Gift Knitting

I hadn't intended gifting anything handmade this Christmas but one of Eleanor's friends asked her if I'd knit her a pair of socks so I decided to make her a pair for Christmas. 

I used yarn that I'd got in my stash, West Yorkshire Spinners in the Blue Lagoon Colourway with Blueberry Bonbon for the cuffs, heels and toes.

I used the Petunia Dursley's Double Eyelet Socks pattern by Erica Lueder, a pattern I've used a few times before. I like the little holes in this design, they remind me of the socks I used to wear for school. The heel is the Fish Lips Kiss Heel by Sox Therapist. Putting in a contrasting colour on the heel doesn't interrupt the stripes when using a self-striping yarn.

That's the extent of my gift knitting this year. How about you? Have you made gifts for anyone this year?

November 2024

I've been slowly moving forward with the Christmas preparations throughout November. There's just three and a half weeks now until the big day and I've still got plenty to do, but it's been nice to ease into the festivities during this past month.

There's nothing like snow to make you feel christmassy. We got our first taste of the white stuff on the 18th of this month, it seems very early this year. It started snowing at about 8pm and it was forecast heavy snow all night so we were actually expecting to wake up to more than we did, not that I'm complaining, I could well do without snow in my life, though I have to concede that it does look pretty.

We visited our small town's lights switch on event. It's always very well attended and it's nice to bump into people who we haven't seen from one year to the next. This time we saw the parents of one of Eleanor's primary school friends so we stopped to have a chat with them. The small independent businesses always put on a good show too, I like to see how they decorate their windows. The above is one of the barbers shops.

Some of our outings this month have been abandoned or postponed due to the weather but we still managed a trip out to Wentworth Castle Gardens as well as Harewood House and Castleton Christmas Tree Festival which I wrote previous posts about.

I've read four books this month.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman.

"Solving murders. It's a family business.

Steve Wheeler likes retired life. He still does some investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits: the pub quiz, a favourite bench, his cat waiting for him at home. His days of adventure are over. Adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy's job now.

Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. Working in private security, every day is dangerous. She's currently on a remote island protecting infamous author Rosie D'Antonio. until a dead body and a bag of money mean trouble in paradise...

As a thrilling race around the world begins, can Amy and Steve outrun and outsmart a killer?"

I've been looking forward to Richard Osman's new crime series and my name finally reached the top of the list at the library. Although it's not part of The Thursday Murder Club series, it's still written in that same familiar way which I enjoy.

Some great characters, I especially like Steve, and the story was good, though I did unravel it before the end. I think this is a good first book of a new series, though I must admit that I missed Elizabeth, Joyce and the boys from his first series. Time will tell if I get to like this series just as much.

This Year's for Me and You by Emily Bell.

"Hannah and Celeste have been best friends since they were eighteen, when they made a pact to spend every New Year's Eve together.

From Dublin to London, the two are inseparable: that is, until tragedy strikes.

When Celeste discovers a list of Hannah's New Year's Resolutions, she is determined to complete them. Little does she know that doing so will reunite her with someone from her past...

Through Hannah's last wishes Celeste begins to rediscover life again, one adventure at a time.

But could the biggest adventure of all be falling in Love?"

This book was given to me as part of my Christmas present last year from my pen pal, Pauline. I was pleasantly surprised by the story, I thought it was going to have more romance in it than it did but it was more about a mix of different relationships, grief and loss. I really enjoyed it.

Christmas with the Wartime Midwives by Daisy Styles.

"Cumbria, 1944: as Christmas comes to Mary Vale, mothers and midwives alike seek a miracle...

Newly trained midwife Libby is just starting work in the neighbouring villages as well as the Mother and Baby Home. She's inexperienced, but so many new mums are desperate for her help.

Meanwhile, Margaret arrives at Mary Vale heartbroken after losing her man and facing having a child alone.

Yet it isn't long before Libby and Margaret discover someone with bigger problems. Beth, along with her young children and desperately ill husband, faces eviction from her home just before Christmas.

Can Libby and Margaret save Beth and her family with a quick-witted plan and festive magic?

After all, it's Christmas...and a time for miracles."

This is another book I received from my pen pal, Pauline, last Christmas. I enjoy reading festive books at this time of the year. They help me get in the Christmas spirit.

This is the fifth book in a series, I haven't read any of the other books but that didn't matter, it can definitely be read as a standalone book. The title had me expecting Christmas to feature in the story more than it did but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Some good characters to get to know and a solid story. I expect the rest of the series is just as enjoyable.

The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

"The gift of a handsomely decorated, enigmatic nutcracker sets the stage for a Christmas like no other: there will be legends of ancient curses, battles with the dreaded Mouse King, and a visit to the wonderful Kingdom of Dolls. The inspiration for the classic ballet, E.T.A. Hoffmann's irresistible tale of magic and mystery continues to be the perfect encapsulation of a child's wonder at Christmas."

