Zoë's Knitting Bag

March

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold:  when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."
-  Charles Dickens 

 

So after a few days of mild weather and a glimmer of sunshine, the cold bitter winter temperatures are set to return this weekend and possibly the return of snow here on the East.  I know it's only March and not yet the Vernal Equinox but please, come on Spring.

 

Here follows some catch up phone snaps from me with a few words::

Firstly, DH has wall papered the chimney breast in the breakfast room with Sanderson's Squirrel and Dove.  Very happy with this especially as Dove was my maiden name.

 

Crochet heart filled with dried lavendar - pattern via Attic24.

My Valentine present from DH to crochet my Caravan blanket for my little holiday with a friend later this year.  Very excited about this as I have always wanted to stay in a caravan.  DH thinks I am potty!

My wool winder came out to make the gorgeous skeins into pretty centre pull yarn cakes.  Sophie -I missed your help with these but have plenty more to wind when you come back at Easter.

Pink shades - lush yarn cakes.

The beach is one of my most favourite places to walk and so I have many photos to share with you.  The rocks looked beautiful on this occasion.

This photo shows a rare time when rock pools were formed.  The wind turbines can just be seen on the horizon.

This is why I love walking along the beach.  The roaring winds, the beautiful skies, the sea, the sea - never the same two days running.  

Alfie loves it, too.

 Just look how happy he is in this photo and WOW the amazing ripples in the sand.

This time a misty day - such a different beach but the same location.

Patiently waiting for me to catch up, as always.

 

Playing around with ideas for the caravan blanket.

A new little book to help me with the planning process.

A new pair of scissors to help snip the wool ends.

Colour in my garden - hellebores - divine.

A black beauty.

Is that a blue sky beyond our Silver Birch?

Knitting a pyjama case. Pattern from The Wool Sanctuary.

More wool for the blanket - this time shades of red and finally settling on a solid granny square pattern but perhaps with the addition of flowers in every other square.  

Hope to be back soon - toodle pip. x  

September Snaps Days 4 to 9

Fuzzy photo taken late at night on Day4.  I am rapidly going off this "blanket to be" as the colours are so wrong for this time of the year.  I am thinking of going back to my Lily blanket and actually finish it.  I so need to crochet with Shetland wool again.


Day 5 - Above, an even worse photo of a bag on wardrobe door as I forgot to take a photo and just snapped one with my phone when I was in bed!

Garden night sky shot on day 6.

Friday gets better as I snap these apples in our garden with my camera phone.

Then Saturday on the beach was glorious and a mad dash before Alfie's trip to a new grooming parlour.

 Here is his new shorn look.  It is hard to get used to.  He looks like an Australian sheepdog come dingo!

Another BlackBerry snap of his Lordship.

Beautiful weather here this week and well done to my sister for leading the cyclists on the Tour of Britain from Ipswich Waterfront today.

Is everyone enjoying the new season on telly?  Parade's End  is my favourite and a showcase of  our best and new British Actors.  The sets and costumes are also superb.

Mountain Goat

Just popped back with an update.  This Summer has been busy with a family party here at the Blakeney Hotel (my sister was 50 and my Dad 80). Jamie and his lovely girlfriend Sarah came home and Sophie, too. The hotel looked after us very well and the cakes were lovely.  Thanks Heidi of Cute Little Cupcakes. 

Her attention to detail was amazing. I wanted little sugar paste icons to represent their work, life and hobbies.  For my sister, I requested the following:  glitter, bunting, 50, nurse's hat, Mulberry handbag, dacshund, an ice skating boot and her name.  For my dad: carpentry and joinery tools, Fez hat and pyramid (for his National Service during the Suez Crisis) and bingo cards - he loves this.

Loving the Tiffany blue colour scheme.

