Ready, Steady, Go Wild!

I am ready for 30 days of random wildness, described thus-

What is a Random Act of Wildness?

A Random Act of Wildness is about making time to connect with nature around you, or doing something small yourself to help nature. Random Acts of Wildness are all about experiencing, learning about and helping your local wildlife. They can be simple, small, fun and exciting too. You can use our ideas as inspiration or get creative and make up your own. More details from Here

Anything from volunteering at a nature reserve to making a daisy chain. Simples.

I practised last week on the beach at Scarborough. There was paddling, rock pooling with a random Dad and his son, The Dad and I had a really good time and found a fish, a crab and lots of shells, which I got to keep because the Dad said his son would just chuck them away. Mr E pretended he wasn’t with me. There was fish and chip noshing and coffee drinking both in the sunshine and some Seagull watching.

My 30 days wild pack with seeds has not arrived so I have planted some others. I shall await the patch of ground with interest.

I have a few ideas of what I can do. I have been to the library and got myself a nice book of pictures and bought a book of local walks.

I am raring to go Wild. Unlike this chap who just wants chips.

Still open to some wild suggestions…

One a week Photo Challenge- Lost

A moving tribute to a Nan, found by a riverside. It speaks of a life well lived.

Please leave a link to your Lost photograph in the comments or over at Wild Daffodil

Next weeks prompt is Favourite.

Happy Snapping!

Books- May 2017

None of my books this month have come from the heap by the bed. I have had some good reads too, and many thanks to all who recommended the works of Nikki French and Deborah Crombie, they are as good as you said.

M C Beaton-Death of a Policeman– having enjoyed the Hamish Macbeth TV programme I looked forward to reading a novel. The writing and plotting is weak. I won’t read another

Ann Cleeves- A Lesson in Dying- an early novel from this author, well plotted and written. A good solid detective story.

Nikki French- Friday on my Mind-a good detective story but I should have started with Blue Monday and worked my way through the series.

Deborah Crombie- To Dwell in Darkness. A solid London-based crime novel. The Americanisms grated a bit as all the characters are British. A good read, but as with the previous book there are earlier novels featuring the main character which I should have started with.

But this is my favourite. Now I don’t who mentioned it, but someone did and a great Big Thank You to you. I had never heard of this one and it is an utterly charming picture book and I can’t wait to give it to Little Miss F and I am sure her brother Master T will love it too. That’s if I can bear to part with it.

In the meantime I should start to read from the heap again but am rather thinking I would like to read some books to do with nature as I embark on 30 days wild.

Love to hear any recommendations from your recent reading or on the subject of nature.

Sew, Knit and Natter Friday.

Thank you everyone who joined in the conversation last week, it was brilliant and I hope you will want to join in again this week too. Please don’t be shy, although I called this Knit and Natter, if you crochet or sew, or don’t do any of these you are VERY WELCOME to Join In. Thought I would add the word Sew into the post title to try to convey this.

Onwards..

At work we had a mantra, ” If you always do, what you have always done, you will always get, what always got!” In other words if you want a different outcome, chances are you will have to do something different. I have found myself thinking that twice this week.

Firstly we had the What do we do about frail elderly people who need care issue. I’ve not forgotten this, just because of terrible events. Once again the politicians want to “kick the can down the road”, as Mr E would say. Until the social care system becomes part of the NHS, there will always be the debate as to who should pay, and how much and should it be capped. For one, I cannot understand why someone with an unhealthy lifestyle who has a heart attack, stroke whatever, gets their treatment paid for, but someone else who has looked after themselves, eaten healthily, exercised,doesn’t smoke, not drunk to excess and never had a major operation should have to pay for their treatment( I know we call it care but really where is the care in penalising the infirm) if they suffer mental ill-health in the form of Alzheimer’s.  It is just not right, and it needs bottoming properly as they say in these parts.

