Sunshine and yarn - bliss

Today was beautiful - we packed early (well for us, it was early) and set off towards Sedbergh in Cumbria. Our plan was to wander around the town which has many wonderful bookshops and antique shops, have a picnic lunch before setting off for our walk.

We stepped inside Westwood Bookshop and spent ages trawling through loads and loads of yummy books. It would have been rude not to buy at least one (or four) books....erhem.... which, between the boys and myself we did!

The first book - Knitting School caught my eye quite early on but I wasn't able to reach it as there was a woman steadfastly hogging the knitting section. I hovered for a while but she wasn't for moving. So I decided on a tactical retreat and went to find my boys.  I returned a short while later and discovered that 'my' book was still there and I grabbed it. Right next to it - as if it was fate - or luck - or something to do with that they are both knitting books and start with the letter K..... was Kristin Knits - oh it is full of inspiration and colourful knitting. Quite folky but definitely not twee - I was really really happy with my purchases (especially since I have found out I got my books for way less than half price and they are both almost new!)

We wandered through the town a bit more and came across the 'Community Charity Shop'. What a wonderful emporium of second hand delights! We came out with a mug (for me) a jar of beads (err for me) and a dog watering bottle/bowl type thing for the dog (not me!) And the grand total of our spendies in this charity shop? a whole £1.50 - wow!

Any hoo - spent up and happy we headed off to the river for our picnic - which was delish -  we sat in glorious hot sun ( in March!) We saw bumble bees and butterflies - such a treat.

Replete and ready for our walk I took along the necessary items...camera - check, sun glasses - check, knitting...check.

Every time we stopped - out came my wip. The yarn was generously donated by Fiona of TizDuster and is to be turned into squares for blankets for Japan. I just loved sitting in the sunshine and knitting much to the amusement of other walkers. My family are quite used to me crafting as we go along and no longer bat a collective eyelid.

Our walk continued in such a delightful way - we really really enjoyed it (my knee on the other hand is still debating about the amount of exercise it is getting....)  

Just one last picture - of Eldest... yes that is a sheep's skull on his back and yes that is a festive copper wreath frame on his head.... and no I didn't question him why...... 

Madness is a state of mind - and yes there is a lot of that sort of state going on here - and I do mind!

As some of you already know, I have another blog called, Kyōyū kyōyū - share, where we knit and crochet squares for blankets as well as make toys for children and send them to Japan.  It is coming up to one year after the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster and this has brought back to the surface that people are still suffering and are still homeless or in temporary shelter.  I have been linked up with another blog called Japan Alive. They have just been featured in The Wall Street Journal and on the video our blankets are there being unpacked and shared with the women who now use knitting and crochet to keep themselves occupied and keep themselves alive. I just had to share - I am so proud of our ladies that have spent time and effort to help across the miles - thank you xxx

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

Yarnival - why oh why do I start these things!! 

It always starts off as a good idea....'I know - let's have a fibre festival'.....as if I know anything about fibres OR festivals, never mind the two of them together. 

It is NOT HELPED by the like minded and easily led astray friends who say.....'Yes! what a good idea - yes!! let's have a fibre festival'....

When really what they should have said to me was....'NO-OOOOO..........put the thought down and step awaaay from any more DANGEROUS thinking like that'....... 

But no, they ENCOURAGE me! What sort of friends are they!!!??

Now, many sleepless nights later (and I am sure twice the many grey hairs too) I now have concrete butterflies skipping a merry dance in my stomach.

And...AND....AND what is worse (how could you!) there are voices mentioning things like...when we do it again next year... (WHAT!?!) 

So - to keep sane (well trying to make some attempt at sanity) I am crocheting.....knitting.....blocking....and drinking far too much tea

I have started using wooden needles - lovely to the touch - hand made, smooth and polished***

And rather large................ 'thank you' to my two assistants for demonstrating the dimensions of my knitting

Oi you two - gerrroooffff me knitting!!!

***thank you to Mr Threads through my life for making these needles for me :)

I would like to say that normal transmission will resume shortly but seeing that most of my life has been a bit, lets say, haphazard - fat chance.....

Hearts♥ at home and my sky scarf begins!!

Saturday brought more grey skies and biting cold air. I kept busy and warm in the house. Usually I sit at my desk surrounded by my 'katunda'(stuff) in the rumpus room, but at the moment I am around the corner in the sitting room, nearer the fire and on a lower more comfortable seat.