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I went to Bath for a few days to collect Sophie and Jamie popped down on his new shiny motor bike (yikes) for the day.  It was torrential rain all afternoon on the Sunday.  We went to a pub, where Johnny Depp (not keen on him) is supposed to hang out, for lunch (he was not there!!) and watched some of the Federer/Murray match.  The following day we made our way back to Norfolk via Lakeside Ikea.  I came away with another Expedit to store my wool stash.  These units are brilliant.

We spent the week relaxing in the garden, making an owl costume for Sophie's Bestival festival on the Isle of Wight next month.  Photos will follow after the event.  We also went here:

Alfie enjoyed running around and playing ball.  I was very shocked by the coastal erosion since my last visit.

The metal steps in the distance no longer join to the cliffs due to further cliff erosion.  The path to the steps has been gated and locked.  The only way down to the beach is via a sandy path.  I plan to return in the Autumn and take further photos.

Sophie has returned to Bath to earn some pennies during the summer.  Jamie is coming home this weekend and I have to show you the wool he brought me back from his recent visit to America. 

He flew to Las Vegas via Texas and met up with a close school friend who has taken a long break from work.  They stayed in Vegas for a few days and then travelled to Missoula, MT and on to Seattle.   They stayed with the brother of his friend's in laws at a lovely place called Bainbridge Island.  Later they went by train from San Fran to LA and eventually flying back to London.  He stayed true to his word and sent us a postcard from every destination.  I remember doing the same to my Mum and Dad when I went to America in 1980.

Jamie brought back this gorgeous Mountain Goat hand painted mohair/wool by Mountain Colours from Loopy in Missoula.  This wool is soooooo special and the colour way is Red Tail Hawk.  I cast on to make some fingerless gloves last night.  I'm not sure if I believe in the star signs but as I am a Capricorn the wool name is most apt! 

I have been very fortunate in the wool/gift department.  My sister brought me back this lovely purple Aran from a wool shop in Dorset this summer.  It is Scrumptious Aran by Fyberspates and is silk/merino.  Not sure if I will make a slouch hat or more fingerless gloves.

 

Also, I received this beautiful alpaca selection from Jamie's girlfriend, Sarah.  She travelled to South America last year and brought this back from Peru.  It is so soft and smells lovely.  I thought a crocheted shawl but may make, instead, a simple garter stitch scarf to show the beauty of the yarn.

I have been very lucky to receive this lovely wool from all over the world.

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Phew, it's been too hot for me this weekend.  I am so different from my sunworshipping days of the 80s.  Perhaps a dip in the Aegean Sea made all the difference.  I have been in temperatures of 40 degrees plus in the past but it is a different type of heat.  So, before the heat gets too much, I've taken Alfie for very early morning walks and paddled along with him on the shore line.  The little campsite at the top of the cliffs has never been so full as it was this weekend.  I love walking through with Alfie and seeing all the different tents and smelling the lovely cooked breakfasts of the early risers.  There was a groovy campervan, too. 

Then we walk along the cliff pathway and look across the vast fields to the water tower.  I have a vivid imagination and when the children were young we used to imagine we were running the terror run as in "The Camomile Lawn".  Such fun.

So back to garden and I set up my own camp in the shady part of the garden for a little crochet and to watch Rebecca (again) on my laptop.  Such simple pleasures but those that make me happy.

 Yes, I have strayed again.  Another blanket in the making.  I was amazed by the blanket on Coco Rose's blog.  Sophie came with me to pick the colours.  She hates the orange and I am not sure.  Sometimes I like it sometimes I do NOT.  It is in memory (LOL) of my favourite orange flowered mini skirt that I had as a child in the late 60s.  More to be revealed later if I can find the old colour photo.  Orange was a big part of my childhood as I had a very orange bedroom which I crazed for at the time.

Talking of the garden, would you like to see some of my dahlias?  Yes, OK then, here we go:

The next is my favourite:

 Or is it this one?????

Just a few more:

 

I hope you have enjoyed this post as it's taken me ages to uplaod the photos.  If you get a chance please leave a comment as I so enjoy reading them.  Toodle Pip. x

Granny Square Bag

This bag (which just needs the lining and straps to be done) was inspired by this pattern on Cozy Things blog.  I love her writing and of course her crochet. 

