frayed at the edge

You can't have too many .......

........ lambs!  I saw these two cuties when I was heading to Borderland Fabrics today.  I promptly reversed (having of course checked in my rear view mirror!), parked and even braved the muddy entrance to the field (I had on new shoes) to lean over the gate and snap them!!

 

 

This afternoon at patch'n'chat, Seonaid was working on a log cabin block ....... a very small log cabin block!  I took this photo on a cutting mat, so you can see just how small it is - a mere four inches square

 

 

Her aim is to make a lap quilt - she has made forty blocks, so she still has a long way to go (and she is doing it all by hand!)  However, she was fortified by a slice of Annette's wonderful sponge with our afternoon cuppa

 

 

Yesterday's photo of the dog in the shop window attracted several comments ....... I can reassure you that it is a 'toy' dog .... although it is amazingly lifelike.  I didn't include this photo yesterday, as it isn't as clear, but these two puppies hanging from the picture frame were moving too

 

 

The forecast for the weekend is for much better weather - I hope yours is good too.

Love, Anne

 

Worth the wait!

We finally made it to Morpeth today, having had to cancel our trip last week because of the snow.  We went out for lunch with Jennifer ...... but I'll tell you about that in a minute, because I have to start with the most important event of the day ......... lambs!

 

two shakes of a lamb's tail

 

 

just like mum

 

 

we're shy!

 

 

I'm just so cute

 

So, now that we've admired the lambs, back to our lunch with Jennifer!  We went to Frameworks in Blyth

 

where we enjoyed a very nice lunch, accompanied by a man playing a baby grand piano!!  We then had a look round the shop - do click on the link above, as there are lots of photos of all the lovely things that they sell.

We then went down to the waterfront, where the staithes (wharves) have been redeveloped.  Blyth has a long industrial history, and to celebrate its long association with exporting coal, this sculpture was erected

 

You can see more photos of the scupture here.  I also took this photo of the Alcan silos .... is it just me, or would it have been better to paint them a blue/grey colour to blend in against the sky?

 

Again tonight, there is a bit of fun to finish with ...... this may look like a large cuddly toy in the window - but it wags its tail and moves its head!!

  
  

 

Back to nature

Yesterday we decided to head off to Harestanes, one of out favourite places for a Sunday morning walk .... although we hadn't been for some time because of the weather!  As soon as we arrived, we could see that the weather hasn't stopped work being done on the hedge behind the carpark

 

the original hedge, tall and straggly

 

 

cut almost through at the foot of the stems and bent over

 

 

a framework and woven top has been added - the hedge is already growing strongly

 

Although it is now spring, it still looked like autumn under these trees

 

 

But these daffodils were a welcome splash of colour on a dull morning

 

 

Before we went out, we only had a glass of orange juice and a cup of tea, so when we finished our walk, we were more than ready to tuck into delicious bacon sandwiches

 

 

We saw posters saying that there was a demonstration of green woodworking, so of course we went to have a look.  Malcolm was delighted to be given a go at shaping a piece of wood ......

 

....... helped by plenty of advice from this lady, who was shaping a leg for a stool

 

 

I think I will have to get Malcolm some specialist woodworking tools for his birthday and Christmas this year - it's all very different to the sort of stuff he usually does.

There are also some craft shops at Harestanes, and I bought this little oil drizzler for Malcolm - it is only three inches high!

 

 

I also couldn't resist these beads - now I just need to design a project for them

 

 

It was a very pleasant way to spend the morning - and in the evening, some Easter egg may have been eaten!!

 

 

 

 

 

It may be April ......

....... but winter just doesn't want to go away!!  This morning we woke up to a sharp frost, which was followed by freezing fog ...... just in time for all the people going away for the Easter Weekend.

Having fulfilled my domestic duties, as always it was off to Borderland Fabrics for patch'n'chat.  There weren't so many of us there, because of the holiday, but we still had fun!  Anne S was woking on a wallhanging of angels (yes, my angels)..  She is working them in purple, which gives them quite a different appearance to my red ones. 