Away from my usual sanctuary made me notice it more. (please excuse the mess - I had just been turning the place upside down looking for my skyscarf note book - more on that later)

Jumbled together in a chaotic collection I have pens and pencils, hooks and knitting needles (more of them later!) I have samples of work, test pattens and swatches. I have drawings from the boys as well as cards from friends. I use them as inspiration. There are postcards from friends, from wool shops and from wonderful bloggers who have sent squares and blankets for Kyōyū kyōyū - share. I have photos of the boys and of holidays.

And as ever, hearts♥ linger between the pictures or soar like thoughts above my head.

*I really must tidy up....* 

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Now, my sky scarf. I was inspired to learn to knit (or rather re-learn) when I read about a sky scarf. So, inspired but unable to start, I collected the yarns and wools - all recycled, reclaimed, gifted or rescued in the shades of the sky and began to keep a daily colour chart and brief description of the weather.

This evening (with the 'help' of Lily) I laid out my stash. Then I went to find my little note book.....and I looked and looked (with the help of the boys) and I looked. But could I find it?? I began to despair, when I had a moment of inspiration. I last saw my notebook when Holly had been mountaineering across my yarns - I had shrieked a suitable response and my notebook must have kicked aside by a furry foot as she escaped from the slippery slopes of wool.

So, with a mixture of trepidation and excitement I have started my scarf - at the moment it is only 4 rows but it is a start. Once it is larger I will share my wobbly stitches and first baby steps in knitting.

The originator of the idea is Lea from Leafcutter Designs  and I am not the only one doing the sky scarf - Tizduster has already all of January knitted as has Super Gran  who has also knitted a month's worth of weather and Lupin over at Bugs and Fishes is doing a sky blanket .
Are you knitting one too? If so let me know, I would really love to see it!

Right - nuff waffle, I can hear my knitting needles calling to me - byeeeeeeee!

Ps - enjoy the rest of your weekend xx

Pps - how many hearts did you spot?

'What's in a name?' Violet-White

Hello my dears, thought I would introduce you to another blogger with a tale to her blog's name. This particular person has been incredibly generous with helping us make granny squares for the Kyōyū kyōyū - share project I am running. She was incredibly quick off the mark and was one of the first contributors - She soon sent another parcel filled with yummy squares which 
were, equally as quickly, added to blankets and posted off to Japan.

But, I won't fill up my guest slot with my chat, 

so without further ado - 

I would like to present to you 

Penny from Violet-White

·  Please introduce yourself.

My name is Penny,  I'm a widow and I live in France

·  Your blog's name - why and how did you choose your blog title?

When I bought this house, after my husband died, there was nothing in the garden except some violets. So I called my blog violet-white, which was a direct translation from the French 'White Violet'.

·   Did you ever blog about your choice of title? 

No, I don't think so - it didn't seem relevant. It amuses me that some people think my real name is Violet!

·  Have you ever changed your blog's title name? And, if so, how often and why? And fancy revealing any of it's previous names ?

I've never changed the blog's name.

· How long have you been blogging?

Seems like forever, but I guess it's about 4 years...

·  Can you remember how you felt when you received your first comment or how you felt when you noticed your first follower? 

Not exactly, but I do love getting comments and I always look to see if the commentator (or follower) has a blog and I look at it if they have. The comments make me feel that someone cares, which is very important to me.

·  Did you initially keep your blog to yourself before sharing with friends and family?

No, it was always public, and I published the web address at the bottom of all my emails.

·  What was the original intention for starting your blog? Has it remained true to its primary reason or has it blossomed, altered or taken a completely different direction?

 I started blogging after Richard's death and my move to France - partly to give me a focal point in my day, and partly to let friends and family know what I was doing. I don't think that has changed.

·  What or who inspires you? 

I really enjoy reading other blogs and seeing that other people have the same pleasures, problems and interests as I do.  I live in an isolated area and this replaces that quick 'pop to the shops and have a coffee'.  I am frequently amazed and inspired by the sheer amount and quality of the creativity I see.


Thank you Penny for sharing with us all about your blog's name. I agree with you about all that incredible creativity out there in the blog-a-sphere! 

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Well my dears, another lovely interview. I hope you will pop over to Penny's blog and see what she gets up to. 


Welcome too to my newest followers :) Have yourselves a lovely rest of your week and remember that tomorrow is tipping day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! weeeeeeee!


