June 2024

It's been a very exciting month here with the birth of our first grandchild. It's been quite strange really, early on in the month we were waiting for the imminent arrival and then the later part of the month has been totally absorbed by Jack, so our usual routine has flown out the window.

We did still manage some days out. We had a trip to Bridlington on the east coast and called in at Bempton Cliffs where many seabirds are currently nesting. You can just see the gannet chick underneath the parent in the photo above. Even the chicks have very sharp beaks! Isn't it amazing how these birds raise their young on such precarious ledges on the cliff face. It's amazing to see the sheer number of birds which gather here at this time of year, many are now sitting on nests, either hatching their eggs or nursing their young. We also saw puffins again as well as a barn own swooping for prey in the fields surrounding the cliffs.

Lotherton is somewhere we visit all the time, it's close to home and it's a great place to walk Archie. We don't often go into Lotherton's zoo, Wildlife World, as Archie is usually with us but we'd heard that the keepers had been surprised, I believe at the end of March, when they entered the capybara's enclosure and found that Carly had given birth to a pup. They hadn't even realised she was pregnant. We've been meaning to go without Archie since and we finally got round to it a couple of weeks ago. The baby has grown quite a bit now but is as cute as ever.

I've read four books this month.

The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley.

"After the death of her father - Pa Salt, an elusive billionaire who adopted his six daughters from around the globe - Tiggy D'Aplièse follows her instincts to the wild Scottish Highlands. There she takes a job doing what she loves; caring for animals on the isolated Kinnaird estate, employed by the enigmatic and troubled Laird, Charlie Kinnaird.

Her decision alters her future irrevocably when Chilly, an ancient gypsy who has lived for years on the estate, tells her that she has inherited a sixth sense from her ancestors, and that it was foretold that he would be the one to send her back home to Granada in Spain...

In the shadow of the magnificent Alhambra, Tiggy discovers her connection to the fabled gypsy community of Sacromonte, and to 'La Candela', the greatest flamenco dancer of her generation.

From Spain to South America and New York, Tiggy gradually traces her complex past. And under the watchful eye of a gifted gypsy bruja she begins to embrace her own talent for healing.

But when fate takes a hand, Tiggy must decide whether to stay with her new-found family or return to Kinnaird, and Charlie..."

Another great story in The Seven Sisters series. These are quite hefty books but I seem to get through each of them so quickly as they're real page turners. If you're looking to embark on a new book series I can heartily recommend these, I've enjoyed them all so far.

The House Keepers by Alex Hay.

"UPSTAIRS, MADAM IS PLANNING THE PARTY OF THE SEASON.

All eyes are on the grandest house in Mayfair as the countdown to their lavish summer ball begins. Everything must be perfect. But with the chandeliers gleaming and cellars stocked, loyal housekeeper Mrs King is suddenly dismissed.

DOWNSTAIRS, THE SERVANTS ARE PLOTTING THE HEIST OF THE CENTURY.

As the clock strikes twelve on the night of the ball, Mrs King will return to strip the house of its riches - right under the nose of her former employer.

And she knows just who to recruit to pull off the impossible: a bold alliance of women with nothing left to lose and every reason for revenge."

Marlene from Poppy Patchwork kindly sent me this book. She'd read it herself and thought it was a book I'd enjoy and from the blurb, it definitely sounded like it would be right up my street. Unfortunately, I found it very hard going. I'll be honest, the beginning was a hard slog, it did get a little better as I read further but once I'd finished the book I looked online and it's got very mixed reviews. Some people have loved it and others really haven't so it seems it's one of those books which garners varied opinions. I'm very grateful to have been given the chance to read it though, so thank you Marlene. We all have different opinions when it comes to books so what one person enjoys isn't necessarily something that another will enjoy too.

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary.

"Their friends think they're crazy, but it's the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy's at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time. But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven't met yet, it seems this flatshare is more complicated than expected..."

I've read a couple of Beth O'Leary books in the past and have enjoyed them. The Flatshare was her first novel and was a huge success selling over a million copies and nominated for a Comedy Women in Print Prize. Out of the three books I've now read from this author, this is my favourite by far. I can see why it's done so well. I found it a hugely entertaining read with some great characters and multiple storylines which kept me fully engaged from beginning to end. A big thumbs up from me.

Very Very Lucky by Amanda Prowse.

"With kids to look after, an ailing mother and a neglected husband, life is full for Emma Fountain - too full, she realises, when she wakes up in IKEA after falling asleep in one of the show beds. Only her crazy, funny best friend Ros keeps her sane. But when Roz climbs in through her bathroom window one day to deliver terrible news, Emma's belief that she can find a way around any obstacle crumbles in the face of a problem she just can't fix.

For recently widowed Thurston, life without his beloved wife of sixty-two years has lost all its joy and sense of purpose. That is until he finds himself driving his niece to work one day and meets Emma, whose busy days are the opposite of his own. As Thurston is drawn into the whirlwind of Emma's chaotic life, and as his calming influence starts to bring her troubles into perspective, an unlikely friendship grows.

In a world where grief is the price we pay for love, can two very different people realise that the little things in life are precious, that love is all around us, and that, even after all, they might still be very, very lucky?"

