Friday 22 February 2013

Chilly chills

Yesterday morning started out very colourful, my goodness I am having fun with my left over bits of Planet Penny cotton which I purchased over a year ago and have made various things with since. It's divine to wake up, make some tea and start my day with cotton and crochet hook, I really am wallowing in each day of my annual leave, savouring not having to dash here and there and remember this and that...oh and to forget all about making the packed lunches!

Unfortunately, my day then took another turn, a freezing bitterly cold one. I decided whilst Alice was busy with a friend over for the day, I'd cycle for a quick potter to St. Leonards on Sea just along the coast. What on earth possessed me? Who knows!


Bitterly cold shards of wind rushing through my face is an understatement! With an Easterly wind to cycle into, this was not a fun experience my friends, I had to keep stopping to blow my runny nose and re-adjust my multiple layers which kept creeping up to expose my lower back and my scarf, snood and woolly hat making me look like some kind of woolly ninja :o)

Just when I thought all hope was lost, the sun came out and I stopped to soak it up...

Beautiful hope

This gave me the momentum to persevere and stop to find the Banksy street art I have been meaning to see.

There were other street artists in St.Leonards who caught my eye too


And some more spotted as I had a potter around the town's charity  and retro/antique shops.


I stopped for a delicious sandwich and cup of tea before I embraced my cycle home which was brilliant given I had the easterly blowing me back home, I was back in about 20 minutes. All in all I think the painful cycle there was worth it and I'm pleased i proved to myself that I can cycle in this cold weather.

One of my favourite shops was visited, full of the most divine old buttons, fabrics, lace, beads and braiding. While I was admiring the buttons I couldn't help but eaves drop in on the conversation being had with the shop assistant and a customer who was looking for 1920's pin stripe fabric for making men's suites for a movie they were making. The shop assistant duly showed him what they had...the softest, purest wool, British woven pin stripe suite fabric ever...... after a quote of a few thousand pounds for all the meters needed, the customer took himself off for a stiff coffee to contemplate the offer. 

Unfortunately I didn't get to stay long enough to find out what deal went down but I am sure some serious negotiating was had!


As for me, well I came away with a few buttons and some samples of old pretty french wallpaper which I have little plans for.


Oh, and this delightful deer to add to my woodland collection, for 50p from a junk shop....bargain!


Thanks for all your wise and wonderful comments on my last post, I have loved reading them all and seeing the similarities and differences that make us all individual. I really appreciate the time and effort put into commenting. As a little thank you and just because I am having a small give away if you are interested here and the winners name will be randomly drawn on Sunday 24/2/13.

Have a fun fulled weekend wherever you are.
It's going be a chilly one in the UK judging by the odd snow flake I can see outside my window.
See you all soon 
xox
Penelope

9 comments:

  1. I would love to visit the button shop - what a gold mine!
    Bitterly cold here too!

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  2. you did all this in 20 minutes???????? love those buttons! would have most likely had to spend more than 20 oogling them!

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    1. Ooops, sorry Steph what I meant to say is, it only took me 20 minutes to cycle back with the wind behind me, it took me an hour to get there though!

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  3. You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din.... :)

    Seriously - well done cycling in winter! (I wish I could but don't have the proper gear.) I know just how those icy shards of wind feel, hitting the face. Isn't it wonderful to have a tailwind on the way HOME?

    That button shop looks like a corner of craft heaven. I'd love to have seen the pinstripe wool too. Can't wait to see what you were making with your PPCC yarn.

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  4. It has been absolutely bitter here (my in-laws are in Capetown again, their timing is perfect!) and we went out walking the other morning, it was hard going I took my scarf off a few times before I managed to wrap ot around in a fashion which made my ear ache better and I could breathe! I felt good after the walk, but during there were times it was soooo painful.

    The buttons look inspirational, what a treasure trove!

    I found your previous post rang a few bells with me, I love my boys dearly, but my best friend is most definitely my other half, who knows me well and things are comfortable. I don't work, but have a few good friends in my church but other than that there is o one really close....I love the people around me and don't tend to worry about where I am at, its funny how things change in different stages in life, and for me, I know they probably will again.

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  5. You are either brave or bonkers...or both? :) Man I don't know how you managed to do that ride...we went for a walk along the front into town a couple of days ago and I nearly died with that icy easterly wind. It was sodding FREEZING! I forgot my hat and my ears almost fell off. They were agony. I moaned and whined all the way. :)

    Bravo to you!!

    ps the wallpaper samples look fabulous.

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  6. What a great story about the man buying old fabric. :-)

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  7. so enjoyed visiting your beautiful blog.

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  8. What an amazing button shop and those photos you took of the coast are absolutely stunning!!

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