Headless chicken moi?

We are still planning our Yarnival and in between writing and testing patterns, making bunting (commission), emailing stall holders, copious amounts of paper work (good grief - whoda thunked it that a fun day playing with wools and yarns would be so grown up and include insurance, risk assessments and health and safety forms - gah!) ordering and unpacking the most delicious alpaca yarns - I decided that I didn't really have enough on my plate so started this.....

Poor old Eldest, he was at home while his younger brother was off out on a jolly with a mate, so he was press-ganged invited to help - you should have seen the world-weary teenage-look he gave me as I tried to explain that I wanted to turn this unpromising looking unit into a something I could use on my stand at the Yarnival festival.

Any way several coats of paint later (and mugs of tea and chocolate for bribery - him and medicinal purposes - me...... you understand of course.....erhem) it was finally done.

Well - what do you think?? I am pleased with it and it holds some of the wools and yarns I am selling - now need to sort out the rest of my stand.

Oh, and in between all of the above, the catlings had to go to the vet to be speyed - so they are now sporting the clipped-on-the-one-side-look, I had to go to the doctor for a check up on my grumpy knee (verdict? - yes it is still grumpy) and now I have to take the knee off to physio. Fortunately my folks have stepped into the breach and are driving me all over the place - I still can't drive! ***I will be so glad when my knee is less grumpy and more co-operative***

Any way - must dash - lots still to do but thought I would leave you with this happy image of my two catlings before their 'close-shave-at-the-vets-that-meant-no-food-passing-their-lips' a story I will share with you - I promise!

Hope the beginning of your week was as happy and carefree - love and woolly thoughts - hawthorn xxxx

errare humanum est ummmm.....

Back after a short break, I know its only been a few days, but after a stint of writing a themed post for the last 21 days, I suddenly had had enough of being a mouse potato (huh?)***

It's been rather hectic around here recently. Our Yarnival plans are going full steam ahead and some days I feel that I can not keep up with all what's going on. Don't get me wrong, its all exciting and positive stuff and I am not a laggard but wow some days my feet (foot) hardly touches the ground (metaphorically speaking seeing I still have the gait of a one legged pirate on the deck of a ship).... but I digress.

I have, my dears never fear, had some excellent hooky time with string bags flying off my hook. I am also writing the pattern for them and testing them out to make sure all errata are eradicated (ooh a bit of alliteration, gosh my brain is all a whirrrrrr) *note to self - drink less coffee first thing in the morning and drink more tea instead*

I found it really easy to make the bags from the recipe in my head, it was only when a friend asked for the patten back in December that I started to have difficulties. Easy peasy I smugly thought as I quickly wrote down the instructions. Umm, I read through it and realised that I better make the bag following the written words rather than what was floating around in my head.  A rather wonky bag began to appear.
Scrap that. Start again.
So, this time, as I went along, I wrote down the instructions. Feeling a little better about it, I typed it out and with a few drawings to illustrate the steps, I handed over the pattern feeling rather happy about it.  Until I was asked for the pattern by another friend, easy peasy again I thought (think I should stop using that phrase - coz it usually ends up being far from it!) and printed out another copy. Said friend sat down immediately with me and started to make the bag.....uh ohh, I could see an issue happening. So using her as a test pilot (had to give her incentive to continue) and plying her with a mug of tea (nothing stronger as I needed serious test flying with this hooky pattern) we went through the pattern again.
Ah Ha! Sorted. She went back home (mind you - she's not reported back if she finished the bag....) and I continued using the now modified pattern (stored in my head - not good)

Now..... I am trying again, to write the pattern in proper terminology, with photographs and easy to follow directions - why? Coz I want to be able to sell a kit complete with yarns and instructions for people to buy at the Yarnival - easy peasy. Why do I set myself these tasks??

All my test bags are finally coming out the same and I'm love loving the jumblement of colours and yarns

The obligatory brew without which, all is lost - oh by the way - did you know I was a tea drinker?

