November 2017 Photo Hunt

Once again, despite a chaotic few weeks, I've managed to get myself ready for Hawthorn's Photo hunt.  At the beginning of November I had almost decided I'd not be able to join in but I found bits of time here and there; thank goodness for photos from my archives!

So off we go!

1   Blue

Years ago a good friend (who inspired me to quilt) gave me a mobile with 

several blue fish.  Here is one of them.  They still make me smile.

2   Me

Years ago (20 ish) I fell asleep on the sofa (my own quilt by the way!) and Mickey the cat

was also tired.  I'd no idea Beloved took this photo ....  ah, the darling man.

3   Starts with W ....

WOW, look at this crochet blanket!  Hawthorn sent me a link to the pattern and when I saw

it I said WOW.  So I made it!

4   Rainbow

During the evenings, when I am tired I find making crochet blankets for cats/kittens that

are looking for a new home is an easy and rewarding task.  Can you see the rainbow?

5   Arch

A few years ago, whilst driving around, we stumbled across Pendragon 

Castle; there was just the ruin, trees, sheep and us.  A lovely place.

I wonder what action these arches saw....

Click here to read about it.

6   Toy

Beloved decided earlier this year that it was time for a new toy!

Soon after he got it, he brought it home as there was a job for it.

I've yet to drive it....

7   Swirl

All those lovely swirling colours; I've yet to decide what I will do with them!

Bottom left is destined for a kitty blanket.

8   Brush

So what's special about this brush???  Well down one side of the garden

(where the adjacent field slopes down to) there is a man-made

water course to channel the water that rushes out of this field

away to the river proper at the end of our garden.  I've named

our water course Zambezi.....  every now and then I climb down

into it (wearing wellies!) and brush all the detritis down and

away into the river proper.  Now, with the trees shedding lots of

leaves, I need to get out and keep it clear.  So out with my brush

and off I go!  The above photos don't show how many leaves

there were.  There are still loads on the trees to fall down!

9   Nail

1  Using my NAIL to prise open a split needle.

2  Pushing a loop of yarn from my crochet hook through the open needle.

3  Putting a bead onto the needle.

4  Fingers crossed!  Can I pull the bead over the yarn loop?

5  Yes I can (not every bead went on so easily).

6  Yarn loop back on the crochet hook ready for the next treble

You can see the finished shawl in photo 10, as I managed to finish it in time

for this month's photo hunt.  It took me ages to add all the beads.....  but I did it.

10   Own choice

Here I am modelling my third Virus Shawl; I saw it at Yarndale this year and the 

lady said it was a free crochet pattern from Ravelry.  Click here to see it.

So I used some yarn I had bought at Yarndale in 2014 and set to!  

I had plenty of yarn and kept going to try to use most of it up.

Putting the beads on was slow; I put them on alternate trebles on row 3

 of the 4 row pattern repeat.  At the moment I am saying never again!

I even took the time to block it...  It is so easy to make.

Well, thanks for stopping and having a look.  Don't forget to look at Hawthorn's photos by clicking here.

October 2017 Photo Hunt

I am once again joining in with Hawthorn Spellweaver (click here to visit her blog and see links to other people who are taking part). 

You will be looking and reading about my photos on Friday 27 October but today (9 October!) is the day I'm sorting them out.  It has been a hard and hectic few months for us so, realising I had a slot of time yesterday and today, I was determined to prepare this post in advance. Apologies for the lack of Boris photos but I've had no time to go and see if he is there.  However, of late I can hear an owl at our new house so I like to think he has moved here!


1  Making

I've found it therapeutic to concentrate on making a large quilt which I started in early

September 2017.  It is a Kaffe Fassett pattern; I've made it twice before and I like its

simplicity so I can let the colours talk.  I needed to cut 252 rectangles from a variety

of colours that would match the orange/brown contrast fabric and then also

252 rectangles from this fabric.  Each rectangle was 3" x 7".  I have a huge fabric

stash and found it easy to find over 252 fabrics ...  Beloved came into my craft room

and commented that I had a lot of fabric; then he left.  I said nothing!  Then there was

all the sewing, pressing and more sewing but it soon grew.  It kept me quite (and sane)!

2  Empty

An empty top bobbin and one of the several empty bottom bobbins from my sewing machine.

I tend to use pale grey when sewing my quilt pieces together.

3   Starts with F....

Did I mention I have a large fabric stash?  Top photo shows the Really Useful

CD/DVD boxes holding fabrics of the 'same' colour but they are not full

as I've removed loads and spread them out on the bed (bottom photo).

It took me about 5 hours recently to put them all back into 

their correct boxes...

4   Paper

I love hand-made paper.  I've even made some myself.  This lovely card was gifted to me

by an ex-work's colleague when she went to Sri Lanka this year.  Little did she know

I also love elephants.

5   Neat

I think I have managed to get most of my seams to line up and inter-lock!!!