Oh? tipping day - sorry - for those who have no idea what I am talking about, tipping day refers to the fact that, with Wednesday being in the middle of the week, it is tipping you towards the weekend and that can't be bad :)


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Previous interviews :
Slightly Smaller Footprints
Apples and Pears

Rippling - again........ *sigh*

This is a second posting of my crochet waffle, the first lot just looked like techno-babble and try as I might I could not get it to return to it's original format, so with a bit of cussing and judicial deleting I have now fixed the post.

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One of my holiday delights is being able to crochet without feeling guilty. I can reach for my hook and yarn more or less any where and any time - on the beach, in the morning sunlight,on the side of a hill, on a picnic or watching Himself doing the washing up......My kinda holiday.


I love that feeling of the sun on my back. I love the jewel colours gleaming. I love that movement and the rhythm, I move the hook across the top of the blanket. Did I mention I love crochet just in case you hadn't picked up the subtle hints........

Youngest had my camera on such a morning and took pictures of my shadow on the fridge and of me. (It's ok mum  I've chopped your head of in the photo he cheerfully tells me).

Early on in the week we went up into the Kyloe Hills also known as Kyloe in the woods. It is on the list for must do climbs with a reputation of being a lot harder than it looks. Although we are not rock climbers, we do go up crags, the easy way and not roped up (and togged out in stretchy Lycra) and explore the tops and the far distant views. This day was no  exception and it was a wonderfully warm and sunny day


We all took what we thought was necessary for the day -  the boys took swords and bubbling imaginations, I took yarn and hook and Himself carried everything else.............I must try and address this imbalance of responsibility, I must get the boys to carry more yarn for me...........

Any hoo - back to crochet waffle. We sat a-top of Shiellow Crags and while the boys were entranced by the busy microscope world of ants and Himself sat thoughtfully staring at the view as he drank tea, I crocheted, admired my crochet, photographed my crochet and generally felt all happy at the zingy colours glowing in the sunshine. My heart felt all skippy and giddy at the sunshine and huge sky and the cheerful colours in the blankie just gave me an enormous smile.

Even on dull cool days when I stayed snuggled up in the car as the boys and the dog ran silly on sand blown beaches, I would have the radio on and a mug of tea as my hook would fly across the blankie. Each colourful zig-zaggy stripe would fill my little world with a bit of sunshine.

One of our days out was super-hot. We decided to spend it by Harthope Burn. A lovely wild stream that when dry, just bubbles quietly over rocks and into deep pools and when after rain, turns into a raging roaring torrent. The boys dammed the stream to make the pool deeper and braved the icy mountain water. While I, more sensibly sat in the most glorious dappled shade in long insect filled tickly grass and crocheted. We picnicked and paddled all day and it was so restful and refreshing and I managed to complete the second colour band - now that the stripes are repeating themselves, a rhythm of greens and blues slipping into pinks and reds, is really delighting me. And as each colour is only per row then changed I don't get bored and almost feel surprised when I reach the last ripple before ending off and reaching for the next shade.




The journey home after our week away only added to the rows as the miles rumbled beneath us. Each moment that took us away from our holiday was a moment more on the blanket. I know when this ever widening strip of colour is finished I will associate our lovely break with making this blanket. I love that. The connection to the good+times, the sad times, the laughter, the tears, the sun and the showers with every stitch of the blankets I make.


Well my dears, all for now, but before I sign  off, I just want to share something with you, I have a second blog which logs the making and sending off of blankets to Japan. We send our blankies to Japan-Alive a charitable organisation on the ground in Sendai.


Well, after the tsunami and earthquake an increased number of suicides are occurring and an initiative to teach knitting and crochet and having Yarn-Alive sessions are keeping women alive - now that can't be bad.


Follow the links for the full story - thank you xxx

Somewhere in the middle of the week

I am suffering.

Suffering PHD*.  I originally posted about this ailment here back in August 2010.
So, in order alleviate or probably aggravate the symptoms, I am going to share some of my photos with you xxx

We do love walking, you probably will have gathered that by now, and after a weekend of walking, I am, by Tuesday already thinking about where we will be walking the next weekend.

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The sun was the clear sharp warmth of a glorious spring day. Not the heavy weighted dusty sunshine of mid summer, but lighter and encompassing and very welcome. The boys ran on ahead, a game speeding them along. Imaginary enemies were hunted down while our young heroes were magnanimous in their victory. They were so engrossed they did not see the huge sky or feel the miles disappear under their feet.

We left vastly open fields and slipped into deep ancient lanes where hedgerows became green tunnels.

The air was filled with the buzz of insects and the scent of the early apple blossom. Delicious. We did this walk on our last morning of our jolly which was, in reality a few days ago but feels a life time away!