It takes my mind back to the time when I had a crocheted trouser suit with a cropped top in navy in the seventies which I loved as a pre-teen. I had the midriff to carry it off then!  Mum crocheted both myself and my sister long evening dresses with leg-o- mutton sleeves and an empire line waist with velvet ribbon.  Mine was cream with brown ribbon and my sister's was orange with black ribbon.  They were lined from the waist down.  Oh how we loved those party dresses.

I used scraps of Rowan, Debbie Bliss and Jamiesons pure wool.  I hope that you can just see from this photo, that the bag has sides and a base.  It will be lined in Amy Butler which has a Seventies look to it and then velvet ribbon will be sewn into the inside top edge.  Perhaps a little pocket in a contrasting fabric will be added and will be useful for keys or a mobile.

 The straps will be pink and green double crochet stripes and will be lined to help prevent them growing longer and longer!

I think the inside looks pretty in the sunshine before the lining goes in.  Did you notice that I have sewn all my ends in?

The weather here has been good this weekend and was dry.  Our poor roses have been suffering in the persistant rain.  I managed to take a few photos before the rain spoilt them.

Our new apricot coloured David Austin rose has suffered badly too which is so disappointing as the scent is incredible.

The rain has been good for the new lawn on the site of the old vegetable plot at the end of the garden.

We have big celebrations next weekend as Jamie and Sophie are coming home for a few days as my sister turns 50 and dad was 80 last week.  We are off to North Norfolk for a special meal.

Summer Solstice - it's warm here today!

Just a very quick post with few words and lots of photos.  Sophie is spending the night at Stonehenge (lucky her) with friends to greet the sunrise tomorrow. They have followed the guidance on the English Heritage website about what they are allowed to take and not take!  I think I alarmed her this morning with an early morning phone call saying that the Solistice was this morning (according to Day break tv programme).  In fact, I Googled it when I got home from work and it starts this evening and goes through to tomorrow.  So glad I haven't missed it as I hope to get up at sunrise and go to our local beach with Alfie tomorrow. 

Whilst Sophie is still in the West country, Jamie is half way around the world and is today going from Misoula to Seattle - lucky him.  He flew to Las Vegas last week and is going by train later to San Fran and LA.  I got a very quick phone call to say that he got me some wool on the Montana/Canadian border - oh so exciting!

So on to a few random photos of the Jubilee cake, new bike shed built by DH with a lovely cedar roof, crochet for a 70s style bag and garden flowers.

Sorry this photo of the new bike shed could be much better!

Chevrons

Another week, another blanket has been started.  This one is going to be for me and is a way of using up some of my yarn stash mountain.  The only musts are:

• shades of red, pink, fawn and cream
• pure wool
• DK.

 

This one is a yarn eater and I am really enjoying the zig zag ripple. 

Loving the mild weather here - looking forward to the re-vamped garden to be.  Lots of red brick garden walls, new lawn, lots of plants in pots, a small wild meadow area (inspired by Sarah Raven) and a Blackthorn and Medlar to replace our old Bramley Apple (it was sadly just too big for our garden). At the moment the garden is a tip but hopefully by the Summer it may look a lot nicer.

Missing "Call the Midwife" on Sundays - what a lovely drama series - so pleased that a second one will be made.

I hope you like the new cleaner blog look.  I thought I might do away with the colourful banner and showcase each new photo by displaying them slightly larger.  Please let me know what you think.  I can always change the banner and add my own photos again.  I have also updated my blog lists etc and will hopefully continue to add some lovely new blogs that I have discovered recently.

My Autumnal Return

I have been absent from my blog for much longer than was my intention.  Unfortunately, this was beyond my control. I have been rather poorly with chronic shoulder pain which may have been due to the now confirmed (by X ray) osteoarthritis in my left thumb joint.  It may have been made worse by my dog Alfie pulling my arm whilst still on his lead and also carrying picnic bags etc down to the long trek to the beach huts at Wells beach on the August bank holiday weekend.  Also, driving over a thousand miles taking Sophie to Somerset, north Norfolk and London and back over the summer hols.