6   Street

Where we live (Cumbria/West Yorkshire border) we are used to see stone houses so to come across

this terrace in various colours of blue faced bricks was interesting.  It is called Guy Croft and 

is near Otley.  Click here to read about it but there does not seem to be much information

available that I could find.

7   Kettle

Beloved's old kettle.  It took ages to bring the water to the boil and was replaced by

a quicker kettle.  When we beginning to move house, I came across it and 

sold it on eBay with his approval!

8   Unexpected

We were out on a walk recently and I had to stop Beloved in his tracks as otherwise this

Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar would have been flattened.  I managed to persuade it to 

climb onto a leaf and moved it from the edge of the road back into the verge.  It did protest

and later I did wonder if it was trying to cross the road....

9   Vase

Many years ago I spotted this vase in a local second-hand shop and bought it, intending to

gift it to my friend who started me quilting.  But I never did!  As you can see I still have

it and will hang onto it!

10   Own choice

The quilt top is finished and resting on the sofa upstairs.   I have spoken to the lady 

with the long-arm quilting machine who told me what the

maximum size is that she can put on her machine.  

Long gone are the days when

I would layer up a quilt on the floor (my knees and back no long play!); also

it is so big that I don't fancy hand-quilting it....  must be getting lazy in my

old age!!!  I will be taking it to her next week.

Well that's my offerings for this month.


Now I must go and look at everyone else's photos.  Don't forget you can click here to see other people joining in with Hawthorn this month.

September 2017 Photo Hunt

I am once again joining in with Hawthorn Spellweaver (click here to visit her blog and see links to other people who are taking part). 

It has been a hard and long month for us so this will be a brief post!  Apologies for its brevity and lack of Boris photos!


1   Shut

Beloved's aged aunt's garage door is shut; lock would not work.  Top photo!

Beloved had to gain access through the garage roof.  Bottom photo!

Don't ask why!!!!!

2   Copper

Beloved's huge reel of copper wire; about 30 cm plus tall!

3  Wrist

Not very imaginative; a biker at a tea shop agreed to pose for me.  Beloved just shook his head.

4   Quarter

I quilt therefore it's fat quarter time at a recent show.

5   Starts with C .......

Canards coming to beg for their breakfast.

(Canard is French for duck!)

6   Foam

The river in flood near our home; lots of foam.

7  Scarf

Crocodile stitch scarf (neck warmer) I crocheted recently.  Larry happy to model if for me.

8  Line

Lovely coloured lines (ducting) at the aforementioned quilt show.

9   Nostalgic

I like to do jigsaw puzzles.  I remember travelling on steam trains

as a young girl.  I still like steam trains!  

Top photo shows the picture on the box.

Bottom photo shows the completed puzzle.

10  Own choice

Seen at the same quilt show.  There were so many other pictures I could have used but

this was different.  It was about 20" wide so not very big.

Well that's my offerings for this month.


Now I must go and look at everyone else's photos.  Don't forget you can click here to see other people joining in with Hawthorn this month.

August 2017 Photo Hunt

I am once again joining in with Hawthorn Spellweaver (click here to visit her blog and see links to other people who are taking part). 

Well, I've managed to get myself organised for this hunt.  I was on the point of saying I'd not be able to take part (my chaotic life....) but about a week ago I made myself think really hard (mostly out of the box), snap some photos and did it all, largely in one day!

So here comes the big reveal!

1   Relaxed

Mickey (see below) full relaxed on Beloved's legs.  It meant Beloved could not get out of

his chair as he dare not disturb Mickey so I had to fetch whatever Beloved needed.

2   Begins with M .....

Back in 1994 ish, this cat adopted us for some hours of each day.  He was called Mickey.  He was 

so happy to be stroked and soon had us at his beck and call.  When it rained and he came in wet,

he liked to be dried with his own towel....  Here he is asleep on the quilt on our bed.  he

only ever laid on the quilt and if the bed was not made but the quilt was bunched up

at the foot of the bed, he would lay on that, even if it meant a bit of a balancing act!

3   Time for ......  PLANNING MY NEXT QUILT

I made this quilt many years ago, probably about 1993 and it was one of my

early ones.  I had not discovered rulers and rotary cutters so all the 3" x 7"

rectangles were cut out using a paper template and scissors.

Move on to this year and I need a quilt for the sofa upstairs; but it is a big sofa

so I can't use the original one.  What a shame as I'll have to make another one.

I know how many rectangles to cut out (252 of a mixture of fabrics 252 from the

contrast fabric).  Soon it will be the Harrogate Quilting Show and I hope to buy

the contrast fabric there; I'm thinking 'purple'!  Below the photo of the quilt

you can see the maths I have done to calculate how much contrast fabric

I will need so that I can cut 252 rectangles but have enough to cut the borders in

one piece!  In theory you cut the borders once you've made the quilt but

I've estimated and know I'll need 5 m of fabric that must be 42" wide!  

I'll probably buy 5½ m, just to be on the safe side.

4   Tangerine

My 'tangerine' day lily is splendid!