And then there is the terrible event in Manchester. I have very happy memories of a concert I took my youngest son to at the Arena. We had such a great time and looking back some 14 years later it is one of the highlights of his teenage years.I feel so sad that people have died, been injured and all have lost the potential of equally happy memories. So we are urged to Keep Calm and Carry on. I have done my best, I have been for walks, gone shopping, done gardening, dusted the house, read blogs , everything I would do normally. But why should I stay calm? Why should I not get cross at this senseless loss of life. Time for change I would say.

Enough from me on that , over to you.

Lets talk sewing hey. My middle son has finally found happiness and is getting married in the summer. He has asked me to make bunting to create a Village fair atmosphere. Right….  I have started the cutting out.

I have bought 3×1 metres of different fabric. I think it looks pretty. And I also plan to crochet some heart-shaped bunting too.

I consulted him last night on the idea of running a scavnger hunt for the children. He was all for it, providing I did it. I need to think of 10-20 items for children to find. The setting is a hotel , small garden but large village Green and playground. Any ideas most welcome. There are 19 children coming, aged 1 year to 10. Loooking forward to it and hopefully be enjoyable for the tiddly pushes.

Knitting has gone on the back burner a bit.

I am on the left front of a baby cardigan in 4 ply Sirdar Snuggly. I always forget how little newborns are.

And some crochet, the baby blanket is big enough I think and I am adding a border now.

This is made entirely from left over baby yarn , and there is enough left over STILL for some crochet hearts.

Nearly time for your say.. please do say.. but here are some peaceful looking cows, who think humankind sucks sometimes…

Taken on one of the many walks when I needed to stomp things out this week.

Not staying calm, but certainly carrying on!

Have a happy weekend, and be nice to people please.

One a week photo challenge- Stationary

Waiting for the train on the North York Moors Railway at Newbridge in Pickering.

It turned out to be a diesel train, which is a bit of a swizz, so here is the one which came from Grosmont to Pickering half an hour later.

That’s better, a proper train.

Please leave a link to your Stationary picture either here in the comments or over at Wild Daffodil

Next week’s prompt is Lost.

Happy Snapping!

 

30 Days Wild

Feeling Happy- The sun is shining and I have just signed up for 30 Days Wild organised by the Wildlife Trust.

We visited the Ellerburn Bank Nature Reserve recently, which is managed under the auspices of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

Beautiful Gorse in full bloom.

A regeneration of cowslips.

Stunning view down towards the village of Ellerburn, tearoom, no pub. And the lovely Dalby Forest to walk back through.

Busy thinking up ideas of some Wild and wonderful things to try in June, and looking forward to receiving my ideas pack. Meantime anyone got any ideas?

 

Knit and Natter Friday!

I saw an article in the paper about a Yarnbombing event in the nearby village of Appleton-le -Moors. The idea was to gather knitters and spinners together to create scarves to stretch end to end in the village. Scarves to be sold at the end of the weekend.Tea, coffee , cake and chatter were on offer and all were welcome. Proceeds to Macmillan Nurses.

Off I went.

When I arrived there was a shearing demonstration of Alpacas in the garden of the village hall.

The shorn and the waiting to be shorn.

All done!

Inside there was spinning. And there were knitters. But to be honest I don’t think there would be much yarn bombing going on. This is the sum of one and half hours knitting from me, and I was fast by comparison to others.

It’s the first time I have knitted with others and it was rather nice to knit and natter for real.  The experience reminded me that a good thing about life in a village is being part of a community project. The rather harder part is that feeling of awkwardness when you are the new person in a group of people. It set me thinking about the Stranger Within and how to set about making someone feel welcome and part of a group when everyone else is very well-known to each other. It seems especially relevant when we have refugees arriving in the UK and Europe. It’s one thing to say you are welcome here, but what do we actually do to help someone integrate into the wider community? I throw the thought out there.

Meantime I have finished the pink jumper with the cable heart for Little Miss F.