 

 

Anne's daughter Roberta is visiting her, so she came along for the afternoon.  Unfortunately she didn't bring one of the beautiful teddies that she makes, but she did bring her knitting

 

 

But that's not all that they brought - they had a little treat to share

 

 

I was working on my runner for my chest of drawers.  After trying out several layouts for the main part, I eventually decided on this one

 

 

I really enjoy hand applique - there is something very relaxing about sitting stitching round the tulips and leaves

 

 

As always, come three o'clock, everything stopped for tea ...... which was kept hot in the pot by the super tea cosy knitted by Anne D

 

 

Annette wasn't there today, but in her absence Cathy had made more of her wonderful muffins (she got up at 7am to make them for us!)  Today's were orange and mixed fruit and they were absolutely delicious .......

 

 

I hope you all have a super weekend, love, Anne

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a difference a day makes!

After such an awful day yesterday, it was wonderful to get up this morning to sunshine and blue sky!  However, there was a very cold wind, so when I suggested to Malcolm that we should go for a walk after lunch, he was not overly enthusiastic.  But if he hadn't come with me, he would have missed seeing all of this ......

 

snow on the Eildons .......

 

 

with a little on the Minto Hills ......

 

 

with Ruberslaw looking magnificent!

 

We have lambs in the field across the road from us every spring since we moved here - except for this year!  So I had hoped to see some in other fields on our walk.  However, the ones that we saw were too far away to take photos of.  But further up the road, we did see the Jacobs' lambs, which are now quite big - I'm sorry it's not the best of photos, but I couldn't persuade Malcolm to climb a fence and squeeze between trees and bushes to get a better shot!

 

 

But there was unexpected compensation for the lack of lambs, when we saw this foal and its mum

 

oh mum, they're looking at me!

 

 

please mum, can I have some more?

 

 

mum, mum, they're still looking at me

 

 

bye, see you another day!

 

After admiring the foal, I spotted this building behind their paddock.  I have no idea what it's for, but I just liked the mix of old stone, wood and rusty corrugated iron

 

 

As we continued on our walk, I saw this view through a gate - the way I could see the sun shining through the trees made me think of 'The Secret Garden' .........

 

 

Finally - the daffodils in the verges are starting to flower in sunny spots - soon there should be a blaze of yellow all around!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plan B

The plan for today had been to go to Morpeth to visit Jennifer, but it started snowing yesterday afternoon, and by early evening, this was the view from the lounge window

 

 

We had hoped it might vanish overnight, but this morning the front garden looked like this

 

 

and this was the scene in the back garden

 

 

As the snow was falling steadily, we decided we would stay at home, which turned out to be the right decision, as the main road was closed later in the day!

However, there were certain little people in the house who were glad to see the snow ......

 

the Gnome brothers watching the snow

 

But, I hear you ask, what are they sitting on ...... we haven't seen that little stool in previous photos.  Well, that's because it's a new stool, which has just been made by Malcolm!  Here are the Gnome Sisters admiring it

 

 

It is a traditional stool called a cracket.  You can read more about crackets here and here.  Malcolm made this one for his other sister Judith, but I have put in an order for one and I rather think Jennifer would like one too!  When he makes the next one, I will have to make sure I get photos of the various stages involved, so that I can post a woodworking tutorial ...... but for now, here is another view of his first one!

 

 

Yesterday, I was delighted to find this book in a charity shop.  It was first published in 1977, with this edition coming from 1983

 

 

I almost wish I had open shelves in the kitchen so that I could make this edging for them

 

 

I think this knitted tablecloth is gorgeous ...... but I don't think you'll be seeing one on the blog any time soon!!

 

 

After such a horrible start to the day, the snow is now melting and the sun is shining .....

 

 

Another slice of history

 Last Monday, on our way home from our stay in Durham, we stopped in the village of Blanchland.  It has been described as the prettiest of villages, and you can read more about its history here.  When we saw this building .......

 

....... we thought it had been a church, but it was the village school.  It has now been turned into the White Monk Tea Rooms - we had a very pleasant lunch there. 

