Kitchen Saturday

I have done my first baking in the new house. Two lots of cookies - triple chocolate and toffee & banana. I made them from mixes. It always feels like cheating when I bake this way. (I have previously droned on about this, so won't again, well not at the moment!). The results are fine, so I don't mind too much. After the cookies - and lunch - I made a ginger cake. It tastes good, especially with a bit of locally made vanilla ice cream. Oh and the cookies are nice with a cuppa!

I have finished the tank top for MJ, no pictures yet, I forgot. Last night I started a pram blanket for her. I'm using Rico Pompon. The colours are cool, I'm quite tempted to get another ball and make myself a scarf. Or get yarn in colours similar to the royal purple and lime green and make something stripey for MJ.

Anyhow, I'm using 4mm needles. I cast on 38 stitches and am doing two stitches between each pompon. It is very soft and very touchy feely. I can see why this yarn may be popular. Plus it doesn't take too long to get used to using it. I'm sure I've got something similar, but smaller in pink and white to make Mary-Jane a blankie with. When I am re-united with my stash, it will seem like a whole new stash. I see it in the boxes in the barn and my tongue is still hanging out.

Mary-Jane in her high chair in the kitchen

Mary-Jane had some time in the kitchen today, in her high chair. She appeared to enjoy every minute of it, and stayed in her chair for well over an hour until she got a bit restless and tired.
Mary-Jane was very interested in what was going on around her. She had already had her Farleys and bottle.
Mary-Jane enjoys sucking on a piece of soft bread with butter on - and getting very independant by holding it herself. However I do have to watch her extremely closely.

Here she is having loads of fun! MJ loves Mr Bee as well. MJ has had that much fun and excitement today that she didn't want her naps, despite my trying to put her down a couple of times. However come 6pm, she was on her chin straps, so when I did lay her down in her cot she did not protest, just pulled her duvet up and started sucking on her fingers - the next thing she does after that is close her eyes and sleep!

Mary-Jane is quite sociable, she loves company and being in the middle of things. She also loves nothing more than sitting on Momma's knee. And cuddles are the best, especially when you are stood up.......

New Groups

The weather the last week has been a little unsociable, so I've not been able to get out or really take Mary-Jane anywhere. The wind has been upto 70mph. I shouldn't complain, it's not exactly as bad as Queensland, Austrailia, have had. There was a break in the weather yesterday and HK managed to spen a good deal of the day in the garden.

I have been out twice this week, and am now a member of The WI and The Wyndham Ladies - Ladies NFU. I shall see how this pans out. I have never been in a group like these. Well, you can't really count the Knitting groups, they are a lot less informal, and not quite the same thing. Oh to bring Knitterati here!

Talking of knitting - I am on the way to finishing Mary-Jane's tank top. I have picked up the stitches round the neck for the ribbing. I hate picking up stitches, probably because I'm no good at it. I'm not too bad on a straight edge, but a shaped edge, tsk, blooming awful! The pattern is a Debbie Bliss one. I've also got another, very similar one, in a pattern booklet. I am trying to devise one that has no seems. I know it is do-able. Perhaps the body is done in the round and the shoulders grafted may be the easiest way. Doing garments with the least seams has been appealing to me for a month or two. I've translated a couple of patterns in my head from individual pieces to an all in one. Just need to do it with yarn and needles. I may even look out for 'The Opinionated Knitter' as this may shed some light. Ebay here I come!

Mary-Jane and Rooms with Views

Mary-Jane is growing and developing every day. She has always been alert and taken interest in what is around her. Now she is getting more interactive with what is around her, what she can see, what she can touch and what she can put in her mouth. Mary-Jane is still mastering sitting up, but it is fun when you're discovering books! This is the view from Mary-Jane's bedroom window. In the distance is Cold Fell.

Mary-Jane having tummy time on her play mat. She is a little way off crawling yet, although early signs are there. She sometimes pull her knees up under her bum, in readiness to crawl. She is learning that when she rolls over on to her front, to move bothe her arms from under her. She holds her neck up very strongly. Mary-Jane is doing very well!

The view from our bedroom window. You can't quite see the sea in this one, but it is there!

My Mary-Jane. Another one of her on her play mat. You can see how her face is loosing its total young baby-ness. She is beautiful. She makes my heart smile.

Nursery Road to Beckermet

Mary-Jane and I took a walk on a beautiful sunny, spring like day, down Nursery Road to Beckermet. Nursery Road runs along the back of the house. This is the view from where we started, but looking the other way! The brick wall is the side of the barn and the junction is with the A595. This is about half a mile into the walk, looking in a general easterly direction.

