Last weekend we dropped in to Irv and Hannah's for lunch - just when Marina & Michelle we're there with Archie!
Took some nice pics of the day ---> here on Picasa
Here is the lovely Archie getting very excited over Sophie the giraffe...
And here is Oscar, toddling about...
30 Mar 2010
27 Mar 2010
Amazing picture...
Click on the pic to see the full size version and some other pretty mad close ups (check out the insect with little antlers!)
26 Mar 2010
Been and come back...!
Day 1
Excitement – we were on our way! It was raining for most of the route, but the journey up here only took about 2 1/2 hours instead of the anticipated 3+ so that was quite nice. The A1 gets very very quiet once you’ve gone past the Metro Centre!
Just before we left, we had a visit from Gordon (of “our lovely bathrooms” fame) he’s going to redo the downstairs loo for us whilst we’re away. How cool. A new loo, and we’re not even going to have to be there to see any of the mess!!
So we arrived and found the lovely cottage with absolutely no problem. The village is called Millfield and is just after Wooler on the A697. The cottage is in a little ‘steading’ just about ½ a mile outside the village. It was such a lovely evening (the rain stopped and the sun came out) that we parked up, quickly unloaded the car, and wandered into the village itself. There’s not millions there but enough – a pub, a village store and a cafe/tea room/ restaurant. We were going to go and buy provisions at the store, but found it had shut at 3 – we got there about 3:15! So much for us trying to boost the local economy; we’d deliberately avoided going to the supermarket on the way so that we’d spend some money in the village, so it’s a good job we’d got some stuff with us to start us off for the 1st night!! The pub also looked shut, but the caff was open. We got a nice warm and chatty welcome from the staff, and we had a spot of lunch and a beer each – first food of the day for us. Starving we were! After our wander back to the cottage, the real business of the holiday began. I broke out the crochet – Dan got the fire lit, and the wine was poured. Chilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.
Day 2
Not an awful lot to say about day 2 - it was the reason why we come away - to do nothing but the things we enjoy. So, there was some cooking, lots of reading, some sewing and crochet. In the evening we went to the local pub in the village and had a couple of pints of Guinness and some food. Very nice. The walk home in the dark was quite interesting, and my torch wasn't quite as good as I thought it would be!!!
Day 3
Picture courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald
Out and about - we decided to head to Alnwick gardens. I'd watched a TV program from quite a few years ago about the Duchess of Northumberland's idea to turn the castle gardens into some kind of water garden. It was very very nice! The main cascade is amazing.
After visiting the gardens we had a lovely lunch in a local Italian Cafe - very nice indeed.
Day 4
Today we drove up to Eyemouth on the coast, in search of old fashioned fish and chips which we did in a pub called "The Contented Sole" right down on the harbour.
It was bleak but very exhilarating on the seafront. Very errm, brisk! Think British summertime.
It was bleak but very exhilarating on the seafront. Very errm, brisk! Think British summertime.
The fog was coming in quickly but we decided to drive down to Holy Island - somewhere I've always been fascinated by! So off we drove, into oblivion - or so it looked - down the A1. As we turned off the main road and drove the 8 or 9 K across the causeway, we could not see ANYTHING AT ALL. AT ALL. NOT A SINGLE THING. The fog was so think that the visibility was down to about 100 yards! So, we drove onto the island, and then turned around and drove back again! We were worried about getting stuck there in the fog!
On the way back we discovered "The Barn at Beal" a coffee shop and Bird of Prey centre. YAY Birds of Prey! We find them all over the place. So, after the coffee, we went to see the birdies. As usual, Dan bonded with a couple of the birds...they love him...doing the head bobbing, squawking and beak clicking thing.
The girls at the centre were very friendly and even though there wasn't an official 'show' they flew 4 of the 'special needs' birds that they'd rescued. Some of them didn't so much fly as bob along after the food lures! Between them they had a broken leg, missing tail, missing wing feathers, and just a bit mental.
On the way back we discovered "The Barn at Beal" a coffee shop and Bird of Prey centre. YAY Birds of Prey! We find them all over the place. So, after the coffee, we went to see the birdies. As usual, Dan bonded with a couple of the birds...they love him...doing the head bobbing, squawking and beak clicking thing.
The girls at the centre were very friendly and even though there wasn't an official 'show' they flew 4 of the 'special needs' birds that they'd rescued. Some of them didn't so much fly as bob along after the food lures! Between them they had a broken leg, missing tail, missing wing feathers, and just a bit mental.
