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.

May 2024

The weather finally perked up in May. After a cold, wet start to spring we got some beautiful days and it was nice to finally spend some time enjoying the garden and having some days out in the sunshine. Mind you, I don't know what's happened since as here, at the end of the month, we're back to cold, rainy days.

We were treated to the most spectacular natural light show on the 10th when a solar flare reacted with gases in the Earth's atmosphere allowing us to see the Northern Lights or aurora borealis. They're usually only seen further north than the UK but they were visible in many parts of the world on this occasion. It had been a lovely, sunny day and we were sat outdoors with the family so we didn't miss a thing. This photo was taken from our garden by Eleanor.

Archie celebrated his fourteenth birthday on the 13th. As you can see, he was rather bored with all the present opening, though he did enjoy the treats which were inside the packages.

I've read four books in May.

The Big Little Wedding in Carlton Square by Lilly Bartlett.

"When Emma's boyfriend Daniel pops the question with a ring the size of a small country, she suddenly realises just how different they are. She wants a low-key wedding in Uncle Colin's pub, while Daniel's mother is expecting a society do that their high-brow guests won't forget!

Then there's the fact her cross-dressing Uncle Barbara wants to be a bridesmaid, her best mate Kelly can't stand Daniel's best friend Cressida, and her dad is too proud to accept any help from Daniel's family towards the costs.

There's three months to go until the big day. Will Emma's happy-ever-after end in disaster?"

This book was in my Twelve Days Of Christmas 2023 parcel from my friend, Lisa. I'd never read anything by this author before but the cover drew me in, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Very light-hearted as you'd expect, but lots of laughs. I enjoy reading a variety of genres, it keeps my reading fresh and enjoyable.

The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley.

"CeCe D'Aplièse has never felt she fitted in anywhere. And following the death of her father, the elusive billionaire Pa Salt - so-called by the six daughters he adopted from around the globe - she finds herself at breaking point.

In desperation, and armed only with the scant clues her father has left her, CeCe begins a search to discover her true origins...a search that takes her to the searing heat and dusty plains of the Red Centre of Australia.

But what is her connection to Kitty McBride, a Scottish clergyman's daughter who lived there over a hundred years ago?

As CeCe unearths deeply buried and long-forgetten secrets, she starts to believe that this wild, vast continent could offer her something she never thought possible: a sense of belonging and a home."

I must admit that when I started this next instalment of the Seven Sisters series I wondered if this would be one story that wasn't for me, but I should have trusted in Lucinda Riley's captivating storytelling because once I'd read past the first couple of chapters I just couldn't put it down and it's probably the book I finished the fastest of the four in the series I've read so far.

I'm trying to pace myself, I'm half way through the series now but I don't want it to end so I'm reading other books in between. What I really want to do is devour the whole eight books in one go. A big thumbs up from me.

The Household by Stacey Halls.

"Urania Cottage reminds Martha of a doll's house, of a staged domestic life where, upon closer inspection, the fire is a pile of ribbons and the windows are pasted shut...

London, 1847. In a quiet house in Shepherd's Bush, the finishing touches are being made to welcome a group of young women. The house and its location are secret, its residents unknown to one another, but the girls have one thing in common: they are fallen. Offering refuge for prostitutes, petty thieves and the destitute, Urania Cottage is a second chance at life - but how badly do they want it?

Meanwhile, a few miles away in a Piccadilly mansion, millionairess Angela Burdett-Coutts, one of the benefactors of Urania Cottage, makes a discovery that leaves her cold. Her stalker of ten years has been released from prison, and she knows it's only a matter of time before their nightmarish game resumes once more.

As the women's worlds collide in ways they could never have expected, they will discover that freedom always comes at a price..."

One of the great things about reading historical fiction is that you learn new things along the way. When reading a book of this genre, I often Google to find out more, and I'm often surprised by what I learn. For instance, I never knew that Charles Dickens set up a home for fallen women. Urania Cottage, as written about in this story, was a real place and it was, indeed, funded by Angela Burdett-Coutts, British philanthropist and granddaughter of the banker, Thomas Coutts.