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Ah well, not sure if I have helped my serious dose of PHD or worsened the symptoms...... hmmm.

Right, off to see if the washing machine has finished - ho hum.

Any way, Wednesday in our family is known as 'tipping day' Why?

Well, imagine the working week as a see-saw. Wednesday is tipping us towards the weekend - it can't be bad!

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Please pop over to Kyōyū kyōyū - share as I am about to post some lovely pictures from last night's knit and natter I want to share with you.

In which I get borderline emotional and start sounding like a minor film star who's just received their first film award...!

Last night was my turn to host our weekly knk (knit and [k]natter) group. I really enjoy our get-togethers, it's a time for nattering (most important) and we get to sample some rather delicious baking.  If we are lucky we may even get some knitting and crochet done! But last night was different, oh there was some nattering and sampling but there was a lot of sewing and concentrated silence too.

It really brought home how wonderful this group of ladies are when, as I was walking towards them I was greeted by this............................

Everyone was either making, sewing or crocheting together squares for Kyōyū kyōyū - share, 'Blankets for Japan'. I really felt an overwhelming gratitude for not only their generosity in time and patience but also gratitude to all the other bloggers and  woolly crafters who have created grannies and knitted squares which the long suffering postie brings to my front door on a daily basis. 

Each square stitched to it's neighbour represents a little bit of compassion and global care that we can share with so so many other people.

SO - (drum roll please and pass me the gold envelope)

Thank you 

 to the all ladies last night (ooh that sounds a little interesting!)

Thank you

to the postie who gives me a quizzical look 

as he passes me yet another soft and squishy parcel covered in interesting stamps

(that sounds odd too!)

Thank you 

to YOU lovely bloggers 

and 

ALL 

the lovely knittys and granny-makers out there who have contributed

***THANK     YOU***

**THANK YOU**

*THANKYOU!*

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For updates on progress and photos of the finished blankets and piles of delightful squares, just pop over to  Kyōyū kyōyū - share, and if you have time please visit the wonderful contributors page and follow the links to their blogs.

Oh, and before I forget - yes please to any more squares! **thank you** :)

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Old fashioned brownies or 'cheerio hips' as my Gran would say

For artteachergirl at More Powerful Beyond Measure: - the recipe I mentioned yesterday..........

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As I type this, Himself has snuck (yes in our house snuck is a word) I repeat - snuck into the kitchen for another piece of brownie. Last night after quite a long day at work, then an evening of shopping  (I live life in the fast lane.....not) I suddenly and inexplicably got an urge to bake. Not surprisingly Himself stepped aside and helpfully ushered me into the kitchen!


So, I now present to you a very nom nom recipe :-

Old fashioned brownies (16/52)

100gm / 3 1/2oz chopped nuts (or as I used - dry toasted sunflower seeds)
4 large eggs
300gm / 10oz caster sugar  (I must admit thinking as I weighed this out that, this was a lot of sugar, but the recipe was not sweet in any way)
140gm / 5oz  melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
140gm / 5oz  plain flour
75gm / 2 1/2oz cocoa powder


a baking tin - 20 x 25 cm / 8 x10 ", greased and preferably lined with baking paper


pre heat the oven to 170 deg C (325 deg F) gas mark 3

• Lightly toast the chopped nuts/sunflower seeds in an oven proof dish for about 10 minutes. take out and cool (do not at this point try to chuck a handful of volcanically hot sunflowers seeds into your mouth - I will not be responsible for your third degree burns as well as my own....despite the absolutely yumshishness of them once I got over the searing heat......)
• Don't turn off the oven. 
• Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk until frothy then while still whisking - add the sugar. Keep on whisking for about a minute or so then add the melted butter in a steady pour. 
• Whisk for another minute or so then finally add the vanilla extract
• Sift the flour and cocoa into the egg and sugar mix and stir with a wooden spoon
• When completely combined add the now cooled nuts/sunflower seeds and give a final stir.
• pour mix into a prepared tin and spread evenly.
• bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until a skewer comes out just clean.
• remove from heat and allow to cool completely before taking out of the tin

It is at this point you have to arm yourself with a wooden spoon and a stern voice to keep any marauding brownie thieves from trying to steal pieces as you cut them. 

The recipe book does the usual thing about saying will keep for about 5 days but hey - fat chance!

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There are some updates on my Kyōyū kyōyū  blog - and it's all good news :)

Right ho, just enough time to

finish my brew as I do the final

tidy up just prior to setting off

to work....

Thanks ju24!!