Day 5
Home time today - we were told by the owner that there was noone else coming into the cottage until tomorrow so we didn't have to be so strict about getting out before 10. In the end we got out about 10:30 after having done a minor bit of cleaning around the place - and we were home by 1:30.
A brilliant, chilled week. A lovely cottage
21 Mar 2010
I've not been slacking...
Just because I've not been posting loads of status reports on my current crochet activities, doesn't mean I'm not doing any. I've *nearly* finished the next one...
Just got to finish the little flap at the top to extend it over the top and make a button hole to fasten on the front. I've made the lining as well, but it's not stitched in yet: I'm waiting for my 'Made By Liza' labels to arrive so I can stitch one into the lining before I sew it into the bag.
I got this lovely floral fabric (it's the only one I could find with blue and black in it) to do the lining...
...and it's got me thinking about the next bag design...I'm going to go all spring flowers...so I've been practicing some floral designs...
I'm thinking a white bag (lined with the floral fabric) maybe with fabric handles. We'll see where the inspiration takes me.
Some other flowers I've been making...
Just got to finish the little flap at the top to extend it over the top and make a button hole to fasten on the front. I've made the lining as well, but it's not stitched in yet: I'm waiting for my 'Made By Liza' labels to arrive so I can stitch one into the lining before I sew it into the bag.
I got this lovely floral fabric (it's the only one I could find with blue and black in it) to do the lining...
...and it's got me thinking about the next bag design...I'm going to go all spring flowers...so I've been practicing some floral designs...
I'm thinking a white bag (lined with the floral fabric) maybe with fabric handles. We'll see where the inspiration takes me.
Some other flowers I've been making...
This one is my 1st attempt at an 'anatomically correct' one - supposed to be a rose, could you tell???
I did quite a few blue (ish) flowers when trying to decide what embellishments to put on my new black/blue bag. I'm thinking that I probably don't need any more flowers stuck on it - opinions welcome though!
16 Mar 2010
14 Mar 2010
OMG I've finished it!
In a remarkable departure from tradition - I've actually finished something I started. Not only that, but it all seems to have happened in under a week. Here it is...
As you can see, I've departed from the pattern slightly as the original was open at the top and I'm not too fond of a bag into which any little thief can dip his hand. So, I did a few extra rows and created a fold over bit at the top.
This has also meant I've had to do a button and button hole so that's been interesting trying to work out what to do - After an interesting conversation with my pseudo-cousin Terri (well if her mum is my "auntie who isn't really an auntie" then T is my cousin!) over on facebook yesterday, I originally was going to cover a button with the silk I was using to line the bag. (Another departure from the design) However, after some experimentation, I realised that the silk I had was too thin, the lovely gold plush velvet I had was too thick, so I had to go with a plain cream cotton for the lining, and therefore had to come up with plan B for the buttons.
In the end I used a tutorial over on "Crochet Me" to help me create a round flower base but which has no hole in the centre - using a magic loop technique - and it looked like a button to me to I went with that.
I also used a technique I learned whilst doing the initial flowers to create the button hole. To make the flower petals, rather than using the same size stitches as you do to create regular rows of fabric, you use stitches of increasing size on one side and then decreasing size on the other, which creates a soft curved petal shape. I sort of did the same for the button hole but instead of filling in the whole of the petal part, I just left a loop for the button. Look...
So, a double, a half treble and then a treble on the right, 7 chains, a treble, a half treble and a double on the left. (You crochet from right to left) I never knew I could be so inventive! I finished the chain off by doing what I *think* is called a buttonhole stitch over the chain links just to make it tough. It's not a crochet stitch, it's just effectively wrapping the thread round the chain using a needle and a sort of blanket stitch (with no blanket!).
Then we come to the lining. I knew the bag would be next to useless if I didn't line it. How does one line a bag. Never done it. I thought I'd google it and found "Future Girl's Craft Blog". Google had found her FAB tutorial for how to create a lining for a crochet bag. I followed the instructions to the letter...even filling in the lining chart as instructed...
And so, the whole thing looks rather superbio - even though I do say so myself...!
So, Auntie Bo, who doesn't read this blog - look out - it's coming to a post-box near you very soooooon!
As you can see, I've departed from the pattern slightly as the original was open at the top and I'm not too fond of a bag into which any little thief can dip his hand. So, I did a few extra rows and created a fold over bit at the top.
