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

Today is a lazy day...

...Such a lazy day.

After the last couple of very  hectic days (a combination of lambing time, being at work over easter weekend, stock-take, helping Eldest pack for Iceland as well as squeezing in a goodly walk) I have been sitting and knitting, eating chocolate (the boys are very generous with their easter treats - who am I to refuse!) and just generally being lazy. Oh bliss.

A little while ago I found this pattern and thought I'd make it for Himself, so a few days ago I tentatively cast on and started. A little daunted at the size of the project I had taken on. It will be the largest item I have ever knitted.

So far it is going along nicely but! I have had to put it aside as Youngest has put in a request .

Like everything that has something to do with Youngest - there is a story.......... At Yarnival he fell in love with and bought a teeny-weeny reggae reggae hat**. He brought it home and found a pebble that fitted it, drew on a face and pronounced it 'Stoned'....

A day or two later he was found trawling the internet looking at hats - red, green, yellow and black knitted hats and decided that he had a serious case of the 'wanties'. (sigh)

He has the uncanny knack of wielding just the right amount of pester power and now I am knitting a beanie in the ubiquitous reggae colours.

 A quick cast on of 120 stitches, a K2 P2 rib band then 4cm of each colour in stockinette to cuminate in the black at the top. Hopefully it will be finished this evening then I can get back to the more soothing colours of the Isle of Auskerry Ronaldsay wools.

Oh well, Sunday is quietly meandering to an end. Tomorrow I am back to work and Himself is taking Eldest and his friend to catch the coach for the airport.  It will feel odd not having him around for the week.

And you?
How was your easter weekend?
Have you a favourite project put aside to complete another?
Have you eaten too much chocolate?
Who will you miss this week?

I will, some time during the next few days blog about lemon shortbread, herons and probably post a few more snow photos.

Enjoy the rest of your break :)


** Thanks Lovely Lady - I put the blame of my son's reggae reggae 'hat wanties' firmly at YOUR feet!!!

Being busy

Yarnival is not that far off now - We are stepping up a gear with our preparations. It has been harder this year as we all so so busy with our lives and jobs.

This last weekend I thought I better get on and make the stall holder tags and some signs for the event.

One of the knit and natter girls has a very handy husband and with a bit of discussion during our last knit n natter evenings, she set off home with a task for him. 

So - using some plyboard, stash wool and yarn that have had various guises and even more froggings and some white glue - between us we have made a HUGE ball of yarn!

Friend's handy husband cut a huge 'ball of yarn' shape and I wound and wound and wound (and wound and wound and wound) the stash wool around the plyboard shape. Then having covered the wood I pasted it in dilute white glue and water to seal it's exterior. 

It took aaaaaages to dry!

Then, to finish it off - A 'paper' band was made and attached to the 'waist-line' of the yarn and then...........

ta da!!

Another knit and natter girl has a very handy mini-laminating machine which she kindly lent to me and so on Sunday evening I set about making badges for all our stall holders to wear - 

So, with much cutting and pasting and printing and laminating and twisting of cords and tying off of knots I have a second ........

ta da!!

Do you have any ta da-s this week?

Have you been busy making things?

What have you been up to or has the working week got in the way of your crafting flow?

Thank you so much for popping in and seeing what I've got up to - it means a lot to me 

with love

hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I've been knitting......

....And going cross-eyed and twisted fingers to do so......

  Why you ask?

Well, when they are finished - I'll show you!

Yarnival Poster update

Hello!

Hope to see you there!

In which we wash the kitchen floor.....

But before I reveal such details - a Yarnival update - 

Adelaide Walker - the friendly fibre people supplying Merino wool tops and natural wool tops for spinners and feltmakers.

Kumihimo Braiding - a very popular return, demonstrating braiding and selling kits

Angela Barrow - felt maker - beautiful hand felted items, advice and demonstrations 

Emily Foulds  supplying knits, wools and gifts - new to Yarnival 2013.

Freyalyn's Fibres - supplying hand dyed yarns and fleece fibre

the hawthorn tree wools -  supplying hand spun and hand dyed yarns from small independent companies

Rare Breed Sheep - Information stand and hopefully lambs (we were lucky enough to have some last year!)

Yarnival-knit and natter group craft table - so much to choose from, the ladies have been busy crafting and creating for all tastes and pockets - come and have a look.

Thread of Life new to us this year but bringing some much needed crochet hooks, tools, books and cotton threads 

Julie Owen Hand spun - an independent supplier of hand spun wools - BFL, Gotland and Shetland. Another welcome addition to this year's festival.

We also have our very popular Yarnival Cafe returning with cakes and teas, sandwiches and delicious home made bread and soup. 

It is not that far off from the festival and there is lots still to do, but I am lucky enough to have such a close-knit (pun fully intended) group of yarny friends and family that everything will be sorted out nicely!

Now, the kitchen floor....Oh before that little yarn (oops did you see what I did there?!!) another tale...

I've been knitting.

I love wearing my 'Wurm' hat so much that I fancied another one. The green one I made is super warm and snug and now that the weather is getting milder (fingers crossed) I thought I could make a lighter weight one.

So, I nipped out one lunch time (you remember I mentioned that I just HAPPENED to have a LYS a few yards away from where I work.....)

And bought some yarn.

I fell in love with its beautiful blues, and just had to take it walking with me.

And I just HAD to take suitably walking type photos!

It continues to grow - slower that I'd like, but seeing that as soon as I get home I seem to slump on the settee with barely any energy. I love my job - it is busy and very physical and I am kept really really active all day.

The variations seem to show even better with the pattern - I think I am going to love this one so very much!

Oh yes - the kitchen floor. 

We went out, we had planned on a walk but at the last minute decided not to. We thought we'd better get walking socks and a coat for Eldest who is off to Iceland (wowser!) shortly. 

When we returned the floor was AWASH with water and there was water gushing through the ceiling.  I rushed upstairs fearing the worst - our water tanks are in our bedroom and my precious yarn is right next to them. 
Nothing. 
The boys and I then charged into the bathroom expecting a tidal flow.
Nothing. 

Just a small damp patch on the bathmat. HUH?

Then we realised that the pipe that feeds water into the cistern had sprung a leak and water was being squirted beneath the floor of the bathroom. 

Himself quickly switched off the stop-cock as the boys and I laid towels on the kitchen floor and tried to place containers under the 'indoor waterfalls'.

We went out again - this time to the local DIY.

Whilst Himself did the essential repairs, I dried the floor, rescued the floating cat food, wrung out the towels, washed walls and drained the convector heater as I tried to avoid being dripped on from above!
We now have a sparkly clean kitchen.

Tomorrow - we go for our walk!

Not quite as it seems

Have you ever started something that you thought would be easy to complete?
You know one of those jobs that you 'know' will take a little effort but are worth it?
Well - this was not one of those.

I did think it would be................. a quick job, that is.

All it was, was a small amount of tanglement - courtesy of a tidy up session to include a catling. A small white catling with 20 claws and a wicked sense of play.......who thought ruffling through a ball of red yarn was about the most delicious fun E*V*E*R.......

 Who would have thought that from that mash-up of yarn (above) to the lovely tidy squat ball would taken me SEVERAL HOURS........................no, me neither,  *sigh*

So, despite having my hands and mind occupied with yarn - I didn't get much knitting time this weekend.

Still languishing under the thumb of a lingering lurgy. Catling likes it though - means lots of cat-lap-napping =^.,.^=

yours in sniffles - hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ps We're getting geared up for our Yarnival -the adventure continues 2013 - pop over for an update!

16 and festive fayre fun

16.

16th December.

15 days left in the year.

We'd been out walking (like we do) and only after we had been out all day and collapsed back at the car, muddy and exhausted, I noticed the road sign - perfect.

We had a busy afternoon at the craft fayre today, lots of flyers went off with visitors. We even picked up some new stall holders for our Yarnival event in March.

Donkeys and sheep were there for a living advent and folk clasped hot mulled wine and nibbled mince pies. My friend and I judged the adult craft section - It was a fun afternoon.

As dusk fell, carollers sang festive songs and the lights twinkled in the tree and along fences.

It was a lovely community affair.

13,14,15 and festive creativity!

Life seems to have been running faster than I can keep up, so will try to make amends and do a bit of a catch up.

Firstly 13.

Snaking it's way over and around the Kintyre is a national footpath. A secretive and wild one, linking both coastlines and covering most of the inland following a contorted route. Dotted along the way are waymarkers, painted blue with a loopy design down them. It took me a while to realise what the squiggly pattern was representing....

It is the Paps of Jura (the hills of Jura), a rugged island off the Scottish mainland used mainly now for deer stalking by the well heeled and deep pocketed minority. It boasts a population of about 180-ish islanders

14.

Found by Eldest who took my camera and started taking photos, he was thinking of it for my heart-a-thon in February rather than the number, I saw the number!

15.

We spent a delightful sunny morning last year wandering around vintage vehicles in the market town of Kirby Stephen. It was warm and bright and full of glossy coated shiny shiny cars and trucks. A most enjoyable day out was had by all.

Those who are regular visitors to my wafflings will remember that once yearly a group of us get together to make our festive wreaths, bowers and table decorations. This year was no different.

There was much cutting and tying of festive foliage, sprinkling of glitter and adding of ribbon. Of course there was the obligatory nibbling and drinking of tea and the usual dreadful assortment of seasonal music.

Once again, it was a successful afternoon.

So, now my front door is adorned by a heart shaped ivy and holly covered wreath. Time to put up the rest of  our decorations x

Have a lovely weekend my dears (I can hear my little Gran's voice saying that in my head as I type it), I've got another busy day tomorrow - we - Yarnival, have been invited to hold a stall at a 'Handmade Craft Fayre'.We shall sell our wares and hand out leaflets to advertise our next woolly adventure. Will post some photos and updates on the Yarnival site some time this weekend,

Oh yes, new job Monday..... ooh err!