Hmm, needs two grams more then it's correct! Told you it was a 'recipe'!

Well, better get on, have loads of ends to weave in and labels to stitch on, easy peasy! (Oh - hang on, also have to weigh balls of wool, type in correct version of pattern,  take and insert photos as I go along, match colours, bag up and label - err..... easy peasey!)

Ooh almost forgot ***mouse potato? Well - you have heard of couch potatoes - yeah? Well, a mouse potato is someone who is permanently attached to their computer or laptop and today that is certainly me! You heard it here first :)

Final round up of hearty happenings ❤

I know I usually do the whole of February with a heart❤ shaped theme however, I have so much going on I am going to call a halt on hearty❤ proceedings and do a grand round up of the remaining hearts❤ (so that no hearts❤ are left on the shelf!)

So it is with heart❤felt relief to share my last hand of hearts❤ -

Top Row :  Festive heart ❤with holly berries. Intricate hearts❤ in a gate on the old walls of Berwick upon Tweed. Small dish filled with heart shaped buttons❤. Hellebores, daffodils and heart❤ bunting from spring last year. Heart❤ shaped memorial stone nestled at the base of a huge beech tree up in Galloway.

Second Row (starts midway):  Sign to Sweetheart❤ Abbey. Hearts❤ in a farm gate Near Boulsworth Hill. Heart❤ shaped chip in stone near the Old Rock Café,  Trawden.

Third Row : Festive chocolate gifts. Heart❤ shaped dog biscuit. Rusty hearts❤ and bells hanging in a Rowan tree. A cosy cat on a two-tone hear❤t. Brussels sprouts(yes you read correctly) heart❤ shaped festive wreath.


Final Row: A heart❤ shaped chocolate  from an advent calender. Hearts❤ adorning a box of sweets. And finally, a heart❤ on a well known bread.

Phew all hearted out!

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Well, this does mean I will now be subjecting you to loads and loads of waffle about our Yarnival event! Don't say I didn't warn you

Have a lovely day and hope there is sunshine where you are (coz for sure it isn't here!!!)

hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Home is where the heart is

Early August last year, my Mom, boys and myself set off for a day's jolly out in Harrogate. Our plan was to wander around and enjoy the shops and cafés. We had a wonderful time and whilst we were out and about, these gorgeous spoons were spotted.

Well, there was only thing to do and that was whip out the camera!

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

It is the last day of the boys half term break. A quiet one for them as I was not my usual self. They have been incredibly tolerant and very helpful. I have been very lucky and very well looked after by them - they have also driven me up the wall, interrupted good crochet time, chatted when I wanted silence, sulked when I wanted laughter, been hungry when I am busy, not eaten when I have made them lunch. They and the kittens have run riot through out the house, rampaging through like four whirlwinds leaving a trail of toys, books, clothes, laptops and fluff in their wake.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'll miss their company when the boys go back to school however the house will be a lot tidier.......

A hearty♥♥ surprise

Here follows a transcript of a conversation between myself and Himself from yesterday.

Let me set the scene first....I am hobbling about trying to get my right leg to move in sync with my left and feeling frustrated that I should still be using a crutch and steadfastly trying not to when.....

Love...I've got something here for you

I frown, still feeling grumpacious and irritable, to see him place two white tissue wrapped parcels.

They're for you

Really? wow, why? I am surprised, Not at his generosity, for he is, but am surprised at the timing.

He grins sheepishly

Open them 

I don't need prompting a second time, carefully (but not too carefully) tear open the first of the white tissue papers and am amazed and delighted (definitely delighted) to find a clutch of three heart hooks .♥♥ 

Wow! they are beautiful 

He grins sheepishly again and I am really touched at his thoughtfulness (as I type this he has just made be a mug of tea - lucky lucky me)

I reach for the second parcel and unwrap (rip open) the paper. To find this♥♥......

Again I am speechless at his perfect choice of gifts but am curious to know why I am being given such wonderful gifts now.

Umm..... well, I actually bought them for you for chrimbly and hid them........ then forgot where they were..... I've just kicked them - they were under the bed.....

Oh I do so love him♥♥♥♥♥, even if he has a memory like a sieve :)

Wow! For me?? Thank you!

Looky Looky! A subject close to my heart❤❤

knitted hearts❤❤

...........err - try again

Looky looky, two subjects close to my skippity happy heart❤❤

hand-knitted hearts❤❤ made by my by sister in law

...........err, umm

Looky look look - three subjects close to my very happily skippity heart❤❤

hand-knitted hearts❤❤ made by my sister in law for me

Aaaah - they are sooo-oo cute!

And now they are nestling in between flowers

Floating happily with birds

Flying free with butterflies

Thank you dear, dear fave-sis-in-law - did I mention 'wow' and 'for me?' and 'thank you' enough times on Thursday? If I did not - here they are again.......

Wow!

For me??

Thank you!

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Ps - did you hear the article about the Graffiti Grannies of Cornwall? It's all about yarnbombing -  listen to it here - courtesy of Radio 4, you will need to fast forward to 0:40:39. Inspired by their name I wonder if we should be called the Knitting Knijas for our Yarnival ! 

A wisp of a heart

Yesterday I received an email picture  from Tracy of narkeymarkey ........

I was out for a drive with my Mum at the weekend when we saw this heart-shaped cloud (well, if you squint it kind of is?!) and I thought you might like it for your February collection of hearts :)

Take care, hugs
Tracex

Tracy thank you its perfect!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ 

Edited to add - can you see it now?

Hearty❤ happenings and Yarnival preparations update

A quick heart posting today, I have about a million little flowers** to make! No, not really but I do have to get on and crochet like mad.

Today's hearts❤are very kindly supplied by a work colleague who sports them on her feet - thank you H.

❤❤❤

**About those million little flowers - our Yarnival preparations have been going full steam ahead and this weekend we put our display out in the Post Office window. Our local library has also kindly agreed to let us display some woolly goodies. Our Post Office is on the main route through the village and a rather busy little place, the lady who runs it has themed displays in her window regularly through out the year so we are really chuffed to be allowed a slot leading up to our woolly festival.

Any hoo - last night I was (despite a heavy cold) crocheting up a storm making butterflies - they are so easy to make and so-oo cheery and so-oo happy and I am so-oo-oo in love with them! They are to be displayed on a 'topiary tree' (also crocheted) along with some wonderfully crocheted birds (thank you dear sis-in-law).

And one last quick photo - just look at little miss snooty

I suspect we have just disturbed her beauty sleep .......

Sock♥♥ it to ya baby...... And sky scarf reveal!

Today's hearts♥♥ are very kindly 'sponsored' by our young friend Tash in the form of her rather appropriately adorned feet .....

 Thanks Tash!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

 I have been playing nicely - looky looky! My first baby steps in returning to knitting (last did serious - if you could call it that - knitting when I was still at school)


My sky scarf - each month will be a different stitch and as I go along I intend to get braver and attempt more complicated patterns.

I am having such fun firstly doing the recording of the sky colours - I am keeping an eye over the whole day which is why there are so many colour variations and then translating my colouring into knitting is actually good fun. 


I suspect you 'proper' knitters out there have noticed the fringe on the left of the scarf. This is my second attempt, the first only being a one row per day meant the final scarf would only be about 75cm long so I ditched it. However, with my first attempt I wove in all the ends, when I started this one I decided that I actually liked the fringing along the edge and am deliberately leaving a length of yarn. Once I finished the whole project I will trim them neatly.. 


Before I go - a sneak preview - just look at what my mom knitted for me!

How brilliant is that?! Oh - notice the little stool I'm standing on? Well she did that too! The socks however are the model's own (hahahaha) and yes I do deliberately choose to wear odd ones - it makes me happy :)




Pop over to the Yarnival page - it's about to be updated 

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