Category Archives: Norfolk

Trips around the Norfolk countryside

It’s Spring, It’s Spring!

Wow! Look at the sunshine!

I think Tim brought it back with him.  We went off for a walk in Bacton Woods yesterday.  We haven’t been since the time  Higgins had a play with a very bouncy spaniel, got a sore leg and had to be carried back to the car.  He might be little but he’s very solid!  But it was lovely, and I’ve spotted clumps of bluebells so we must be sure to go back again at the right time.

The gorse made a lovely splash of yellow…

…and Higgins even met a little friend…

I’ve spent the afternoon in the garden today, I’m glad you can’t see the compost under my fingernails! I’m trying very hard to keep up with the Garden Diaries but I’m afraid I’m a bit of a fair weather gardener.  The broad beans are coming on very nicely and I might have a few baby salad leaves to harvest next week, but the carrots and spring onions are taking their time.  I hope a bit of warm weather might do the trick.

More and more things are bursting into flower.  This really is my favourite time of year.  You can feel things growing all around, and I love the fact that the roadsides are filled with daffodils and the hedges with the starry white blackthorn blossom, and every time I go out in the garden something else has popped out.

There’s still the odd garden pest though!

I also love the weeping willow at this time of the year, at the point where the leaves have emerged just enough to turn the branches limey green without hiding its gracefulness.

I’ve been very busy indoors too, and after all the wrapping and packing I’m nearly at the end of this batch of rainbow yarn.  I’ve had so much lovely feedback as the pink parcels have arrived at their destinations.

‘My cotton has just arrived ! It is so so gorgeous (even better than I thought!)’

‘The cotton arrived yesterday afternoon. It is WONDERFUL!!  Better than any cotton I have ever used. I LOVE it! THANK YOU so much for sharing. I am off to crochet a little mouse…  8-)’

And it’s great (and just a little strange) to see the yarn turning up on other blogs in other countries, in Australia and  the USA.

If you haven’t got your pack yet,

 find out all about it here,

Please get in touch with any questions

here

I’ve been needlefelting, working on the piece for the Taster Exhibition at the Forum in Norwich for Open Studios but I haven’t anything to show you just yet!  What is so frustrating is having a pattern in my head for another crochet idea and NO TIME TO MAKE IT!  I’ll try very hard to fit it in before Handmade Monday comes around again, I do hope it works.

So on that note I’d better stop chatting, and skedaddle off to work again, I hope the sun’s been shining where you are…

See you soon…x

 

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New Crochet Bunting for Handmade Monday

There’s been a lot of weather about this week!  Anyway, moments like this when you’re out for a walk make it worthwhile, even when it’s below freezing point.  And no apologies for sharing another snowdrop picture, I’m getting a little obsessed by seeing things from a miniature dachshund’s viewpoint!

I’ve been happy and relieved that this week at our monthly Knit and Stitch meeting  the little heart pattern was tested out by a relatively new crochet-er, and it worked !  (Bearing in mind I might have been crocheting for a while, but I’m a novice pattern writer!) Not only that, but having cracked the pattern, Carol went on to reinterpret the heart with crochet wire and beads, which is so pretty…

They look huge here, but they’re not much bigger than a 10p piece, delicate crochet jewellery.

My latest rainbow creation from my gorgeous cotton yarn basket is a new version of  crochet bunting.  I know the white Christmas Bunting is very popular but there’s been a lot of white around just lately, and I needed an antidote!

I’ll be posting the pattern in Tutorials very soon.

Which brings me to the fireplace.  And the hearth rug.  the scene of many a power struggle amongst the four legged members of the family.  On the one side is Henry, who has been here for getting on for 17 years, who isn’t in the best of health, but who know exactly what is due to a senior citizen  and is quite prepared to use all his ‘Grumpy Old Man ‘ tactics to make sure he gets his way.  And on the other side is Higgins, who is absolutely sure that everything is all about him…

Today my sister arrived with a special present just for Henry, and I rather knew it was going to cause trouble…

A beautiful rag rug, exactly what a old and bony pussy cat needs…

um…hang on…

…that’s better…

But when a little chat about ‘sharing’ fell on deaf ears…

Higgins retired to the sofa…

Hang on, can’t you see him?

It’s a dog’s life…

But enough of all that.  It’s Handmade Monday again, and it’s time to visit the lovely Wendy over on 1st Unique Gifts and find out what everyone else has been creating this week.

Next week I’m hoping to share a new idea with you, one you might just want to join in with…

In the meantime, see you soon! xx

 

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Reasons to be Cheerful – Hearts and Flowers Bunting

I really should have written this yesterday, a glorious day when the sun shone and I was feeling bright and positive, very ‘hearts and flowers!  Today has been a ‘tupperware box‘ day, and I’ve been as grumpy and growly as Higgins with a new bone.

I will get out yesterdays photos and try to talk myself out of the glooms…

The day started beautifully, and despite the low temperatures managed a slow thaw during the day.  I spread bird seed under the cherry trees and had a lot of visitors, chaffinches, sparrows, tits and a robin, three blackbirds and to my delight, a song thrush.

Also a mystery guest, slightly bigger than the thrush and blackbirds, and rounder with feathers in shades of grey.  It didn’t get close enough to see properly, and I only managed these slightly grainy shots with the zoom…

 

Anyone got any clues? (Edited to add: Celia, of Purple Podded Peas, has enlighted me…A Fieldfare, thanks Celia!)

We went for chilly walk…after a disagreement about wrapping up warm to go out…

and despite the fact that by 4 o’clock it was freezing fast…

It was still very enjoyable…

and in the evening I made lots of little crochet flowers and leaves then sewed them together with the hearts from this pattern to make a Valentine’s Day garland.  What do you think?

hearts and flowers bunting

hearts and flowers bunting detail

hearts and flowers bunting on dresser

So I hope you’ll join in with some reasons to be cheerful  to dispel any negative thoughts floating around.  I must finish to get ready for this month’s Knit and Stitch meeting, that should cheer me up!

So do join in via the Linky below where you can leave a link to your blog, or by using the comments list.  It’s always lovely to hear from you.

See you soon x

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A Snowy Handmade Monday

If my Silent Sunday photo was the day before, this was what those clouds were heralding…

(and if you look closely you can see someone has made a little bow wave!)

Funnily enough, after the early morning excitement, Higgins was NOT very enthusiastic about a walk later on in the day…

But he soon got into the swing of things…

…and definitely appreciated the coat in the end!

So there’s been a good excuse to linger indoors and do a bit more crochet.  I had a lovely book for Christmas which is full of inspiring things to make…

…and had some fun with these…

and in the spirit of re-using containers, and as excuse to use this fab ribbon…

I gave a tin of Heinz Tomato Soup a whole new lease of life!

I started on a little something for Valentines Day…

…and if you’d like a pattern I’ll be putting one on soon.

 I’d also like to share some other little handmade lovelies which although are designed for Easter, are much to pretty to hide away. One of the wonderful things about the blogging/making world is the new friends you make.  People you would never otherwise have met.   I had lunch with one of these friends last week, a couple of hours of frantic chatter, comparing notes and trying to fit everything in!  Gabriella and I both had stalls at the Pick’n’Mix Market last year, run by another blogging/maker friend Lisa of Bobobun, you might remember this photo of the Moobaacluck Stall.   So I was so thrilled by this present from Gabs…

I don’t think I have enough handles in the house!

So now it’s time to join in with Wendy’s Handmade Monday over on 1st Unique gifts, where you’ll find all sorts of yummy things going on!  It’s well worth a visit!

See you soon xx

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