Quick - I've cast on again!(ᵔᴥᵔ)

Woah!

Having not had the urge to knit for quite some time, then under the pressure of a deadline,

I re-discovered my knitting mojo.

And how!

So, within half an hour of Youngest placing his hat on his head,

I was casting on.

 Two shades of deliciously blue and squadgy alpaca.

And now that I've knitted a few rows,

I know that I've missed knitting,

I'd just not realised how much.

The big reveal will happen soon xx

Now - for Eileen T - You asked how to get the twinkly effect from the cursor - open your layout, 'add a gadget' look for the HTML/JavaScript and insert this code     <script type="text/javascript" src="http://24work-new.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/24work-blogspot/snow-cursor/code/051_lavender_blush2_ebdde2_24work.blogspot.com.js"></script>

I did try several codes before I found this version, it was the first one that worked in blogger. There are many other varieties out there, takes a while to find ones that are compatible. Good luck hope it works for you too (ᵔᴥᵔ)

Edited to add

PS - I'd knitted about 20 rows when I stumbled at the first hurdle....MRl and ML1 - yes yes I know what they mean - I just can't do them neatly enough and they look horrendous!! So back to the drawing board :(

By the skin of my knitting teeth

Remember the story of the hat? 

You know the one. 

The olive-y-greeny one with cream marled fairisle stags?

The one that sat like a pimple on Youngest's head?

The one that had accompanied me on many a walk and to work?

Oh

That one....

Well.

I frogged it in frustration after the pimple on the head episode and wiped it from my memory.

Then, Youngest - in his most forthright manner asked if he was ever going to get his hat.

I relented, fished out the disgraced pile of curly alpaca yarn and tried again.

He wanted it for his three day DofE walking challenge.

Right,  I had ten days to turn this around.

My heart and my knitting mojo just were not in it and I found that I was frogging more than knitting.

Dishearted, I put it aside.

I still had seven days before he needed it.

Then I had three.

Now it was Friday evening and he was setting off 2pm Sunday.

And his hat?

Well - still a pile of crinkly yarn.

I warned the family that I was about to knit like a dervish 

at every opportunity.

So, armed with tea, a home made rusk (thanks mom) and plenty of determination.

I got to it.

I gave the fairisle look the heave-ho

and went with something I know I can do - the Graham 

It was the pattern I did for Eldest's 'Iceland hat'

After all the faffing around I'd had with my previous attempts,

nothing like an imminent deadline

charges the knitting juices!

By Saturday afternoon - Youngest's hat was really taking shape

I woke up Sunday morning when Himself brought me a coffee in bed 

and I added a few more rows.  

It looked like I just might 

(if I kept at it) I just might do it!

By midday, Youngest was all packed and ready

just as I was weaving in the last thread.

He whisked it out of my hands and unblocked - shoved it on his head.

Ta - phew - da!

We all bundled into the car, he in his hat

and me ?

Well quietly pleased

and greatly relieved! 

Thank you all for  your comments on my last post - I will get round to answering them this week - Eileen T I've not forgotten your request for my trailing stars - I'll find the link for you and let you have it this week x

Right - the weekend is over and Monday just around the corner - Hope you all have a happy week! xxx

Saturday is alright for walking!

Saturday started grey and wet with heavy clouds and sullen skies. 

I'd set off early to work leaving the boys asleep and Himself nursing a coffee. 

I must admit to feeling a little 'put out' as I'd somehow missed that I was working and only by a niggling need to find out who was on duty, discovered that it was me! 

All week I'd harboured a plan of spending the day on the hills - in glorious sunshine with my boys. Only to be informed by first - one son that he was off with the girlfriend, 

then the other, 

that he was off with the friends from school....

then realise I was at work......

and to cap it off - it was now raining.  

As I said, I felt a little put out.

Himself said, as I left home, 'text me later, if the weather is better I'll meet you for lunch' 

Looking at the sky I really doubted that offer.

