I love my view

I took this out of my lounge window this morning, before 9am. For the first time this week I was at home (working) but home. It has been a frantic week, busy at work, busy at home and gearing up for J's last IGCSE today -it went well, I am informed.

It was nice this morning to stand with my coffee and just look out of the window. Everyone was out, the dogs were asleep, and all I could hear was bird song and the wind rustling the leaves. It was one of those moments. I took a break from what I was doing and just stood. Lovely.

I never get bored with the view. It entertains me all year round as the seasons change. I love watching the ships on the horizon  line, the white sails of yachts closer to shore. I revel in the life cycle  of the trees that abound in local gardens and the lives of the birds that inhabit them. I watch  the horses on the downs loose their coloured coats as spring progresses and most of all I enjoy the vastness of the sky and its changing moods. I love the warmer blues of summer, the cold ones of winter, I even like the blankets of sea mist and fog. Our view is a daily blessing and one I never take for granted.

Meet Flora

Flora is a Highland Coo made by Kath at Moka Pottery. I have wanted one of these for ages, as not only do I think they are clever (Flora's head comes of and she is a container) but they make me smile.

M and Kath did a pottery swap for one of orbs of desire and this was what M asked for in return. I am very happy to give Flora a home. She is sitting on my work table and is there to inspire me.

Went away, back now.

M and I went off for a few days, down to Dartmoor and the above is the view from our window. We stayed in a fab pub on the edge of moor called The Tradesman's Arms. Good ales, great rooms, warm welcome and good food too. They are dog friendly too.

We met up with lots of friends and M climbed the old lighthouse in Plymouth. I am sitting on one of the benches below waiting for him.

We went on the moor and found a lamb at Hound Tor. We explored and laughed and came home feeling much better for a break.

And when we got home we celebrated J's 16th birthday. Had a fabulous day. Am so proud of him. He has grown into a loving, funny, clever and articulate young man. Must have being doing something right. We all went to see Despicable Me 2 - on Friday (in 3D) - so funny - worth going to see.

Last bit  - cameo by Lottie Bo-Bo - she got a pressie from a friend we met up with on holiday. A Kong squeaky tennis ball - apt for Wimbledon - she loves it and has yet to let it out of her sight. The Boggart gave his a hair cut, desqueaked it and now ignores it.

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week lV

is coming soon. Am looking forward to it....are you?

Inspiration

What inspires you? What makes you want to do or achieve something? What fills your soul with pure joy that the day just seems better and brighter? I'd really like to know - so comment please.

For me, I find inspiration all over the place. I get inspired by sounds; a piece of music that resonates and quite often by the sounds of nature. Living where I do I hear lots of bird song and can hear the wind rustling through the trees or howling off the sea or the downs. I find inspiration in shapes and colours from art to the landscape and from the way the light dances on the sea. I also find a lot of inspiration from other knitters and crafters and their blogs. Another thing that inspires me is words and language, especially impassioned speaking. Over the weekend I watched Amanda Palmer's TED speech and that was really inspirational. Sometimes a piece of poetry can move me to tears.

I love it when I find something that makes me feel connected or makes me find a way through the fog to achieve an idea. I love the way words spark off other words in my head and I find the drive to write and I can then sit and write for hours just from that one spark.

It irons the creases from my brain and the stress from my spine.

So please tell me, what works for you?

Ello me darlins

I haven't done much knitting this week, despite having 5 works in progress. When I have knit I've mainly been working on this stole of my own design. The photo has reproduced the colour well and the yarn is a BFL Silk blend of sock yarn. I am happy with how it is progressing even if it is slow going at the moment.

There has been quite a lot of this. Colder nights mean that the babies have been snugly on the beanbag midst the fluffy cushions.

There really haven't been that many changes in the last 5 years have there?

It's hard to believe that this little girlie has been ruling our home for 5 years now. She was the naughtiest puppy ever but has grown into a lovely sweet and adorable dog.

Just looking forward to the weekend now. Who knows I might actually get to knit on something....or maybe work on the new project on the loom.