This has also meant I've had to do a button and button hole so that's been interesting trying to work out what to do - After an interesting conversation with my pseudo-cousin Terri (well if her mum is my "auntie who isn't really an auntie" then T is my cousin!) over on facebook yesterday, I originally was going to cover a button with the silk I was using to line the bag. (Another departure from the design) However, after some experimentation, I realised that the silk I had was too thin, the lovely gold plush velvet I had was too thick, so I had to go with a plain cream cotton for the lining, and therefore had to come up with plan B for the buttons.
In the end I used a tutorial over on "Crochet Me" to help me create a round flower base but which has no hole in the centre - using a magic loop technique - and it looked like a button to me to I went with that.
I also used a technique I learned whilst doing the initial flowers to create the button hole. To make the flower petals, rather than using the same size stitches as you do to create regular rows of fabric, you use stitches of increasing size on one side and then decreasing size on the other, which creates a soft curved petal shape. I sort of did the same for the button hole but instead of filling in the whole of the petal part, I just left a loop for the button. Look...
So, a double, a half treble and then a treble on the right, 7 chains, a treble, a half treble and a double on the left. (You crochet from right to left) I never knew I could be so inventive! I finished the chain off by doing what I *think* is called a buttonhole stitch over the chain links just to make it tough. It's not a crochet stitch, it's just effectively wrapping the thread round the chain using a needle and a sort of blanket stitch (with no blanket!).
Then we come to the lining. I knew the bag would be next to useless if I didn't line it. How does one line a bag. Never done it. I thought I'd google it and found "Future Girl's Craft Blog". Google had found her FAB tutorial for how to create a lining for a crochet bag. I followed the instructions to the letter...even filling in the lining chart as instructed...
And so, the whole thing looks rather superbio - even though I do say so myself...!
So, Auntie Bo, who doesn't read this blog - look out - it's coming to a post-box near you very soooooon!
13 Mar 2010
The trouble with trebles
No, you sad bunch of Trekkies, not "Tribbles"!
Image courtesy of the BBC
I've been fighting with my crochet.
I was steaming ahead (as per my previous post) but then realised I was losing stitches! There WERE 40, and then 39, and by the 7th row, there were 38!!!
The trouble with trebles is that they create arches, and I was taught, by both of my grandmas, that when you create the next row of stitches, you crochet into the arches created by the row before.
This works when you're going in circles.
For straight lines and squares, it's not so good...my work started looking a bit, errm, pyramid-like. The bottom row had 40 stitches, the next 39 (which I managed to keep for a few rows) then I'd got to 7 rows and there were only 38.
"I must be doing it wrong," I thought.
Usually, this would have heralded the end of the project; I HATE unpicking things and re-doing them. Miss Perfection here seemed to think that it was ruined now so there's no point carrying on. Harrumph. (Accompanied by throwing the [insert crafty project name here]
But, somewhere along the last couple of years, I seem to have grown some patience! I hoiked the stitches out back to the last row with 40 on, and started again. I did another 5 - I was up to about 10 rows, and was going well. Then I counted. 39. Damn!Right, I thought, I'll look at a book. I have a pretty good needlework encyclopedia, in Italian, which was given to me by my cousin Stefano's wife Anna-Lisa'a mum Maria - extended families, you understand.
I broke out the 'how not to lose stitches doing trebles' chapter. Gosh. I WAS doing it wrong. I shouldn't have been going in between the trebles, but into the top of each one.
So, in a 'very unlike me' behaviour, I pulled the whole thing out and started again!
And, I finished one whole side. And, I didn't lose a single stitch. And, I've started side 2!!!
YAY!
International Barber Shop Competition Winners 2009
I don't know about you, but I suppose they might be good enough!!!
12 Mar 2010
The finished Article
In a previous post I mentioned my creative flurry - and the fact I couldn't show you an item in case the recipient read the blog before it arrived.
Well, I now can reveal that Janey has received her scarf!
The wool is most intriguing stuff...bobbly bits interspaced with stringy bits...
You knit 'normally' with it - only 6 stitches in a row as in between each stitch you leave a bobble. It knits up really quickly, hence it was done in under 2 hours.
It just kept growing and growing! 2 x 100g balls of wool for the scarf. Superb.
Glad you like it Janey!!!
The full album is here.
Well, I now can reveal that Janey has received her scarf!
The wool is most intriguing stuff...bobbly bits interspaced with stringy bits...