As the day went on, the clouds loitered and menaced 

with only the rarest of glimpses of sky.

Gradually it became sultry and steamy

then humid and hot.

I texted Himself 'Cloudy but warm'

His reply - 'I'm on my way'

He arrived with Youngest, who's plans had fizzled, a picnic lunch, our 2CV called Gertie

 and as soon as I could, 

we escaped for a picnic up on the moorlands surrounded by grasses and wild flowers.

And blue sky!

Lunch eaten, we walked up through the fields where we were spotted by a Saler cow (pronounced Sa'lair),
who peered at us with a furrowed brow and quizzical look.
She slowly podded towards us,
keeping a keen eye on our every move.

 She was warily curious and certainly wanted to see what we were up to.

We said our goodbyes and continued up further into the dales, 

away from the manicured fields and into the kingdom of the thistle!

Rushes and foxgloves competed with moorland grasses for space 

giving thin grazing for the Belties. 

I was glad they were at the far side of the field. 

As 'cute and fluffy' as they look in their black and white coats - 

I have a healthy wary regard for their tempers.

 As we crested a hill, Youngest set off, running through a meadow across into the view. 

The combination of the big sky, the warm breeze, the skylarks singing 

as well as the humid sultry scented air 

made for a heady mix and I had to stop and just 'eat the view', 

soaking it all in. 

I could feel all my stresses 

seemingly lift 

making me feel quite light headed.

Himself - ever practical suggested the light headedness 

was more to do with the need for a mug of tea and a biscuit next to a river 

than the effect of my surroundings on my senses!

Watching a mother mallard with her ducklings 

as we drank tea and ate cherries

made us smile.

As did a ridiculous lamb who'd got itself on to a stone wall

and bleated continuously to his ignoring mother.

Who, when she walked off grazing, jumped off the wall

and trotted meekly after her.

Then a brief moment of magic. 

 As the sun began to lower, we started off the moors.

Back on to the managed lands, leaving the wildness.

At our final stop, we lingered, finishing off the remains of our picnic.

Overhead a kestrel screamed as it hunted.

 It was a shame to end our day. 

What did you get up to over the weekend?
Did you have an unexpectedly successful micro-adventure?
Did your day turn out much better than hoped?
Did you have a light headed nature inspired moment? (that had nothing to do with needing a mug of tea!)

This walk gave me so many precious moments that I think it might be a treasured one, hard to beat for quite some time :) So glad you came along xxx

S'prising what you see at lunch (• ◡•)

Summer time in Settle means an invasion of the summery-silly sort   (• ◡•)

Plantpot people and yarnbombing appear overnight like a rash!

Look ! 

Some of 'our' yarnbombing from the days 

when we held our own yarn festival a couple of years ago, 

now adorning stone steps,

corners, trees and light posts

Pot people appear all over town

Ooh look! I recognise this yarn bombing   (• ◡•)

My mom spent aaaaaages making these little woolly knitted clothes.

They get lots of admiring photos taken.

The involvement of the locals is amazing

Scarepots and plant pot people are sprouting up every where.

This green dragon by the 'magic of teenager high jinks'

moves around the town centre each night to a new spot

It has become fun to see where he ends up! 

I love this scarepot's painted toes 

'Exterminate!' 

Ooooh - recognise this chap?! 

He was lovingly made by a dear friend 'Threads through my life' for our yarn festival 

now he lives in the cobbler's shop

smiling at all passers by   (• ◡•)

And last, but not the least...

Two sheeppots made by Himself and I for my work.

The one on the right had a bit of a 'tumble' after a really bad stormy night

he is now lying down while his friend on the left looks over him.

We can hear people giggling when they walk by and stop to take photos of

our sheeppots in their flat caps.

Job done   (• ◡•)

Thank you every one who stuck with me through my 30 days wild - which we (all of us) thoroughly enjoyed- so much so that we are going to continue a similar style challenge when we have our summer hols  (• ◡•)

Enjoy the rest of your week.

hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx