frayed at the edge

A somewhat miserable weekend!

 The weather has seriously let us down this weekend.  It rained on Friday, it snowed on Saturday, it wasn't too bad yesterday  .......... but it has snowed all day today!  To brighten things up a bit, yesterday I made a spring wreath for the front door

 

I used leftover strips from a couple of jelly rolls, tied round a polystyrene wreath.  A quick and easy project

 

I finished the two cushion covers - but I only had one cushion pad, so you will have to wait to see the other one

 

 

and as usual in this house, there was a little person anxious to be in the photo!

 

if you are wondering why I took the photos from the side ..... I would have had to move the dining table to take them straight on!

 

I spent a while this afternoon working on my woolly blanket - a stash-busting project

 

I had found 10 balls of this Cashsoft Aran, which I bought years ago in a sale.  The pink Aran is left over from another project, and has lost its label.  This is the last ball of blue, so the blanket will soon be finished.  I will miss knitting it - it has been keeping my legs cosy in the evenings!

 

I have also started a pair of socks

 

the Opal yarn is lovely to knit with

 

it was just starting to snow when I took this photo of my new hellebore this morning

 

and it hasn't stopped since!  If you visit me on Instagram (@annedtaydon) you can see a (very) short video of the snow falling!

A short break

Just a quick post, to let you know that I will be taking a short break, as we are busy with hospital visiting and generally helping Jennifer.  She is doing well, and can walk a few steps with the help of a Zimmer.  She is being transferred to a smaller hospital in Morpeth this evening, which will save a lot of travelling to visit her.

So, a photo to show what I was busy with over the weekend ....... a bit of work on the Grandmother's Flower Garden, one cushion cover finished with the other three just needing the binding hand stitched on the back, and a start to a knitted blanket

 

I hope to be back next Monday, but if you miss me ........ I have finally starting posting photos on Instagram.  You can find me @annetaydon

A little tutorial

When Rachel mentioned in a recent post about the trials of crocheting straps for a super bag she had made, I said in my comment that perhaps next time she could use an I-cord instead.  Back came a request to explain what an i-cord is!  By chance I had just started a little knitting project which would use i-cords, using this gorgeous Noro yarn, which I found in my stash

 

I cast on 30 stitches, and knitted 30 rows (I was making it up as I went along!!)

 

then I knitted the stitches on to the circular needle, and picked up 30 stitches on each of the other edges

 

after knitting until I was getting near the end of the second ball, I knitted two together across all the stitches, then knitted a few rounds of rib, creating a little bag

 

now for the I-cord.  You need two double-pointed needles.  I cast on 7 stitches

 

I knitted the first row as usual, but instead of turning  to knit the second row, I pushed the stitches back to the end of the needle, and brought the yarn from the left to the start of the row, pulling it as tight as possible

 

here is a close-up!  And that is all you do, just keep pushing the stitches back to the end of the needle and bringing the yarn across from the left

 

after a few rows, you can see that a cord is formed.  You need to pull a bit on the cord to close the slight gap where you have taken the yarn back to the start of each row

 

you can use any yarn to knit I-cord - the thinner one was knitted with some leftover sock wool

 

so here is the bag and two lengths of i-cord for handles

 

but what has happened to the bag?  Well. I washed it and the handles with a load of towels, then put them in the tumble drier, also with the towels, to felt them.  I pinned  one handle on, and popped a large ball of yarn in 

 

then pinned the other handle on.  I will probably attach them with buttons

 

and now a final snow report.  On Saturday morning, we walked up to the main road through the village.  I managed to wrest my Helly Hansen jacket away from Malcolm, having let him wear it when he was out shovelling snow - I have had this jacket for years and years, it maybe only gets worn once or twice each winter.  As you can see, we have had rather a lot of snow

 

with the roads barely passable

 

then yesterday morning a very nice man appeared with a large machine and cleared our road

 

this morning the thaw was well underway and we were able to go out in the car for the first time since last Monday.  So after doing the usual Monday food shop, we went for a cuppa ...... and shared a slice of delicious chocolate cake!

A strange shadow shot

Yesterday morning, when we were sitting in the lounge having our post breakfast cuppa, we both noticed this strange shadow shot on the wall.  Well, I can hear you ask, what's strange about the sun shining in the window and casting a shadow on the wall?  The strange thing is that the sun wasn't shining in the window ...... the shadow was cast by a reflection of the sun, shining on the windows of the house across the road from us!

