frayed at the edge

Gorgeous!

This morning, despite miserable, grey, wet and foggy weather, we headed down the A68.  This time we were going to Hexham to an antique and collectors' fair.  Why there?  Because two of my favourite stallholders were going to be there with all their wonderful goodies!

First, there was Julie, with all sorts of fabric loveliness

 

 

And then there was Helen, who sells everything that is gorgeous

 

 

As the weather had cleared, we went for a walk round Hexham.  The most imposing building is the Abbey - this is just a small part of it

 

 

This is one of several very old gravestones that we saw

 

 

When we passed the Old Gaol ..........

 

 

........ I asked Malcolm to pose in the stocks while I threw rotten veggies at him.  For some reason he said no!

 

 

I'm glad I remembered my own advice to look up - otherwise I might have missed this .......

 

 

and this ........

 

 

Somewhat lower down were these delicate little flowers

 

 

We came home a different way, round little back roads we hadn't used before.  At one point Malcolm had to consult the map, which gave me the chance to snap theses bright clumps of aubretia

 

 

Unfortunately the weather suddenly got worse - it was really miserable for quite a few miles

 

 

What did you say - oh, did I buy anything?  Although there were all sorts of wonderful things on the many stalls, I just couldn't decide what to buy ....... and in the end all I bought was this gorgeous lavender bag from Helen!

 

 

To end, a little bit of good news.  When Stuart phoned last night for our weekly chat, I asked him if he had heard from his friend Will, who lives and works in Japan.  Thankfully, Will is safe and unharmed and has been able to let his family and friends know what is happening through Facebook!  He is a professional photographer, and was asked if he could take photos of the nuclear reactors.  He declined the request (as any sensible person would do), joking with his friends that he said he couldn't go, as his radiation suit was in the wash!

Things old and new

To start, I have something fairly old - an Edwardian post box.  This is the first Edwardian one that I have found - I'm glad that we crossed the road for a closer look when we were out for a walk yesterday!

 

 

I think if the paint were to be cleaned off, this would look like the one on the left of the photo in the link.

 

 

Next, something considerably older!  We went for a walk after lunch today, heading up the bridle path.  We have on occasion looked for the remains of a tower house, which we know is somewhere in the woods.  I have tried to find out about the house, and this link has a very informative piece - especially the bit about the army using it for demolition practice!  Today, we wandered down a different path, and there, suddenly, through the trees, we spotted the house

 

 

Later additions to the house have mostly gone, but this date stone shows when it was first built

 

 

It must have been an imposing sight before it fell into ruin

 

 

We were surprised that the house hasn't been fenced off - or at least had warning notices posted.  This section of stonework looked ready to fall

 

 

As we walked round, a flash of colour caught my eye.  This must have been a floor in the Victorian part of the house

 

 

Now for something considerably newer - the tractor quilt!  At the weekend, I finished quilting the centre panel

 

 

a detail of the front .......

 

 

....... and the back

 

 

It's Monday, so time for the latest knitting news.  The egg bunny cosies turned out as cute as they looked in the book

 

 

This week's project is a bead necklace, so that won't take long to do!  The pattern is for nine beads, but the only packet I could get in my local craft supply shop contains eight - maybe I could put something else in the middle!

 

 

 

 

 

I'll tell you what I want ......

....... what I really, really want (with apologies to the Spice Girls!).  I spotted our neighbour Billy the farmer driving this wonderful machine across the field this morning (yes, that's snow on the hills in the background) - I want one!

 

 

But what I really, really don't want is one of these ........

 

....... why?  Because it's the tanker for emptying the septic tank!  Fortunately the tank is on the far side of our neighbours' garden (we share the tank with the neighbours on either side of us), so at least I didn't have to see the proceedings!  We have a lot of bother with the drains, and Malcolm is the only one who sorts it out.  He is so fed up with it, that we are looking into having our own separate system installed.  In August we celebrate our Silver Wedding, so won't that be a really romantic present - a nice new septic tank!!