I was told to have complete rest: no crochet, knitting, driving, dog walking etc.  I am seeing the physiotherapist and have to wear a thumb "spike" which seems to help.  I am gradually getting back to normal, the pain is under control and I am back at work and able and now allowed to do a little craft work.  Thank goodness for this as I have just started a beginner's patchwork and quilting course.  I drive Alfie to the beach and just walk him off lead so no more pulling.

The following photos are of crochet done pre thumb illness:

 

I really love this photo with the glorious colours of this Zauberball 6ply sock yarn used for another Japanese Flower Scarf.  I thought it looked pretty with the fallen leaves from our Snake Bark Acer tree.   DH has been pruning the side garden as I cannot manage the pruners just yet.

 
My gorgeous mannequin displaying the scarf in the glorious Indian Summer light.

 
Pretty circles of crochet ready to be joined in grey Jamieson's Shetland for my car rug/blanket.

 

I am very happy to be back in the land of the living and away from day time telly.  Autumn has always been my favourite time of the year.  I love the misty mornings, the golden light, the falling leaves.  Soon we will celabrate our Silver Wedding Anniversay in our own quiet way, Sophie will be 20 and in a few weekends time we have an 80th Birthday party and Halloween Fancy dress party.  Great. 

I am enjoying Strictly Come Dancing, Spooks, Downton Abbey (of course), Great British Bake Off and DCI Banks.

It would be lovely if you could leave a comment to let me know that someone is still visiting here!

Lily's Removals - all jobs considered!

Lily was a little Trojan - up and down the steep hills of Bath moving stuff (mainly clothes and shoes) backwards and forwards five times over several days and then finally and with much delight deed was done. Phew it was hot and I still cannot adapt to the nocturnal habits of species Student.  I preferred to rise early and retire early which is difficult when one is sharing a room in halls for a couple of nights.  Anway as Sophie says goodbye to living on campus and is already enjoying life in city, I want to show you how beautiful the campus grounds really are. They are owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. These few snaps were taken early in the morning with my BlackBerry.  Just as I went to use the camera, I realised that I had no charge at all!

 
The path to the lake.

 
The lake.

 
Another shot.

 
The Temple where I would sit and watch the swans.

 
The Main House.

The grounds are vast and extend far more than this with rolling hills, grazing cows and sheep. It's like living in the grounds of a stately home. Idyllic, perhaps?

 
Just one more shot of Bath itself.

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Next a little garden update in photos:

 
One of our climbing David Austin roses.

 
Gorgeous old fashioned perfume.

 
The veg plot with the Mulberry tree in the background.  Very difficult to get to at this time of the year and pick the Mulberries.  The birds are loving it.

 
The first of our potatoes.

 
Bramleys growing nicely on the old tree.  The windfalls have already begun falling.  Alfie loves this - he sees it as a garden full of green balls.

 
The poppy seed heads are looking pretty.

 
 
 
A few of the perennials which have grown so tall this year.  The heavy rains and wind have brought most of them over to flop over the lawn. 

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To finish I thought you might like to see the start of Lily's car blanket.  Made using the beautiful Jamieson's DK. 

 
Thank you for all your lovely words about Fiat 500s - I have never had a car that has drawn so much attention or so many admiring comments from strangers in town to people at work!  These little cars do seem to be well liked.

♥♥♥ Blanket Love ♥♥♥

 
I was hoping to do an Alfie post as he approaches his 3rd Birthday next month. All I have are these little photos on a nearby SSSI beach taken with my new phone.

 
You can see just how windy it was.  This is truly an area of outstanding natural beauty. Look at the pale, clean sand.