 

but through on the other side of the house, these shadows were caused by the sun

 

this is a temple bell, which Malcolm bought many years ago on a business trip to Manila 

 

and this is me, taking the photos

 

later in the morning, we set off for Kelso, as I had an appointment with my lovely hairdresser, to restore my blonde gorgeousness.  Of course we stopped for a cuppa on the way, and enjoyed an excellent cheese scone

 

after my hair was rendered beautiful again, we came on over to Berwick, where the sun was shining in the windows this morning.  This is my little mannequin, which looks after my jewellery

 

I had taken this knitting project with me, as it has been lying neglected for some time.  The plan is to turn it into a rug - you can see where I have stuffed the first section with some wadding

 

I bought the balls of wool some years ago at Woolfest.  It is rug wool, very rough and tough

 

this morning we had a walk over to town, and surprise, surprise, we popped in to Café Crema

 

for a cuppa and the best (and biggest) cheese scone that we have shared for some time!

 

we had to pop out in the car after lunch to run some errands, then to avoid going back to the flat to do some housework, we took a little run up the coast and over the Border to St Abbs

 

as always there were lots of lobster pots lying about round the harbour - do you think anyone would notice if I pinched one to use as a planter in the garden?

 

there were lots of gulls sitting on the rocks in the distance

 

but this one posed nicely on a wall beside the harbour

 

after an exceedingly chilly walk round the harbour, we popped in for a warming cuppa

 

and enjoyed a little sweet treat - a small piece of tablet

 

and to finish - here is The Aunts' Quilt looking good on the guest bed in the flat

 

I don't think Pooh and Jemima would be pleased if they knew that Bruce the Puffalump was sitting on the quilt.  I have had Bruce since the 80s, when I named him after Bruce Willis - that's when he was a handsome young man with lots of hair!

 

I've just checked the weather for the weekend - although it is going to be cold, it should be dry, so we may get out and about for a walk.  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

This is where we went on Friday .......

 ........ we had a quick run up the coast to Eyemouth.  We parked in the small carpark beside the harbour, and immediately found something going on, with this boat manoeuvring between metal uprights.  But, unfortunately, it was snowing and bitterly cold, so we reluctantly walked on

 

but if we had waited, we would have seen the boat being pulled up the slipway to the boatshed

 

we think the metal uprights must form part of a cradle which probably runs up an underwater track

 

we decided to pop in here for a cuppa and cake (you know that we make the big sacrifice on a Friday, eating cake just so that you can enjoy the photos!)

 

we were greeted by Michael, the charming young man who owns Rialto.  He ushered us through to the back room, where a good old-fashioned coal fire was burning

 

when we went through to pay the bill (my treat on a Friday!), I was rather taken with this mirror, but I couldn't fit it in my handbag!

 

Michael and his waiter (oops, I didn't find out his name) were worried that this photo of the cakes wouldn't show them properly - they are all baked on the premises, so they wanted them to look their best

 

so they insisted on putting them on top of the counter.  This is the blueberry and lemon cream cake that I had - in the spring they make it with rhubarb, and in the summer with strawberries or raspberries (I will be going back to sample them!)

 

they are justifiably proud of their scones

 

and when I mentioned that our friend Anna had enjoyed a scone with jam and clotted cream, when we took her to Bamburgh during her visit in 2015, they swung into action, producing this tasty photo for her to enjoy!

 

as always, as we walked back to the car, there were random things to take photos of.  I liked this example of creative upcycling

 

and of course there are always gulls perched around the harbour

 

Malcolm wondered if this sign meant that if you fell overboard, you couldn't swim to save yourself (I'm not the only one in this family with a warped mind!!)

 

you would never get me on one of these small boats (unless you gave me vast amounts of money)

 

I was just taking this photo of two exceedingly large gulls

 

when this duck popped up

 

you will have to take my word that there are two seals in this photo!

 

and of course we have to have something rusty from the harbour!

 

I wasn't going to visit the wool shop, but Malcolm made me ........

 

....... then having bought a little kit, I had to buy a circular needle, because, of course, mine are all in storage!

 

tomorrow is my big night at Abbey Quilters, showing the members how I hand quilt ........ I'll tell you all about it on Wednesday!

Warning - a lot of cake!

We were out and about in Northumberland on Wednesday.  We popped into Otterburn Mill for our morning cuppa, and tucked into excellent mince pies - as you can see there was so much filling, it was oozing out!

 

we decided to have lunch at Wallington - as we are NT members we got in for free.  The sun was very low in the sky, creating an unusual effect in the photo

 

 

this is one of the two shops

 

these are just so cute

 

as are these

 

I think Santa's little helpers were visiting, judging by the washing line

 

although we saw his sleigh, we didn't see Santa

 

I did think about making a swag for our gate ........ but I didn't get beyond thinking!

 

lunch was a bowl of hearty vegetable soup

 

was Malcolm remembering when he too had a body like this?