You knit 'normally' with it - only 6 stitches in a row as in between each stitch you leave a bobble. It knits up really quickly, hence it was done in under 2 hours.
It just kept growing and growing! 2 x 100g balls of wool for the scarf. Superb.
Glad you like it Janey!!!
The full album is here.
11 Mar 2010
10 Mar 2010
This week I have been mostly...
...creating things!
Inspired by my weekend in Warwick (pictures here) with Jacq where we broke out our new notebooks and sparkley pens to write down our 'sort your life out' plans (and which, therefore as anyone knows means that it will all happen with no effort), I've been launched into a frenzy of making things!
Something that started off looking like this...
...has now been created into the finished article. Can't say too much, as said finished article is, as we speak, winging its way through the post to a reader of this blog. More pictures when it won't spoil the surprise! That was all done on Monday afternoon after my drive home. I'll be taking orders for anyone else who wants one, once the cat is out of the bag!!
And now this...
Well this is just the start of it - I've not crocheted anything for YEARS so thought I'd get started with this pretty flower and now I'm making the bag that the flower is going to decorate...this is the picture from the pattern of what the bag is going to look like - check out the flower - mine is just like it!
I've never made any "material" out of crochet. I've always only made squares or flowers which then get stitched into blankets, so this is a bit of a departure for me.
So here's as far as I've got...
It's going to be nice, I think!
Check out my progress in this picasa web album..
Inspired by my weekend in Warwick (pictures here) with Jacq where we broke out our new notebooks and sparkley pens to write down our 'sort your life out' plans (and which, therefore as anyone knows means that it will all happen with no effort), I've been launched into a frenzy of making things!
Something that started off looking like this...
...has now been created into the finished article. Can't say too much, as said finished article is, as we speak, winging its way through the post to a reader of this blog. More pictures when it won't spoil the surprise! That was all done on Monday afternoon after my drive home. I'll be taking orders for anyone else who wants one, once the cat is out of the bag!!
And now this...
Well this is just the start of it - I've not crocheted anything for YEARS so thought I'd get started with this pretty flower and now I'm making the bag that the flower is going to decorate...this is the picture from the pattern of what the bag is going to look like - check out the flower - mine is just like it!
I've never made any "material" out of crochet. I've always only made squares or flowers which then get stitched into blankets, so this is a bit of a departure for me.
So here's as far as I've got...
It's going to be nice, I think!
Check out my progress in this picasa web album..
4 Mar 2010
You know it's a good meal when...
The recipe calls for a bottle of red wine, right at the beginning. And no, we're not talking Keith Floyd stylee (ie you DRINK a bottle of red wine, right at the beginning!)
This was our version of a 'best ever coq au vin' recipe which we printed off the BBC website a few years ago and seems to have disappeared. As you can see, chicken, shallots and a stack of veg all marinate with thyme overnight in a bottle of red. You then take the (now bright pink) chicken out of the marinade, coat it in seasoned flour and fry it. You also take the veg out and fry that, and then flambee it in a bit of brandy! You then rebuild the stock (chicken, veg and marinade) back in the casserole dish and add some chicken stock & cook for hours and hours and hours in the oven. It thickens itself, and the red wine all turns to gravy. Yumeee!
Zebra Toes
Carrying on the animal print theme, I went and had Zebra print put on my toes last night...
Cool!
3 Mar 2010
Didcot
This post follows on from 2 previous ones
We'd just got to Didcot and jumped out of the train. Back in the Tyseley Locomotive Works we'd not seen the engines as the platform was short and we had to get on the train at coach H and walk all the way through the train to coach B.So as soon as we arrived we legged it up to the front of the trains to see the engines.
We'd just got to Didcot and jumped out of the train. Back in the Tyseley Locomotive Works we'd not seen the engines as the platform was short and we had to get on the train at coach H and walk all the way through the train to coach B.So as soon as we arrived we legged it up to the front of the trains to see the engines.
As you can see, the stokers had a very traditional 'costume' with blue boiler suits and red neckerchiefs! They looked really great.
The Didcot railway museum entrance is inside Didcot mainline station. The museum itself is made up of sidings and sheds alongside the main station. It's a working bit of history. It's a fab museum.
The 2 engines from our train were brought into the sidings to be serviced for the return journey - they had to take water on board and continue to be stoked...
The rest of the time we spent in the museum, we wandered into the train sheds, walked up and down the tracks in the museum looking at the trains, and we chatted to many nice people (they will be the subject of another post!)
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