One very old building in the village is the Abbey

 

 

At the back of the Abbey you can see where the building has changed over the years - the marks on the wall show the roof lines of other parts which have been demolished

 

 

 

We think this stone structure once housed a water supply for the village

 

 

 

We were puzzled by these oddly shaped stones, but we discovered that they had been part of the winding engine at a nearby lead mine

 

 

 

And to end - a little bit of fun ........

 

 

....... don't worry, it's not incontinent ladies who cause the flooding - the toilets are next to the river!
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

It was raining again .....

 ...... this morning, wet, windy and horrible .... so when it came to lunchtime, I definitely needed some comfort food!

 

delicious - boiled eggs and toast soldiers

 

I love to have pots of herbs on the kitchen windowsill, so I was delighted to find this double pot in a kitchen shop earlier in the week - just the thing to put my basil and thyme in

 

 

The rain did finally ease after lunch, so when I went out to the studio to fetch my sewing to go to Borderland Fabrics, I was able to take some photos of more signs of spring!

 

these narcissi are a month late in flowering

 

 

one of my garden favourites - alchemilla mollis

 

lovely soft shades of green and purple leaves of aquilegia 

 

 

 

the forsythia is about to flower

 

 

 

The challenge for March was to clear out my wardrobe - I had already taken some woolies to a charity shop, but then I had a thorough clearout!

 

 

Don't worry, Winnie the Pooh didn't go to the charity shop .... he was just relaxing on the bed in the guest bedroom!  It was hard to part with some of the clothes - but they are too small for me and I know I will never be that thin again ....... and I did feel better when they were no longer hanging in the wardrobe looking reproachfully at me for not being able to wear them.

 

Of course, Friday means cake, and Annette produced one of her light-as-air sponges for us to have with our cuppa

 

 

 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend - we are supposed to have better weather tomorrow ...... but snow is forecast for next week!!!

Love Anne
 

 

 
 

 

  

 

 

 

Going to pot!

We seem to have been very busy for the last two weeks, but I did find time to put the plants I bought recently into the pots that sit at the studio door

 

 

It has been a horrible day today - grey, wet, miserable, foggy - but when we got home this afternoon, I did find some things in the garden to cheer me up

 

rather damp buds on the flowering currant

 

 

I'm looking forward to this lupin flowering in the summer

 

it won't be long until the air is full of the scent of honeysuckle

 

One of the reasons I have been so busy recently is that I am an executor of Malcolm's Dad's will.  There has been lots of paperwork to deal with ..... and last week I had to attend the Probate Court to swear an oath to carry out the terms of the will.  Yesterday and today has involved lots of visits to banks and building societies, but we did manage to go to a garden centre for lunch today. When we were looking round the plants, Malcolm spotted this bird  - we could see that it was a bird of prey, but we didn't want to risk getting too close in case it flew off before I could take a photo.  I only had my small camera, so having cropped the photo, it's a bit blurred, but you can see the talons and the beak

 

Gorgeous!

Yesterday we headed off over the Border to County Durham, on our way to visit Helen, as she had an open weekend at her wonderful studio

 

 

It was lovely to finally meet Helen, as we have been blog friends for quite some time ..... but every time she had one of her open weekends, I was unable to go!  We nearly didn't get there this time, as she lives at the end of a very bumpy farm road.   Malcolm blanched at the thought of driving his new car over all the lumps and bumps as it has a low clearance .... but he just took it easy and we got there unscathed!  We had a cuppa and a chat with Helen, then before I got down to some retail therapy, I took some photos ....... first of the gorgeous merchandise

 

lovely things for Easter

 

where else would you keep cushions!

 

 

more gorgeousness outside

 

 

Malcolm made a new friend

 

 

even I found this cute!!

 

some of my purchases - I can't show you all of them as they are presents!

 

After we has successfully negotiated the farm road again, we headed into Durham.  We hadn't been there before, so we were looking forward to doing some sightseeing.  As I took lots of photos, I will save them for another post, and will end today with .... food!  We went to La Tasca, a lively Spanish tapas restaurant, for dinner.  We ordered a selection of dishes, which looked like an awful lot of food when it arrived

 

but we managed to eat it all! 

 

After another walk round Durham this morning, we meandered home, with a stop on the way in a very intersting village - but I'll save that for another time as well ........