Hello Everyone
It's been a while. I did try to write a
WOYWW post the Wednesday I was in Wales but found it impossible to insert photos from my phone. There was broadband available in the cottage but only when the wind was in the right direction and stars in alignment!!! And then I got sick. It meant we had to cut our holiday short. Such a shame because we loved the hills, the fields and the hundreds of sheep, that surrounded us and there's so much to see and do around Llandudno too. Happily, I'm recovering and have started getting out and about once more. Feeling more like flexing my crafting muscles again too. Not that there's much sign of that on my desk, as you can see.
There's a pack of fine tip glue applicators and two new dies ordered from Amazon and only just arrived before we left for Wales. They are on my 'must try' list. Everything else at the back you've seen before - not much change there. The box at the front contains the pages made in the cottage - seven in total. Not bad considering the many distractions there were on holiday, including the sheep.
I can't claim that they were made at the WOYWW crop ... it's well documented that very little crafting is actually done on the day! No, most were made in the evenings on this tiny round table in the cottage. It's surprising what can be done with limited supplies and lots of determination. However, I did make a start on this page at the crop - it wasn't finished until the following day. .
The photo is of my father and his siblings taken at a wedding in the 1980s - the last time they all got together. Almost all are gone now - just one uncle, the one in the dark grey suit, survives. The photo brings back some lovely memories of the family and they look so smart in their wedding outfits too.
So it's obvious that there's not been much action in the craft room but I have managed to do some knitting.
I did start this little hat and cowl set while on holiday but only got around to finishing it yesterday. I was lucky to find the button in my stash. I think it will fit my youngest great-granddaughter perfectly.
On a role, I've started another hat. This mohair type yarn was a gift from a friend and it's lovely to work with - love the colours. Tempted to keep this one for myself!
And isn't this the most wonderful collection of knitting needles - some very old indeed. They were offered up free on a local Facebook site and because I have so very few sets of needles I snapped them up. I gave my daughter a very similar collection many years ago because I had lost interest in knitting and thinking I'd never use them again. How wrong could I be! My interest has been revived by the ladies at the Thursday craft group, many of whom are very experienced knitters.
And talking of knitting, needles and wool, look what came back with me from Wales. Well, it would have been rude to leave them there. These two kits are from a lovely little yarn shop,
Find me Knitting, Betws-y-coed, that specialises in natural yarns like these. The pack contains Ada 100% Peruvian Highland Wool - how exotic is that - and the crocheted cowl pattern was designed by the yarn shop owner, Valerie, especially for this wool. The other kit of 4ply fingering, pattern and needles, is for socks ... yes, I'm going to attempt to knit my first pair of socks!!! Those needles are tiny - not sure I've not bitten of more than I can chew here!
And finally, because I know some of you like to read about them, two books I've been listening to recently:
'A Stash of One's Own' compiled by Clara Parkes. As crafters we know what stash is, it's our collection of paper, tools, embellishments etc. We take it for granted that every new purchase adds to our stash but I'd never associated the concept with knitting. After all you buy the yarn and knit up the intended item before buying more yarn for the next project Yes. No! Not so, as is evident from the the kits I bought back from Wales. I now have a small wool stash. And it's clear from the contributors to this book that I'm not alone. Shocking, enlightening and very entertaining.
'Walking with Peety' by Eric O'Grey. I loved this book. The subtitle 'the dog who saved my life' isn't an exaggeration. I quote, 'Eric was 150 pounds overweight, depressed, and sick. After a lifetime of failed diet attempts and the onset of type 2 diabetes due to his weight, Eric went to a new doctor, who surprisingly prescribed a shelter dog. And that's when Eric met Peety: an overweight, middle-aged, and forgotten dog who, like Eric, had seen better days. The two adopted each other and began an incredible journey'. This is a book that confirms the truism - a dog is man's best friend.
Well, I've gone on a bit today but I hope you and Julia,
The Stamping Ground, will forgive me as it's been a while and I had so much to share with you all. Next week should be a lot shorter.
Hope you have a great WOYWW and a wonderful week ahead.
