orange you lovely

Hello! How are you? Keeping well, I hope.

I've been doing a little bit of sorting and LOOKING at things this week - usual activity when I've just finished a biggish project - and an ORANGE theme is emerging. When I was small, my favourite colour was orange. Bear in mind, it was the seventies and orange curtains, kitchen appliances and clothing were commonplace at the time. I've subsequently moved away from orange as I've grown because I always felt that a redhead probably shouldn't wear too much orange for fear of being altogether too carroty....

But orange is creeping back and it's making me happy. And I do believe we should have more of the things that make us happy. So here's a little round-up of the orange things that are pleasing me.....

Buttons from Clothkits that gave such pleasure when spilled from their envelope make a jolly necklace (and I'm even wearing orange tights although you'll have to take my word for that).

Delicious orange-packaged chocolate which was a lovely thoughtful gift from my new friend, Nancy. And all I had to do in return was spend a couple of hours crocheting with her. It was a very pleasant way to spend time and now Nancy can crochet granny squares - go Nancy!

Granny's orange crochet which my Mother gave me last week. Granny was a beautiful crocheter but was not the best teacher....

Delicious orange jelly tot beads that Pixie and I made into a bracelet.

This month's orange stripey sock knitting.

Some new orange hairclips for Pixie.

My beautiful orange handbag for special occasions.

And, of course, the solitary orange which comes home in the packed lunch box everyday......

I'm away now to make (orange) butternut squash soup in my (orange) Le Creuset pan and will use my (orange) hand-blender to puree the soup.

Cheerio for now. xx

the cat approves

Hello! How are you? Doing well, I hope. It's a good morning here today - the sun is shining and the sky is blue. (Let's just ignore that light covering of frost on the ground for now.) Pixie and I are going carriage-driving this morning - it's our regular Monday morning fixture. Actually, she does the carriage stuff, I just do the driving. But that's fine. We meet up with a lovely group of ladies who are fabulously knowledgeable about horses (and other stuff too). They're the kind of intelligent, confident ladies that I always wanted to be when I grew up. I'm still working on that. Pixie loves it, she gets into the carriage and talks the entire time which is very entertaining. Talk, talk, talk and then it's back to school and Don't Talk. Such is life.

I've finished my puff sleeved cardigan from A Stitch in Time and I have to say that the knitting and seaming was a dream. The yarn is Castlemilk Moorit and 'grew' on a farm a couple of miles away. The fleeces are sent to The Natural Fibre Company at Launceston to be processed - they sell all kinds of beautiful yarns from British flocks - and it comes back to my neighbour's farm shop where I can buy yarn alongside my groceries. Low yarn miles.

The yarn is classed as a 'light aran' so it has made quite a dense fabric knitted on 4mm needles. It is fabulously warm and holds shape well so it's good for those enormous puffed sleeves. I quite like the effect it gives when worn with a dress - I did try it with my Freddies of Pinewood dungarees (hmm - just noticed I've got the colour that's NOT in the sale - isn't that always the way?) and I ended up looking simply square - and I do not mean that I was less than cool. The sleeves add A LOT to the shoulders

The outfit came together well. Pretty much as intended. I like that I've made the cardigan and the dress. Last summer, when we harvested vegetables from the garden, I aimed to make meals which were 100%-ers - home-grown vegetables, home-grown sausages, ice-cream from the milk of our own cow - it was deeply satisfying. This outfit is almost a 100%-er, at least until I manage to learn how to make underwear and shoes!

Cheerio for now. xx

go south in the winter

Hello! How are you? Good, I hope. I'm feeling rather relieved myself as I have completed my January paperwork a little ahead of schedule and can now breathe easily....

I thought I'd show you where the husband and I had our coffee yesterday morning. We were just above Poldhu, overlooking Church Cove and the waves were incredible, very clean and impressive. It's a lovely spot to sit and enjoy the space - next stop America from that viewpoint. We bundled up warmly in the crew cab of Bertie the Landrover and felt very cosy indeed.

I've been searching for just the right crochet motif - I want to create a spotty fabric but nothing so far seems quite 'spotty' enough. Is that perhaps a limitation of crochet? A Granny square gives much more of a cross motif in the centre which isn't quite what I wanted. This large motif isn't right (most definitely unblocked in the picture) so I tried a different version with less rounds.

This is better - and much more square - but still features a lot of white. I've got much more red yarn than white yarn so I perhaps need to try another version with even less white rounds. Do you know of a good spotty motif that might work here? Perhaps popcorn stitch in a round?

