of knitting I picked to show you has me completely bamboozled!  I have just re-read Alasdair Post-Quinn's explanation of how he has a different pattern on either side ....... and my brain is hurting!

 

 

If, like me, you enjoy knitting and somewaht daft things, then pop the book on your wishlist!  (The photos were used with permission from the publishers)

 

I am almost embarrassed to show you my knitting - it doesn't really stand up to comparison with the wonders in the book!  I have finished another baby blanket for Project Linus.  For this one I used a lovely yarn in white and blue (I also have a ball in white and pink!). 

 

 

I like the diamond pattern, but I had to pay more attention to knitting it, comopared to the other blankets with the squares

 

 

A rather sad little tale to finish (and if you're squeamish, don't scroll down to the photo!)  I was in the kitchen this morning, while Malcolm was through in the back lounge.  I heard a bit of a commotion, then he appeared holding something, saying ' you'll never guess what I've just found'.  I could have gone on all day with guesses - but this wouldn't have been one of them ........ he had found a tiny dead bat in the big plant pot that the yucca is in.  We have no idea how it got there, and it must have been dead for some time, as it was completely dried out (don't worry, I washed my hands thoroughly after taking the photo!)

 

 

Take care of the pennies ......

Another delightful book has arrived in the post.  Hot on the heels of 'Mrs Mouse's Cupcakes' comes 'Peggy's Lost Pennies', another gorgeous book from Gretel

 

 

Like the first one, this one is full of beautifully needlefelted animals and the most wonderfully detailed painted backgrounds

 

 

When we were in Jedburgh on Sunday, we popped into the Tourist Information Centre.  Malcolm picked up this brochure ......

 

 

...... he opened it - and there was 'my' tree (OK it isn't really mine, but I take lots of photos of it!)

 

 

The weather has been beautiful again, and it is a pleasure to see the garden looking good after two harsh winters did so much damage.  We though we had lost the big ceanothus, so Malcolm had cut it down to a stump, ready to dig up.  But when he went to remove it several days later ...... there were tiny shoots appearing!

 

 

The plants in the  big border in the back garden have suddenly filled out

 

 

The little side border has recovered well from having a massive amount of snow on it, which came off the neighbours' roof

 

 

I love hostas, and we have several varieties in the garden.  This bright one is eye-catching

 

 

The blossom has come out early on the little tree in the front garden

 

 

The bluebells are about to flower

 

Tomorrow we will be picking up our euros for our holiday ........ but where are we going?

 

Gold!

Our morning routine, Monday to Friday, is to eat breakfast at the kitchen table, then take our (very large) cups of tea through to the lounge.  We then read for a while.  However, that routine was thoroughly disrupted this morning, with the arrival of these two birds on the peanut feeder

 

 

Yes, goldfinch!  I didn't need to use my new bird book to identify them

 

 

The book I have been using is a childs' book (yes, I stole it from my own son!!) and the drawings in it aren't always clear.  However this book, as well as drawings, has stunning photos of birds, and lots of information

 

 

Usually when we get an unusual bird in the garden, I am lucky to get one blurry photo before it flies away, but they stayed for most of the morning, so I ended up taking dozens of photos ..... here are a few of them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The collared dove appeared later in the day, posing prettily on the other bird table

 

 

Later in the afternoon, Malcolm was working in the front garden, when he came to the door to let me know that the first swallow had arrived!!  We think this is at least a week earlier than last year.

 

 

But I wouldn't want you to think that all I did today was take photos of birds!

From the fridge, I assembled these ingredients

 

red onion, mushrooms, sweet red peppers and leftover lamb (from Sunday dinner).  To these I added

 

tomato puree, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, garlic - and apricot jam.  As always, I had to get out my special tiny measuring spoons, as the smoked paprika is very strong, and I only need to add a smidgen!

 

 

I started by gently frying the onions and mushrooms in some olive oil

 

 

then added the garlic and the seasoning, and cooked it a little bit more, then added the jam and the meat.  Finally I added the tomato puree, and a little bit of water

 

 

This is when I realised that I had forgotten to include the next ingredient in the earlier photos!

 

 

As you can see, Sainsbury's are very precise and don't call this cheese 'feta' - but that's what it looks and tastes like!  I diced it and stirred it on to the mixture, then spooned it into the peppers

 

 

Then it was into the oven for thirty minutes.  I wish you could smell this ....... delicious!

 

 

Thank you for all the advice and good wishes for my poor sore wrists.  I have almost finished the gardening gloves, and won't do any more knitting this week!

 

 

Introducing Miss Jemima

This is my rag doll Jemima, modeling last week's knitting project.  She is actually a little bit old to be wearing a baby cardigan as she will be thirty five this year!  The cardigan was straightforward to knit, although I find constant moss stitch tedious - and it always give me sore wrists and hands.  When it came to the three-needle cast off for the seam down the sleeves, I read the instructions several times, and each time came to the same conclusion - if you do it the way the pattern says, the seam will be on the right side!

 

 

She soon got fed up posing for photos, and tried to climb over the back of the chair, revealing the fact that she lost her shoes many years ago!

 

 

Those of you who have the Debbie Bliss book and have been following the progress through the projects, will know that this is not the next one

 

 

This week should have been shelf edging, but instead I am doing gardening gloves (I think Malcolm would look very sweet in pale green knitted gloves, his opinion isn't printable!).  The reason for the change of order is quite simple - we are going on holiday soon, and the projects for the two weeks we will be away are big ones.  I don't want to take a lot of knitting with me, as Stuart and Alison are joining us, so we will probably be out more in the evenings, and I won't have as much time to knit.  However once we're back, I'll continue to work through the projects in the order they are in the book.  I had planned to start my socks last week, but because my wrists were sore, I decided to have a rest from knitting after I finished the baby cardigan.

 

On Saturday I went for a walk after lunch, we both went for a walk yesterday morning, and then today I again went for a walk after lunch.  There is so much growth in the verges/hedgerows, I realised that I am not very good at plant recognition, so this afternoon I got out this book .....

 

 

....... and went through my photos.  However I didn't find it particularly helpful - I think it would be better to have a book with photos, rather than drawings.  However, I didn't need a book to identify the wild garlic yesterday - the smell was a big clue!!  We were walking along the river, when we came round a bend to be greeted with the sight of garlic as as far as the eye could see!

 

 

Growing among the garlic was another plant that I know - butterbur.  The flower spike comes up first, followed by leaves that look like rhubabrb

 

 

This next plant is tiny - I think it is a wild strawberry

 

 

This is so delicate, it would make a lovely applique block

 

 

When I was out walking on the main road today, it happened again ...... an enormous truck thundering along the road!  (I think they park somewhere and wait for me to appear!)

 

 

I sometimes see strange things when I'm out for a walk - and this implement certainly qualifies - it looks like a cross between a rake and a pitchfork!

 

 

To end, some more lambs ...... they are just so cute, I just have to take photos of them!