I was expecting good things from this book. I've read all three of this author's previous books and enjoyed them all and this one didn't disappoint either. The book follows several storylines and held my interest. Another good read from this author.

The Last Reunion by Kayte Nunn.

"BURMA, 1945. Bea, Plum, Bubbles, Joy and Lucy are five young women looking for adventure, fighting a forgotten war in the jungle. Running a mobile canteen and dodging hostile gunfire, they soon become embroiled in a battle that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

OXFORD, 1976. At the height of an impossibly hot English summer, a woman slips into a museum and steals several rare Japanese miniature sculptures. Despite a reward being offered, these exquisitely detailed carvings are never seen again.

LONDON AND GALWAY, 1999. On the eve of the millennium, Olivia, an art dealer's assistant, meets elderly widow, Beatrix, who is hoping to sell her husband's collection of Japanese art. And when they attend a New Year's Eve party in the Irish countryside, secrets kept for more than fifty years will be spilled..."

I must admit that it was the lovely cover which tempted me to purchase this book when I saw it in The Works but I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Dealing mainly with life in Burma towards the end of WWII, it follows the Wasbies (Women's Auxiliary Service Burma WAS(B)) who operated mobile canteens for the troops close to the front line.

It's such an interesting storyline with strong, female characters and beautifully written. I shall definitely look for more from this author.

We've enjoyed lots of meals out this month for one reason or another. A particularly nice one was at our local Italian, a favourite restaurant of ours, celebrating Daniel and Jasmine's engagement.

I visited Buxton Wool Gathering on the 19th, a yarn show I haven't been to before. It's held in the most stunning setting, Buxton Pavilion Gardens, a fabulous venue. We took Archie with us so the landscaped public park was an ideal spot for Mick to walk him whilst I was squishing yarn. It was a glorious day weather wise so they got to see the Victorian gardens at their best. I came away with just two mini skeins, one in pink and one in blue, the edging for a baby blanket I've got on the go. I shall decide which one to use after the baby's born. There was so much beautiful yarn there which I could have bought but I'm more mindful at the moment of the stash I've already got so I'm trying not to purchase yarn unless I've got a project in mind for it, or if I just really can't resist!

I got a lovely surprise phone call from Nectar at Sainsbury's. Apparently, there was a Cadbury's promotion running over Easter to celebrate their 200th birthday and because I'd bought some Cadbury's Easter eggs there, I'd been entered into a prize draw and won a chocolate hamper. It's stashed full of different Cadbury's products, there's more underneath the ones you can see here.

After reading Pride and Prejudice last month, I decided to look out the old DVDs I've got of two of the screen adaptations and rewatched them. One was a TV mini series and the other a film. More often than not, I prefer a book over a movie and I think that's because a book goes into so much more detail. Films have to cut short many elements in a story because time is limited but a TV mini series doesn't have these restrictions so much so perhaps that's why this one stays truer to the book than the film does and why I prefer it. Or, perhaps I favour it because I'm more partial to the cast. I think Alison Steadman and Julia Sawalha, amongst others, portray their characters so well, and Colin Firth will forever be my Mr Darcy.

Mick had booked this last week of the month off work but I started feeling unwell on Sunday, I've had a sore throat all week and now that's developed into a cold, so he ended up cancelling his holiday and he'll take it at a later date. It's good that I've got any illness out of the way as we're looking forward now to the month ahead when we're expecting an addition to our family. There's lots of excitement here as you can imagine. 

More Baby Knitting

I just can't stop knitting baby garments, though I don't suppose that's a bad thing, it's nice to have plenty of things to go at. I remember my two going through a few outfit changes a day sometimes. I'm also knitting a range of sizes as babies grow so fast. These two aren't my favourites but sometimes you don't know that until you finish knitting them.