Last Friday, I told you about Alison finishing her late Mum's quilts.  This week, she had another one with her.  One of the last projects that Agnes had been working on involved making dozens of tiny log cabin squares.  This is the stunning quilt which Alison has made with them

 

 

Each square measures four inches, and Agnes had stitched most of them by hand

 

 

Annette didn't have time to bake a cake for us this week, but fortunately there is a wonderful cake-making business near the shop, so she popped in there to buy not one, but two tasty cakes for our afternoon cuppa

 

a wonderful rich gingerbread

 

 

a lovely moist raspberry and white chocolate cake

 

Earlier in the week, we had colourful  visitors to the bird feeder

 

 

 

I was sorting out some of my (many) photos yesterday, whe I realised that I hadn't shown you these two.  As you approach this building, you wonder why the pipe goes through the window

 

 

But when you draw level, you see that it is several inches away from the glass (although why it's there at all is a mystery!)

 

 

We've just seen the forecast for tomorrow - more snow!!  I hope your weather is better and that you have a good weekend.  Love Anne

Almost a change of plan!

We got up this morning to discover it was snowing!  This was the view from the kitchen at 7am - no, it's not a blurred photo, that's heavy snow!

 

 

We were worried we would have to change our plans for the day, but an hour later, this was the view from the front doorstep

 

 

As we headed down the A68 towards the Border, there was more and more snow lying - until it was at its deepest as we crossed into England

 

 

Our first stop was at Jennifer's, to give her a stool that Malcolm had made for her

 

 

Jennifer had given Malcolm the piece of needlework, which had been done by her mother-in-law, and asked him to make a stool - she was delighted with the result!

 

 

There was a rather unusual sight in Jennifer's back garden - a female pheasant (unfortunately the male was nowhere to be seen, as he is much more colourful!)

 

 

Next on the agenda was ........ lunch!  We went to the Milkhope Centre, where we enjoyed some rather tasty sandwiches

 

 

But we were under strict instructions not to eat too much, as next we went to visit Rachel, who had promised us a feast of baking!  First we had the most delicious cheese scones, hot from the oven

 

 

You know that Malcolm and I usually share a scone when we are out, but these were so delicious, we disgraced ourselves and ate two each (as did Jennifer!!).  Then we somehow found room for a slice of this wonderful, delicious, gorgeous (you get the idea) mocha cake (yum, yum, yum)

 

 

But of course there then followed the quid pro quo ........ those of you who regularly read Rachel's blog will know the tale of woe about her dishwasher.  Although she had sourced and fitted a new circuit board herself, it still wasn't working.  Malcolm delved into the innards, and promptly produced a large piece of glass (from a broken wineglass) that the repairman hadn't noticed.  We all held our breath as he pressed the start button ...... drat, it still wasn't working!  Unfortunately, to do any further investigation required a specialist tool, which Rachel didn't have, so we will pop down again sometime soon (Malcolm hates to be defeated!)

My part of the baking/skills swap is much easier ....... to knit a cushion cover to sit on a chair with this cushion, which was made by Rachel's Mum

 

 

It is now 7pm, and we are still so full of cake and scones that we haven't had any dinner!  However, Rachel gave Malcolm the last two scones, which he will have later for supper.  She also gave Jennifer and me a large slice each of the mocha cake - I might share mine with Malcolm with our afternoon cuppa tomorrow ........ although I could be like Nigella and get up in the middle of the night and guzzle it (except I don't have the required red satin dressing gown to do that!)

 

A little bit of history

Yesterday, when we were heading to Milestone Garden Centre for lunch, Malcolm suggested taking the back road, as there was somewhere we hadn't yet visited which he thought would be a good subject for the blog.  We turned down a very narrow lane, squeezed past two cars and a lady walking her dogs, and finally reached .....

 

 

......... Bowden Kirk in the village of Bowden.

 

 

The church has been added to over the years, with several date stones tracing its history

 

 

 

 

The church is surrounded by some very old graves.  Sadly, some of the headstones can no longer be read, but those which were sheltered from the weather have stories to tell

 

 

 

It wasn't just the church and graves that were old - this tree has obviously been there a long, long time (Malcolm kindly provides the scale of the tree's height!)