Taken from more or less the same place but slightly different direction, looking towards the way back.

Mary-Jane, all very well wrapped up, despite it being a lovely sunny day. She seemed to enjoy the walk.

When the weather is a bit better, I want to see what is down this lane, or how far I can go with MJ in her pram. In the distance is Sellafield.

A pretty view. I'm looking forward to talking this walk throughout the seasons.

Once I got into the village, I followed my nose to the play area. It is a lovely place to sit. I can't wait to see MJ, in time, playing here. There is a bench, by where I stood to take the photo. It is very peaceful to sit there. To feel the sun on your face and to listen to the babbling beck.

The clouds were starting to gather a little as we were heading back.

The village is only about a mile or so. Even though the walk is along a road, there is very little traffic. Much quieter than the walk to Calder Bridge. The village is down on the list for further exploration!

Another Walk Along Whitehaven Harbour - The Last Place of an Attempted Invasion of Mainland England

Sunday saw us go out for a walk. HK suggested that we go to Whitehaven Harbour and have another look around. Apparantly there is a walk above or along the left side of the harbour. So this is where we headed. I shall start mentioning at this point how cold it was. Flipping cold. The car temp said 3 degrees. It was the coldest 3 degrees I have ever experienced.

HK surveying the harbour at the start of the walk. The sea looks cold and dark. It was. Not quite as black as Wasdale. I certainly wouldn't want to take a dip in it. Not on your nelly! Part of the shore of the harbour. At this point I was regretting not wearing my scarf.

Stood in the same place (nearly) as above, but looking in a different direction. Now I was wishing I was wearing a big wooly hat.

A bit further along. My chin was getting numb. It was as cold as it looks!

At the end of the harbour wall, you can climb up the steps and get to the very top of the harbour wall. People fish from here. Even on cold days. Nutters in my opinion. I don't care how much they like to fish or how wrapped up they are. Nutters! I thought I'd go to the top of the wall and get some good photos.

By the time I got to the top of the steps, I chickened out of going any further. I was proud of chickening out. Besides, I don't think my knees would have carried me much further as they were rapidly turning to jelly, a sure fire sign that they feel unsafe. And if my knees feel unsafe, I feel unsafe. Simples.

So this is the top of the harbour wall. I will walk along it one day. But not when my whole face is going numb with cold and my knees are like jelly.

HK doing the sensible thing with MJ and sheltering inside the harbour wall.

We returned back to terra firma post haste. Even HK said he was cold, so it must have been. I was glad that Mary-Jane was very well bundled up. Needless to say we went straight back to Ellercroft. I still hadn't thawed out by then, but a mug or two of tea did the trick. Plus lots of cuddles from Mary-Jane. And HK.

In fairness, Whitehaven and it's harbour have seen a lot of history. Did you know, in the 1770's it was the last failed place of invasion of mainland England? (Hitler didn't make it to the Mainland). This invasion attempt was led by John Paul Jones, who was originally from Kirkbean, Dumfries, and did his apprenticeship in Whitehaven. His first voyage was made to America, the country of his after adoption.

John Paul Jones led the attempted invasion on 22nd October, 1778. I'll not go into the ins and outs of the invasion. Loose talk has it that the main reason it failed was that Jones's men were in the main local men to Whitehaven and area, so when they landed they ended up going for a drink with old friends. I'm sure it didn't quite happen as simple as that, but......contrary winds have a play in it somewhere as well......

Between his death, at age 45, and 1913, Jones was buried in an ?unmarked grave in Paris. In 1913, his remains were removed to the crypt in the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.

Farleys for MJ and a Completed Scarf for Me

Mary-Jane is growing in leaps and bounds. She is very alert and inquisitive, not just looking at everything, but wanting to touch. She has taught herself an upside down back crawl, where she arches her back and uses her legs to move herself around the floor. She can cover quite a distance - and quickly if she wants to! Mary-Jane has started on Farleys. She is up to two a day (lunch and tea) and seems to love the banana flavour rusk - almost as much as what HK loves to feed her! Mary-Jane can also hold her own bottle, although we do most of the holding!

A few days ago, I finished my Yarn Gathering Baktus. I'm very pleased with the finished outcome. It is a very sentimental piece of knitting, and will be a constant reminder of Jeanette and my Yarn Gathering of Stone Knitty Friends.

It was made in Begere de France - Barisienne. It takes only one ball, and could be done a bit longer, but I wasn't sure how much longer so erred on the side of caution. Despite it being light weight, it is very warm!