Itsy Bitsy Summer Swap

For the first time since last June, I signed up to do Itsy Bitsy Summer Swap. My swap partner, as you already know was my friend Lessie - Sue in Italy. The theme of the swap was summery things beginning with the letter of your swap partners name. After much deliberating, I took the soft option to do a Shawl. I choose Pimpelliese, which was in Sue's ravelry queue. I enjoyed knitting it; the colours were lovely, I would have quite liked it myself!

So here is yours truly, modelling the shawl. The yarn is Supersocke 100 Candy Colour. I'm not sure exactly where I got it from , although I think it was given to me. The colours and the yarn fitted exactly what I wanted for this project.

The edging is integral and very pretty. The pattern can be found on ravelry. I'm not sure if it's the done thing to put a direct link here or not.

The shawl and other little goodies were well recieved. I loved the things that Sue sent to me - the shawl she did me was marvellous! I love these swaps.

I've signed up to do the small July Swap. The swap partners should be listed in just under a week or so, I'm looking forward to it. The small swaps will suit my budget, although if I can do them every month or not I don't know.

A Walk Down The River Path

Mary-Jane and I went for another walk down the River Path at Calder Bridge. This time we were followed! HK was more than alarmed when I told him this, till I told him who it actually was - two sheep! We first caught sight of them when they were stood a little way off the path. They eyeballed us as we walked past.

As we continued I could hear footfalls behind us. I turned round and the two sheep pretended that they weren't following us and went to run off as if they'd not been seen. As we continued, so did they, getting closer and closer but still staying at a distance of about 10 yards.

This is as far as we got. I had to keep an eye on the time to get back for Mary-Jane's tea time. Plus it seems that MJ doesn't like the path, I think the vibrations are too much for her, plus there is little suspension on the buggy so she feels it all. The path is good for walking on, but not for her buggy.

The river water is beautifully clear, and so inviting. I know I shall be paddling my toes in there one day

A view down stream

Back to the sheep. They followed us there and back.

I'd still like to follow the path to Caler Abbey. It must only be around the corner. I shall have to see if there is an alternative route to take MJ, it's distressing to hear her crying as she does. Lots of walks to go on!

Summer Swap Parcel from Lessie

I signed up for the Itsy Bitsy Summer Swap. My Swap Partner was Lessie, in Italy. Lessie - Sue and I ahve swapped before. The theme of the swap was the letter of your partners name, along with a summer theme. Sue pulled out all the stops for me. I was thrilled with her parcel. She had made me a Citron Shawl, it is really beautiful and I can't wait to wear it out. It is so pretty and fine.

Sue also made me a pair of cherries and a cilli to go with the chilli and cherry chocolate. There were some Country Critter buttons and three balls of Cherry red italian baby cotton. I thinking of what to make Mary-Jane with this. I'm thinking in between either a summer dress or a cardi, no specific pattern in mind yet.

This is a close up of the cherries and chocolate. Sue has excelled herself, I love the shawl, the whole package, Thank you!!

Hail

One morning a week or so ago, I was pottering about, sorting breakfast, looked out the window and couldn't beleive my eyes! It's the start of June and it's HAILING!! I grabbed my camera and scampered outside, with HK's voice ringing in my ears to not go outside. Here is the front door step. Yes the white stuff is hail....

The drive, with may car. The white stuff is still hail. Yes this was taken in June!

Chairs and table, with the aforementioned Hail. I can't beleive it. Bizarre weather in these parts. You have to be ready for all weathers here.

Early Morning Woolly Thoughts

It's a little after 6AM. I've been awake since just after 4. I can't sleep. It's not like me at all. I have nights like these once in a blue moon and I had one a few weeks ago. I almost feel as though I might be getting a cold. My eyes were closing, then opening. My mind was wandering in woolly (read yarn/knitting) circles. At half past five, I decided to get up, have a brew and do a few rows and see if that would settle me down. Probably will in time to get up, so I'll be grumpy all day cos I'm tired.

One of the woolly circles I was one was wool dyeing. This has been passing randomly through my head for a short while. For all the dyeing that I used to do, I couldn't remember fully the process, the quantities of dye and fix etc. This made me feel a little dejected. I thought eventually it would come back to me. The thought of trawling the t'internet for info, or for looking for that elusive two back copies of whichever magazine it was that I first used to teach myself to dye with, which I may well have re-homed in the run up to The Move, was not at all appealing.

So lying in bed I slowly remembered that I kept a diary of when I was dyeing - Ker-ching! I remembered that it was a purple book, and kept my fingers crossed that it was in the bureau. It was. I've had half an hour of nostalgic reading. The Diary ran for 6 months. It covered all the things that I dyed using Kool Aid and food colouring, then tailed off. Luckily I wrote down the soak and dye solution quantities. The process came back to me, and I quickly wrote it down at the back of the book for eady reference.

I knew one day my dyeing Mojo would come back. Thankfully! What has kindled the Mojo Return was a good find in the Charity Shop in Cleator Moor. I found a cone of peachy aran yarn for £3. It weighs just over 1.8kg, including the caardboard cone itself. It is not labelled as to what it is. For the life of me I can't remember the tests that you do to tell what yarn is madfe out of, whether it is a natural or man-made substance. I know you can agitate it in your fingers or set light to a bit of it to see how it burns. Mum and I set light to an end of it. It didn't burn or catch fire as such, Mum declared it to be wool.

So my next test of 'Guess What It Is', is to try dyeing it. If this is successful, then the next stage is to test suitability of felting, using the traditional method of knitting a bag then chucking it in the wash machine. I must choose a pattern that will be suitable for felting and non felting.

Am now going to knit a bit. Yesterday at Knit Club, I cast on a Grrlfriend Market Bag using the Ice Bamboo yarn. I've finished the base last night. I know I used to do the sides a certain length, but that is another thing I can't remember. I shall see how I go. Simples.

Mary-Jane and The Strawberries

Mary-Jane and I went for a mooch out in the garden. MJ seems to love it outside. This is the first time she has sat on the grass. Another first was the strawberries. She has had strawbs before, but never out of the garden. Picked from the stem and given straight to her. Very tasty. They smelled sweet and I wished there was more ripe! HK looked so very proud of his little girl, sitting on the grass, eating the strawbs that he had grown for her.

I think the photos speak for themselves.

Garden Update

The garden is flourishing. The apple buds are coming along, lots and lots of apples on their way!

Courgettes ready for planting on, sooner rather than later!

Top end of the orchard field. An area has been marked out to plant more apple trees, and a few plums (at least one anyhow!)

The strawbs are doing well. The lesser spotted HK is in the background

Far end of the orchard field. We are talking of having this as a seating area, fenced off with an archway. At the moment there are lots of rocks covered with rocks. There is also access here to the back lane. Another access is on the left of the picture where you may just be able to see part of a metal arch.

The field from the other end, with part of the house. What look like big patches on the grass were are a pathway, this will be re-laid

This was taken from more or less the same place as the previous one, just turned to the right. Another area of the garden that needs some intense work. The building is the back of a stone shed. Apparantly in days gone past it was built as a Wash House.