A Week of Sunshine

Hello Lovelies ,
its' good to be back. We have been away on a long anticipated , special treat.......a week of hot sunshine in October.  We really enjoy our summer holidays in Britain and have only taken the boys on an aeroplane once previously ( to Majorca 5 years ago ) but this relaxing half term week in the warm sunshine  was bliss.

We left home in thick fog and after four hours in the air touched down in sunny Lanzarote. The boys and their cousins were keen to find the beach so we wandered down to the sea in the early evening. The light was really beautiful at this time of day and knowing that it would already be cold and dark at home made this first dip in the Atlantic Ocean extra special..........

The landscape on this volcanic island , less that eighty miles off the coast of Africa, is so very different from home ............

No grass to be seen but stunning cacti and palms. And thankfully lots of beautiful flowers......

Wonderful Hibiscus .

Bougainvillea , which reminded me of my first Mediterranean holidays in my teens and early twenties...........

We were happy to potter about the resort of Costa Teguise  and every day we visited one of it's  beaches.....this one was our favourite ..........

And particularly this spot on the right of this sheltered bay, you could find us here most days enjoying the soft warm sand .......

And snorkeling with the little fishes........

Ohhhhhhh I wish I had an underwater camera to capture this world amongst the fish that we all loved.

It's so quiet and effortless floating in the buoyant seawater once you put your face below the surface . I was enchanted by the other-worldliness of the pretty fish and the dancing patterns made by sunlight shining through the waves.

The fish were very brave and would eat bread from your hand as well, the children loved that..........

Yes the beach life was great but above all it was the luxurious  feeling of beautiful sunny weather at a time of year when cold dark days are beginning that was so wonderful. Just to wander about in light summer clothes ( and factor 50 sun cream .........I don't tan well and hate getting burnt ) when our summer is really over felt so lovely and special. Especially after the poor summer we have had in the U.K. this year.

There was not much time for crochet ( as I didn't want to take it to the beach....see above comment on sun cream :0)  ) , just a little time on our sunny balcony before our evening meal ( which I didn't have to cook  , yay ! )..........

Watching the moon rise in the brilliant blue sky and listening to the birds in this tree.......I know you can't see them but there were loads of little finches hopping about and chirping away.........

Here's where my blanket is up to now........sixty four well traveled squares .......

Yes , we had a wonderful holiday that I hope the boys will remember for a long time. I feel so fortunate we were able to go  also very lucky to have this space to record my feelings and share moments with you lovelies. I'll stop now but I hope you will join me for another holiday post or two soon.
Jacquie x

Back to Square One

Hello lovelies , 

When I near the end of a crochet project my mind often starts planning the next one .  I wonder if any of you do the same ?

A couple of weeks ago my middle son asked me to make him a crochet blanket which rather surprised me as up till now he  has been rather adverse to anything fluffy or yarny.  

My eldest loves his granny stripe.........

made in 2010

 and my youngest has a giant granny square on his bed ....

made in 2009, pre blog

though it's rather young for him now I think. 

2012 seems to have been a year of baby blankets for me so I was happy to embark on my first full sized blanket this year.....but which design should I choose?

 I thought about doing a ripple but I have to admit that they still require a lot of concentration to avoid going wrong and frustrating pulling back. Not too bad on a baby blanket but pretty depressing for a larger project. No, Granny squares or stripes are a safer option for me and there are loads of possibilities with these.. and so much inspiration out in blog land.

At the moment there are lots of gorgeous "Patchwork Square" blankets about. Heather inspired this blanket I made back in March with this wonderful creation she made back in February. Then Sandra shared this stunning blanket ......Just beautiful .......in July. Next there was Lucy's version ....can't wait to see this finished but I also love seeing progress shots.Watching a project progress is one of the things I love about crochet blogs.

So here is the  very beginning of my latest blanket.......

The birth of what will hopefully be another successful, enjoyable project. A simple three round granny square, made last week.
Soon there were others to joint it . It's not easy to photograph long thin crochet :0)

The colours are those I used in my seaside ripple , with the unknown neutral left out and two greens added ( Meadow and Teal ) .........