I thought this would be the perfect story to get me in the Christmas spirit, after all, I love the ballet, but I have to say it's quite a dark and chilling tale. It's a short story which I was glad about otherwise I'm not sure I'd have finished it, but then fantasy isn't really my genre. I think I'll stick with the ballet.

We had another family get together this month as Jasmine celebrated her birthday. They were out with friends on the day itself so we had our customary take away and games night a couple of days later.

I finished the socks I was knitting for Mick as part of the Strictly Sockalong knitalong. I used Yarnsmiths Merino Sock Prints in the Rainy Days colourway and knit them plain without a pattern. I wasn't trying at all to match the colours, I snipped the yarn at the end of sock one, started sock two without winding off any yarn, and they actually match perfectly. These sock blockers are a little small for Mick's socks, but I think you can see the colour matching well enough. They'll keep Mick's feet nice and cosy though the winter months.

Wolf Hall is back for it's second series and it's just as good as the first. Following the story of Thomas Cromwell's rise to power and fall from grace during Henry VIII's reign, series 2 has picked up where series 1 left off, following Anne Boleyn's execution. We're three episodes in and three to go. No spoilers, although we know what happens!

I'm expecting the month ahead to be a busy one but I'm hoping that the weather allows for some nice days out in between all the Christmas preparations. Fingers crossed.

Castleton Christmas Tree Festival

Bakewell is the biggest town in the Peak District, a market town in the Derbyshire Dales. We love to visit so when we saw that it was hosting its Christmas Market Weekend on the 16th and 17th of November, we put it in the diary. We were expecting a lovely day out, something to kick off the Christmas festivities, but it was anything but. There were traffic jams before we'd even entered the town itself, cars queuing just to reach the car park. The crowds, wow, the crowds! You couldn't even see what some stalls were selling, it was a push and shove just to walk along the streets. It didn't feel at all Christmassy, I think we heard Christmas music playing on one or two stalls but that was it, it could have been a summer market for what we saw of Christmas. We stayed for as long as we could stand it, which wasn't long, and then decided to make a hasty retreat, which wasn't hasty at all because of the crowds and queues.

I'd seen that Castleton, a village in the High Peak district of Derbyshire, was having its lights switch on that same day so we decided to head over there instead, it's about half an hour away from Bakewell. It was such a different experience there. It was still busy but there wasn't that push and shove that there was in Bakewell. The first thing we noticed when we hopped out the car was the scent of roasted chestnuts, that just shouts Christmas to me. It's such a pretty village and it was done up beautifully with Christmas decor. It was such a great atmosphere too, people drinking mulled wine and plenty of mince pies being served. There was a Santa's grotto for the children.

Part of the festivities was the Christmas Tree Festival at St Edmund's Church. 

Local businesses had decorated small trees which were displayed inside the church. The meet and greeters made us feel very welcome, and even Archie was allowed inside.

Each tree displayed a number so we were able to see which business had supplied it.

Some of the trees displayed what the business sells, such as this one by Three Roofs Cafe.

Their tree is filled with gingerbread men, and women, all named.

And this one decorated with ice lollies and ice creams.

This tree had been decorated by the children at Castleton C of E Primary School.

Castleton is known for Blue John, which this tree was decorated with.

The only place where this semi-precious mineral can be found in the UK is at Blue John Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern, both in Castleton.

The chancel looked especially lovely. I always enjoy seeing the stained glass windows in a church.

We enjoyed our visit to the church to see all the beautiful trees, and we enjoyed our visit to Castleton too. We managed to save the day after a shaky start, and though we didn't stay to see the lights switch on, our festive season got off to a good start in Castleton.

Harewood House

We had a lovely day on Friday. We'd seen that there was to be an artisan fair held at Harewood House in Leeds over four days, the Thursday to Sunday, with reduced admission to the estate. It's somewhere I have a vague recollection of visiting as a child but I've never been since. Admission is usually £18 but the reduced price for this event was just £5 so we decided to take advantage of that and so Mick took Friday off work.

Harewood House is the family seat of the Lascelles family and home of David Lascelles, the eight Earl of Harewood. The landscape was designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown. Emmerdale is now filmed on a purpose made set on the estate and the house has been used in various TV and film productions including the Downton Abbey movie and Victoria. We weren't able to go inside the house as it's currently closed as the Christmas exhibition is being installed. Friday was the day that winter arrived here, a mist hung in the air all day and it was much colder than it's been all season, but that didn't stop us enjoying the day.

There were over 130 different stalls at the artisan market. It was very well organised with the stalls creating a walkway by the side of the woods.