Wherever you are, whatever your plans....have a good one.

Getting there....slowly

 What have I been doing? Well I got a haircut - finally.

 Been making our Christmas cards.

Knit some mittens with some scraps of my hand spun yarn (the rest was woven into a scarf).

Still plugging on with my reading challenge I am on book 103.

Got stuff on the needles - three shawls and a pair of socks (TV knitting).

Got a mountain of alpaca to spin for a friend - now this is long term and really slow going as I am hand carding as I go because my drum carder doesn't like pure alpaca much. I also have a big bag of black alpaca to spin for me but that will not see the wheel for quite a while.

I also have two projects on my drop spindles - another slow go as I have periods where I love this way of spinning and then I put it in a box and forget it for a while.

The looms are empty right now. As I want to finish up some of my knitting projects before I weave again.

That's about it for blog fodder stuff. Dogs, cat, hubby, kid and spiders are all thriving and life is fairly jolly.

Bits-n-bobs.

 New socks for M.

 A little bowl full of little balls of coloured woolly inspiration. More Frankensocks are on their way into the world.

Daddy Charlie Gull doing his Long John Silver impression on a wet roof this morning - I threw out some food and his other leg grew back very quickly. T'was a miracle.

This week has been funny, busy and kind of weird - M had a couple of days off which was nice and we had a bit of a social down in Hastings with some dog owning buddies - good conversation and good cakes! Been out walking quite a bit when the weather has permitted, got some reading done but apart from that life is puttering along quite nicely thank you.

Have a good weekend.

Been busy.

 As well as having a weeks holiday and celebrating our Silver Wedding Anniversary (which involved being out and being social virtually every day and most evenings last week) I was also productive.

The post below this one shows how many books I've managed in my '52 Book Challenge' and these photos show what is off the needles and wheel in the last few days.

Above is the wonderful Camden Cap by Woolly Wormhead - I love it. But the brim is a bugger! I used milk bottle plastic but it was a pig to put together. I need more hats this winter so already have another one under constructions- this week is 'Hat' week.

Below is one third of some spinning - merino/angora blend which I call 'Frosted Winter Berries' - I have a plan for this if the yardage works out OK.

 And lastly I zipped up a pair of new dog walking Frankenmitts as my other ones have now seen better days (dog leads are hard on gloves). I used two different types of lovely warm alpaca yarn so they should keep my paws nice and toasty.

Me and boats

Not always a good mix...me and boats but add the worlds cutest boy Border Terrier and maybe I see the attraction of messing about on the water a bit more (Capt Johnty is on deck in the photo). So although yesterday was grey and wet we spent a lovely day with Capt Johnty and his folks on their very beautiful yacht. Much fun and laughter, much rain and really good company especially as another friend and her lovely Border boy - Radish - also came for a visit and a stroll. For a day that had a 'boat' in its equation (which normally would spell horror for me) it was a pretty stonking one!

Never felt more like singing the blehs

I am still here but am in the doldrums at the moment. I am reading, spinning, knitting, crocheting, watching the the Olympics (kinda) and treading water a bit.

Need to get my head around some stuff - blog will take a back seat until I either finish something (unlikely) or re find my missing ooomph!

Colour to make me smile

 A bobbin full of happy brightness that just makes me want to smile like an idiot (or an even bigger idiot if you prefer).

 Our new neighbours. I love gulls. They are part of living near the sea, their wheeling cries fill me with joy. The two that nest on next doors roof, every year, have had twins this year.

Their fluffy down has almost gone now - not long till they become 'Whistling Willies' - chasing their parents around the local roofs, whistling to be fed.

I got those happy feet

Surprise pressie from Mr L. Love him. Love them!

New skillz

 I threw a pot.

Not that well but I threw a pot!

All is quiet

 Been busy with other stuff, so the blog took a bit of back seat. M had some time off so we did some out and abouting.

 J took the opportunity to meet up with some long lost family members (M's side of the family of course).

 We played tourists.

We visited with friends old and new and just generally had a chilled out time.