I'll leave you today with this photograph of the latest addition to the farm - little piggies! Aren't they adorable? The husband picked them up on Saturday and chose the ginger pig especially (after all, he IS married to a redhead...). The other piglet is pink with black spots, one of the spots falls just over one eye which is rather rakish - he looks to be winking at us.

Cheerio for now. xx

going in circles

Hello! How are you? Good, I hope.

I'm taken up with the usual January paperwork here - head is spinning and so is the crochet. This circular crocheted bag is perfect for those moments when a girl just needs to think about the work. A bit of soothing, repetitive movement - yoga for the hands whilst the brain is whirring. I'm steadily working my way through my accumulated Rowan Denim, some of which was bought when I lived in Yorkshire and used to visit that lovely woolshop in Ripon. Sadly, it closed down many years ago - I wonder if there is a new woolshop in Ripon nowadays? The plan is to introduce a few rows of bright colours in amongst the denim as I work up the body of the bag. It's looking distinctly boyish at the moment, I feel.

I think the writing on the label gives the clue as to how long this has been sitting in the wool stash. Early 90's vintage at least....

The telephone line has now been fixed although it did look like this for the weekend. Miraculously, it was still possible to get online via this lash-up. In fact, the connection was even a little faster than normal. The BT engineer has visited and repaired the line properly but not until we had chopped up the fallen trees and cleared the bridleway. Now, THAT was a lot of work.

The melted snow and ice has left the lane very boggy. I lost my wellies several times in the mud which all added to the enjoyment. Looking on the bright side, we have a very healthy stock of logs seasoning in the wood shed and an improved telephone line.

Here's a spurious touch of spring for you - tulips are so cheering, aren't they? Now, back to the paperwork - enough procrastinating. See you soon.

Cheerio for now! xx

Granny Squares

Hello! How are you?

Maddeningly, after escaping any major problems (only a couple of outside burst pipes), the phone line has broken now that the weather is milder. To be fair, it’s been on its last legs for a while because it has been holding up an aged oak tree single-handedly. BT are aware and will fix it soon (I hope) but are currently “experiencing a heavy demand on their services.” Which is to be expected. It’s an odd experience to be without the telephone, don’t you think? And the internet too. I know there’s always the mobile but I don’t really use the mobile to chat - my mobile is there for emergencies, or text messages for keeping in touch the ‘light’ way. The house feels quieter without the telephone in it. All in the mind, I guess. Internet access is a coffee shop ten miles away so I’m saving up all my online stuff to accompany a latte. Interesting to observe just how much stuff is online now. I still carry stamps in my purse but there’s less and less need to actually conduct business via the post now. Renew a subscription? Online. Pay a bill? Online. Talk to the bank? Online. Keep in touch with friends? Online. Maybe it’s time to write a few letters.

I’ve been dashing off some colourful little Granny squares this past week. They’re so quick to do and so endearingly cheerful. I’ve made these using my Rowan Handknit DK Cotton stash, lots of odd balls and leftovers. I did treat myself to a couple of newer colours in town last week but the choice was rather limited. Guess stocking cotton yarn is seasonal.

The basic pattern is from here Attic24 . Now there’s a lady who knows about colour. I’m using the Attic24 method of joining the squares as I go which is lovely as it gives such a sense of achievement as the blanket keeps growing. It is already getting a little cumbersome so maybe I could whip up a bunch of little squares in colours and do a lot of cream edging in one go.

The ends are a bit of a pain. To begin, I just let the ends dangle, thinking that I would just darn them in at the end. Then I thought that would be a major job and it would be better to weave them in as I crochet which I’ve done for the last few squares. I’m wondering if this will be sufficient to hold the cotton as it doesn’t create the slight felty-ness that weaving wool ends does? Might the ends work themselves out over time? Does it matter? How do you deal with cotton ends?

The stash of cotton isn’t appreciably smaller yet (note to self: don’t buy any more colours, perhaps?) My plan is to just keep crocheting. It will be as big as it gets.

Right, time to write some letters now. Or something. Hope life is good with you?

Cheerio for now! xx

red hair she had and golden skin

Hello! How are you? The sun has begun to shine here in Cornwall and the snow is trickling away albeit very slowly. Our local schools have reopened and it is almost business as usual. We are certainly grateful that the drinking troughs in the fields have defrosted and will be even more pleased when our cows are able to graze freely again. Even the chickens' drinking water had frozen over. But now rain is forecast and, for once, it is welcome.