This is the Velvet Acorn Baby Cardigan by Lilia Vanini. It's a cable and mock cable design which is interesting to knit.

I used Drops Baby Merino in the Light Turquoise colourway. I thought it would suit both boy or girl.

I just love these cute buttons. I don't like the way this designer creates the buttonholes in her patterns though, they end up far too big for a baby cardigan so I found myself having to stitch them up a little. If I knit any more of her patterns I shall remember to make the buttonholes in a different way.

This cosy cardi is the Pulcini by Annalisa Dione, a free pattern on Ravelry. Doesn't it look snuggly. That's because it's knit in garter stitch, it makes a lovely squishy fabric. For this one I used Wendy Peter Pan 4Ply in the Teddy colourway, a nice neutral colour. I started off knitting the newborn size but it knit up so small, I pulled it out and went up to the 3 month size and it's still very small but should fit nicely when the baby's born. That is if it's a baby meerkat, just look how small the neck opening is. Never mind, it can be worn unbuttoned, or the top button left open.

Isn't this little hat cute, I couldn't resist knitting it when I saw those ears. It's the Big Bearly Bonnet by Pure Stitches. I knitted the 3-6 month size so that it will fit in winter. I thought it would be nice to knit some mittens to go with it so I followed the Baby and Toddler Mittens pattern by Julie Taylor. Both of these patterns are free on Ravelry. In hindsight I should have knitted the mittens in garter stitch to match the hat, I just didn't think at the time. I didn't have enough yarn left to knit another pair but I don't think it really matters.

I'm waiting now until the baby's born before I cast on anything else. It will be nice to know whether I'm knitting for a boy or a girl, not long to wait to find out now.

Back To Tissington

You may remember a post I wrote last year about Derbyshire Well Dressings, a custom where wells and springs are adorned with pictures made from flowers and natural materials which have been pressed into a clay base to dress the wells and give thanks for the water. We visited a few different villages last year to see their well dressings, on Sunday we decided to go back to a village we last visited in 2019 to see Tissington Well Dressing.

You can read more about Tissington if you click on the link above, I wrote about the village in my last post. You can also see how the wells were dressed five years ago, they change them each year.

There are six wells in Tissington, Hands Well, Children's Well, Hall Well, Yew Tree Well, Town Well and Coffin Well. The above is Hands Well.

It's a lovely atmosphere in the village with so many people coming to look at the well dressings. It's so well organised with a field given over to parking at a cost of just £3 per car. Tissington holds their well dressing early in the year, their tradition is to have the festival on Ascension Day. They certainly got the weather for it this year.

Children's Well.

These ducks had the right idea, taking a nap in the dappled shade of a tree.

Hall Well.

There's some pretty cottages in the village, some are holiday lets. It's a lovely part of the country to take a break with some stunning scenery a stones throw away and many places of interest in the vicinity.

Yew Tree Well.

Ornaments adorn many of the canopies over the doorways. I love the pig.

Town Well.

There were plenty of refreshment stalls as well as cafes, a plant stall as well as a nursery, a butchers shop, a candle shop, even a craft shop.

Coffin Well.

Afterwards, we made an on the spot decision to visit Ilam Park, somewhere we haven't been before. It's just across the border into Staffordshire but less than five miles from Tissington so it wasn't far to go.

Ilam Park is owned by the National Trust. It covers 158 acres and consists of Ilam Hall, the remnants of its gardens and woodland.

I love this time of year when everywhere is so green. We may have had a lot of rain in April but it's made for a lush May when the sunshine has arrived.

We watched the lambs with their mums.

Holy Cross Church stands in the grounds of Ilam Park, set amid beautiful scenery.

I enjoyed seeing the planting combinations in the borders. The purples looked pretty side by side with the oranges.

We stopped off in Ilam where the cottages resemble a Swiss village.

It was a lovely day out. Yew Tree Well is my favourite well dressing. Which is yours?