Scrap Happy November.

The Eastern Jewels blanket left me with some rather nice leftover yarn so I made a cushion. The pattern came from The Patchwork Heart and it couldn’t be simpler. Initially the yarn was chosen completely at random as far as colour order goes. I started with the one at the top of the bag and then the next one and so on. Then I saw what had happened i.e. a lighter square within a darker square and that I had got nearly  to the corners. At  this point I decided it needed a big pop of colour so began to choose the colours. It was fun to make and a complete antidote to the careful colour arrangement of Eastern Jewels. And there is still a lot of leftover yarn.

The front .

And the back. I am sorely tempted to make another, and another….

Linking with Kate for Scrap Happy Day Do go over to her site for some really wonderful scrap happy links. I am always so wonderfully surprised by what people make with scraps.

 

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Knit and Natter Friday.

We keep on saying it- how come it always seems to be Friday again?

I have had a truly wonderful week with more goodness this weekend coming up.

The Sawdust Heart launch last week was just perfect. A lot of fellow contributors were there,  there was music and there were the hearts.

I found it rather overwhelming in fact. I had got myself into a bit of a nervous state wondering if my sawdust heart would look inadequate against all the others. I need not have worried. There were some truly fabulous creations but some simpler ones and all were very beautiful and moving. And yes I did cry a little, so many hearts, and so many stitched with someone in mind. I didn’t take pictures, mainly because there were a lot of people present in quite a small space, but I have plans to go back before the end of the exhibition and take some which I will share in due course. I will be back again at the exhibition beffore that with… (well wait and see who )on the 11 November for a remembrance service- I say service but it isn’t a service from the look at the programme, more and act of remembrance.

Talking of remembrance I saw this most interesting display of poppies at Armley Mills industrial museum.

The yellow ones are to remember those women  (canary girls) who worked in the munition factories and their skin became yellow from the chemicals they were exposed too. More information on canary girls here

I spent a fabulous day in Whitby with a fellow blogger. We walked and talked, we ate fish, I ate chips, we followed in the steps of Dracula , all 199 of them, and visited one of my favourite churches St Mary’s in Whitby close by the Abbey.

This afternoon we are walking in the forest.

Big surprise on Wednesday night. Mr B is 30 this week, my baby 30, now how did  that happen? Anyway it turns out his fiancée has booked him a surprise birthday experience in Hull. Could we join them on Saturday afternoon for a few hours. OH YES WE CAN. Very excited to see my birthday boy.

Meantime I have baked more peanut butter cookies for Mr E.

That’s just the first batch! There were over fifty this time.

I have finished knitting the front of the grey jumper for Baby J, the sleeves should be done quite quickly, hurrah. I may have a finish in a week or so.

And one more bunting flag has rolled off the needles, it does so help not to miss a row or two and have to frog back, growl.

So I was wondering what your plans were for the weekend? Have you had any terrific surprises recently?

Have a great weekend and as always,

Be Happy,

Cathyx

Yarn Along.

Just started to read The Little Stranger, and after one chapter, I am happy to say I am enjoying it Tialys, so thanks for the recommendation.

As for knitting, I have nearly finished the front of Baby J’s grey jumper. It probably was not a good idea to start a Christmas KAL with Deramores. Week one, make bunting. Two flags down, six to go. When will I learn, not to start so many things at one? Probably never.

What about you, are you well disciplined and only have one project on the go at a time? Have you planned any Christmas projects, if so how are they progressing?

Joining with Ginny for Yarn Along

Patina

Linking with Wild Daffodil for the One a month photo challenge. This month’s prompt was Patina, and it just so happens that I love old wood and the totally wonderful colour from the patina. I cannot for the life of me understand why dark wood is out of favour for interior decorating. It is the business as far as I am concerned.

This glorious side board was taken at Fountains Abbey this year, in close up

Gorgeous.

This fabulous wood was taken from a boys school and placed in Newburgh Priory.

You don’t get better than the patina of school boys from 1648. Or do you?

What about figures carved into the choir pews in Slingsby church.

That fabulous patina from hundreds of choristers down the ages.

I rest my case.

What do you think?

 

Knit and Natter Friday

Hurrah I finished the Eastern Jewels blanket this week, and just in case you missed it, here it is.

It has left me with a bag of yarn to finish up, and I know just what I am going to do with it.

I went to the patchwork class open day last Saturday and have duly signed up for three workshops next year so finally I can learn what I supposed to do with a rotary cutter. I have owned one for maybe three years and is still in its packet scaring me.

This weekend is rather special. Do you remember this? My Sawdust Heart.

Well tomorrow is the launch day for the exhibition in Scarborough. I am very excited to see the exhibition, the other hearts , collect my catalogue and just be there at a very special time. I am also thrilled that a second booklet has been produced showing the inside stories that some contributors included with their heart, as did I.

I was so excited to see my heart made in memory of my  Great Uncle was in this booklet. Here is a link to a virtual tour of this extra brochure. I am also very excited that a fellow blogger and maker of a heart is coming up to see this exhibition, and we will finally meet next week.

Meantime I have added a few more rows to the grey jumper for Baby J. I will get there but oh dear grey is not me. And now I must confess to being seduced by Deramores  The Christmas Knit Along. What was I thinking of? More knitting? More Projects? Too much free time?

Sometimes I wonder about myself.

So what are your weekend plans? Have you been seduced by Christmas Projects?

Whatever you do this weekend,

Be Happy,

Cathyx

 

 

Eastern Jewels .

I have been making for quite a while the Persian Tiles- Eastern Jewels blanket, designed by Jane Crowfoot, these colours designed by Lucia Dunn. If you too would like to make one the kit is available here, and no doubt in other places too, the first two I tried were out of stock but this place appears to have some packs in stock.

So without further ado here is the finished blanket.

And the obligatory from the clothes line picture

in two directions

and the equally obligatory draped on the sofa pose

the rolled in a circle one

and my favourite- the ready for me to snuggle under one.

Hands up everyone who thought I would never finish it….

Linking with Ginny for the Ginx Woolly party

Do go and visit her site for some lovely wooly contributions from other bloggers.

 

 

Halloween Dare.

Count Dracula took the form of a dog as he landed and raced up the stairs to Whitby Abbey and disappeared into the night.

At Armley Mill, Leeds there is the most wonderful old cinema tucked away at the end of a gallery, where last week they were showing the 1931 Dracula film.

It was the perfect film for Halloween in the perfect setting, an old cinema within an old mill…..

We just had to get a copy when we came home… dare you watch it?