 

 

 I took lots of videos on our walk yesterday but cannot manage to sync them to my laptop from my new BlackBerry (any advice?).  Although, I think the laptop is too old to cope with it all.  So instead I have a little crochet banket update.

Firstly, a CK looky-like in progress and made with Stylecraft Special with Stylecraft Life for the border.  This yarn is cheap and great for picnic blankets. Our city's market stall has practically the whole colour range available.

 
Next my zingy zig zag blanket in the most vibrant colours that I have ever used.  It reminds me of the tank  top I knitted as a child in the 70s.  Purple and orange were my favourite colours then!  I was inspired but this beautiful blanket on Flickr.  Again I am using Stylecraft Special.  Everything was Acrylic in the 70s or the dreaded Bri-Nylon!  I had a very vibrant crocheted poncho which I loved.  My sister had a sort of Mexican blanket fabric one!

 
Another shot of this blanket as amazingly it is my most favourite one to work on.

 

Also, I still have to photo and show a gorgeous black car throw/blanket which I asked Helen to make me.  It is soooo lovely.

So onto some garden shots ::

 
The usual close up of one of our giant poppies.  It was very breezy when I took all these photos yesterday.

 
One of the pretty verbascums.

 
Potatoes doing well in the veg plot.

 
The view from our arbour where we sit sometimes and enjoy an early cuppa.  It only gets the sun first thing and then it's a very peaceful and shaded area.  Great for reading or kntting and crochet.

 
Finally, my first attempt at a giant cupcake.  I bought the mould from our famous local discount store but it came with no instructions!  I made too much mixture (double the usual Nigella Victoria Sandwich cake) and suffered the consequences with a slightly uncooked cake bottom. It took 50 minutes to cook, too. Next time I will make less mixture and icing.  Does anyone know where I can buy a traditional icing bag from?  I cannot find one anywhere in Norwich.

Catching Up

Can you believe that it is May already?  I have quite a few photos to show here today to catch up with you since my last post.

Firstly a few of our Royal Wedding tea party.  We started the day early with a drive to my Sister's for an 8.30 am breakfast.  Pepper was decked in Union Jack flags with UJ cushions on the rear parcel shelf.  100 yds down the road and one of the flags fell off so we had to stop and wedge them in the window openings.  30 minutes later they were still in place - we did get one admiring glance and a wave but mostly some strange looks on the way!

 
Two cousins - both really enjoyed the day.

 
Royal Wedding Cakes with vintage crockery.  I think it's fair not to show any more picture of my sister's house to preserve her privacy.  We had a lovely time and she went to a lot of trouble baking cakes, and decorating the other rooms with bunting and union jacks.  We took the breakfast which was the least that we could do.  We had an early afternoon tea of smoked salmon sandwiches, cucumber and cheese, champagne and cakes.  Of course,  not forgetting the copious amounts of tea.  We washed up in between the comings and goings of the royal couple and even managed a trip to a craft centre later in the day. Firstly, the dress - so Grace Kellyesque - even down to the bouquet.  William looked so smart, too. My favourite part of the whole day was when Kate and William travelled to Clarence House in his father's 1969 Aston Martin and also the fly over of the World War Two planes during the balcony line up.  London never looked so beautiful and the shots of the crowds and the flags along the Mall - so wonderful.  William and Catherine - HRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - you looked so genuinely happy.

Congratulations to you both - you will make splendid King & Queen.  Thank you to my sister and her family for a memorable day.

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Inspired by my brother-in-law's perfect homemade bread which he makes regulary, I had another go myself.

 
Recipe from Nigella's Domestic Goddess.  I used Dove's strong white flour.  It was, if I say so myself, close to perfection.

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So, on to the garden which is a month ahead of last year.  I have tried to capture the beauty of our clematis which smells of the sweetest baby powder.

 
The small archway.

 
Up close.

 

I will announnce the winner of the little giveaway, hopefully later this week.  Sorry, but I had a terrible migraine with sickness on Saturday night/ Sunday morning. It has really put me behind this weekend.