Enough of the weather though, what else is happening around here?

Well, yes, she does still knit..... just not very quickly. I'm working on a pattern from Susan Crawford's A Stitch in Time entitled 'To Set Off Your Summer Frocks'. One more front piece to finish up and then it's on to the seaming. You'll have to excuse the picture - my ends are showing.

I have the perfect outfit in mind for this one. A floral tea dress, red stockings and red shoes. It'll be fab. Please, please let it turn out the way that I want. I usually have a picture in my head when I start a garment, always convinced that this one will make me look just fabulous. Doesn't always work out that way though.

This cardigan does seem to be shaping up quite well so far though. The mannequin's measurements are almost mine - she's the 'nearly-me'. She's carrying her assets a little near the top to be an exact match but maybe I would have looked like that in Edwardian times. Perhaps. I do love the hugely puffed sleeves, don't you? They took so much wool to knit and did seem to take forever but then there's a magical couple of decrease rows right near the top and - zoom! - they're done.

The cold snap has motivated me to get on with a little sewing job for my workroom window. I love my workroom window which looks out over our farm fields. Kep, the farm dog, is always sitting outside, below at the farmyard gate looking out for any visitors. He loves visitors - he greets everyone with that special collie dog 'smile'. Have you seen a collie dog smile? They're very good at it and like to show all their teeth - they way we (people) do when we're happy. The wary visitors ask "Are you sure he's pleased to see me?" I say, "Of course he's pleased!" I can't vouch for other dogs though, so be warned. As well as watching for visitors, Kep also waits for us when we leave the farm. He checks Lily the Land Rover on my return to make sure I bring back the same number of children that I left with. Counts 'em out and counts 'em back in again.

The long and the short of the window is that it needed some kind of curtaining and a roman blind fitted the bill. The red and white spotted fabric was bought on an impulse back in the summer and it took a little while for the perfect project to percolate to the surface. And now it has. It feels good to use stuff up and the past year has seen a good amount of stuff used up or passed on to a good home.

More red dots, though this time they're cranberries. I roasted a pheasant for lunch on Sunday - it's the kind of cold weather food that the Aga does really, really well. Not everyone was madly keen on the notion, indeed reality, of eating pheasant so I concocted a variation on a nut loaf. A variety of chopped nuts, some breadcrumbs, herbs, a little cheese and the beautiful, jewel-like cranberries. I use dried cranberries which look somewhat shriveled and a tad unappetising in the packet but, when cooked, plump up beautifully and polka dot the dish. There was none left at the end of lunch which I take as being a good sign.

Time now though for a spot of knitting.

Cheerio for now! xx

snow day

Hello! How are you?

Somewhat surprisingly, we find ourselves snowed in here in Cornwall. The schools have been closed for two days now and we are housebound. Not that I mind, actually. I can't think of anywhere nicer than to be cosied up at home with the stove lit, can you? Mind you, I do rather have the luxury of not having to BE anywhere for a few days so that makes life somewhat easier.

I was overtaken by a creative urge yesterday (plus the need to clear the decks in my workroom - an impulse best taken advantage of when it strikes. One never knows when it might come again.....). To begin, soap-making seemed like a good idea especially as I have a beginners soap-making kit at hand (from here). It's a vegetable-based glycerine melt-and-pour thing so not really hardcore soap-making by any stretch but I do like the look of translucent soap, don't you? The plain opaque soap starter block is cut into chunks, melted in a bain-marie, scented, coloured, and then poured into moulds. I made the circle soap in a deliberately deep red and scented it with my favourite Mitsouko perfume as a bit of experiment and it's turned out beautifully (too bad this isn't smell-o-vision). The mould was the bottom of a yogurt pot - very Blue Peter.

I was thinking that I might use these heart shaped soaps scented with Rosewater as gifts for Valentine's Day (thinking ahead). They're very satisfyingly curvy, aren't they?

I adore the chunkiness of these oblong bars. It was hugely pleasing to cut into the block and make smaller bars. I was reminded strongly of watching the severely-hair-styled lady cut up the carefully selected fudge at the old fudge shop in St Ives, which was a childhood treat. She used to slice it with a seriously large knife, scoop it up, pop it into a paper bag which she twisted shut up in the air before handing it over the counter. Bliss although my Dad always wanted rum and raisin flavour included. Heaven knows why.