 

on our way home, we called in at Kirkharle, and these little earrings had to come home with me (you can buy them online here)

 

Stuart and Alison are coming for the weekend, for an early Christmas celebration.  We thought this would be a tasty addition to the cheese board

 

can we have a loud fanfare please ........ the 16 pairs of socks are finished!

 

and here is my sock drawer ........

 

........ I won't need to knit any more socks for several years!

 

it's Friday, so that means cake!  We couldn't get a table in any of our favourite cafes in Hawick, as they were busy serving Christmas lunches, so we headed to the coffee shop in the supermarket, where we had the same as last time.  Malcolm had apple pie and cream

 

and I had the (rather sweet) meringue Christmas tree

 

and what better way to finish this year's blogging, than with a photo of the Christmas cake!  As you know, I don't like marzipan, but Malcom does ....... so I put marzipan fruit on the cake, and he gets one with each slice - a good compromise

 

so all that remains to do is wish you a very happy Christmas, and a prosperous New Year

with lots of love, Anne

 

It's beginning to .......

........ smell a lot like Christmas, as I baked the cake this afternoon.  As always I used the recipe in this book, which I have had for years

 

as I always make the same size, I long ago highlighted the column, to make it easier to follow

 

is it just me that is getting a bit bah-humbug about the Christmas-isation of so many things ..... I just don't see why the butter has to have special packaging!

 

the ingredients assembled

 

I washed and dried the cherries, then cut them in half.  I added them to the fruit, which had been soaking in brandy since Monday.  I then stirred in a spoonful of flour - this helps stop the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake

 

the cake tin buttered and lined, and wrapped in brown paper to stop the outside of the cake from cooking too quickly

 

a little tip - before you put the cake in the oven, poke a hole in the middle - this helps keep the top of the cake flat

 

testing the cake with a skewer, to see if it is cooked in the middle

 

the cake tin is a loose-bottomed one, so standing it on a tin makes it easier to remove the outer ring

 

cooling on the wire rack, before being wrapped first in baking parchment, then foil.  Over the next couple of weeks, I will feed it with brandy before I ice it

 

it got rather overcast and dull later in the afternoon, but then we had a glorious sunset

 

with the dark clouds contrasting nicely with the pinks and oranges

 

hopefully the clouds will stay, and it won't freeze overnight

 

Little Miss Smarty Pants sorry, I mean my dear friend, the lovely Meredithe, is now on her 16th pair of socks, while I am on my 15th, so we should both complete our "16 in 16" challenge by the end of the year.  When I showed Malcolm my latest effort, he said what you are no doubt shouting at me ........ you numptie, you forgot the heel!!

 

but this is a pair of "afterthought heel" socks.  The pink stitches were knitted with an oddment of wool, which I removed to reveal the stitches for the heel

 

and here is the sock with its heel

 

I will be back tomorrow with an extra post, to make a very special announcement, so please do pop in to read all about it!!

Very happy mail!

There was great excitement yesterday morning when the postman delivered a parcel from the other side of the world!

 

so what delights did it contain?

 

a card and presents for my birthday from Meredithe, who was unable to post the parcel to arrive on time as she was quite poorly

 

a fabulous sheepie tin

 

and in the tin, an owl tape measure, and an owl shawl pin, just in time for my hand knitted scarves and shawls coming out of the wardrobe for winter ( which the "experts" claim is going to be very cold and snowy!)

 

and how cute is this tote bag .......

 

....... made to support a good cause.  Thank you Meredithe, for such lovely presents - the tin and tape measure  are now in my sewing basket in the flat

 

I took these photos of my sock knitting yesterday morning, before we left to come over to the flat.  The light was really bad, so they have been taken under the ceiling light in the lounge - some of them on my footstool, and some of them on the rug.  This pair is for Malcolm - they are more green than they look in the photo

 

sorry, this one is a bit out of focus!  Again, these are for Malcolm - the same pattern, but in a blue colourway

 

but there was a bit of an oops in the second sock, where something had obviously gone wrong with the printing of the pattern on the yarn

 

the same yarn in yet another colourway - this pair is for me (and I finished them last night)

 

I've got lots of  left over bits of yarn now, so I have come up with a cunning plan.  I unearthed a skein of yarn from my stash and wound it into a ball.  Now I am going to knit short socks for me.  I'll use the leftovers to knit the rib, then use the skein to knit the feet - after all, no one  will see them in my boots!

 

we walked over to town this afternoon, and of course went round past the Money Pit.  There is still a lot of work going on.  The rotten bits of window frame have been replaced, and the windows painted

 

why did I take this photo?  If you look closely at the big tree on the right, you will see that it is laden with apples!

