Sharing the love♥

It was dark, damp and drizzly. Fortunately the freeway was quiet as we flew along. We were returning Eldest to uni after a weekend at home.

Apart from the music and the sound of the engine, it was quiet. There was not a lot of conversation as we sat comfortably within the companionable silence. Each occupied by our own thoughts. Himself, driving, was mentally scoring drivers on their ability or inability. He also looks at vehicles and trucks and thinks 'manly-vehicular-machine-boy-toy' type thoughts that I can not comprehend or even chose to. 

Eldest, despite the communal 'in car music' - was plugged into his own. Evidenced by the wires that dangled from beneath his woolly hat he'd pulled firmly down around his ears. Today had been a bit raw with flurries of snow and he was taking no chances. He was in a world of his own.

And me?

These two hours are good. 

Good thinking time. Good planning time. Great for practising gratitude♥. During the summer months - it is good crochet or knitting time, but this time of the year with the evenings being dark - I retreat inside my mind and think on.

Now, back at home, listening to the wind howling around the house and the fire crackling away, I am ready to start the new week knowing I have mentally organised myself, mentally written lists and notes and checked off the ones I mentally wrote out last week. 

So, how do my wafflings link to the photo? Well, as we drove out on Friday to collect Eldest, I spotted this l♥vely shop window display in a local florist and was determined to take a picture.

So, now you know!

♥ Don't forget to visit the other Hearty Marathoners!♥ 

Just follow the link at the top right :)

See you tomorrow x♥

Sending hugs to Susan of Granny Smith's Quilting xx

♥ 

We l❤ve Lemon Drizzle Cake❤

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I have a l❤ve hate relationship with baking. I quite enjoy the art of baking. The magic of turning raw ingredients into something sinfully delightful to eat with a tea or coffee.

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What puts me off regularly baking (apart from the obvious calorific damage that occurs) is the speed everything is consumed by my boys ...

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Which in itself is confirmation that the yummies laid out before them are indeed that - yummy. The three of them can just hoover up the morsels in a matter of moments, leaving a few sorry crumbs. What makes it worse - they don't appear to suffer the consequences of munching on cake or biscuits unlike me, who just by walking near a plate of baking, can put on weight!

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Hey ho.

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Today was all about comfort and warmth. The cold dreich day out there did its best to dampen our spirits, but with still warm squares of lemon drizzle cake and mugs of steaming hot tea, it didn't matter. It was warm and cosy by the fire.

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If you fancy a quick and simple and incredibly delicious Lemon Drizzle, this is the recipe I use ...

Preheat your oven to 180 deg c (350deg F) or gas mark 4

140gm butter, softened

140gm sugar

beat together until pale and creamy then add ...

2 large eggs, one at a time.

Stir in the zingy zest of 1 lemon then fold in ...

140gm self raising flour

Place the mix into either a ready greased or greaseproof lined loaf tin 

or as I did a square 20cm x 20cm tin

Then cook for about 20 minutes until lovely and golden and well risen.

While the cake is cooking, make the lemony drizzle by ...

Squeezing the juice of one large lemon and add to four tablespoons of sugar. 

Stir very well.

When you pull out the cake, steamy and hot and smelling absolutely delightful, 

poke it full of holes using a skewer ....

Then grab your lemony drizzly goodness, give it another good stir and pour all over the cake, 

allow to soak in and cool ...

The final step is to cut into mouth size pieces, 

perfect for popping in, 

causing your taste buds to dance with happiness❤ :)

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤Happy SUNDAY to you all❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

♥ Don't forget to visit the other Hearty Marathoners!♥ 

Just follow the link at the top right :)

See you tomorrow x♥

I ♥ you

Thank you for your comments and thoughts on my post yesterday, I think we've all been there. Time to enlighten the unenlightened to the delights of the crafting rather than the purchasing!

'My heart❤ belongs to you' Valentine's card.

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You will need:

Suitably coloured paper

Saucer

Coloured pens

Pencil

Scissors 

Draw around your saucer

and cut out

 

Fold your circle 

first in half,

then quarters,

finally in 8ths 

 Draw a half a heart❤ on one half of an 8th

Don't forget to draw in a tab

see photo below right

 Cut out the half you have drawn

then, following the instructions below ...

fold a segment over on to the cut half,

flip over

and draw around the cut side

this gives a nicely symmetrical heart❤

Again make sure you have tabs both sides 

 And cut out

 

Now comes the fun part,

open out your heart-flake❤

and marvel how prettily it turned out!