Whilst the soap was hardening, I moved on to sewing. A Christmas present to myself was the latest Cath Kidston book which comes with some pre-cut fabric to make a little bag. I've never sewn with this fabric before (cotton duck?) and found it quite heavyweight and crisp. It's a pretty straightforward project with some appealing finishing details like the interfacing around the bag top and topstitching. The kind of sewing that makes a person feel special and accomplished. Or perhaps a complete beginner. I guess the label makes it look expensive at any rate.

There were instructions to make a rouleau tape for the bag fastening but that was simply beyond me (that fabric is thick - how are you supposed to turn a small tube inside out?). I substituted a little spotty ribbon which does the job just fine. Makes it a little more personal, perhaps?

In a flurry of finishing things up, Kiki from Clothkits finally got her legs. And her dress. And her knickers. Pixie loves her although she is a very visual doll, I think. I perhaps need to sew on some buttons for eyes and maybe beads for her bracelet to make her more enjoyable.

Phew! What a busy day that was! Today we're investigating the mysteries of free-motion embroidery, a little more crochet and perhaps some knitting. What kind of day are you having? Not too cold, I hope.

Cheerio for now. xx

As Green as Emerald

Hello! How are you? Did you have a good Christmas break? I hope so. We've had the coldest Christmas for ages here in the West Country. Lots of ice and slippery roads, and even a light sprinkling of snow. My palm trees are not happy. Not one bit. I appreciate that the weather has been a lot more severe in other regions but we're just not used to it down here. I've even had to break out the properly warm coat which has not seen a winter since we lived in Yorkshire.

Lots of nice, cosy activities to keep me occupied indoors, though. Somewhat surprisingly (to me, at least) whilst in the grips of a head cold prior to Christmas, I actually managed to learn how to crochet. I blame the general out-of-body experience brought on by Lemsip (I'm just not good with medicines). The cold-induced delirium provided that 'Aha' moment for me and the crochet. I've tried before, many times, but just never quite got it. To be entirely truthful, I haven't always liked many crocheted items but a bit of random online clicking took me to here. And I was hooked (pun intended). I started off with the Sisterhood Crochet Blanket Square (from Vanessa's side bar) which has the most fabulous step-by-step tutorial with beautiful photographs. I did crank out a passable imitation of the original square which pleased me.

Armed with new-found knowledge, a large, emerald green crochet hook and some chunky emerald green yarn, I started to recreate the squares and kept going until the yarn ran out. What a fabulous way to use up an extraordinarily large amount of yarn in a short space of time. I had no idea it could eat stash quite so quickly.

I especially enjoyed crocheting the squares together with single crochet - although I have since learned an even niftier method which I'll show you next time. Although I have the distinct feeling that there are many, many crocheters out there who knew this stuff all along. Late to the party. Again. Ah, well.

A couple of bits of house-keeping just to update things a little. When I first started this blog (in April 2004!), I rather fudged introductions to my daughters. The youngest in particular, who has gone by the epithet of 'BB' (the Baby Bohemian) is very definitely no longer a baby and is particularly offended to be called a baby ("Child-minding, Nanny and Granpa. NOT baby-sitting."). She has requested that I refer to her here as 'Pixie' in future (it's a family nickname). So, from now on, there will be ten year old Pixie, the thirteen year old Faerie, and the fourteen year old Elfine. The husband is still the husband (lucky him!).

Well, that's all for now. Oh, must just wish you a Happy New Year!

Cheerio for now. xx

Sherry Time

Always a little hard to get back into the blogging habit after a bit of a break, isn't it?

Anyways, the sherry is opened and the holidays have begun. Happy holidays and I'll see you in the New Year!

Such flattering puff sleeves

I sewed up my first project from A Stitch in Time this week - Such Flattering Puff Sleeves. I used the recommended Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Jumper Yarn in shade 14 and chose that shade of blue because I wanted to be able to use the combination of pale blue wool and red jewellery. I usually avoid blues (something to do with navy blue being considered a 'safe' colour choice) but I quite like the effect of this colour.

It's perfect with this pair of jeans.

A closer detail of the puff sleeve. I'm happy with the amount of 'puff' but, in retrospect, I think I could have sewn the sleeve in such a way as to give a larger amount of 'puff'. Next time.

I knit the smallest size which called for 7 skeins of the 25g yarn, but as I said before, the sleeves use rather a lot of yarn. Just a few metres left over after sewing up - a frighteningly close call.