There were a good selection of stalls, lots of food and drink stalls. but so many others too: candles, wooden toys, ceramics, jewellery, textiles, glassware, wood crafts, rustic garden art, hand painted glass, hand made soaps, and so much more. We made a few purchases.

There was also a small seating area where you could purchase hot food to eat right away. A duo was providing musical entertainment. We spent quite some time looking round the many stalls, there really was something for everyone.

Afterwards we decided to have a walk around the grounds. Here you can see the front of the house getting decked out ready for the Christmas festivities. Numbers were being placed in each of the windows to make the house look like an advent calendar.

We went round to the back of the house to see the terrace and Parterre. Such fantastic planting here which I think will look even more stunning in summer when the flower borders are in full bloom.

The fountain.

From the terrace you look out over beautiful countryside. I'm sure it looks even more stunning when the mist lifts and it's bathed in a sunny glow.

Before we left we visited the Christmas shop. It's located in the Old Kitchen, Below Stairs. There were lots of goodies to browse, but I was just as interested in all the copper pans and cooking paraphernalia displayed on the shelves around the room.

And what about this magnificent range. The kitchen was restored in 1996 and I enjoyed looking around here just as much, if not more, than I enjoyed looking at all the Christmas merchandise on sale.

We went out for a meal on Friday night to round off a very enjoyable day. We didn't see all that Harewood House had to offer but we were impressed with what we did see and it's on the list to return there to explore more at some point in the future.

October 2024

Autumn has definitely settled in this month, though at some times it's felt more like winter. We've had some lovely bright autumnal days too though, it's nice when we get to see blue skies and sunshine this late in the year.

We've tried to make the most of every last little bit of sunshine we've had, enjoying days out where possible. We've visited Seaham and Scarborough on the coast, various National Trust properties, Pateley Bridge, Ripley Castle and Knaresborough, among other places.

There have been some Friday evenings out too. Something new we've done this year is head out, just as soon as Mick's finished work for the weekend, and enjoyed late afternoon or evening walks on the beach. It was good to still be doing this in October but now the clocks have gone back, we won't get the chance again until Spring arrives.

This last Friday evening's excursion was something special, we headed off to Fountains Abbey to see Fountains by Floodlight. This is an after-dark experience where you're able to wander around the Abbey's glowing ruins while a choir sings. The fact that it had been misty all day and into the night made it even more atmospheric. We thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

Wedding Fair season is upon us and we've had a few appointments with Daniel and Jasmine. I think they've just about decided on a venue now so once that gets sorted out it will be all systems go securing all the other suppliers needed to bring a wedding together. There's still a bit of time yet, the wedding won't be until 2026 but you do have to arrange these things in plenty of time.

I've read five books this month.

The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith.

"A chance meeting with the manager of The Great Hippopotamus Hotel leads the much-admired and traditionally built Precious Ramotswe to investigate what is going wrong with this previously successful country hotel. Guests have been unwell, clothing has disappeared from the washing line, and scorpions have found their way into the guest bedrooms. Mma Ramotswe drives out to the hotel with her irrepressible colleague, Grace Makutsi (97 per cent in the final examinations of the Botswana Secretarial College). What they find there are family conflicts that only the investigators of the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency will be able to resolve.

Meanwhile, at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mma Ramotswe's husband, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, gets a visit from a middle-aged client who wants to purchase a fast Italian sports car. What should the conscientious garagiste do in such circumstances? Should the client's wife be told? Mma Ramotswe is used to wrestling with such tricky questions, but it is harder for Mr J.L.B. Matekoni.

And in the background is that beautiful country, Botswana, with its wide skies and its courteous people. In such surroundings, big problems soon seem small, and small worries fade away altogether."

This is the twenty fifth book in The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I often wonder if and when Alexander McCall Smith will call it a day with these stories but as long as he keep on writing them, I'll keep on reading as they're always so entertaining. A nice gentle crime series set with the slow pace of Botswana as a backdrop. What's not to love.

The Memory of Us by Dani Atkins.

"If she had been found moments later, Amelia's heart would have stopped and never recovered. Instead she was taken from the desolate beach to the nearest hospital just in time to save her life. When her sister Lexi arrives from New York, Amelia's heart is beating, but the accident has implanted a series of false memories. These memories revolve around a man named Sam, and a perfect love story that never existed.

Determined to help her sister, Lexi enlists the help of Nick, a local vet who bears a striking resemblance to Sam. Together, Lexi and Nick recreate and photograph Amelia's dream dates in the hopes of triggering her true memories.

But as love starts to stir between Lexi and Nick, they must navigate a complex web of emotions, How can Lexi fall for Amelia's dream man without hurting her sister?"