 Reach for your pens

and decorate to your heart's❤ content!

 After you have had a happy few minutes making pretties

carefully fold your heart-flake❤

and tie it closed...

ready to give to some one special

Easy!!

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♥ Don't forget to visit the other Hearty Marathoners!♥ 

Just follow the link at the top right :)

See you tomorrow x♥

Hand made with love❤

There has been a definite shift away the commercial and imported gift giving over the years, with the return of hand crafted items. I read somewhere that now there are more younger folk knitting that older ones and by some considerable margin. I was late to the party - only started to knit 'properly' a couple years ago and learning to crochet a couple of years before that, however I certainly am making up for lost time.

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Something else I have learnt - the hard way - is not every one appreciates or even wants an item that I have spent hours making. Every stitch needs personal involvement, personal thought and definitely imbibed with love❤ and care. Yet, when the recipient's face falls, however imperceivable, as the crafter you can't help but notice it. Their polite disappointment is confirmed when the item is never seen worn or thoughtlessly left somewhere or sadly, still unworn is relegated to a charity shop.

The worst offense in my eyes occurred some years ago, when a knitting friend gifted a beautiful scarf for a mutual acquaintance in all her favourite shades. It was beautifully crafted and thoughtfully given.

Only for it to be left in a cinema a week later with no attempt at a rescue and said mutual 'friend' commenting as she shook her head  'well it was only hand made ...' 

Another phrase I have heard recently is 'knit worthy'. This is the scale you measure a person's worthiness to receive a knitted or crocheted item from you, because you know that your efforts will be treasured and loved❤ .

Handmade is still deemed in certain circles as a 'kind of cheapness'. How wrong they are. The initial cost of yarns and wools, especially the beautiful artisan and local wools, can border on prohibitive. However, if the recipient is 'knit worthy' then the outlay is definitely worth it. You can happily hand over your hard work, all the stitches and patterning, all the late nights as you try to complete by a certain date, knowing you are passing on love❤ and a message - that in each and every action you made during the creating of this item was made for that person, that very person❤.  

In the same vein are folk who in a 'cheeky sort of manner' almost demand an item to be crocheted or knitted for them - a while ago I received this comment ...'When you've finished that,you can make me one' ... No pleases, no thank yous, no offers to purchase the yarn. Just expectation.

No way.

So, no, don't expect me to knock up a sweater/hat/gloves for you. 

No. 

But I will show you how to knit or crochet - it is waaaaay better than going to therapy.....! 

What are your thoughts? 

Have you noticed that shift towards the slow crafts?

Do you get asked to make things for those who have no idea the effort and time and expense?

And,

(deep breath coz I have made myself cross at my misunderstanding) 

have you ever made something for someone and discovered, to your disappointment,

that they are definitely not NOT NOT knitworthy?

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♥ Don't forget to visit the other Hearty Marathoners!♥ 

Just follow the link at the top right :)

See you tomorrow x♥

Mind the gap♥

When out walking,

you do get so see different things.

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This sign

caught my eye...

For two reasons...

One - 'Mind the Gap'

what gap?

Hmmm, I never did find it.

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And,

Two - the little blossoms were remarkably heart♥ shaped ...

So, in leiu of the missing gap ....

Their photo taken

and a missing gap 

never found!

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♥ Don't forget to visit the other Hearty Marathoners!♥ 

Just follow the link at the top right :)

See you tomorrow x♥

At the heart of the matter♥

♥

Tuesday was our weekly knit and natter,

we met, as we usually do,

laden with cakes or biscuits,

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knitting or crochet

sometimes tapestries or cross stitch

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We chat.

We put the world to rights

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and sometimes we even do a little knitting!

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This week there was an important matter

taken to heart♥ ....

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Lessons how to crochet hearts♥  :)

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Now that is very appropriate!

My blanket grows, 

slowly,

but then 

all good things 

are worth the wait.

PS Thank you 'B&YM' for your hearty♥ knit and your modelling skills (top photo) you had us chuckling for quite a while!

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♥ Don't forget to visit the other Hearty Marathoners!♥ 

Just follow the link at the top right :)

See you tomorrow x♥