Sticks and stones

Hello! Back from the coast where the weather was horrid but the company was great. In fact I didn't take out my camera once!!! However, the Mr, the boy and I went to the East Yorkshire coast a couple of days ago and it was glorious - a hot sun finally dispelling the morning mist.

We went to a place called Spurn Point, which is an historic site because of its role during both world wars as a defence point for the river Humber. It is a strange place; not beautiful but very stark and interesting...

The beach was covered in the detritus of war...these huge concrete blocks were anti-tank defences...

Then we came upon the remains of jetties, the wooden posts still standing in line but with nothing to support...

I found them very sculptural and beautiful in an odd kind of way...

Then the sun came out and Little S and I stopped to strip off some layers as we walked to Spurn Point lighthouse...

And here it is!

I have a soft spot for lighthouses and when I was a child I used to fantasise about living in one!!! Sadly, this one is out of action and is boarded up so we couldn't go inside and have a look around. I'm pleased it hasn't been demolished though as it looks superb on the beach...

Then the boy and I indulged my passion for fossiling. I seem to have an uncanny knack to spot a fossil immediately I step onto a beach! Little S found some interesting stones too and he set them all out this morning...

I found this rather splendid bit of amonite about a minute after I started looking - much to the Mr's chagrin...he ever finds anything!

I plan to use these flat, smooth stones to have a go at Margaret Oomen's fabulous crochet stones pattern...

They are stunning, aren't they.

Ah, that brings me to a bit of my own crochet.....

A dear friend has had her first baby and I whipped up this blanket in a couple of days...

It is made from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino 4 ply and it flew off the hook. I love the muted, vintage colours - a change from the brights I usually use. It isn't huge but is perfect for a car blanket.

Well that's all for now, dear ladies. I'm off to catch up with your blogs and see what you have all been up to! xxx

Elephant pillow

Hello dear ladies!

I hope this post finds you all well and, if you are in the Northern hemisphere, enjoying the last of the summer.

I always find this time of year a bit difficult...the threshers are out in the field next to my house and that always signals summer coming to an end :( The mornings and evenings are feeling cooler even though the sun, when it is out (!) is still very hot.

Anyway, I promised you some crochet...so here we are!

This is a really quick little pillow I made out of some Aran weight cotton from my stash.

He was meant to be unadorned but that just wouldn't do, so I added a little flower...

 I love how his trunk curls up a little!

The pattern for this little chap is here

The Nordic blanket is coming on well and I am also making another soft toy...oh and a baby quilt!!! Arrrggghhhh

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my last post! I had such fun doing it and glad you enjoyed it.

I am taking the boy to visit my sister by the sea and we are looking forward to that.

 

Then back home for new school shoes, haircut and getting ready for Year 4!!!!

 

Enjoy your week xxx

Bisy. Baksun.

Oh dear...it's been a while dear ladies. So sorry for being so rubbish at keeping up with my blogging and visits.

This is what has been going on.....

I've been doing a lot of this....

Plenty of this.....

Too much of this....

 and this....

 And way too much of this...

Not nearly enough of this...

 None of this....

 Very little of this...

 While some people seem to do a lot of this...

And my house still looks like this....

So I've been feeling a bit like this.....

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments - they mean such a lot to me! And welcome to new followers...I promise to have some crochet to show you soon!

Enjoy your weekend xxx

Border country

Hello dear ladies! Sorry it's been a while and I've been rubbish at even keeping up with all your lovely posts but this op has really taken it out of me. I returned to work this week (again!) and am amazed how tired I have been. I still get some pain but am generally feeling OK apart from the fatigue. I guess it will take time.

I wanted to share a book with you that I think is wonderful. I had a lot of comments on my Jewel blanket about the edging and this is where I got it from....

This little book is full of fabulous crochet borders all beautifully illustrated. Instructions are written out but also in diagram form.

Some borders are complex and some are very simple but I would say that the only really tricky thing is making sure you have the right number of stitches to begin with. Most patterns have a repeat so in order for them you work out you need the correct number of stitches. There are some that don't have a repeat and the number of stitches is irrelevant.

 And the author shows very clearly how to do the corners...

For my border, I used two of the patterns together and that was very easy to do.

The borders can be used for more than just blankets; they would work on garments or anything else that would benefit from a pretty crochet border. Even picture frames!

I love this book and would really recommend it to anyone wanting to make their borders a little bit special.

Enjoy your weekend! xxx

New to me #2

You know, everyone now and then I come across a blog that just stops me in my tracks. This is one of them - Growing Flowers by Kiersten. This amazing lady lives in the deserts of New Mexico with her lovely family and she is a midwife! I have huge respect for midwives and often feel that, if I could push the rewind button, that is what I would have been.

You can tell from her beautiful writing that she loves what she does, that she has such love for the mothers and their babies, and that she is in tune with nature at such a special time.

I trawled through this blog and was just blown away by this wonderful woman's incredible nuturing spirit. And full of the most incredible pictures of newborns too! Go and see! xxx  http://growingflowers.wordpress.com/ 

A huge thanks for all your lovely, encouraging comments on my latest project - the blanket that almost wasn't!!!!

Enjoy your week xxx