Taking lots of new steps

Hi there, just popped back to see how things were and to remind you that this blog has now ceased. I now have a new blog but will not be 'advertising' the link here, if you want to pop in to my new wafflings just tap HERE,  and below my profile photo is says EMAIL, just tap on that and send me some contact details and I will reply with my new URL.

I have been surprised and delighted at how many emails I have received so far, so thank you if you have already followed me over.

Lots has happened since my last posting but sshhhh - you'll have to pop over if you want to catch up :)

GON OUT BACKSON BISY BACKSON**

There has been a hiccup back at the printing press which means that this site will cease to exist in this format - I do hope you will follow me over to my new site.

If you do want to continue reading my wafflings and I really hope you do! - please leave a comment with your email address or web page and I will shortly get back to you with my new blog URL, alternatively go to my profile and email me directly.


see you on the other side - let the adventure continue! 

hawthornxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

**GON OUT BACKSON BISY BACKSON - courtesy of A A Milne and Christopher Robin 

What a delightful way to end the day

Today was a strange day. With a delightful twist at the end.

It was with dread I went to work but it is now done and I have a weight lifted off me. I can smile, really smile, not just pretend.

When I got home, the postie had left a parcel at my back door and just looky looky what gorgeous goodies had arrived......

I'd entered a give-away generously sponsored by Penelope from L is for Love

for  some 'skinny yarn' she had fallen out of love with.

I was really chuffed when she said that my name had been selected.

So when a parcel arrived today.....

I was quite surprised at the shape of it!

The yarn was there - in the most hearty-love paper bag

But - be still my happy heart - look what else was hiding inside....

I certainly didn't expect all the lovely extras she'd thoughtfully wrapped and added to the yarn.

Cheerful yellow vintage knitting pins

ooh yum yum

And a wrapped parcel within a parcel -

even more intriguing..... 

Oh ho ho! How wonderful!

I am going to have such fun !

Oh oh oh!

And, all the while, some one small and furry was showing interest 

at all the excitement 

A little face kept peaking over the corner of the table

while I was taking photos of the yarn

A  happy smiley face!

Thank you Penelope - as I said in my email - your timing was perfect

thank you thank you thank you!

Paying for safe passage

There is this ancient tradition. A pagan safe-guard.

Of paying for safe passage

 Paying for the water to stay clear and benign

Of paying for safe passage through the realm of the fairy queen

Of pressing coins into fallen trees or posts alongside moving water

as a tribute or as an appeasement

 In their thousands.

Fallen trees heavy with copper and nickel-plated steel

And strangely enough - people still pay

as did we

A strange, other-world place

a narrow almost claustrophobic valley

opening out to Janet (Jennet)'s Foss

the realm of queen of the fairies

As beautiful as it was, the cloying eeriness made me feel uneasy, it was a relief to rise out of the valley and climb across the dales up and away.

Fairisle for a fair cat

Had a thought*

Borrowed a knitting machine **

Learnt on a swatch***

Even tried out pseudo-fairisle!

Stuffed it with wool scraps and catnip.

Had fun!

*Potentially dangerous as I often think way out of my ability
** thanks Jak!
***Silly to waste a swatch

stash busting stripes

Needing to seriously seriously alleviate my  'down-time-stress-syndrome' as well as giving an 'anti-stress-from-work' relief I needed to knit and I needed to KNIT NOW!

This was a bit of a problem as I didn't actually having anything to knit with other than stash.

So.....I started a stash-busting scarf.

It is nearly double the length now, Youngest has already wrapped it around his neck and made smiley mmmm mmmm noises - ah ha! A chrimbly pressie me thinks :)

Excuse me, off to knit a little more before going off to bed - going to try to pre-empt any work angst!!

Heading for the Hills

Sunday was a crisp and cool autumnal morning. 

A few essential jobs to do before we are free to play out.

A quick visit to Settle town.

Then  on to the hills.

Over the Dales, with snowy topped hills all around

Had a smile at car sticker-humour

in the village of Langcliffe

We stopped by the river Ribble,

sitting the the sunshine

drinking tea

drinking in the view

And,

when we returned off the hills

the sun was disappearing behind the skyline.

Time to head back - the boys were hungry (mind you so were we!)

Today is Monday - another start to another week. hey ho... 

Hope you had a lovely weekend where ever you are xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx hawthorn

November knittin' notes

Well - that was a damp squib was it not!?

We had, as per normal, a bowl of trick or treater-sweets. I handed out one lot of sweets to a pair of the prettiest witch/pippi-long-stocking/type girls who sweetly chirped 'trick or treeeeeat' and then having selected a sweet or two chirped again 'thank you and happy halloweeeeeeen'

And that, as the saying goes, was that...... s'pose the torrential rain had something to do with the poor turn out.

We, did however light our celtic pumpkins, and quietly contemplated the turning of the seasons. Autumn is gently fading, leaves fall, the air is cooler by the day and winter is not that far off. Winter - winter is the beginning and not the end.

Any hoo.

I've been a knittin'. Frantic finger aching knittin'. 

Squash in any free moment type knittin'. Looky looky!

I started another (yes another..) shawlette. 

This ball of  wool had almost been two other shawlettes 

but at the last moment were frogged. 

I finally settled for this pattern and finished it a happy happy knitter.

For those who think it is the same one I did before - I promise it isn't, 

look below, the one I wear all the time (on the right)  is much orangy/browner, 

where as the new one is tooooo pink for me.... A gift for some one may be???

Who ever gets to wear it, hopefully they will love wearing them as much as me!!

Then, no sooner as one shawlette finished....another begins....

obsessed moi? 

This one is delighting me as the colour variations gently slide into each other 

giving the impression of pseudo-fairisle - yummy! 

Now, I have plans for this one, to make it a bit more girly than first impressions. 

Ooh - can't wait!

There are other things on the hook and the needles but sshhhhhh - they're S*E*C*R*E*T!!

Hey ho, really glad that this week is ending. It has been 'interesting' at work and all this seems to have a knock on effect on me and consequently my family. Not making me a happy bunny. I think this is why I am frantically knitting - it is a form of escapist therapy!!

Well - here's to November - lets make it a creatively good 'un :) hawthorn  xxxxxxxxxxx