Here are most of the colours in my bag. I still love this palette ,

 it's very similar to my granny stripe colours and still says seaside to me......

Here is where I'm up to right now..........forty squares..........it's already making me smile so I'm hopeful I will stick with this large project. It's 16 squares wide .........big enough for a single bed.
I think it will need to be at least twenty rows in length so there is a long way to go ..........but that's O.K. with me , no rush and no complicated pattern, just granny squares in random colours.........

 I hope you enjoy seeing my seaside patches blanket progressing as much as I love to share it with you :0)


I'll leave you with a couple of outdoor shots from earlier this week.........October has been pretty good so far with lots of sunny days, which make me happy .........

and sunny days often end with gorgeous sunsets ........

Have a lovely weekend .
Jacquie x

Autumn Sunshine

Hello Lovelies , 

On Sunday morning we had a trip to a favourite place of mine, the country park.  It was a perfect day to capture a few  pictures of nature in the soft  Autumnal light.....

There had been a slight frost in the night but by late morning there was some heat in the sun, though it was still pretty chilly in the shadows. I love the  ripples on the lake made by the ducks..........

 wonderful fiery leaves.......

Bright reflected sun.......

Seed heads of wild carrot..........

Lots of wild birds , including these very noisy gulls........

Wonderful reflected blue sky .......

There were lots of families out enjoying the surroundings on such a lovely morning but in this large park it's easy to find a quiet spot to relax . I've posted this view before but it's one of my favourites and  it looked so perfect on Sunday that I had to share it again .

Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments on my latest project.....you are too kind ♥♥♥
Jacquie x

Seaside Ripple Ta-dah

Hello Lovelies,

well, my latest baby blanket is complete. It's taken me quite a long time for this size of project but I got there in the end .

I love the colours of this sweet little blanket, chosen to reflect the shades of sea,sky and sand back in July when I was dreaming of our seaside holiday. Isn't it lovely  to look at a colour scheme in all the tail ends left after weaving in ..........  

 Anyway ....I expect you would like to see the finished object really.......


here  


it



is


Ta-dah.........

Ooooooooooh I just love it :0) I'm really pleased with the effect made by using alternate one and two row colour changes. And of course I LOVE the ripples , there is something so satisfying about this pattern. I'ts soothing and soft with it's gentle waves...especially in these quiet colours. And as an extra bonus , this pattern makes a beautifully soft blanket.

 I could look at this picture for ages and I've just noticed my winter slippers ( dug out due to chilly mornings this week ) have a similar pattern :0) 

I only added a simple border as I didn't think a wide border would look right with this pattern. 

I used a light  blue to make the first row of the border .....the one that evens out the ripples by using stitches of different heights to fill in the valleys. Then I used turquoise ( because I love that colour ) to do a round of single crochet U.S. followed by a very simple chain loop border..........

Yesterday the sun was shining so I took it outside for my traditional washing line shot........

This image is taken from the other side with the sun shining through the crochet . I love the different effect it gives.......

For those who would like to know the details here they are.........

Stylecraft special Double Knitting Yarn ( Acrylic ) in :-
Fondant
White
Cream
Aster
Turquoise
Silver
Denim
Camel
Aspen
Plus one unknown neutral " sandy" colour  from my stash

The ripple I chose is Lucy's Neat Ripple because it's lovely and her tutorials are so easy to follow :0)

Finished size 27" x 32" .

And finally , a low angle shot looking along the waves........ummmmmmm I think this is my favourite way to view  a ripple........

Hope you all have a great weekend with time to relax and create.
Jacquie x

Weekend Close ups

Hello Lovelies , just thought I would share a few pictures I took over the weekend. No views this time, they all seem to be close ups.

Firstly more simple baking , again involving oats and golden syrup :0)

These beauties are Sues Oaty Ginger biscuits and they were a BIG hit . I'll certainly be making more of these........

My mixture seemed a bit dry so I added an extra tablespoon of golden syrup and they were yummy ! All gone now.

Secondly crochet.......in the still warmish  afternoon sun it was lovely to sit in the garden with my seaside ripple..........

The sun may have been shining but these mushrooms in the grass reminded me that there will not be many more alfresco crochet days left this year.........