I've read all of Amanda Prowse's novels, and there's quite a few. This author tackles difficult subjects with sensitivity and I enjoy her writing. Her characters are always well thought out and come across as believable. This is another book I've completely enjoyed from start to finish and another I'd definitely recommend.

Jasmine has finally become a British citizen so she now has dual nationality. She came to the UK back in 2013 to attend university, met Daniel during their first year of study and decided to settle here. It's been quite the journey, extremely costly, and she's had to jump through many hoops to get to this point, but it finally means that she's able to live and work in the UK permanently, without any immigration restrictions. She had to attend a ceremony at Leeds Civic Hall where she took the Oath of Allegiance to the King and made a Pledge of Loyalty to the UK. She was allowed to take one guest so Daniel went with her.

You may remember the English paper piecing, or patchwork, which I've had on the go for quite some time now. I started it not knowing what I was going to turn it into but as it grew larger I thought I might make a baby quilt or floor mat, but I picked it up again recently with the intention of putting some more stitches into it and I just wasn't feeling it. I don't think sewing is my thing. This is the first hand sewing I've ever done and I'm pleased I've given it a go but it really isn't for me. It's a shame as I love the fabric I chose but crafting is a hobby and it's something which should be enjoyed so I'm not going to push myself to finish something I'm not loving. I have definitely learned something from this project though, they say that you're either a process or a product crafter and I'm most definitely the former. I absolutely love the idea of being able to make quilts but enjoying the process is far more important to me than the finished product. I've passed it on to Jasmine, she's very crafty and she'll enjoy turning this into something so I don't feel too bad about not finishing it.

And just in case you didn't catch my last post, here is the main event of June once again, my beautiful grandson, Jack. Born on the 20th of June, he's brought such a lot of happiness into all our lives.

It feels like we've been waiting for June to come around for so long, it lived up to everything I wanted it to. Jack has made a big impression on all our lives already and I'm now looking forward to seeing what the months ahead bring.

He's Here!

It's a boy!

He was born yesterday at 2.25am, but everything began around 4am two days earlier. It was a long, painful and exhausting labour for Eleanor and it resulted in a caesarean section, even that didn't go to plan as she had a major hemorrhage when an artery was nicked, but Mum and baby are doing fine.

They're still in hospital at the moment but we visited twice yesterday and I have to say that grannie cuddles are the best.

And something very special, they've named him Jack with Michael as his middle name after Mick. Perfect.

Rosa Shawl

I've finished the Rosa shawl which I cast on for the Spring Shawlathon which was being hosted by Fran at the Franny Do Makes podcast and Helen at the Giddy Knits podcast.

This is a pattern by Collete Audrey, free on Ravelry. I used yarn from Fondant Fibre in the Coral Roses and Wooden Heart colourways which have been in my stash since 2017, so it really was time that I put it to use. This yarn dyer is no longer in business, such a shame as she dyed some beautiful colours.

It was the beautiful lace section which sold this shawl to me, it's so pretty and gives a gorgeous finish.

I also like the pretty sections within the shawl which are knit in the contrast colour. The technique of wrapping stitches with yarn makes an interesting feature.

Shawls often need to be blocked rather aggressively to get their shape as the way a shawl is cast on usually leaves a small 'hump' in the centre at the top so you have to make sure you deal with that, and any lace always looks better once it's stretched out, it really opens out the pattern so that all the details can be seen. Unfortunately, despite blocking this shawl, it will just not keep its shape. I did suspect this would be the case whilst I was knitting it as it seems to knit up in a reverse triangle shape with a sharp point at the top rather than just a 'hump', and the pattern gives no indication as to how it should look once knit, there's no schematic diagram included in the pattern, and even the photo, which I've shown above, seems to hide the top of the shawl. I just think it's a shame that the top section doesn't block straight as it would make the shawl a more wearable shape.

I'm definitely disappointed in the shape but I like how the yarn has worked with the shawl and the drape it gives. 

There could have been another repeat of the main colour and contrast section, I had 32g left of the main colour and 30g left of the contrast. This would have made it a more substantial shawl, which is what I would have expected from a two skein project.

It's a nice, simple pattern which I enjoyed knitting and I think it shows the yarn off beautifully but it's just a shame about the shape. I know some people won't mind this but a schematic in the pattern, or at least a clear photo, would have shown me what to expect.

Little Pearls Of Colour

I find it so hard to get rid of leftover yarn, no matter how small a quantity I have. After finishing a project I put the remaining yarn to one side, just in case I can use it in the future. Considering all the scrappy projects I've made recently from ten or twenty gram mini skeins which I've had in various advent calendars or swaps, some of these leftovers can work out to weigh less than a gram.

I've recently gone through all these tiny scraps and kept anything weighing more than six grams. I figured these could be used in a future project. Above you can see all the leftovers weighing less than six grams. The box is quite deep. 

There's some really pretty yarn so I'm loathe to just throw it away. I thought I might start a new, very, scrappy blanket with it. Obviously, it would be easier to knot all these little pearls of colour together and make a large magic knot ball to work from, however, I don't trust the knots so I foresee a lot of sewing in of ends.

The big question is what kind of blanket to make. I think a crochet blanket would work best with such small scraps but what type? One large granny square attaching new yarn as each one is used up, smaller granny squares crocheted together, or something else? What would you do? I'm on a mission to use up all my leftovers.