 

some time ago, we went to have a look round the show house at this development when they had an open day (we had no intentions of buying one, we were just being nosey!).  The work is now almost finished, and instead of a great mound of earth and rubble, the centre space is now being landscaped

 

the little black boat is one of the fishing boats that moors in the dock

 

there weren't very many people on the beach today

 

this is an old fire insurance mark on the front of a house (well spotted, Malcolm!)

 

I rather like this window - I wonder if Malcolm would let me cut a hole in the studio wall to install one?

 

I have shown you this fire escape before - it is on the back of the Money Pit.  I just like the contrast between the curved and straight sections

 

when I was sorting through my photos, I came across this one from earlier in the week.  Has an alien invaded my kitchen?

 

no, it's just a saucepan waiting to be washed up

 

instead of going for a cuppa and cake this afternoon, we had a cuppa and shared a delicious cheese scone at the Garden Centre this morning

 

the forecast is reasonable for tomorrow, so we are hoping to go for along walk on the beach.  I hope you have a good weekend, love Anne

 

Before we see the Happy Mail

we have to pop out into the garden this morning, to admire the clouds

 

with just a faint tinge of pink

 

and a hint of sunshine

 

and now for the Happy Mail.  When we got home last week, there was a parcel for me from one of my lovely long-term readers, Dawn (no blog).  I was delighted to find this owly work bag, which she had sent me for my birthday

 

it is already in use, keeping safe my latest pair of socks for Malcolm

 

next, this beautifully wrapped parcel

 

which contained this gorgeous notebook to add to my collection (perhaps I could use this one to keep track of all my other notebooks?!).  So where did this come from?

 

it is my first purchase from the etsy shop which has just been opened by the delightful Crafty Brownies.  If you haven't already discovered their blog, do head over and have a browse, as they have a variety of super craft tutorials ........ and then visit their lovely new shop which is filled with all sorts of gorgeousness!

 

when I was at the Quilt Show just before we went on holiday, I had intended to by some Christmas themed buttons from the Stitch Witch, to embellish my "Santa Stop Here" wallhanging, but she wasn't there!  So I ordered them online, and they arrived while we were away.  How cute are these little snowmen

 

and the parcels look good under the tree

 

to finish ....... no, these didn't arrive in the post!  I had bought them when I did the food shopping on Monday, and Malcolm assumed that I was going to make some sort of exotic dish with them.  NO!!  They are my seasonal decoration ....... and one day I will get round to making a Hallowe'en quilt with the fabrics I bought a year or two ago!!

 

Books, wool and patterns

When we were out and about yesterday, we had a stroll round Selkirk.  I found these two old books in a charity shop, and as they were only £2 each, they came home with me

 

they have both been signed by the author, but unlike signed books that you see on antiques programmes on tv, I doubt that has added to their value!

 

I was sad to see that the little knitting and sewing shop is closing, as the owners are retiring.  There was 20% off all wool, so three balls of sock wool came home with me.  The ball on the left is for me, and Malcolm chose the other two.  I think I might wake up one morning and find I have been sock knitting in my sleep!

 

when I was at The Quilt Shop last week, Sue, the lovely owner, said that she had been asked if there was a pattern available for the Welcome wallhanging that I made for her.  Could I write a pattern for her ....... and could I also do a Christmas version?  So I have beavering away on both patterns

 

I hadn't written down any measurements when I made the Welcome wallhangng, but I had the original working drawing (in the previous photo) so I made a note of all the fabric required

 

I cut a piece of fabric for the centre panel, and added borders

 

I drew round the template for the bunting on double stick fusible web

 

and cut out the pieces

 

then did the same with the little birds

 

I added some red and white twine to the bunting, and made a sign saying Santa stop here

 

I cut out a tree shape from paper

 

glued it to a piece of card (except the paper doesn't show up in the photo!)

 

I cut it out, and also cut out a template for the tree trunk

 

I had a good rake through my stash, and found these snowflakes - when I sew them on I'll add a little bead in the centre

 

making a start to drawing the pattern sheets

 

I needed to draw some little circles, so borrowed this technical doodah from Malcolm - he has had this for many, many years ....... from way back when engineers actually did their drawings by hand, not on the computer.  Stuart, too, is an engineer, and I seem to recall that he did his drawings both by hand and on the computer when he was at university

 

the basic pattern sheets.  At this stage I make photocopies ......

 

....... in case I make a mistake when I add the writing.  Now I need to do the written instructions ...... and make the Santa wallhanging so that I can take a photo for the front cover of the pattern

 

I won't be here tomorrow, as I shall be away all day at the Autumn Quilt Show at Ingliston ........ and I shall have to make my own dinner when I get home, as Malcolm has gone over to the flat and I will be home alone until Sunday!  I'll be back  on Monday with my show report (and no doubt one or two purchases).  So, a day early, I will wish you a good weekend, love Anne