Thirdly a gorgeous pansy flower. My summer annuals are past their best so I planted up a pot of pansies to go next to the front door . This flower go knocked off but I could not throw it out so I popped it in a little glass on the kitchen windowsill.........

What a wonderful red/pink flower....I love red and pink together at the moment.

On Sunday we woke to a very Autumnal misty morning........I grabbed my camera and went into the garden........the dewy drops of water made the many cobwebs look wonderful......

I love the way  macro photography  shows up tiny beauty that the naked eye can't easily see......

After a fruitful crochet weekend ( haven't had one of those in ages ) I'm  onto the border of my ripple ....yipee...... I feel a ta-dah post approaching very soon ........

Can't wait :0)
Thank you for all your continued lovely comments ....they really do make my day .
Jacquie x

Autumn Cycle Ride

Hello Lovelies, 

I'm currently on a break from running....well I'm just doing the odd very short run ....to give my joints a break .  To be honest I've had a rather painful ankle/foot since the great north so I'm listening to my body and easing up for a little while longer. 

In the mean time I feel the need to try and maintain my aerobic fitness so cycling is back on the agenda . I do love getting out and about on a sunny day while the countryside is still looking so pretty......

On my precious day off in the week ( I do feel so lucky to be able to work part time ) I decided to repeat the same route I posted about here back in June. 

It wasn't long before I found some wonderful Autumnal colour to photograph.......

And Autumnal fruit to pick ..........

The tall grasses along the verges looked pretty with the low sun shining through them........

Further along the road I shop under my favourite tree and gaze up at it's impressive twisted branches. Just a few of the leaves are beginning to change colour........

Here's a picture of this wonderful Oak tree from further away........

Cycling is great for being able to pull over and notice the small pretty things just at the side of the road .......

And fields of sheep........

Further along I'm now on an even quieter road and stop again at another pretty view.......

I guess it's not that vigorous exercise, stopping regularly on  this traffic free lane but I don't really care on such a lovely day........

More stops to capture these wonderful berries growing through the hedgerow........

They were growing on a sort of vine but I don't know what they are .

These I do know .....Crab Apples ..........

Nearer home and one  final stop . The golden corn and bales of September are gone now and fields made ready for the next crop..........

I love the changing seasons and the different views  that come with them.The ever changing nature and the cycle of the farming year. I love living somewhere where it's so easy to access the wonderful countryside we have in this country. I really can't think of anywhere I would rather live ( please remind me I said that in the depths of winter ! ) .
Jacquie x

Edited to add :-
Thankyou to Chloe for informing me the mystery berries are Black Bryony and very poisonous so please don't be tempted to touch them if you do come across some yourself

Nostalgic Knitting

Hello Lovelies,

Back in August we ( Mr BM ) had to empty the loft to allow some nice men to add more insulation.

Along with the Christmas decorations and camping gear we found lots of forgotten things like the poetry book mentioned in my previous post and some unfinished craft projects I had forgotten all about :0)

 We also came across a big box of clothing labelled "Newborn ". It must have been there for nearly ten years.

Along with lots of sleep suits and vests were some hand knits..........

These were not made by me ( I can't knit ). These sweet little cardigans were made by my Nanna ( Maternal Grandmother )..........

For my first two children I did not know if they were going to be boys or girls so there are quite a few neutral items.

 By the time I got to number three I decided to find out so this well worn blue cardigan will have been made for him.

Nanna was a very keen knitter for a lot of years and I've posted about her before here.

When  she made this cardigan she will have been Ninety Four years old and sadly was not able to see well enough to carry on knitting  for much longer after this........

 I remember liking the cardigans she made as they were much easier to get on and off a floppy newborn baby than a jumper.

This sweet jumper looks unworn , probably due to this fact..........

I've already kept some of Nanna's best baby knits in the boys memory boxes. So yesterday I finally got round to  donating  these , along with the rest of the box of clothes , to a local Hospice charity shop....

But I'm glad I decided to take a few pictures of them at the last minute.

Special memories of days with tiny babies and Nanna with her clicky needles .

Jacquie x