 

You can see just above the level of Malcolm's head there are strange outcroppings on the tree

 

 

I forgot to include this photo yesterday.  It was taken in another old graveyard - this one in Kelso, when I was on my way to knit'n'natter

 

 

Remember, if you would like to win the narrow frilly scarf shown in yesterday's post, leave a comment and I will choose the winner tomorrow. 

Catching up!

I've got lots of photos to show you, starting with this one from Saturday, when I finished the quilt top for the Linus tractor quilt - now I just need to layer it and quilt it!

 

 

When we were about to get in the car on Saturday morning to go to Hawick, the postman arrived, with a mysterious parcel for me.  It was from Amazon, but I knew that I hadn't ordered anything!  I opened it to find it contained a present from Rachel   (thank you  Rachel) ...... this wonderful book of vintage socks

 

 

It is packed full of the history of socks and the vintage patterns the book is based on.  There are clear instructions for the construction of the different heels and toes

 

 

and who could resist knitting a baby's bootikin!

 

 

Last week I bought a bunch of beautiful lilies.  When I left on Thursday morning only one or two of the blooms had opened, but when I came home on Friday, they had all opened

 

 

In the mirror, you can see a little bit of this embroidery, which I did many years ago for my Mum and Dad

 

 

Although we have had some frosty mornings, it has been warmer during the day, and there are more signs in the garden that spring is just about here.  This is new growth on the forsythia

 

 

and this is one of our many clematis

 

 

This next photo is actually from about ten days ago - I was just pottering round the garden, hoping to see some new growth (while lamenting the plants which haven't survived the winter), when I saw a flash of colour under the old leaves of the hellebore.  I immediately fetched the secateurs and snipped off the tatty old foliage

 

 

We went out for a walk after lunch today.  We were going to go up the bridle path, but it was extremely muddy!  Instead we walked through the wooded area beside the road.  This little holly has a long way to go before it it as tall as the trees round it

 

 

Two other flashes of green caught my eye - the first one is a welcolme sight of new growth

 

 

But it won't be long until this nettle is big enough to sting an unwary walker!

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed this round up of photos that nearly didn't make it into the blog - I need to lie down for a rest now!!

Another day out

 
Yesterday, I headed down the road to Chesters, for a Woolgathering - where a bunch of us get together and indulge in all things crafty.  It was a beautiful morning, so I had a quick stop on the way to take some photos.  Ruberslaw stood out against the sky

 

 

Looking back down the road, I had a good view of the Mintos and the Eildons

 

 

Oh dear, we were so busy talking and working all day, I forgot to take any photos!  But I can show you the progress I made on my scarf

 

 

But on to more important things ........ lambs!  I went out for a walk after lunch, and as I did last time, I struggled through the hedge and over the fence to try to get closer photos.  I was somewhat embarrassed when a woman appeared in the field, accompanied by a little girl and a small dog.  I thought I had better explaing what I was doing, but she had realised that I was taking photos and ....... she asked if I wanted to come into the field to get closer!!

 

the lambs are getting big

 

 

this is the tup (he has broken one of this horns)

 

 

they are just so cute!

 

I was delighted to get so close to the lambs ........ and I have permission to go into the field again to get more photos as they get bigger!  There were some ewes in one of the other fields - I wonder if the one on the right knows that she is different from the others

 

 

As I was walking along looking for things to thake photos of, a bit of colour caught my eye.  A closer look showed it to be a rotten apple!

 

 

Then later, when I was squeezing through the hedge, I noticed another little bit of colour - a ladybird!

 

 

It's Monday, so that means an update on the knitting project.  The little floral corsage didn't take long to do

 

 

This week's item won't take long either - a washcloth!

 

 

I still seem to have quite a collection of photos to show you - I will have to do a catch-up tomorrow!