And started my next project, which is a  4 ply cardigan for a yet to be born baby. Who by the way is another boy.

Time for another sheep picture, this one from Appleton-le-Moors where the sheep roam freely through the village.

Couldn’t go without a sheep picture, after all where would this post be without sheep?

Love to know your knitting plans for the weekend, please join in the chatter and natter.

 

 

One a Week Photo Challenge- Cycle

The Tour of Yorkshire!

Whoops!

Please a link to your Cycle picture in the comments or over at Wild Daffodil

Next weeks prompt is Stationary

Happy Snapping!

Scrap Happy- May

Linking with Kate for a bit of Scrap Happiness. First of all some yarny scraps. Inspired by The Snail of Happiness I crocheted a lap blanket from some cherished scraps to cover with kindness. This has now been sent and received by Danielle from The Make it Shop.

The Make it Shop are holding an event at the end of May called The Tree of Kindness, at which people can go along and make something to give away.

in close up

And so onto some fabric scraps. This little cat whom I have called Pink from the leftover fabric of a dress I made for Little Miss F last year.

I am really quite proud that I finally got some seams to match up nicely.

Pattern matching is still to come on the skill front.

Heyho!

I love the way her tail sticks up.

Cat on a blanket. The pattern I used is Simplicity 2613. I had made the giraffe also in the pattern a couple of years ago. There is also a pig and an elephant . The elephant was just too cute for words and had to be made too.

Now if you were just about to have your first birthday would you rather have an elephant or a cat?

Even the ribbon was scrap, think it came off some packaging for something. I am on a bit of a roll now. So Elephant or Cat? Which is your favourite please?

Please pop over to Kate’s post for some more scrap happiness.

Knit and Natter Friday!

” Nana?”

” Yes T?”

” You like making things don’t you?”

” Yes I do .”

” I like it that you make lots of different things and give them to me  and I don’t know what they will be”.

“That’s good! Now go and put a jumper on, we are going a walk.”

” Nana, can I wear one of the bright colour ones?”

“Yes you can. “.

” Nana, I really like this one. PLEASE can you make me some more jumpers with lots of colour?”

” Yes of course I can.” Please to picture me now doing an imaginary happy dance whilst punching the air and silently yelling YES.

Could there be a better compliment?

Last Saturday in the UK was apparently National Yarn Shop day. AAAHHH.

I bet you can see where this is going especially if you were here last week.

As it happens two things I had allocated funds to fell through, to the tune of £100. Now you know where we are going.

Straight to that sale at Knitwell Wool. Now I just didn’t go there willy nilly. I checked . The prices were a genuine reduction compared to other well know sites.

Oh boy did the gremlin in my computer have a field day! The package arrived on Wednesday. ” What’s that?” asks Mr E. ” Just a bit of yarn”! says I. And maybe five patterns. Naughty Gremlin. But then T had asked for another bright coloured jumper and what sort of Nana would I be to ignore such a request?

Meantime it is on with the pink jumper for Miss F. And I did the cable heart. Oh yes!

How about that then? Not only cable but moss stitch in the middle too.  So now it’s onto the sleeves and maybe a finish for next Friday. In between times I have got on with the crochet blanket for the baby.I am using left over yarn from lots of baby clothes. It’s such fun.

So what is the nicest compliment you had about your crafting? To me, T’s unprompted request was such a lovely thing to hear.

I haven’t got a sheep this week to finish with , but a bird. To be precise a blackbird, and to be even more precise the one I mentioned this week in the photo challenge who never stands still long enough for me to capture his image. Typical, walking down to the shops, who should be on the telephone wire surveying the gardens below but you know who.

You can just about see his white tail feathers!

So over to you now for some knitting and natter. Please leap in with whatever you like in the comments and with each others comments. I do love my new Friday posts , and if anyone would like to use the knit and natter idea for a post of their own, well that would be simply spiffing.

Happy nattering!