I had my reservations about this book as I was reading it thinking it was a bit far fetched, but I should have trusted the author. I've read all her previous books and loved them all and this story does work out in the end. Definitely one to tug at the heartstrings, make sure you've got a box of tissues handy if you decide to read it.

Nurses on Call by Donna Douglas.

"London's East End, 1957.

In the Nightingale Hospital, Matron Helen finds herself playing surrogate mother to her newly discovered French niece Catrine, while having to keep their family relationship a secret from the rest of the staff.

However, independent Catrine is determined to do things her way, and break the rules. But underneath it all, she is lost, still mourning the loss of her mother and struggling to get along with her new family.

Helen's own heart is aching since the breakdown of her marriage to David, which isn't helped when he returns to work at the hospital. Can she work side by side with the man she still loves?

Helen's isn't the only marriage that hangs in the balance, as Nurse Dora faces a shock that could mean the end of her own..."

This is another book series I follow. This is the thirteenth installment in the Nightingale series, and I've read this author's other books too. I like that even this far into the series, we're still following the lives and careers of some characters from the very first book, and there's plenty of new characters to get to know too. Another good read.

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths.

"A CHILD'S BONES are discovered near the site of a pre-historic henge on the north Norfolk coast, and the police ask local forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway to date them. Are these the remains of a local girl who disappeared ten years ago?

DCI Harry Nelson refuses to give up the hunt for this missing child. Ever since she vanished, someone has been sending him bizarre anonymous notes about ritual sacrifice, quoting Shakespeare and the Bible. He knows Ruth's instincts and experience can help him finally put this case to rest.

Then a second child goes missing, and Ruth finds herself in danger from a killer who knows she's getting ever closer to the truth..."

I've read many great reviews of this Elly Griffiths series so I decided to give this first book a go. I've had it on my bookshelf all year waiting to be read. I figured that if I enjoyed it, it would start me off on a new collection of books to read, there are actually fifteen in the series and Elly Griffiths has now announced that she won't be writing any more.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, it's a bit different from those I've been reading recently. I did guess 'whodunnit' but I didn't mind that, it kept me entertained and I shall definitely be reading more from this author.

The Secrets of De Courcy Square by Ann O'Loughlin.

"When Cora Gartland learns that her long-term partner, Jack, has been killed in a car crash in Ireland her world falls apart. But she soon discovers that there was another woman in the car: a wife he'd never told her about.

Devastated, Cora flies to Dublin to try and make sense of Jack's secret life. As she grieves, Cora must find the truth and a way to move forward. But what else was Jack keeping from her and how will she ever survive this betrayal?"

An okay read which I expected more from. I just didn't find it believable that after discovering your long term partner who had been killed in a car crash was married, and heading from America to Ireland to find out more, you'd just slot into a life living in that couple's home, wearing the dead woman's clothes, and becoming involved in a campaign to save a community park from being turned into a carpark. The blurb was misleading, I should have paid more attention to the title. The book was more about the residents of De Courcy Square and not Jack's secret life.

Saying that, I did enjoy the story but I was waiting for a big reveal which never happened.

Today is Halloween. We had a trip to Lotherton at the weekend to visit their Halloween trail. You'll have seen many posts on my blog in the past about the Spooky Halloween event they put on there, it's similar each year but they do change things up a little. This year it's all about Scarytales, that's fairytales with a twist. Expect to see all your favourite characters from childhood stories in a different light! Mirror mirror on the wall...

Granny's little pumpkin. Jack's such a cutie in the hat I knit for him especially for Halloween. This is Sweet Pumpkin by Drops Design, a simple pattern to knit up. I used Drops Karisma in the Orange and Forest Green colourways, a DK wool yarn. He wore it when Eleanor and Jacob took him to the pumpkin patch to choose their pumpkins and it prompted lots of comments from people.

The clocks went back at the weekend so the dark evenings have now arrived. It's time to hunker down for the winter months. There's only one thing in the diary for November and that's Jasmine's birthday which we'll be celebrating as a family, but I'm sure we'll find other things to do as the month progresses. Christmas events have started popping up so perhaps we'll get to one or two of those, we'll see.

Tree Carvings

I'd heard that The Yorkshire Carver was going to be working at Lotherton earlier this year. He was demonstrating his art, and carving for the visitors to see. We didn't make it at the time, but I thought I'd show you the carvings which were done on the pollarded trees in the Visayan warty pig's enclosure.

He's carved the leaves and seeds of six British trees into the trunks of these pollarded trees.

Ash

Beech

Walnut

Oak

Sycamore

Horse Chestnut

Shane Green, The Yorkshire Carver, uses a chainsaw to create his carvings. He's previously represented Great Britain at international chainsaw carving competitions in America. Apparently, he's created a new art trail in Roundhay Park in Leeds recently based on wildlife so I shall definitely have to go and see that.