 

A tale of two bridges

 The forecast promised much better weather for today, so I was a bit disappointed on the first part of my journey when it was very cloudy, and at times misty.  However, as I approached Edinburgh, the sky started to clear, and the odd gleam of sunshine appeared.  I decided to have an early lunch, in the hope that by the time I reached my destination, it would be even brighter.  So I had a quick stop in a garden centre (of course) for a most enjoyable roll with cheese and coleslaw

 

 

After lunch I headed for South Queensferry, stopping briefly on the way to take a quick photo - I am sure you will recognise these structures ..... the Forth Road and Rail Bridges

 

 

Of course for years, the rail bridge was known simply as the Forth Bridge, until the Road Bridge opened in 1964.  There were lots of trains crossing the bridge - this gives you and idea of the scale

 

 

I grew up hearing jobs described as 'it's like painting the Forth Bridge' - because as soon as they get to the end of painting the bridge, they have to go back and start again.  As you can see, they are still working on it

 

 

The bridge is so big, it was hard to get all of it into one shot

 

 

Once I had walked through the town, I was able to take photos of the road bridge.  I remember once being in the car with my Dad crossing the bridge.  I said to him to look down to the left, as I knew someone who lived down there ...... I forgot that, like me, he doesn't like heights - his eyes were fixed on the road ahead!  There is a footpath should you wish to walk across the bridge (why would you do that?)

 

 

I had intended you show you lots more photos, but Typepad has had one of its periodic hissy fits, and I've had to do this through Internet Explorer, which is somewhat clunky!!  Never mind, I'll save them for another day!  Stuart and I are slumped in front of the tv, full of lasagne and garlic bread (and a glass or two of wine!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water, water everywhere!

Yesterday, we went out to the Waterwheel Cafe, near Selkirk.  We were going to park, go for a walk, then have a cuppa.  However, just as we got there, it started to rain heavily, which meant we had to change our plan.  So first we had a cuppa, then just had a short walk.  First stop, as always, was to admire the owls

 

 

Just as I took the photo, the top owl turned its head away.  When it turned back, I took another one, just as the bottom owl turned its head - I'm sure they were laughing at me!

 

 

We were very glad that we hadn't been walking under the tree when this branch came down

 

 

As we approached the cauld, we could see a section of new fence, where we normally stand to watch the water - never mind the branch, imagine if we had been standing in our usual place when this happened

 

 

There was a lot of water in the river - the noise was amazing!

 

 

On the way back to the car, we spotted some daffodils - these are the first we have seen

 

 

On the way home, we had a detour to

 

 

There were lots of swans, both adults and cygnets

 

 

The swans look so graceful as they glide through the water

 

 

This one was making sure all its feathers were in order

 

 

When these ducks realised that we didn't have any food for them, they lost interest and swam off across the loch

 

 

It's Monday, so of course that means an update on my knitting challenge.  Last week's project was a cushion front.  I finished knitting it through the week, then on Saturday, I stitched it to the front of a cushion that I already had

 

 

This week's project is flower pot covers.  You will see from the photo that they should be knitted in different colours, but as each one only uses a small amount of yarn, I am going to knit them in the same yarn.

 

 

I have also started (yet) another pair of socks!  Rachel's friend in Canada liked her socks so much, Rachel asked me if I could do a pair for her.  I was delighted to say yes, as payment will be in the form of more of Rachel's wonderful baking - lemon drizzle cake was mentioned ......

Nothing but blue skies .......

....... sadly, today the blue skies had vanished again, but yesterday was glorious!  This, of course, meant that I headed out for a walk, armed with the camera.  I didn't have far to go for my first photo - this horse is in the stables across the road from the house

 

 

This photo of a dead tree one one of those happy accidents when it didn't turn out quite how I meant, but it does look quite spooky

 

 

Just in case you think I was exaggerating about the beautiful blue sky, this funny little tree was obviously stretching up to meet it

 

 

This very pregnant ewe was keeping a wary eye on me as I took her photo

 

 

You know I like tumbledown fences, bits of old hedge and moss ....... this photo has all three!!

 

 

You might not think fences are tasty, but a lot of them have chewed bits like this one - don't worry, it's the horses that munch on them, not the farmers!

 

 

Living in the country, you get used to having no pavements and stepping on to the verge when cars go past.  I was very glad that I was on the other side of the road, when this came hurtling round the bend

 

 

Over the weekend, I will be finishing this week's knitting project - the knitting is done, I just need to put it on a cushion.  I hope you all have a lovely weekend, love Anne