5    Begins with O .....   ONION SEED HEAD

What a whooper!  It measures about 23 cm across and I grew

it in about 2010.  I seem to recall it was Allium Christophii

but I could be wrong.

6   Whiskery

We own several fields and are never tired of seeing hares there.

I hope you can see its whiskers!

7    Lace

My new boots with snazzy laces, sharing my garden with hosta leaves that are more lace than leaves.

8    Bridge

We own the bridge that crosses the 'river' up to our house and that of our neighbour.  To cut a long

story short, it is being repaired and the company undertaking this work had to built a bridge

over our neighbours wall so the workers can get into the water and then under the

bridge to repair the supporting wall that the floods on Boxing Day 2015 ripped out....

It is not proving to be an easy job....   big sigh!

9    Letters

We were on our way recently to visit Beloved's aged Aunt and we stopped at

a cross roads; as a rule we always stop here but this was the first time I

noticed this set of ancient letters.  So out with my camera, a quick snap

and we were on our way again.

10   Own Choice

BORIS IS BACK!!   Yes I am shouting as I'm so pleased he is back.

I go and see him most days and thank my lucky stars to be able

to see him.  He still lives in a tree in my old garden.

Well that's my offerings for this month.

Now I must go and look at everyone else's photos.  Don't forget you can click here to see other people joining in with Hawthorn this month.

July 2017 Photo Hunt

I am once again joining in with Hawthorn Spellweaver (click here to visit her blog and see links to other people who are taking part). This month's list of 10 words was difficult for me; can't put my finger on the reasons for this but it certainly was a challenging list.  I have tried to think outside the box and hope my logical thinking does not mystify you (or bore you!).  Here goes!

1   Crane

Just about to sit down and eat my lunch when I noticed this crane fly on the patio

doors - raced upstairs to get my camera and it was still there!

Funny after I took this photo I've not seen any more but have seen

lots of mobile cranes driving along.

2  Ring

Can you guess where this concrete ring came from?  If you live with an engineer/DIY man

then you might see one....  it was attached to the front of the washing machine drum.

Yes, our washing machine died and he found the drum had become perforated

so impossible to repair.  We had to race out and order a new one.....

3   Set

Here is the crochet roll I made to keep my set of crochet hooks in.

I was on a day course years ago and make the appliqued panel.

Later I used it to make my crochet hook roll.

Luckily I had some lengths of Kumihimo braid I'd made many

moons ago as well as some nice chunky beads.

Perfect for my needs.

4   Light

My alternative Christmas tree I made last year

complete with red lights!

It is a branch from an ash tree, yarn bombed along

each branch and then 'decorated' in my style!

Rather than a 'fairy' or star at the top of the

tree I have an owl glove puppet.....

5   Bow

Jeepers, all I could think of was Beloved's cross bow..... ornamental object!

6   Spring

Well done Beloved for finding me this huge spring; it was destined to

be a new set of springs on a garage door at the old house but never

were fitted.  My foot (size 5) is for scale.

7   Open

How it is, whenever we are out and come across a closed gate, I volunteer to open it, wait for

him to drive through and then close it?  I am such a wonderful wife as I do this no matter

what the weather is doing...  Once I had to open a gate and some sheep escaped...  I had

to go and knock on the farm door; they were not impressed; thankfully no sheep 

just rain when I fought with the above gate.

8   Grand

I present my GRAND Design....  the wooden bridge over the stream at the bottom of our garden

(I call it the Zambezi) is rotten but I still find it useful, visually and for resting plants, tools etc 

on or grabbing hold to as I step down into the Zambezi on the far right of the bridge.

We found a big slab of reconstituted stone here and Beloved laid it across the water for me.

At the far end was a slope up; no problem getting up but coming down (with a dodgy knee) 

when it is wet, was awkward.  So I built a series of steps; then I spotted another slope to the 

far right and made some more steps.  The second photo does not show it clearly

but where the word PATH is, was a slope and I kept sliding down to the plants

on the left so I got my border spade out and about 90 minutes later I had a rough

and ready path.  I can't believe why I did not create this path ages ago.  

Already I am wearing the steps and path out.

9   Park

Where we live, we are within striking distance of the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and so

much more.  We have all these beautiful PARKS to enjoy.  Here we are descending into Malham

with tantalising glimpses of Malham tarn.  I'd hate to live where it was all flat.

I'm not a bicycle rider so give me the hills and dales!

10   Own Choice

A few weeks ago the grass in our fields was cut and baled.  The day before it was baled

we walked up the long field and I nearly stepped on this juvenille curlew.  I did not want to disturb

it so just did a quick snap (hence the slight blurriness) and walked away.

I estimated it to be at least 7" (18 cm) long.  Usually I use my foot for scale

but I thought it inappropriate to use it that day.

That beak has a lot of growing to do yet.

Well that's my offerings for this month.

Now I must go and look at everyone else's photos.  Don;t forget you can click here to see other people joining in with Hawthorn this month.