New(ish look) and crochet update

It's all happening over in ♡ Kyōyū kyōyū - share  ♡ I've received a box full of squares and the blanket making has started again in earnest - fancy joining us? Pop over to  Kyōyū kyōyū - share page and see what we have been up to :)

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Another snippet of crochet - last year we decided to do a sort of secret santa at our knit and natter group and it was such fun we are repeating it again this year. This time I've labelled it the 'one ball wonder' (!!) where we have to draw a name out of the hat and make a pressie for the name on the paper out of one ball of wool (simple I thought - but oh no..........)

After the initial agreeing the questions came thick and fast...

what size of ball?

Are we talking 100gms or 50gms?

What can I make?

What happens if they don't like the colour/choice/size etc I make?

Can it be yarn or wool?

What happens if I can't crochet?

I can't knit!! 

Oh well, a week on and the confusion has calmed down, some crafting has begun - so just for sheer devilment - I thought I would post a snippet of a picture of my offering.........I wonder who it is for?!?? (she may not even read my blog!)

I just *L*O*V*E* *L*O*V*E* *L*O*V*E* the colours - I hope she does too xx  

What a lovely sunny Wednesday this is turning out to be - hope it is sunny where you are today and where ever you are - enjoy! ❤

Therapy and redemption

I won't rant on about my knee - coz even I don't want to hear about it so instead - how about some eye candy instead?

The boys went out walking yesterday, so thought I would use the time by trying to subdue the yarn mountain that has amassed around my desk.  It seems to have plans to take over the entire room - got to nip that one in the bud..... So armed only with enthusiasm, tea and the all essential wool winder - I started.

There is definitely something therapeutic about winding up a colourfully tangled mess in my WIP basket  into nice neat squat balls of yarns, then placing them in their shades...... it kinda makes me want to stop tidying up and pick up my hook again - but no - I need my space back and I just have to show the yarn mountain who is boss (it won)............................

I succumbed.... so armed with yet another mug of tea I carried on with my blooming marvellous blooming cushion - inspiration and much better version -here.  The back of the cushion is whizzzzzing along nicely - so much quicker - Himself keeps looking at the flowery front of the cushion cover and giving me quizzical looks - I'm not too sure he can visualise the final effect - I will persist!

On a less eye candy note and with more of a calorific slant - last Thursday evening was knit and natter and at the last minute (and I really do mean last minute) I thought I would make some scones. I had only a week or so ago found a different version (I mean how far can you deviate from the basic scone recipe before it stops being 'a scone') and we all agreed it was rather yummy. So armed with this 'new' recipe, I decided that I would repeat my success.   My only change to the recipe was to double the ingredients - it had only produced a measly amount of 8 scones and I would certainly need a lot more.

I rushed around in a cloud of flour and managed to slam in to the oven a tray laden with scone dough just as the first ladies arrived. Some were bearing tubs and tins of delicious nibbles to add to the evening.The kettle went on, seats were chosen, coats removed and greetings exchanged. I joined them, chatting and catching up, all the time keeping 'my nose' on the kitchen - waiting for that wonderful aroma of baking scones.

They were ready, I heroically singed my finger tips as I carefully pulled the scones open, delicious steam curling up - I was feeling very satisfied at the thought of triumphantly walking (ok ok limping) in with a plateful of scrummy scones.
One of the scone halves crumbled - never mind I thought - cook's privileges, and I popped it into my mouth.

Ooh the delight of the cold clotted cream, hmmm the bitter sweet of the blackcurrant jam and urgh! what the H**L was that fizzy sherberty flavoured scone?!?!??

My two boys wandered in, also attracted by the scent of baking.....
Taste this I demanded, glazed eyes, flushed red face and palpatating heart - my children visibly quaked!
Hhhmm yuuuuum... goes the Youngest, seconds later his eyes widen and the chewy scone mush comes flying back out and lands in the bin - his horrified look confirms my fears, I turn to Eldest who stares worriedly at the tantalising scone in his hand.

TASTE IT! I repeat - his eyes screwed shut, he pops it in, chews, chews a bit more - one eye opens with a puzzled look, then it hit him - it too came out at high speed -

Mum! what have you done?!?

I had absolutely no idea what happened, I stare at the boys and they confirm my thoughts - there is no way I can serve fizzy scones at knit at natter. I hastily cover them over with a tea towel (out of site out of mind) and dash back with a plate of everyone one else's yummies - (thank you - Lovely Lady and Jak - you saved the day!)

By Sunday, I had recovered enough to try the recipe again, but in a smaller quantity. Carefully I weighed out and cross checked the recipe with my ingredients - then I realised what I had done - instead of using baking powder, in my haste I had grabbed the bicarbonate of soda (all 8 teaspoons worth) no wonder they were fizzy!! This time they were yummy and very quickly consumed - moral of the story - READ the recipe - CHECK  the ingredients - TASTE before offering round!!

Recipe and my baking reputation redeemed - phew.

Thank you for your lovely comments (which I am still receiving) for my blanket and my other crochet oddities - and your kind words about my knee :)

Have yourselves a sunny, smile filled day where ever you are .....

with love hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx      =^.,.^=

A yarn filled waffle

Thank you all SO much for your lovely comments -  I was really touched :)

There were many comments at how lovely it looked - thank you again. I'd like to respond to some of them.

The colours, although the ones I happily chose, didn't quite pan out as they did in my head, it is more 'red' than I imagined.  I was heading for the blues and green shades and by edging the blanket in those colours, I was trying to reduce the impact of the 'red' stripe.

The amount of stitches - you should have seen the original size! I chopped off a sizable chunk - don't believe me? just look here! Once I'd removed the excess, I seemed to fly along the length.

Dizzys Castle - you asked how long it took me - It was taking roughly 10 - 12 minutes per row and if I had sat down and crocheted non-stop then it would have taken about 20 - 22 hours to do but seeing I have children, work, sleep (what's that?) etc etc etc - I started the blanket in April this year and off and on through the summer I've picked up the hook and added a few rows. I tend to most of my crochet on holiday, I do a fair bit in the car, evenings if I am not too tired and at my very necessary weekly dose of dedicated crochet and chat time = our knit and natter group.

Radish's Mum - I used Stylecraft Special DK  - the 17 colour pack - I've worked with them before - I had crocheted another blanket (not for myself) and was so delighted with the way the yarns worked and the colour choices, I just had to make one for me :)

And as for the snuggly, cosy and soft properties - ooh it IS so yummy and warm and heavy - surprisingly heavy but as the weather cools down, I am really looking forward to using it.

So.... now my blankie is done, now what? Well after about 20 minutes hiatus...... (well I put the kettle on, mooched around and looked at Himself) I picked up the hook and started making this...................

Progress and details soon!

I also experimented with this.....................

Any ideas what it will be ? (a clue - Youngest requested this while on holiday and I have been putting it off but now 'blankie-free' I have no excuse!)

And I've been trying out these - they definitely need playing around with and improving, but I am enjoying making them.


And the best till last. At last week's knk my sis-in-law gave me this wonderful surprise -

Am I not a very lucky person!! I have hung in it on my headboard as it goes perfectly with my blankie!! I was really touched by her generosity and kindness.....thank you so much Jxxx

And finally - I have already had some sales from my new shop - talk about beginners luck! I was delighted!! Long may it last :)


All for now, I am back to doing double shifts at work (a short stint of 3 weeks....) which is not really helping my peg leg - hey ho!! or should I say oo aaarr me hearties?

Ok, nuff waffling, got things to do, places to be but I'd much rather be here crafting and chatting with you...

Have yourselves a terrific Tuesday!


love and limps hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Blankie Ta daa!

I was going to post this yesterday, but with things being what they were (unplanned, chaotic and generally disorganised) I never got round to it.

SO, here it is! MY blankie (mine mine mine - not too obvious is it?)

You are looking at 360 stitches...............

repeated approximately  45900 times.............................

..........with a 17 stripe colour repetition with just over 7 and half repeats...........



Finished off with 4 rounds of what ever colour I had left!

I think I am in love - it is snuggly (and mine) and soft (and mine) and I made it myself (hint of pride?? moi!?!)

*sigh*  off to bed now - blankie and me (oh and Himself - might let him share.....might not...... oh - better, he has just made me a brew and brought me a biscuit!!)

Night night! Have yourselves a lovely Thursday and I have something special to share with you, a little something my rather special sister in law made me (thank you J xxxxxx) but that is a post for another day :)

hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harvesting

It's been a good weekend - we've been harvesting - both from our garden and greenhouse and wild harvesting from the hedgerows.

The last couple of weeks have yielded tomatoes a plenty! The courgettes are finishing and we took off the last few little 'uns so that we could clear away the fading plants. The onions are looking good and tasting even better.
Unusually this year, potatoes haven't done as well, but the ones we have eaten are delish!!  Our garlic have garlicked very nicely and the grapes are just beginning to be ripe enough to eat without making us screw our faces up when we pop a sour green fruit in our mouths.

I am finding my restricted mobility (my *!//* knee) really depressing. The boys all went out for a walk on Saturday and I felt bereft, I kept busy by baking a cake and cooking a lasagne but it certainly didn't feel right. Himself knew how I felt and today organised a wild fruit hunt.

We packed a car-nic, camera, crochet (of course!) and set off over the hills to find some blackberries. What a wonderful autumnal day, all the fresh air I could breathe (and breathe it in I did!) We parked and I pottered like a peg-legged pirate while Himself, the boys and the dog bumbled about picking brambles and sniffing out rabbits (boys - brambles, dog - rabbits in case you were confused......)

We did really well, not only finding just under 4 lbs of brambles but we found an old apple tree with small but delicious apples and elder trees covered in delightful small fruits.

Once we were home, the boys carefully washed and picked clean all the fruit ready for freezing then Himself made two wonderful bramble and apple pies - yum yum :)

I feel better for my airing.......... Much happier than I have been for a few days. I also have some crochet ta daa news soon - can't wait to show you all my blanket - it is about 20 stitches off finished Woo hoo!!

All for now, off to finish my blankie, hope you have a wonderful start to your week and have a marvelous Monday - love and happy wishes

hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ooh I love a man in uniform!

A couple of weeks ago, up in Kelso, Scotland, we were lucky enough to see a  little bit of pomp and ceremony. I'd been scanning through the local paper and saw that on the Saturday,  the Household Cavalry were going to troop through the town and present a guard of honour for a wedding in the town square.  Now, I love horses and a man in a shiny uniform isn't half bad to look at too and the combination of BOTH in one venue was too good an opportunity to miss!
We arrived shortly before it was all to begin and could see most of the locals had the same idea, as people were streaming into the town up all the streets. Himself drove on, to find us some closer parking (I'd only hurt my knee the day before) but as we got closer to the centre the more parked up the streets and parking zones became. Himself tried again to find a slot and with one eye on the clock he managed to manoeuvre our car through the now massing throngs and double parked vehicles. He suddenly saw a street with no parked cars, turned into it and then we were met by rows and rows of cones and police! We'd turned onto the route the horses were going to take! He drove quickly along the length, conscious all the time that any moment now we could be confronted by a unit of mounted soldiers. At the end of the road a mini roundabout allowed us to escape when one of the boys caught out the back of his eye - the Household Calvary coming up the very road we had just left! We leaped out of the car (ok - ok, I hopped) and were met by this rather handsome sight

We hadn't realised that the local tradition of the 'Kelso Laddie' and his left and right hand men would lead the parade. So the three young men at the front were a delightful but stark contrast to the unit behind.  These three (and in particular the young 'Laddie' on the right) whooped and cheered at all the lasses - knowing a fair few by name, these girls (and some of them quite mature ladies I hasten to add!!) took pictures and waved and whooped back. They rode their beautifully turned out horses in a fairly relaxed upright position, often hand casually resting on thigh while sporting huge grins. The military men behind however were ramrod straight, not a muscle moved, not even sure they even blinked. Their immaculate horses were so shiny and black that you could probably see your face in their hooves!
I took photos frantically as my hobbling couldn't keep up with the walking horses.

We stood a moment and watched when I noticed that there was one more 'participant' to this glorious show of history and tradition.......... the road sweeper.
A BRIGHT YELLOW NOISY road sweeper followed not 10 metres behind. The driver, a wonderfully tattooed gent with his arm resting on the window, drove behind slowly picking up any horse manure - of which we noticed very little. I was a little put out by this mundane probably council driven clear up - particularly the noise, it did spoil it a bit, no it spoiled it a lot - as the road sweeper was driving at my hobble speed and I could not over take it and leave its noisy presence behind.

Once in the town, there were so many people doing exactly what we were doing that we didn't get a good view, Youngest did try for a spell sitting on Himself's shoulders and take photos for me but most of them I have had to delete as there were some crazy angles and most were blurred. There were loads of cameras out - both amateur and professional. The local television company were set up with high rise cameras on a boom that soared over our heads - I want one!

We hung around a bit, then decided to leave where a huge cheer occurred and we realised that the wedding party had come out (not that we could see) and then after performing the guard of honour, the mounted unit  marched out again (with that dratted bright yellow sweeper right behind!)

I managed a few more snaps - not brilliant ones but still very good reminders of a good day :)

And the sweeper? - well he better be in the picture too - he was there and he did do his job (just wish he hadn't been so NOISY and so YELLOW!!)

Well enough waffling, got things to do, places to be and breakfast to eat!

Have yourselves a lovely day - and if you hadn't noticed - its FRIDAY!! So have yourselves a happy sunny weekend where ever you are :)

hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

the hawthorn tree - now open!

After a few late nights thrashing out problems and with the encouraging and timely words from my guru (or dragon?.......!!) we have hopefully sorted out the major glitches and hitches and now the website just needs tweeking.................  So without further ado -

To celebrate two (yes 2!!) years of blogging I now share with you.............  

      the hawthorn tree 

with woolly love hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx